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U.S. 10-year Treasury yield falls below 1.3% as consumer confidence drops to 2011 levels

info2021-08-16T00:58:44-05:00August 16th, 2021|

The 10-year Treasury yield dropped further Friday morning, briefly dipping below 1.3%, after U.S. consumer sentiment data plummeted to its lowest level since December 2011, according to data out Friday from the University of Michigan. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell 6 basis points to 1.304% at 1:30 p.m. ET. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond gave up 7.5 basis points, falling to 1.952%. Yields move inversely to prices and one basis point is 0.01%. U.S. consumer confidence fell in August to its lowest level since 2011, as fears about the delta variant and the reopening of [...]

Forward delivery bond issuance smashes though previous record

info2021-08-16T00:56:50-05:00August 16th, 2021|

Forward delivery bonds have already surpassed their annual record for issuance as issuers use the tool, along with taxable refundings, to replace the loss of tax-exempt advance refundings. Forward delivery bonds are attractive to both issuers looking for savings and investors seeking any incremental yield in an uber low-rate environment, Barclays PLC said in a Friday report. The underwriting process is similar to a typical refunding transaction, but with an extended settlement date. So far this year, $6.224 billion of forward delivery bonds have been issued, according to Bloomberg and Barclays data. That is up from about $2.724 billion in 2020 [...]

Population drops in 80 Kansas counties

info2021-08-16T00:53:39-05:00August 16th, 2021|

Most Kansas counties lost residents over the past 10 years as the state’s population concentrated in more populous places, including the Kansas City area, new census figures released Thursday showed. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s once-a-decade count of the nation’s population showed that 80 of the state’s 105 counties declined in population since 2010, 16 of them by more than 10%. Most of those counties were rural. Five of the top 10 fastest-growing counties were in or close to the Kansas City metropolitan area. The state’s most populous county, Johnson County, has affluent Kansas City suburbs that have been growing [...]

Wichita teachers’ union votes yes on new contract with USD 259 as school year begins

info2021-08-16T06:55:00-05:00August 16th, 2021|

Wichita school district teachers voted overwhelmingly to approve a new union contract with USD 259 as the new academic year began this week, citing pay increases and bonuses that recognize teachers’ work in the pandemic. Nearly 66% of certified staff voted on the contract, said Brent Lewis, president of United Teachers of Wichita, the union that represents USD 259 teachers as well as nurses, counselors and other staff. Of those voting, 93.5% voted yes on the agreement, while 6.5% voted no. The contract covers more than 4,000 teachers and staff across the district, and will last for one year. Source: Wichita [...]

Massive Amazon fulfillment center started local work Sunday in Park City

info2021-08-16T06:55:39-05:00August 16th, 2021|

The brand-new, 1-million-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center in Park City will become operational Sunday. Two hundred employees will begin filling orders for the online retail giant, which says it plans to employ between 700 and 1,000 workers throughout the year, depending on customer demand. “It’s truly amazing what’s been accomplished in the last 10 and a half months,” said Sean Fox, Park City’s city manager. “A year ago, nobody even knew that Amazon was coming here.” Source: Wichita Eagle

Downtown loft program open

info2021-08-16T00:48:56-05:00August 16th, 2021|

The Great Bend downtown loft program is now open, said Sara Hayden, president of Great Bend Development Inc., the entity spearheading the project. With applications now being sought, Hayden said she will hold a question-and-answer session at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26, at the Great Bend Events Center Santa Fe Trail conference room. “Great Bend Economic Development, with support from the city, is thrilled to be able to offer this grant program to help enhance our downtown corridor and bring more opportunities for business and housing to the community,” Hayden said. “This program allows us the chance to get a lot [...]

New installation added to Garden of Isis in Lucas

info2021-08-16T00:47:49-05:00August 16th, 2021|

Vintage computer motherboards, action figures with weapons, car parts, clock gears, and a visionary worldview – these are Mri-Pilar’s materials. Her installation, The Garden of Isis, fills the main floor of the Florence Deeble House in Lucas, and is an ongoing project 20 years in the making. This summer, Pilar installed 50 new pieces on a wall she titled “Continuum.” The works were made in the spring at an artist’s residency at the Red Barn Studio in Lindsborg. “The wall is a mosaic,” Pilar said. “It is very dense and close together with few breathing spaces, but as it moves out, [...]

Randy Grisell, City Attorney Announces Retirement

info2021-08-16T07:03:21-05:00August 16th, 2021|

After a 41-year career practicing law and 33 years as the City Attorney, Randy Grisell has announced his retirement at the end of 2021. “With respect to the City of Garden City, what stands out the most to me is the dedication and professionalism of the public employees that make up the city workforce,” remarked Grisell. “I have had the pleasure of working with two excellent city managers, Bob Halloran and Matt Allen. The city is fortunate to have Matt’s leadership, hopefully for many more years to come. City employees sometimes have thankless jobs, working long hours under adverse conditions so [...]

As economic impact of winter storm nears $1B, some large Kansas customers want to investigate

info2021-08-16T00:42:37-05:00August 16th, 2021|

The total cost from a more than week-long cold snap that brought the Midwest power supply to the brink of collapse is nearly $1 billion — and growing. The greatest breakdown during the storm, which forced controlled electrical blackouts in Kansas and Missouri, industry groups have said, was natural gas, which was in short supply and rose to 200 times its normal price during the worst stretch of the storm. So far, two of Kansas’ largest natural gas companies have filed to collect a combined $539.5 million from ratepayers over as long as 10 years. Some Evergy customers in Kansas will [...]

Unvaccinated Johnson County employees must get tested weekly

info2021-08-16T00:40:49-05:00August 16th, 2021|

The most populous county in Kansas is requiring its employees to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing if they aren’t vaccinated. Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson said that only 46% of county employees had reported being fully vaccinated as of Wednesday. Countywide, nearly 58% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated. Beginning Aug. 23, government employees who are not fully vaccinated must get tested once a week. The Kansas City Star reports that employees who work in departments providing direct care to residents are subject to tests up to twice weekly. Source: KSN-TV

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