New system helps many needing food in Pratt

A line of vehicles snaked their way through the parking lot at the Pratt Community Center as new guidelines went into effect for distributing Retired and Senior Volunteer Program commodities.
Tiffany Ailstock, RSVP director, said the new system worked well although more families showed up than expected and a few families did not receive supplies.
Ailstock said there were 224 families at the event and that is an increase of about forty families over the 166 families that were signed up in February. The 2020 numbers are an increase over the 149 families that were signed up in November 2019. Those 224 families account for about 440 people.
(Read more: News – PrattTribune – Pratt, KS)

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:19:22-05:00April 5, 2020|News|

Mural takes shape in St. John

An old, blank wall in St. John is being transformed into a history lesson as a gifted artist brings the history of the founding of the town to life on a canvas of mortar.
Artist Inga Ojala climbs a scaffold and draws in the likeness of William Bickerton, a member of the The Church of Christ, that founded the town in 1875.
The wall is roughly 15 feet tall and 55 feet wide. The mural will be a depiction of Bickerton and his wife Dorothy arriving at Ion Valley, the site where St. John would be established, Ojala said.
(Read more: News – PrattTribune – Pratt, KS)

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:19:36-05:00April 5, 2020|News|

Sedgwick County’s dash for supplies to protect against COVID-19 tangled in red tape

Wichita hospitals are facing a shortage of personal protective equipment as the coronavirus pandemic continues its community spread in Sedgwick County.
But a worldwide scramble for supplies, layers of red tape and a lack of coordination are making it increasingly difficult for those supplies to get to the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, according to local and state officials.
To gear up for a surge of patients, estimated to reach Kansas later this month, Sedgwick County is pushing the Robert J. Dole Veteran’s Affairs hospital to hand over a stockpile of respiratory protective gear and medical supplies to help local hospitals and first responders fight the coronavirus.
(Read more: Kansas City Breaking News, Crime & Sports |)

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:20:20-05:00April 5, 2020|News|

Wyandotte County ramping up stay-at-home enforcement after rapid increase in cases; UG employee dies

Officials in Wyandotte County are stepping up enforcement on the stay-at-home order after seeing a rapid rise in coronavirus cases, including the death of a Unified Government employee.
According to the county’s chief medical officer, there have been 137 cases of in Wyandotte County as of Friday night. Dr. Allen Greiner said that’s a 191% increase from one week ago.
…County health officials are stressing that residents and businesses need to take the stay-at-home order seriously. …Residents can report any businesses or individuals whom they believe are not complying with the order by calling the KCK Police Department’s special reporting line …
(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:35:29-05:00April 5, 2020|News|

Shawnee County’s health officer thrust into spotlight after years of relative anonymity

In 1994, Gianfranco Pezzino had a decision to make. As one of his mentors put it, he would have to choose between being a “big fish in a small pond” or a small fish in a bigger — but possibly nicer — pond.Pezzino chose Topeka. Today, Shawnee County’s health officer calls it “the best decision ever” and takes exception to those who once questioned his move or even said they felt sorry for him.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:34:14-05:00April 5, 2020|News|

Kansas Supreme Court balks at price discrimination against home solar producers

The Kansas Supreme Court said Friday state regulators engaged in illegal price discrimination by allowing utility companies to assess higher electric fees on residential customers who generated their own wind or solar power. The decision means Kansas utility companies can’t charge customers producing their own energy more than the companies charge other customers based on that distinction.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:30:47-05:00April 5, 2020|News|

Gov. Laura Kelly signs bill for new transportation program

Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday signed legislation to launch a 10-year transportation program. The Legislature before adjourning in March adopted the $9.9 billion Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program to replace the expired T-Works program. The new plan includes completion of T-Works projects left marooned by a decade of annual funding sweeps."Investing in Kansas’ infrastructure means putting people to work," Kelly said. "It means fixing our roads and bridges.

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:30:15-05:00April 5, 2020|News|

Hospitals, cities suffer revenue shortfalls

Arkansas City commissioners were warned Friday to expect a big financial hit to the city and hospital due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
During a study session Friday, City Manager Nick Hernandez predicted serious problems in the next few months.
The city does have reserves, but might also have to borrow from other sources to cover expenses.
“I’m telling you straight up right now, we’ll probably have to transfer some of our utility funds over to help cover the offset in lost revenue,” he said. “If sales tax decreases 50 percent, you’re talking about a $1.6 million hit to the budget.”
Hernandez added that he doesn’t expect to see that big of a drop. His guess is a 20 to 25 percent drop overall due to the loss of local sales.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com)

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:23:49-05:00April 5, 2020|News|

Reno Commissioner offers challenge to community in video

In a brief video recorded Thursday in the Reno County Commission chambers, Commissioner Bob Bush challenged he community to keep the county’s death toll from the novel coronavirus at zero by everyone staying at home and, if people must go out, practicing the oft-repeated health guidelines of social distancing and good hygiene.
Bush touches on the efforts being made by local public and health agencies, who gather on a conference call each morning to “talk about how to unity and come together so we have the resources when people get sick,” as well as the county’s burn ban and the need to conserve medical resources.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Ranson Financial2020-04-03T08:58:52-05:00April 3, 2020|News|

Early projections have Johnson County government losing $18-$38 million in tax revenue due to pandemic

The county could lose anywhere from $18 million to $38 million in tax revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the earliest projections prepared by budget director Scott Neufeld. And that doesn’t even include parks and library budgets.
Johnson County commissioners got a sobering look at the potential impact of the business shutdowns on sales and other taxes collected for the rest of the current budget year. Biggest losses were estimated to come from lagging sales tax, but the county could also expect to lose substantially on investment income because of cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve, he said.
Meanwhile, the county manager’s office furloughed 46 motor vehicle registration employees, since those offices are now closed to the public. The furloughs save about $240,000 a month.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post )

Ranson Financial2020-04-03T08:58:23-05:00April 3, 2020|News|