Topeka Police Chief announces retirement

The Police Chief for the City of Topeka, Bryan Wheeles, is retiring. According to a press release from the City of Topeka, Wheeles will be ending his three-decade long law enforcement career. He has worked in many roles at the Topeka Police Department (TPD) such as: patrol officer, narcotics investigator, homicide detective, a supervisor and many levels of police command and finishing in the highest position as the Chief of Police of the City of Topeka. “We extend our deepest gratitude to Chief Wheeles for his unwavering dedication and years of service to not only his fellow officers, but the city as a whole,” Interim City Manager Richard Nienstedt said. “Chief Wheeles leads by example. His calm, pragmatic, reliable presence in times of crisis is felt far beyond the police department. He is the first to offer help wherever he is needed and he will be deeply missed.” “Thirty years of dedicated police service, within one community, makes me very proud,” Wheeles said. “There are a lot of amazing people working at TPD and it has been an honor, beyond my ability to truly express, to serve beside them all these years. I loved my job and got to make a difference. When you come to the end of a career and look back, it’s hard to ask for more than that. It has been a great ride, in a great community and I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and seeing what life brings me out of the uniform.” Wheeles will work as Chief of Police until July, 1, 2024.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:33:35-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Commissioners discuss county’s unpaved roads

The combination of recent weather events that adversely impacted unsurfaced roads in Harvey County didn’t show deficiencies in the roads, it created them, according to Jim Meier, director of the Road and Bridge Department for Harvey County. Meier addressed the Harvey County Commissioners on Tuesday morning at the request of Commissioner Becky Reimer after multiple calls and emails on the rough road conditions in January. In his written report, Meier listed a history of regrade projects and major road improvements dating back to 2012, including last year’s big project on N. East Lake Road from NE 60th north 1.75 miles for $43,790. Meier said that regrade projects are very weather-sensitive and can only be performed during certain times of the year. He said the limitations on projects include temperature, moisture and road closure.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:32:29-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Commercial solar ban set to expire in March, requirements could be changing

A six-month ban on commercial solar projects in Sedgwick County expires in March. County Commissioners are looking into what needs to change before projects get the green light. The Advanced Plans Committee of the Sedgwick County Planning Department did not recommend changing much when it came to the process of getting a conditional use permit for commercial solar. However, Sedgwick County Commissioner David Dennis raised some red flags during Tuesday morning’s meeting. “Up to this point, we really haven’t given any guidance on what we think ought to go into it,” said Dennis. Currently, there are no size restrictions on solar projects. Dennis said that has to change. “I disagree that there should be no size. We need to come up with a size that’s manageable, and 640 acres is exactly one square mile, and if you put solar panels on one square mile, that’s a pretty good-sized solar project,” said Dennis. Invenergy plans to file for a conditional use permit to build solar panels that would cover 750 acres of unincorporated land in Sedgwick County between Colwich and Maize.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:29:20-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Lessons for Kansans in Oklahoma City’s unified push on homelessness

Before its passing in 2012, Johnny’s Lunch Box in downtown Oklahoma City was a legendary gathering spot where the coat-and-tie crowd shared tables and banter with the blue-collar multitude. In the early 2000s, Dan Straughn often grabbed a bite there with fellow business and community leaders. The restaurant also provided a window into a perplexing local concern, given that it was located down the street from the main library, which was serving as a de facto day shelter for the homeless. “You could just sit there and watch a parade of stereotypical homeless-looking people walk back and forth,” recalled Straughan, then vice president of the city’s United Way. “One of the oil and gas guys at the table said to us other guys, and it was all guys at the time: ‘This homeless issue never gets better. Every year we put money into the system with our foundations and charitable giving, and the numbers never get any better. Or maybe they do, but do we even know what the numbers are? We’re all smart business guys, we ought to be able to figure this out.’” That conversation marked the beginning of a grassroots community effort to better coordinate homeless services and eventually create the Homeless Alliance, a one-stop center housing various agencies. Wichita appears to be reaching a similar crossroads.
Source: KLC Journal

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:28:12-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Commission discusses moratorium on zoning

Commissioner Carl Wood revisited the zoning issue in the county asking County Counselor Jim Emerson for more details on a moratorium. Emerson said that using a moratorium is a way to delay companies from building solar and wind farms as it gives the county time to update its strategic plan, zoning laws, and land usage. This is not a short process but can take a year or more to complete. Commissioners need to adopt a resolution giving Emerson the authority to draft a moratorium and hire an outside consulting firm to review zoning laws and the county’s strategic plan, which Emerson admits needs updating. Many of the county’s rural residents are opposed to countywide zoning laws, fearing it gives the county government the authority to say what is allowed or not allowed on private property. There are other options than zoning the entire county. Cities and towns are already zoned, so extending the boundaries of those zoned areas is one possible solution. Another is zoning only specific parts of the county to allow or disallow construction of alternate energy facilities. Not an advocate of zoning the county, Commissioner Bruce Blair says that some form of zoning is necessary to stop the construction of solar and wind farms in places they are not wanted. While passing zoning laws is a definite yes or no about what can be built where, a moratorium slows the process down and gives the commission and residents time to decide what is the best course of action.
Source: Morning Sun

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:26:07-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Busy Bentley resident excited to serve on school board

