Your Local Newspaper Might Not Have a Single Reporter

The Gleaner, the local newspaper in Henderson, Ky., has sections focused on features, sports, news and opinion. What it doesn’t have: a single reporter on staff. The publication is one of the “ghost newsrooms” that increasingly dot the American media landscape—newspapers that have little to no on-the-ground presence in the localities whose name they bear. It is a sobering development in an industry that has been brought to its knees by the rise of digital media and large technology companies. The Gleaner newsroom once bustled with a staff of around 20. Now, it doesn’t have an office—it was closed a few years ago—and most of its content comes from other publications owned by its parent company: Gannett, home of USA Today and over 200 local news outlets including the Courier & Press of nearby Evansville, Ind. What coverage there is of Henderson, a northwestern Kentucky city of about 30,000, is left to a few freelancers—including a husband-and-wife team that averages a few stories a month for the Gleaner, which publishes five days a week.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business

Ranson Financial2023-11-29T12:47:57-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

Governor Kelly Announces $5M to Expand Access to High-Speed Internet in Rural Kansas Communities

Governor Laura Kelly today announced that $5 million has been awarded to eight internet service providers (ISPs) in the latest round of Broadband Acceleration Grants for 2023. The awards will be paired with an additional $6.6 million in matching funds, resulting in an investment of nearly $12 million for high-speed broadband access projects across 10 rural Kansas counties. “We’re steadfast in our commitment to achieving the ambitious goal of making Kansas a top 10 state for broadband access by 2030,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Access to affordable broadband is critical for our communities to stay vibrant and competitive, and every Kansan deserves a reliable connection to participate in the digital economy – no matter their zip code.” Initiated in 2020, the Broadband Acceleration Grant is a 10-year, $85 million program designed to bring essential internet access to Kansas communities. Administered by the Kansas Office of Broadband Development and funded through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), this latest round of grants brings the program’s total investment for broadband infrastructure since 2020 to more than $31.5 million. “High-quality broadband is a necessity, and connectivity will enhance lives and open new doors of opportunity for Kansans,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Ranson Financial2023-11-29T12:45:44-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

Pottawatomie County extends solar farm moratorium for three more years

Pottawatomie County officials voted Monday to extend a moratorium, set to expire at the end of the year on commercial solar farms, for three more years. Uncertainty over the financial benefits of such operations and property rights have been at the center of discussion since the county began writing regulations for solar in early 2021. Solar farms provide solar power greater than one megawatt with the potential of generating several hundred megawatts of electricity and encompassing several thousands of acres of rural Pottawatomie County.
Commissioner Greg Riat initially had hoped for a five year moratorium after this year, but settled on three years. Commission Chair Pat Weixelman seconded Riat’s motion to extend the moratorium, through 2026. Commissioner Dee McKee opposed, stating she doesn’t want to deter potential solar companies from coming to Pottawatomie County outright. The board also tentatively approved regulations for the smaller scale solar gardens, which will be finalized next week. Solar gardens will be limited to 16 acres, and no two solar gardens will be allowed closer than half a mile from each other. Property line set backs would be 750 feet and equipment will be required to be at least 100 feet from the road right-of-way.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Ranson Financial2023-11-29T12:43:46-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

Kansas court officials confirm details of international cyberattack

Foreign cybercriminals launched the attack on the Kansas judicial branch’s information system in October and stole records of appellate cases and judicial administration files potentially regarded as confidential under state law, officials said in a Nov. 21 announcement. Justices of the Kansas Supreme Court issued a joint statement confirming perpetrators “stole data and threatened to post it to a dark website if their demands were not met.” The release didn’t say whether the judicial branch complied with demands of the attackers, nor did it disclose whether evidence existed Kansas court information was forwarded to secretive illicit portions of the web. “This assault on the Kansas system of justice is evil and criminal,” the justices said. “We express our deep sorrow that Kansans will suffer at the hands of these cybercriminals.” The release said the judicial branch was the “victim of a sophisticated foreign cyberattack” and ongoing work by experts would identify the scope of personal information stolen. Once the assessment was completed, court officials said, individuals directly touched by the breach would be contacted.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Ranson Financial2023-11-29T12:41:55-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

Governor Kelly Announces Over $12M Awarded to Fall 2023 KDOT Cost Share Projects

Governor Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed announced that more than $12 million state dollars will be awarded to 16 transportation construction projects across Kansas through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Cost Share Program for fall 2023. This investment will leverage $7.2 million in community matching dollars for a total investment of over $19 million.

