info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Tasty H2O in Ark City

info2022-04-11T07:10:00-05:00April 11th, 2022|

Who has the best tasting water in Kansas? According to the judges at a contest sponsored by the Kansas Rural Water Association last week, Arkansas City does. That honor is a repeat performance for the new water plant that opened in 2018. Ark City won the same award during the previous KRWA conference in 2019. “Congratulations to our water professionals,” City Manager Randy Frazer said. “They did a great job of producing the best-tasting water in the state of Kansas.” Water samples from more than 20 communities were judged by a team of professionals. Frazer said the judges narrowed the competition [...]

Chanute Housing programs explained

info2022-04-11T07:03:59-05:00April 10th, 2022|

Some residents do not understand how the Chanute Housing Authority assists people with rent, and there has been upset over increases in rental costs. The authority offers Housing and Urban Development programs, Executive Director Nicci Wiltse said, but some applicants and taxpayers might be confused about how they work. CHA has two programs. Section 8 is a voucher program, where tenants rent from landlord owners. Tenants in the other program live in city-owned housing with rent options of either a flat rate or based on 30 percent of the participant’s gross annual income. Although different, many applicants confuse the two programs. [...]

Here’s how the Fed raising interest rates can help get inflation lower, and why it could fail

info2022-04-11T07:05:07-05:00April 10th, 2022|

The view that higher interest rates help stamp out inflation is essentially an article of faith, based on long-held economic gospel of supply and demand. But how does it really work? And will it work this time around, when bloated prices seem at least partially beyond the reach of conventional monetary policy? It is this dilemma that has Wall Street confused and markets volatile. In normal times, the Federal Reserve is seen as the cavalry coming into quell soaring prices. But this time, the central bank is going to need some help. "Can the Fed bring down inflation on their own? [...]

Fed’s Bullard says interest rate policy is ‘behind the curve,’ but it’s making progress

info2022-04-11T07:05:45-05:00April 10th, 2022|

The Federal Reserve needs to raise interest rates substantially to control inflation but may not be as "behind the curve" as it appears, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said Thursday. One of the Federal Open Market Committee's most "hawkish" members in favor of tighter policy, Bullard said a rules-based approach suggests the central bank needs to hike its benchmark short-term borrowing rate to about 3.5%. However, he said bond market adjustments to the Fed's more aggressive policy, in which yields have surged higher, suggest rates are not that far askew. "If you take account of [forward guidance], we don't look [...]

Exposing the Russian spies who attempted to hack a Kansas nuclear plant

info2022-04-11T07:06:41-05:00April 10th, 2022|

Three young Russian spies, Pavel, Mikhail and Marat, working from computers in a 27-story skyscraper at 12 Prospekt Vernadskogo in Moscow, over five years targeted the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant in Burlington, Kansas. They were on a sophisticated cyber reconnaissance mission to learn about the inner workings of the plant to prepare for a possible precision electronic assault by the Russians. That is the story that broke March 24, when the U.S. Department of Justice suddenly and somewhat mysteriously unsealed an indictment against the hapless trio. The indictment was filed under seal on Aug. 26, 2021, in the U.S. District [...]

Edgerton continues moving forward

info2022-04-11T07:07:01-05:00April 10th, 2022|

Don Roberts, mayor, said there was a lot of fantastic stuff happening for Edgerton and a lot of accomplishments the past year. “Opportunities turn into accomplishments,” he said, at the State of the City address March 31 at Edgerton City Hall. Roberts highlighted 2021 new projects including the 207th Street Grade Separation and Glendell Acres Park renovation. Roberts said the 207th Street project was needed especially for emergency services to be able to cross the railroad tracks. Dennis Meyers, Johnson County Fire District 1 fire chief, said it was a game changer for public safety. “It is meaningful to no longer [...]

Area around this Wichita sewage plant will be more stinky after apparent operator error

info2022-04-11T07:07:12-05:00April 10th, 2022|

Wichitans living around the wastewater plant at 57th Street South and Hydraulic may be smelling “increased odors” for the next two weeks after an apparent operator error, city officials said in a news release. Officials said no health impact is expected from the odors, but the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been notified about the issue. “Officials at the City of Wichita want residents in the vicinity of the plant to be aware of the likelihood of increased odors caused by a temporary change in process to the treatment of bio solids ... Staff is taking steps to bring [...]

Derby tabs Megan Sneller to be new Director of Finance

info2022-04-11T07:07:50-05:00April 10th, 2022|

On April 7, Derby City Manager Kiel Mangus announced the hiring of Megan Sneller to serve as the new Director of Finance. She will officially assume the duties as of May 15. As Director of Finance, Sneller will serve as a member of the city’s management team and play a vital role for all city operations. In her position, Sneller will oversee risk management, all accounting and budgeting operations for the city, and debt management. Sneller will replace longtime Director of Finance Jean Epperson, who is set to retire on June 14. Source: Derby Informer

‘The state of our city is strong’: Wichita mayor gives State of the City address

info2022-04-11T07:08:02-05:00April 10th, 2022|

Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple touched on the economic progress the city has made in the past year during his State of the City address Thursday. Mayor Whipple's address included praise for the city's approval of a Non-Discrimination Ordinance to protect Kansans. "Wichita is open for business for everyone," Whipple said in reference to that ordinance. He also addressed the city's decision to raise minimum wage for city employees to $15 an hour and the PROPEL micro loan program created to help small business owners. "[PROPEL] is filling in the gap," said Whipple. "And is making sure we can not only invest [...]

Your Community: New season of the Johnson County Library podcast

info2022-04-11T07:08:24-05:00April 10th, 2022|

The 2022 season of the Johnson County Library podcast, “Did you hear?,” kicked off on April 1. In this episode, “Silver and Gold,” the Library asked a new employee and an employee counting the days until retirement the same 10 questions. You’ll want to hear their answers. Regular listeners will notice that there are a couple of new changes to the podcast. First, episodes will be shortened to 30 minutes. You still get the same great content but now in a shorter format. Second, recordings will now be done at the newly renovated Central Resource Library. The Library is looking forward to [...]

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