News

A Holcomb police officer has been awarded the department’s Medal of Merit for her courageous actions that helped save a 10-year-old boy trapped during an industrial accident last month. Field Training Officer Kayla Van Doren was recognized for her bravery and quick thinking during the June 18 emergency, when she responded to a call involving a child pinned beneath a heavily loaded flatbed trailer. According to the Holcomb Police Department, Van Doren arrived around 2 p.m. to find a chaotic scene. She immediately assisted the child’s father in using a jack to relieve the pressure from the trailer. Source: KSN-TV

The City of Wichita held a ribbon cutting Friday morning to celebrate the latest upgrades at Pracht Wetlands Park, one of the last remaining urban wetlands in the Midwest. Phase 3 of the park’s plan includes a new elevated boardwalk and a covered wildlife viewing area inspired by the Pracht family, who used to farm and hunt the land. Visitors will also see new sculptures by local artist Conrad Snider and educational panels about the wildlife and history of the area. Source: KSN-TV

After widespread flooding in June, Salina is still dealing with a massive log jam in Bill Burke Park. The pile-up hasn’t changed much in three weeks, and while the city is looking for a contractor to remove it, the $500,000 price tag has some people questioning the plan. Source: KSN-TV

Coffey County Sheriff Tom Johnson is understandably quite pleased with the county’s new Law Enforcement Center in Burlington. Johnson says this is a significant step forward for his department, as well as the County Attorney’s Office and jail. Johnson says the new building helps to bring all law enforcement operations under one roof, with administrative services, investigations and the jail on the ground floor and County Attorney Wade Bowie’s operations on the second level. Source: d2430

More interactive parks with technology, free wifi and programming for active senior citizens are among the improvements that residents should expect to see in the coming years. Implementation began this month of long-term plans to improve facilities and parks in town that cater to a variety of ages and abilities. “Eudora has an incredible sense of community,” City Commissioner and Parks Foundation Board member Alex Curnes said. “I also think it’s really important that Eudora remains a great place for all generations. The plan also helps us to see what the community feels is their priority.” Programming goals include continuing to [...]

Iola City Council members are being asked to reconsider the town’s long-standing prohibition of live chickens within the city limits. Why did the chicken cross the road? In this case, it’s to get to Monday’s Iola City Council meeting, where the city is once again being asked to allow such fowl creatures in residential neighborhoods. The oft-debated topic has been requested once again, after a split Council narrowly voted down an identical measure last spring. Source: The Iola Register

Mulvane Fire Rescue, along with other local departments, recently received disbursements from the Kansas Department of Insurance through its annual fund distribution to Firefighter Relief Associations (FRAs). Mulvane received a little over $45,000 in funding. Source: www.derbyinformer.com - RSS Results in news/area_news of type article

The property tax rate paid by Manhattan residents again ranks in the middle of the pack for comparable Kansas cities, according to data obtained by The Manhattan Mercury. Manhattan’s rate — which combines the taxes levied by the city government, the county government and the local public school system — ranks 14th among the 26 so-called “first-class” cities in the state, according to a Mercury analysis of data from the League of Kansas Municipalities. Those are the largest cities in the state. Source: themercury.com - RSS Results in news of type article

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.

Federal Reserve officials diverged at their June meeting about how aggressively they would be willing to cut interest rates, split between concerns over tariff-fueled inflation and signs of labor market weakness and economic strength. Minutes from the 17-18 meeting released Wednesday showed that policymakers largely held to a wait-and-see position on future rate moves. The meeting ended with Federal Open Market Committee members voting unanimously to hold the central bank's key borrowing rate in a range between 4.25%-4.5%, where it has been since December 2024. Source: Bonds