Incubator business ready for entrepreneurs in St. John

Communication is crucial for a business to succeed. In a remodeled building at 311 Broadway in St. John, offices with broadband connections are awaiting tenants eager to have a space to conduct their work remotely.

This new facility is called Work Space 311 and it is an incubator where new business can get started, said Carolyn Dunn, Stafford County Economic Director.

Work Space 311 is set up on a membership basis and each business pays a fee to use the building spaces.

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T23:43:29-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Wellington Airport to hold open house

It will be a day for families to check out airplanes, talk to pilots and spark an interest in aviation in children.

The Wellington Airport, 441 N. West Road, is holding its second annual open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14.

There will be a handful of small single engine four to six-seater airplanes – such planes as World War II trainers, some homebuilts and Cessnas and Pipers. Pilots will give free rides to kids ages 8 to 17. Parents and guardians will be required to sign their children up for the rides and fill out a form. These introductory flights for children, tweens and teens will be provided by volunteers with the Young Eagles EAA program. Wellington’s chapter, which is only about a year old, is the EAA Chisholm Trail 1631.

“It’ll give young kids a chance to interact with aviators, get an airplane ride and get excited about aviation,” airport manager Matt Wiebe said.

Young people with an interest in aviation can join the Young Eagles club, Wiebe said.

Church said, “It’s kind of to plant a seed of interest. Most kids have never been in an airplane.”

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T22:05:50-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

USD 475 working through the process to obtain a federal grant to help pay for a new elementary school on Post

There is progress in the effort to obtain a federal grant to help build a new elementary school on Fort Riley.

The Chief Operations Officer for USD 475, David Wild, said the Office of Economic Adjustment is scheduled to be here for a briefing and tour of Ft. Riley on Sept. 10. Wild noted that is step two out of three steps in the approval process. “If everything goes well on the 10th the district will be invited to submit a formal proposal and application, and we’re expecting approval of that should it occur by the end of this calendar year.”

The new school would replace Jefferson Elementary that was closed at the end of the last school year. If the new school is approved it would be built on the same site as the former school. Wild also referred to nearby Morris Hill Elementary which is near the end of its’ useful life. “Should we be fortunate in receiving approval of the replacement of Jefferson then eventually we will probably also close Morris Hill Elementary, and the school we would be building would be adequate to cover both schools.”

(Read more: Junction City Post)

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T22:05:08-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Kiowa County Senior Center contest was something to laugh at

More than 10 joke-tellers took to the stage earlier this month at the Kiowa County Senior Center in Greensburg in celebration of National Joke Day.

When the laughs were over, Randy Rinker was the first-place winner, followed by Bob Kilgore in second place.

“I am not for sure it really was National Joke Day, but I read it somewhere on the internet so we ran with it,” said Kari Kyle, director of the senior center. “We are always trying to find ways to have fun here.”

Those in attendance (more than 75) enjoyed a special meal sponsored by Ron and Roberta Seiler, during which the jokers came up to the front to tell their prepared jokes.

“I didn’t think we would have more than three or four people participate,” Kyle said. “But we had 11 contestants. It was a lot of fun.”

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T22:04:00-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Parsons Planning Commission to talk about wind turbines

Planners this week will discuss a zoning amendment to restrict or ban commercial wind energy conversion systems in the area surrounding Parsons.

The Parsons Planning Commission will have a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the commission room at the Parsons Municipal Building.

Concerned about the possibility of 600-foot wind turbines encroaching on the city limits, City Commissioner Tom Shaw urged the city staff to have the planners consider restrictions in the 3-mile extraterritorial zone. Labette County has no zoning in its unincorporated areas, but Parsons controls zoning and codes in the area comprised generally of a 3-mile radius surrounding the city.Shaw’s concerns were brought about by the controversial Neosho Ridge Wind project that will consist of 139 turbines in the southwest portion of Neosho County.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T22:02:59-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Garden City benefits from updated Black Hills Energy infrastructure

Black Hills Energy is on time and on budget to complete a construction project to replace natural gas pipelines in the Garden City area. Black Hills Energy estimates the project will last through October and is intended to meet existing needs for safe and reliable natural gas service.

