News – Page 1463 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Kansas high school students would face civics test, financial literacy course under bill headed toward floor votes

info2021-04-09T07:04:15-05:00April 8th, 2021|

Kansas students would have to pass a civics test and a financial literacy course to graduate as soon as 2024 under a bill finalized Thursday by House and Senate legislators. House Bill 2039 would require students enrolled in an accredited state high school to pass a civics test composed of 60 total questions from the naturalization test administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The test must be administered in the upcoming school year but will not be a graduation requirement until the 2022-23 school year. An amendment added in by the Senate and then further amended during negotiations between the education [...]

Campus High School offers free prom tickets to vaccinated students

info2021-04-09T07:07:01-05:00April 8th, 2021|

Campus High School (CHS) is offering free prom tickets to any student who shows proof of a coronavirus vaccination. The school said it’s part of an effort to make sure the “Secret Garden” event on May 8 is safe for all students who attend. Any student who brings their official coronavirus vaccination card with them when purchasing a ticket will not have to pay the $20 fee. Source: KAKE - News

‘It’s like a race’ — buyers struggle to find homes in Sedgwick County

info2021-04-09T07:07:43-05:00April 8th, 2021|

Home prices in Sedgwick County are on the rise. The high demand is making it difficult for some buyers to even look at a home before an offer is in. A couple from Omaha said it's been nearly impossible to find where they are going to live in Wichita. The pair recently got jobs in the area and now finding a new place to call home is proving difficult. "Monday we came down to town, we had a list of 10-12 homes and nine of them were already contracted on by the time we got into town," said Spencer Shearer, a [...]

Where there’s smoke there’s BBQ at Osage City

info2021-04-09T07:08:39-05:00April 8th, 2021|

Where there’s smoke there’s barbecue – that is how it’s been in April at Osage City for about 18 years, except for last year. Postponed until Halloween last year due to COVID-19 conditions, the Smoke in the Spring State BBQ Championship is back on track for springtime barbecue competition in 2021. The competition gets underway for the outdoor chefs Friday night as many start warming up their cookers, but the fun also fires up at the community barbecue party, Taste of Osage City, starting at 5 p.m. Source: Osage County Online

USD 383 to contest $128K February utility bill

info2021-04-09T07:09:26-05:00April 8th, 2021|

Officials with USD 383 say the district will contest its utility bill for February as it represents more than 90% of the entire district energy budget. During the board of education meeting Wednesday, Manhattan-Ogden superintendent Marvin Wade said he was expecting February’s utility rates to be higher, as record cold weather led to increased energy usage. However, he said seeing a final total bill of $128,363 was surprising. Source: themercury.com

Availability of ‘right’ housing remains a challenge in Scott City

info2021-04-08T16:21:01-05:00April 8th, 2021|

Community growth continues to hinge on two very familiar factors - jobs and housing. And while Scott City has made good progress on the latter over the past decade, it’s also acknowledged that much more needs to be done. According to Katie Eisenhour, director of the Scott County Development Committee, about 90 housing units have been built during the past 10 years. “When we did a housing study in about 2010, it was projected that we would add an average of six units annually,” notes Eisenhour. “So, we’re doing something right, but we also know that we have to do better,” [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for April 7, 2021

info2021-04-08T07:04:36-05:00April 8th, 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.

Fed officials say easy policy will stay in place until economic ‘outcomes’ are achieved

info2021-04-08T07:37:35-05:00April 8th, 2021|

Federal Reserve officials indicated at their last meeting that easy policy will stay in place until it produces stronger employment and inflation, and won't be adjusted based merely on forecasts. The Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday released minutes from the March 16-17 meeting as investors looked for indications about where policy may be heading in the future. ... The minutes said members agreed that changes in policy "should be based primarily on observed outcomes rather than forecasts." ... At the meeting, the Fed's policymaking arm voted to keep short-term borrowing rates anchored near zero and to continue buying at least [...]

City approves vote tally for new Dodge City Flag

info2021-04-08T07:29:24-05:00April 8th, 2021|

The votes are in and with 212 votes, the citizens of Dodge City voted on the new black-starred, gold backdrop with black and white stripe, to represent Dodge City as its new flag. According to city officials, there were five options to choose through for the new Dodge City Flag with the vote concluding on March 31. City officials said the flag will serve as a symbol for Dodge City and a source of civic pride. Source: Dodge City Daily Globe

Community strength built by a corral of bulls on Main Street in Marquette

info2021-04-08T07:29:36-05:00April 8th, 2021|

Hometown pride isn’t penned up in rural communities, but the bulls on main street sure are. Nearly 100 people packed into the Smoky Valley Distillery in Marquette on Tuesday night to participate in one of the most unusual bull sales many had seen in their lives. Ryan Barta, owner of Barta Farms LLC in Little River, asked the Marquette City Council in late March if he could hold his “Angus Comes to Town” sale downtown, to which they responded positively. “I think there’s been a lot of excitement,” Barta said. “This is something that’s not normally done; it’s normally in a [...]