News – Page 1022 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

UG Commission hears study findings

info2022-07-26T07:43:58-05:00July 25th, 2022|

The UG was formed 25 years ago from the city of Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County. The consultants discussed potential realignment for the UG. A realignment of county administration was recommended in managing department functioning. The consultants suggested putting like departments together under an assistant administrator. Currently some assistant administrators are over groups of departments that are not like each other, according to the consultants. It is an ideal time to make changes since there were two assistant administrator positions open. Also, the consultants felt the UG could benefit from collaborative work among the departments. They cited the UG’s SOAR [...]

Caldwell begins process of updating 100-year-old water system

info2022-07-26T07:45:25-05:00July 25th, 2022|

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing over $2.2 million in different infrastructure and economic development projects in rural Kansas. One of those projects is in Caldwell, a town of about 1,000 that is in desperate need of water system improvements. Monday morning, the USDA Kansas Director for Rural Development, Christy Davis, announced that the USDA is investing $2,268,200 toward eight community projects across the state. For the City of Caldwell, a $479,000 loan and a $512,000 grant will supplement previous funding for improvements to the water supply system. Funds already assigned to this project include a prior award [...]

Kansas corrections system grapples with 22.6% vacancy rate among prison staff

info2022-07-26T07:46:41-05:00July 25th, 2022|

Operations at the Lansing Correctional Facility were expected Wednesday to return to normal following lockdown of inmates and deployment of a tactical team and officers from other prisons to quell a melee in the maximum-security unit, state officials said. Violence erupted among inmates Friday night in Lansing’s A Unit and prisoners assaulted corrections officers responding to the disturbance. One inmate was hospitalized with a stab wound and several corrections officers were injured, the union representing officers said. David Thompson, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Corrections, said Tuesday the state prison in Leavenworth County had resumed normal operations in all but [...]

Topeka housing market one of the ‘Hottest’ in the nation

info2022-07-26T07:47:00-05:00July 25th, 2022|

The City of Topeka has been ranked as one of the top housing markets in both the U.S. and the state of Kansas. According to Realtor.com, Topeka's "Hotness Rank" is 14 when compared to June's hottest real estate markets. Affordable metros are more favorable to people looking for a deal when compared to pricey cities across the country. “Home sales continue to be strong in Shawnee County,” said Linda Briden, CEO of the Sunflower Association of Realtors. “Topeka continues to be the top housing market in Kansas and, at No. 14, one of the best housing markets in the United States. Topeka-area [...]

Unemployment rates up across state for month of June

info2022-07-26T07:47:19-05:00July 25th, 2022|

Kansas’ unemployment rate increased slightly between May and June, however, Kansas Labor Secretary Amber Schultz says employment rates are still in a good place. The state did see a robust level of hiring for the month adding 4,600 new jobs, however, due to inflation, real-hourly earnings did decline by 4.1 percent compared to June 2021. Unemployment rates were up across most of the KVOE listening area between May and June. Lyon County’s unemployment rate increased from 2.2 percent to 2.7 percent. Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

There are no dog parks in west Wichita. Some City Council members want to change that

info2022-07-25T06:53:36-05:00July 25th, 2022|

When Reece Hembree takes his dog, Simba, to the dog park, he has to drive east. That’s because Hembree lives out west, and the closest dog park is on Meridian, in north central Wichita. “The closest one I saw was like 11 to 12 miles away, and I was like, ‘OK,’” he said. “It’s not bad, but it would be pretty convenient to have one somewhere in west Wichita.” That’s a common request, the two City Council members who represent west Wichita say. Source: Wichita Eagle

Investors Bet Fed Will Need to Cut Interest Rates Next Year to Bolster the Economy

info2022-07-25T06:52:52-05:00July 25th, 2022|

As the Federal Reserve prepares to meet this week, Wall Street investors are betting that officials will raise interest rates aggressively through the end of the year—and then turn around and start cutting them in six months. The unusual wager reflects investors’ growing sense that the Fed is driving the economy into a recession as it tries to fight inflation, analysts said. At the same time, by constraining longer-term borrowing costs, it makes a recession slightly less likely to happen soon. That is a boost to riskier assets such as stocks, compared with a more traditional bet that rates wouldn’t boomerang [...]

USDA Invests Nearly $2.3 Million in Community Infrastructure and Economic Development in Eight Rural Kansas Communities

info2022-07-25T06:51:23-05:00July 25th, 2022|

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Kansas Director for Rural Development Christy Davis today announced that USDA is investing $2,268,200 toward eight community projects across the state. ... Project details of today’s eight announcements are: A $33,000 grant will assist Thrive Allen County, Inc. with a Feasibility Study to create an incubator/accelerator space for Allen County. The space would increase economic development by creating an inviting, supportive space for entrepreneurs in the area. A $202,000 grant will assist The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, in conjunction with partners Pittsburg State University Small Business Development Center and Kansas Works, expand services to small [...]

Amelia Earhart statue lands in Congress 23 years after Kansas started effort

info2022-07-25T06:40:07-05:00July 25th, 2022|

Kansas aviation pioneer and advocate for women’s equal rights Amelia Earhart will be honored this week with a bronze statue in Congress, an effort that has taken more than two decades to accomplish. Congress will unveil the statue Wednesday, making Earhart the 11th woman enshrined in the National Statuary Hall Collection. The effort has taken 23 years since the Kansas Legislature voted in 1999 to replace the state’s two statues with Earhart and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It took four years to get Eisenhower’s statue in Congress. Source: Salina Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for July 22, 2022

info2022-07-25T06:38:48-05:00July 25th, 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.