Kansas Municipal News
City of Wichita’s social media page has been hacked. Don’t click the link.
The City of Wichita’s Twitter page was hacked, city officials said Friday evening. “We had two factor authorization enacted and changed passwords recently,” city spokesperson Megan Lovely said around 8:30 p.m. “We were alerted by Twitter this afternoon there was a login from Turkey. Then we contacted Twitter immediately and began changing passwords. We hope to have this resolved quickly.” The Eagle reached out to the city after a reporter got an odd message from the city’s Twitter page (@CityofWichita), which has more than 22,000 followers. A city spokesperson responded that they had been hacked and just found out.
Source: Wichita Eagle
People in De Soto are excited for Panasonic’s battery plant, but ‘this is a big jump for us’
People in De Soto, Kansas, are feeling hopeful about the future of their town after Panasonic announced on July 13 that it will build a $4 billion plant in the town to make electric vehicle batteries for Tesla. Still, they have concerns about the environmental ramifications of the plant and how ready De Soto is to welcome thousands of newcomers. Kansas officials estimate that the factory will bring about 4,000 new jobs to the quickly growing town on the edge of western Kansas City. … Kathy Yates is currently looking for a house near De Soto for her and her family. She lives in western Shawnee, Kansas, and is excited about the job opportunities and growth the plant will bring. “My son is getting ready to be a freshman and my daughter’s in eighth grade,” Yates said. “We fell in love with the family feel of out here. For me, it’s one of those small things that I’m excited for.”
Source: KCUR News
Ellinwood celebrates hometown roots
Ellinwood held its 49th annual After Harvest Festival this weekend with a celebration of “Hometown Roots.” Community members who live along the parade route watched from front porches, while others brought chairs downtown for the Saturday morning parade. The Ellinwood Rotary Club has been coordinating the AHF Parade since 1991. … The festival wrapped up Saturday night with a dance featuring Cody Canada and the Departed at the City Park.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Wichita Firefighter and Family Lose Home, Pets in Thursday Night Housefire
A Wichita Firefighter and his family are without a home following a house fire Thursday night. Jeremy Kuffler was on-duty when the call at his home went out. His wife and two children were not home when the fire started. A neighbor attempted to rescue two of Kuffler’s dogs that were trapped in the home. Unfortunately, the dogs could not be rescued. A GoFundMe page has been set-up to help the family recover.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Event At Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Celebrates Wichita’s 152nd Birthday
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum celebrates special 152st birthdays: The City of Wichita was officially “born” July 21, 1870, just 3 months after the establishment of Sedgwick County Kansas. The Historical Museum is the place to celebrate local history year-round and opens with free admission for the weekend in return for a Birthday Card to any of Sedgwick County’s. The event will be held on Saturday July 23rd and Sunday, July 24th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, located at 204 S. Main. Visit www.wichitahistory.org for more info.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Municipal Bond Trends for July 15, 2022
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 and Beth Warren.
Amid rising job vacancies, Lawrence city manager’s recommended budget includes $4.2M for employee raises
One of the priorities in the city manager’s recommended budget is improving pay for city employees, and the budget allocates $4.2 million toward raises. The 2022 budget included $5 million to increase pay, and City Manager Craig Owens said the $4.2 million included in the recommended budget would conclude a multiyear plan to bring city wages to market-competitive rates. Owens named employee compensation as one of a few priorities in the budget.
Source: LJWorld
Lawrence leaders to consider regulations and fees for long-term parklet program; $1,000 per parking stall proposed
City leaders will soon consider proposed limitations, design criteria and fees for a program that would allow businesses to construct patios and outdoor dining areas in downtown parking stalls on a permanent basis. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider adopting an ordinance establishing the permanent program, which will establish various regulations and charge businesses $1,000 per year per parking stall used. The city initiated a temporary version of the program at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and commissioners previously indicated they wanted to develop the permanent version and hired an architecture firm to help develop the draft ordinance.
Source: LJWorld
Will deal charge Kansas economy?
The news Wednesday that global technology giant Panasonic would be building a $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto was treated as the biggest economic win for Kansas since an Abilene farmer started the trend of planting winter wheat in the 1870s. … officials now will have to answer the question of what comes next, both for the project and Kansas’ economic development landscape. … Patrick Lowry, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Commerce, said there are currently eight proposed megaprojects “in the pipeline.” “Industries range from advanced manufacturing to data centers to renewable energy with capital investment amounts ranging from $1 billion to $3 billion,” Lowry said in an email.
