Kansas Municipal News
Mulvane council supports new casino
At its last meeting in April, the Mulvane City Council city was approached with a resolution of support for Boyd Gaming’s efforts to operate a new Diamond Joe Historic Horse Racing Casino in Park City. The council approved the resolution unanimously. Representatives from Boyd Gaming said that the proposal would uniquely benefit the region and Mulvane through continued partnership (i.e., cross-marketing at the casinos).
Source: Derby Informer | Area
The ‘Wizard of Oz’ still shapes the world’s view of Kansas for better and worse
The Wizard of Oz’s enduring fame has given Kansas something very few other states have: A global brand. But generations after the film’s release, that brand might not be all bluebirds and lemon drops anymore. “The movie didn’t work too hard to sell us with how black-and-white everything is. And the dust,” Dowell said, “But the message of the movie is still, ‘there’s no place like home.’” So is the state’s connection to Oz a gift? Or is it a curse that boxes Kansas into an outdated, inaccurate image? Perhaps nowhere is that contradiction on display more than right here in the far southwestern corner of Kansas.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Why are several Kansas school districts holding special bond elections?
Yes or no? A question determining the future of several Kansas school districts as districts ask voters to pass multi-million dollar bond projects. On Tuesday, four districts, including Pratt, McPherson, Marion-Florence, and Caldwell, had a vote. According to the Kansas State Department of Education, there are 20 happening this school year. Aside from the pandemic year, it isn’t far off from a typical year. So far, nine of 15 bond votes have passed this 22-23 year. “We’re just happy that they voted for this, and we can start moving forward,” said Alan Jamison, Caldwell USD 360 Superintendent.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita ordinance change will help toy store and other secondhand shops
The owner of a toy shop in Wichita has succeeded in getting the City of Wichita to rewrite its requirements for secondhand stores. Derek Sorrells owns Let’s Go Build, 2684 N. Greenwich, a store that buys, sells and trades Lego bricks. As he was starting the business, he learned that the City ordinances for secondhand shops required him to fingerprint people who brought in used Legos. So, he took his concern to City Hall. Troy Anderson, assistant city manager, has been working with City staff to find a solution. He said the fingerprint requirement started to combat the resale of stolen goods and only applied to some secondhand stores.
Source: KSN-TV
Cowtown Days held in Baxter Springs
A tradition that started over 50 years ago continues on this weekend in Baxter Springs. — Cowtown Days, which began in 1969. This year’s fun kicked off Friday evening and this morning started off with the annual parade. Over 150 vendors and food trucks gathered around the library grounds for families to browse. On top of that, there was live music, bounce houses, a car show — and much more.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Topeka biz expansion could bring $51.5 million economic impact
A Topeka company is preparing to expand, thanks to a new incentive agreement. On Wednesday, Topeka and Shawnee County’s Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) board approved an incentive agreement with Global Grain. Global Grain announced plans to open in Shawnee County in 2018 with help from JEDO incentives. The company helps connect farmers in the region with opportunities to market and export their agricultural products. The Greater Topeka Partnership projects the expansion will bring an economic impact of more than $51 million to the area over the next 10 years. The expansion is expected to result in six new positions.
Source: KSNT 27 News
New sales tax in Shawnee County to fund projects at Gage Park and Topeka Zoo
Residents of Gage Park and visitors to the Topeka Zoo can expect changes following the implementation of a new sales tax. The tax, which went into effect last month, is expected to generate about $8 million per year, with 20 cents of every $100 spent in Shawnee County going to Gage Park. A breakdown of the allocation of funds shows that 58% of the tax revenue will go towards the Topeka Zoo, 15% to the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, 22% to the county for commissioners to decide on park improvements, and the last 5% to the Gage Park Improvement Authority.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Mural project brightens Eight Street levee wing walls in Osawatomie
The city of Osawatomie recently celebrated another completed mural project in the city. A ribbon-cutting took place April 27 for the newly finished “Bee the Good” mural at the Eighth Street levee wing walls by Art by Lynnsey. The event gave the city the opportunity to congratulate artist Lynnsey Fletcher and pay tribute to the mural, located near the historic Creamery Bridge. In a post on her Art by Lynnsey Facebook page, Fletcher said butterflies and wildflowers are always a perfect choice.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Growth in western Shawnee could push K-7 corridor to its traffic limit
Improvements along Kansas Highway 7 may be necessary down the line to deal with increased traffic on Shawnee’s growing western side, but a new study of that major transportation corridor shows that its capacity is adequate for now. Specific areas to keep an eye on, according to a special presentation to the Shawnee City Council Monday, are around westbound 55th Street, westbound 67th Street, eastbound Shawnee Mission Parkway and stretches of K-7 itself. Those roads will need to be focused on as that part of the city continues to grow and be built out, Kurt Rotering, from Olsson Associates, said.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Galena artist wrapping up mural — paying homage to local legend
A local artist is hitting the streets of Galena, for her second community project in the last month. “I love Galena,” said Sandra Pemberton, local artist. It’s been a busy month for local artist Sandra Pemberton, as she’s wrapping up her second project in the Galena area, within the past month. Her last job was the train-themed mural inside of the “Galena Mining and History Museum”, which city organizers enjoyed so much, it left them wanting more. “We looked at it, and was like ‘that’s amazing’ and let’s look around here and see if there is somewhere else we can put one. And now, doing this one, there are a few other businesses in town that are going to have her freshen up signs or maybe do some more murals,” said Galena City Councilman Robert Laturner.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Municipal Bond Trends for May 10, 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.
Can Inflation Fall Fast Enough for the Fed?
