Trial for lawsuit between church and City of Lawrence begins

The question of just how many duplexes are allowed on one lot under Lawrence’s city code was front and center as the two-day bench trial for a church’s lawsuit against the City of Lawrence began Wednesday morning…. First Presbyterian Church is suing the city and Dallas-based Fountain Residential Partners to halt a project that would combine two lots at 2300 Crestline Drive into an approximately 9-acre site and build a more than 300-bedroom apartment complex. Rather than one large building, the project plans filed in 2020 instead call for those units to be spread across 57 duplexes and six detached dwelling structures on the lot.
Source: LJWorld

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T14:10:28-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

Newton loves a parade: crowd turns out to watch house moving

People lined the north end of North Main in Newton and the south end of North Main in North Newton during the move as if there was a parade going by. People watched while others took photos or videos. The transport was slow moving since power lines going across the street had to be lowered to make way for the house. Local law enforcement helped out by blocking traffic control so the white house could pass.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T13:47:12-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

Park City equipment company expands in region with 30 jobs in next decade

Midwest Truck Equipment, a Park City-based truck equipment and body parts business, was approved Tuesday by the local City Council to expand its footprint at 61st Street North near Seneca St. The truck equipment company is constructing a 35,000 square-foot building to add to its current building across the street at 200 W. 61st North, according to an agenda report. Midwest Truck is a distributor for Knapheide, a national truck body and bed manufacturer with roots in Quincy, Illinois. It serves the Wichita area and southern Kansas with Knapheide truck bodies. With 17 employees, the company plans to expand operations and add three full-time jobs for its first year, then add 30 over the next 10 years, the report said. “It’s so new,” Midwest Truck owner Mike Hahnfeld said of the project. “We’re just trying to get everything started and going and all that right now.” Park City unanimously approved Tuesday the use of up to $3.5 million in industrial revenue bonds, with a 100% property tax exemption for the next five years, for Midwest Truck Equipment to acquire, construct and equip its new facility. This will also include a sales-tax exemption on materials during construction.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T12:57:38-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

City of Wichita deploying Veo electric scooters ahead of spring

The City of Wichita says with the nice weather residents and guests will start seeing Veo electric scooters around town again. During the winter, most of the electric scooters are put away. “As of [Wednesday], they have deployed around 80% of the rest of the fleet,” said Megan Lovely, the communications manager for the City of Wichita. There are rules for riding an electric scooter in city limits. (…) The City of Wichita also encourages riders to wear a helmet for safety. You can ride a Veo by downloading the VeoRide mobile app, available for Apple and Android.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T12:55:32-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

Half dozen tornados hit Wabaunsee County, sheriff’s office says

The Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office shared pictures of Wednesday’s storm. At 7:43 p.m., the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for Wabaunsee, Geary and Morris Counties. Shortly later, at 7:50 p.m., a tornado was reported on the ground in Alma heading northeast. The KSN Storm Tracker and Meteorologist Jack Maney caught video of the tornado above. According to the sheriff’s office, at least half a dozen tornadoes were confirmed by spotters and sheriff’s office staff. Damage has been reported to structures in the rural area of the county. The sheriff’s office reports that tornadoes struck no cities. Wabaunsee County Emergency Management will be making a full damage assessment on Thursday. At 8:25 a.m., WCEM said most of the damage was 5 miles southwest of Alma. Sheriff’s deputies, emergency management and the county’s road and bridge department are inspecting the damage.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T12:51:11-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

Kansas congressman introduces bill to help rural hospitals

Kansas congressman Jake LaTurner has introduced a bill that would allow previously closed rural hospitals to re-open and apply for a designation to help them continue to serve their communities. The Rural Emergency Hospital Adjustment Act would create a designation of Rural Emergency Hospitals. Previously closed hospitals can apply for the designation and if they meet the eligibility requirements, they can re-open their emergency and outpatient operations. The designation will allow certain hospitals to convert to the new Medicare provider designation, which would allow rural hospitals to continue operating with limited services. Hospitals are only eligible for the designation if they met the requirements when the legislation was signed into law on December 27th, 2020. LaTurner’s bill would extend the eligibility date to January 1st, 2015, for hospitals that were either critical access hospitals or rural hospitals with no more than 50 beds.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T12:48:13-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

