News – Page 1186 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Some Kansas jails now allowing medical care for opioid addiction

info2022-02-24T01:20:27-06:00February 24th, 2022|

A recent decision to let people continue treatment for drug addiction while in the Sedgwick County Jail in Wichita reflects a significant shift in thinking at Kansas sheriffs’ offices that is gaining momentum. Sedgwick officials no longer take people off of their prescriptions for medications such as buprenorphine when booked into jail. No one keeps a tally of how many Kansas jails allow incarcerated people with opioid or alcohol addictions to receive the combination of medication and counseling that can help them. Source: Derby Informer | News

Hesston hears of vision for 40,000 square foot municipal complex

info2022-02-24T07:28:33-06:00February 24th, 2022|

Brad Heppner, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors for The Beneficient Company, unveiled his vision for Hesston during a called meeting Wednesday morning of Hesston City Council. A schematic he showed council members depicted a 40,000-square foot building for city hall, police and fire services on one end of a downtown square and a non-denominational chapel anchoring the other end. Hesston Village Park, the name Heppner gave to the vision, would include a plot of green space that is 20 percent larger than Heritage Park. He said the complex would include a 12,500-square-foot grocery store and possibly [...]

Critics say the Kansas criminal justice system’s fees and fines trap people in a cycle of poverty

info2022-02-24T00:50:55-06:00February 24th, 2022|

After Tyler Williams spent much of his teenage years locked up in the juvenile jail system, he found himself at 19 owing more than $1,000 to the state of Kansas — including an $840 fee for hauling him from Oklahoma to face charges in Junction City. Working a minimum wage job, it took Williams two years of his young adulthood to wipe out all the fees and fines from his crimes as a kid. “It was a sigh of relief,” he said. “Having that burden gone definitely helped me get into a better mindset and take control of my life.” Fines [...]

Wichita police using social media to connect with families and spread awareness

info2022-02-24T00:43:39-06:00February 24th, 2022|

Wichita police are now using social media to reach teens-- before it's too late. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat are just a few places that investigators say kids are setting up drug deals that have ended in shootings. "We have something important to discuss,” said Officer Alex Avendano with the Wichita Police Department in a TikTok video posted Tuesday. It might just seem like a simple video on your social media feed. But it's a new way Wichita Police officers in the Juvenile Intervention Unit are trying to spread awareness. "So, in the video, you see a guy taking pictures of drugs, and [...]

Kansas House overwhelmingly rejects proposal to ban no-knock warrants

info2022-02-24T07:44:13-06:00February 24th, 2022|

Rep. Tim Johnson says he can count on one hand the number of times he executed a no-knock search warrant during his 31 years in law enforcement. The Bonner Springs Republican says he is certified in the use of special weapons and tactics and has written articles on the subject. There are times, he said during a debate Tuesday in the House, that officers need a no-knock warrant. “I still remember one particular night,” Johnson said. “We did not have a no-knock search warrant. I was the point man. And as we went in, things went south very rapidly. I never [...]

Russia’s Ukraine incursion could complicate the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions

info2022-02-23T09:29:26-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

The outlook for Federal Reserve rate hikes after March may become less clear if Russia continues its incursion into Ukraine. That's because the tensions have pushed up the price of oil and gasoline, a major purchase for many Americans, and it's the U.S. consumer that drives about 70% of the U.S. economy. The prices of oil and other commodities have been rising on concerns that Russia's troop movements into Ukraine and sanctions from the U.S. and allies could potentially lead to limited supplies. Russia is a major exporter of oil and natural gas. ... Economists said it will be the price [...]

Critics say the Kansas criminal justice system’s fees and fines trap people in a cycle of poverty

info2022-02-23T09:25:54-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

After Tyler Williams spent much of his teenage years locked up in the juvenile jail system, he found himself at 19 owing more than $1,000 to the state of Kansas — including an $840 fee for hauling him from Oklahoma to face charges in Junction City. Working a minimum wage job, it took Williams two years of his young adulthood to wipe out all the fees and fines from his crimes as a kid. “It was a sigh of relief,” he said. “Having that burden gone definitely helped me get into a better mindset and take control of my life.” Fines [...]

‘The Lowrider Teacher’: How a mechanic became a top Johnson County school leader

info2022-02-23T09:07:20-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

Erazo has worked his way up from serving as a school security officer to becoming one of the top administrators in the Olathe school district. Through his perspective, Erazo has created programs — like his lowrider bike club — that have transformed the lives of dozens of students, while helping to reshape the community they live in. ... Despite being the executive director of diversity and engagement, Erazo doesn’t spend his time sitting in the district’s administrative offices. He works out of the alternative high school, to be near the kids he’s hoping to reach, or at the auto tech center, [...]

Great Plains Manufacturing is expanding in Salina. What does that mean for central Kansas?

info2022-02-23T08:53:31-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

One of the largest employers in Saline County is adding positions. Great Plains Manufacturing is expanding its footprint in the community. Even though Great Plains is now a part of the larger corporation of Kubota, it has roots extending back to the 1970s in Salina. David Disberger, executive vice president for Great Plains Manufacturing, said when Great Plains became part of Kubota in 2016, it was with an understanding that Great Plains knew the strategies that worked best in the industry for this part of the world. "(Kubota said) we're not here to change you, but to learn from you," Disberger [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for February 22, 2022

info2022-02-23T08:51:20-06:00February 23rd, 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.