info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

New bill aims to simplify federal grant applications, boost funding for underserved communities

info2023-07-19T11:28:43-05:00July 19th, 2023|

Lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that proposes to streamline the federal grant application process while increasing access to funding opportunities for under-resourced communities and local governments. Applying for federal grants can be a lengthy and complicated undertaking that often includes bureaucratic red-tape and requires a multifaceted understanding of the process. The Streamlining Federal Grants Act would task the Office of Management and Budget with developing guidance for all federal agencies on how to modernize and simplify their grant applications. The legislation also calls for agencies to update the software and systems used to manage their grant application processes and implement common data standards for [...]

Barton County storm siren systems malfunctioned, officials say

info2023-07-19T11:54:03-05:00July 19th, 2023|

Storm sirens malfunctioned in Great Bend when officials tried to set them off during the Sunday night storms. Great Bend Fire Chief Brent Smith said dispatch attempted to set off the alarm ten times but had no success. "Trying to identify some of the problems or where the problems occurred, we discovered the fail safes that were in place had also not allowed the sirens to go off," explained Smith. The storm caused the main power grid to go out, so the tower couldn't receive the signal to sound the sirens. Smith explained they have two backups for when the power [...]

Viega to expand production capacity in McPherson

info2023-07-19T11:55:09-05:00July 19th, 2023|

Plumbing and piping manufacturer Viega LLC plans to spend $70 million over two years in expanding its production capacity at its 1 million square-foot facility in McPherson, the company said this week. The first wave of investment is planned for $14 million and will increase the company's ProPress pipe-fitting production ability. "As we continue to grow the business, we are bringing more production to the United States," president and CEO Markus Brettschneider said in a statement. "These investments in our U.S. footprint will further support demand and leverage the talented U.S. manufacturing workforce, starting with the expansion of production capacity in [...]

Indoor pickleball, commercial kitchen part of $13.7M project named for former Wichita mayor

info2023-07-19T11:54:34-05:00July 19th, 2023|

The Carl G. Brewer Community Center at McAdams Park will see major upgrades in 2024. The Wichita City Council has approved a major expansion of the Carl G. Brewer Community Center at McAdams Park, bringing the project cost from an initial estimate of $8 million to $13.7 million. The expanded recreation center at 17th Street and Wabash will include a nearly 25,000-square-feet addition to the existing 10,800-square-feet building recently renamed to honor Brewer, Wichita’s first African American mayor elected by a citywide vote (A. Price Woodard, Wichita’s first African American mayor, was elected by city commissioners in 1970). Source: Local News [...]

Phillipsburg woman loves her new town, benefits from rodeo funds

info2023-07-18T11:39:14-05:00July 18th, 2023|

A Phillipsburg transplant is a walking billboard for her new hometown. And she’s also benefitted from Hope in the Heartland funds. Laura Flores, who moved from Kansas City to Phillipsburg two years ago, was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in September of 2022. ... She’s always felt a sense of belonging in Phillipsburg. Laura had become good friends with Lacie Shields, another Phillipsburg resident, when the two lived in Kansas City. After Lacie moved back to Phillipsburg in February 2019, Laura visited her the next year. “I came to visit one weekend, and then it turned into another weekend, and [...]

Harris finds Great Bend open to newcomers

info2023-07-18T10:42:49-05:00July 18th, 2023|

Maggie Harris has worked at Barton Community College for over 12 years but is fairly new to her role as its chief communications officer, a job she stepped into last September. Born and raised in Dodge City, she attended Sacred Heart Catholic School, Dodge City High school and Dodge City Community College before attending Washburn University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass media and public relations. “I was recruited to a position in the Admissions Office at Barton Community College as an admissions representative and fell in love with the community at Barton College and the Barton County area,” she said. [...]

The Bond Market Gets Less Scary

info2023-07-18T10:40:28-05:00July 18th, 2023|

The yield curve is getting less inverted, mostly for good reasons. The yield curve is still looking scary, but not quite as scary as it was as recently as a few weeks ago. Wednesday’s benign inflation report from the Labor Department looked like good news to investors, and one of the places it manifested itself was in the U.S. Treasury market. With growing optimism that the Federal Reserve will raise rates just one more time later this month, and then call it quits, yields fell across the board. Notably, the yield on the two-year note fell 0.15 of a percentage point to [...]

Great Bend council hears Sunday storm update

info2023-07-18T10:44:21-05:00July 18th, 2023|

New Great Bend City Administrator Brandon Anderson told the City Council Monday night that he had its update prepared for the meeting, but “obviously my report changed quite a bit at about 6:30 yesterday.” He was of course referring to the supercell thunderstorm that roared through the community late Sunday afternoon and into the evening, leaving extensive damage in its wake. “I was so impressed with our community,” he said. Source: Great Bend Tribune

Kansas gambling, Crosswinds casino expanding

info2023-07-18T10:44:29-05:00July 18th, 2023|

Sedgwick County is seeing multiple new additions for gambling. The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission approved the license for a Historic Horse Racing Facility in Park City. Also, Crosswinds Casino in Park City is expanding to Class 3 Gaming. After Senate Bill 84 passed in 2022, the door opened for HHR and sports betting. "I think it's good," Government Manager for the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission Randy Evans said. "I think it's an exciting time to be in the business with the different types of gambling, sports betting, typical Las Vegas style casinos, and now HHR parimutuel." But, the bill was very specific [...]

Cities assess ‘widespread’ storm damage — 8K in JoCo still without power

info2023-07-18T10:44:36-05:00July 18th, 2023|

The lingering impacts of Friday’s severe thunderstorms were still being felt Monday, with stubborn pockets of power outages affecting thousands of residents in suburbs clustered in northeast Johnson County. The severe storm on July 14 uprooted trees, downed power lines and, at one point, left more than 180,000 Evergy customers without power. A meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Kansas City field office told the Post that the metro was hit by a “squall line,” a phenomenon when multiple thunderstorms combine, resulting in higher and more concentrated wind gusts that, in this case, averaged between 50 to 60 miles per hour. Source: Prairie Village Post

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