News

The mayor, Jenny Landers, worked at the helium plant for five years. More than 30 balloons will take flight Thursday morning filled with helium from Kansas. The Otis plant has supplied the helium for more than 30 years, plant officials say. Read more at: Wichita Eagle

In addition to its previously scheduled workshop on Tuesday, the council will hold a public hearing and a vote on the city manager. Read more: KSN-TV

Working in teams, volunteers went door to door to offer residents of prefabricated homes smoke alarm testing, replacement and installation — free of charge. Read more: KSN-TV

Some of the plan’s key recommendations include increasing the frequency of bus service along key routes, including Metcalf Avenue, as well as scaling back the geographic area covered by the ride-hailing microtransit service, which has seen a decline in users. Other notable changes include an eventual reinstatement of fares for fixed bus routes — part of a broader return to fares in public transit across the Kansas City region — and a rebranding of Johnson County public transit to “Ride JoCo.” Read more: Johnson County Post

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.

The technology works by identifying the spoken language and providing immediate translation. In a demonstration, the AI translated one person’s Spanish message to English for the officer. The officer’s response was then translated back to Spanish. Read more: KWCH

After a little under a year since its launch, the first 10 City Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) homes are being built. Introduced by Kim Froman, director of Housing and Community Development, the program encourages developers to build specifically for middle- and low-income residents by offsetting construction costs. “The lack of affordable housing in Pittsburg is restricting growth and the ability to support workforce demands,” Froman told the city commission last December, saying that high material costs, delivery delays, market forces and a shortage of skilled labor are diverting resources away from rural areas. Under the program, a contractor can apply for [...]

Wyandotte County leaders voted Thursday to rename an area baseball field after fallen Sheriff’s Deputy Elijah Ming. The board of commissioners voted 6-0 to rename Heathwood Park Baseball Field, at North 10th Street and Parallel Parkway, to “Elijah Ming Memorial Field. Ming, who was killed in the line of duty on July 26, grew up playing baseball on that field. His family and friends often spoke about his love of baseball. Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

HOA is coming out against the idea of a Kansas City Royals stadium going in at the northwest corner of 119th and Nall. In May, the Royals announced an affiliate of theirs bought the mortgage on the old Sprint campus, now known as Aspiria. Hawthorne View’s just about a mile southeast of 119th and Nall and less than a 20-minute walk from the intersection. HOA President Jeff Hurt told FOX4 he hopes city council members pay attention to how the homeowners in his area feel about this issue. Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

Treasury yields were lower on Friday as investors look for clues on the shape of the U.S. economy and the direction of monetary policy. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury fell more than 4 basis points to trade at 4.056%. Yields across the maturity curve ticked lower, with the 2-year Treasury yield also shedding more than 4 basis points to 3.516% and the longer-term 30-year Treasury's yield being down more than 3 basis points at 4.698%. Global markets are digesting Thursday's delayed non-farm payrolls report, which showed the economy added more jobs than expected in September, but the unemployment rate [...]