Vaccine surfing? Don’t try it at Sedgwick County’s COVID vaccination station

2021-02-10T07:10:53-06:00February 9th, 2021|

It’s called “vaccine surfing” — hanging out around a COVID-19 vaccination center at the end of the day, hoping to get a shot from the leftovers. But it won’t work at Sedgwick County’s vaccination stations, a top county official said Tuesday. While Sedgwick County is committed to not wasting any doses of the precious vaccine, its medical personnel won’t give the jab to just anybody to get rid of spare doses, said Tim Kaufman, deputy county manager. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Survey finds more than 30,000 Johson Countians live in poverty, every city impacted

2021-02-10T07:11:08-06:00February 9th, 2021|

Merriam, Roeland Park, Mission and Shawnee are among the northeast Johnson County cities with the highest poverty rates, according to a United Community Services of Johnson County fact sheet. The local nonprofit’s data details poverty rates for the 19 cities and seven townships in Johnson County, based on five-year estimates (2015-2019) from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. While the data was collected prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic it is useful to understand the difficulties residents currently face, UCS staff said in a newsletter. Source: Prairie Village Post

Pittsburg one of 50 best work-from-home cities in the US

2021-02-09T14:51:06-06:00February 9th, 2021|

Leading tech news publication PCMag just released their ranking of 50 best work-from-home cities in America and Pittsburg, Kansas made the list. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a remote work boom, driving many North Americans to find new, more affordable homes. But if you can work from anywhere, where should you go? That's the question PCMag set out to answer. The magazine searched for cities with affordable housing, great gigabit internet connections, plus remote-friendly lifestyles, and Pittsburg passed the test with flying colors. “Our list started by looking at towns where people have and use gigabit broadband, and the work Craw-Kan and [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for February 8, 2021

2021-02-09T08:26:13-06:00February 9th, 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.

Diving into western Kansas’ water issues

2021-02-09T08:23:12-06:00February 9th, 2021|

Water flows freely and easily in parts of Kansas. But in other locations, the splash and splatter of a river is far less frequent. A heavy downpour, though often prayed for by farmers, is rare. Edwards, Ellis, Russell and Stafford counties sit at the bullseye of a major water issue. A wildlife refuge needs water for its migrating birds, farmers need water to manage their crops, industry needs the commodity to increase capacity and local municipalities, Hays and Russell, need water for their citizens. In January, with the help of U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, by actions of [...]

Yield on 30-year Treasury Hits 2% for First Time Since Pandemic

2021-02-09T08:18:43-06:00February 9th, 2021|

The yield of the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond pushed past 2% Monday for the first time since February 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic roiled government-debt markets. The move comes amid a recent surge in yields of longer-term Treasury bonds compared with short-term debt, as traders bet that government stimulus will accelerate a rebound in economic growth. Bond investors closely watch the differential between interest rates on short and longer-dated Treasurys as a bellwether for growth and inflation, both of which can push bond yields up as the Federal Reserve raises short-term rates and investors demand higher returns to lend out capital. [...]

Sedgwick County outlines opposition to property tax relief bill

2021-02-09T08:14:13-06:00February 8th, 2021|

A bill in the Kansas House to provide property tax relief to businesses closed or limited in capacity by county regulations will be met with opposition by Sedgwick County at a Tuesday hearing. Commissioners met in a special meeting Monday morning to talk about the county's response to House Bill 2142, a one-page bill that would enable businesses shut down or limited in capacity by county orders to seek property tax reimbursement for those months. Sedgwick County manager Tom Stolz said that could mean as much as a $50 million blow to the county's $198 million general fund, a hit that would cause [...]

Wheatland Electric provides $5K to Great Bend for housing study

2021-02-09T08:14:20-06:00February 8th, 2021|

Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc., is providing $5,000 to Great Bend Economic Development to assist with a local housing study. As a member-owned cooperative, Wheatland Electric is guided by several cooperative principles, including concern for community, according to a company news release. This principle encourages us to work toward the sustainable development of the communities we serve.  The housing assessment, which will be completed by RDG Planning & Design, a national firm, is designed to encourage affordable, safe housing in the Great Bend community. The study, which will cost approximately $10,000 total, will take at least 60-90 days to complete, according to [...]

Small Kansas town spotlighted in Super Bowl commercial

2021-02-09T08:14:57-06:00February 8th, 2021|

A small Kansas town taking center stage as one of Sunday nights most popular Super Bowl commercials. Bruce and Donna Fiene light up with pride watching their hometown of Lebanon, the center of the U.S., be put on the map in front of 100 million Americans watching the Super Bowl. And a very famous face, Bruce Springsteen, showing up in their little corner of Kansas, and in his first ever commercial, sharing a message of unity. Source: KAKE - News

Sedgwick Co. Commission opposes bill that would reimburse some businesses’ property taxes

2021-02-09T08:15:26-06:00February 8th, 2021|

The Sedgwick County Commission is against a bill that would force counties to reimburse some business owners for actions taken during the coronavirus pandemic. Some counties have forced businesses to shut down or limit the number of customers during the pandemic, but those businesses still had to pay property taxes during that time. Kansas House Bill 2142 would let the businesses request and get reimbursed. On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners is submitting testimony in opposition to the bill. The county said in a letter it appears to undermine the efforts, as the board of health, to [...]

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