News – Page 654 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Lawrence City Commission approves ban on single-use plastic bags

info2023-08-09T08:34:13-05:00August 9th, 2023|

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a revived ordinance banning single-use plastic bags citywide. The ordinance has been in discussion for years, and the Sustainability Advisory Board has suggested multiple versions of it. It aims to reduce the use of plastics in the city, which in turn could help reduce the city’s dependence on fossil fuels and prevent some pollution from the bags, contamination through microplastics from bags’ degradation, and animal deaths from eating the bags, among other concerns. Commissioners in a 2-2 tie on June 20 voted down the ordinance that would have banned the use of single-use plastic bags in city [...]

New bus route connects Lenexa to Mission

info2023-08-09T08:32:49-05:00August 9th, 2023|

Johnson County has launched a new bus route that serves the 87th Street corridor — a central artery through Lenexa. The zero-fare Route 487 operates between Lenexa City Center (west of I-435) and the Mission Transit Center on Johnson Drive in Mission. This east-west connecting route also travels through downtown Overland Park and the western edge of Prairie Village. The Johnson County Transit RideKC service began Aug. 7, 2023. The bus route runs Monday through Friday from around 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., with buses scheduled an hour apart. There are five bus stops along the route. Route 487 connects to several other routes, including Route 495 at Lenexa City [...]

City Council approves penalties for illegal gambling machines in Wichita

info2023-08-08T23:48:26-05:00August 8th, 2023|

Wichita City Council members have given unanimous approval to an ordinance with penalties for certain businesses that are found to have possession of illegal gambling machines. The penalties apply to businesses that have city licenses for tobacco, liquor, cereal malt beverages and entertainment, as well as private club licenses. Assistant City Attorney Jan Jarman told the Council during its Tuesday meeting that illegal machines have skyrocketed across the city, and in many cases as police remove machines, new ones are brought in. She said the machines target low-income areas, they have no guaranteed payout and no oversight, and they are operating [...]

Historic building owners, public invited to meeting to learn about state’s preservation program

info2023-08-08T23:45:50-05:00August 8th, 2023|

The Fort Scott City Commissioners will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Friday at City Hall to discuss the Certified Local Government program. Historic building owners and others in the community are invited to learn more about the program from Katrina Ringler, grants manager/CLG coordinator with the Kansas Historical Society. Source: Fort Scott Tribune

OP Historical Society lands state grant to launch tourist attraction in downtown

info2023-08-08T23:31:59-05:00August 8th, 2023|

A $100,000 grant from Kansas is helping move the Overland Park Historical Society closer to its vision of transforming 8001 Santa Fe into an interactive museum that also restores the city’s train depot, built in 1906. The state grant aims to drive tourism and economic development. OPHS was the only entity in Johnson County to receive the State Park Revitalization and Investment in Notable Tourism (SPRINT) grant. Locally, Children’s Mercy Park and Azura Amphitheater also received grants totaling $5 million and $1 million, respectively. Source: Kansas City Business Journal

28% of rural Kansas hospitals at risk of closure: report

info2023-08-08T23:28:52-05:00August 8th, 2023|

The Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform (HQPR) Rural Hospitals at Risk of Closing report found 28% of Kansas hospitals at risk of closure. With pandemic aid now ended, closures are likely to increase, according to HQPR. The HQPR report found 600 rural hospitals in the U.S. at risk of closing. HQPR attributed the risk to problems such as health Insurance plans not paying hospitals enough to cover the cost of delivering service to patients and low financial reserves. The losses are expected to be greater in the future due to higher costs attributed to inflation, according to the HQPR [...]

City of Great Bend to raise entry-level wages for its employees

info2023-08-08T23:27:51-05:00August 8th, 2023|

The City of Great Bend is raising its entry-level wages for its employees. The entry-level wage increase to $15.50 per hour will begin on Aug. 20. The City of Great Bend says it also provides a great benefit package. Current open positions, both part-time and full-time, with the City of Great Bend, include: City of Great Bend Police Department custodian, Firefighter/EMT - paramedic, Police officer, Seasonal mower/maintenance. Source: KSN-TV

Municipal Bond Trends for August 7, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-08-08T08:32:54-05:00August 8th, 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.

Program in Saline County will help teach rural businesses how to grow

info2023-08-08T07:53:31-05:00August 8th, 2023|

Business owners in Saline County will have the opportunity to learn from faculty and staff from Wichita State University's Center for Entrepreneurship about sales and growth strategies, marketing, branding and more through a certificate program offered locally this fall. The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, NetWork Kansas and WSU's Center for Entrepreneurship partnered to offer the "Growing Rural Businesses" program in Saline County starting Sept. 7. The program is an eight-week training tailored to meet the needs of existing rural businesses that are ready to grow. Source: Salina Journal

Investors Bet That High Rates Will Linger

info2023-08-08T07:43:09-05:00August 8th, 2023|

The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note has surged close to its highest level in more than a decade, lifted by new bets that a strong economy could support years of higher interest rates.... The recent climb in longer-term Treasury yields—which play a role in determining the cost of everything from mortgages to stocks—comes even as yields on shorter-term bonds have stalled. That is a sign investors think cooling inflation and resilient economic growth will allow the Federal Reserve to stop raising rates, then leave them unchanged at least until the end of the year. Source: WSJ.com: Markets