info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Sedgwick County health officer pushes for mask mandate as COVID cases continue to rise

info2021-09-08T18:37:20-05:00September 8th, 2021|

Sedgwick County's top health official is again pushing for commissioners to implement a mask mandate as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase. Dr. Garold Minns discussed by phone during Tuesday's commission meeting the latest county numbers. He said the county had 1,800 new cases for the week ending September 4, the highest since November or December 2020. He compared that to the week ending July 3, which had 142 new cases. "So as you can see, we've had a quantum leap in the number of cases," Dr. Minns said. "We also are still running a positive test rate of around [...]

USDA Seeks Applications to Spur Job and Economic Growth in Rural Areas

info2021-09-08T12:18:43-05:00September 8th, 2021|

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson today announced that the department is accepting loan and grant applications for projects that create jobs and economic growth in rural communities. Funds are being made available under the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program. Through the REDLG program, USDA provides zero-interest loans and grants to Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Electric Program and Telecom Program borrowers who will use the funds to help local businesses finance projects that will create and retain jobs. Projects must be located in rural areas or towns with a population [...]

Lawrence City Commission interested in potential ordinance changes that aim to decriminalize poverty, other social issues

info2021-09-08T06:54:30-05:00September 8th, 2021|

City leaders are interested in continuing a discussion about the decriminalization of certain behaviors associated with homelessness or other social issues, such as removing contents from a refuse container, violating park hours and consumption of alcohol in public. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission discussed the potential repeal or amendment of various city ordinances that deal with social issues or that criminalize behaviors associated with poverty. Commissioners indicated they would like to consider potential changes and will soon discuss a process for doing so. Source: LJWorld.com

Kansas to provide $50M pay boost for nurses

info2021-09-08T06:51:48-05:00September 8th, 2021|

Kansas officials plan to allocate $50 million in federal COVID-19 aid to boost the salaries of registered nurses and other frontline workers at understaffed hospitals. The program is a response to severe staffing problems in ICUs overwhelmed by the latest surge in COVID-19 cases, which is attributed to the highly infectious delta variant and unvaccinated residents. Funding would be allocated to hospitals based on licensed bed capacity and the number of nurses needed to fill those beds. On average, the program would provide a $5,000 pay increase for each nurse, but hospitals would decide how to divide the funds. The $50 [...]

Billions unspent in COVID aid: Kansas, counties figuring out process

info2021-09-08T06:51:19-05:00September 8th, 2021|

Life is good in Lakin, according to city administrator Michael Heinitz. While Kearny County, where Lakin is the county seat, has reported a smattering of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, there are far fewer there than in other more populated corners of the state. The local economy is humming, Heinitz said, and the city has ample reserves on hand to handle any new projects which might arise. That's why the town of 2,300 made the unusual decision to refuse federal funding under the American Rescue Act, which pushed out aid to states, counties and cities nationwide. ... "If somebody else needed [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for September 7, 2021

info2021-09-08T06:43:27-05:00September 8th, 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.

Kansas sending firefighters to help with hurricane relief efforts

info2021-09-07T21:20:19-05:00September 7th, 2021|

The Kansas Department of Emergency Management is sending firefighters and equipment from five fire departments, including Wichita, to provide support in areas of Louisiana affected by Hurricane Ida. Seven Wichita firefighters have been sent to Louisiana, along with two engines and a Strike Team leader. The two Wichita engines will meet up with four engines from Johnson County, and they will operate together as an engine company strike team. They will provide emergency response services to communities in Louisiana. The Wichita firefighters are expected to be in Louisiana about two weeks. In all, there will be 23 fire department personnel with [...]

Spending federal COVID aid proves tricky in Kansas

info2021-09-07T21:19:00-05:00September 7th, 2021|

Kansas is moving slowly to spend the latest round of COVID-19 aid, and one town turned down its share because city officials decided it’s not needed. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that while most state and local governments across the country saw the influx of money as an opportunity to shore up infrastructure, fight the COVID-19 pandemic and help local businesses, the 2,300-person town of Lakin turned down the $300,000 it was due to receive. City administrator Michael Heinitz said the local economy is humming and the town has ample reserves on hand to handle any new projects that might arise. “If somebody else [...]

Uniontown commemorates 115 years of labor day celebrations

info2021-09-07T21:13:52-05:00September 7th, 2021|

While some throughout the four states may choose to travel to other places this labor day, Uniontown is using the holiday to celebrate its history. “My great grandad, he was an old settler along with the other gentlemen, and I think they just wanted to have a get-together, you know they were farmers, they were working hard every day, and they just wanted to have a gathering in town, I would assume that’s the way it started.” said attendee Alan Drake. The town held its 150th annual Old Settlers Picnic. This year’s theme was hats off for hometown pride. On Monday, [...]

Communities receive grant to help residents enroll in health insurance

info2021-09-07T21:12:27-05:00September 7th, 2021|

NEK-CAP, Inc. (Northeast Kansas Community Action Program) was recently selected as one of ten community organizations throughout Kansas to receive funding to assist individuals enroll in Marketplace insurance, Medicaid and CHIP. This was made possible through a federal grant Thrive Allen County received from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help underserved populations find affordable health insurance coverage with the assistance of Navigators. The grant is expected to provide $2.9 million over a three-year period. Navigators are federally trained and certified individuals who help consumers find and apply for Marketplace health insurance. According to CMS, “Since 2013, Navigators [...]

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