“Our customers rely on Black Hills Energy to keep their homes and businesses safely connected to natural gas,” said Garden City Supervisor Red Garone. “Proactive pipeline replacement investments help us continue to deliver on that promise.”

Nearly three miles of natural gas lines will be replaced in the Wagon Wheel neighborhood outside Garden City. The public can visit www.blackhillsenergy.com/safekansas to learn more about timelines and completion statuses in their neighborhoods. Black Hills Energy’s Facebook page and Twitter feed also provide information on the infrastructure replacement program and the company’s services.

(Read more: Western Kansas News)

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T22:01:16-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Pratt electrical crews now in Florida awaiting Hurricane Dorian

Five linemen from the City of Pratt Electric Department left Pratt on Saturday, heading to Orlando, Florida so as to be in a position to help restore electricity after Hurricane Dorian hits the area sometime in the next few days. They arrived at their destination late Sunday, September 1.
“We’re here in Orlando waiting on [you] Dorian,” said Jamie Huber, Director of Electric Utilities for Pratt. “The City of Pratt and KC BPU had been requested that we come join them for Storm Restoration, after being there two years ago for Irma. Now we wait.“
Pratt’s interim city manager Bruce Pinkall said the Pratt crew was specifically requested by the Orlando Utility Commission (OCU) because of their good work and involvement in a previous mutual aid event. They were part of a large contingent of electrical crews from across that country that responded to the disaster left in the wake of Hurricane Irma that hit Florida in September 2017.

(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T22:00:45-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Redesign still has many questions as rollout is underway, says KASB advocate

School redesign is not going to be a transition without challenges. That was the observation of Mark Tallman, Vice President for Advocacy at the Kansas Association of School Boards after he attended a forum earlier this month at the Kansas Leadership Center.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt, as we go through this redesign process around the state, there’s going to be problems with it,” said Tallman. “We know that. There’s going to be opposition. Some mistakes will be made. The issue is, will it overall let our schools be more responsive to what kids actually need today?”

The jury is still out on that point, but it is becoming about teaching skills, not teaching subjects.

(Read more: WIBW News Now)

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T21:59:28-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Miami County seeks to renew quarter-cent sales tax

Renewal of the county’s quarter-cent sales tax for roadway construction and improvements will be put before voters in November.

County commissioners voted 5-0 Wednesday, Aug. 28, to put the sales tax question on the ballot. The current quarter-cent sales tax will sunset Dec. 31, 2020. If approved by voters, the renewal would extend the tax for five years – from Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2025.

County Administrator Shane Krull said the county has used the tax for the past 19 years to finance a number of roadway construction and improvement projects. The tax not only pays for improvements to the county’s road system, it has also benefited the county’s communities.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T21:58:25-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Wichita ready to sell three land parcels not used in East Kellogg projects

Three parcels of land acquired by the city of Wichita for the current East Kellogg construction projects will be sold to private buyers now that they’re not needed.

The City Council will vote on approval of the three proposed sales at Tuesday’s 9 a.m. meeting.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Ranson Financial2019-09-02T21:56:46-05:00September 2, 2019|News|

Incubator business ready for entrepreneurs in St. John

Wellington Airport to hold open house

USD 475 working through the process to obtain a federal grant to help pay for a new elementary school on Post

Kiowa County Senior Center contest was something to laugh at

Parsons Planning Commission to talk about wind turbines

Garden City benefits from updated Black Hills Energy infrastructure

Pratt electrical crews now in Florida awaiting Hurricane Dorian

Redesign still has many questions as rollout is underway, says KASB advocate

Miami County seeks to renew quarter-cent sales tax

Wichita ready to sell three land parcels not used in East Kellogg projects

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