News

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.

Federal Reserve officials diverged at their June meeting about how aggressively they would be willing to cut interest rates, split between concerns over tariff-fueled inflation and signs of labor market weakness and economic strength. Minutes from the 17-18 meeting released Wednesday showed that policymakers largely held to a wait-and-see position on future rate moves. The meeting ended with Federal Open Market Committee members voting unanimously to hold the central bank's key borrowing rate in a range between 4.25%-4.5%, where it has been since December 2024. Source: Bonds

Johnson County’s EMS System has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold achievement award for its commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes, ultimately saving lives. Mission: Lifeline EMS® is the American Heart Association's national initiative to advance the system of care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states, such as severe heart attacks and strokes. The program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment — starting from when 911 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. Optimal care for heart attack and stroke patients takes coordination [...]

Citing a surge in public concern for children’s safety, the city of Prairie Village is considering new restrictions on e-scooters and e-bikes. On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council voted 11-0 during a committee meeting to direct city staff to craft an ordinance that places restrictions on e-bike and e-scooters, including provisions that define reckless use and limit the number of riders on each device. Source: Johnson County Post

The Overland Park Police Department is hoping the public can help solve its cold homicide cases. That was the impetus behind the department launching a new page on its website last month that is dedicated to these cold cases, including some that are over 50 years old. The idea to start the webpage originated from department detectives who had seen other departments solve their cold cases by sharing information about them with the community, said Officer John Lacy, spokesperson for the Overland Park Police. Source: Johnson County Post

Gardner has advanced plans for a new neighborhood of nearly 250 homes coming to the far west end of the city, despite a vocal opposition of nearby homeowners who say it’ll cause issues and bring too much traffic to an already unsafe intersection. The Gardner City Council on June 16 unanimously approved a preliminary development plan for Horizon Pointe, a 78-acre single-family neighborhood on the southeast corner of 175th Street and Four Corners Road, and rezoning the area from agricultural to planned two-family. Source: Johnson County Post

Leawood residents at Tuesday’s open house on the historic city hall and Fire Station No. 1 saw a revised list of options significantly different from the ones last discussed at a city council meeting in June. The open house on how to develop the two vacant buildings into a community green space at 96th Street and Lee Boulevard drew a stream of engaged residents who pored over the latest plans by consultant BBN Architects Inc. The four concepts presented this week were the latest iteration, following discussions with councilmembers and a survey of residents that has been in progress since last [...]

Governor Laura Kelly visited Hays on Wednesday for the ceremonial signing of Senate Substitute for House Bill 2172, which officially creates a water program task force aimed at developing a long-term, sustainable investment strategy for Kansas water resources. The newly formed task force is charged with designing a water program supported by a dedicated revenue source and evaluating the state’s current water funding and planning laws. It will submit a preliminary report to the governor and Legislature by January 31, 2026, and a final report by January 31, 2027. Source: KCLY Radio

The closure of a recycling plant in Wichita is now affecting neighboring communities. The City of Wellington announced it will temporarily shut down its recycling center after losing access to its main processing partner. The change comes as International Paper prepares to close its Wichita recycling facility. Although the official shutdown is scheduled for the end of the month, Friday is the last day the plant will accept recyclable materials. Source: KSN-TV

When Wichita rolled out its new ID program on June 30, Donna Castillo-Garcia and other advocates for the unhoused were some of the first in line, helping their clients obtain municipal ID cards. Thursday, Castillo-Garcia was back at city hall helping another man get his ID so he could gain access to a food bank. It’s slowly becoming a routine for the Grassroots Bridge Builders executive director as the city rolls out a new I-9 compliant ID card that community leaders like Castillo-Garcia hope will ease limitations for Wichitans who lack the standard documentation for a state-issued ID, especially those experiencing [...]