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Mayor Brad Finkeldei said he believes downtown Lawrence will be transformed, the city will expand west of Kansas Highway 10 and more development is coming in the next year or two. Finkeldei, first elected to a four-year term in 2019 and reelected in 2023, previously served as mayor in 2021. Traditionally, the person who receives the most votes in an election will serve as vice mayor for the first year of their term, then as mayor the following year. The candidate who received the second most votes in the election follows as the next vice mayor. The new commission — which [...]

City Clerk Bailey Saylor was designated as Interim City Administrator by the Lyons City Council during Monday evening’s meeting. This is one of a number of actions taken in the wake of the resignation of Troy Houtman on Nov. 17. As part of a motion setting out interim duties and responsibilities, Steven Thomas was designated as deputy city clerk, with Elizabeth Ramsey to continue in her role as assistant city administrator. The Council also as part of that motion eliminated the position of Human Resources Director, which they will re-evaluate in June. In a related action, the Council authorized Mayor Alicia [...]

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.

Douglas County currently has a policy that says the accounts can’t have fund balances that are more than 25% of their revenues. Douglas County Administrator Sarah Plinsky said, instead, the 20% to 25% range should be a minimum. Read more: LJWorld

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.

The commissioning of Wichita’s new water treatment plant has been delayed again. The City of Wichita said in a news release Wednesday that the delay is due to ongoing problems with the clarifiers. Clarifiers allow solids to settle at the bottom of the water so they can be removed. The new $500 million plant, near 21st Street and Hoover Road, is replacing the city’s 80-year-old water plant. It was constructed by Wichita Water Partners, which currently owns the plant but is slated to turn over ownership to the city once the facility is fully operational. That was originally supposed to happen [...]

At a special meeting Tuesday, the council voted 5-2 to negotiate a contract with Dennis Marstall. Councilmen Brandon Johnson and Mike Hoheisel voted no. “I am concerned about potential undue influence by elected officials in the process and potentially the selection committee,” District 1 City Council member Brandon Johnson said. “I am concerned about an expectation that immediately excludes one of the finalists.” Marstall is currently the county administrator of Lancaster County, South Carolina. Read more: KSN-TV

A Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputy was attacked by a group of dogs while responding to a call in south Wichita Saturday morning. Deputies were dispatched to the 4600 block of S. Hemlock Ave. in Oaklawn after reports of a man being attacked by several dogs. When deputies arrived, they found 10 to 15 dogs, believed to be Boston terriers, running at large. While attempting to assist an 18-year-old male, the dogs attacked the deputy. Two deputies fired their weapons in an attempt to scare the dogs away. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said, “No people, animals or property were hit by [...]

The problem sounds easy: Kansas has too few houses for sale, especially in small, rural communities struggling to attract young people and new businesses. The simple answer is to build more houses. But those in real estate say this shortage has been years in the making, and it may take years and creative thinking to emerge from it. Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

The Refinery is now open. The grand opening of The Refinery, a state-of-the-art sports facility, was held on Nov. 21. The Refinery is a 200,000-square-foot facility that features six full basketball courts, an indoor turf arena, team suites, pickleball courts, an indoor walking track, restaurant, arcade, convenience store, pro-shop, events center and more. The facility is designed to be a hub for youth sports and recreation in Garden City, offering opportunities for youth of all ages and abilities to participate in various sports activities. A second phase of the project is already underway and includes four all-turf baseball/softball fields, outdoor wiffleball [...]