Labette County allows OT for court safety

Labette County commissioners will allow the sheriff’s department to rack up extra overtime to provide security for the full-time courtroom in Oswego.

The sheriff’s department has limited overtime built into its budget, but the court change this week required Sheriff Darren Eichinger to pull in off-duty deputies to provide security in Oswego. Deputies are volunteering to work the overatime hours. Eichinger said the overtime will be 32 to 40 hours a week depending on Judge Fred W. Johnson’s court schedule. This week the overtime will be about 32 hours.

Ranson Financial2020-02-03T06:46:07-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Explore Lenexa City Center’s civic campus

Over the last few years, Lenexa City Center has become a Johnson County destination.
Located near 87th Street Parkway and Renner Boulevard, west of Interstate 435, this vibrant neighborhood is the result of the vision and hard work of dedicated residents more than 20 years ago to create a dynamic space with public, retail, business, and residential opportunities for citizens and visitors.

The Lenexa civic campus is the heart of Lenexa City Center. It’s where you can find Lenexa’s City Hall, Public Market, Rec Center and Farmers Market, as well as a Park University campus and Lenexa City Center Library.

(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)

Ranson Financial2020-02-03T06:46:54-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Johnson County commission opens public comment period on bus route reductions despite 2 members’ concerns

People who ride the bus and their allies gave the Johnson County Commission an hour’s worth of reasons they should think twice before cutting routes and reducing service as planned in a couple of months.

Not only would the route cuts hurt people with disabilities and those whose budgets don’t include cars, but they would cost the county in expanded road and infrastructure repair as the county grows, according to several people who testified at the board’s Thursday meeting.

Commissioners are considering elimination of two routes and reduction of others, while expanding a new mictrotransit van service. But although some commissioners expressed support for transit, the majority stood by their earlier decision to open a public comment period on the route-cutting plan. The comment period will involve surveys of riders and online and is set to end in mid-March. No action on the routes can be taken until after the comment period.

Ranson Financial2020-02-02T19:38:33-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Winfield to curb curbside recycling

Recycling options provided by the City of Winfield will change soon in response to a changing market for recyclables, city manager Taggart Wall said Friday.

According to Wall, beginning this spring only corrugated cardboard will be accepted for curbside pickup in Winfield.

The recycling center at Strother Field will open to the public on a limited basis for people who want to recycle clean, sorted glass, aluminum and other materials. Operating hours will be announced later.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Ranson Financial2020-02-02T19:37:31-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Winfield chosen as site of proposed $80 million power plant

A new power plant addition is proposed to be constructed at the site of the current E. 12th St. Power Plant in Winfield.

When the City Commission met in its work session on Thursday, a new generation resource to benefit the City of Winfield and all member cities of the Kansas Power Pool was a centerpiece discussion.

The plant, an approximately $80 million investment, is estimated to have generation capability of 55 megawatts. The current E. 12th Plant has generation capability of 27 megawatts and will remain in active use. The timing for installation is soon after December 2022.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Ranson Financial2020-02-02T19:36:12-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Commissioners hear about security issues at Winfield courthouse

The need to improve courthouse security was one of the subjects discussed in the Cowley County Commissions first work session Thursday morning. The session, at which no action was taken, lasted almost three hours and covered four topics. It provided commissioners Wayne Wilt, Alan Groom and Bob Voegele and county administrator Lucas Goff an opportunity to discuss several issues in depth.

Goff said because the north and south annexes are much newer than the main courthouse, they have safety features missing from the older building.

He said every time he does a walk-through with the county’s insurance companies, they suggest the county would do better with their insurance rates if they took care of some of their security problems.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Ranson Financial2020-02-02T19:34:55-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Ark City could lose millions if all residents aren’t counted in census

Arkansas City lost out on an estimated $30 million in the past decade because not all of its population was counted in the last census, according to a presentation Thursday.

That’s one reason the Ark City Complete Count Committee wants to make sure that local citizens understand the importance of the upcoming Census 2020.

Committee Chair Anita Judd-Jenkins, a former legislator, gave a presentation Thursday at the Avery Family Learning Center.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Ranson Financial2020-02-02T19:33:18-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Couch will be next superintendent at USD 364 Marysville

Michael Couch, 55, was named new superintendent of Marysville’s public schools Friday.

Couch has 33 years of experience in education with nine of those as a superintendent. He was superintendent in Haviland for two years and has spent the past seven years as superintendent at Belleville-Republic County. His experience included overseeing a $17.2 million school improvement project.

Couch was the fourth finalist interviewed for the position here. His term will start July 1. Interim superintendent Denise Guy will finish the school year. She was hired last school year to replace Bill Mullins, who stepped down to concentrate more on family while he continues to battle cancer.

(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)

Ranson Financial2020-02-03T06:49:36-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Kansas college students can learn to fix tractors for free

Students in Kansas can learn how to fix tractors free of charge at two community colleges through a tech program partnership with the manufacturing giant John Deere.

The Hutchinson News reports that students can enroll in the free-tuition agricultural tech program at Garden City and Fort Scott community colleges as long as they find a John Deere dealership to sponsor them. Ryan Unruh, corporate service manager at BTI, says the starting salary for a technician job is $50,000 to $60,000 annually, with higher rates for the experience.

Kent Aikin, a John Deere instructor at FSCC, says Kansas is in high demand for the field.

Ranson Financial2020-02-02T19:26:53-06:00February 2, 2020|News|

Wichita firefighters rescue person trapped in trash truck

Wichita firefighters rescued a man from a garbage truck early Friday morning. People have been injured in Wichita dumpsters before, including in February 2013. KAKE News tries to answer the question: Why would someone choose to sleep inside a dumpster instead of in a shelter?

“Where the dumpsters are, there, the one that faces our house, I’ve seen them go in there before,” said Wichita resident Manuel Acosta. “Sometimes two at a time.”

Acosta lives near Central and West street, and he says people sleeping inside dumpsters there is nothing new. But, around 4:30 Friday morning, a man sleeping inside one of those dumpsters got a rough awakening. A Waste Management truck picked up the dumpster, pouring the man into the back of the truck. The 911 audio describes the event:

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Ranson Financial2020-02-02T19:26:11-06:00February 2, 2020|News|