News – Page 71 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Cyber attack on plant detailed

info2024-12-10T09:18:39-06:00December 10th, 2024|

The FBI and Homeland Security have completed their investigation of the cyberattack against the Arkansas City water treatment plant that occurred in late September. City Manager Randy Frazer gave a report of those findings to the city commission last week. He said that a detailed analysis by Homeland Security’s Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirmed that no data had been acquired during the attack. He said according to the report, files were accessed but no staging or transfer of data took place. “There was no personal information compromised,” he said. “None of the citizens information of the employee’s information, [...]

Commerce Launches New Quality of Place Grant for Rural Revitalization

info2024-12-09T14:53:24-06:00December 9th, 2024|

Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today the launch of the new Towns grant program. This program is an initiative designed to spur quality-of-place improvements in rural Kansas communities that have received no funding from the Kansas Department of Commerce in the past three years. This new opportunity will have $100,000 available for its first round of funding. The program provides grants that range from $1,000 to $10,000 to support small-scaled projects that will deliver meaningful results in rural communities, with a focus on increasing local capacity, fostering community and youth engagement, and mobilizing volunteers and local investment.... Grant applications open [...]

Kansas Tourism Announces 13 Attraction Development Grant Awardees

info2024-12-09T14:52:34-06:00December 9th, 2024|

Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced that more than $400,000 has been awarded for projects that will boost tourism throughout the state. Funding from the Attraction Development Grant program, which focuses on assisting local communities in the development of sustainable travel experiences through new and existing tourism attractions, will be divided among 13 entities.... The grant program is an initiative designed to provide financial assistance to public, private and nonprofit entities to invest in enhancing tourism across the state. The initiative will create a positive economic impact through job creation, capital investment, higher revenue and increased visitation. Source: Kansas Department [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for December 6, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-12-09T09:38:14-06:00December 9th, 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.

With potential for ‘storm of controversy’, Prairie Village again wades into revising neighborhood guidelines

info2024-12-09T09:06:06-06:00December 9th, 2024|

After an unofficial hiatus of more than a year, Prairie Village is picking up the baton of tweaking neighborhood design guidelines. On Tuesday, after city staff suggested a few options to update the city’s guidelines that address single-family housing issues, the Prairie Village Planning Commission punted the conversation to the city council. Planning commissioners said they wanted to hear feedback from the city council before discussing any changes to the design guidelines. Neighborhood design guidelines — a topic that received significant attention in Prairie Village six years ago — dictate requirements for items such as lot size and lot coverage for [...]

Lenexa will ask residents to renew 3/8-cent sales tax in mail-in election

info2024-12-09T09:04:23-06:00December 9th, 2024|

The Lenexa City Council has approved language for a special mail-in ballot measure asking residents to extend the city’s existing 3/8-cent sales tax. On Tuesday, the city council voted 6-0 to approve a resolution finalizing ballot language that will go before voters in spring 2025, asking whether the sales tax should be renewed or not. Councilmembers Joe Karlin and Craig Denny were absent. Originally approved by voters in 2008, the 3/8-cent tax has served as a key funding source for some of the city’s most visible projects over the past decade-and-a-half. Revenue generated by the tax has helped fund ongoing street [...]

How Kansas is spending federal infrastructure dollars

info2024-12-09T09:03:01-06:00December 9th, 2024|

On the whole, U.S. infrastructure is ill-equipped for the demands of modern-day life. In response, the federal government has been pumping money into making repairs and improvements across the country through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021; the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which funds the domestic production of semiconductors and promotes various activities at science agencies; and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Through these, the federal government has announced $582.8 billion in funding toward public infrastructure, semiconductor development, and clean energy across the nation and its territories. The federal government has announced $3.7 billion in funds [...]

Emporia puts new rec center project on pause after Tyson, Holiday Resort closures

info2024-12-09T09:00:45-06:00December 9th, 2024|

The City of Emporia is slowing down its progress on building a new recreation center due to several business closure announcements this week. The Emporia Recreation Steering Committee and a city spokeswoman told 27 News on Friday, Dec. 6 that it has decided to take a step back on the new recreation center project because of the Tyson Fresh Meats and Holiday Resort closure announcements. The committee is waiting until the members “fully understand the implications”. Source: KSNT 27 News

Riley County firefighters mourn loss of ‘pillar of our community’

info2024-12-09T08:59:08-06:00December 9th, 2024|

A local fire agency is mourning the loss of one of its own who left a profound impact on the community he served for more than four decades. The Riley County Fire District #1 took to social media on Dec. 4 to share its memories of Ross Hauck who passed away on Nov. 30, 2024. Hauck died at the age of 76 and was still an active participant with the district at the time of his passing. Source: KSNT 27 News

Emporia reassures community amid multiple business closures

info2024-12-09T08:58:12-06:00December 9th, 2024|

Emporia leaders and stakeholders are working to support residents impacted by multiple business closures this week. A joint statement was released by the City of Emporia, Lyon County and stakeholders from multiple key organizations that are working together to find a way to help people impacted by the closures of Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. and Holiday Resort. These entities met on Wednesday, Dec. 4 to coordinate efforts to support the workers and families hit by these shut downs; meeting will continue regularly as the situation evolves, according to the release. The main focus is connecting impacted employees with local job opportunities [...]