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David Toland, Kansas commerce secretary, said the departure of recent college graduates to other job markets has led to a “talent shortage” in the state’s workforce pipeline. According to figures presented by Toland, the state has hemorrhaged about 12,500 college graduates annually over the past five years. Tolandsaid the exodus of students has actually served as a selling point in attracting industry to Kansas. “You bring these jobs here, we’ve got the people,” he said of the sales pitch. “They’re trained up, they’re ready to go, and we think they’ll stay in Kansas if you create the economic opportunities for them [...]

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

City of Leon receives CDBG award. The Kansas Department of Commerce celebrated the success of the 2025 Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) this week by bringing together representatives from 50 Kansas communities, statewide grant administrators, legislators and members of the Kansas congressional delegation. The event highlighted the impact of more than $22 million in CDBG funding awarded in 2025 to projects across Kansas, leveraging $28,846,991 in local and partner match funding to invest in rural development and local infrastructure. Combined, the projects represent a total investment of $50,920,498 in communities throughout the state. Community leaders, grant administrators and [...]

Discussions continued Thursday as Riley County commissioners met with department heads to discuss future plans for reorganization and development of a new administrator position. The meeting comes after commissioners on Monday moved to direct county counselor Jacob Hansen to draft a resolution moving human resources under his purview. “It’s the first step to get things going,” commissioner Greg McKinley told News Radio KMAN in an interview after Thursday’s regular meeting. Read more: News Radio KMAN

Lucas Sullivan has been selected as the new USD 363 Superintendent for the 2026-27 school year. The USD 363 Board of Education approved the hiring of Sullivan as the new Superintendent of Schools at its meeting on March 2, effective July 1. Sullivan replaces Scott Myers, the current Superintendent, who is retiring after 40 years in public education. Myers said he’s going to miss the job. “I love what I do and I love public education, but my wife is retired, so I’m going to join her in that,” he said. Sullivan currently serves as the Principal at Garden City Achieve. [...]

On February 16, 2026 the Ellis City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 1504 which permits the safe and responsible use of electric scooters and e-bikes within city limits. The implementation of the safety guidelines was announced in this month’s Ellis community newsletter (The Town Crier) and by the Ellis City Police Department on social media on March 9, 2026. “As the popularity of alternative transportation continues to grow, City officials recognized the need to create clear regulations that promote safety while allowing residents to enjoy these convenient and eco-friendly modes of travel,” wrote Ellis City Clerk Ashley Scheibler in the introduction [...]

While Emporia Main Street competes in a nationwide contest to determine the best Main Street in the country, one area town is in a similar competition organized by the same group. Council Grove is one of 20 participants in the USA Today 10Best Small Towns in the Midwest. 10Best notes the 25 historic sites in the town, as well as the Madonna of the Trail statue, historic downtown and the close proximity to Council Grove Lake as attractions. Read more: KVOE

Three automated miniature robots and pair of LEGO sets have been added to Aubrey Westhoff’s educational arsenal at Iola Elementary School, which she uses to spark students to use their imaginations. Armed with a $1,000 grant from Cox Communications, Iola Elementary School is primed to let its students’ imaginations run wild  through a pair of new tools. At first glance, the tools would appear at opposite ends of the technology spectrum. But look closer, and you’ll see how connected they really are. The first is a set of three new Dash Wonder Workshop Robots, named Dash (of course), Flash and Clash, [...]

City officials appear to be interested in starting a conversation about a second sales tax election in Wichita after nearly 82% of voters rejected the first proposal last week. “It has to be community driven,” City Council member Mike Hoheisel said during a retreat Friday. The council discussion was open to the public but held away from City Hall at Century II and not streamed on the city’s YouTube channel. Council members signaled, based on voter feedback, that they wanted to still be able to fund the homeless services endowment and the public safety improvements that totaled $375 million of the [...]

Marion County Commissioners Monday approved a resolution banning wind energy conversion systems in a portion of the county. The resolution covers the four townships in the southwest corner of Marion County, basically the area around Goessel and to the south of the city of Hillsboro. A separate resolution that would prohibit large scale solar systems in the same area is expected to come before Commissioners for action next week. Commissioners Monday agreed to sign a letter of support on behalf of an application being submitted to the Kansas Department of Commerce for tax credits in support of the restoration of the [...]