Haven residents thankful to be home after evacuations from gas plant fire

It has been a long 24 hours for a lot of the residents on 6th St. and Westland Dr. in Haven. Around 1:30 Thursday afternoon, Catherine Harber says she was at home when she starts to hear a rumbling above her house. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t know what happened, it was so loud and then I stepped out and see flames.” Those flames were coming from the Tenawa Natural Gas plant just down the road. Fire crews spent most of the afternoon and evening working to put out the flames. Down the street on 6th and Kansas, Verbena Strasner says she was on her way home from work in Yoder when, “We did get a call yesterday to evacuate, but by the time I got home, it was rescinded. So I thought we were in the clear.”
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:12:03-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Topeka ranked as top summer destination for remote workers

The capital city of Kansas is receiving more attention from a growing list of outlets that are recognizing Topeka for its many benefits, including those offered to remote workers. Topeka recently received praise from Hola! which ranks as one of the U.S.’s top Latino entertainment websites. In an article titled, “The Best Summer Destinations for Remote Work: For Beach Lovers, Nature Explorers or Restaurant-Goers,” Topeka is rated alongside Honolulu, Hawaii; Petaluma, California; Tucson, Arizona; and Ithaca, New York.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T00:37:24-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

City falling short on some of its public safety goals, update for Lawrence City Commission shows

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will hear an update on some measures of the city’s performance in safety and security. Some of the city’s progress indicators in Tuesday’s meeting agenda still include baseline data from the city’s 2019 community survey, according to Interim Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Chief Tom Fagan. One of those indicators is the percentage of residents who perceive Lawrence as safe or very safe. At 82%, the city was below the target of 90%. The city’s strategic plan website currently shows that the percentage of residents who rate their trust in emergency services from the police department as “satisfied” or “very satisfied” was 81%, below the target of 85%; and from LDCFM, the rate was 91%, below the goal of 95%. However, those numbers are substitutes using 2019 data that asked residents about the “overall quality” of those services rather than their trust in them.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T00:33:20-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Riley County approves EPA order to bring sewer benefit district into compliance

Riley County Commissioners on Monday unanimously agreed to an Environmental Protection Agency order that sets a compliance timeline for the University Park Sewer Benefit District. The University Park Sewer Benefit District treats domestic wastewater from district residents and landowners that is discharged into Tuttle Creek Lake. According to meeting documents, the EPA has found that the facility is failing to comply with sewage limitations and failing to conduct analysis properly. During an inspection, an EPA representative found that the pH standards of the chlorine secondary standards in the facility laboratory were out of date, the facility’s analytical equipment was not calibrated according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and facility personnel did not keep records of when the equipment was calibrated.
Source: themercury.com

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:14:54-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

KCK/WYCO hit by cybersecurity attack over holiday weekend

This weekend the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, was subject to a cybersecurity attack to its data centers, a UG spokesman stated. The Unified Government has been working diligently to restore services and data access, a UG news release stated. Community members may visit the UG’s website at wycokck.org or call 3-1-1 for updates on services that have been affected. According to the UG spokesman, this is a fluid situation with an ongoing assessment of the damage underway.
Source: Wyandotte Daily

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:15:26-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Hutchinson artist and his friends collaborated on a new mural on a South Main Street building

Hutchinson artist and mural painter Brady Scott and his friends collaborated on a new mural on a South Main Street building. The mural focuses on Kansas imagery and graffiti, bringing splashes of color to the building’s outside walls. “It’s nice to have that place, and that wall to go to, and paint and, you know, practice our craft and have fun together,” said Scott. The artwork on the mural contains Scott’s painting of a fox. The rest of the mural is designed graffiti.
Source: Hutch News

Ranson Financial2022-04-18T07:21:05-05:00April 18, 2022|News|

Hutchinson will have its own license plate

Hutchinson residents — and out-of-town community supporters — will now be able to display pride in their community when on the road while also supporting local parks. The Kansas Legislature approved a license plate featuring the Hutchinson flag as one of eight new distinctive license plates that motorists can order in Kansas. Proceeds from sales of the tags will go to the Hutch Rec Foundation. Under the legislation, which passed both the House and Senate nearly unanimously and was signed by the governor last Friday, the plates may become available on Jan. 1, 2023.
Source: Hutch News

Ranson Financial2022-04-18T07:18:22-05:00April 18, 2022|News|

Explosion risk at burning gas plant forced overnight evacuation for some in Reno County

Reno County residents within a mile and a half of the Haven gas plant that caught fire Thursday were directed to evacuate their homes overnight due to the risk of an explosion. Officials say the threat was posed by approximately 3,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas being held in a vessel with relief valves that may have been compromised. Residents around the plant were originally told to prepare for a 72-hour evacuation, but on Friday, Reno County Emergency Management posted on Facebook that residents could return home.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2022-04-18T07:01:05-05:00April 18, 2022|News|

Kansas property tax bill signed into law

A bill that backers say will provide some property tax relief to Kansans was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Laura Kelly. House Bill 2239 increases the state’s exemption for residential property taxes from $20,000 to $40,000 of appraised valuation. The bill also allows some personal property taxes to be prorated and gives county commissioners more authority to abate property taxes in cases of property destroyed by disasters. “Our fiscal responsibility has put Kansas back on track,” the governor said in a press release. “We’ve been able to fully fund our schools, fix our roads and bridges, balance the budget, and cut property taxes, providing relief for Kansans.”
Source: Atchison Globe Now

Ranson Financial2022-04-18T00:24:05-05:00April 18, 2022|News|

Eliminating late fees pays off for Emporia Public Library

The Emporia Public Library became one of the first libraries in the state to eliminate late fines in Dec. 2019. Now, many other libraries throughout the state are following suit. Robin Newell, library director says discussions about removing library fines took place from 2016 to 2018. Those discussions started with staff considering three main issues. The first issue staff considered was how library fines were preventing access for individuals, specifically low-income individuals. “When we looked at it, fines were a barrier, people couldn’t afford the fines and then they weren’t coming back in,” Newell said.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Ranson Financial2022-04-18T00:14:45-05:00April 18, 2022|News|