County, lawmakers battle secretary of state over law saying where you can vote

Sedgwick County is turning to the state Legislature to try to force Secretary of State Scott Schwab to let county voters choose their own polling place in this year’s upcoming elections.

A Republican lawmaker has agreed to introduce a bill to let the County Commission change the voting procedure without Schwabb’s blessing.

Meanwhile, the top Senate Democrat says he may take Schwab to court in an effort to make him comply with a law passed last year.

(Read more: Local News |)

Ranson Financial2020-01-26T19:01:47-06:00January 26, 2020|News|

Pratt takes action on regional fire-training facility

Pratt City Fire Department Chief David Kramer’s vision for a regional fire-training facility in Pratt moved from the drawing board to an action plan at the regular Pratt City Commission meeting, Monday, January 20, when Pratt City Commissioners unanimously approved $13,360 for the purchase of four storage containers, which includes delivery to Pratt from Kansas City.
“This is one of our priorities,” Kramer said. “We really don’t have any other big target items in this year’s budget.“
Each of the containers is 40 feet long by eight feet wide by nine feet tall and, when situated with three containers running lengthwise with the fourth forming a T-shape at one end, will provide approximately 1,200 square feet of training space, according to Kramer.

(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)

Ranson Financial2020-01-27T06:59:07-06:00January 26, 2020|News|

City of Winfield begins census outreach

The City of Winfield is beginning in earnest the local outreach effort related to the upcoming census.
To kickstart the effort, the city worked locally with Cardinal Sign in Winfield to produce custom magnets displaying the Kansas Census Logo and Winfield to attach to 75 of the city’s various fleet vehicles in code enforcement, police, fire, water, wastewater, natural gas and electric departments.
Beginning in mid-March, households can respond to the census online or by phone. About one-quarter of households will receive a follow-up paper questionnaire at that time. Beginning in mid-April, households that have not responded will receive a paper questionnaire.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com)

Ranson Financial2020-01-27T07:08:44-06:00January 26, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for January 23, 2020

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Advisors.

Ranson Financial2026-10-22T10:29:43-05:00January 24, 2020|Finance|

Overland Park council will look into request for stricter enforcement of code on sidewalk snow removal

City council members say they are willing to look into an Overland Park resident’s request for stricter sidewalk snow removal enforcement. But any action, if it comes at all, won’t happen this year.

The city council’s public works committee asked staff to look into how other communities enforce sidewalk shoveling after hearing concerns from Rebecca Crowder. Crowder had asked that the city take a stricter approach to snow shoveling by requiring residents to remove snow and ice from their walks within 48 hours and businesses within 24 hours.

(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)

Ranson Financial2020-01-23T21:13:17-06:00January 23, 2020|News|

Program details founding of Chanute

It started with a cluster of communities competing for the economic benefits of a railroad line.

“Each town site represents the belief of where the two railroads were going to cross,” [historian Jim] Whaley said.

Where the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad tracks met would be the prime location for development.

“Town buildings was something of an art,” Whaley said, and entrepreneurs wanted to be in early. He said there are 17 different stories about where people believed that junction would be.

(Read more: www.chanute.com)

Ranson Financial2020-01-23T21:12:37-06:00January 23, 2020|News|

JoCo will pay half cost of controlling dust in front of homes in unincorporated areas

Starting this year, Johnson County Government will pay half the cost of controlling dust in front of homes on the 135 miles of gravel roads in the county’s unincorporated areas. Residents must pay the other half.

Dust generated by traffic can be a headache, finding its way onto parked vehicles and inside homes. For the first 100 residents who sign up for the program, the county will spray magnesium chloride on a 400-foot-stretch of roadway in front of the home. The substance creates a cement-like surface, but the road will retain its gravel look. The applications are tentatively planned for May and June.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Ranson Financial2020-01-23T21:09:50-06:00January 23, 2020|News|

Olathe-based Docs Who Care aims to offer help in rural areas

When you live in Johnson County, it might be hard to imagine a hospital that only has one doctor present at any given time.

For rural hospitals, that’s just a fact of everyday life. It gets rough when they have trouble filling that position.

That’s where Olathe-based Docs Who Care comes into the picture. The 25-year-old organization matches doctors and advanced practice providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who want more non-traditional schedules and rural hospitals that need healthcare providers.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Ranson Financial2020-01-23T21:02:58-06:00January 23, 2020|News|

22,000-square-foot research facility opens in Wamego

A major agriscience company with global reach has announced the opening of a 22,000-square-foot research facility in this Pottawatomie County town of nearly 5,000 people.

Corteva Agriscience, an American-owned agriculture company that employs more than 21,000 people globally, announced Thursday that it has opened a research facility in Wamego’s industrial park, located on the east edge of the city.

The facility, which officially opened Jan. 17, will serve as a research center focusing on discovering new traits for corn, sorghum, wheat and soybeans.

(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-01-23T21:14:04-06:00January 23, 2020|News|

Lawmakers, officials discuss future of passenger rail in Kansas

Nearly a hundred people came to the Kansas Capitol to meet with lawmakers and stress that Kansas needs to invest in passenger rail.

Sedgwick Senator Carolyn Mcginn hosted the meeting. People attending included Kansas legislators, out-of-state officials with a vested interest in rail, an Amtrak official, and a Kansas Department of Transportation official.

McGinn said this is the third meeting she has hosted on updating where the state sits, and it keeps getting bigger.

She said expanding train service would benefit the economy and Kansans.

(Read more: KSNT News)

Ranson Financial2020-01-23T19:26:30-06:00January 23, 2020|News|