Kansas Municipal News
Municipal Bond Trends for July 3, 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.
Municipal Bond Trends for June 30, 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.
A Kansas gardener is suing for the right to sell honey and fruit from her Ottawa yard
Ellen Finnerty revels in working her backyard garden as much to learn the science as to harvest a juicy watermelon…. Now the Ottawa resident wants to keep bees, too, and ultimately sell her honey, fruits and vegetables at a local farmer’s market. But the city of Ottawa halted her aspirations last year, citing city code. Finnerty holds out hope. With help from a small-government advocacy group, the gardener sued in May, arguing those rules violate the Kansas Constitution. Some cities across the country are changing their codes to allow residents to grow more food or add bees and chickens to their yards. Lawrence, for example, changed its codes in 2016 to loosen rules for residential crops and allow beekeeping and sales of honey and other homegrown foods. In 2019, the state of Indiana struck down all municipal beekeeping bans.
Source: KCUR News
Hospitals in Kansas turn to overseas workers to combat nurse shortage but immigration law gets in the way
Kansas recruiters are looking as far away as the Philippines in Southeast Asia because 21% of registered nursing jobs in the state went unfilled last year. That’s what the Kansas Hospital Association found in a recent report. “Just to kind of put that in perspective, we need four nurses on a unit,” said Cindy Samuelson with the KHA. “If we’re thinking of percentages 25%, that means we only have three.” Prior to the pandemic, the U.S. was already experiencing a shortage of nurses. During COVID-19, the issue was only exacerbated as fatigued nurses left the workforce. Samuelson said the association held its very first virtual job fair to try to reach more potential workers. The group is also partnering with the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and rural organizations to raise awareness of the job opportunities in the medical field.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Governor Kelly Joins Sen. Moran Rep. Davids to Break Ground on De Soto Road Project Near Panasonic
Governor Laura Kelly today joined U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids, and other state, local, and private sector leaders for a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction of the De Soto Local Road Improvement Project. The Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) 4.5-mile street improvement project will support the $4 billion, 4,000-job Panasonic Energy electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility currently under construction. The project, which represents the largest private investment in Kansas history, was announced last July.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas
Municipal Bond Trends for June 29, 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.
Topeka leaders say they took ‘future of hotel’ into city’s own hands
Topeka Mayor Mike Padilla recalls feeling helpless as Topeka’s West Ridge Mall was auctioned off in December 2021. “There was little that we were able to participate in at that time, and the result wasn’t what we hoped for,” he said Tuesday during his first monthly news conference with acting city manager Richard Nienstedt. What happened with that mall was one reason Padilla supported Topeka’s city government bidding $7.6 million in an auction this month to win the right to buy Hotel Topeka at City Center, 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd., he said.
Source: CJonline
Municipal Bond Trends for June 28, 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.
Powell says more ‘restriction’ is coming including possibility of hikes at consecutive meetings
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell talked tough on inflation Wednesday, saying at a forum that he expects multiple interest rate increases ahead and possibly at an aggressive pace. “We believe there’s more restriction coming,” Powell said during a monetary policy session in Sintra, Portugal. “What’s really driving it … is a very strong labor market.” The comments reiterate a position taken by Powell’s fellow policymakers at their June meeting, during which they indicated the likelihood of another half percentage point of increases through the end of 2023.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Garden City hires new Parks & Rec chief
Ticia Herd, Executive Director of the Mulvane Recreation Commission for the past 15 years, has been named the new Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Garden City. “Ticia’s excitement about the growth and diversity of Garden City was evident throughout the search process. We look forward to her arrival in early August,” Matt Allen, Garden City City Manager, said. Herd replaces former director Aaron Stewart. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation and a minor in psychology from Pittsburg State University, completed MBA coursework from Friends University, and is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP).
Source: Greater Garden City » Feed
Temporary water treatment facility one of Kansas largest
A water treatment facility that would temporarily become the seventh largest in Kansas was built on site to treat water from the creek. The operation could treat 3,600 gallons of water per minute and put treated water back into the creek that exceeded the obligated water quality criteria.
