2021 – Page 261 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

McPherson receives update from BPU regarding gas prices

info2021-02-25T08:00:27-06:00February 24th, 2021|

Tim Meier with BPU provided commissioners with an update on gas prices, production and the cold snap during Monday’s city commission meeting. Meier advised that, beginning on Feb. 9, BPU became curtailed on their production and had to begin receiving oil. They maintain approximately one million gallons of oil in stock at their facilities, but with gas prices going through the roof, they knew they needed a lot of fuel generation. “Typically, natural gas is substantially cheaper than oil, but oil was actually the cheaper option,” Meier said. Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed

Muni yields climb 30-plus basis points in weeklong sell-off

info2021-02-25T08:02:32-06:00February 24th, 2021|

Triple-A municipal benchmarks saw another seven basis point cut in yields on bonds outside of 10 years on Wednesday, pushing municipal to U.S. Treasury ratios higher amid sloppy trading and cheaper pricing levels on high-grade competitive deals. Municipal bonds could not ignore another rise in U.S. Treasury rates, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell's congressional testimony and a resulting equity rebound, along with approval of emergency use of a new COVID vaccine and the likelihood of more federal stimulus. “The municipal yield curve continues to steepen, and refuge from significant price losses only exists at the very short end of the [...]

Sedgwick county leaders to discuss changes to current health order on Friday

info2021-02-25T08:02:38-06:00February 24th, 2021|

The current COVID-19 positive rate is down to 4-point-7 percent. That's the lowest it's been since the last week of September. County leaders are set to meet on Friday to discuss the current health order which expires on March 20. County commissioner Pete Meitzner said he is pleased with the community's role in lowering the positivity rate. The county manager says fewer restrictions could be on the way but ultimately it's up to the health officer. "Now the order that we currently have is in effect until sometime in March, we will talk with Dr. Minns on Friday about a number [...]

Hays energy company protects customers from skyrocketing bills

info2021-02-25T08:02:56-06:00February 24th, 2021|

The recent arctic blast led to skyrocketing energy demands across the midwest and now many customers are fearing skyrocketing bills. Midwest Energy, Inc. is a company that provides gas and electric services to a large portion of western Kansas. Following the recent weeks' weather and events, the company had hundreds of concerned customers reach out to ask if they too could expect higher bills in the coming months and if they needed to prepare for a financial hit. In response to the calls, company CEO Patrick Parke said, “We will stand with our customers.” Source: KSN-TV

Shawnee uses eminent domain to expand sidewalk and build trail along 75th Street

info2021-02-25T08:03:07-06:00February 24th, 2021|

Shawnee is claiming eminent domain to acquire private property for construction improvements along the 75th Street corridor. Located along a section of 75th between Quivira and Switzer Roads, the project involves the widening of a sidewalk on the north side of 75th as well as building a new 8-foot multipurpose trail along the south side. Paul Lindstrom, senior project engineer with the city, said nearly all of the permanent and temporary easements are required to make room for the sidewalk expansion and new trail. Source: Prairie Village Post

Municipal Bond Trends for February 23, 2021

info2021-02-24T07:14:25-06:00February 24th, 2021|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

New casino in Park City opens for business next week

info2021-02-24T07:13:21-06:00February 24th, 2021|

The new Crosswinds Casino in Park City will open at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, according to a news release from Wyandotte Nation. The casino will be 20,000 square feet and is located at 777 N Jackpot Way. The casino will have 500 slot machines and 200 VGT machines with Red Spins. The casino will also have a bar and cafe. ... "Park City has worked hard and has been successful over the years with their redevelopment plans and have welcomed us as partners," Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy Friend said. "The great thing about this project is it will not only [...]

Municipal yields rose for the sixth day in a row

info2021-02-24T07:03:27-06:00February 24th, 2021|

Municipal yields rose for the sixth day in a row Tuesday, pushing the 10-year above 1%, a level not seen since May 2020. High-grade deals priced and secondary trading showed bonds exchanging hands at yields higher than triple-A benchmarks in some cases, but a healthy two-way flow was evident, even if there are signals that yields have not yet found a ceiling. U.S. Treasuries held steady for most of Tuesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell testified before Congress that the bond buying would continue and the economic recovery was far from complete. Source: The Bond Buyer

Grant Opportunity for Businesses in Historic Downtown Merriam

info2021-02-24T07:05:13-06:00February 24th, 2021|

The City of Merriam is reimbursing up to $5,000 to eligible property owners in the downtown area to make exterior improvements to their businesses. The Historic Downtown Exterior Improvement Grant is for business and property owners to make outdoor enhancements for items, including new: Painting, Siding, Awnings, Building additions, Landscaping, Door/Window replacements, Foundation repair and Floodproofing (must meet FEMA standards). Source: Merriam, KS news

Rolling blackouts in Kansas helped regional power grid avoid ‘cascading failures’

info2021-02-24T07:06:19-06:00February 24th, 2021|

Managers of the Southwest Power Pool delivered a series of emergency warnings from their office in Little Rock, commanding utilities across a 14-state region to begin shutting off power for rotating blocks of customers. For Evergy, serving eastern Kansas and western Missouri, that had meant imposing a temporary blackout for 170,000 customers in the Kansas City region, and 60,000 customers elsewhere. “What happens is that if they don’t take any corrective action, then an unplanned event happens, and it could lead to cascading failures — and that would be a disaster because it takes days to recover from,” said Anil Pahwa, [...]

Yearly Archives: 2021