Source: Hutch News
Even at $200,000 a job, Kansas paid below the going rate in its deal to land a Panasonic factory
Even at roughly $200,000 per job, analysts say the tax breaks and other incentives Kansas put on the table to bring Panasonic’s battery-making plant to De Soto fall short of the giveaways other states have made in recent years. Still, the tax dollars devoted to bringing the $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant to Johnson County bust any records in Kansas for tempting a business to the state. And few details have been made public about the $829 million incentive plan that was negotiated behind closed doors. The factory will be the largest economic development plan in Kansas history. The company is promising 4,000 jobs subsidized at the rate of $200,000 per worker. Additionally, the package to Panasonic appears to be the fourth largest in the country since 2018, according to a subsidy tracker from Good Job’s First, a group largely skeptical about government giveaways to businesses.
Source: KCUR News
Wichita Public Library partners with USD 259 to bring students eCards
Wichita Public Library announced Thursday that through a partnership with Wichita Public Schools (USD 259), parents and caregivers can now opt-in their child for a library eCard at enrollment. When a student opts in for an eCard, they will be able to use their student ID as their library card and have the ability to access the library’s collection of eBooks, audiobooks, and research databases. In addition, their account will be active until they graduate high school and transition to a library card of their choice.
Source: KSN-TV
Weekend attractions bring people, revenue to Topeka
Country Stampede is back in Topeka, marking the third time Top City has hosted one of the biggest country concerts in the state. This weekend’s festivities kicked off with a pre-party, including performances from Drew Parker and Colt Ford. Early campers were able to pretend Wednesday’s concerts, and those individuals represent just a few of the thousands who are expected to be in town this weekend. “Country Stampede averages about 20,000 people a day,” said Shelby Ebert of Country Stampede Marketing. “There are years that are better than that, which is amazing. We’re expecting a really large crowd this weekend — we’re hoping for that. We’re excited for everybody to come out and see what we’ve got going on.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Municipal Bond Trends for July 14, 2022
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 and Beth Warren.
Contain the Rain Workshop
Johnson County’s Contain the Rain Program invites you to attend a workshop on stormwater containment, hosted by Bridging The Gap and Johnson County Community College’s Center for Sustainability. This workshop will take place in the Regnier Center Building, Room 101, on the Johnson County Community College Campus: 12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS 66210. Bridging The Gap will review many of the tools and solutions you can implement on your property to help capture stormwater and mitigate runoff. We will also discuss the benefits of stormwater capture and why it is so beneficial for our communities. Registration for the workshop is free, and we will discuss the reimbursement opportunities cities of Johnson County provide to their residents for implementing these stormwater solutions. Visit www.containtherainjoco.com for details on the reimbursement program, and register for the free workshop.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
Jowers hired as permanent superintendent of USD 386
Although he’s not new to the building, there is officially a new man in charge as Jeff Williams made a motion to approve Stephen Jowers as Superintendent. He was hired during Monday’s annual reorganizational meeting of USD 386. Jowers is not new to the role — he was superintendent-in-waiting while he obtained certification that was needed to officially serve in that capacity. He has worked closely under interim-superintendent Michael Argabright over the last year. Now that he is certified, he will be acting on his own for the 2022-23 school year.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Fed Governor Waller says he’s open to ‘larger’ rate hike this month than in June
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he’s willing to consider what would be the most aggressive interest rate hike in decades at the central bank’s meeting later this month. While Waller said he supports a 75 basis point hike at the July 26-27 meeting, he will be watching data and keeping an open mind about what the Fed should do to control inflation, which is running at its fastest pace since 1981. … If that data comes in materially stronger than expected, it would make me lean towards a larger hike at the July meeting to the extent it shows demand is not slowing down fast enough to get inflation down.”
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Where is De Soto? Here are 4 things to know about Kansas’ new Panasonic battery factory
This week Gov. Laura Kelly announced that the Japanese company Panasonic will be building a $4 billion factory in De Soto, Kansas. This factory will focus on building batteries for electric vehicles and will bring over 4,000 jobs to De Soto. Here’s what you need to know about De Soto, Kansas, and the new Panasonic factory on the way. De Soto is a small city in Johnson and Leavenworth counties. The city is northwest of Olathe and is about a 30 minute drive from Kansas City proper. It also sits along the south bank of the Kansas River. The town has a population of just over 6,300 people, according to 2021 estimates from the Census Bureau. The Panasonic factory will be taking over the old 9,000 acre Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, which closed in 1992. In January, De Soto annexed 6,000 acres of land from the site, in preparation for the development of the Panasonic plant, The Star reported.
