News – Page 1265 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Pottawatomie County to pay 3% cost of living increase, $600 bonus

info2021-12-02T06:56:45-06:00December 2nd, 2021|

Pottawatomie County government employees will receive a 3% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2022. Along with the COLA, those employees still on staff who worked during the COVID-19 shutdown will receive a $600 one-time bonus. The decision came Monday after a long discussion that spanned several Pottawatomie County Commission meetings. The adjustment will come from the general fund while the one-time bonus comes from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. Commissioners had considerable debate on how much should be funded in each area – or even if the bonus should be funded at all. Source: themercury.com

Public weighs in on planned tourist attraction in Derby

info2021-12-01T07:22:36-06:00December 1st, 2021|

The City of Derby heard public feedback Tuesday night on a project developers say would bring a quarter of a million people to town each year. The project is called “Crystal Lagoons,” a tourist attraction with a public beach, aquatic sports, hotels and more. The plans come with a hefty price tag, about $130 million. Last month, the Derby City Council voted to expand its STAR bond district to fund the Crystal Lagoons project planned for acreage near Rock Road and Patriot Avenue. The proposal for the project comes from the same developers behind the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. [...]

Kansas has many older houses and too few workers in skilled trades, statewide survey says

info2021-12-01T07:16:27-06:00December 1st, 2021|

Older housing stock, limited options for low-and-middle-income residents and a lack of workers in the skilled trades are among the problems plaguing the state's housing supply, according to interim findings from a statewide housing survey. The survey, the first of its kind in 30 years, is set to be released in full later this year. But representatives from the consulting firm that handled the report kicked off a statewide tour to unveil a snapshot of the results Monday in Topeka, with no shortage of areas for lawmakers to address. Improving housing access has been a common theme in urban and rural [...]

Augusta lights up with historic theatre lights

info2021-12-01T07:01:13-06:00December 1st, 2021|

The Augusta Historic Theatre's marquee has been dark for over a decade due to storm damage, but with help from the community tonight they are shining bright. Young and old gathered in awe as the marquee neon sign above the Augusta Historic Theatre glimmered bright. "It's awesome. Actually, I kind of forgot what it looked like. It's kind of a staple for the downtown area,” said parent Tanner Lee. The theater, which was built in 1935 had been without lights on the marquee for 11 years after a storm damaged it in 2010. But with help from the community the town [...]

Fort Scott residents celebrate life of Gordon Parks on his birthday

info2021-12-01T07:00:37-06:00December 1st, 2021|

The last day of November means something every year to the people in and around Fort Scott. November 30th is Gordon Parks' birthday. He would've been 109-years old today. And the museum that bears his name held a special celebration. "Gordon Parks is an internationally known photographer, film maker, writer, musician, poet, you name it - he's done it. He's a renaissance man," said Kirk Sharp, Executive Director of the Gordon Parks Museum. The Gordon Parks Musuem located at Fort Scott Community College is celebrating the trailblazer. Source: KSNF/KODE

Visit Wichita study calls for new convention center to replace Century II

info2021-12-01T06:55:37-06:00December 1st, 2021|

A consulting firm hired by Visit Wichita says it’s time for the city to replace the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center with a new facility, even as the national convention industry remains mired in a COVID-19 funk. Conventions, Sports & Leisure International, which also recommended replacing Century II in a 2013 study, has produced a second feasibility study saying that the historic facility has outlived its usefulness as a convention center and that the Wichita market could support a new facility. The study makes no explicit recommendation on what should happen to Century II’s existing facilities, including its iconic [...]

Natives of a small Kansas town just opened a brewery, and Wichitans are making the trip

info2021-12-01T06:55:03-06:00December 1st, 2021|

A small Kansas town not too far from Wichita has just added a craft brewery, owned by two women who grew up there. And so far, the response to Ladybird Brewing — which officially opened on Nov. 13 in an old gas station building in downtown Winfield — has been more enthusiastic than the owners anticipated. In fact, their Thanksgiving Saturday traffic, which saw people lined up for seats long before the doors opened, has them thinking they may need to expand their staff. Source: Dining With Denise Neil |

Thunderbirds to headline 2022 McConnell air show

info2021-12-01T06:54:31-06:00December 1st, 2021|

McConnell Air Force Base recently announced the return of air shows to the base, with Frontiers in Flight 2022 scheduled for Sept. 24-25, 2022.This event marks McConnell’s first air show in four years. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will headline the free event, along with a wide variety of civilian and military static aircraft – including the KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46A Pegasus – throughout the two-day show. The open house and air show is expected to host more than 150,000 visitors over the two-day event and generate upwards of $6 million of economic stimulus for the local and surrounding communities. Source: [...]

KS housing survey: despite population growth JoCo, WyCo not meeting community needs

info2021-12-01T06:53:56-06:00December 1st, 2021|

The Kansas City Metro area is the fastest growing region in Kansas but, like the rest of the state, it struggles to fill the housing needs of its community. Preliminary results of a statewide survey, the first of its kind in 30 years, found that 30% of homes in Kansas were built before 1960 and that the state lacks diverse housing options for middle income buyers and renters. Full results of the housing needs assessment, conducted over the past year by the Office of Rural Prosperity and Kansas Housing Resource Corporation, will be released in December or January. Before that, researchers [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for November 30, 2021

info2021-12-01T06:52:16-06:00December 1st, 2021|

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.