Inflation is still too high. That probably won’t lead Federal Reserve policy makers to raise rates when they meet next month, but unless inflation comes down significantly in the months ahead, Fed policy makers will lace up their boots and start hiking all over again. And maybe inflation will come down. The Labor Department on Wednesday said that the consumer-price index, its measure of consumer prices, rose 0.4% in April from March, putting it 4.9% above its year-earlier level. Core prices, which exclude food and energy items to better reflect inflation’s underlying trend, also rose 0.4%, and were up 5.5% from a year earlier. … There were some aspects of the inflation report that will please the Fed. It has been focusing on what has been termed supercore inflation—the change in services prices excluding energy and housing costs. This is because, first of all, services prices are more closely linked to U.S. wages, as opposed to prices for goods, which are more driven by global demand, and which have been whipsawed by supply-chain problems since the pandemic started.
Source: WSJ.com: Markets
Reno County facing shortage of teachers
As enrollment dwindles in the Hutchinson School District, the need for buildings decreases. But this year, the largest school district in Reno County is facing a new problem − not enough applicants to fill their 14 open teacher slots. Because of this dilemma, the USD 308 staff met with community members at McCandless, Faris and Lincoln elementary schools on Wednesday and Thursday to try to figure out a solution. They threw out all sorts of possibilities, including closing an elementary school. Hutchinson’s superintendent, Dawn Johnson, Ed.D., wants to keep the community involved in what is happening. She is proposing a special board meeting, where community members can speak, be held next Monday evening to focus on this topic.
Source: Hutch News
Salina allows more access for fiber internet installation
Providers of fiber internet will now have more options for where cable can be placed near homes in Salina after approval by the City Commission. During its meeting Monday, the commission approved a resolution to allow fiber optic cable to be placed in utility easements within the city in addition to the public right of way, which was already allowed. Assistant City Manager Shawn Henessee said a utility easement in Salina is typically located at the rear or side of a residence, whereas the right of way is typically located in front of a home. “The city has voluntarily allowed utilities, in the past, to access…the easement in the rear,” Henessee said. As more fiber providers are making their way to Salina, Henessee said the city has been looking at the issue of where fiber cable could be placed.
Source: Salina Journal
Pittsburg Housing Authority awarded vouchers to address housing insecurity
The City of Pittsburg Public Housing Authority (PHA) is one of 62 agencies chosen by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to receive housing vouchers to provide supportive services to those facing homelessness in rural communities. The Pittsburg Housing Authority was awarded five stability vouchers to assist individuals and families who are homeless, at-risk of homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or were recently homeless. These vouchers are in addition to 15 Emergency Housing Vouchers issued to the PHA in July 2021.
Source: City of Pittsburg
Cinco De Mayo celebration brings crowd, culture to downtown Emporia
Commercial Street came alive with food, music, dancing and more for the annual Cinco De Mayo celebration. Hundreds packed into downtown Emporia to try one of the many food, drink and snack options, listen to musical stylings of Erick Sánchez, Jaime Izaguirre, Ladee J and the Orquesta Cambalache and enjoy the dance performances from Raíces Hispanas Grupo Folklórico and the Latin Fit Zumba group. The day was packed with CincoK race in the morning, Los Puentes graduation, Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow scholarship recognition, royalty coronation and more.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Valley Center Schools name new Superintendent
The Valley Center School District has named a new Superintendent. Greg Lehr will take over the position on July 1. Lehr comes to Valley Center from Sedgwick Schools, where he has been Superintendent since July of last year, overseeing a $13.8 million bond project and creating a strategic plan. It is not his first time at Valley Center schools. Lehr was an assistant principal for Valley Center Middle School and principal of the intermediate school for a combined 12 years. Prior to that, he was a coach and teacher at Garden City and Newton Public Schools.
Source: KSN-TV
Johnson County’s Negro Creek to keep controversial name, commemorating its grisly past
Despite calls to rename Johnson County’s Negro Creek, a committee has decided to keep the controversial name, worried that removing it would erase a painful piece of history. Many Johnson County residents spent years unaware of the small, unmarked creek that flows through a golf course in Leawood and in southern Overland Park, in one of the most affluent areas of Kansas’ wealthiest county. But a couple of years ago, activists brought attention to the tributary and the mystery behind its troubling name, calling on leaders to remove it. The name, historians have discovered, most likely came from a story passed down for generations, of an enslaved man who ran away from the Missouri farm of a prominent and notoriously violent family. The man was tracked along the Blue River as he fled toward Kansas and made it to a tributary across the state line. The story goes that he chose to die by suicide there rather than be recaptured and return to a life of slavery.
Source: Joco 913 News
‘Grace and patience’: Wichita superintendent Alicia Thompson says farewell
Alicia Thompson, the first woman and first Black superintendent of Wichita Public Schools, gave an emotional farewell speech at Monday’s school board meeting, her last before Kelly Bielefeld takes over as superintendent on July 1. “My mother was a teacher in this school district and I’ve been walking the Wichita Public Schools pretty much all my life — as a student, as a professional,” said Thompson, who has worked in the district for 31 years and is retiring at the end of the school year. Thompson started as a kindergarten teacher at Ingalls Elementary School before taking on assistant principal and principal roles and working in staff development. She became superintendent of Kansas’ largest school district in 2017.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Overland Park named one of best work from home cities in U.S.
Overland Park was named one of the best cities to support remote workers. A study by website SmartAsset determined which American cities have the best circumstances for the “work from home” workforce, including lower cost of living and reliable internet and electricity. Overland Park ranked the fifth best work from home city on the list, and here are some of the key facts from SmartAsset’s findings: Nearly 32% of the city’s working population is remote. Over 5,800 people age 18 to 65 moved to Overland Park between 2019 and 2021, a possible factor in the nearly 24% increase in remote workers during that same time.
Source: Prairie Village Post