Friends on the Farm gives students a glimpse of agriculture

29 Monday, January 29

Friends on the Farm gives students a glimpse of agriculture

Chloe Henderson2024-01-29T11:26:35-06:00January 29th, 2024|

Area fourth graders attended the 25th annual Friends at the Farm event Thursday at the Finney County Fairgrounds. Carol Deaver, Finney County Farm Bureau Board president, said about 775 fourth grade students attended the event this year from Finney, Gray, Haskell and Kearny Counties. At their first event 25 years ago, they only had 250 students attend, Deaver said. It’s grown considerably since then. Deaver said the goal of the event is to inform students about what happens on farms and ranches in Finney County and southwestern Kansas and how many of the things they use daily originate on a farm or ranch. “Whether a [...]

29 Monday, January 29

LCECC to bring 911derWoman Academy to Emporia next month

Chloe Henderson2024-01-29T11:18:32-06:00January 29th, 2024|

The Lyon County Emergency Communications Center will present the 911derWoman Academy: Finding Your Career in 911, from Feb. 6 - 7 at the Anderson Building. 911derWoman Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit started by Sara Weston after the death of her close friend that began as an online support group. The membership of 911derWoman across the world has grown from a group of 100, to over 15,000 women on social media. 911derWoman now not only has a large presence online, but has grown its mission to include educational offerings that are both virtual and in person. According to a written release, the two-day academy [...]

29 Monday, January 29

Broadband Acceleration Grant makes $10M available

Chloe Henderson2024-01-29T11:15:42-06:00January 29th, 2024|

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced $10 million is available to enhance broadband infrastructure statewide through the Broadband Acceleration Grant program. Grants funded through this program are designed to offset the capital expenses needed to deploy in unserved areas. In its fourth year through the bipartisan Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), the Broadband Acceleration Grant program aims to provide high-quality, reliable broadband access throughout the state, prioritizing unserved areas, economically distressed communities, and areas of compelling need. “Empowering communities through broadband infrastructure buildout allows Kansas to lean into our innovative spirit as we grow businesses, keep talent here, and [...]

29 Monday, January 29

County discusses possible zoning

Chloe Henderson2024-01-29T11:11:46-06:00January 29th, 2024|

At Friday’s county commission meeting, the possibility of zoning the entirety of Crawford County was discussed as a way to combat the building of solar and wind farms within the county. As of now, three-quarters of the county is not zoned, meaning any developer that wants to build such a farm can do so with little interference from the county. Commissioners discussed asking for a moratorium to delay construction of wind and solar farms. According to County Counselor Jim Emerson, a moratorium can only be used to create zoning ordinances, or at the very least, to pass regulations that address some issues. [...]

29 Monday, January 29

Long time, no see

Chloe Henderson2024-01-29T11:09:29-06:00January 29th, 2024|

After nearly eight months of restoration, the two-story building known as “Gay Parita” has returned to the town of Carona, which is nestled at the north end of Cherokee County, just five minutes west of Scammon. Under building owner John Parsons' leadership, the Gay Parita, which has been vacant for decades, is restored to its former state. From the mid-1930s to the mid-1970s, the Gay Parita served as a destination for dance and music lovers from across the Four-State area and beyond. Parsons said in restoring the iconic night spot, he is seeking to bring back its historical relevance. Carona was initially one [...]

29 Monday, January 29

Kansas communities receiving $1.4 million in rural economic development grants

Chloe Henderson2024-01-29T11:05:06-06:00January 29th, 2024|

21 projects across Kansas will receive almost $1.4 million in funding from the Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grant program. The program, which receives bipartisan support from Governor Kelly and the Kansas Legislature to provide annual allocations, aims to help rural communities revitalize downtown buildings and create safer downtowns with more job opportunities. Projects being funded in this round of awards include upper-story housing, child care facilities, retail businesses, and restaurants. In addition, the projects will receive more than $3.4 million in private local matching funds. “Vibrant, safe downtowns spur economic growth by attracting businesses and jobs and establishing community pride,” [...]

29 Monday, January 29

New fire engine arrives in Holton

Chloe Henderson2024-01-29T11:00:41-06:00January 29th, 2024|

It’s been almost 25 years since Holton’s volunteer fire department welcomed a new fire engine with a high aerial ladder for fighting fires from above. But shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, a brand-new fire engine with a 109-foot aerial ladder — 44 feet longer than the aerial ladder on the fire department’s previous “first-out” fire truck — arrived in Holton, and members of the fire department were on hand to welcome it. “We’ve been wanting a new aerial for about 10 years,” Holton Fire Chief Scott Baum said on the arrival of the new fire engine, purchased through Hays Fire [...]

29 Monday, January 29

Municipal Bond Trends for January 26, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-01-29T09:28:43-06:00January 29th, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

28 Sunday, January 28

Salina remains proactive with ‘forever chemicals’

info2024-01-28T08:41:07-06:00January 28th, 2024|

Substances that are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” show up in everyday items and as they are now being found in drinking water systems across the United States, cities like Salina are taking steps to figure out what’s next. ... Martha Tasker, director of utilities for the City of Salina, said the city’s public water supply system was first tested for PFAS in 2014, with results returning as “non-detect,” but at the time, they were testing in parts-per billion, and since then the standards for testing have changed. Source: Salina Journal

28 Sunday, January 28

Smallville may be fictional, but the names of these Kansas cities highlight the ‘ville

info2024-01-28T08:37:49-06:00January 28th, 2024|

In celebration of Kansas Day, here are the 24 incorporated Sunflower State cities identified in U.S. Census records as having names that end in "ville," listed in order of population, plus one in Nemaha County that's unincorporated but nevertheless has 182 people. The list doesn't include "Larryville," a common nickname for Lawrence, or "Aggieville," the Manhattan bar district. Source: CJonline