Source: KC Star Local News
Panasonic’s $4 billion electric vehicle battery factory will bring 4,000 jobs to De Soto, Kansas
Panasonic announced on Wednesday it has chosen De Soto, Kansas, as the site of a massive new factory. The plant will be the largest vehicle battery production facility in the world and will cost $4 billion to construct. As one of the Kansas lawmakers who had to sign a non-disclosure agreement while working for months to land a mysterious economic development project, Rep. Stephanie Clayton, a Democrat of Overland Park, says she could not be happier with the final outcome. State officials announced on Wednesday that Japanese electronics giant Panasonic would build a $4 billion factory in De Soto to produce batteries for Tesla’s electric vehicles. They estimated the plant would eventually create 4,000 jobs for Johnson County and thousands of other jobs in the surrounding region. “This was a heavy lift on the part of so many people, not just in the legislature, but also for a lot of our local chambers, local economic development officials, the city of De Soto and the entire state, ” Clayton said.
Source: KCUR
Here’s how much Kansas offered Panasonic to bring massive battery plant to De Soto
While early estimates put the cost of the incentives at $1.3 billion, the Kansas Department of Commerce on Wednesday said Panasonic would be eligible for $829 million in tax credits, exemptions and other incentives. The state’s new incentive program created refundable tax credits, which allow firms to not only reduce their tax burdens but receive cash from state coffers for meeting certain hiring and investment goals. Paired with an expected local property tax incentive from De Soto, the state deal means taxpayers will fund close to a quarter of the projected $4 billion cost of the project. Kelly said the cost to the state would more than be recovered by Panasonic’s investment, both in full-time employees and the thousands of construction crews who will build the factory.
Source: Wichita Eagle
High-Speed Internet Grant Application Window Opens July 18 (Webinar on July 21)
Governor Laura Kelly announced today that more than 21,000 Kansas homes and businesses are set to receive high-speed internet access for the first time thanks to an $83.5 million grant program through the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Office of Broadband Development. The new grant program results from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s approval of Kansas’ Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband infrastructure plan. … The Kansas CPF broadband infrastructure grant application window will be open for four weeks beginning July 18. A full list of program guidelines and the application will be posted on the Office of Broadband Development’s website next week. The Office of Broadband Development will also be conducting a webinar to review program guidelines on Thursday, July 21, at 12:30 p.m. CDT. Registration for the meeting can be found here.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
County recycling might change destination
Recyclable materials from Marion County may soon be taken to a recycling center at Fort Riley instead on one in South Hutchinson that charges $120 a ton. Josh Housman, director of the county transfer station, told commissioners Monday that Fort Riley contacted him and was willing to start taking county recycling, apparently for free. Making the change would not be instant, however.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Panasonic battery project likely to create major demand for growth in Eudora, Lawrence, leaders say
About a century ago, Wichita began to learn what being in on the ground floor of the aviation industry could do for an economy. Now, there are predictions Douglas County and the surrounding area may soon experience a similar boom by being an early player in the electric vehicle industry. “I don’t think the idea of how much potential there is for growth is really understood by the public yet,” Eudora Mayor Tim Reazin said as Panasonic Corp. announced Wednesday that it plans to build a $4 billion battery plant for electric vehicles in De Soto, which is only about 5 miles from Eudora and the Douglas County line. … The state is estimating that number at 16,500 jobs. That’s potentially a lot of new residents coming to the region, looking for places to live near their new worksite. Not all of them will end up in De Soto. “All the way into east Lawrence,” Reazin said as he contemplated the future growth pattern. “I think there is potential for quite a bit of growth along K-10. The idea of Lawrence growing only to the west is going to change.” Steve Kelly, vice president of economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Corporation of Lawrence and Douglas County, said the Douglas County area will have opportunities to land both businesses and new residential housing as part of the project. A longtime executive with the Kansas Department of Commerce before serving Lawrence, Steve Kelly said the only other Kansas project that seems analogous to the Panasonic deal — the governor said it is the largest in the state’s history by dollar amount — is the development of Wichita as the Air Capital of the World.
