info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Louisburg USD 416 bond passes

info2020-11-05T07:07:20-06:00November 4th, 2020|

The Paola and Louisburg City Councils will have some new faces, and Louisburg USD 416 voters narrowly approved a $24 million bond proposal. The incumbents in the state Senate and House races will retain their seats in Topeka. Miami County voters turned out in record numbers for the 2020 presidential election. The county recorded 17,740 ballots, for a 71.64 percent turnout, compared to a 68.81 percent turnout for the 2016 presidential election. The county has 24,764 voters. It appears there will be a new member on the Paola City Council. Source: Hiawatha World Online

Repeal of liquor law in JoCo creates win for businesses

info2020-11-05T07:07:34-06:00November 4th, 2020|

Johnson County voters have repealed Kansas' liquor-by-the-drink law that put stipulations on food sales for businesses serving alcohol. Per the law, 30% of an establishment's sales had to come from food. The requirement created challenges for places such as bars and breweries, where patrons aren't always craving food. "People are stopping here after work to have a beer with their buddies," Emily Mobley, co-owner of Limitless Brewing in Lenexa, told FOX4. "They're stopping on a Friday night on their way home from work. They're just stopping in here to relax and have a beer. They're not coming in here to eat a meal." Source: [...]

Saline County voters pass sales tax hike for new jail

info2020-11-05T07:07:41-06:00November 4th, 2020|

Voters in Saline County passed a 1% sales tax hike. The money will be used to build a new jail and sheriff's office. “Since 2009, we have had more inmates than we have had beds,” Sheriff Roger Soldan told KSN News on Monday. “We have to house outside between 70 and 100 inmates a day, and we have spent more than $7 million to date.” On a $100 purchase, you will pay 50 cents extra. The increase will generate about $6 million each year. Source: KSN-TV

Newton High School is now a COVID-19 cluster, Harvey County health officials say

info2020-11-05T07:07:47-06:00November 4th, 2020|

Harvey County health officials have identified an outbreak of the coronavirus at a Newton public school. The cluster includes five active COVID-19 cases at Newton High School, county officials announced Wednesday in a news release. The local health department is investigating to determine the source of exposure. “We take this very seriously,” USD 373 Superintendent Fred Van Ranken said in a statement. “We work with the Health Department to conduct contact tracing, and will continue to implement plans to keep our students and staff safe.” Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

International association awards Kansas State Fair first place

info2020-11-05T07:08:00-06:00November 4th, 2020|

The International Association of Fairs and Expositions gave the Kansas State Fair a top award for its Kansas Road Trip. The trip, “Ike’s Kansas Road Trip,” promoted corn and Kansas. Ike is the fair’s mascot. The association gave the fair first place in the sponsor exposure category, a partnership with Kansas Corn and the organization’s campaign, Fueled by Kansas. “While we had to cancel the 2020 Fair, it didn’t mean we couldn’t still celebrate our great state,” Amy Bickel, the fair’s marketing director, said in a release. “The idea of showcasing Kansas’ beauty and tourist attractions, plus the people who call [...]

Post-election pop: Municipal bond interest rates declining for first time in weeks

info2020-11-05T07:11:24-06:00November 4th, 2020|

With the final result of the U.S. presidential election in doubt, municipal bonds traded significantly stronger on Wednesday following a U.S. Treasury rally of as much as 14 basis points. In secondary trading, yields on AAA munis dropped all across the curve, with some falling by as much as 10 basis points. While the White House race was still undecided, it appears the Senate will not switch and will stay Republican and the House will remain in Democratic control. "Trading in munis remains quite firm, but the pace has slowed somewhat as participants digest the day's events and set up for [...]

0.5% Recovery Sales Tax Initiative in Manhattan Passes

info2020-11-05T07:11:40-06:00November 4th, 2020|

On November 3, Manhattan voters passed a ballot measure to adopt a 0.5% Economic Recovery and Relief sales tax. Riley County unofficial final results indicate 11,138 (YES) Manhattan residents for and 7,212 (NO) voted against the measure. “It was important to ask the tax question early in order to allow for more opportunity to help with pandemic recovery initiatives. This frees up previously pledged funds to be held in reserve to pay future financing obligations on substantial infrastructure and economic development related projects.” said City Manager Ron Fehr. “Seeking responses by our local citizens in a high voter turnout election was [...]

Hospital serving Kansas stressed as coronavirus cases rise

info2020-11-05T07:12:36-06:00November 4th, 2020|

Several dozen hospitals serving Kansas patients reported Wednesday that they expect to deal with staffing shortages over the next week as the state continues to report an average of well over 1,000 new coronavirus cases a day. The Wichita area’s two major health systems said Wednesday that almost 150 coronavirus patients were hospitalized, their highest numbers since the pandemic began. The Ascension Via Christi system is trying to bring about 60 nurses from outside Kansas into the state to help with staffing, and it has converted space into two new units for COVID-19 patients. A surge in cases even prompted public [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for November 3, 2020

info2020-11-04T07:01:59-06:00November 4th, 2020|

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.

JoCo school districts keep eye out for families in need of help during the pandemic

info2020-11-04T06:59:03-06:00November 4th, 2020|

It’s not something people always think about in Johnson County, but housing insecurity exists in the community. Often the people who shoulder the consequences are kids — and that’s where programs such as Impact Olathe and Project Home come into play. Programs like these are part of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, passed into federal law in 1987. According to the Family and Youth Services Bureau, the purpose of the act was to ensure “the right of students to go to school even when they are homeless or don’t have a permanent address.” That can include help with transportation, living situations [...]

About info