info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

‘I am so proud of who we are’: Topeka mayor, Kansans respond to slights from NYC mayor

info2023-03-03T08:28:29-06:00March 3rd, 2023|

Topeka mayor Mike Padilla clapped back after New York mayor Eric Adams made a snide comment on the Golden City on Tuesday. During a prayer breakfast on Tuesday, Adams claimed that it was God’s will that he would be the mayor of one of the largest cities in the world. “He could have made me the mayor of Topeka, Kansas,” Adams said at the interfaith breakfast hosted at the New York Public Library. In response to the unwarranted remark, Topeka Mayor Mike Padilla told The New York Times that Adams could have left Topeka out of his speech. Source: KC Star [...]

Eisenhower National Airport slowly recovering from the pandemic

info2023-03-03T00:18:16-06:00March 3rd, 2023|

Data from Eisenhower National shows that the airport is slowly starting to recover from the economic downturn created by the pandemic. There was an increase of 24.5% in January in the number of passengers flying out of Eisenhower compared to the same time last year. A total of 115,439 passengers flew in and out of Wichita in January. It was also a good month for restaurants, retailers, rental car companies, and the parking garage at Eisenhower. Food and gift sales were up 34%, rental cars saw an increase of 14.75%, and parking saw a 45% increase in revenue. Source: KSN-TV

Kansas plan to penalize homeless people for sleeping on public property draws sharp criticism

info2023-03-03T00:16:08-06:00March 3rd, 2023|

A proposal to address homelessness with bans on camps for people without housing drew sharp criticism in the Kansas Legislature on Thursday. The legislation makes it a misdemeanor for unauthorized camping, sleeping or setting up long-term shelters on land controlled by the state or local government. That crime would come with a $1 fine. The bill would also let the Kansas attorney general penalize cities that don’t enforce the no-camping rule and let the state deny non-compliant cities money to combat homelessness — if a city also has an above-average homelessness rate. Source: The Lawrence Times

Riley County appraiser: Valuations increasing by average of 13%

info2023-03-03T08:29:09-06:00March 3rd, 2023|

Most homeowners in Riley County will see value increases to their properties around 13%, according to Riley County Appraiser Anna Burson. Burson and her staff recently mailed the county change-in-value notices for 2023. County officials announced the mailings Monday. Burson said the average valuation increase for single family homes in Riley County in 2023 is 13.1%. The average value of a home in the county is $259,526. The average valuation increase for single family homes in Manhattan this year is 12.6%, with the average home value of $276,167. Source: themercury.com

Kansas rating outlook revised to positive S&P Global Ratings says

info2023-03-03T00:08:16-06:00March 3rd, 2023|

S&P Global Ratings is expressing optimism about the fiscal health of Kansas. S&P Global Ratings revised its Kansas outlook from stable to positive on Tuesday this week. It also reaffirmed the state’s 'AA-' issuer credit rating (ICR) its 'A+' rating for the state's appropriation-secured debt. Additionally, S&P Global Ratings revised its outlook to positive and affirmed its 'AA' long-term rating for the Kansas Department of Transportation's (KDOT) highway revenue bonds outstanding. Source: Derby Informer | News

Fed Official Says Hotter Data Will Warrant Higher Rates

info2023-03-03T08:30:39-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

The Federal Reserve will need to raise rates to higher levels than previously anticipated to prevent inflation from picking up if the recent strength in hiring and consumer spending continues, a central bank official said Thursday. “I would be very pleased if the data we receive on inflation and the labor market this month show signs of moderation,” Fed governor Christopher Waller said in remarks posted on the Fed’s website. “But wishful thinking is not a substitute for hard evidence in the form of economic data. After seeing promising signs of progress, we cannot risk a revival of inflation.” Mr. Waller didn’t say in his prepared remarks whether [...]

10-Year Treasury Yield Tops 4% for First Time Since November

info2023-03-02T14:11:04-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

Lingering inflation and fears of higher interest rates lifted the 10-year Treasury yield above 4% on Wednesday, marking a fresh acceleration for a historic bond-market rout. The climb carried the key measure of borrowing costs back toward the decade-plus highs reached last year. Spurring the most recent leg: a run of strong economic data that dashed hopes inflation will rapidly slow to near the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Yields topped 4% Wednesday morning after a slightly stronger-than-expected survey of manufacturing activity. Rising yields lift borrowing costs for consumers and companies, and hurt the prices of other investments by offering steady payouts [...]

Lawrence mayor to testify against proposed legislation that would take control from cities regarding homelessness issues

info2023-03-02T13:56:12-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

The mayor of Lawrence is scheduled to testify Thursday at the Kansas Capitol against proposed legislation that would take control away from local authorities who are trying to provide support for people experiencing homelessness. Lawrence Mayor Lisa Larsen will give oral testimony in Topeka against Kansas House Bill 2430, which is known as the “Safe Cities Act,” according to a news release from the City of Lawrence. The bill places requirements and restrictions on how cities can approach public camping and sleeping, and it restricts cities’ eligibility to receive state funding designated for addressing homelessness. Source: LJWorld

Changes to competition bill would lessen impact locally

info2023-03-02T13:52:48-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

A bill that would provide private businesses that compete with governmental entities tax exemptions of property and sales taxes has advanced out of committee in the Kansas Senate. County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber, who previously raised concerns with county commissioners about the bill, gave them an update Tuesday morning. He said the current version of the bill no longer had the words “ambulance service” or “city” in it, the latter of which would remove any concerns of the county being in competition with a private business since the county operates a bait shop. The bill now proposes to give tax exemptions to [...]

Halstead businesses profit from the MAYB tournaments

info2023-03-02T13:51:18-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

About 40 teams participated in the MAYB (Mid-American Youth Basketball) tournament in Halstead last Saturday, according to MAYB Executive Director Matt Flaming. He estimated that 40-50 people (including the players and coaches) from each team attend the tournaments, which means that Halstead likely saw between 1,600 and 2,000 visitors on Saturday. That’s good news for local businesses. Alan Weber, who owns two of those businesses—D’Angelo’s Pizza and Pepper’s Mexican Bar & Grill—said it helps all of the businesses on Main Street. “I’m sure people go to the grocery store to get snacks and the gas station and they come to get [...]

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