Seward County to review salary proposal

Recently, Seward County commissioners hired the consultant firm, The Arnold Group, to complete a compensation study in order to have a fair and consistent documented compensation system that compares market data relevant to the community and other municipalities.

Commissioners likewise budgeted $400,000 for 2019 salary adjustments for county employees, and the commission hosted a work session Friday to review the findings of the compensation study.

“This study took into account nine compensable factors, market data from both municipalities and private sector employees with like positions, population, skill set and educational requirements, as well as the past three years overall turnover summary,” information in the packet for Monday’s regular commission meeting said.

(Read more: Liberal First)

Ranson Financial2019-06-18T08:35:31-05:00June 17, 2019|News|

Wheat Harvest will be later than expected

Wheat this season isn’t the typical amber color that most farmers see this time of year and with heavy rainfall, it may be putting good crops in danger.

Wheat harvest typically starts in early to mid June, but not this year ”We’re about two weeks behind,” Farmer Kyler Millershaski said.

Too much rain has put farmers behind.According to the National Weather Service, May has been the third wettest month in history.The weather not only has delayed harvest, but increased the chance they could lose their crops.

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2019-06-17T23:20:28-05:00June 17, 2019|News|

Athletic bond projects: High school gym remodel continues

The doors to the Derby High School gymnasium closed nearly two months ago for bleacher replacement.

Now reaching the midpoint of the summer, the project is nearing its completion date and will be ready when school starts in August.

USD 260 director of finance and operations Joe Dessenberger said the district saved money during the project by handling different parts of the remodel in-house.

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Ranson Financial2019-06-18T08:11:30-05:00June 17, 2019|News|

Walmart to lease portion of former Amazon facility, on short-term basis, at the Coffeyville Industrial Park.

Montgomery County Action Council director Trish Purdon announced Monday morning that Walmart has agreed to lease a portion of the now-vacant and former Amazon.com facility at the Coffeyville Industrial Park. The lease agreement is on a six-month basis, which will give Walmart time to determine if the facility is worthy of a long-term commitment.
Walmart will use about 60,000 square feet of the nearly 1 million square feet facility as a distribution facility. Exact job numbers are not yet known, Purdon said. However, anticipated job numbers will be minimal as the corporation uses the facility for short-term use.

Some Kansas towns in process of spraying to ward off mosquitoes

With the official start to summer approaching and mosquito populations growing, crews in some Kansas cities are in the process of spraying to try to keep mosquitoes at bay.

There’s an emphasis on mosquito-prevention measures as medical professional say they’re likely to see cases of West Nile Virus across Kansas this year. , recognizing that many counties are at a “moderate risk” for the virus.

McPherson is one city spraying for mosquitoes this week. It’s a heightened concern following May’s torrential rains and flooding.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Ranson Financial2019-06-17T10:49:36-05:00June 17, 2019|News|

Small Cities Month

NLC is celebrating small cities and the inspiring, challenging, and community-building experiences that define life in a small city, town or village. More than 80 percent of NLC members are jurisdictions with populations for 50,000 or less. As part of NLC’s Summer of Love, we want to highlight the stories and experiences that connect residents to their hometowns during July, Small Cities Month.

This year’s theme is: Why I Love My Small City: Stories of Resilience, Courage and Community.

Join the celebration. Tell NLC how your city, town or village is responding to challenges on housing, infrastructure and supporting economic development. Or how as a leader you are promoting civic engagement and building community across all generations. NLC will be posting blogs and content on social media, and highlighting your stories on the NLC website.

Here’s how you can get involved.

Share Your Story

Submit a 75-word blurb about how your city shows love for its residents through its housing and infrastructure programs, civic engagement and intergenerational services. Your city could be selected to be featured on the NLC Facebook page.

(Read more: www.nlc.org/contents/rss-feed)

Ranson Financial2019-06-17T10:27:20-05:00June 17, 2019|News|

Harper County farmer discusses pros, cons of having land near wind farm

HARPER COUNTY, Kan. With Reno County commissioners falling short of securing the unanimous vote it needed to move a proposed wind-farm project forward . Eyewitness News spoke with a farmer in Harper County about his experience living near a wind farm like what was proposed in southeast Reno County.

That farmer discussed the pros and cons of living near such a property, but overall agrees with many gathered at a meeting in Hutchinson Thursday night that the Reno County’s decision not to move forward with the project is the right move to make.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Ranson Financial2019-06-17T10:24:49-05:00June 17, 2019|News|

Bond Report: Treasury yields inch higher ahead of busy week for central bankers

U.S. Treasury yields rose on Monday ahead of meetings this week by policy makers for the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan, as investors see if central bankers will push for easier monetary policy as the global economy comes under pressure.

What are Treasurys doing?

The 10-year Treasury note yield TMUBMUSD10Y, +1.37% rose 1.6 basis points to 2.110%, while the 2-year note yield TMUBMUSD02Y, +1.75% rose 2.8 basis points to 1.879%. The 30-year bond yield TMUBMUSD30Y, +0.59% was up 1.6 basis points to 2.610%. Bond prices move in the opposite direction of yields.

Ranson Financial2019-06-17T10:22:34-05:00June 17, 2019|News|

Bridge project outside Larned among KDOT bids awarded

The Kansas Department of Transportation recently awarded four bridge repair projects in south-central Kansas, including a $1 million project in Pawnee County that’s expected to take almost four months.

PCI Roads LLC of Saint Michael, Minnesota was awarded the project to repair Bridge 29 on the K-19 spur, crossing the Arkansas River on the south side of Larned.

It was one of two projects awarded to PCI in the county.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Ranson Financial2019-06-17T10:21:29-05:00June 17, 2019|News|

KDWPT feels ‘substantial’ funding dip after flooding closures, damage

Rain and flooding “seriously affected” more than half of Kansas’ 28 state parks, and some parks on the state’s eastern half remain closed or partially closed.

It’s premature, said Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Secretary Brad Loveless, to quantify the financial hit to the parks until the water recedes and campsite cancellation refunds become clearer. In a month or two, he said, they will have a better handle on lost revenue and the cost of repairs and renovation.

Ranson Financial2019-06-17T10:20:33-05:00June 17, 2019|News|