News – Page 43 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wichita bond issue draws supporters and opponents as campaign heats up

info2025-01-15T09:52:30-06:00January 15th, 2025|

Groups on both sides of a proposed bond issue for Wichita schools have named leaders and launched campaigns ahead of the February election. Wichita United for Better Education, a political action committee formed by Republican strategist Ben Davis to oppose the bond issue, said on a new website that the Wichita district should focus on basic maintenance and student test scores rather than building new schools. Bradley Dyer Jr., a senior business development officer with Credit Union of America, is spearheading a “Yes for Wichita Kids” campaign in favor of the bond issue. He said the proposal is a responsible plan [...]

KU research suggests wind power isn’t a red vs. blue issue in Kansas

info2025-01-15T09:51:10-06:00January 15th, 2025|

New wind installations aren’t allowed in about one-fifth of Kansas counties, in part to protect the nation’s last, largest swath of tallgrass prairie. Wind power can spark passionate reactions – at times dividing neighbors and communities – but unlike many other hot-button topics, how this one shakes out across Kansas may not follow political lines. Researchers at the University of Kansas have begun exploring the drivers behind the regulations that vary county by county and control where wind farms are – and aren’t – allowed. They’ve created a first-of-its-kind interactive atlas that pulls together rules for the state’s 105 counties, creating [...]

Kansas school districts request more bond money than can be given, first in state history

info2025-01-15T09:49:55-06:00January 15th, 2025|

It’s a first for Kansas. School districts statewide have asked for more bond project money than the Department of Education can give out. This means some districts have to wait to make improvements. Dozens of districts are looking at their needs closely, meaning that historical questions put some district leaders in a position to table their requests. This puts their local votes on the back burner until at least July 1 of the next fiscal year. Source: KSN-TV

Update: PowerSchool cyberattack impact on Winfield

info2025-01-15T09:48:42-06:00January 15th, 2025|

Kansas schools that use PowerSchool are still looking into how a cybersecurity incident may have impacted their students and employees. Last week, Kansas school districts were notified that PowerSchool was the victim of a nationwide data breach from approximately Dec. 19 to Dec. 23. The company said the breach involved student data. Some Kansas school districts that use PowerSchool are Andover, Buhler, Haysville, Rose Hill and Winfield. Source: KSN-TV

Liberal receives funding, looking to create railroad overpass

info2025-01-15T09:47:39-06:00January 15th, 2025|

Federal funding is helping reconnect a southwest Kansas community. Liberal received over $1.6 million from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program. Currently, the city of 20,000 is split by the Union Pacific Rail Line. This money will be used to study sites where an overpass can be built so trains don’t tie up traffic. Source: KSN-TV

Wichita passed new rules for golf carts on city streets. Here’s what you can & can’t do

info2025-01-15T09:46:20-06:00January 15th, 2025|

Wichita now has one of the more restrictive ordinances in Kansas for golf carts on public streets. It will allow their use only on streets with posted speed limits of 30 mph or less. State statute already prohibits the use of golf carts on highways and arterial streets. Wichita also will prohibit their use in the core area — downtown, Old Town and Delano — as well as on sidewalks and walking and bike paths. To operate a golf cart, drivers must have a valid driver’s license and be at least 18 years old. Wichita is one of the only cities [...]

Douglas County to open applications for property tax rebates for seniors, disabled veterans

info2025-01-15T09:45:26-06:00January 15th, 2025|

Douglas County has launched its pilot program to give older people and veterans with service-related disabilities a break on their property taxes. The program will give folks ages 65 and up and disabled veterans who meet income guidelines a maximum rebate of $300, or the county portion of their property tax, whichever is less. Source: The Lawrence Times

Municipal Bond Trends for January 14, 2025

Henry Schmidt2025-01-15T09:43:45-06:00January 15th, 2025|

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.

State offers $3 million to complete Sand Creek dream

info2025-01-15T09:42:37-06:00January 15th, 2025|

The State of Kansas called Newton and wanted to give $3 million to connect the two sections of its bike path. The catch? The Kansas Department of Transportation needed an answer by Jan. 15. The city’s first meeting after the offer was on Jan. 14. The project would connect the Sand Creek Trail from where it ends south of First Street at the Sand Creek Dam to where it picks up at SW 14th Street. From there, it runs near the new wetlands park and through the Sand Creek Station Golf Course. Completing the trail has been on the city’s list [...]

Sedgwick has a trio of attorneys to work with

info2025-01-15T09:40:52-06:00January 15th, 2025|

Sedgwick’s new city attorney, Jennifer Hill of McDonald Tinker Law Firm in Wichita, brings with her over 20 years of civil litigation work for governmental entities and another four years of experience as a city attorney. Hill, a Wichita native, began practicing law in her hometown in 2003 and joined McDonald Tinker in 2005. Working with Hill in Sedgwick will be Associate Attorneys Scott Ufford and Matt Gorney. Hill said that Ufford and Gorney will handle the prosecution docket and the monthly city council meeting on the first Wednesday of each month. Hill will attend the second monthly meeting on the [...]