info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Vandals have stolen one of the just-installed Keeper statues celebrating Wichita’s 150th

info2020-09-15T07:44:46-05:00September 15th, 2020|

If you go out searching for the 13 Keeper statues that were just installed as a celebration of Wichita’s 150th birthday, you can mark one off the list — for now. Over the weekend, the new statue at Planeview Park was somehow knocked off its base and stolen. The 10-foot-tall fiberglass statue, which had been painted by artist Tereza Zardoz, had just been put in place near the park’s playground two weeks ago. It’s the first time since the Keeper project started in 2015 that a statue has been stolen, said Tessa Brungardt, the project manager. And only one other statue [...]

Prairie Village councilmembers approve voluntary compost-collection service agreements

info2020-09-15T07:44:26-05:00September 15th, 2020|

The Prairie Village city council last week voted to allow two local compost companies to provide curbside collection service for interested residents. The council’s Tuesday action follows its June 2021 budget discussion where the council decided not to proceed with a citywide curbside compost and glass collection program that would have been paid for from the solid waste assessment fee on property taxes, according to council documents. Source: Prairie Village Post

Lawrence to consider additions to ordinance that provides protections for undocumented immigrants

info2020-09-15T07:49:02-05:00September 15th, 2020|

City leaders will soon discuss additional provisions of a nondiscrimination ordinance meant to create transparency regarding how the police interact with undocumented immigrants. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider adopting the ordinance on second reading following some changes the commission directed city staff to make in July. At that time, the commission approved the ordinance on first reading but requested that city staff draft language to incorporate one addition and further review another. Both additions were requested by the local immigrant advocacy group Sanctuary Alliance, which began the conversation last year by calling for the [...]

Lawrence seeks residents’ views on systemic racism as part of reconsideration of police force’s role

info2020-09-15T07:49:09-05:00September 15th, 2020|

The City of Lawrence will soon be starting a conversation about systemic racism to help inform potentially fundamental changes in policing and other city functions — with the city’s multimillion-dollar police budget in the balance. Following local and national protests this year over police killings of Black people and systemic racism, Mayor Jennifer Ananda in June called for the city to consider about a dozen reforms, including reallocation of some police funding for social services. The Lawrence City Commission later agreed to consider the changes and to create a process for residents to weigh in on the discussion. Source: LJWorld.com.

USDA Expands Access to Broadband Infrastructure for Rural Businesses and Residents Under Select Rural Development Programs

info2020-09-14T15:10:41-05:00September 14th, 2020|

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand today announced that USDA released a final rule to allow the use of funds under select programs to help expand access to broadband services for America’s rural businesses and residents. Effective immediately, entities may be eligible to use up to 10 percent of a loan, grant or loan guarantee to build, improve or acquire rural broadband facilities and equipment in areas not served by a minimum acceptable level of broadband service which is 25 megabits downstream and 3 megabits upstream for both mobile and fixed service. Eligible [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for September 11, 2020

info2020-09-14T07:35:29-05:00September 14th, 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.

Kansas Department of Commerce official optimistic of state’s economic growth, opportunities

info2020-09-14T07:30:30-05:00September 14th, 2020|

Bill Murphy, the new Deputy Secretary of Business Development for the Kansas Department of Commerce, shared his vision for economic development, business retention and staying competitive in the national talent pool, Thursday afternoon. Murphy, who took part in the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce’s virtual Day In Topeka, said he was excited by the “determination” he saw to rebuild the Department of Commerce prior to his coming on board. The goal, he said, is to capitalize on the strengths of the department and reenergize and renew its enthusiasm as funding sources returned. “What I’m seeing is, for the first time in [...]

Anthony, KS memorial tells story of fallen firefighter to future generations

info2020-09-14T07:29:53-05:00September 14th, 2020|

There’s a piece of Sept. 11, 2001 history in Kansas. The town of Anthony, Kansas is home to a September 11th memorial that has gained recognition from across the country. It highlights the connection between the town and a firefighter who gave his life in New York. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” says Donna Crowe, the now 9/11 Memorial Committee Chairperson of Anthony. The former mayor asked Crowe to do a difficult task. “He asked me to try to get ahold of somebody in New York City to see if we could adopt a fireman who had lost his [...]

Kansas school bus equation complicated by virus, social distancing

info2020-09-14T07:29:09-05:00September 14th, 2020|

Just northwest of Wichita, the small school district of Maize has a difficult time finding interested and qualified drivers in a normal year. Add in a couple of retirements and general challenges from COVID-19, and superintendent Chad Higgins said it’s even more difficult. “More buses and more bus routes really isn’t an option because it’s the drivers,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how many buses you have if you don’t have anyone to drive them.” Maize’s problem is threefold: It can’t add buses or routes, each bus carries fewer students and routes need to be as short as possible. Source: Leavenworth [...]

As bars across Wichita ignore COVID curfew, county warns of consequences

info2020-09-14T07:27:46-05:00September 14th, 2020|

If you want to go out and party after the 11 p.m. coronavirus curfew, it’s not hard to find a place to do it in Wichita. On Friday night, bars and nightclubs across the city were packing in customers between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., basically ignoring a county health order setting 11 as closing time for places selling alcohol by the drink. When he issued the order, county Health Officer Dr. Garold Minns said bars and clubs are particularly prone to spread coronavirus because they attract crowds who stay and socialize for hours at a time and/or flit from bar [...]

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