Mayors, the other first responders

Around here, some mayors have shown strong leadership while others have struggled. Topeka Mayor Michelle de la Isla won national recognition for her response. De la Isla assembled a rapid-response team that meets every morning to assess the latest developments, including one member whose entire focus is to combat false rumors, which mostly spread online. These include one baseless allegation that she was about to place the city under martial law. De la Isla’s task force also monitors supplies of medical equipment, state and national developments, and the latest figures on how the virus is impacting Topekans.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com)

Ranson Financial2020-05-04T08:56:45-05:00May 3, 2020|News|

Ark City Dollar General closing

Dollar General, a Tennessee based company, has announced its plan to permanently close the store at 2411 N. Summit St., in Arkansas City. Angela Petkovic, public relations for Dollar General, said that the company is constantly evaluating their store locations in order to find the best way to serve their customers. “We have made the decision to close this location,” she said. Petkovic would not comment on the reason for that decision.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com)

Ranson Financial2020-05-04T08:58:11-05:00May 3, 2020|News|

‘People are ready to get out’: Kansans fill Cheney Lake

Campers, jet skis, and boats are out in full force at Cheney Lake this weekend. Park officials say it almost felt like a holiday weekend. Vicki Huff and her family are very familiar with the park. They come out every year during this time. Now they are seeing some new faces, “I think people are ready to get out. They’ve been cooped up,” said Huff. While many businesses are closed from coronavirus, Cheney Lake is using it as a way to recover. “The flooding last year we lost a lot of revenue during that time and last weekend we started out we were 100% full in our utility sites,” said Shayne Coppes, Cheney State Park Manager.
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2020-05-04T08:59:25-05:00May 3, 2020|News|

Kansas passes 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, coronavirus-related deaths number 134

Public health officials report that more than 5,000 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Kansas. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s coronavirus pandemic report on Sunday listed 5,030 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 134 deaths statewide. The KDHE reported 399 cases in Sedgwick County. The Sedgwick County Health Department reported 426 cases and 13 deaths. Discrepancies between county and state numbers can be due to confirmed cases from one health department not yet being finalized with the other, officials have said.
(Read more: Local News |)

Ranson Financial2020-05-04T08:59:51-05:00May 3, 2020|News|

‘A Mission treasure’: After 20 years of service, Mission city clerk Martha Sumrall retires

Martha Sumrall always had an interest in local government, but didn’t begin her journey with the city of Mission until 2000: The Countryside native and now Mission resident became an administrative assistant to the city clerk and former Mayor Sylvester Powell Jr. She became the city clerk five years later, and hasn’t looked back since. After 20 years of being an integral piece of Mission, Sumrall’s journey has come to an end as she retires. She served under four Mission mayors and several city councilmembers, and sat through numerous evening meetings to fulfill her duty as city clerk. Her dedication to the city comes from her love of Mission, but she’ll miss the people more than anything, she said.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Ranson Financial2020-05-04T09:12:06-05:00May 3, 2020|News|

Kansas Attorney General Opinion 2020-5: Tax lid application to hospital maintenance funding

K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 79-2925c allows a city or county to maintain a consistent level of funding in constant or real dollars. Any increase above that level, however, is subject to approval by the electorate, unless the increase falls within the provisions of subsection (b) of K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 79-2925c. …
As the Board of Commissioners of Decatur County, you request our opinion regarding whether a county commission must conduct an election pursuant to K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 79-2925c before raising the mill levy for hospital maintenance to the level authorized by electors in 2016. … To determine whether Decatur County must conduct an election in order to increase the hospital maintenance tax levy to 13 mills, the County will need to determine whether the increased budget exceeds the previous budget adjusted by the CPI and whether any of the provisions of K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 79-2925c(b) are applicable.
(Read more: Kansas Attorney General Opinions)

Ranson Financial2020-05-04T09:07:45-05:00May 3, 2020|News|

Lenexa city attorney reflects on 31-year career

City Attorney Cindy Harmison will retire May 8 after 31 years of service with the City of Lenexa. In this Q & A, she reflects on ways Lenexa has changed over the years, her most memorable experiences and the rewards of public service.
(Read more: City of Lenexa)

Ranson Financial2020-05-04T08:51:15-05:00May 3, 2020|News|

Counties could get a separate piece of $1 trillion in federal aid

Congressional Democrats are negotiating with Republicans for up to $1 trillion in state, county and local government aid in a CARES Act 2 bill that would include some infrastructure spending such as broadband. County governments would receive their own separate allocations of federal aid. “So we may have three tranches, state, county, because many counties deliver health services and the rest and then the municipalities,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at her weekly news conference Thursday. Pelosi also for the first time said that the aid for state and local governments might approach $1 trillion.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)

Ranson Financial2020-05-04T09:02:08-05:00May 2, 2020|News|

Raising city chickens about more than eggs

Chickens are typically a farm animal, but having four hens in town provides the experience of raising animals, Peabody resident Stephanie Hurst said. “Even just having four a day is plenty for us,” she said. “There’s that, and just having the experience for sure. I wouldn’t say I got them specifically for eggs. I got them basically as pets.” Paige Ensey’s family originally bought their 10 chickens because they were eating a lot of eggs. Now, the 13-year-old also sees the chickens as more than just a way to get eggs.
(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-05-01T09:01:07-05:00May 1, 2020|News|

Kansas coronavirus update: Gov. Laura Kelly reveals detail of six-week plan for restoring state’s economic life

Gov. Laura Kelly unveiled Thursday night her framework for reopening the state by phasing out restrictions for businesses and social activities over the next six weeks while ramping up efforts to test and trace the spread of a deadly virus that left residents isolated and put the state’s economy in a tailspin. Kelly announced her plans, which begin with the expiration Monday of her statewide stay-at-home order, in a live address to the people of Kansas. She said the blueprint of her exit strategy from the dark cloud created by COVID-19 was a painstaking, intensive exercise in finding a balance. “It’s an effort to balance non-negotiable public health considerations with jaw-dropping, unsustainable economic realities,” the governor said. “It’s an effort to balance state obligations to keep Kansas communities safe with the need for returning flexibility to local leaders. And it’s an attempt to balance the need for stability in the future with agility as we continue to adapt to a rapidly evolving, lethal threat.”
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-05-01T08:47:01-05:00May 1, 2020|News|