Reba Lee, a former city council member for five years, looks forward to representing Bentley on the USD-440 Board of Education. Her first meeting was in January. Lee said that once children move from Bentley Primary School to Halstead Middle School, parents don’t give Bentley much of a thought after that, and she gets it. “I feel like sometimes Bentley does get overlooked a little bit, so maybe I can be the voice for Bentley,” Lee said. She thinks her time on the city council will help her term on the school board. “I learned a lot about different things that a lot of people don’t know about the ins and outs of the town, and I feel like I can bring that to the school board; just kind of give a perspective of the school board from Bentley,” Lee said. Lee and her husband have three children—a fifth grader, a fourth grader, and a 2-year-old—and have lived in Bentley for 10 years. Lee used to run childcare camps but said it wasn’t working out with her husband’s crazy deployment schedule, so in 2015, she decided to stay home with her children. Now, her husband runs a construction business and flips homes on the side. She has a pop-up consignment sale she runs three times a year. She also said she has a “small farm” in her backyard containing two pigs, three goats, some ducks, turkeys, chickens and dogs. Plus, she loves to garden. And if that wasn’t enough, the Lees purchased the old Independent office at 220 Main Street and are renovating it into a venue called Magnolia, which will open soon.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:24:32-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Norton County Hospital wants sales tax hike for support

Like many smaller Kansas hospitals, Norton County Hospital is dealing with financial issues, and leaders think a countywide sales tax hike could help. It recently sent a letter to the Norton Area Chamber of Commerce asking the Chamber to support a one-cent tax hike. The letter is from Norton County Hospital CEO Kevin Faughnder, Interim CEO Kellen Jacobs, and CFO ReChelle Horinek. They say the hospital’s average operating margin in 2021, 2022, and 2023 ranged from minus 15 to minus 20%. They say the typical operating margin for many Kansas Critical Access Hospitals is minus 11%. Norton County Hospital is dealing with lower insurance reimbursement rates, higher costs of goods and services, and inflation. They say county tax support for NCH in 2021, 2022, and 2023 was 1.1 to 1.4%, while other Kansas Critical Access Hospitals averaged 6%. “According to the American Hospital Association, hospitals need a small profit margin to keep pace with life-sustaining advances in medicine, help support our workforce, and take care of our patients and community,” the letter said. “Approving our request for a one percent sales tax increase moves us closer to that goal and keeps the doors to our hospital open for business.” The letter to the Chamber points out how NCH helps the community by producing outside jobs. “For every one person we employ, we create 0.33 jobs in Norton County outside of the hospital,” the letter said. “We are also a dollar multiplier, meaning for every dollar that we pay out, more than 50% is spent in Norton County.”
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:18:54-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Kansas liquor law changes could let retailers sell wine

New legislation under discussion by state lawmakers could make wine more readily available in Kansas. On Thursday, Feb. 1, Democrat Rep. Dan Osman introduced a new bill to the Committee on Federal and State Affairs, which could make sweeping changes to Kansas’ liquor laws. The legislation, House Bill 2677, authorizes the sale of wine by cereal malt beverage (CMB) retailer licensees in the Sunflower State. If passed in its current state, the bill would alter or insert language in existing state liquor laws allowing for the sale of wine containing not more than 16% alcohol by volume. Under current state law, a CMB license holder may sell or offer for sale any CMB and beer containing not more than 6% alcohol by volume, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue’s website. CMB licenses are generally handled by city or county clerks depending on where the establishment or business is found. These are issued in one of three formats: on-premise, off-premise and special event licenses. Last year, Gov. Laura Kelly signed off on legislation enacting several changes to the state’s liquor laws. These changes included the establishment of common consumption areas, allowing dogs in microbreweries, and allowing for more bars to open on Sundays.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:16:51-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Fort Scott’s economic development initiative

An economic development initiative was the center of attention tonight in Fort Scott. All part of a proposal by the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team during tonight’s city commission meeting. Officials say, in the last five years, Fort Scott has lost 5 businesses and more than 640 jobs. Part of the collaborative initiative requests $50,000 to support the Center for Economic Growth – and an additional $80 to $100,000 salary to be budgeted by the city to hire an innovation and strategy director. “I think our proposal was very well received. I think every one of those commissioners wants what’s best for this community, so just to be able to start the conversation was important to us,” said Jody Love, Healthy Bourbon County Action Team founder. The proposal was tabled during tonight’s meeting. Commissioners did approve $40,000 requested by Bourbon County REDI.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:15:36-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Kansas City, Kansas, recorded its least deadly year in a decade. Police watchdogs are taking notice

Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department statistics show a significant reduction in violent crime during Chief Karl Oakman’s first two years as head of the agency, and community watchdogs say the changes are commendable. After decades that reinforced the department’s reputation as a corrupt force that failed to respond to a large violent crime problem — which past FBI reports confirm — the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department appears to be making strides toward better results. That’s even as former KCKPD Detective Roger Golubski faces a federal criminal trial on allegations that he was a dirty cop who protected drug dealers and serially abused Black women. Not including police shootings, KCKPD reported 24 homicides in 2023, the lowest since 2012, when there were 22. (On the other side of the state line, in Kansas City, Missouri, police recorded the city’s deadliest year, with 182 homicides.) LaDora Lattimore, who headed a domestic violence shelter in KCK for more than 40 years and now leads the Law Enforcement Advisory Board, said she’s been “more than impressed” with Oakman’s work. The 75-year-old Lattimore, who said she’s worked with “many, many, many” chiefs over the years, could name only one other that she thought did a good job. “We can’t negate the fact that he is a law enforcement officer and yet he approaches it from a global perspective,” Lattimore said. “He knows the officers can’t just respond (to crime) and not have community support.” Oakman, who took over the embattled department in June 2021, said he believes the community needs to trust police, but he also believes police must trust the community. If they don’t, he said, they will only respond to 911 calls and not invest in people.
Source: KCUR News

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:13:39-06:00February 7, 2024|News|