News – Page 1016 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

New medical school opens in downtown Wichita

info2022-08-02T00:21:09-05:00August 2nd, 2022|

A new medical school is opening in downtown Wichita with its first class of 91 students. The Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine is located in the former State Office Building at Broadway and William. It has 116,000 square feet with classrooms, labs, and workshops as well as examination rooms that will allow students to simulate experiences working with patients. Students went through orientation on Friday and classes will begin Monday. There are 18 students from Wichita and Kansas. The school is planning for 127 students next year, and 170 students each year after that. Source: 101.3 KFDI

Mission city planners approve apartment project at former JCPenney call center site

info2022-08-02T05:43:43-05:00August 2nd, 2022|

The former JCPenney call center in Mission has sat vacant nearly two decades, but city planners and Block Real Estate Services LLC are working to change that. The Mission Planning Commission recently gave unanimous approval for the developer's preliminary plan and final plat to construct a four- to five-story, 307-apartment building on a 5-acre site at 5665 Foxridge Drive. The site includes the former one-story, 39,825-square-foot call center, which was built in 1970. With an average unit size of 974 square feet, the building will include 185 one-bedrooms, 112 two-bedrooms and 10 three-bedroom options. Amenities include an outdoor pool and courtyard, fitness [...]

City to consider supporting new historic district in historically-Black area

info2022-08-02T05:44:14-05:00August 2nd, 2022|

Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will consider signing a letter to support creating a historic district in an important area for the Black community. ...The letter would support the nomination of the 900 block of Yuma Street for the state and national Register for Historic Places. The buildings in the proposed district include the Douglass Community Center (former site of United Service Organization built in 1939), Douglass Center Annex (Douglass School in 1939), Pilgrim Baptist Church (Second Baptist Church in 1911) and the Kaw Blue Masonic Lodge (Shepard’s Chapel in 1916). Source: themercury.com

Butler launching new Fire Academy in fall 2022

info2022-08-02T05:45:00-05:00August 2nd, 2022|

Zachary Lindsey knows firsthand what Butler Community College’s Fire Science program teaches. He started his Fire Science education at Butler and spent 17 years in the fire service in North Carolina. Lindsey, originally from Eureka and a Bluestem High School graduate, returned to Kansas in early 2020 and is now head of Butler’s Fire Science program. Since taking over the program, he’s been innovating to give Butler Fire Science students greater leverage in the marketplace. His most recent innovation is the creation of the Butler Fire Academy – designed to train students to be firefighters in 16 weeks. It’s a heavy [...]

Great Bend council drops idea of stipends

info2022-08-02T05:45:53-05:00August 2nd, 2022|

After much discussion Monday night, some heated, it was clear the many on the governing body, including four council members and the mayor, opposed the of offering stipends to entice more people to run for the city offices. Although divisions amongst the council members remained, it was the consensus following a work session that the matter be laid to rest. The idea of the city offering some sort of benefit as an enticement first arose at the June 20 meeting, raised by Ward 1 City Councilwoman Lindsey Krom-Craven. It surfaced again at the next meeting July 5. City Administrator Kendal [...]

JoCo approves $4.6M for retention bonuses for sheriff’s office and corrections workers

info2022-08-02T05:46:30-05:00August 2nd, 2022|

The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners last week unanimously approved the use up to $4.6 million in county reserve funds to pay for retention bonuses for sheriff”s office and corrections department employees. The move aims to address ongoing challenges these departments have faced and attracting and retaining workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will go toward the sheriff’s office and corrections department — both of which, county staff said, don’t have the means in their existing budgets to pay for retention incentives. Source: Prairie Village Post

Municipal Bond Trends for July 29, 2022

info2022-08-01T08:08:23-05:00August 1st, 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.

The Kansas Supreme Court rules that police can be liable when their actions injure a bystander

info2022-08-01T08:00:36-05:00August 1st, 2022|

The Kansas Supreme Court has reversed a lower court decision that shielded a Wichita police officer from criminal charges when he shot at a dog and a young girl was injured. Former Wichita police officer Dexter Betts was responding to a domestic disturbance call when a dog lunged at him, his attorneys say. Betts shot at the dog, but missed. Bullet fragments hit someone behind the animal. Betts was charged with reckless aggravated battery in 2018, but prosecution was blocked because a court ruled he qualified for statutory immunity — a provision in state law that protects officers from prosecution for [...]

Lawrence to swap all 15-minute parking stalls for 2-hour stalls

info2022-08-01T08:01:08-05:00August 1st, 2022|

The City of Lawrence will soon convert all 19 of its short-term parking stalls to two-hour spots. The city’s 15-minute stalls have been underutilized compared to the two-hour ones, according to a city news release Friday. “When introduced, the 15-minute time frame was intended to encourage high frequency turnover rates for visitors when picking up or dropping off items at Downtown Lawrence storefronts,” according to the release. “… Because the two-hour parking stalls can also be used for short-term parking needs, the City made the decision to convert all 19 of the current 15-minute parking stalls to two-hour parking stalls.” [...]

Johnson County commissioners approve spending over $4.6 million for retention bonuses

info2022-08-01T00:17:47-05:00August 1st, 2022|

Johnson County commissioners on Thursday approved funding for up to $3,000 in retention bonuses to combat staff vacancies in the sheriff and corrections departments due to a labor shortage. In an unanimous vote, commissioners agreed to spend more than $4.6 million over the next two years to help those agencies retain staff. The money is coming from the Countywide Support Funds reserves. “We are struggling, at least in some areas of the organization, to be able to recruit and retain,” said Maury Thompson, interim director of the human resources department. Source: KC Star Local News