Ranson Financial, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Shawnee Mission expects to have plans in place for educating students amid pandemic this fall by next month

The Shawnee Mission School District has tasked a group of staff members with devising a range of plans to accommodate students this coming fall — either in person or virtually — as schools across the state wade through the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a report to the board of education Monday, Superintendent Mike Fulton said the district will be relying on guidance from the state, which is expected to be released no later than July 10, before finalizing its approach for the start of the 2020-21 school year. Fulton noted that district parents and teachers had provided ample feedback about their experiences with remote learning after buildings closed in March, and that “there are some things if we’re in a virtual world that we need to do better.”
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Ranson Financial2020-06-10T08:12:40-05:00June 9, 2020|News|

Proposal to address teacher workload issues would require property tax increase for Shawnee Mission patrons

The Shawnee Mission Board of Education will need to decide by next month whether to put a new bond issue before area voters this fall — a move that, if approved, would allow the reallocation of some expenses and open up funding to hire dozens of additional secondary teachers, a key step to addressing the workload issues that dominated this year’s contentious contract negotiations. But the move would require a tax increase for district patrons, and wouldn’t lead to substantial workload reductions for a couple of years. Superintendent Mike Fulton on Monday presented the board with the results of a study by the group tasked with addressing the strategic plan goals of reducing secondary teachers’ daily class load from six sections to five, as is standard in neighboring districts. To achieve that goal, the district would need to hire 39 new high school teachers at a projected cost of $2.9 million and 22 new middle school teachers at a projected cost of $1.7 million.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)

Ranson Financial2020-06-10T08:13:00-05:00June 9, 2020|News|

Social media challenge aimed at keeping summer interns in Wichita’s talent pipeline

Since 2018, the Greater Wichita Partnership and W/A Community of Young Professionals have partnered to host a kickoff event during Riverfest to welcome interns working in Wichita for the summer. The gathering would typically attract about 300 interns, and give them a chance to network and participate in an iconic Wichita tradition. But with Riverfest canceled and the threat of Covid-19 still lingering this summer, the two organizations decided to pivot. On Thursday, they will launch a six-week social media challenge encouraging interns to experience the region’s locations and landmarks.
(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-06-10T08:13:07-05:00June 9, 2020|News|

Tribal casino may be build on land near Wichita. It could cost Kansas millions in taxes.

Federal officials have cleared the path for a tribal casino to be built on land just north of Wichita, setting up a potential showdown between the state of Kansas, Sedgwick County and the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma. The Wyandotte and others — including casino magnate Phil Ruffin and former Wichita Mayor Bob Knight — have been fighting to open a casino in Park City for decades, but legal challenges and voters have thwarted legal gambling in Sedgwick County. The proposed casino would open just south of the Kansas Coliseum and the Greyhound Park race track, both now closed, in the area that was previously Wild West World, a failed amusement park that filed for bankruptcy two months after opening in 2007. The Kansas Attorney General’s Office has repeatedly warned that opening a casino in Sedgwick County is illegal.
(Read more: Local News |)

Ranson Financial2020-06-09T11:46:46-05:00June 9, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for June 8, 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.

Ranson Financial2020-06-09T11:42:49-05:00June 9, 2020|News|

Lawrence City Commission to consider agreement to power city buildings with wind energy

City leaders will soon consider an agreement that would allow nearly all of the energy that powers city buildings to come from renewable sources. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider entering into a 20-year agreement with Evergy Energy, formerly Westar Energy, for 8 megawatts of renewable energy annually. The energy would be generated from the Ponderosa Wind Farm in Beaver County, Okla., and is projected to save the city about $100,000 per year.
Read more: LJWorld.com.

Ranson Financial2020-06-09T08:01:15-05:00June 9, 2020|News|

After 3 decades, Douglas County Public Works director to retire; he ‘really cared about the safety of the traveling public’

A longtime Douglas County public servant who has overseen some of the county’s unsung improvements will soon retire. Public Works Director Keith Browning, 66, will leave the position later this month after having served the county for 31 years over two stints, where he has overseen the maintenance and improvement of the county’s hundreds of miles of rural roads and related infrastructure. Browning, who has been the director for the department’s last 22 years, has also overseen much larger projects, including the reconstruction of the Lone Star Lake spillway and rehabilitation of the bridge over the Kansas River in Lecompton, he told the Journal-World in a recent interview.
Read more: LJWorld.com.

Ranson Financial2020-06-09T08:00:50-05:00June 9, 2020|News|

Lawrence City Commission to discuss changes to controversial sidewalk repair program

City leaders will soon discuss some new ideas for sidewalk repair, including the creation of a sidewalk insurance program and a potential city takeover of maintenance responsibilities. The Lawrence City Commission requested to reconsider the city’s sidewalk maintenance program earlier this year, and the commission will discuss the potential changes as part of its work session Tuesday. Some residents have voiced strong opposition to the program, which generally requires homeowners and other property owners to pay to repair city sidewalks that border their property.
Read more: LJWorld.com.

Ranson Financial2020-06-09T08:00:10-05:00June 9, 2020|News|

Topeka ordering non-union workers to take 5 unpaid days off

The City of Topeka is requiring its 285 non-union employees to take five unpaid days off to help cut the city’s costs in the wake of financial struggles tied to the coronavirus pandemic. City spokeswoman Molly Hadfield told the Topeka Capital-Journal that the employees must take the five days between June 13 and Sept. 18. City Manager Brent Trout last month eliminated the jobs held by the deputy city manager, neighborhood relations director and emergency management coordinator. Trout, the mayor and city council members also cut their own pay by 6%. The city is also considering changes in healthcare coverage for union employees.
(Read more: KSNT News)

Ranson Financial2020-06-09T08:57:53-05:00June 8, 2020|News|

Wichita plans to double emergency fund as COVID-19 expenses near million-dollar mark

Having already spent almost all of the $1 million set aside for Wichita’s response to coronavirus COVID-19, the city is poised to double its emergency fund to fight the disease. A request to put an additional $1 million into the fund will come before the Wichita City Council on Tuesday and Mayor Brandon Whipple said he doesn’t expect any opposition. “The thought moving forward is we’re going to be able to be reimbursed for this money,” Whipple said. “Our staff are conservative enough with their interpretations (of what’s reimbursable) to where we can feel confident about it.
(Read more: Local News |)

Ranson Financial2020-06-09T08:58:52-05:00June 8, 2020|News|

About Ranson Financial

Shawnee Mission expects to have plans in place for educating students amid pandemic this fall by next month

Proposal to address teacher workload issues would require property tax increase for Shawnee Mission patrons

Social media challenge aimed at keeping summer interns in Wichita’s talent pipeline

Tribal casino may be build on land near Wichita. It could cost Kansas millions in taxes.

Municipal Bond Trends for June 8, 2020

Lawrence City Commission to consider agreement to power city buildings with wind energy

After 3 decades, Douglas County Public Works director to retire; he ‘really cared about the safety of the traveling public’

Lawrence City Commission to discuss changes to controversial sidewalk repair program

Topeka ordering non-union workers to take 5 unpaid days off

Wichita plans to double emergency fund as COVID-19 expenses near million-dollar mark

Services

Company