info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Global ag manufacturer anchored in rural Kansas

info2020-08-06T08:40:13-05:00August 6th, 2020|

Tucked away off what used to be the main highway in a town of less than 1,200 residents is a global agricultural manufacturing plant. Kincaid Equipment Manufacturing is one of a handful of manufacturers of test seed combines. Last year, they developed a new consumer line for hemp growers. Half a century ago, Haven farmer and mechanic Delmar Kincaid was intrigued by a neighbor’s broken combine. After lots of tinkering, he got it working and soon went on to invent his own machines – eventually starting a new brand and painting them all Kincaid red. Last year, Delmar Kincaid sold the [...]

Wichita OKs legal challenge to Save Century II petition

info2020-08-06T08:39:00-05:00August 6th, 2020|

The city of Wichita is working to throw out a citizens’ petition and craft its own version of a ballot question about the future of Century II and the former downtown library, a move the petition organizers say could spoil months of work. City leaders said it’s a compromise that assures the public gets a say in the future of the buildings without limiting what can be done with other city-owned buildings. But Save Century II group leader Celeste Racette said the move threatens to undermine the democratic process. (Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Prairie Village Homes Association deed restrictions could scuttle ordinance to allow backyard chickens

info2020-08-06T08:35:19-05:00August 6th, 2020|

The Prairie Village Planning Commission moved this week toward allowing residents to keep backyard hens, though a homes association’s deed restrictions prohibiting chickens would override a city ordinance. The commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to amend the city’s zoning ordinance that had prohibited homeowners from keeping poultry on their residential properties. ... to allow residents to keep backyard hens. The council could implement the new ordinance but only if the planning commission amends the zoning ordinance. (Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Urban Outfitters to bring 2K jobs to Kansas

info2020-08-06T08:29:50-05:00August 6th, 2020|

Upward of 2,000 new jobs are on the way to Kansas, with Urban Outfitters announcing Wednesday they would be building a new e-commerce distribution center in Wyandotte County. Gov. Laura Kelly framed the move as a coup for the state’s economic development in light of COVID-19 and the resulting rise in unemployment, with the 880,000-square-foot facility set to be built near the Kansas Speedway. "We didn’t know when we first started this that we would be facing the worst public health crisis in a century," Kelly said at a news conference announcing the move. "But despite COVID-19, today’s announcement has furthered [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for August 5, 2020

info2020-08-06T08:19:25-05:00August 6th, 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.

Learning at home difficult for kids with no internet access. Olathe offers solution

info2020-08-06T08:30:55-05:00August 6th, 2020|

The Olathe School District is purchasing 1,500 Wi-Fi hotspot devices that families can check out for free if they don’t have internet access at home. Bridging the so-called digital divide, in which some students can easily plug in to internet resources while others cannot, has become even more important during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Laura Kelly’s school shutdown order forced districts to switch quickly to online learning last spring, and schools have been preparing for all kinds of contingencies before reopening this fall. In general, Johnson County parents can choose a remote-learning option this fall if they deem it unsafe for [...]

With new school year coming up, Micro school presents alternative.

info2020-08-06T08:30:27-05:00August 6th, 2020|

Sherry Stavig runs the Kansas Learning Academy and Daycare. She got the idea to turn it into a Micro school after hearing from concerned parents about what in person schooling would look like this year. For those who don't know what Micro-schooling is, Stavig describes it as "a hybrid between a home school and private school setting. It's kinda your modern day one room school house.” Stavig will take in about 12 students from elementary and middle school age at the academy and depending on response, a second set of twelve at a separate location closer to Wichita. Each student will [...]

Wind farm discussion includes tax issues

info2020-08-06T08:33:48-05:00August 6th, 2020|

...a Blue Rapids farmer and rancher and former county commissioner told commissioners Monday that he estimated the proposed 110-turbine wind farm would pay the county $109 million over 40 years if they did not receive a 10-year property tax break granted by the state. He also estimated that NextEra would pay more than $6 million per year if the wind farm were taxed at the same rate that farmers are taxed. NextEra project manager Dan Scheffler has said previously that the company is willing to pay up to $40 million to the county in taxes and payments-in-lieu-of-taxes over 30 years. Commissioners [...]

Russell City Council Approves Agreements to Accept Grant Funding for Airport Rehabilitation

info2020-08-06T08:03:27-05:00August 5th, 2020|

The Russell City Council met Tuesday and approved agreements to accept grant funding for an airport runway, taxiway and apron rehabilitation project and the purchase of a new city transit bus. The city maintains a five-year Airport Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP) on file with the FAA and KDOT. Items on the approved ACIP are eligible for FAA and KDOT grant funding as funds are available. The city received notice from the FAA they approved the project as part of the Airport Improvement Program. Project bids were solicited and one bid from GDS, LLC was received in the amount of $537,284.80. (Read [...]

Deciding how to distribute coronavirus aid

info2020-08-06T08:04:27-05:00August 5th, 2020|

Nobody didn’t like Kansas getting about $1.2 billion – that’s billion, not just those pesky millions – to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, to rebuild the damaged economy, to finance health care and the exceptional new expenditures that will be required to safely operate schools, colleges and public offices, and to get ready for the next time a pandemic explodes across the state. Practically, there’s not a Kansan who hasn’t felt the effects of the pandemic, even in western Kansas’ Rawlins and Wallace counties, the two in the state which have apparently had no known cases of the disease. But that [...]

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