Johnson County Commission will hold special meeting to consider Gov. Kelly’s order on face masks

The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners will convene for a special meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday to discuss Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order requiring people across the state to wear a face mask in public places starting Friday. Johnson County officials had been facing growing pressure from some in the community to issue a local face mask mandate following orders from neighboring Wyandotte and Jackson Counties. A petition started over the weekend asking the Johnson County Commission to issue its own face mask order is now up to nearly 3,700 signatures. As of Monday, however, the county’s health officials were saying they would rely on a “shared sense of responsibility” and encourage people to adhere to voluntary face mask recommendations.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Ranson Financial2020-07-02T08:22:53-05:00July 2, 2020|News|

Reception sees off retiring Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine

Thirty-five people wished retiring Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine a warm farewell at a reception Monday at Hillsboro city hall. Others online joined the celebration.
“We’re here to celebrate a lifetime, not just 12 years of public service,” mayor Lou Thurston said.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Ranson Financial2020-07-02T08:22:00-05:00July 2, 2020|News|

Hillsboro’s loss, Peabody’s gain

Peabody is finding ways to capitalize on a shifting environment of recreation activities, in part by purchasing unused pool cleaner from Hillsboro. Since Hillsboro isn’t opening its pool this year and won’t need its two pallets of pool cleaner, Peabody city council decided Monday to purchase a pallet of 24 containers of cleaner from Hillsboro. They will cost $151 a container.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Ranson Financial2020-07-02T08:21:32-05:00July 2, 2020|News|

New Shawnee County COVID-19 rules will require bars to close by 10 p.m.

Bars and nightclubs in Shawnee County will need to close by 10 p.m. to comply with an emergency order health officer Gianfranco Pezzino issued Tuesday afternoon in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release put out by Amanda Monhollon, deputy public information officer for the Shawnee County Health Department. Bars and nightclubs will be the only businesses affected by the order, which Pezzino said he issued after a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases here was linked to those types of businesses.
(Read more: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-07-02T08:20:37-05:00July 2, 2020|News|

Leavenworth hospital closing because of coronavirus costs

The owners of Saint Luke’s Cushing Hospital in Leavenworth said the hospital will close this fall because of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Saint Luke’s inpatient unit will close July 17 and the rest of the hospital will close Oct. 1. About 70 employees at the hospital will be able to apply for other positions in the Saint Luke’s Health System. Hospital CEO Adele Ducharme said in a news release Tuesday the hospital transitioned to emergency services last year to make it financially viable but was only a few months into the effort when the costs of the virus pandemic hit.
(Read more: KSNT News)

Ranson Financial2020-07-02T08:19:37-05:00July 2, 2020|News|

Emporia Zoo begins $4.3 million renovation

The Emporia Zoo is in the early stages of a $4.3 million renovation project. The zoo has opened a temporary entrance on the west end while the zoo’s main entrance undergoes reconstruction. The pond near the main entrance has been drained and dredged. Zoo Director Lisa Keith said the it is getting new rocks and landscaping, as well as an island for ducks and turtles. It’s also being reworked to incorporate a new memorial area. “It’s going to be a nice beautiful area for loved ones to come and remember those that passed on,” Keith said. “The entrance will be a beautiful new entrance. Before it looked like a maintenance gate. Now it will be obvious it’s the entrance to the zoo.”
(Read more: KSNT News)

Ranson Financial2020-07-02T08:19:17-05:00July 2, 2020|News|

Wichita Wind Surge owner weighs in on 2020 Minor League Baseball season cancellation

Wichita Wind Surge team owner Lou Schwechheimer says they were ready to play ball. When asked how soon they could be on the field if the season was not canceled. “It could be tomorrow,” says Schwechheimer. But without players which the MLB announced Tuesday. “It was a difficult call but at the end of the day our time will come,” says Schwechheimer. “I was pretty shocked,” said Wichitan Abigail Secondine Secondine is among others who admit they are casual fans of the sport. “Yeah, I think it something that a lot of people were looking forward to,” Krista Phillips.
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2020-07-02T08:17:24-05:00July 1, 2020|News|

Medical center plans to repay $1 million loan from Arkansas City

The City of Arkansas City’s budget may soon receive a much-needed boost if the $1 million it loaned to South Central Kansas Medical Center is paid back. That might happened soon, according to city and hospital officials. The funds were used to help cover medical centers payroll expenses for April, Many and June as revenue dropped due to the coronavirus fallout. When the loan was made in early April, officials were unsure whether the hospital would be able to repay it. City Manager Randy Frazer said that he had visited with CEO Jeff Bowman last week about the possibility of repayment.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Ranson Financial2020-07-02T08:16:48-05:00July 1, 2020|News|

Wichita school district gives 3 scenarios on upcoming school year, parents weigh in

The Wichita public school district is one step closer to having a plan for the upcoming school year. The district is putting together what it’s calling a future ready return plan. The academic task force is focusing on 3 scenarios: completely on site at school, a blended or hybrid model, with students alternating days on campus throughout the week, and exclusively online.
(Read more: KAKE – News)

Ranson Financial2020-07-01T08:02:50-05:00July 1, 2020|News|

Kansas counties could make governor’s mask order toothless

Gov. Laura Kelly’s planned order requiring Kansas residents to wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus could be toothless in many parts of the state because counties can exempt themselves and even those that don’t might not enforce it. Officials in some counties already were signalling Tuesday that they planned to opt out of Kelly’s mandate. The order, which Kelly is expected to issue Thursday ahead of it taking effect Friday, was to make masks mandatory in stores, restaurants and in any situation where social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, including outside.
(Read more: KAKE – News)

Ranson Financial2020-07-01T08:01:21-05:00July 1, 2020|News|