News – Page 1789 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wamego Strong program helps to support local businesses amidst pandemic

info2020-04-17T09:12:44-05:00April 16th, 2020|

Help is being given to struggling Wamego businesses. Wamego strong raises money for struggling businesses in the community. How the program works, is customers buy gift cards on https://wamegostrong.org/. Wamego strong committee member Casie Hartwich explains how it works and how much they have raised so far. “Right now I think we’re up to $33,000. So for every gift card purchase to a local business and will may go a match is made in that equal amount and those funds are given to Community Care Ministries to provide assistance to those that are just suffering a financial shortfall right now,” says [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for April 15, 2020

info2020-04-16T08:06:23-05:00April 16th, 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.

Pair of small town restaurants turn to selling groceries

info2020-04-16T07:57:47-05:00April 16th, 2020|

When the novel coronavirus shut down dining at the Pretty Prairie Steakhouse, it didn’t take long for the owners to figure out that offering carryout was not going to sustain them. “That lasted about a week and we knew we couldn’t do it because of the overhead,” said Liz Shepherd, a daughter of owners Ed and Judy Markel. Then their Sysco food delivery representative, Kerrie Kaufman-Molitor, originally a Pretty Prairie native, suggested another idea – groceries. Now, instead of steaming plates, tables in the restaurant in the small town about 25 miles south of Hutchinson are piled with produce, flour, loaves [...]

Gov. Laura Kelly, legislators earmark $17 million for struggling hospitals

info2020-04-16T07:57:16-05:00April 16th, 2020|

Gov. Laura Kelly and House and Senate legislative leaders Wednesday agreed to allocate $17.3 million to cash-starved hospitals and to dedicate $10 million to the state’s emergency management system in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Kansas Hospital Association proposed the emergency aid to bolster the bottom line of hospitals statewide until federal stimulus dollars arrived. The plan adopted by the State Finance Council would spread money across 124 hospitals with maximum amounts ranging from $100,000 to $250,000. “Hospitals are most in need of a very quick shot in the arm as many hospitals are operating on a sub-optimal level of [...]

COVID-19’s financial toll on Kansas and Missouri colleges: ‘It will be significant’

info2020-04-16T07:56:43-05:00April 16th, 2020|

At college campuses across Kansas and Missouri, moving classes online and sending students home may have been wise moves to protect public health as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. But the decisions resulted in a financial body blow to universities that will cost them millions in the short term and deliver unknown consequences in the months and years ahead. “What is clear, however, is that we will be losing tens of millions of dollars of revenue through the end of this semester and the summer,” said Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, a spokeswoman at the University of Kansas. (Read more: Local News |)

First round of results from JoCo random sample finds 9 positives among 330 tests processed

info2020-04-16T07:54:14-05:00April 16th, 2020|

Early results from the first round of random sample COVID-19 testing administered by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment last week has found nine positives among 330 tests processed, an infection rate of 2.7%. Sanmi Areola, PhD, director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, characterized those results as evidence that residents have done a good job of helping mitigate community spread of the virus through adherence of stay-at-home orders and hygiene guidelines. However, he said, the apparent success of efforts to bend the curve doesn’t mean the county can lift restrictions immediately. (Read more: Prairie Village [...]

Gov. Laura Kelly extends statewide stay-at-home order until May 3

info2020-04-16T07:53:10-05:00April 16th, 2020|

Earlier Wednesday, Kelly announced her statewide stay-at-home order will remain in effect until May 3 and suggested a slow, cautious transition must follow. Kelly said it was important to see a reduction in COVID-19 infections for a two-week period before easing restrictions. The crisis is expected to peak in Kansas in late April. The governor said it has become clear no state will be safe from the pandemic until a vaccine is available, an indication the crisis could drag on for another year. Broader testing will help guide decisions in the coming weeks. (Read more: State Government - The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Newman named interim Chanute city manager

info2020-04-16T07:52:13-05:00April 16th, 2020|

Chanute city commissioners appointed the Parks Director Monday evening to serve as interim city manager. Parks Director Todd Newman will replace current City Manager Jeff Cantrell in May when Cantrell leaves to take the city manager position in Hutchinson. Newman has worked for the city for nine years and has been parks director since 2014. For about a year, he has also been director of the Chanute Recreation Commission. (Read more: www.chanute.com - RSS Results in news,news/* of type article)

Sedgwick County commissioners debate property tax relief amid coronavirus pandemic

info2020-04-16T07:51:24-05:00April 16th, 2020|

Sedgwick County commissioners are debating how to provide property tax relief amid the coronavirus pandemic, but found out Wednesday what they can do is pretty limited — if they can do anything at all. Citing concerns over how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the general economy and individuals’ financial solvency, commissioners considered multiple proposals for tax relief at their meeting Wednesday. Ideas included rolling back property valuations to 2019 levels, pushing back the deadline for property owners to pay their taxes, and/or giving people more time to appeal their tax valuations. (Read more: Local News |)

GCCC to Continue Online for Summer 2020

info2020-04-16T07:51:08-05:00April 16th, 2020|

Garden City Community College will maintain its transition to online and remote course delivery through Summer 2020 and will offer all students a discounted tuition rate during this term. Like many colleges and universities across the nation, the decision to continue online through GCCC’s summer term – May 26 through August 7, 2020 – is in direct response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Normally, GCCC students pay $150 per credit hour for online courses, which includes tuition, fees, and online textbooks. The GCCC Board of Trustees, which met for a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, approved the discounted Summer 2020 rate for [...]