info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Sunday morning liquor run? Guide to which Johnson, Wyandotte county cities allow it

info2021-07-11T20:41:57-05:00July 11th, 2021|

It’ll soon be legal in several Kansas cities in the metro area to purchase alcohol from a liquor store on Sunday mornings — something long prohibited in a state with some of the strictest alcohol laws. In May, Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill allowing the sale of beer and alcohol to begin at 9 a.m. on Sundays. Before, Kansas law prohibited Sunday sales until noon — a remaining vestige of Kansas’ alcohol regulations dating back to the 1880s, when it became the first state in the country to write prohibition into its constitution. The law requires that cities and counties [...]

Things got a little festive this weekend in Southeast Kansas

info2021-07-11T20:39:50-05:00July 11th, 2021|

Things got a little festive this weekend in Southeast Kansas. Businesses throughout Girard decked the halls for the city's first Christmas in July. Some small businesses often notice a decrease in sales during the summer months due to people often traveling out of town. So businesses in Girard decided to work with the Girard Area Chamber of Commerce, and host their own Christmas in July, to promote local business. Jessica Riper, Girard Area Chamber of Commerce Exec. Director, says, "It get's people out and about, obviously with Covid there was a slowdown with a lot of our retail businesses and people [...]

Prairie Village poised to give 8 weeks paid parental leave to city employees, surpassing other cities’ policies

info2021-07-11T21:24:23-05:00July 9th, 2021|

The city of Prairie Village will consider amending its employee handbook to include eight weeks of paid parental leave within the first 12 months of a new birth or adoption. Why it matters: If approved, Prairie Village would join Mission, Roeland Park and Shawnee as other Johnson County cities with paid parental leave policies on the books. County employees also currently receive paid parental leave. But Prairie Village’s proposed policy appears to be the most generous in the county. Mission and Roeland Park currently both offer six weeks for both parents, and Shawnee offers six weeks for the birthing parent and [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for July 8, 2021

info2021-07-09T08:08:25-05:00July 9th, 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 stabilize Friday morning after steep decline on Thursday

info2021-07-09T08:22:56-05:00July 8th, 2021|

Treasury yields plunged Thursday as investors sought havens... The decline reflects concerns about prospects for economic growth and the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, coupled with low vaccination rates in parts of the country. Yields stabilized this morning, and equity futures bounced back, with the 10-year Treasury trading at 1.33%, down from 1.78% in March. Source: SIFMA

‘I have big dreams for this.’ Edgerton’s fundraiser to help kids get school supplies

info2021-07-08T23:24:27-05:00July 8th, 2021|

An afternoon of summer fun brought smiles to many around Edgerton Elementary School. Teams from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Johnson County Fire District 1 played a softball game June 19 to raise funds for school supplies and registration fees for students. It raised approximately $35,000, which will cover every student at the school this year. The idea came from county sheriff’s deputy Brad Johnson. “Basically, I was just driving around town, trying to figure out the best way that we could make an impact on the community,” Johnson said. “I came up with idea of doing a fundraiser and [...]

Raising the roofs: Sharing a vision for housing

info2021-07-08T23:15:01-05:00July 8th, 2021|

Matt Godinez has the recipe for success in housing. He’s director of the Chanute Regional Development Authority (CRDA), an organization working to revitalize and rebuild not only Chanute, but communities throughout the region. “We can all be feeding off of each other,” he said, and contended that regionalism is a key ingredient to economic development projects of all kinds, where county borders and city limits matter less than perhaps they used to. Consider the following example. “OK developer,” Godinez said, “you won’t build five houses in Chanute, but what if I can get you to build 100 houses in southeast Kansas?” [...]

Two dozen transportation infrastructure projects announced for critical Kansas roads

info2021-07-08T23:11:40-05:00July 8th, 2021|

Construction on nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars in modernization and expansion projects for critical Kansas roadways will soon be underway across the state, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday. Eight projects are planned in eastern Kansas, nine out west, six in the south-central region and one significant project in the Overland Park area, Kelly said during a stop in Topeka. Efforts include expanding historically deadly road shoulders, adding new passing lanes on narrower highways and updating interchanges. Out of every $10 spent by the state in the 1950s and ’60s, as much as $3 was spent on transportation, Kelly said. By [...]

County, City eco devo team up

info2021-07-09T07:53:57-05:00July 8th, 2021|

Barton County will join forces with Great Bend Economic Development Inc. to the tune of $40,000 for a national campaign aimed at bolstering the county’s and Great Bend’s profile, and making them more competitive. The County Commission approved the funding Wednesday morning for advertising and project development support, doubling what was sought by GBED. While all commissioners favored the initial $20,000 requested, support for the increased amount was not unanimous. GBED requested the $20,000 to help with targeted advertising to aid in recruiting new businesses and individuals. With county funds included in the overall marketing budget, GBED would have the funding [...]

Downtown Great Bend loft project a go

info2021-07-09T07:54:33-05:00July 8th, 2021|

Although it did not garner unanimous support, the Great Bend City Council Tuesday night approved spending half of the city’s $2,271,654.71 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for a downtown rehabilitation project to assist in sprinkler system installation and other improvements to downtown lofts. The city will receive two equal ARPA installments, with the first direct payment coming by July 31. The second half will come about a year later. Great Bend Economic Development Inc. President Sara Hayden proposed using half of those funds to reimburse owners of multi-story buildings in the downtown district on an application basis. The council action [...]

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