U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice today announced a new whole-of-government effort led by USDA to transform the way federal agencies partner with rural places to create economic opportunity in rural America. The USDA-led Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an all-of-government program that will help rural communities access government resources and funding to create jobs, build infrastructure and support long-term economic stability. Today’s announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Building a Better America Rural Infrastructure Tour, during which Biden Administration officials are traveling to dozens of rural communities to talk [...]

Two Federal Reserve officials made the case on Tuesday for ongoing interest rate increases to combat inflation, but said uncertainty over the economic outlook makes it hard to say how aggressive the central bank will need to be. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said in an appearance in New York that he sees the federal-funds target rate reaching around 2.25% to 2.50% by the end of the year, which could include a couple of half percentage point increases. Speaking on CNBC, Atlanta Fed leader Raphael Bostic said it is important for the Fed to get to a neutral [...]

Kristina Cullison, a kindergarten teacher at USD 249, and Kari Cronister, a professor at Pittsburg State University, approached the Frontenac City Council Monday evening about starting a new child care facility in the city. Citing the 127 available childcare spots in Frontenac, spread out across three separate facilities, Cullison and Cronister said there is a need for more. According to a presentation by Cronister and Cullison at Monday’s council meeting, 6.4 percent of the city’s population is age five and under, so out of a population of 3,413, approximately 218 children are under the age of five. Given the amount of [...]

As of Tuesday afternoon, masks are no longer required on public transit in Salina. Following the direct orders of KDOT, OCCK dropped the company's mandatory mask rule. A federal judge in Florida on Monday ruled that a 14-month-old directive from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention was unlawful. ... On Tuesday afternoon, the Kansas Department of Transportation informed OCCK that masks were no longer required on public transportation. Source: Salina Journal

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.