County extends wind farm construction moratorium

Labette County commissioners, on a 2-1 vote, agreed to extend the moratorium on wind energy project construction in the county through the end of September. The delay allows the county’s planning and zoning committee more time to get zoning regulations in place. The current moratorium expires on April 21, commissioners heard Monday. Commissioners Terry Weidert and Vince Schibi approved the extension. Commissioner Cole Proehl voted against it. The vote followed an update by Marc Jones, planning and zoning committee chair, on the planning committee’s progress toward zoning regulations. Jones offered commissioners three options for action. The first was to allow the current moratorium to expire. The second was to extend it, which commissioners approved 2-1 to extend it to Sept. 30. The third option was to approve a resolution that would require all industrial renewable energy projects to have agreements with the county on roads and other issues before development begins. Commissioners discussed the third option as well after Proehl motioned to implement it as a way to continue the dialogue with renewable companies interested in the county. County Counselor Brian Johnson said commissioners would have to repeal the moratorium extension first then asked for a closed session with the commission for an attorney-client discussion.
Source: Parsons Sun

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T12:42:10-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

Grant could bring ‘welcome’ change

New “Welcome to Humboldt” signs could be in the making thanks to Allie Utley, granddaughter of the late Dick Davis, baseball historian and founder of Humboldt’s Walter Johnson and George Sweatt Fan Club. Utley most recently spearheaded the erection of a sign along U.S. 169 south of town recognizing hometown baseball greats Johnson and Sweatt. Utley, an Iola native who now lives in Overland Park and is an active organizer, plans to apply for a grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Rural Murals program to help replace Humboldt’s aging signs on the south and north entrances to town. They were installed in 2009. Discussion at Monday’s Humboldt Council meeting was favorable and included talk of a more modern look for the welcome signs. The city would match the state’s share of funding if Utley were successful in securing the grant, which has a limit of $7,500. As for the baseball greats, Utley said Tuesday afternoon that she hopes they can be incorporated into a new design. “Obviously, they are near and dear to me. Perhaps the welcome sign can be a snapshot of Humboldt that gives a subtle nod to Walter Johnson and George Sweatt. They had a large impact on the town, but certainly are not its only focus.”
Source: The Iola Register

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T12:38:31-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

City crews working to clean up homeless camps in south Topeka

The City of Topeka is working to clean up homeless camps in south Topeka on Monday. City Spokeswoman Rosie Nichols said the City of Topeka’s Street Department is currently working on the abatement of the encampments. She said crews started Monday morning and should be finished by Tuesday, but the cleanup could take until Wednesday. Several camps belonging to homeless individuals living along the Kansas River were cleared on Tuesday, Feb. 27 as part of a larger enforcement effort. The work is being implemented in a phased approach to enforce a camping ordinance passed last year limiting where people can camp in city limits. The city will work to clean up the area east of the Kansas Avenue bridge along the Kansas River and north of the levee in the near future. The cleanup is expected to begin on or around March 25, depending on weather conditions.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T12:37:06-05:00March 15, 2024|News|

City of Lawrence plans: Open Pallet village, prohibit camping, establish police office downtown

The City of Lawrence is planning to open a village of shelters for people experiencing homelessness Monday, soon end support at the sanctioned North Lawrence campsite, prohibit camping in that area and establish an office for police officers who will patrol downtown full time. A two-page report in the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting agenda for Tuesday, March 19 lays out staff members’ plans in a bit more detail on all the planned changes. The report does not ask for the commission to vote to approve any plans. The Lawrence Community Shelter will operate the Village, a community of 50 cabin-like structures on North Michigan Street for people experiencing homelessness. People will start moving into those shelters on Monday, March 18. Construction at the site has been complete for months, but the shelter needed to hire enough staff members to manage it. The city has previously said that veterans, older people, women emerging from domestic violence situations and people with disabilities who require specialized support and care were among the people the Village would aim to serve. It was less clear from Tuesday’s meeting agenda whether more vulnerable people would be given priority to move in. The first guests who will move in at the Village are all people who reside in the city-sanctioned camp in North Lawrence, which the city dubbed Camp New Beginnings, followed by others who stay in nearby camps, according to the report.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2024-03-15T12:21:11-05:00March 15, 2024|News|