info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Sedgwick County hospitals reach “critical” status with new COVID-19 cases

info2021-08-19T03:19:11-05:00August 19th, 2021|

Sedgwick County hospitals now report they are in a “critical” status with new cases of COVID-19. According to data from the county’s COVID-19 web page, there are 147 people hospitalized with the virus, and 56 of them are in the intensive care unit. Sedgwick County reported 142 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with two new deaths. The county has had a total of 53,212 cases for the pandemic, with 669 deaths. The state of Kansas reported 3,006 new cases on Wednesday, compared to Monday’s numbers. There are 62 new deaths, to bring the state’s total to 5,456. The state also [...]

Council decides not to seek attorney general opinion

info2021-08-19T03:16:47-05:00August 19th, 2021|

At Marysville City Council’s July 26 meeting, council member Terry Hughes said he wanted to request a Kansas attorney general’s opinion on the council’s action to pass Ordinance 1900, which amends Ordinance 1891 and gives the city administrator direct control of non-elected personnel. The ordinance was passed at the June 28 meeting. Hughes said he’s worried about the city being sued for delegating the council’s responsibility to the city administrator. Ordinance 1900 provides a reasoning for previous repeals of city ordinances. The repeals allow for the city administrator to have direct control over city employees. City clerk Cindy Holle said this [...]

Local developers request Bel Aire incentives to buy Wichita Hoops facility, build new spec warehouses

info2021-08-19T03:13:01-05:00August 19th, 2021|

A group of recognizable Wichita developers is turning its attention to a growing industrial park in Bel Aire. Webb Industrial LLC, the entity that includes Steve Barrett, Ivan Crossland Jr. and Dave Murfin, have asked the Bel Aire City Council for industrial revenue bonds to fund two projects within Sunflower Commerce Park at 53rd Street and Webb Road. One involves the purchase of the bank-owned Wichita Hoops facility, and another for the construction of two new speculative warehouse buildings nearby. Source: Wichita Business Journal

Kansas’ pension system had one of its best years ever in 2021

info2021-08-18T07:13:22-05:00August 18th, 2021|

The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System saw its investment portfolio turn in one of the strongest years ever in the 2021 fiscal year — although lawmakers are still parsing out how to handle a significant unfunded liability going forward. Pension funds nationally have announced sky-high investment returns, powered by a stock market that has rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic, helping states beat out their expected gains several times over. Kansas was no exception, KPERS Spokesperson Kristen Basso said in an email, reporting a 26.3% rate of return for the 2021 fiscal year, which ended in June. For context, that is the [...]

Are loft apartments the answer for Kansas Main Street renewal?

info2021-08-18T07:12:20-05:00August 18th, 2021|

Building owners, storekeepers, Main Street organizers and city officials from across Kansas attended the Main Street Upstairs Downtown Workshop in Hutchinson on Monday and Tuesday. Along with presentations by architects, community development and economic development specialists, more than 100 participants from Leavenworth, Pittsburg and Iola went on a tour of the upper levels of downtown Hutchinson, examining both apartments and businesses, including the newly renovated AgTrax location, which revitalized an upstairs unit. Source: Hutch News

Census shows growth in five towns across Washington County

info2021-08-18T07:08:25-05:00August 18th, 2021|

Haddam breaks 70-year streak of Census declines, three towns (Barnes, Hanover, Palmer) have two decades of growth. Washington County lost significantly less population than official estimates had predicted, according to the most recent U.S. Census figures. Data from the 2020 Census was released for counties and cities recently, along with redistricting figures. Washington County’s population dropped by 4.6%, from 5,799 to 5,530. This was the 13th Census in a row with a population decline for the county… Source: www.backroadsnews.com

Municipal Bond Trends for August 17, 2021

info2021-08-18T06:58:48-05:00August 18th, 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.

Cowley County smaller but more diverse

info2021-08-18T06:44:34-05:00August 18th, 2021|

Numbers from the 2020 Census released recently show the population of Cowley County and its two main cities is falling, while the share of residents identifying as a racial minority has gone up. Cowley County’s population is 34,549 according to the 2020 Census, down from 36,311 in 2010. Winfield’s population was 11,777 in 2020, down from 12,301. Arkansas City’s population was 11,974 in 2020, down from 12,415 . The diversity index in Cowley County is 40.6 percent according to the 2020 Census, a substantial increase from 2010 when it was 31.5 percent. The diversity index measures the probability that two people [...]

More federal relief aide flows into Cowley County

info2021-08-18T00:16:46-05:00August 18th, 2021|

Cowley County has received the first part its of American Rescue Plan funding, county administrator Lucas Goff said Monday afternoon. Goff said $3,390,235 was deposited in a county account on Aug. 9. The county is scheduled to receive a total of $6.67 million directly from the federal government, he said. The funding is part of the American Rescue Plan signed by President Biden in March to provide health and economic recovery funds amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, Aug. 19, two representatives from Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk and Loyd accounting firm will meet with Goff at the county courthouse to begin planning [...]

Ark City animal control job finally filled

info2021-08-18T06:45:21-05:00August 18th, 2021|

The City of Arkansas City had been without an animal control officer since October of 2019 until Katie Suttles recently stepped into the job. And the position, which is part time, has been moved from within the police department to neighborhood services. City spokesperson Andrew Lawson said the animal control job had been difficult to fill. The last person to do it, Lisa Delgado, resigned to become a police officer. Former Police Chief Dan Ward was working toward retirement, Lawson said, replacing Delgado was not actively pursued and police officers themselves handled animal-related complaints. Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

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