info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

‘It was burning so fast’: Recovery from Four County Fire may take years

info2021-12-27T07:45:53-06:00December 27th, 2021|

This Four County Fire alone incinerated more than190 square miles. That’s an area larger than all of Wyandotte County (156 square miles) or the city of Wichita (166.5 square miles). But it wasn’t the only wildfire that the wind storm sparked. In all, the Kansas Forest Service recorded 16 wildfires in western and central Kansas that day, singeing more than 160,000 acres across 13 counties. Shawna Hartman, a Kansas Forest Service spokeswoman, said the destruction was so extensive that local fire suppression teams — which often travel to assist neighboring counties — were stretched thin. Source: Hutch News

Municipal Bond Trends for December 23, 2021

info2021-12-27T07:41:21-06:00December 27th, 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.

McPherson Hospital overwhelmed, asks public for help

info2021-12-27T01:24:37-06:00December 27th, 2021|

The combination of growing numbers of Covid-19 positive patients and shortages of staff have proven to be a perfect storm for Kansas hospitals. McPherson Hospital is currently dealing with a surge of patients that has the hospital beyond capacity. McPherson’s Emergency Department is seeing an almost overwhelming volume of patients, while the ICU and inpatient medical/surgical units do not have enough available staff to handle any additional patients. “The public needs to be aware that their hospital and its staff are struggling to provide what the community needs right now. Our resources are stretched beyond what they were during the surge [...]

Move to the Country?

info2021-12-27T01:18:41-06:00December 27th, 2021|

I grew up in a small town but moved to the city to find fame and fortune (I found neither), which is a common American story in the last 80 years. About 13 years ago, I took a “temporary” consulting job in Southeast Kansas and fell in love again with the rural lifestyle I had left behind all those years ago. It wasn’t long before my wife (who also had rural roots) and I left city living behind, found our permanent home, and rediscovered country living. We are loving life in Bourbon County and have purchased our retirement home here. Source: [...]

‘Major Scrooge move’: $5,000 damage done to Kansas sports field

info2021-12-27T01:10:43-06:00December 27th, 2021|

The Riley County Police Department is calling the vandalism done to a soccer field a major "Scrooge move." The police department posted photos to social media of the damage at Anneberg Park. The RCPD estimates it will cost about $5,000 to fix soccer field 5 at the park. According to authorities, similar damage was done last month. This means the field won't be able to be used until the fall of 2022 or spring of 2023. Source: KSN-TV

Arma fire department handing out free smoke detectors this holiday season

info2021-12-27T07:24:01-06:00December 27th, 2021|

A local fire department is working to keep southeast Kansans safe by offering free fire alarms. The Arma Fire Department has partnered with the Kansas State Fire Marshall to provide and install free smoke alarms. This will only be for homeowners living in Arma and the rest of Fire District Number Two. Those who qualify can call the department from 9 AM until 5 PM during the week to schedule a time for the department to install the alarm. "Early detection is going to be huge in you getting out safely, if we can get people aware that there is a [...]

New Comprehensive Plan to help Parsons over next decade

info2021-12-27T07:40:20-06:00December 27th, 2021|

In the state of Kansas, it's required for cities to come up with a comprehensive plan (for zoning), which acts as a guide the city will follow for the next decade. The City of Parsons wanted to take this a step further, and thanks to collaborative efforts with its community, a new plan has come together. "Economic development used to be very specifically defined, those lines have blurred," said Parsons Director of Economic Development Jim Zaleski. ... the City of Parsons has come up with its most recent comprehensive plan. "It addresses everything in the city, from housing to retail, transportation, [...]

Lenexa’s new justice center will cost $8M more with rising construction costs

info2021-12-27T01:05:36-06:00December 27th, 2021|

Lenexa’s new justice center is going to cost $8 million more than initially anticipated. That’s according to city staff and construction and design representatives on the project, who went over the conceptual budget with the Lenexa City Council last week at Thompson Barn. The city council on Tuesday unanimously approved a construction agreement with J.E. Dunn Construction Company based on the increased project costs. The city council also agreed to increase the budget for the project, which will now run at an estimated $73 million. Located on the southwest corner of Prairie Star Parkway and Britton Street, the Lenexa Justice Center [...]

Johnson County COVID-19 hospitalizations keep climbing, and officials say that’s still due to Delta, not Omicron

info2021-12-27T01:03:46-06:00December 27th, 2021|

Local hospitalization trends in Johnson County and the Kansas City metro continue to show a troubling upward trajectory heading into the second Christmas holiday being celebrated under a pandemic cloud. The University of Kansas Health System said Wednesday that its number of COVID-19 patients continues to rise, topping 80, with all but two patients in its wards unvaccinated. Likewise, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission officials said in the last month alone they have doubled their number of COVID patients. As of Wednesday afternoon, 40 active COVID patients were in the hospital, said Morgan Shandler, AdventHealth Kansas City director of communications. Source: Shawnee Mission [...]

Manhattan government to reinstate mask mandate in city buildings Monday

info2021-12-27T01:00:25-06:00December 27th, 2021|

Masks will be required in all Manhattan city government-operated buildings beginning Monday. The Manhattan city government announced the mandate on Thursday. This applies regardless of people's vaccination status. The masking requirement is for people 2 and older. City manager Ron Fehr said this city's decision is in response to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Riley County Health Department. “The Omicron variant is surging across the country as well as being more prevalent in Kansas which is putting a strain on local hospitals and medical providers,” Fehr said in a written statement. “Holiday gatherings and upcoming [...]

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