Source: LJWorld
Municipal Bond Trends for July 13, 2022
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 and Beth Warren.
Governor Kelly signs multi-state commitment to expand computer science education
TGovernor Laura Kelly recently signed onto a multi-state agreement to expand computer science education in K-12 schools. The agreement, spearheaded by the National Governors Association, comes after Gov. Kelly signed bipartisan House Bill 2466 in May to promote computer science education, provide training for current and aspiring computer science teachers, and create a pilot program to assist students in their transition to the workforce. “Promoting K-12 computer science education is one more way my administration is working to prepare our students for the future,” Gov. Kelly said.
Source: Derby Informer | News
KDOT supports ‘Safe Streets’ grant applications
The Kansas Department of Transportation is encouraging cities, counties and other local entities to submit a grant application to the 2022 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A), a new U.S. DOT discretionary grant program. The SS4A program and the new Kansas SS4A Match Pilot Program represent an opportunity to leverage federal and state funding to create safety plans for city streets and county roads. Once Safety Action Plans are completed, projects identified in the plans may be eligible for future federal grants or other project funding through KDOT. State funding provided by the KDOT pilot program will contribute to the local match required by the SS4A grant. For more information on the program, visit https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A or https://arcg.is/1qKLCr0.
Source: Derby Informer | News
KCK resident hopes closing ‘Bank of KDOT’ will improve safety of Interstate 70 tight curve
As Interstate 70 exits Kansas and enters Missouri, a tight right-angle curve is a sight of many accidents over the years, Leo Eilts has witnessed. Eilts, a resident of the Strawberry Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, bought a building 16 years ago with a fantastic view overlooking the point where the Kansas and Missouri river meet. He quickly found his building offered a less pleasant view of accidents along that harrowing curve and fixed his security cameras on the point. “I have a front row seat to a massive demolition derby just down from my building,” Eilts said.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
KCC Launches Website Focused on Shaping Energy Efficiency Programs, Incentives
The Kansas Corporation Commission has launched Energy Smart Kansas, a website devoted to helping shape the future of energy efficiency opportunities in the state. Kansans can provide feedback about which programs and potential rebates they are interested in. They will also find information on current state and federal offerings. With record-high temperatures and rising energy costs, the KCC is inviting all Kansans to share their feedback on how energy efficiency can help provide solutions for their energy needs and equip them with the tools to save money and energy in their homes and workplaces. You can learn more or participate by visiting EnergySmartKansas.org.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Kansas Infrastructure Summit begins in Wichita
Local government and business leaders from across Kansas are gathering in Wichita for the first-ever Kansas Infrastructure Summit. It’s being held through Thursday at the Wichita State University Hughes Metropolitan Complex. More than 650 people are learning about grant opportunities from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will provide close to $3.8 billion in direct funds over the next five years for transportation, water, energy, and broadband projects. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly welcomed the participants Wednesday morning and said the summit will develop a strategy on how Kansas can be strengthened for years to come. The people at the conference are hearing from experts on the resources available. They’re talking about ways the government and the private sector can work together to maximize the impact of the grants for infrastructure projects.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Riley County area emergency personnel conduct annual active violence training
Riley County first responders started three-day-long training exercises yesterday (Tuesday) to help improve response times and interagency coordination in the event of an active violence scenario. Members of RCPD, Manhattan Fire Department, Riley County EMS, KSU PD, volunteers, representatives from USD 383 and other law enforcement partners gathered at Anthony Middle School for this year’s training. Riley County EMS Assistant Director Josh Gering said that this training is extremely valuable and would not be possible without the support of USD 383. “Riley County is very lucky. We are unique in the state of Kansas by doing this annually and doing it to this level annually… The school district is permitting us to come into the buildings every summer and do this… To allow us to come and do this is super valuable. I hope other school districts take a page out of USD 383’s book here.”
Source: 1350 KMAN
Newton softball tournament filled up local hotel rooms
More teams competing in this year’s Mexican-American Softball Tournament meant a bonanza for local restaurants and hotels. Ozell Lincoln said Coratel Inn & Suites usually filled about 30 rooms for the tournament, but this year all 53 rooms were booked during the Fourth of July weekend. He said the hotel counted on the boost provided by the annual tournament. “They do a lot for the local economy and I don’t think people realize how much business they bring,” he said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Sedgwick names park after former mayor DeHaven
A longtime public servant in Sedgwick will have his legacy immortalized. The park on the east side of town has a new official name as the Mayor Donald K. DeHaven Memorial Park. DeHaven served as Sedgwick’s mayor for 44 years, as well as six years as a member of the city council. He died on May 17, 2013. Sedgwick City Council approved a resolution designating the new park name during last week’s meeting following a discussion in executive session. The resolution notes that naming the park after DeHaven will be a lasting reminder of his faithfulness and dedication in public service to Sedgwick.
