KDOT announces aviation projects selected for funding

Thirty-six projects have been selected for Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) funding for the purpose of planning, constructing or rehabilitating public use general aviation airports. KAIP receives $5 million annually through the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, known as IKE, and requires airport sponsors to share in the project costs by paying between 5% and 50% of the total project. The Kansas Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation, which manages the program, considered 145 project applications this year with a combined total project value of over $78 million. Among those projects selected was Rose Hill’s Cook Airfield, which will receive $87,120 for runway/taxiway repair and pavement preservation of the entire airfield.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Ranson Financial2022-03-06T22:58:00-06:00March 6, 2022|News|

Commissioners debate charging business license fee

Fort Scott City Commissioners on Tuesday had a lengthy debate about whether the city should require a business license fee. Local business owner Angela Simon said she believes the county should be able to recoup some tax revenue from business that are operating illegally. She said one way to do that is for the city to require business licenses.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune

Ranson Financial2022-03-06T22:56:00-06:00March 6, 2022|News|

Drought persists in southwest Kansas as fire season begins

Spring is nearly here and there is drought in Finney County and across southwestern Kansas. Jonathan Finch, Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Dodge City, said extreme western Finney County is in D3, extreme drought, from Garden City moving east it’s in D1, moderate drought, and in between its D2, severe drought.
Source: Garden City Telegram

Ranson Financial2022-03-06T22:54:09-06:00March 6, 2022|News|

Peabody residents working to renovate only performing arts theater in town

A group in Peabody is working to renovate a local building into a performing arts theater. Members of the Sunflower Theatre Committee say the arts in their rural community are underserved, so they’re working to change that. The Sunflower Theatre was built in the 1920s, but was later turned in to a bowling alley, which later closed. The building has been vacant for a few years now. The committee is working on the $1.6 million renovation project to restore it. They’ve already received an $85,650 Heritage Trust Grant from the Kansas Historical Society. The committee is working to raise the rest of the funds through different events. They are presenting a Reader’s Theater featuring comedy sketch performances this Sunday at 3 p.m.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2022-03-06T22:48:25-06:00March 6, 2022|News|

Evacuations ordered as large Reno County fire moves into Harvey County

Evacuations are underway as strong winds push a large grass fire from Reno County into Harvey County. There’s also a smaller fire burning northeast of Towanda, in Butler County. Just before 3 p.m., Harvey County ordered an evacuation between Woodberry and Sand Hill roads from Highway 50 to NW 48th in the northwest part of the county.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2022-03-07T07:47:01-06:00March 6, 2022|News|

Judge overturns Johnson County’s last pit bull ban, allowing Leawood family to reunite with dog

Leawood’s ordinance banning pit bulls, which is believed to be the last in Johnson County, has been ruled unconstitutionally vague by a judge. Johnson County District Judge Thomas Sutherland has decided in favor of Leawood resident Kristi Bond’s appeal to bring her dog, Lucy, back to the family home. Lucy, five years old and now blind, had been living in another city since September of 2020 while Bond’s case was pending. When Bond was charged in Leawood Municipal Court with keeping a “dangerous animal,” Leawood and Overland Park were believed to be the last two major cities in the county and among only a few in the metro still banning pit bulls. Overland Park has since rescinded its ban.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2022-03-06T22:43:22-06:00March 6, 2022|News|

Study says Manhattan has a workforce housing problem; commissioners to discuss data Tuesday

As home price growth speeds past income growth, housing in Manhattan is getting more expensive. Manhattan city commissioners will take their first look at a housing market analysis beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at 1101 Poyntz Ave. Meeting documents indicate six observations in the housing market analysis: Manhattan has a workforce housing problem. A worker has to earn $17.50 an hour or $35,000 per year to afford a two-bedroom house of safe and decent quality, plus utilities. There is a mismatch between what people can afford and what housing is being built. The median household income in Manhattan is $51,000, which, according to city documents, means that households can afford a $160,000 to $180,000 home. The median price for a new home is $329,000. Housing prices are increasing rapidly and the market is very competitive. The median sale price rose from $117,000 to $199,000, or more than 70 percent, since 2003, which is more than double the rate of increase for income.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

Ranson Financial2022-03-06T22:41:00-06:00March 6, 2022|News|

Wasinger promoted to Manhattan assistant city manager

City manager Ron Fehr on Friday announced the promotion of Jared Wasinger from assistant to the city manager to assistant city manager. Wasinger will help with the day-to-day management of city operations, including supervising staff and administrative policy, working with Fehr and deputy city manager Jason Hilgers on various projects and redevelopment activity. Wasinger also will serve as the designated representative on the Riley County police board and staff liaison to the city-university special projects fund committee. “I believe Jared will continue to have a positive impact within the organization and the community by assisting with day-to-day project management as well as helping identify creative and innovative solutions to community challenges while enhancing city services,” Fehr said in a written statement.
Source: themercury.com

Ranson Financial2022-03-07T07:47:35-06:00March 6, 2022|News|

School leader: ‘What’s going on in our larger community?’ Lawrence’s enrollments decline even as the city’s population grows

Take a drive in the countryside northeast of Lawrence, and be prepared to find something that many Lawrence residents likely would deem odd. There, along Kansas Highway 32 in adjacent Leavenworth County — just a bit past Linwood and that community’s livestock auction barn — is a big, new building under construction. It is a new elementary school for the Basehor-Linwood school district. In Lawrence, the idea of needing to build a new elementary school is an odd thought. Talk in recent weeks has been dominated by the idea of closing elementary schools in Lawrence. But others could argue that the oddity isn’t happening near Linwood, but rather in Lawrence.
Source: LJWorld.com

Ranson Financial2022-03-06T20:58:42-06:00March 4, 2022|News|

Treasury yields remain lower after jobs report, investors flock to safety amid Ukraine crisis

Treasury yields slumped on Friday as investors continued to buy safe-haven assets amid Russia-Ukraine conflict. The decline in yields came even after a strong jobs report. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note dropped 10 basis points to 1.736%. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond fell 8 basis points to 2.142%. … 1 basis point is equal to 0.01%. Nonfarm payrolls for January grew by 678,000 and the unemployment rate was 3.8%, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. That compared to estimates of 440,000 for payrolls and 3.9% for the jobless rate.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Ranson Financial2022-03-04T09:13:22-06:00March 4, 2022|News|