Mayor: Topeka has done well addressing poverty, but there is still more to do

2020-10-22T07:02:08-05:00October 21st, 2020|

Mayor Michelle De La Isla joined mayors from across the country Wednesday to discuss eliminating poverty in their cities. De La Isla boasted about what Topeka has done so far, but said there is more work to be done as “poverty is everywhere.” “We are the richest nation in the world with 328.1 million people, yet contrasted with other nations we have 10.5% of people in America that are living in poverty,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of the United States Conference of Mayors at Wednesday’s virtual roundtable. Source: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal

Kindergartners exempted from COVID-19 mask mandate, commission delays action on bars

2020-10-22T07:02:45-05:00October 21st, 2020|

Sedgwick County has quietly altered its mask mandate to no longer require kindergartners to mask up in school, it was revealed Wednesday. The County Commission also decided Wednesday to delay action on one commissioner’s proposal to rescind an early curfew on bars and nightclubs and to make the county’s COVID-control orders, including the mask mandate, voluntary again. During Wednesday’s meeting, the county released a rewrite of an order issued on Friday by Dr. Garold Minns, the county health officer and dean of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Roe 2020 project remains on track with residential striping completed

2020-10-22T06:59:42-05:00October 21st, 2020|

After nearly five months of construction, Roeland Park’s largest infrastructure project in the history of the city remains on track for completion by Thanksgiving 2020. Why it matters: Roe 2020 is a $10 million renovation of the city’s main thoroughfare, Roe Boulevard, from northern city limits to southern city limits. The residential portion of the street — south of 51st Street — is on schedule to complete major construction milestones within the next few weeks. The project is bringing eight-foot sidewalks, a completely repaved and restriped street, new landscaping and for many Roe Boulevard residents, new or partially-new driveways. Source: Prairie [...]

USDA Invests $50,000 in Community Infrastructure in Concordia, Kansas

2020-10-21T09:12:20-05:00October 21st, 2020|

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Kansas Lynne Hinrichsen today announced that USDA is investing $50,000 toward new seating for the historic Brown Grand Opera House in Concordia. ... This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase seating for the historic Brown Grand Opera House in Concordia, Kansas. The current seating in the opera House is breaking and finding parts for repair has become increasingly difficult. This project will allow the opera house to purchase new seats. Additionally, the second balcony will be returned to its original bench-style seating and 432 new seats will go in [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for October 20, 2020

2020-10-21T06:59:52-05:00October 21st, 2020|

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.

Health official: COVID now widespread in Reno County community

2020-10-21T06:54:21-05:00October 20th, 2020|

COVID-19 is now widespread in Hutchinson and the Reno County Community, the county’s interim Health Officer warned on Tuesday, and people need to step up the oft-repeated protection measures to mitigate it. “People don’t understand what a huge problem we have,” said interim Reno County Health Department Co-Director Karen Hammersmith during a weekly Tuesday morning Zoom call. There are currently 18 positive COVID patients admitted to the local hospital, including three people who are now on ventilators. At noon on Tuesday, the county reported its 12th death. That’s eight deaths in in the past 13 days. Reno County’s positive case numbers [...]

Bike Share ICT to get on the road again with new operator after COVID-19 bankruptcy

2020-10-21T06:54:32-05:00October 20th, 2020|

Rental bikes will soon be rolling on the streets of Wichita again, after the COVID-19 pandemic bankrupted the previous operator of Bike Share ICT. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a contract with a new operator for bike rentals, a company called Tandem Mobility. That firm operates the KANcycle program that serves several cities in north-central Kansas, including Salina and Concordia, according to its website. Wichita has been without a rent-a-bike service since May when the previous contractor, Zagster, declared bankruptcy and ceased operation. Council member Becky Tuttle, who ran Bike Share ICT in her previous job at the Greater Wichita [...]

Display violated city’s sign ordinance

2020-10-21T06:55:28-05:00October 20th, 2020|

Larger-than-life hay bale version of President Trump changed after it exceeded size limits for political promotions. A political display on U.S. 54/Madison Avenue got a lot of attention this past week. Too much, actually. The display, composed of four large round hay bales and painted to represent a larger-than-life version of President Donald Trump, exceeded the city’s limits on political signs.  It was an unusual type of sign, though, and an unusual situation, Codes Enforcement Office Greg Hutton said. “That was a first,” he said. Source: The Iola Register

Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office partners with Ring home security

2020-10-21T06:55:47-05:00October 20th, 2020|

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with home security company Ring in an effort to make the community safer. Ring devices capture video of suspicious activity or a crime. Device owners will now have the ability to share these videos with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office utilizing the Neighbors App available free for download at the App Store or Google Play. As an identified public safety user of the Neighbors App, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office can post information about crime and safety alerts, view and comment on public posts within our jurisdiction, and use the video request feature to [...]

‘He is ready to go back’: Officer shot in Lyons making recovery alongside wife in hospital

2020-10-21T06:55:54-05:00October 20th, 2020|

Three days after he was shot in the line of duty a Lyons police officer making a shocking recovery. "He is alive," says Cami Ryan. Sgt. Cory Ryan, a Lyons police officer since 2012, took three bullets responding to a 911 call including one in the face. "Literally millimeters of difference and we would be having a very different conversation right now," said Ryan's wife. Moments before a flood of armored vehicles, sharpshooters, and ems arrived on the scene Ryan was dragged from the danger by someone nearby and rushed to the hospital where he has been defying the odds ever [...]

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