Fall 2023 Cost Share recipients are:

City of Abilene – 14^th Street and North Van Buren Street intersection
City of Baldwin City – U.S. 56– Pedestrian Crossing Safety improvements
City of Deerfield – Main Street reconstruction project
City of Halstead – North Street reconstruction and sidewalk improvements
City of Harper – Ash and Walnut streets restoration
City of Haysville – South Broadway pedestrian pathway project
City of Hillsboro – Adams Street improvements
City of Jennings – Chip seal city streets
City of Parsons – Main Street sidewalk replacement
City of Salina – West Magnolia Road – Phase 1
City of Syracuse – New Syracuse Street signs
Atchison County – Ottawa Road (RS 21) roadway rehabilitation and safety improvements
Brown County – 270^th Street rehabilitation
Clark and Comanche Counties – Clark and Comanche Counties pavement improvement project
Pottawatomie County – Louisville Road bridge over Rock Creek
Russell County – Hell Creek Bridge (FAS 420) – Overlay and repairs

A map of this round of Cost Share projects can be found here.

More information about KDOT’s Cost Share Program is on KDOT’s website at https://www.ksdot.org/CostShare/CostShareProgram.asp.

Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Ranson Financial2023-11-30T10:03:15-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr announces retirement

Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr has announced his retirement after more than two decades in the position. Fehr spent seven weeks in Houston, Texas earlier this fall undergoing treatment for cancer, something that factored into his decision. He says the cancer was caught early and so far the prognosis is good and he hopes to keep it that way. Hired in January 1982 as the Forestry and Parks Supervisor, for the newly formed Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department, Fehr has spent his entire professional career with the City and was appointed City Manager in April 2000, succeeding Gary Greer. Other roles he’s held include Park Superintendent, Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation and Assistant City Manager. He also has served as Acting Zoo Director, Acting Director of Human Resources and twice served as Acting Director of Utilities. Fehr has overseen many developments over the years, including the Flint Hills Discovery Center and nearby Blue Earth Plaza, a project that came about through the use of Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds. In recent years, Fehr has led Aggieville redevelopment, changes within the Edge District (north campus corridor) to support the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility and growth efforts at Kansas State University. The city has also experienced modest growth since 2000, when the population surpassed 50,000, though that growth has been slow in recent years, primarily due to fluctuations at both Fort Riley and K-State.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Ranson Financial2023-11-29T12:32:22-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

WPD bus program has helped nearly 1,000 stranded homeless get off streets

“You kind of just have to grit your teeth and push through whatever you have to push through to get yourself out of that situation. Because if you don’t, you increase your chances of just, I’ll put it bluntly, death. It kills out there,” Joey Walters said. Walters says after the foster system failed him in Nebraska, he moved to Wichita to stay with family, but his life quickly fell apart. “Made some mistakes along the way. Done some stuff that I regret a lot. I put me in a situation where they couldn’t really house me anymore. So I ended up homeless,” said Walters. With nowhere else to turn, Joey Walters was on the streets and lived with a group of other young homeless people under a bridge at Murdock and Waco. After about a year of living this way, he met Officer Mariah McCrea with the Wichita Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team. “It’s good seeing you. You look a lot better than how I found you under the bridge,” McCrea said during a video call with Walters. McCrea says for a variety of reasons, people like Walters often come in from other cities and end up stuck on the streets with no one to help and no way to get home. But she says that’s why the city has a grant-funded program through the Beach Foundation called Finding Your Way Home, and Walters was the perfect candidate. “Ms. McCrea brought to my attention that they could get a bus ticket for me if I had anywhere to go that would be safer off the streets,” Walters said.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2023-11-29T12:30:10-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

Wichita has an affordable housing gap. Could microMansions help fill it?

