2021 – Page 262 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

After vaccine distribution in Kansas favored rural areas, some big counties get boost

info2021-02-24T07:06:28-06:00February 24th, 2021|

After a distribution formula tended to give rural counties in Kansas more COVID-19 vaccines per capita than more heavily-populated areas, a new plan underway this week offered substantially more doses to some larger counties. New data from the Kansas Department of Health & Environment showed Johnson County was due to receive 14,040 vaccine doses this week, more than twice what was allocated to the state’s largest county two weeks ago. Sedgwick County was due to receive 15,530. Wyandotte County, however, received only 2,340. That’s fewer than it received two weeks ago. Source: KC Star Local News

Wichita considers plan to encourage urban farming and reduce food insecurity

info2021-02-24T07:08:17-06:00February 24th, 2021|

If there are three things Kansans like to do, it’s raise food, eat and make money. And the Wichita City Council was given an outline on Tuesday of a plan to make it easier for residents of the city to do all of the above. The need is profound, said council member Becky Tuttle, who presented the plan to the council Tuesday and has been working on it since before she got in office two years ago. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Gas spikes slam Humboldt

info2021-02-24T07:10:20-06:00February 24th, 2021|

City leaders officially declared an “extraordinary financial emergency” for Humboldt Monday night in response to recent spikes in natural gas prices. Residents and businesses can expect an 80% increase in their per unit usage charges in statements issued later this week, Cole Herder, city administrator, told council members... Humboldt is on the hook for an immediate $49,022 payment to KMGA to go toward a $1 million advance payment that one of the consortium’s suppliers demanded during the crisis. KMGA uses about 20 suppliers. Herder said one of those suppliers told KMGA that in order to reserve $30 million worth of gas [...]

Johnson County Park board rejects plan to mine underneath Big Bull Creek Park

info2021-02-24T07:10:37-06:00February 24th, 2021|

A proposal to mine limestone from beneath Big Bull Creek Park, Johnson County’s biggest public park, has been turned down by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s governing board. The eight-member park commission concluded the leasing proposal by Topeka-based Mid-States Materials would likely have a negative impact on Big Bull Creek Park in Edgerton, and it unanimously rejected the plan at its meeting Wednesday, Feb. 17. But the commission went further and approved a policy prohibiting surface or subsurface mining on any county park land. Source: Prairie Village Post

Michelle Hubbard named next superintendent for the Shawnee Mission School District

info2021-02-24T06:59:17-06:00February 24th, 2021|

Michelle Hubbard will be the next superintendent of the Shawnee Mission School District. The Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Hubbard Monday night. Hubbard is currently the district’s Deputy Superintendent and will take over for outgoing Superintendent Mike Fulton, who is retiring, in July. The board unanimously approved a three-year contract for Hubbard that will last through June 2024. No other terms of the contract were immediately released. Source: Prairie Village Post

Pittsburg’s February Storm Response

info2021-02-24T07:04:51-06:00February 24th, 2021|

The City of Pittsburg employees are part of a large network of local public employees who work diligently to provide many services. At the City, the majority of our resources are focused on public safety, including police, fire, water, wastewater, stormwater and streets. Last week was an unprecedented time for so many of us. Harsh temperatures, snow and ice, coupled with a loss of power, caused a strain on our families, businesses and our community. The stories of hardship across the country served as a reminder to me how fortunate we are to have such dedicated public servants working on our [...]

Neighborhoods come together to rescue chicken on the lam

info2021-02-24T06:59:01-06:00February 24th, 2021|

It all started Feb. 12 when a Riverside friend who sometimes helps with my pet chickens alerted me to a Facebook post. Lisa Aguilera, a hospice worker whose 96-year-old client, Betty Jane Qualls, lives in the Country Overlook neighborhood near College Hill, wrote a post about a chicken on the loose. The little black chicken with iridescent green feathers had been roaming a stretch of Belmont near Betty’s house for weeks. Betty, who asked Lisa about the chicken daily, was quite concerned with frigid temperatures and snow on the way. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

State and federal government weighing options as residents brace for higher energy bills

info2021-02-23T08:27:50-06:00February 23rd, 2021|

State and federal lawmakers are weighing their options to help residents who may see their electric bills increase sharply after energy shortages slammed the region last week during a historic cold front. A dramatic uptick in demand for energy throughout the Midwest and South saw utility companies institute rolling blackouts, with thousands of Kansans affected. The problem was most acute in Texas, where millions were without power and services were disrupted due to the severe cold. Source: Topeka Capital-Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for February 22, 2021

info2021-02-23T08:10:12-06:00February 23rd, 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.

Johnson County needs more affordable housing. Is converting these hotels an answer?

info2021-02-23T08:03:27-06:00February 22nd, 2021|

Developers in Johnson County have long said the costs of land and construction are too high for them to make much of a profit off more affordable apartments — a housing market the area sorely needs. But now a Utah-based firm has a solution, using existing buildings that are very similar to apartment buildings. The developer plans to convert two Overland Park hotels into apartments — with rental prices more attainable for middle-income workers who can’t afford most Johnson County housing. It’s not a new idea, but it is one that has grown in popularity across the country in recent years, especially [...]

Yearly Archives: 2021