Source: Harvey County Now
Kansas Lands $4 billion, 4,000-Job Panasonic Energy Electric Vehicle Battery Plant
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced that Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., plans to build one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facilities of its kind in the United States in Kansas. Pending approval by Panasonic Holdings Corporation Board of Directors, the company has identified a site in De Soto for the potential project. The planned project is expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs and result in an investment of up to $4 billion, which represents the largest economic development project in Kansas history. The development will have ripple effects throughout the regional and state economy, supporting an estimated 4,000 additional jobs created by suppliers and community businesses and 16,500 construction jobs as cited in an independent Wichita State University economic impact study. “As the largest private investment in Kansas history and one of the largest EV battery manufacturing plants of its kind in the country, this project will be transformative for our state’s economy, providing in total 8,000 high-quality jobs that will help more Kansans create better lives for themselves and their children,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Marion County discusses option of Fort Riley taking over receiving recycling again
Recycling was the main topic of business for the weekly Marion County Board of Commissioners on Monday. Weed/HHW/Transfer Station/Recycle Director Josh Housman gave an update on Department business letting the commissioners know that he is still a few employees short. Commissioner Kent Becker told Housman that he got a call from Fort Riley and they reported that they are ready to start taking recycling again which he feels would be really helpful to Hillsboro and Marion.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press
Marion selects Mark Skiles to become city administrator
Marion’s city council unanimously approved a contract Monday for Mark Skiles to become city administrator. Skiles’s starting date will be July 25. … Skiles, 63, most recently was city administrator in Clinton, Oklahoma…
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Pittsburg’s Fox Theatre receives grant funding for refurbishment
Efforts to refurbish a historic area theatre got a boost from the state’s chief executive. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has awarded over $4 million in community service tax credits to nearly 30 nonprofits. One of which is the Colonial Fox Theater in Pittsburg. Vonnie Corsini says her organization has applied for the tax credits two times in the past, and the third time turned out to be the charm. “And we’re getting $150,000 of community service tax credits which will translate into $300,000 in gifts for us. If a person for instance would donate $1,000 to us, the State of Kansas would give them back $500 in tax credits,” said Vonnie Corsini, Executive Director, Colonial Fox Theatre Foundation.
Source: KSNF/KODE
The new 988 suicide prevention hotline will connect Kansans to help near them
Think of the new 988 not just as an easier-to-remember suicide hotline. The number that goes live in Kansas on Saturday also comes with an infusion of federal tax dollars aimed at creating a more powerful and nimble lifeline to families caught in a mental health crisis. “It really spurred the initial progress to move forward with that,” said Sherrie Vaughn, the executive director of the Kansas branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “If you would have asked me four years ago, can we get there? I may have been hesitant to say yes.” The new hotline was designed to steer people to nearby help. That’s a departure from the existing system that merely connected people to therapists and social workers scattered across the country.
Source: KCUR News
Allen County commissioners consider land bank proposal
County commissioners want to learn more about legal ramifications if they start a land bank. They don’t want to see the county collect a bunch of unwanted property they’ll have to take care of, and would rather wait until developers show interest. Jonathan Goering, Thrive Allen County’s economic development director, is ready to move forward with plans to start a land bank. Commissioners, though, aren’t quite as enthusiastic. They’re concerned the county could end up with a surplus of unwanted property they’ll have to maintain, and they could lose some property tax revenue. Goering assured them they have options to control those things.
Source: The Iola Register
Manhattan to have forum on future of parks and rec programs
Residents can give input on the future of parks and recreation programming, city officials announced Tuesday. The Manhattan Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will hold a special meeting … The purpose is to gain feedback on the future of parks and recreation programming. The meeting will be a facilitated public forum, according to a press release from the city government. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend and participate. The public forum will involve a brief overview from city government staff members on the parks and rec programming and budget, followed by facilitated conversations aiming to seek community feedback and understanding while also acknowledging existing conditions, officials said.
