News

During the growing season, bees, butterflies, and buyers swarm to the rippling strips of lavender on Rick and Ingrid Elam’s farm near Winfield. “It’s pretty amazing to watch all the bees and the moths and the butterflies and all the pollinators in there,” Rick Elam says. “A lot of people just take pictures of them as they go.” The Elams have two acres of lavender and 30 bee hives, from which they derive 32 products. But they’re thinking bigger these days, thanks to the launch of the Border Queen Harvest Hub in nearby Caldwell: a commercial kitchen that can increase their [...]

Wichita voters head to the polls to weigh in on a proposed 1% sales tax in five weeks. If approved, the expected $850 million in revenue would be divvied up into five different categories. City staff presented several kinds of guardrails to the Wichita City Council on Tuesday. These rules would govern how the funds from the sales tax would be collected, distributed, and spent. The biggest funding commitment is restoring and expanding the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center. Money would also be spent on public safety, property tax relief, housing and homeless services and a new downtown performing [...]

Ever have one of those weekends? Maybe you should ask the same question to the whole Oxford community. In a 12-hour span from late Friday evening to early Saturday morning in subarctic zero conditions, the Oxford community experienced not only an electrical outage but also a water break. Today, Oxford is operating at 100 percent after the Kansas Department of Health and Environment lifted a boil-water advisory this morning. The trouble started at 5 p.m. Friday evening when the lights went out in Oxford. The temperature was 7 degrees, with a wind chill of -14. At 7:48 p.m., short of three [...]

An estimated 650,000 visitors are expected to visit northeast Kansas and Kansas City in June and July, and businesses and the city are working to attract those visitors to Eudora. The 2026 World Cup is coming to the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Kansas City set to host six matches from June 16 to July 11. FIFA World Cup KC estimated that communities within a 200-mile radius will see an influx in tourism, according to previous reporting,  Jason Musick, owner of Barbwire Barbecue and a Conventions and Visitors Bureau member, said his business is waiting on what team, if any, [...]

During last week’s Hutchinson City Council budget workshop regarding the potential impacts if the proposed 0.75% sales tax increase is voted down March 3, Hutchinson Fire Department Chief Steven Beer asked, “What level of service do you want?” While it will ultimately be up to council members decide how to balance the budget if voters reject the sales tax increase of which Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas said, “It just makes our expense and revenue lines match,” at last week’s Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce State of the City breakfast, below are potential cuts city department heads offered up to the [...]

Funding for a community-built America 250 Patriot’s Flag mural mosaic was approved Monday night by Marysville City Council. April Spicer, who spoke on behalf of OneMarysville, said the goal is to unveil the mural on the Fourth of July. In the written request, OneMarysville executive director Wayne Kruse wrote, “This project is designed to strengthen the visitor experience. It creates a new, Marysville-specific attraction that can be promoted year round. It adds a strong visual element for downtown and event photography and it gives us a tangible America250 feature that can be highlighted in tourism marketing and during major community weekends [...]

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

More than $4.1 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding has been awarded for 12 projects across Kansas. The investments will strengthen infrastructure, housing and economic opportunities in rural and low- to moderate-income communities. The 12 awardees will receive a total of $4,125,316 in federal funds, which was matched by $9,158,623 in local investments. The result was a combined total of $12,283,939 to be used for public improvements in communities across the state. Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

The Downtown Revive & Thrive: Rehabilitation for Innovation and Incubator Spaces program has a total of $500,000 available in funding for Kansas communities with populations of 5,000 or less for projects that result in functional business incubator spaces or facilities designed for temporary retail or restaurant operations. The program is designed to support projects that repurpose existing infrastructure to create spaces and provide equipment for pop-up retail and restaurants that drive economic growth and contribute vibrancy to communities. Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

Meeting market expectations, the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee voted to keep its key interest rate in a range between 3.5%-3.75%. The decision put a halt to three consecutive quarter percentage point reductions, billed as maintenance moves to guard against potential downturns in the labor market. Read more: CNBC