Nearly 7,500 fans in attendance to watch Wichita State beat Houston in first game at new Riverfront Stadium

Wind Surge officials said Riverfront Stadium was nearly at capacity; with 7,500 people in attendance to watch Wichita State defeat Houston 10-1 in a college ballgame hosted by Riverfront Stadium. This was the first game played at Riverfront Stadium after much waiting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wind Surge officials thanked the community for their ongoing support, saying they are very excited for the team’s official home opener on May 11th.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2021-04-12T07:01:02-05:00April 12, 2021|News|

Local gathering limits loosened, but vaccine numbers ‘too low’ in Cowley County

Cowley County’s public health officer is loosening restrictions on mass gatherings and mask requirements at school events, while at the same time pleading with residents to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Thomas Langer on Friday announced updated health orders that take affect Monday. Mass outdoor gatherings no longer have any size limits, which will allow for more traditional school graduations and upcoming community events such as the county fair or Tacolalah. Social gatherings indoors of 300 people or more where space is available can now allow 60 % occupancy instead of just 25 %. On-site operations of businesses or other entities are no longer restricted by size.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Ranson Financial2021-04-12T07:07:01-05:00April 12, 2021|News|

Seward County takes step toward better mental health for its community

Mental health remains a concern for many across the country as COVID-19 rages on. In southwest Kansas, Seward County officials are stepping up to help their community. School, work, daily routines — almost everything has been turned upside down over the past year. With that, can come things like stress and anxiety, taking a toll on many people’s mental health. According to a recent study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 35% of Americans and more than a third of Kansans are facing mental health-related issues. In Seward County, a COVID hotspot last spring, county officials say they knew mental health services would be essential, but for some, access and cost were a concern. “In the early days, a lot of it was focused on our physical health. Right? And as we’ve moved through this, the realities of mental health have increased all the more,” said Leslie Bissell, Southwest Guidance Center Executive Director.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2021-04-12T07:07:12-05:00April 12, 2021|News|

Las Vegas pushes to become first to ban ornamental grass

A desert city built on a reputation for excess and indulgence wants to become a model for restraint and conservation with a first-in-the-nation policy banning grass that nobody walks on. Las Vegas-area water officials have spent two decades trying to get people to replace thirsty greenery with desert plants, and now they’re asking the Nevada Legislature to outlaw roughly 40% of the turf that’s left. The Southern Nevada Water Authority estimates there are almost 8 square miles (21 square kilometers) of “nonfunctional turf” in the metro area — grass that no one ever walks on or otherwise uses in street medians, housing developments and office parks.
Source: Wichita Breaking News, Sports & Crime |

Ranson Financial2021-04-12T07:07:20-05:00April 12, 2021|News|

Ex-employee tampered with Kansas water plant, feds say, a sign of online vulnerability

Wyatt Travnichek was just entering his 20s, but he had a vital job. After residents across eight central Kansas counties headed home for the night, Travnichek would keep watch — virtually — over the utility that supplied them with clean drinking water. As a worker at the Post Rock Rural Water District, headquartered in Ellsworth, he was periodically responsible for monitoring the plant after hours by remotely logging into its computer system. His duties lasted until he resigned in January 2019, the circumstances of which are unclear. Two months later, an unauthorized person gained remote access to the Post Rock system and shut down the facility’s cleaning and disinfecting procedures.
Source: Wichita News

Ranson Financial2021-04-12T07:08:32-05:00April 12, 2021|News|

Powell says it’s ‘highly unlikely’ the Fed will raise rates this year, despite stronger economy

Despite what he sees as a rapidly recovering economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Sunday reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to keep loose monetary policy on place. That includes a statement of near-certainty that interest rates won’t be going anywhere as inflation remains tame and millions of Americans remain in need of assistance as the nation rebuilds from the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “I think it’s highly unlikely that we would raise rates anything like this year,” Powell told “60 Minutes” journalist Scott Pelley in a broadcast Sunday evening .”I’m in a position to guarantee that the Fed will do everything we can to support the economy for as long as it takes to complete the recovery,” he added.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Ranson Financial2021-04-12T07:08:46-05:00April 11, 2021|News|

Inaugural Columbus Classic had disc golfers from the area competing for a good cause

Kansas residents competed in a disc golf tournament all for a good cause. Southeast Kansas was the spot Saturday to catch some tailwind and maybe make a hole in one. It wasn’t golf, though — instead, it was disc golf at Columbus City Park for the first ever Columbus Classic. It’s all for the Titan Kids program to provide clothes and food for students in Columbus Schools USD 493. 40 participants were able to compete in advanced, senior, recreation, and youth levels.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Ranson Financial2021-04-12T07:08:59-05:00April 11, 2021|News|

Early Childhood Education Needs in Crawford County

Access to early childhood education continues to be a struggle nationwide. Many parents often find themselves on a waiting list, because there simply aren’t enough spaces. Right now, only 65 percent of children in Crawford County are able to get an early childhood education. This means for every space in the county, there are eleven to twenty waiting for a spot. A couple of women are hoping to change that. Kari Cronister and Kristina Cullison are starting the conversation, to help bring those needed spaces to Crawford County. “A lof of people joke ‘Before you’re even pregnant you need to get on a waiting list'”, says Crawford County resident Karlea Abel. “We were just thrilled when our turn finally came, it almost felt like winning the lottery a little bit.” For many like Karlea, finding those high quality early childhood education options has been a journey.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Ranson Financial2021-04-12T07:09:14-05:00April 11, 2021|News|

Old buildings, new opportunities in Salina

Salina’s school buildings are iconic. Structures built decades ago illustrate unique architecture not seen in the community anymore. But over the years, when a school closes, that building sits empty. Now, some school buildings have found a new purpose. One of these buildings is Lowell School, located at 1009 Highland Ave. It was first built in 1915 with an addition constructed in the 1960s. After USD 305 closed the school, it was purchased by Salina Christian Academy to become a school once again.
Source: Salina Journal.

Ranson Financial2021-04-11T16:21:41-05:00April 9, 2021|News|

KS Supreme Court: Jayhawk Racing and Heartland Raceway vs. City of Topeka

SYLLABUS BY THE COURT
1. City revenue projects may be divided into two categories: projects that serve a “governmental” or “legislative” function, and projects that serve a “proprietary” or
“administrative” function.
2. Whether an ordinance is administrative or legislative depends on the unique facts of each case.
3. No single act of a governing body is likely to be solely legislative or solely administrative in nature.
4. The development, introduction, or improvement of services are, by and large, considered governmental.
5. The power to levee a tax generally belongs to the class of governmental power.
6. One city council may not bind a subsequent one to its political decisions involving the exercise of government functions.
7. Parties contracting with municipal corporations are bound at their peril to know the authority of the municipal body with which he or she deals.
8. Parties contracting with municipal corporations are deemed to understand the law of this State, and they knowingly assume the risk associated with such contracts.
Read the opinion.

Ranson Financial2021-04-09T11:38:46-05:00April 9, 2021|News|