Mary Lull, 22, is starting to look at buying her first house. But she says her and her fiancee’s budget limits them to older homes in need of a lot of work. “Anything that we could afford right now, we would have to fix up quite a bit, which would be a lot of extra costs,” she said. Lull is also the design coordinator for a company called microMansions, which sells ready-made tiny homes. The three-person business operates a warehouse in Columbus, a southeast Kansas town, that packages the homes into kits for individuals or developers to assemble. One of the homes was built in Wichita’s Delano neighborhood, where Lull operates it as an Airbnb. After spending so much time there, she’s considering buying one as a starter home. “My fiancee and I are actually … discussing after we get married, building one,” Lull said. “If we built one of these, it’s still cheaper than buying a house, renovating it.” Like much of the nation, Wichita and Kansas are struggling with a limited stock of affordable housing. On top of that, inflation and rising interest rates have pushed new home prices higher. Though microMansions is just getting started – only three of the homes have been built – founder Abby Nelson is hoping her tiny houses can fill a big affordability gap in the market. It’s a gap she says she experienced herself when she looked to buy a house in Wichita more than five years ago. It inspired her to start the business.
Source: KLC Journal

Ranson Financial2023-11-29T12:23:47-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

Bringing Amtrak back to Wichita – KDOT wants input

It has been more than four decades since Amtrak had service in Wichita, and the push to bring it back continues. The Kansas Department of Transportation is analyzing what expanding the service would mean for south-central Kansas. It wants to hear from Kansans, Oklahomans, and Texans. KDOT, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and the Texas Department of Transportation are interested in extending the Heartland Flyer daily passenger rail service from Oklahoma City to Newton, where it would connect with the Southwest Chief national route. The Heartland Flyer currently provides service between Ft. Worth and Oklahoma City. The Southwest Chief offers daily roundtrip service between Chicago and Los Angeles. If transportation experts decide it is feasible, the extended Heartland Flyer route would add stops in Wichita and Arkansas City in Kansas. It would also add stops in Ponca City, Perry, Guthrie, and Edmond, Oklahoma. KDOT is in the process of getting another Service Development Plan done on the idea. It completed one in 2011, but the plan fell short due to lack of funding. This time, KDOT says there is more federal interest in passenger rail service, including new funding opportunities. One possibility is the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor ID Program. KDOT, ODOT, and TxDOT applied for the funding in March. The FRA is expected to announce the recipients as early as this week.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2023-11-29T12:16:13-06:00November 29, 2023|News|

1920s era mural adds to Hiawatha building

The Hiawatha World mural made a drastic step toward completion this fall – however, the artists and owner of this historic downtown building say there is more to come. This past summer, a group of mural artists who have been making a colorful splash around the community connected with Richard and Pam Tesoriero, owners of the Hiawatha World. Last fall, these five artists completed a Welcome to Hiawatha mural on the south side of the old Maple Lanes Bowling alley (now owned by Andy and Wendy Pederson) on South First Street. They added another in downtown Hiawatha on the east side of Dan Lierz’s building at 9th and Oregon where Shelter Insurance and Waddell & Reed are located. The Tesorieros purchased the World building this past spring and almost immediately connected with the mural artists – Chase Hunter, Michael Trujillo, Whitney Kerr and Mark Manning, who are based in Kansas City, but come from as far as Alabama and Los Angeles. Tesoriero had a specific design – he wanted paperboys representing every era of the newspaper since the building was built in 1925. The newspaper was actually founded in 1907, but was located elsewhere prior to 1925.
Source: Local News | hiawathaworldonline.com

Ranson Financial2023-11-30T10:04:25-06:00November 29, 2023|News|