News – Page 1052 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Supply chain issues hit Hutchinson area fire departments

info2022-06-27T07:39:21-05:00June 27th, 2022|

Nearly four months after a wildfire destroyed dozens of homes in Hutchinson, the Hutchinson Fire Department chief says the department will have to wait even longer to replace damaged equipment. One of the HFD's brush trucks valued at $250,000 was destroyed in the Cottonwood Complex Fire in March 2022. The biggest difficulty in replacing that truck is purchasing the base frame or chassis. While the department currently has four base frames on order, what would normally take three to four months to replace now has an estimated wait time between six months to two years. "In my 34 years on the [...]

City of Lawrence sees dozens of vacant houses as potential way to create more affordable housing

info2022-06-26T16:31:35-05:00June 25th, 2022|

As climbing prices intensify the City of Lawrence’s need for more affordable housing, city leaders are interested in looking to a new option: the dozens of houses sitting vacant in Lawrence neighborhoods. City staff recently recommended the creation of a vacant structure ordinance to the Lawrence City Commission, among several other potential policy changes, and a few commissioners indicated Tuesday they were interested in further exploring the idea. The local nonprofit Tenants to Homeowners recently began piloting a program that seeks to repair and rent out vacant homes, and representatives said such an ordinance would be significant for affordable housing. Housing [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for June 24, 2022

info2022-06-26T08:12:26-05:00June 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.

Finney County continues researching bird mitigation options

info2022-06-26T08:12:45-05:00June 25th, 2022|

The Finney County Commissioners had a follow-up discussion on nuisance bird mitigation Monday... The large bird population can cause damage to the area with feces accumulation from roosting, which causes a human health and safety hazard; damage to HVAC systems, electrical substations and power stations; damage to vegetation including trees and landscaping within city limits; lost crop yields; and economic loss for feedlots, dairies and granaries throughout the county. They are also noisy.... the purpose of the discussion Monday was to see if ... commissioners are interested in continuing looking into funding sources, partnerships, acquiring information from the community members and [...]

Kansas towns anticipate strong tourism this summer

info2022-06-26T08:04:38-05:00June 25th, 2022|

Kansas tourism is doing well but for a few hiccups due to high fuel prices, labor shortages and post COVID-19 jitters. ... Topeka, Salina and Hutchinson have noticed tourists are making plans for a visit, and the towns are getting ready for their visitors. I'd say we're we're really good so far," said Visit Topeka president Sean Dixon. "Obviously, starting the year with a dinosaur festival helps. The overall impact on the attendance numbers to our attractions have been fantastic. We just tallied everything on the T. Rex in Great Overland Station. We did 17,000 visitors for that. Source: CJonline

Frontenac Mining Days set for July

info2022-06-24T07:59:15-05:00June 24th, 2022|

The Frontenac community is inviting the public to celebrate its heritage in Southeast Kansas during the 2nd Annual Frontenac Mining Days, in downtown Frontenac, beginning Thursday, July 7, and continuing through Sunday, July 10. A variety of activities are planned for Frontenac Mining Days, including the Pride Amusements carnival, contests, games, historic presentations, live bands, and street dances. The live bands and street dances will feature the Paul Holt Band on Friday, June 8, and the band Members Only on Saturday, June 9. This year the Frontenac Mining Days also added a new event for community members to participate in during [...]

SEK counties top list of best value in Kansas for property taxes

info2022-06-24T07:58:28-05:00June 24th, 2022|

A new study ranks Kansas counties by the value that residents get relative to what they pay in property taxes, and the majority of the top ten are located in the southeastern region of the state. According to the study by financial technology company SmartAsset, the best value county in Kansas for property taxes is Coffey County, followed by Greenwood, Labette, and Crawford counties. The next three counties on the list — Doniphan, Brown, and Rice — are not in the southeastern quarter of the state, but Neosho and Cherokee County also made the list in 8th and 9th place respectively. [...]

Vibrant. Bustling. Wait, did you say this is a story about Topeka?

info2022-06-24T07:57:29-05:00June 24th, 2022|

With the help of new life downtown and collaboration across the community, Topeka appears to be hitting its stride after years of false starts. But challenges remain and it could take time to fully win over a populace that had significant concerns about the community’s quality of life, image and safety as recently as three years ago. On any given day or night, Topeka’s rejuvenated downtown can be bustling. Entrepreneurs selling high-end jewelry and art. The Pennant serving up gourmet burgers, arcade games and themed celebrations for the cocktail crowd, with The Tee Box beckoning golfers... Source: KLC Journal

The new voice shaping Reno County aid priorities? The public.

info2022-06-24T07:56:35-05:00June 24th, 2022|

Thanks to an effort organized by civic groups, Reno County residents could weigh in about community priorities for spending about $18 million in federal pandemic relief funds. Improving the affordability and accessibility of child care overwhelmingly ranked as the highest priority. What happens next lies in the hands of elected officials, who have the last word. The people came together by twos and threes, unsure what to expect as they chatted with their neighbors and re-lived two long years of experiences battling COVID-19. In 90-minute facilitated discussions from August through October of last year, residents shared their thoughts ... Source: KLC [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for June 23, 2022

info2022-06-24T06:37:37-05:00June 24th, 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.