How local leaders are addressing spike in property valuation

At the beginning of this week, the Sedgwick County Appraiser’s Office had three appeals. As of Wednesday afternoon, that number jumped to 98 appeals (with an anticipated total of more than 5,000 this year). “I have spoken with friends and neighbors and real estate clients that have had 15-20 percent or more tax evaluation increases in one year,” Realtor Toni Titus said. Titus says in her 22 years as a realtor, she’s never seen Sedgwick County property valuations increase by this much.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:51:41-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

Wichita State’s Innovation Campus to add $75 million building to help combat gun crimes

A new $75 million building on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus will house a federal laboratory that will process shell casings to help law enforcement agencies across the country solve gun-related crimes. The building also will house the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The opening of the lab in the new building will create roughly 100 new jobs, Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran said a news conference Monday.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:47:28-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

Wichita Public Schools will pay up to $2.5 million for security upgrades at 11 schools

Eleven Wichita schools will be getting security upgrades for their front entryways. The Wichita school board has approved a contract with Hutton Construction to pay up to $2.5 million for the upgrades. Hutton will provide “construction work for secure entry, teacher locks, elevator access and intercom communications.” The scope of the work at each site and project timelines have not yet been established, district spokesperson Susan Arensman told The Eagle. The 11 sites are Allison, Curtis, Mayberry, Mead and Pleasant Valley middle schools, Beech, Gammon, Jackson, Linwood and Seltzer elementary schools and Levy Special Education Center, which serves students from K-12.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:45:56-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

Proposal for second package of megadeal incentives in doubt

A proposal to expand a lucrative tax incentive for landing mega economic development projects similar to Panasonic and Integra is in serious doubt with the legislative session past its midpoint. If passage of a tax incentive package for Panasonic wasn’t difficult enough last session, it’s proving to be even more of an uphill fight to provide more incentives requested by the Commerce Department last month. “I can tell you a lot of people regret voting for it,” Republican state Rep. Sean Tarwater said of the incentives approved for Panasonic that were later used in the Integra deal.
Source: Sunflower State Journal

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:43:51-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

Options outlined for Ark City hospital with facility future on the line

More than 150 people gathered Monday at the Burford Theatre to learn about the financial problems facing the Arkansas City hospital and possible solutions. SCK Health, which operates the hospital and three clinics, is losing money and faces closing the hospital if its financial problems aren’t resolved. It is not alone. Seven Kansas hospitals have closed since 2010 and more than 50 are at risk of closing, according to information presented by the Kansas Hospital Association.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:42:46-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

City of Manhattan hires Aaron Stewart as next parks and rec director

The Manhattan city government has hired a new Parks and Recreation director. City manager Ron Fehr announced Friday that Aaron Stewart was hired to serve as the city’s next director of the Parks and Recreation department. Stewart will start in Manhattan on April 17. “I am truly honored to be selected as the director of parks and recreation for the City of Manhattan,” Stewart said in a statement Friday.
Source: themercury.com

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:40:38-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

Andover announces anniversary event to mark recovery from the 2022 tornado

The City of Andover has announced plans for a one-year anniversary event for the April 29th, 2022 tornado. The event will be called “One Year Later: Pray With Andover.” It will be a community prayer breakfast and it will be held at the Capitol Federal Amphitheater on Saturday, April 29th.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:37:20-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

Train derails in McPherson, no injuries reported

A Union Pacific freight train derailed in McPherson Sunday morning, causing a small grass fire and leaking denatured alcohol. The derailment was reported around 9:30 a.m. near the 1200 block of South Main. There were no injuries. Denatured alcohol leaked from one car into a nearby stream that feeds into Wolf Creek. The leak was contained and there was no threat to the community. McPherson fire crews got the grass fire out quickly.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:35:15-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

Overland Park begins removing ash trees along streets

The city is beginning a massive project to remove thousands of trees and plant new ones. Overland Park crews started the project Monday in a neighborhood near 83rd and Nall. City contractors plan to remove more than 2,400 ash trees along city streets in a dozen areas across the city over the next three months. While leaders say the targeted trees make up nearly 25% of all trees in Overland Park, they also say removing them has to be done. The city predicts the emerald ash borer will eventually kill the majority of the trees.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:32:24-05:00March 13, 2023|News|

Police chief, city manager address report on WPD’s ‘unhealthy and at times toxic’ culture

In 123 pages, a report from the consulting firm Jensen Hughes lays out several problems with the culture and operations inside the Wichita police department. Chief Joseph Sullivan says a lot of what he read in the “well-written and well-researched report actually confirms my own personal assessment of various facets of the department in my short time here in Wichita.” Monday morning, Sullivan, city leadership, and representatives from Jensen Hughes held a news conference reviewing the report’s findings. Several sections laid out issues within WPD, from toxic culture to issues with favoritism in promotions or uneven punishments for officers.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2023-03-13T22:29:52-05:00March 13, 2023|News|