The Kansas Public Employee Retirement System Board of Trustees voted Friday to halt future investments in Russian assets amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine, following in the footsteps of pension systems across the country. While some members initially pushed for a full divestment, others said they would rather focus on the future, with the fund’s current holdings in the country largely liquidated anyway. KPERS staff termed the move as historic, as it was the first time the board unilaterally acted for external reasons, with past instructions to remove investments from Sudan and other politically objectionable regimes coming from the legislature.
Source: CJonline

Several local government and community leaders will form a refugee task force to determine how Topeka can best situate itself to help Ukrainians fleeing violence in their country, the Greater Topeka Partnership announced Friday morning. Yana Ross, a Farm Bureau financial services agent who moved to Topeka from Ukraine 16 years ago, will lead the task force. Topeka City Council member Karen Hiller and Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce president Curtis Sneden will also join other business leaders and representatives, with more members potentially added as the task force begins its work. Yana Ross, a local insurance agent originally from Ukraine, shows her countries pride during a press conference at Evergy Plaza in February. In the partnership’s statement, Ross said she was grateful for the support the community has already shown Ukraine, and that others would also come to know Topeka as “a loving and welcoming city.”
Source: CJonline

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.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office put its new muscle car on parade recently as Lawrence celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. The new car, which made its debut — with an assortment of bells and whistles — in the March 17 parade, is a 2021 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Edition, “Super Bee,” and it was purchased to serve as a recruiting tool for the office, said Sheriff Jay Armbrister. The car cost $48,000 and was bought using drug forfeiture funds, approved by the county administrator, he said. “We decided to purchase it not only for recruitment and special events, but also as a backup patrol vehicle,” Armbrister said. The sheriff can make purchases up to $25,000 out of the drug forfeiture fund and up to $50,000 with the approval of the county administrator, he said.
Source: LJWorld.com

Like many organizations, agencies and individuals across the globe, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is contributing to Ukraine’s effort to defend itself against Russia’s deadly invasion. The office has donated bulletproof body armor — specifically 20 ballistic vests — to help Ukraine in its fight against President Vladimir Putin’s military, which invaded the country on Feb. 24. “In law enforcement we seek to help however we can and when we can,” Sheriff Jay Armbrister told the Journal-World Friday. “Like the rest of this community, we have felt very helpless and have wanted a way to help the people of Ukraine.” That opportunity arrived when the National Guard asked Kansas law enforcement agencies if they could contribute to the effort.
Source: LJWorld.com

Valley Center Municipal Court has found a home. At least for now. While court was held in the Public Safety Building on East Fifth for years, it was shut down for a while during COVID. Officials tried to have it at City Hall, but that didn’t work. Now it’s in the community building in Lions Park. Officials said it works much better in the larger space, but some in the community don’t like it. The problem is, the public library shares the same building. The arrangement brings prisoners and library patrons together in one space, though library and court hours have been adjusted to alleviate much of the conflict. Some complain that the public’s open access to the community center could set the stage for a nefarious plot. But police and court officials said court is safe, and the city has no plans to move it anytime soon.
Source: Ark Valley News

Douglas County is in the early stages of imagining an Open Space Plan for preserving natural landscapes located throughout the county. Such a plan seeks to help guide the protection and management of natural lands. That can include areas like trails, native prairies, wetlands, wildlife habitats, agricultural lands and heritage sites. The specific areas in Douglas County that might end up a part of that realized vision aren’t clear quite yet, county Zoning Director Tonya Voigt and interim Sustainability Director Kim Criner Ritchie told the Journal-World in a Zoom interview last week. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some broader ideas already on the table.
Source: LJWorld.com