Johnson County Police Academy will significantly increase recruits’ training on mental health, de-escalation

Starting in 2020, recruits going through the Johnson County Regional Police Academy will receive 21 hours of training on mental health and deescalation — eight hours more than required under Kansas law.

The change, approved by the Johnson County Chiefs and Sheriffs Association last week, comes as local law enforcement agencies are seeing more and more calls involving people experiencing mental health issues.

(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Ranson Financial2019-12-02T21:51:53-06:00December 2, 2019|News|

Lawrence City Commission to consider expanding fast-track incentives program

Lawrence city commissioners will soon decide if they want to expand the city’s fast-track incentives program for industrial projects, allowing a beverage distribution company to apply for incentives under the program.
As part of its meeting Tuesday, the commission will consider expanding the Catalyst incentive program to allow applications from industrial expansion projects in Lawrence VenturePark and on privately owned property within the city. Currently, only industrial expansion projects in East Hills Business Park qualify for the program. New construction for industrial purposes in either business park or anywhere else in the city also qualifies.

Incoming mayor Jennifer Ananda excited for ‘a year of change’

When Jennifer Ananda dropped off her forms to become a Lawrence City Commission candidate in 2017, she said she was literally shaking.
“It’s scary to put yourself out there,” Ananda said. “You’re saying ‘Please tell me that you find me appropriate for this.’ It’s very public and it’s very vulnerable.”
Ananda need not have worried, as she finished second in the election, earning her not only a spot on the commission but a four-year term and the position of vice mayor this year. And come Tuesday, if city commissioners stick with tradition as expected, she is set to become Lawrence’s next mayor.

Arkansas River Compact Administration to Meet December 5 in Colorado

The Arkansas River Compact Administration (ARCA) annual meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. MST at the Otero Junior College Student Center, 2001 San Juan Ave. in La Junta, CO. The meeting agenda is posted on ARCA’s website at https://www.co-ks-arkansasrivercompactadmin.org/.

ARCA administers provisions of the Kansas–Colorado Arkansas River Compact, including operations of the John Martin Reservoir. Topics to be covered at the annual meeting include a review of John Martin Reservoir operations, compliance update, committee reports, and updates from state and federal agencies.

ARCA’s Operations, Administrative and Legal, and Engineering committees will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. MST also at the Otero Junior College Student Center.

(Read more: Rural Messenger)

Ranson Financial2019-12-02T21:01:57-06:00December 2, 2019|News|

Pott. County Commission approves final design and specifications for the Public Works Fleet Maintenance Facility; discusses traffic-signal project and purchase of equipment for fire department

Pottawatomie County Commissioners approved the final design and specifications for the Public Works Fleet Maintenance Facility during their meeting Monday.

These were brought to the commission last week but weren’t approved due to some concerns about finances and aspects of the design.

“The first one was where does our current CIP (capital improvement plan) Fund sit financially?” Peter Clark, the public works director for Pottawatomie County, said. “How much money do we have? Where will we be at the end of the year in that fund after some of our projected transfers? And the last question was related to some particular points in the design, specifically about how the CMU wall on the exterior would interact with the foundation relative to moisture penetration.”

Clark says these issues were satisfactorily addressed and the project can now move on to the next phase.

The project will be advertised for construction bids on January 6th during the county commission’s weekly meeting.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Ranson Financial2019-12-02T20:58:41-06:00December 2, 2019|News|

Learning center is pathway to diplomas in Kiowa County

The 21st Century Learning Academy in the Kiowa County school system has graduated more than 50 students per year over the past 10 years. These students have been high school seniors or adults, but they are 50 people who might otherwise never had the chance to earn a diploma.

Student enrollment tends to change from day to day because of open enrollment allowed throughout the school year, Brian Deterding, USD 422 principal said that students enroll, drop, and graduate on a fairly regular basis.

Students in the virtual school fall into 1 of 3 categories. Charter students are sixth- to 12th-grade students that are younger than 19. Learning Academy students are adult students. Credit recovery students are students who attend another school, but they are taking a class in order to try to regain a credit for failing a class in their own school.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Ranson Financial2019-12-02T21:41:46-06:00December 2, 2019|News|

Meet and greet for Reno County administrator candidates set for Wednesday

The Reno County Commissioners on Wednesday will interview candidates for county administrator to replace Gary Meagher, who is retiring as administrator at the end of the year.

The public is invited to a meet and greet reception for the candidates from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Crystal Ballroom, 3 W. Ave B.

Candidate details will be announced Tuesday, according to Reno County human resources director Renee Harris.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Ranson Financial2019-12-02T20:50:17-06:00December 2, 2019|News|

Shawnee County Commission OKs hiring of crime data analyst after hearing from burglary victim

Soon after creating a new job for a sheriff’s office employee who will use data to combat crime, Shawnee County commissioners heard Monday from one of their department heads who was personally violated by burglaries committed last week as she slept.

“I’m standing before you not just as an employee but as a citizen of Shawnee County and, most importantly, as a mother,” said human resources director Angela Lewis.

Last Wednesday night, she said, “someone broke into our home while we were sleeping and stole my car and my purse and burglarized our home.”

Lewis indicated the garage door opener from her car was used to gain entry into her home.

Ranson Financial2019-12-02T20:48:06-06:00December 2, 2019|News|

Topeka to share details about proposed utility rate increases

Topeka’s city government will share information about proposed increase in utility rates the city assesses during a public meeting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave.

The city’s utilities government asked the city’s mayor and council last month to raise utility rates each year from 2021 through 2025 to cope with what it describes as a “crisis” the city faces because of its aging utility infrastructure.

The mayor and council are being asked to later consider raising rates each year in 2021, 2022 and 2023 by 9% for water, 9% for stormwater runoff and 1% for wastewater, or sewer, services; and in both 2024 and 2025 by 8% for water, 8% for stormwater and 1% for wastewater.

Ranson Financial2019-12-02T21:42:10-06:00December 2, 2019|News|

Cities Target Alcohol Licensing As a Way to Fight Crime

Over the past few decades, numerous studies have found that alcohol consumption is associated with a significant portion of homicides. Often, these murders and other violent crimes happen in the vicinity of alcohol outlets, leading cities to take on zoning and licensing ordinances as a means of controlling crime.
A new report from CityHealth, a policy research organization, grades the nation’s 40 largest cities on their efforts to reduce the density of liquor outlets, impose operating conditions on alcohol retailers, and become more deliberate in their processes granting and renewing alcohol licenses.
Eight cities, including Chicago, Boston, and Las Vegas, received a gold medal, meaning they have a policy that applies to all alcohol sales, addresses public safety, and authorizes the city to close an alcohol retailer. Another eight cities, including San Francisco, Memphis, and Nashville, received a silver medal, meaning they had a law that applies only to some alcohol sales, such as policies that apply only to new retailers. The remaining 24 cities did not have such policies in place.
(Read more: Route Fifty – All Content)

Ranson Financial2019-12-02T21:42:58-06:00December 2, 2019|News|