Source: themercury.com
Inflation rose 9.1% in June, even more than expected, as price pressures intensify
Shoppers paid sharply higher prices for a variety of goods in June as inflation kept its hold on a slowing U.S. economy, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The consumer price index, a broad measure of everyday goods and services, soared 9.1% from a year ago, above the 8.8% Dow Jones estimate. That marked another month of the fastest pace for inflation going back to December 1981.
Source: CNBC
For 3 years, Topeka has been paying people up to $15K to move there. Is it working?
Kenyon and Stacey Gleason were already planning to move to Topeka from South Dakota…. It wasn’t until they were shopping for homes with their Topeka real estate agent that they learned another financial incentive awaited them. Kenyon could apply for Choose Topeka’s relocation program, which gives remote workers who move to Shawnee County $10,000 toward the purchase of a home. A few months later, Kenyon happily cashed the $10,000 check. … their experience also illuminates the complexities and blind spots of economic development efforts like Choose Topeka. Its approach — attempting to grow the tax base by targeting individuals rather than companies, and by using cold hard cash as opposed to convoluted subsidies — is a relatively new one, with mixed results in other areas it’s been implemented, including Tulsa, northwest Arkansas and Vermont. The Gleasons were coming to Topeka anyway: Did the city really need to write them a $10,000 check? Bob Ross, the senior vice president of marketing for the Greater Topeka Partnership, the umbrella organization for Choose Topeka, says yes. … More than a third of Choose Topeka’s participants migrated to the city from elsewhere in the state, data shows, suggesting its economic incentives contribute to a kind of Border War in miniature, where Topeka sucks up talent from small Kansas towns and neighboring counties nearly as often as it attracts a remote worker from Texas or California. (Participants who work for a local company get up to $15,000.)
Source: Kansas City Star
Municipal-Bond Issuers Fall Behind on Disclosures
U.S. states, cities and counties are taking longer to file regular financial reports, leaving bondholders in the dark and adding to pressure on prices. S&P Global Ratings last month withdrew its ratings for 30 cities, counties and other municipalities because they haven’t yet filed their 2020 financial statements. The ratings company also placed New Orleans on credit watch in April for late reporting, the largest city analysts can recall incurring that sanction in more than a decade.
Source: WSJ.com: Markets
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The sixth annual Salina Comic Con is at TPEC this weekend
Coming back for the sixth straight year, the 2022 edition of Salina Comic Con is happening over the weekend in the Great Plains Manufacturing Convention Hall at Tony’s Pizza Events Center (TPEC). Featured guests at this year’s con include Justin Nimmo, the original silver ranger from “Power Rangers in Space,” C. Andrew Nelson, who has played and voiced Darth Vader several times in the Star Wars franchise of films, TV shows and video games and Alan Fernandes, the only living Tusken Raider from the original 1977 “Star Wars” film, “A New Hope.” … “As a city facility, our mission is to bring a wide variety of entertainment options to Salina and Salina Comic Con is a perfect example of an event that is family-friendly and has something for everyone,” said Marjorie Anderson, the director of marketing and partnerships for TPEC.
Source: Salina Journal
Lawrence and Douglas County leaders call for more in-depth discussion of homeless shelter, affordable housing
Douglas County leaders want to do more to help people in the local homeless shelter transition into stable housing, and they say they’ll need to work closely with City of Lawrence leaders to achieve that. Leaders from the city and the county held a joint work session on affordable housing on Tuesday, giving county commissioners a chance to learn more about housing issues in Lawrence from city leaders. But the work session only lasted about 45 minutes, and County Commissioner Shannon Reid said the governments needed to have a more extensive conversation in the future, particularly about the Lawrence Community Shelter.
Source: LJWorld
Municipal Bond Trends for July 12, 2022
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 and Beth Warren.
Fed’s Barkin is open to raising rates by 50 or 75 basis points in July
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin kept his options open on how big the central bank should go when it raises interest rates later this month, following an increase of 75 basis points in June. “I am one of the guys who like the option value of deciding the week of the meeting as opposed to two weeks before the meeting,” he told reporters Tuesday after a speech in Charlotte, North Carolina. “But I thought Jay’s guidance the last time was very sound. We’ll get a little bit more information before the meeting and importantly we’ll get CPI. I’ll reserve judgment.” The consumer price index for June will be released on Wednesday. It is expected to show an 8.8% increase from a year earlier, marking the largest jump since 1981, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey.
Source: The Bond Buyer