Library offers non-traditional items to community

Reading books and using computers are just some of the reasons people are piling into the Wichita Advanced Learning Library. Behind its doors, podcasts are being made, medical equipment is being checked out, as well as other items like hot spots and telescopes. “We decided that we wanted to listen to what community members want through surveys and customer feedback and that’s how we started building our library of things,” said Communication Specialist Sean Jones. Introducing non-traditional items began back in 2021. Jones said the library is considered an urban library and part of a network called the Urban Libraries Counsel. He said they work with their counterparts at these library systems and share ideas and information about what is going on in the different communities. Jones said this is a way of keeping the community coming in. Because Sedgwick County is at medium risk for radon, the first item outside of books they had available for checkout was a radon detector and it was flying off the shelf. The AV studio has become popular for more than just recording music or creating podcasts, people use the room to work on graphic design projects using the Adobe Creative Suite offered. Technology Trainer Janelle Mercer said, “If you’re needing help with an iPhone and iPad or maybe you want to learn how to check out our e-books, we can help you with that or if you want to learn to use something like our AV studio or even our chrome books.” Jeanne Mitchell, a regular at the library, said, “You can start as a toddler and learn to read and then you can create and as an old person, senior, now I just have a great time.” Also introduced are passport application services at some of the other library branches.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2024-01-31T10:09:47-06:00January 31, 2024|News|

City of Marion asking McAnarney to serve as interim city manager

The city of Marion is looking for a new city manager, and it has reached out to former Emporia city leader Mark McAnarney to fill the role on an interim basis. Marion is looking for a city manager after the resignation of Brogan Jones on Nov. 15, as reported by the Marion County Record. McAnarney served the city of Emporia for over 30 years, first as assistant city manager starting in 1989 and then as city manager in 2013. He retired in late 2021. McAnarney has not said whether he plans to take the Marion post. He served as Neodesha’s interim city manager between October and earlier this month.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Ranson Financial2024-01-31T10:02:42-06:00January 31, 2024|News|

Jackie Robinson statue found burned and in pieces at Wichita park amid citywide manhunt

A Wichita youth-baseball league’s Jackie Robinson statue — which was cut at its feet and stolen from McAdams Park last week, leading to a citywide manhunt and national media attention — was found charred and in pieces Tuesday morning in Garvey Park. Garvey Park is in south Wichita, about seven miles from where it was stolen. “It’s not salvageable at this time,” Wichita police spokesperson Andrew Ford said. Ford said they are still investigating to find suspects. First responders were called to a trash can fire at the park around 8:38 a.m. and found the statue. When firefighters extinguished the flames, they found pieces of the statue. It’s unclear if the statue, valued at $75,000, was cut or fell apart while being burned. It appears a fire was lit in a dumpster behind a pavilion bathroom at the park. Police were searching the area for other clues. Wichita Police Department Lt. Aaron Moses said that he didn’t think anyone was in custody. Chief Joe Sullivan and other city leaders held a news conference at 10:30 a.m. at the park. On Monday, police announced that they found what they thought was the truck used in the crime unoccupied somewhere in the city. The truck wasn’t reported stolen and police have talked with the owner. He said police have conducted close to if not over 100 interviews since the statue was stolen early Thursday morning. Vandals cut the statue at the feet and then loaded it in a truck and took off, according to surveillance video from WPD.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2024-01-31T10:01:03-06:00January 31, 2024|News|

Towns struggle as aquifer dwindles

Brownie Wilson pulls off a remote dirt road right through a steep ditch and onto a farmer’s field. He hops out of his white Silverado pickup, mud covering nearly all of it except the Kansas Geological Survey logo stuck on the side with electrical tape. Dry cornstalks crunch under his work boots as he makes his way to a decommissioned irrigation well. He unspools a steel highway tape measure a few feet at a time and feeds it into the well until gravity takes over. He keeps a thumb on it to control the speed. How much of the tape comes out wet lets him calculate how much water has been lost here. Wilson crisscrosses western Kansas every January to measure wells and track the rapid decline of the Ogallala Aquifer, which contains the nation’s largest underground store of fresh water. Last year, some wells had dropped 10 feet or more because of the severe 2022 drought. But this year, they stayed about the same or dropped a couple feet. Some of these wells have dropped more than 100 feet since Wilson started working for the agency in 2001, he said. “Some of our issues looking forward look gargantuan,” Wilson said. “But I do think we can peck away at it and make some headway.” The Ogallala Aquifer, the underground rock and sediment formation that spans eight states from South Dakota to the Texas panhandle, is the only reliable water source for some parts of the region. But for decades, states have allowed farmers to overpump groundwater to irrigate corn and other crops that would otherwise struggle on the arid High Plains. Now, the disappearing water is threatening more than just agriculture. Rural communities are facing dire futures where water is no longer a certainty.
Source: The Iola Register

