info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

In firearms range truce, city and county move to separate but shared locations

info2021-08-01T07:40:06-05:00August 1st, 2021|

After months of sometimes testy negotiation over the future of an aging law enforcement firearms range, the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and Hutchinson Police Department have decided to each go their own way. The split, in the end, should benefit both agencies, city and county leaders learned during a joint meeting of the Hutchinson City Council and Reno County Commission earlier this week. That’s because each agency can build a range that better meets their particular needs, with redesigns that will address training desires beyond just annual qualifying at the shooting range. Under the new arrangement, the city will now control [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for July 30, 2021

info2021-08-01T07:30:07-05:00August 1st, 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.

Treasury yields fall after key inflation data line up with expectations

info2021-08-01T07:26:57-05:00August 1st, 2021|

U.S. Treasury yields fell Friday after a key inflation reading came in near economists' expectations, indicating inflationary pressures may be ebbing slightly. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell 4.2 basis points to 1.227% at 11:30 a.m. ET. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond shed 2.7 basis points to 1.889%. Yields move inversely to prices. One basis point equals 0.01%. The personal consumption expenditures index — the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation — increased 3.5% in June from a year prior. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected a 3.6% jump. Source: CNBC

Electric cars are ready for longer commutes of rural Kansas

info2021-08-01T07:26:21-05:00August 1st, 2021|

Electric cars and trucks might prove a perfect fit for rural Kansas. “They’re better vehicles. They’re more reliable. They’re less costly. They’ll save people money,” said Peter Zalzal, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund. “They’ll clean up the air and they’ll help to address climate change.” While the building of charging stations has come mostly in urban areas, Zalzal said rural areas have built-in advantages — along with some hurdles that urban areas don’t. Most people in rural areas live in single-family homes. That gives them easier access to electricity in a garage or carport to charge overnight than someone [...]

Researchers to share findings from law enforcement contact study

info2021-08-01T07:25:47-05:00August 1st, 2021|

Researchers who have been gathering data to determine whether racial-, ethnic- and other bias-based policing is a problem in Lawrence and Douglas County will present their preliminary findings on Monday, Aug. 9. The study asked law enforcement officers from Baldwin City, Eudora, Lawrence and University of Kansas police departments and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to gather data on the demographics of drivers and pedestrians they contacted, the reasons why, plus the results of the stops — whether someone was let go with a warning, ticketed, searched, arrested and so on. Source: The Lawrence Times

Committees of turkey vultures have begun to descend upon Kansas in greater numbers.

info2021-08-01T07:25:17-05:00August 1st, 2021|

For the past five years or so, former state Sen. Randall Hardy has watched a few dozen turkey vultures roost in a tree next to his garage. He can tell when the migratory birds return to his central Salina neighborhood each spring as the colors begin to change. “The roof is colored with white,” the District 24 Republican said, “and if you aren’t careful where you park your car in the driveway, it can change colors overnight as well.” Source: Wichita Eagle

DOE says new building codes to cut energy costs by $138B, but EV backers see failure to advance charging

info2021-08-01T07:24:30-05:00August 1st, 2021|

Updated building codes would save U.S. homes and businesses $138 billion in energy costs over the next three decades, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) concluded and shared in an announcement last week. However, electric vehicle advocates see a missed opportunity to advance charging infrastructure with the new rules. The International Code Council (ICC) finalized building codes in 2020 as part of a process that gets repeated every three years. DOE issued its conclusions on the energy cost savings of the most recent codes last week, and states and municipalities can now adopt the codes. The ICC-approved updates to the International Energy [...]

Customers of Kansas’ largest natural gas utility could pay cold snap costs for 10 years

info2021-08-01T07:24:07-05:00August 1st, 2021|

Customers of Kansas’ largest natural gas utility could be paying off costs from February’s deep freeze for the next 10 years, the company revealed Friday. The Kansas Gas Service, which serves more than 640,000 Kansas customers, filed plans with regulators to issue securitized bonds for approximately $390 million in extraordinary costs from the cold snap — plus carrying costs — and recoup the sum from customers over five, seven or 10 years, increasing residential bills by anywhere from about $5 to $11 per month. If the Kansas Corporation Commission doesn’t approve the arrangement, KGS said it would request to recover the [...]

Kelly recommends mask policies, COVID testing and community partnerships for Kansas schools

info2021-08-01T07:23:29-05:00August 1st, 2021|

New guidance Friday from Gov. Laura Kelly ahead of the start of classes recommends schools actively plan vaccination clinics, implement universal masking policies and create a robust testing plan for faculty and students. The updated guidance also requests that students in classrooms and school other settings maintain 3 feet of physical distance, but states this recommendation should not be a barrier to keeping students from in-person learning. When distancing is not possible, Kelly recommends schools ensure other preventative measures and guidance, like wear masks, are in place. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has recommended masks for all teachers, [...]

Who Can Tell You To Wear A Mask In Kansas As COVID Surges? It’s Complicated

info2021-08-01T07:22:56-05:00August 1st, 2021|

The delta variant of the COVID-19 virus has 84 of the 105 counties in Kansas caught in a regional hot zone. Meanwhile, more than half of all eligible Kansans are not vaccinated. That leaves Gov. Laura Kelly faced with whether to use emergency powers to fight the resurging public health crisis even as that authority remains in legal limbo. A Johnson County judge’s order found a new law limiting her emergency powers flawed. While that case awaits the outcome of appeals, Kelly has yet to take forceful action in response to the resurging pandemic — like mask mandates that could slow [...]

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