News – Page 824 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

McKee to retire as Holton city manager

info2023-03-02T10:51:22-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

With Holton City Manager Kerwin McKee’s announcement of his upcoming retirement, the Holton City Commission will be looking for someone to fill his position. During the commission’s regular meeting last night — held a day later than normal due to the Presidents Day observance on Monday — McKee, who has worked for the city since 1996 and has served as city manager since July 2016, formally announced that he would be retiring as a city employee, effective May 1. “It was a very hard decision to make, and it took a long time to make it,” McKee said. “There’s a lot [...]

Historical horse racing proposed at Towne West, Greyhound Park

info2023-03-02T09:40:58-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission (KRGC) said Wednesday it has received three applications from companies to open historical horse racing (HHR) facilities in Wichita. Boyd Gaming Corporation on Tuesday submitted its application to open a casino in Park City, which would feature 1,000 HHR units, meaning gamblers would bet on races that have already finished. On Wednesday, an application was submitted by Flint Hills Entertainment, proposing a facility at Towne West Square. It also applied to open "Eureka Downs Horse Racing Track," which would feature live racing in Eureka, Kansas. Source: KSN-TV

Kansas City’s new airport is finally open

info2023-03-02T09:36:12-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

Kansas City's new airport terminal has officially opened to the public, with the inaugural flight arriving from Chicago early Tuesday morning — and many more following. KCUR's Frank Morris was there as the first passengers arrived and he spoke with Steve Kraske on Up To Date about how the big day went. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner saw some of her political support collapse last week when a man who repeatedly violated house arrest seriously injured a teenage athlete. She’s now facing an effort from Missouri’s attorney general to remove her from office. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum looks at why [...]

Lawrence to create pallet shelter village to help homeless

info2023-03-02T09:34:58-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

The City of Lawrence, Kansas continues to work on options to help those homelessness in the community. On Wednesday, the city said it is preparing to create a pallet shelter village, which will serve as an emergency shelter option for those currently experiencing homelessness. The idea is to build dozens of shelter homes out of pallets to provide a transition to permanent housing. The modular homes include heating and cooling. They are set up to include restrooms, laundry, shower and gathering space for a group of people to use. Source: KSNT 27 News

Rent keeps increasing in Wichita. Here’s what experts say is behind rising housing costs

info2023-03-02T09:32:17-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

Monthly rent costs in Wichita are steadily increasing each year, but are still low compared to markets across the country, according to local real estate experts. According to a report released by NAI Martens, an area commercial real estate agency, late last year, rent rates in Wichita increased 1.8% in 2022 and 9.4% in 2021, which was the biggest jump in the last five years. In 2020, rent rates only saw an increase of 0.4% due to the coronavirus pandemic. The big jump the following year was to “catch up” from the lower increase the year before, Jeff Englert, senior vice [...]

Google Fiber is coming to Leawood after 10-year wait

info2023-03-02T09:30:09-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

Internet provider Google Fiber has started building a network for Leawood residents and businesses. Utility work began in the northern part of the city for the new network this week, which will serve both residential neighborhoods and small businesses in Leawood. Debuting in 2010, Google Fiber already serves several communities surrounding Leawood. According to the company’s FAQ page, Google Fiber is already up and running in Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Roeland Park, Lenexa and Prairie Village. Customers can opt for plans ranging from $70 to $120 a month, depending on which speeds they opt for and if they include cable television [...]

Overland Park exploring sales tax increase to limit chip seal use

info2023-03-02T09:28:14-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

Following years of resident complaints about its chip seal method for road repairs, Overland Park is exploring a possible solution: a sales tax increase. Residents have voiced long-standing concerns about chip seal, arguing that the finely crushed rock used as a top-layer surface often gets tracked around residential streets and can prove hazardous to children and cyclists. Increasing city sales taxes could cover costs for a different but more expensive kind of road resurfacing, allowing the city to gradually lessen its reliance on chip seal. Source: Prairie Village Post

Wind farms are transforming the Kansas landscape. Here’s an effort to tone down their lights

info2023-03-02T09:27:13-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

Wind farms continue to spread across Kansas — but with new features that will tone down the way they interrupt wide open skies with red, blinking lights visible for miles and resented by many rural residents. This year, Kansas will get its first two wind farms designed to produce less light pollution — High Banks north of Concordia and Sunflower Wind Farm about an hour west of Emporia. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are considering a law to make other wind farms follow suit. A few states, such as North Dakota and Colorado, blazed the trail in recent years by adopting similar rules. But Kansas, which ranks [...]

Did Wichita settle with its newest $400M riverfront plan for Century II?

info2023-03-02T09:24:08-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

Wichitans got their first look Tuesday at a new plan to reimagine Wichita's downtown riverfront, including what to do with Century II, Bob Brown Expo Hall and the former central library. The new plan, though, has begged the age-old question in this city: Did Wichita settle? The preliminary concept, presented to Wichita's City Council by international design firm Populous, comes with a $400 million price tag — significantly less than the $1.2 billion Riverfront Legacy Master Plan, which had momentum in early 2020 until it was derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Source: Wichita Business Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for March 1, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-03-02T09:22:58-06:00March 2nd, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.