News – Page 9 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

More routes or shorter waits? Officials discuss what would make JoCo’s bus system better

info2024-12-11T08:58:42-06:00December 11th, 2024|

Given a hypothetical choice between shorter wait times at a bus stop and having a wider choice of places to go, county commissioners went with the shorter wait times as they considered how to build a better suburban transit system. The commission had a high-level discussion last week as they continued talks about what needs to be done to attract more riders. Previous work sessions have looked at adjusting fares and services on express routes and the microtransit service. Source: Johnson County Post

Shawnee Mission finalizing new ‘age appropriate’ cellphone rules for students

info2024-12-11T08:57:43-06:00December 11th, 2024|

A policy intended to clarify students’ use of cellphones and other electronic devices in Shawnee Mission schools was deemed not quite ready for approval at a board meeting Monday night. But the issue is scheduled to come up again at the board’s next meeting on Jan. 13, and board members said they hope to begin implementing it by February. The draft policy sets different rules for elementary, middle and high school students, in an effort to make it “age appropriate,” said Superintendent Michael Schumacher. “This is one of the hardest decisions I think we’ll make this year,” Schumacher said. “But if [...]

Dodge City fire chief to retire

info2024-12-11T08:56:12-06:00December 11th, 2024|

Dodge City’s fire chief is retiring. According to the City, Fire Chief Ken Spencer will step down on Dec. 20. Spencer started his career 28 years ago as a maintenance worker for Dodge City before becoming a firefighter a year later in 1997. He became a fire engineer in 2001 and a fire captain two years later. He was promoted to Deputy Fire Chief in 2015 and became Chief of the fire department in 2019. Source: KSN-TV

Regulation change could be boom for hemp in Kansas

info2024-12-11T08:54:48-06:00December 11th, 2024|

On Jan. 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture takes over regulating hemp grown in Kansas. “I think there’s a lot of potential to be opening up markets,” said Kelly Rippel, co-founder of Kansans For Hemp. “This change is a big deal.” The change Rippel is talking about is the Kansas Department of Agriculture essentially turning over control of hemp regulations to the feds. The USDA will now be the primary regulating agency over hemp production in the Sunflower State. For years, Rippel has worked with state lawmakers and other state leaders at the KDA to grow the hemp industry in [...]

This city in Kansas will pay you to move there

info2024-12-11T08:53:14-06:00December 11th, 2024|

More than 20% of U.S. residents say they are more likely to move now that the election is over, and some cities are offering cold hard cash to attract newcomers. The pandemic-era rise of remote work made it possible for employees to work away from their company’s home base. Cities such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Columbus, Georgia, have tried to attract those workers with incentives worth thousands of dollars. Other initiatives, like the Choose Topeka program in Kansas, are available to workers who relocate to the area even if they don’t work remotely. Source: KSN-TV

Abilene to again vote on tax for youth sports complex

info2024-12-11T08:51:17-06:00December 11th, 2024|

Voters in Abilene will again be asked to vote to approve a sales tax to pay for new youth sports facilities in the community. In August, voters rejected a sales tax initiative to fund the project. The 0.35% sales tax, or .0035 of every cent spent in Abilene, would go towards funding the new facilities, which would include playing fields for youth baseball, softball, men’s and coed slow pitch, and pickleball, along with seating and support facilities. Source: KSN-TV

Future of downtown Wichita being planned

info2024-12-11T08:50:17-06:00December 11th, 2024|

The future of downtown Wichita is already being planned. The planning and design firm Sasaki is partnering with Downtown Wichita to develop an action plan for 2035. The executive director of Downtown Wichita says the firm is helping guide them in transforming the city’s core and focusing on attracting development. Housing is a key part of that growth. Sasaki will send a team to Wichita in the spring to hold community workshops, get input and create a plan to present to Downtown Wichita. Source: KSN-TV

Kansas broadband internet disparities persist despite huge investments

info2024-12-11T08:48:45-06:00December 11th, 2024|

It doesn’t take a lightning-quick internet connection to theorize income, education and geographic disparities underly Kansas’ digital divide. But the nonprofit and nonpartisan Kansas Health Institute’s latest research demonstrated with online county-by-county maps that broadband deficits and computer ownership gaps plaguing Kansas were intertwined with social and demographic influences. Thirty-one percent of low-income Kansas households making less than $20,000 annually didn’t have high-speed connections, KHI said. However, 4.5% of Kansas households earning more than $75,000 were in the same predicament in terms of broadband access. Source: Kansas Reflector

A total phone ban for students: What Kansas is recommending to school districts

info2024-12-10T13:55:20-06:00December 10th, 2024|

Kansas K-12 education officials are telling local districts that they should ban students from using phones in classrooms — and during the entire school day. The Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday to formally accept the recommendations of a task force established earlier this year to study student screen time and cellphone use in schools. Local school districts aren't required to follow the new recommendations. Source: CJonline

Municipal Bond Trends for December 9, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-12-10T09:58:23-06:00December 10th, 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.