News – Page 1239 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Flurry of small earthquakes in Salina area spur questions about responsibility oil and gas industry

info2022-01-02T20:36:03-06:00January 2nd, 2022|

Linda Berry, spokeswoman for the KCC, said the commission’s staff was working with the Kansas Geological Survey and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to investigate potential links between the latest earthquakes in Saline County and drilling or injection activity. She said there had been no drilling in the past three months adjacent to the earthquakes south of Salina in central Kansas. That serves to rule out theories hydraulic fracturing directly induced the quakes, she said. There are no KDHE-regulated Class I wastewater disposal wells within 15 miles of the earthquakes, Berry said. There are approximately 38 KCC-regulated Class II [...]

City of Lawrence requiring masks in all facilities, suspending exercise and free play at rec centers

info2022-01-02T20:33:58-06:00January 2nd, 2022|

The City of Lawrence is once again putting in place more strict measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Among those measures, recreational facilities will be closed to general exercise and free play, the city announced Friday. “Scheduled programs at these facilities will be limited and facility cleaning will be enhanced.” In addition, masks will again be required inside all city facilities for anyone ages 2 and up. Officials with Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health have moved the county’s community transmission indicator status to red, meaning the rolling 14-day average number of new cases reported daily has topped 50 — as [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for December 31, 2021

info2022-01-02T17:54:50-06:00January 1st, 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.

Cash Floods Municipal-Bond Market

info2021-12-31T08:38:01-06:00December 31st, 2021|

Investors have poured more money into municipal bond funds so far this year than they have in decades, providing the fuel for borrowing by states and cities to fund new bridges, sewers and other state and local projects to a second-straight 10-year high. Municipal bond funds now hold an unprecedented 24% of outstanding debt compared with 16% five years ago, according to Federal Reserve data. The move marks the latest step in a fundamental shift away from a buy-and-hold market where individual investors quietly collect interest year after year. The record levels of borrowing and investing in 2021 are evidence that [...]

South-central KDOT crews pretreating some highways

info2021-12-31T01:14:21-06:00December 31st, 2021|

In anticipation of wintry precipitation starting Friday — going into a holiday weekend — Kansas Department of Transportation crews in south-central Kansas are pretreating some highways. They are especially focusing on elevated areas including bridges, where the surface tends to freeze faster. Pretreatment varies within the region because of varied forecasts from area to area. Around Lyons, for example, a crew has been pretreating with a mix of brine and beet juice. Beet juice is sticky, so it holds the ice-fighting brine to the pavement longer and at lower temperatures. The beet juice looks brown, and it can be washed off [...]

Developer plans to bring 3.5 million-square-foot industrial project to De Soto

info2021-12-31T01:12:27-06:00December 31st, 2021|

A recent annexation by the city of De Soto, Kansas, could lead to a new industrial development taking root in western Johnson County. In November, the De Soto City Council approved the annexation of roughly 367 acres of land near Edgerton Road and 103rd Street. The annexation also included 6,000 acres of land within the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant north of 127th Street. On Dec. 2, the De Soto City Council voted 3-1 to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Flint Development for the development of roughly 350 acres near Edgerton Road and 103rd Street. The MOU outlines the [...]

City of Wichita says no road pre-treatment ahead of snowy weather

info2021-12-31T01:10:38-06:00December 31st, 2021|

With just two days away from a winter storm heading toward KAKEland, the City of Wichita says it will not have crews laying down pre-treatment ahead of the drastic changed conditions. "We are watching the forecast and will change, if necessary," said interim assistant director of public works with The City of Wichita. Nelson says that the rain would wipe away the work that crews would have to do ahead of time so you won't see the 'brine' solution placed in the streets ahead of Saturday. Source: KAKE - News

UG Commission approves temporary cold weather shelter at Reardon Center

info2021-12-31T01:08:30-06:00December 31st, 2021|

The Unified Government Commission on Thursday night voted unanimously to approve a temporary cold weather shelter at the Reardon Center. Several community members and social service workers spoke in favor of the shelter, warning that people left outside during the coming cold weather this weekend could lose limbs or their lives. Mayor Tyrone Garner told the group he was in favor of helping the homeless. However, he had unanswered questions about the plans to place the shelter at the Reardon Center, and that is why he had delayed the shelter’s opening. Source: Wyandotte Daily

Bulky trash day no longer inspires folks to ‘swap’ in Overland Park. Here’s what’s replacing it

info2021-12-30T08:14:07-06:00December 30th, 2021|

They often became unlikely community gatherings. We’re talking about those “bulky trash pickup” days organized and financed by the city of Overland Park. Every other year, depending on which side of Antioch Road they lived on, people placed unwanted furniture, appliances and other large items at curbside for pickup. Neighbors would come by, see something they liked and haul it off before the city did. Scrappers did the same. Conversations happened. Now those days are history. The Overland Park City Council recently approved a new trash collection ordinance, mandating that haulers provide a curbside bulky item pickup at least once a [...]

Lawrence Public Library leaders say eliminating late fines has improved access, not resulted in more late books

info2021-12-30T08:09:27-06:00December 30th, 2021|

Two years after the Lawrence Public Library decided to eliminate fines for overdue books, library leaders say the change has not adversely affected the turnaround of materials and has improved overall access to the library. The library Board of Trustees voted unanimously to eliminate late fines for overdue books and other media beginning in January 2020. LPL Executive Director Brad Allen said that eliminating fines has not affected the timeliness of book returns, the waiting period for holds or the percentage of lost items, but has improved access to the library for people with low incomes. Source: LJWorld.com.