info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

ACLU sues Kansas over excessive wait times at understaffed Larned State Hospital

info2022-05-27T07:46:23-05:00May 26th, 2022|

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Police Accountability Project are suing Kansas over delays in mental health evaluations at the chronically understaffed Larned State Hospital. The class action lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court, says individuals who face criminal charges have had to wait behind bars for as long as 13 months before getting a pretrial competency evaluation. In some cases, that is more than the time they would serve if they were convicted. The state hospital has been a flashpoint of controversy for years because of long wait lists for mental health treatment. The ACLU said [...]

SculptureTour underway: Salina helping make the city an art destination

info2022-05-26T07:52:12-05:00May 26th, 2022|

Leaders in Salina want the city to be known as a destination and not just a place to drive through, and one project that is in its 12th year is helping do just that. The 2022 edition of SculptureTour Salina began this month with an unwrapping party on May 7. Sylvia Rice, director of Visit Salina, said things like the tour happening in Salina enhances that notion of the city being a destination. “(It may) allow people to take a look at what we have and make a decision to visit here as opposed to someplace else for the weekend,” Rice [...]

Hutch neighborhood looks to unity and community involvement

info2022-05-26T07:50:07-05:00May 26th, 2022|

SW Bricktown is working hard to form community. Along with forming a committee, neighborhood members also started festivals and helped with. The Hutch Rec helps organize six neighborhoods, including SW Bricktown... Hutch Rec Neighborhood Development Coordinator Adam Stewart said out of the six neighborhoods, SW Bricktown is what he called “one of the best examples.”... In September last year, the SW Bricktown committee organized the neighborhood’s first SW Bricktown Fiesta to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at SW Bricktown Park. Source: Hutch News

Hutch councilmembers discuss water, sewer rates: residents vs business

info2022-05-26T07:46:06-05:00May 26th, 2022|

A couple of Hutchinson City Council members Tuesday asked a consultant who prepared studies on future city water and sewer rates to look at shifting more of the cost of proposed increases onto residential customers rather than commercial and industrial users. At-large Councilwoman Sara Bagwell first proposed the change, voicing concern the proposed rates would impact the ability to recruit new industry to Hutchinson.... Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho voiced concern that residents on Social Security or fixed income, a significant portion of the local population, will have more difficulty responding to rate hikes than commercial businesses, which can adapt. Source: [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for May 25, 2022

info2022-05-26T07:39:48-05:00May 26th, 2022|

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.

Southwest Kansas wheat devastated by drought

info2022-05-26T00:26:23-05:00May 26th, 2022|

Last week saw much needed rainfall across the state, but areas in southwest Kansas missed out on it once again. Much of southwest Kansas has gone nearly 300 days without an inch of precipitation. Annual average rainfall is about 12” in southwest Kansas, and much of the area has seen about 1/3 of that over the past year and less than an inch since wheat was planted in the fall. There are several counties in the far southwest corner of Kansas where very little wheat will make it to harvest. Farmers have already been in touch with their crop adjusters, and [...]

Fed minutes point to more rate hikes that go further than the market anticipates

info2022-05-26T00:23:35-05:00May 26th, 2022|

Federal Reserve officials earlier this month stressed the need to raise interest rates quickly and possibly more than markets anticipate to tackle a burgeoning inflation problem, meeting minutes released Wednesday showed. Not only did policymakers see the need to raise benchmark borrowing rates by 50 points, but they also said similar hikes likely would be necessary at the next several meetings. They further noted that policy may have to move past a "neutral" stance where it is neither supportive nor restrictive of growth, an important consideration for central bankers that could echo through the economy. "Most participants judged that 50 basis [...]

Wichita City Council approves revised contract for towing impounded vehicles

info2022-05-26T00:20:41-05:00May 26th, 2022|

The Wichita City Council voted unanimously in a special meeting Wednesday to approve a contract with three towing companies for impounded vehicles and the fees that will be charged. The council deadlocked last week on a proposed contract with nine companies out of concerns for low-income families that might not be able to pay fees to recover their vehicles. The new contract sets up a payment plan that will allow a person to pay a $600 fee over 24 months, and the city’s $30 administrative fee would be reduced to $5. The city had asked the towing companies for their best [...]

Lack of lodging worrying to some in Newton

info2022-05-26T07:30:21-05:00May 26th, 2022|

Newton’s hotels are low on vacancies. That’s according to the front desks of both the Holiday Inn Express and The Comfort Inn. “We’ve been full pretty much all season,” said Cat Olson, front desk manager for The Comfort Inn, 1205 E 1st St, Newton. Olson said, for the Comfort Inn, much of the demand was being driven by regular events, such as school activities, weddings and funerals. She said corporate stays or bookings for staff did account for some of the stays at the hotel, but it varied by week. The front desk of the Holiday Inn Express reported a good [...]

Burrton EMS purchases CPR device, thanks to grant

info2022-05-26T00:14:01-05:00May 26th, 2022|

Fire and EMS workers in Burrton learned how to use a new piece of life-saving equipment last week. The department recently received a KRAF grant from the board of EMS to purchase a LUCAS, which is an automated CPR machine. The grant paid for 75 percent of the approximately $15,000 cost, with the department matching the remainder. EMS Director Cherie King said the LUCAS is something their department has really needed for a while. “We applied last year and didn’t get it, but last year I think there was a lot that didn’t get funded because of COVID,” King said. Halstead [...]

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