info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Regional conversations set new hospital model

info2021-02-01T07:57:47-06:00February 1st, 2021|

The latest federal appropriations bill includes language that could enable some struggling rural Kansas hospitals to develop a new service delivery model that Kansas health experts say might save them. Adoption of the new model, however, will require both community buy-in and enabling state legislation. Several Kansas health care agencies have been working for more than five years on developing an approach similar to the proposed model, which would provide an emergency room, as well as outpatient and post-acute services, but no in-patient hospital care. ...The recent federal legislation creates a new “Rural Emergency Hospital” designation, which closely aligns with the [...]

Office of Rural Prosperity Announces Successful 2020 Initiatives in Annual Report

info2021-02-01T06:56:38-06:00January 31st, 2021|

Today Governor Laura Kelly, Lt. Governor David Toland, and Treasurer Lynn Rogers announced the release of the Office of Rural Prosperity’s (ORP) 2020 Annual Report. The report outlines ORP’s policy priorities and the office’s ongoing projects, including rural infrastructure and broadband, childcare and early education, housing, and community and workforce development. “The Office of Rural Prosperity has been an important tool to address economic issues facing rural communities, businesses, and Kansans,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “We know that more work must be done to encourage community and economic development across our state, and this report provides a roadmap to continue investing [...]

Lincoln County to host mass vaccination event

info2021-02-01T06:56:49-06:00January 31st, 2021|

The Lincoln County Health Department will administer about 2,000 doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine Friday at a mass vaccination event. Appointments are required to attend the event, and they will be offered only to qualified individuals who are already on the county's pre-registration list. The health department will contact qualified individuals on the list to make an appointment and provide information about the event location; residents do not need to contact the health department. Qualified individuals are those in Phases 1A, Phase 1B-Tier 1 and Phase 1B-Tier 2. Click here to see when you are eligible to receive the vaccine. Source: [...]

Kansas electric rates are the highest in the Midwest — and it’s about to get worse

info2021-02-01T06:58:06-06:00January 31st, 2021|

Kansas has been in an electric rate crisis since at least 2018. And it is about to get much worse, as our already sky-high regional electric rates are headed much higher. Evergy electric rates are the highest in the Midwest region. Multiple professional studies have shown this to be the case, and Evergy even briefed its board of directors about it in December 2019. In Wichita and every other Kansas community served by Evergy, electric rates are 20% to 40% higher for residential and industrial users than in the metropolitan areas of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Iowa. Source: Wichita News

Wichita police, Broadway motel owner work to cut crime in area by 73%

info2021-02-01T07:00:37-06:00January 31st, 2021|

Crime is noticeably down around a South Broadway motel where multiple people were shot and a successful drug raid occurred in 2020 after officials and the owner worked to make changes to the property and its tenants. Since a month-long injunction in Fall 2020, aggravated assault cases near Afton Motel, 855 S. Broadway, are down 73% compared to the same time period before the injunction, Officer Charley Davidson said in a news release Thursday. Davidson said there were 76 criminal cases and 200 calls at the motel over a period of roughly seven and half months. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Winfield park upgrade would include pickleball courts

info2021-02-01T07:02:30-06:00January 31st, 2021|

New pickleball courts and other features could be coming to Albright Park in Winfield, if construction contracts are approved by the Winfield City Commission at its Monday meeting. The three contracts on the agenda are for construction of pickleball courts, restroom facilities and playground facilities as part of continuing improvements to the city’s park system. Park improvements were one of the priorities identified by residents in a citywide planning survey conducted in late 2019, with survey results used to help create the city’s 2020 Master Parks and Trails Plan. The park, at 15th Avenue and John Street, is in a residential [...]

Pittsburg PD working to help families

info2021-02-01T07:02:39-06:00January 31st, 2021|

A Southeast Kansas Police Department comes together to help families in need. The Pittsburg Police Department is hosting a diaper drive for Crawford County DiaperStock. Over the next week the department will be collecting diapers and wipes to help families in need. Originally this was meant to help the Pittsburg community. Thanks to assistance from the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, donations will be going to the entire county. Diann Gambill, Family Response Advocate, said, "A lot of families are struggling right now, not just because of the pandemic but because of the extenuating circumstances. Diapers and wipes are an [...]

Pittsburg Library offering Wi-Fi hotspots

info2021-02-01T07:02:50-06:00January 31st, 2021|

Internet is about to become more accessible for one Southeast Kansas town. The Pittsburg Public Library is now offering mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for check out. This was made possible thanks to a grant from the Southeast Kansas Library System. The library wants to use these hotspots to help provide internet access to those in rural areas. Bev Clarkson, Pittsburg Public Library Director, said, "Considering how much virtual learning we're doing, how many people are working from home, people having access to library resources remotely or health resources, just about everything you do now requires a computer and access to the internet." [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for January 28, 2021

info2021-01-29T07:53:56-06:00January 29th, 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.

Federal Reserve leaves interest rates and asset purchases unchanged, sees growth slowing

info2021-01-29T07:47:34-06:00January 28th, 2021|

The Federal Reserve kept its foot to the floor Wednesday in terms of the help it is providing for an economy that central bank officials say has slowed down. Consistent with market expectations, the policymaking Federal Open Market Committee said it was keeping its benchmark short-term borrowing rate anchored near zero and maintaining an asset purchasing program that is seeing the Fed buy at least $120 billion a month. "The economy is a long way from our monetary policy and inflation goals, and it's likely to take some time for substantial further progress to be achieved," Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said [...]

About info