Million-dollar gift to support rural health program at McPherson College

A $1 million gift will help McPherson College fund a new community health care initiative, including ten $25,000 scholarships for students committed to community health. This is on the heels of an announcement last month of a partnership with McPherson Hospital.

“We want to work together to make health care better in our community,” said McPherson College President Michael Schneider. “The narrative for small colleges and small hospitals is a little bit bleak, a little bit challenging. People are wondering what the future holds. We’re going to work together to prove everyone wrong and combine new academic programs in health sciences with outreach in our community.”

Kansas is among states with the highest numbers of rural hospitals and greatest shortage of healthcare professionals of all types, according to the National Rural Health Association.

(Read more: WIBW News Now)

Ranson Financial2019-10-15T20:36:16-05:00October 15, 2019|News|

City would forgive hospital debt under proposed resolution

South Central Kansas Medical Center may soon be officially off the hook for the nearly $1.3 million it received from the city during tough financial times.

Commissioners will consider a resolution Tuesday that will forgive all amounts that the hospital has borrowed from the city, dating back several years.

If approved, the resolution wipes out any remaining debt related to construction, equipping, financing and repayment of all loans between the Public Building Commission, the city and the hospital, according to city commission notes.

Ranson Financial2019-10-15T20:35:07-05:00October 15, 2019|News|

Young Lenexa siblings write letter to city council to install deer crossing signs

Two young siblings who live in Lenexa have seen their fair share of deer along 83rd Street. They wrote a letter to their local city council member asking if a warning sign could be put up.
“There’s a family of deer we want to keep safe on 83rd, because people go very fast there,” Dominic and Eve wrote in their letter to the city council member.
The 9-year-old and 6-year-old decided to do something about it. They hand delivered the letter they wrote to their local councilman down the road.

Lawrence City Commission to consider proposal that would allow 2 houses per lot with certain restrictions

City leaders will soon decide whether to move forward with a proposal that would allow two houses to be built on one lot as long as both homes are affordable.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider a text amendment to the city’s land development code that would codify the so-called density bonus. Following recently recommended changes to the proposal, the ability to build two houses on one lot would only be allowed on certain lot sizes and have other restrictions.

Labette County officials hold special session to appoint replacement county clerk

The Labette County Republican Party is holding a special session Monday night to choose a successor for the county clerk.

Peggy Minor has been working for Labette County since 1986 and assumed her role as County Clerk back in 2013. Minor will be retiring from her position early with more than a year left in her term.

Monday night, the Labette County Republican Party members will nominate her successor, who will assume the role on December 1st.

Deputy County Clerk Gena Landis has expressed her interest in taking on the role.

Ranson Financial2019-10-14T20:58:46-05:00October 14, 2019|News|

City’s RFP for river ideas closed; so what happened?

The city’s request for proposals to activate the Arkansas River did not get the response that Troy Houtman, director of the Park and Recreation Department, wanted.

“I got one proposal,” he says.

It was from the same person who Houtman told Have You Heard? about last week, and that’s someone who wants a party barge on the river, which would require hundreds of millions of dollars to dredge the river.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Ranson Financial2019-10-14T20:55:57-05:00October 14, 2019|News|

Garden City Community College Named One of Top 50 Schools in the US for Transferring

Garden City Community College has been named one of Student Loan Hero’s top 50 schools in the country for successful transfer from community college to four-year university.

The rankings were based on transfer-out and graduation rates of students attending public two-year schools that grant less than half of their degrees and certifications for career or vocational training. GCCC shares a 17^th place ranking with eight other two-year institutions, putting it in the top 25 out of 513 community colleges ranked overall.

GCCC Vice President of Instruction Marc Malone said the rankings confirm what administrators like himself already know about transfer success and the long-term benefits of an associate degree.

(Read more: Western Kansas News)

Ranson Financial2019-10-14T20:54:06-05:00October 14, 2019|News|

Kansas Bets On Wrestling Tournaments, Pickleball And Trampolines With $25 Million In Bonds

On the last day of September, a bulldozer scooped dirt from an empty field between a hotel and a fence separating the land from a house-lined street in Garden City.

In 18-24 months, a massive $41 million sports complex, called Sports of the World, is slated to open at this site, with courts of all kinds — pickleball, basketball, volleyball. There’ll be a trampoline park and an outdoor recreation area with cornhole and a life-sized Battleship game. It’s expected to host cheerleading, wrestling and other sports tournaments, drawing in people from Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.

“People will travel up to two hours to eat at a restaurant,” said Molly Basham, the marketing director for American Warrior Construction, which is building Sports of the World. “So we’re trying as hard as we can to develop and make southwest Kansas the destination for our entire region.”

(Read more: RSS Feed)

Ranson Financial2019-10-14T20:52:56-05:00October 14, 2019|News|

8 Kansas counties urged to upgrade their voting equipment

A handful of Kansas counties are being urged to upgrade their voting machines to a voting system that creates a paper record of each vote.

The Topeka Capitol-Journal reports the American Association for the Advancement of Science urged Geary, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Harvey, Sumner, Wallace and Wilson counties to upgrade to newer voting machines.

Those eight counties currently use voting machines that record voter choices electronically without creating a paper record.

Katie Koupal with the Kansas Secretary of State’s office says fewer than 10 of the state’s 105 counties use election equipment that doesn’t create a paper trail. She says several counties are planning to buy new equipment before next year’s presidential elections.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Ranson Financial2019-10-14T20:24:25-05:00October 14, 2019|News|

Spring Hill welcomes new leaders in Public Works, Police

Public Works has a new leader at the helm.

Jim Boyer will take over the department, which consists of the Streets, Parks and Utilities divisions. Boyer was appointed by Mayor Steven Ellis at the Oct. 10 City Council meeting.

Boyer is no stranger to Spring Hill, having served in a variety of positions within the City for eight and a half years. Previously, he held the titles of City Superintendent, Line Maintenance Supervisor, Wastewater Collections Supervisor and, most recently, Utility Superintendent.

(Read more: City of Spring Hill news)

Ranson Financial2019-10-14T21:11:46-05:00October 14, 2019|News|

Million-dollar gift to support rural health program at McPherson College

City would forgive hospital debt under proposed resolution

Young Lenexa siblings write letter to city council to install deer crossing signs

Lawrence City Commission to consider proposal that would allow 2 houses per lot with certain restrictions

Labette County officials hold special session to appoint replacement county clerk

City’s RFP for river ideas closed; so what happened?

Garden City Community College Named One of Top 50 Schools in the US for Transferring

Kansas Bets On Wrestling Tournaments, Pickleball And Trampolines With $25 Million In Bonds

8 Kansas counties urged to upgrade their voting equipment

Spring Hill welcomes new leaders in Public Works, Police

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