Source: Backroads News
Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $43.6M in Grant Funding Creation of Over 4200 New Child Care Slots
Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund announced funding awards to 52 statewide organizations for the purpose of creating new, sustainable, high-quality licensed child care slots across the state and accelerating capacity-building in support of families, businesses, and economic development. These grants are part of the Child Care Capacity Accelerator grant program, which was designed to advance the rapid development of additional child care slots statewide. The program will provide $43,593,294 in grant funding, which will create 4,211 new child care slots across the state.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas
Wacky Wednesday returns in Crawford County
The Crawford County Historical Museum in Pittsburg, Kansas today hosted its Wacky Wednesday children’s series. This free and family-friendly event featured various themes tailored for children from preschool to 6th grade. Held from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the activities took place both on the museum grounds and inside the museum itself. Bart Taylor, an award-winning educator specializing in US History and Will Rogers, served as the event’s host. As the Creative Curator and Interpreter at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, Bart brought his expertise and passion for history to engage and entertain the participants.
Source: KOAM News
Newton PD mourns loss of police service dog Bella
A retired police service dog in Newton has died. Bella was only nine years old. The Newton Police Department said she suffered a sudden medical emergency and died Tuesday. The department said Bella was successful at her job. She was a certified patrol and narcotics detection K-9 who joined the department in 2015. She served in the patrol division with Sgt. Tony Hawpe, her handler. After he transitioned to the investigations division, Bella retired in January.
Source: KSN-TV
Nuclear plant eyes Marion Reservoir
Evergy wants to buy 19% of Marion Reservoir’s conservation pool water to use for cooling basins at Wolf Creek nuclear power plant near Burlington. “That has never happened before,” Lisa Suderman, vice chairman of the Neosho Regional Advisory Committee, told county commissioners Monday. The state owns the water in the reservoir. That’s why the request was directed to the state, she said…. Suderman suggested that the county, cities, and Marion County residents who have a stake in Marion Reservoir water meet to discuss getting a retention agreement. A retention agreement applies not to drawing water out of the reservoir but to retaining water in the reservoir. Suderman suggested forming a delegation of every governing body in the county to talk to the water office about such an agreement.
Source: Marion County RECORD
Hillsboro says yes to fences no to animals
Hillsboro property owners who want privacy fences along their side yards can now have them, but people who own agricultural land annexed into the city can no longer claim an agricultural exemption to city regulations. Those changes to city ordinance were made Tuesday during Hillsboro’s city commission meeting.
Source: Marion County RECORD
Century-old bridge to be replaced
A bridge on East Barton County Road crossing Walnut Creek that was built about a 100 years ago will be replaced after the County Commission Wednesday morning approved the project. “It’s one that we’ve been in discussions with for quite a few years wanting to get it replaced because it’s a narrow bridge, 19 feet wide,” said County Engineer Barry McManaman. “Farm equipment has some trouble getting through, in fact, they can’t get through there.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Municipal Bond Trends for June 27, 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.
Seven new warehouses coming near Integra Technologies site in Bel Aire
Michael Le had been eyeing Bel Aire for warehouse development even before Integra Technologies chose to locate in the city. “I was going to build it regardless,” he said of what he’s calling his Bayside industrial development. He said tax incentives in Bel Aire make doing business there attractive. However, he said, the microchip manufacturing and testing plant’s decision to locate a 1-million-square-foot building at the southeast corner of Rock Road and K-254 gives him even more confidence to build close by — across from Wichita Hoops, which is near 53rd North and Webb Road.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Tornado siren failure being addressed by county
A recent spot of severe weather raised some concerns for Derby residents, as a number of outdoor tornado sirens failed to go off in the midst of a tornado warning issued on June 17. District 5 Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell, representing Derby, voiced some of his constituents’ concerns at the commission’s staff meeting on June 20. Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Julie Stimson confirmed her department is working to resolve the issue. Per a release from the Sedgwick County Emergency Management Department, following the issuance of three tornado warning polygons by the National Weather Service on June 17, multiple means of public warning were triggered including wireless emergency alerts (WEA) to cellphones, the emergency alert system (EAS) over radio/television, NOAA weather radios, billboards, Sedgwick County’s Civic Ready Alerts and the outdoor warning system.
Source: Derby Informer | News