News – Page 1231 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wichita school board suspends meeting after new members refuse to wear face masks

info2022-01-11T13:54:56-06:00January 11th, 2022|

The Wichita school board suspended its meeting unexpectedly Monday after three new board members refused to wear face masks. Diane Albert, Kathy Bond and Hazel Stabler, who were elected in November and started their terms Monday, sat at the board table without masks when a livestream of the meeting started. Board president Stan Reeser addressed the room. “Before we begin tonight’s BOE meeting, I would like to ask everyone present tonight to follow the Board of Education’s directive approved on Aug. 23 and please put on a protective face mask,” Reeser said. When the three members did not put on masks, [...]

Cost of fixing Wichita’s worst freeway commuter nightmare rises by $6 million

info2022-01-11T07:08:27-06:00January 11th, 2022|

The cost to fix Wichita’s worst freeway bottleneck — the notorious North Junction — is about 20% higher than originally projected, and both the city and county will have to put up more money. The work on the current phase of the project was originally projected at $30 million, but has risen to $36 million, city documents show. City Hall and Sedgwick County are responsible for 25% of the cost, which is being mostly being paid by the Kansas Department of Transportation. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

De Soto delays decision on TIF district for part of Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant land

info2022-01-11T07:07:32-06:00January 11th, 2022|

The De Soto City Council postponed a decision on creating a 6,009-acre tax increment financing district that would help redevelop a portion of the long-mothballed Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant. The council voted Thursday evening to meet Jan. 11 to discuss the annexation; the meeting will be open to the public but not accept comments. On Jan. 20, the council will hold a public hearing on the TIF district. The 9,000-acre, widely contaminated former ammunition plant, just off Kansas Highway 10 in western Johnson County, has defied redevelopment since it shut down in 1992. Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for January 10, 2022

info2022-01-11T07:07:02-06:00January 11th, 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.

Residents of Kansas City, Kansas, are helping create a heritage trail worthy of their history

info2022-01-11T07:06:10-06:00January 11th, 2022|

On a gray, nippy day in October, dozens of Wyandotte County residents gathered in Parkwood Park off N. 9th Street and Quindaro Boulevard to share stories about their past and envision a new future. The rolling green park is the hub of the Parkwood Historic District, a neighborhood of Prairie Style and Craftsman bungalows. The district — the park and the homes — is on the Kansas City, Kansas, Register of Historic Places and is a beloved spot in northeast Kansas City, Kansas. “It’s coming,” said Meta Townsend, 71, one of three community ambassadors on the lead team planning the new [...]

New city manager officially takes office in Fort Scott

info2022-01-11T07:05:38-06:00January 11th, 2022|

After serving just six months, Fort Scott city manager Jeremy Frazier resigned in August last year. Local businessman Mark McCoy took over on an interim basis shortly thereafter, as the city began a search to fill the position. After searching for months, a candidate was found. "It's very welcoming there's just a lot to do," says Kelley Zellner, Fort Scott City Manager, "A lot of economic development things moving forward so got a lot of good things happening." As of January 4th, Kelley Zellner has been sworn in as the new city manager of Fort Scott. Over the past week he's [...]

Goldman predicts the Fed will hike rates four times this year, more than previously expected

info2022-01-11T07:04:44-06:00January 11th, 2022|

Persistently high inflation combined with a labor market near full employment will push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates more than expected this year, according to the latest forecast from Goldman Sachs. The Wall Street firm's chief economist, Jan Hatzius, said in a note Sunday that he now figures the Fed to enact four quarter-percentage point rate hikes in 2022, representing an even more aggressive path than the central bank's indications of just a month ago. The Fed's benchmark overnight borrowing rate is currently anchored in a range between 0%-0.25%, most recently around 0.08%. "Declining labor market slack has made [...]

Kansas City area schools dropped COVID mask rules. Here’s why they’re required anyway

info2022-01-11T07:03:28-06:00January 11th, 2022|

Though many Kansas City area districts have moved away from mandates on masks, this week students in several schools are required to wear them anyway as COVID-19 cases surge. These districts still require masks temporarily if a certain percentage of students and staff in a school building either test positive for COVID-19 or were exposed to the virus. In the Shawnee Mission district, for example, the mask mandate ended in secondary schools last week as students returned from winter break. Yet as of Monday, all 11 of the district’s middle and high schools were requiring everyone to wear masks again, spokesman [...]

Legislators, governor agree to allocate $154 million in federal stimulus funding

info2022-01-11T07:02:54-06:00January 11th, 2022|

Gov. Laura Kelly and legislative leaders unanimously agreed Monday to dedicate $154 million in federal stimulus funding to support economic development with construction of commercial buildings and to improve resources available to low-income students struggling in school. Members of the State Finance Council, which includes Republicans and Democrats from the Senate and House, adopted a recommendation to set aside $100 million for expansion of structures needed to expand or attract businesses and jobs. The council also directed $50 million at a new program of $1,000 per-child grants to be used by families in the way most useful to students struggling through [...]

FCC latest funding will give over $5 million to 19 Kansas school districts

info2022-01-11T07:01:50-06:00January 11th, 2022|

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on Monday, Jan. 10, that it is committing $361,037,156.16 in their latest wave of Emergency Connectivity Fund (EFC) Program support to schools, libraries and consortia. Out of the 859 facilities that will be receiving this current wave of funding, 19 of them are in Kansas and will receive a total of $5,520,334.64. The EFC is a $7.17 billion program that will help schools and libraries provide the tools and services their communities need to support remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period. The EFT will help provide relief to millions of students, staff, and library [...]