Ranson Financial2024-01-31T09:59:02-06:00January 31, 2024|News|

How could Kansas’ new open enrollment law change Johnson County and KCK schools?

After this school year, Kansas students will be allowed to go to any public school district in the state, as long as it has the room. Previously, districts have had discretion over whether to admit students from outside of their attendance areas. But starting this summer, schools are required to do so, which has created a complicated situation for highly ranked districts in Johnson County, which are now scrambling to prepare for a potential influx of students. “Really since the legislation passed, certainly the number of people calling us has increased. We get a few calls every week from people either checking into the process or saying they want to enroll,” said Olathe Superintendent Brent Yeager. Johnson County school leaders say that as they ready to open their doors to out-of-district students, they’re concerned about maintaining appropriate class sizes, having adequate staffing levels and taking on unexpected costs. “There are districts where it won’t be a big deal because they have only one school or three schools. For those of us in larger districts, it’s a much bigger challenge,” Yeager said. Kansas lawmakers approved the open enrollment requirement in 2022, as part of a broad K-12 finance bill. The provision says each school must determine its capacity for the following year, and accept applications from non-resident students when open seats are available.
Source: Joco 913 News

Ranson Financial2024-01-31T09:50:15-06:00January 31, 2024|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for January 30, 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.

Henry Schmidt2024-01-31T08:46:13-06:00January 31, 2024|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for January 29, 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.

Henry Schmidt2024-01-30T09:14:46-06:00January 30, 2024|News|

USD 392 Osborne County Hires New Superintendent

USD 392 Board of Education announced the selection of Mr. Ron Orsak as the new Superintendent of Osborne County School District. Mr. Orsak will take the helm on July 1, 2024, from Mr. Langdon who officially resigned from his post in November of last year and will be the new Elementary Principal at Sacred Heart Schools in Colby this Fall. We thank Mr. Langdon for his efforts and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Mr. Orsak emerged from a very thorough search process as the right candidate to lead the district. The initial step was to gather input utilizing focus groups, comprised of faculty and staff from within our district, and online community surveys. The board contracted the services of KASB to conduct extensive background and reference checks, including the review of applications and supporting documentation during the hiring process. The board selected two finalists, who were greeted by community members and staff and interviewed by the Board in January. With the decision to hire Mr. Orsak, the Board feels they found a strong match to the search criteria presented, making him the right selection to serve our students, staff, and our community.
Source: Sunflower State Radio

Ranson Financial2024-01-29T11:46:53-06:00January 29, 2024|News|

Sewer bills going up for Andover residents

Starting in February, Andover residents will see their sewer bills increase. The City says they are wrapping up the design phase for the expansion of the wastewater plant. This year Andover will begin the process of upgrading and expanding the facility to address increasing demand and replace and update equipment to meet upcoming regulatory requirements. The rate will increase by $5 to $40 a month for residential customers. Later this year, the Andover City Council will decide on a multi-year billing structure based on the projected costs of the expansion project. Andover’s wastewater facility was first constructed in 1977 and underwent upgrades, expansions, and improvements in 1996, 2011, and 2019.
Source: KSN Local News

Ranson Financial2024-01-29T11:45:25-06:00January 29, 2024|News|

City of Galena clarifies when school crossing light is supposed to run

The Mayor of Galena, KS, Ashely Qualls Groves, addresses the ongoing concern regarding a Galena school traffic lights and the timing of them. “I want to clarify that those are set automatically and although it seems like odd hours, the school has after school programs nightly throughout the school year. Many kids attend these programs and in working with the school personnel, our goal is to provide the utmost safety protocols for our students.” According to city officials, they receive a lot of complaints about reckless drivers in the school zones therefore they are working to make the existing protocols safer while any students are in the building.
Source: KOAM News

Ranson Financial2024-01-29T11:43:28-06:00January 29, 2024|News|