News – Page 455 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wichita police quietly tested gunshot-detection tech for 2 years. Now they’re ready to expand it.

info2024-07-29T13:37:44-05:00July 29th, 2024|

The Wichita Police Department plans to purchase around 144 gunshot sensors it’s tested since February 2022, officials said during a town hall meeting in June. Other than a brief mention of it when police talked about failures of the previous gunshot system in February 2023, which was the first time city and elected officials learned police had been testing the technology for more than a year, it was the first time the department spoke publicly about testing the controversial technology. The gunshot technology being implemented in Wichita has been controversial in other cities, including lawsuits, concerns about police bias and voice [...]

Could a sales tax in Sedgwick County reduce property taxes?

info2024-07-29T13:37:56-05:00July 29th, 2024|

Voters in Sedgwick County could be asked next year to support a new sales tax that would fund arts, culture and recreation programming. The Sedgwick County Zoo, Exploration Place science museum, the Kansas African American Museum and the county parks department are all set to take cuts in next year’s proposed county budget. Funding those programs through a sales tax instead would allow the county to lower its property tax levy by between two and a half and three mills, likely starting in 2026 or 2027. Commissioners want to present voters with a ballot question about a sales tax no later [...]

Rural Towns Are Aging, Cash-Strapped and in Desperate Need of Workers

info2024-07-29T14:44:41-05:00July 29th, 2024|

The challenge of both finding and affording workers faces small governments scattered around the U.S., and often leaves those still there to pick up the slack. ... Rural areas have long struggled to hang onto—or recruit—young residents launching their careers. Small-town officials say they face particular hurdles when it comes to offering competitive salaries to compete for workers. Source: Wall Street Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for July 26, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-07-29T10:03:47-05:00July 29th, 2024|

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.

Commerce Awards $380,000 for Rural Counties to Market ROZ Program

info2024-07-29T14:45:06-05:00July 29th, 2024|

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced $380,000 has been awarded to 40 Kansas counties in the first round of Rural Opportunity Zone (ROZ) Local Marketing Grants. The funds are intended to help counties market the unique ROZ financial incentives available to new residents: Student loan repayment assistance and/or 100% state income tax credit. Counties that have annually contributed and supported the matching requirement of the program will receive between $5,000 and $15,000 to better support and promote their program. Funding will assist the counties and local partner organizations as they develop customized marketing strategies best suited for [...]

‘Them vs. us’: Lawrence community members identify barriers between police and themselves

info2024-07-29T14:45:45-05:00July 29th, 2024|

A diverse group of community members shared their perspectives on Lawrence police Saturday, voicing concerns ranging from how officers could show more compassion and preparedness in crises to making downtown feel safer. Several dozen community members gathered at Lawrence High School for a partnership workshop hosted by the Lawrence Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice. The two-part workshop aims to “improve trust and develop partnerships between police and community members. Participants split into six small groups to identify the positives and negatives of the LPD’s interactions with the community, ultimately narrowing it down to three “barriers.” A second session [...]

Wichita police officers get new body cameras

info2024-07-29T14:46:03-05:00July 29th, 2024|

The Wichita Police Department has been issuing new body cameras to all commissioned officers, and most officers have now received them. Police Captain Aaron Moses said officers will have a choice between a head-mounted and a body-mounted camera. He said the new cameras have a wider angle and a clearer picture along with better audio. There has been automatic activation of the camera when a taser is deployed, and Moses said the next steps will be to have automatic activation when the light bar is activated on a patrol car or when a firearm is pulled from its holster. Supervisors will [...]

Kansas Supreme Court clarifies land-use permit authority, settles Finney County dispute

info2024-07-29T14:46:53-05:00July 29th, 2024|

The Kansas Supreme Court issued an opinion Friday that determined the Finney County Commission had authority to delegate decisions about land-use permits to a zoning appeals board as long the local actions didn’t conflict with state law. The opinion written by Justice Dan Biles was inspired by a dispute that emerged in 2021 when Huber Sand applied to the Finney County Board of Zoning Appeals for a conditional use permit to operate a sand and gravel quarry under regulations adopted by the county commission. More than 100 people submitted protest petitions in opposition to the development on 177 acres southeast of [...]

Wyandotte County to offer home repairs, relocation and counseling for gun violence victims

info2024-07-29T14:47:47-05:00July 29th, 2024|

Seven years ago, a drive-by shooting became the first case District Attorney Mark Dupree handled as Wyandotte County’s top prosecutor. Bullets had pierced the front door of a home, busted out windows and flattened the tires of a vehicle parked outside. One year later, the district attorney said, damage done to that very home and vehicle remained unfixed. “What can we do about this?” Dupree recalled asking Damon Daniel, executive director of Kansas City’s Ad Hoc Group Against Crime, in 2017. “And it took us about seven years to figure it out — to find the funding.” During a Tuesday press [...]

Much of Kansas is at ‘high risk’ of West Nile virus. Here’s why and how to stay safe

info2024-07-29T14:47:42-05:00July 29th, 2024|

Keep your distance from mosquitoes if you’re in Kansas in the near future. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued high-risk and moderate warnings for West Nile virus across the state. Johnson and Wyandotte counties, located in the northeast region, are in moderate-risk areas, while Wichita, found in the south-central region, is in a high-risk area. About half of Kansas is considered high-risk areas because there are a high number of mosquitoes in those regions, and that increases the chances of residents being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus, according to the state health department. A moderate risk [...]