News – Page 552 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

County Commission establishes committee focusing on LEC remodel

info2023-12-22T10:18:52-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

A Law Enforcement Center Remodel Committee was established by the Finney County Commission at their regular meeting Monday. Gerry Schultz, County commissioner, said the purpose for the committee’s creation is to assist in the planning and construction phase of the LEC’s remodel and to assist in communication with the effected parties including the city of Garden City, Garden City Police Department, Finney County and the Sheriff’s Office, and to ensure participation by the County commission in important decisions relating to the planning and construction. Commissioner Duane Drees will serve as the chair of the committee which will be composed of Finney County Administrator [...]

Hesston Fire/EMS transitioning to 24-hour service

info2023-12-22T10:01:11-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

Hesston Fire/EMS will undergo a major overhaul, and residents will see an improvement in service, thanks to a county grant as well as investment from the City of Hesston. That’s according to Hesston Fire/EMS Chief Russ Buller. He said the city council, following a Tuesday work session, gave the go-ahead for a plan that would allow two full-time staff members from the county. The additions would allow Hesston to staff its service for 24 hours per day, five days a week with full-time staff. Part-time staff, previously paid for call response, would be paid minimum wage for on-call hours. Previously, full-time [...]

Wyandotte County residents disagree about whether to dissolve the Unified Government

info2023-12-22T09:48:45-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

In October, the mayors of the three largest cities in Wyandotte County floated the idea of dissolving the Unified Government as an option to address debt and service issues. But not everyone thinks those structural changes are the right approach. The possibility of dissolving the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is now on the table but it's not clear whether that would be an effective strategy. In October, the mayors of Bonner Springs, Edwardsville and Kansas City, Kansas floated the idea of splitting up the Unified Government, and announced they wanted to hear from residents about how [...]

Panasonic still moving forward with Kansas factory after pulling plans for Oklahoma plant

info2023-12-22T09:46:22-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

A global company has once again decided against building an electric vehicle battery plant near Tulsa despite lawmakers offering a $698 million incentive package and funding millions of dollars in site improvements at the company’s request. A Panasonic spokesperson said Friday that the company will not build a multibillion-dollar battery plant at Pryor’s MidAmerica Industrial Park. “In April 2023, we entered into an agreement with the state of Oklahoma to explore building a factory in the state, with the understanding that we would make a decision about whether or not to move forward at the end of that exploratory process,” Panasonic spokesperson Alison [...]

City of Wichita planting over 1K trees to tackle heat islands

info2023-12-22T09:43:07-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

The City of Wichita will be planting over 1,000 trees to tackle heat islands across Wichita. District 6 Council Member Maggie Ballard held a public meeting on Wednesday afternoon at Emporia Park to discuss how the lack of an extensive tree canopy contributes to the area being identified as a heat island by NASA. After extensive outreach and public input, the Wichita City Council approved a tree policy for the city on Tuesday. "Our goal for the tree policy is to lessen the effect of heat islands across our community," said Ballard. "Implementing a tree policy isn't just about creating a nice green backdrop [...]

Mission OKs inclusive play equipment purchase for Water Works Park

info2023-12-22T09:41:34-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

Water Works Park in Mission is getting new play equipment. The Mission City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a nearly $350,000 purchase of inclusive play equipment for Water Works Park. Water Works Park is located off of 53rd Street and Woodson Drive, directly south of Rushton Elementary. The green and blue play equipment includes swing sets, slides and mounds. Penn Almoney, the parks and recreation director, told the city council on Dec. 20 that the new playground allows access from any angle. It also provides ways for children who are unable to communicate to tap a picture and communicate with other [...]

On the windswept plains of southwest Kansas, loneliness and isolation confirm policy failures

info2023-12-22T09:39:17-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

I’m saying goodbye to another set of friends who are leaving Dodge City and moving on to greener pastures outside of Kansas, writes Alejandro Rangel-Lopez. While this feeling first felt like a slight breeze, it now reflects the howling winds of the prairies as I struggle to hold on, like a tumbleweed in a barbed wire fence. In 2021, I graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree, a community organizing job in my hometown and a dream of empowering young southwest Kansans with the tools to build communities we can be proud to call home. Two years later, I’m saying [...]

Johnson County’s only winter homeless shelter is already at capacity

info2023-12-22T09:37:44-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

The first of December marked the beginning of the ninth winter of operations for Project 1020, Johnson County’s only low-barrier-to-entry homeless shelter. “If I had 75 beds, they would all be filled and I’d still need more,” McEver said. “We’re easily seeing that many people here every night.” McEver said the 30 beds Project 1020 is currently allowed by the city of Lenexa are simply not enough to meet the growing demand they are facing each day. The shelter operates out of the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church at 9400 Pflumm Rd. She keeps extensive data and analyzes it for trends and hard truths, she [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for December 21, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-12-22T08:52:13-06:00December 22nd, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. 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.

Municipal Bond Trends for December 20, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-12-21T10:00:19-06:00December 21st, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. 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.