info2020-04-02T16:59:02-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
Although urban areas may have more cases, the number of confirmed cases per 10,000 residents is 2.7 times higher in Coffey County than in any other county and most of the counties with infection rates that high are near that county. (Read more: Marion County RECORD)
info2020-04-03T08:52:37-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
The Overland Park city administration’s move to suspend the planned increase in police salaries that was scheduled to go into effect this week has drawn a response from the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 21, which is made up of Overland Park officers. In a letter to city officials, Lodge 21 President Mike Mosher said the group believes the move to suspend the raise was premature, and that the city’s financial position should allow it to be enacted as planned. “Although we understand the speed that this COVID-19 pandemic came upon all of us, we also understand that our great city [...]
info2020-04-02T08:47:02-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
The Johnson County parks system has found a way to reopen its two golf courses during the physical-distancing restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandamic. Officials call it a “touchless golf experience.” The new measures, which apply to the Heritage Park Golf Course in Olathe and the Tomahawk Hills course in Shawnee, are aimed at maintaining the 6-foot physical distancing requirement and reducing the likelihood of picking up the virus from a surface. (Read more: Joco 913 News)
info2020-04-02T08:46:41-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
Despite the risk of spreading coronavirus, large crowds continue to congregate and play team sports on Shawnee Mission school athletic fields, officials said. Now, the district is cracking down. The district’s fields and stadiums remain open, even though schools are closed, officials said, to let the community exercise during the stay at home order. But officials said Wednesday that the district and local police departments have received numerous complaints about large groups playing organized sports and ignoring social distancing guidelines. Beginning Thursday, district police were to begin issuing trespassing citations for anyone violating the rules — which include staying six feet [...]
info2020-04-02T08:45:36-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
The coronavirus triggered a liquidity crisis in municipal bonds, but the volatility that resulted has been brewing for a decade. Desperate sellers across most markets sold assets at deep discounts last month as the spreading new coronavirus left investors fearful and hungry for cash. Perhaps no investment flipped from coveted haven to spurned hot potato as quickly as municipal bonds. Prices have started to recover as U.S. lawmakers authorized the Federal Reserve to prop up a wide swath of state and local government debt. But the marketwide breakdown exposed a new vulnerability in the nearly $4 trillion municipal market: a concentration [...]
info2020-04-02T08:44:34-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
Another large wave of selling hit the market on Wednesday, with yields rising by more than a half percentage point on the long end, amid defensive bidding reminiscent of the mid-March sell-off. March’s volatility has led to some of the widest price swings the market has seen since benchmark data was created and it continues as the second quarter begins. Large block trades were showing massive swings in yield and AAA benchmark yields on various scales rose by 40 to 50 basis points from 10 years and out while the short end wasn’t spared either, seeing cuts of 16 to 35 [...]
info2020-04-02T08:43:40-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
The Johnson County Commissioners decided March 30 to take a pro-active response to COVID-19 by offering testing for a random sample of 3,000 to 5,000 people in the county. “We are not trying to test everybody in the county,” explained Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the department of health and environment. “That is neither feasible nor necessary. Additional testing is necessary to understand what’s going on in the county to help us make informed decisions, so we can identify positives cases, see who their contacts are, and take action to prevent the spread of the virus.” In a move that demonstrates [...]
info2020-04-02T08:42:56-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
Fort Scott commissioners are looking to take action their response to COVID-19. Two proposals on Tuesday night’s agenda featured initiatives for disaster response — one adopting a local state of emergency and the other working to aid small businesses within the community. ... The Revolving Loan Program is an emergency tool for businesses in the form of grant funding. The City of Fort Scott has more than $260,000 through the Kansas Department of Commerce and will be able to help more than 25 local businesses. Companies can apply online for the $10,000 grant, or can email their completed applications to Rachel [...]
info2020-04-02T08:33:00-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
Citizens advised to avoid equipment; obey social distancing guidelines, signs Parks in Ark City will remain open to the public during Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s “stay at home” order, but this could change if safety guidelines are ignored. Under the stay-at-home order, open spaces and walking trails are recommended to remain open, and the use of these areas is considered an “essential activity” — as long as the appropriate 6-foot distance is maintained between individuals and gatherings do not exceed the state limit of 10 people. However, the City of Arkansas City’s Public Services Department strongly discourages the use of any [...]
info2020-04-02T08:31:58-05:00April 2nd, 2020|
Police and sheriff’s officers will not let the coronavirus stop them from enforcing the law, despite changes in procedures over the past two weeks. Neosho County Undersheriff Greg Taylor said the jail is maintaining numbers so it can quarantine an inmate if necessary. He said some prisoners on misdemeanor charges without bond were released after a judge reviewed charges, and officers continue to make arrests. “We’ll use some common sense as to who we bring in,” Taylor said. (Read more: The Chanute Tribune)
