info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Power out across large parts of Ellis Co., I-70 closed as storm blows through Tuesday

info2019-08-14T22:06:13-05:00August 14th, 2019|

As a large storm blew through Hays Tuesday evening storm damage was being reported across town with power lines down, debris littered across roads, flooding and about 6,200 without power around 9 p.m. “As you can imagine we have a fair amount of damage across the county,” said Mike Morley, director of communications, Midwest Energy. “There is also a fair amount of debris in the street,” he said. “We have crews out right now doing damage assessments, trying to find where those wires are down, so we ask people to call in their outages to our 800 number.” (Read more: Hutch [...]

USD 309 receives grant for STEM programs

info2019-08-14T19:12:21-05:00August 14th, 2019|

The Nickerson USD 309 School District has received a $25,000 grant from The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education to help fund STEM education in the district. The grant which is sponsored by the Bayer Fund, partnered with local farmers to nominate rural schools and awarded more than $2.3 million in grants to enhance their science, technology, engineering, and math. USD 309 is one of the many schools across the country that has benefited from the Grow Rural Education program. For each grant-winning school, teachers, students, and oftentimes, community members, develop plans to create more engaging and innovative STEM programs. (Read more: [...]

Merriam council accepts study on Irene B. French center, directs staff to look into feasibility to save 1911 portion of building

info2019-08-14T19:10:13-05:00August 14th, 2019|

The Merriam city council has directed city staff to look into the feasibility and costs of saving the 1911 portion of the Irene B. French Community Center. Over the past several months, Merriam city leaders, residents and business owners have been considering options for the century-old historic building at 5701 Merriam Drive. In its final report to the Merriam city council on Monday, the 5701 Merriam Drive Steering Committee recommended saving as much of the 1911 portion of the Irene B. French Community Center as possible. That option would involve tearing down the rest of the center, creating open space and [...]

Amendment to Wichita’s leash law opens new opportunities for local business

info2019-08-14T19:00:41-05:00August 14th, 2019|

Chris Stoneberger and his dog Quinn are ready to get their business going. Goose Troopers is it's name, and their mission is to clear geese from public places using trained dogs like his. They are next to ponds around the city, in residential neighborhoods and along the sidewalks next to the Arkansas River. Wherever they go they aren't unnoticed by most citizens, especially the feces they leave behind. "I occasionally have to dodge it," said Alex Beck, a jogger on the sidewalks next to the Arkansas River. "I just kind of work around it, I'm used to it by now." (Read [...]

Stocks Slide After Recession Warnings

info2019-08-14T18:56:25-05:00August 14th, 2019|

Stocks sank Wednesday after the bond market threw up one of its last remaining warning flags on the economy. The yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly dropped below the two-year Treasury’s yield Wednesday morning. It’s rare for short-term yields to rise above longer-term ones, and when it happens, market watchers call it “an inverted yield curve” and brace for the possibility of a recession hitting in a year or two. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped as much as 475 points in the first few minutes of trading before recouping some of its losses. (Read more: Kingman County News)

SEK Recycling Center looks to match grant for new styrofoam processor

info2019-08-14T18:53:28-05:00August 14th, 2019|

Keeping Southeast Kansas green isn’t an easy job, but it’s a meaningful one for a recycling company. The Southeast Kansas Recycling Center recently was awarded a grant for a new styrofoam processor. But the issue is, they need to provide a $5,000 match for the grant, and that’s money they don’t have. As commodity pricing continues to plummet, the longevity of the recycling center is unknown. And, being one of the only non-profit recycling centers in the Midwest, some are hoping they stick around for a while. (Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)

Part of Halstead closing next week for railroad crossing repairs

info2019-08-14T18:44:13-05:00August 14th, 2019|

The Saline County Road and Bridge Department has announced that part of Halstead Road will be closed next week. According to a news release, Halstead Road from Stimmel Road south to Armstrong Road will be closed Monday through August 25, 2019, to permit Ameritrack Railroad to repair the railroad crossing. The length of the closure will be dependent on the weather. A signed detour will be installed by the railroad company. Access to the Ell-Saline Elementary School will be maintained throughout construction. (Read more: The Salina Post)

What the 2- vs 10-year Treasury yield curve inversion means

info2019-08-14T22:09:58-05:00August 14th, 2019|

The yield on two-year U.S. Treasury notes was higher than the yield on the 10-year for a while Wednesday, marking the first time since June 2007 this curve has inverted. Many market participants see this as a sign of a coming recession in the next year or two. Other parts of the curve — the 3-month to 10-year and the 2- to 5-year — inverted earlier this year and remain inverted. “The significant decline in rates has led to meaningful inversion in key parts of the interest rate curve — historically these types of inversions have signaled that economic weakness and [...]

On the Clock….. Construction firm faces deadline for 10th and Grant project

info2019-08-14T22:04:16-05:00August 14th, 2019|

To use a sports analogy, Morgan Brothers Construction is down two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter with no timeouts and they don’t even have the ball. Morgan Brothers is the construction firm that is doing the construction work at 10th and Grant Streets in Great Bend. The project to widen the intersection started in March with an 85-day construction contract which would have had the work done by the end of July. But after one delay due to springtime rains, construction was delayed again recently after the company told the city that materials for the project had been back ordered. [...]

Main yield curve nearly inverts as 10-year yield tops 2-year rate by just 2 basis points

info2019-08-13T22:05:53-05:00August 13th, 2019|

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note threatened to break below that of the 2-year U.S. note on Tuesday as investors rushed toward safe haven assets amid global growth concerns. The traditionally watched 2-year and 10-year Treasury curve is just 2 basis points away from inversion, a phenomenon heralded by many as a recession indicator. Investors are now demanding higher interest rates on short-term debt than they are longer term debt, a phenomena known as an “inverted yield curve.” The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.685%, just above that on the 2-year security at 1.665% and [...]

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