info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

New app to give better experience at Topeka park

info2021-05-18T07:05:31-05:00May 17th, 2021|

Shawnee County Parks and Recreation is making your experience at a local park even better with a new app. The department partnered with "Otocast" and launched the app for Ward Meade Park a few weeks ago. The app shows 19 points of interest throughout the Old Prairie Town and botanical garden. Employees are at the park from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but if you come out in the late evening and the buildings are closed and you missed the tour, you can still hear the stories on your own time and get a first-person narrative of what life was like [...]

Governor Kelly declares state of emergency because of flooding

info2021-05-18T07:05:38-05:00May 17th, 2021|

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has issued a state of disaster emergency declaration for flooding that started over the weekend. The action authorizes the use of state resources and personnel to assist with response and recovery operations in counties that meet certain criteria. "We urge residents to be aware of their safety," Kelly said in a statement. "Flood waters can be deceptive. Although people often think of tornadoes as the big destructive force of nature in Kansas, floods can be just as damaging, if not more so. Floods affect many, many square miles, destroying or damaging roads, bridges, power lines and other [...]

Mission sets guidelines for housing assistance program

info2021-05-18T07:06:23-05:00May 17th, 2021|

The city of Mission has set guidelines for it’s housing assistance program — and a way to get started. Mission’s housing assistance program is designed to help residents economically impacted by COVID-19 by offering rental or mortgage assistance. Eligible recipients must meet the following requirements for one month’s rent assistance. Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Parsons mask mandate to expire

info2021-05-18T07:06:38-05:00May 17th, 2021|

Beginning Tuesday, masks will no longer be required by law anywhere in Parsons. City commissioners during a regular Monday evening meeting decided not to extend a city ordinance that requires people to wear face coverings in buildings accessible to the public. The ordinance, which was approved in July, also required businesses and organizations to post a notice at their entrances that masks must be worn inside. Employers had to make their workers wear masks when they were in areas accessible to the public or when they couldn’t socially distance from each other. The ordinance was only lightly enforced. Source: Parsons Sun

Labette County to get over $3M in federal funds

info2021-05-18T07:07:10-05:00May 17th, 2021|

Labette County may get as much as $3.8 million from the American Rescue Plan Act passed early in President Biden’s administration, but the county will have limits on how that money can be spent. Though the money is for infrastructure, no bridges can be built. Road improvements are a question mark. Expanding broadband would be an acceptable use, Labette County Counselor Brian Johnson said Monday while updating county commissioners on the COVID-19 relief funding. Commissioners agreed recently to seek a study of broadband coverage in the county. Cities and schools will get their own ARPA funding, Johnson said. Source: Parsons Sun

After finding their old school for sale on eBay, a Kansas community goes to work saving its stories

info2021-05-18T07:10:25-05:00May 17th, 2021|

If the people still living in Frankfort are successful, there will someday be a courtyard in honor of these hometown boys at the flagpole in front of the place where they went to grade school. Built in 1902-03 in the Renaissance style of architecture familiar on the prairie, Frankfort Grade School was the educational home for nearly a century of Marshall County kids. And now, it’s a literal as well as symbolic example of what small towns around Kansas do to preserve their legacies. “A lot of us have a very strong emotional connection to the building — it’s iconic for [...]

Topeka houses are in high demand and low supply. More builders and home remodels could be part of the solution.

info2021-05-17T10:21:28-05:00May 17th, 2021|

Intense bidding wars, cash offers, sight-unseen purchases, homes on the market for less than 48 hours — that's the reality right now for homebuyers in the Topeka area. National news in recent weeks has highlighted rising home prices, strong demand for real estate and a low inventory of houses for sale, and local markets aren't immune. In Shawnee County last month, homes sat on the market for a median of two days — down from a median of about eight days in April 2020. Such numbers are being fueled by a local shortage of homes for sale, and real estate professionals [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for May 14, 2021

info2021-05-17T07:13:03-05:00May 17th, 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.

What a survey revealed about Wichita attitudes toward a city-wide plastic bag ban

info2021-05-17T07:20:05-05:00May 17th, 2021|

A survey conducted on behalf of a Wichita government task force found that most respondents supported either a city-wide ban of single-use plastic bags or a fee to discourage their use. The survey was conducted to help task force members gauge citizen interest in measures that would reduce or ban plastic bag use and was developed by researchers at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita. With just over 2,000 responses, the survey has limitations. However, of the Wichitans who did respond to it, 71% said they would support a complete ban on single-use plastic bags. Source: Local News [...]

Local women in law enforcement celebrate growth in ranks

info2021-05-17T07:10:50-05:00May 16th, 2021|

Sergeant Lisa Hayes has seen a lot of changes in the makeup of local law enforcement over the course of her career. Perhaps the most exciting change for the 23-year-veteran of the Emporia Police Department, Hayes said, has been bringing more women into the ranks. “I believe more women are going into the field and are empowered to go into the field and want to do this type of work,” she said. “We are definitely getting to record numbers here.” Between the Emporia Police Department, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Emporia State University Police and Safety and Lyon County Detention Center — [...]

About info