Kansas Municipal News
Salina residents lighting up porches for Narcan awareness
Houses in Salina are going green, and not for recycling. Porches are “lighting up” awareness about Narcan in hopes of saving lives. If you see a porch shining a green light in Salina, you have found a house joining the fight against fentanyl. A green porch light means there is Narcan inside and someone who can administer it. Recently, residents out at the Oxford House in Salina began this awareness campaign, and now the campaign is spreading to personal homes as the need increases. Preston Cressler, a volunteer at an Oxford House, says recent overdoses could’ve been prevented, and the green lights are a way to be proactive. He says when people come to the Oxford House and do drug tests, most people don’t even know they have fentanyl in their system. “There’s a lot of people that don’t know that they are using fentanyl, and then they use fentanyl and the next thing you know, they’re on life support in the hospital and their families sitting around them wondering what happened and like it doesn’t have to be that way,” said Cressler.
Source: KSN-TV
‘Only takes one pill.’ Kansas high school freshman died from fentanyl-laced painkiller
Inside the Burris home, a guitar sits in its corner of the living room. A music stand holds sheets of music, where Nicholas Burris, called “Cruz” by his loved ones, would strum along to The Beatles, Queen and Chuck Berry. Rhonda Burris will miss hearing her son’s fingers plucking, moving across the strings. The 15-year-old could pick up songs quickly and had even begun to write his own. Cruz’s parents believe he could have gone far in his musical pursuits. Some days he dreamed of being an engineer for NASA, and other times he would say he wanted to become a contractor. Either way, they said, Cruz was bound to do something great. “There’s nothing Cruz couldn’t do,” Andrew Burris said. Though he was a freshman at Lansing High School, students of all ages would greet him in the hallways — including the seniors. Cruz told his mother, Rhonda Burris, that was his favorite thing about school. “‘People know me,’” she recalled him saying.
Source: KC Star Local News
Can states keep trains from blocking crossings? High court wants feds to weigh in
The U.S. Supreme Court has invited the federal government to weigh in on whether state and local governments can regulate how long trains can block railroad crossings. The invitation means the high court might eventually give a full hearing to the appeal of a lower court ruling that invalidated Ohio’s blocked crossing law. There’s no guarantee the court will grant the appeal, but Monday’s court order keeps the door open for now. Countless people have died when emergency vehicles were delayed at rail crossings, The Kansas City Star reported in an investigation of railroad safety lapses. The high court refused to hear a similar case last year in which Oklahoma argued that lower courts were split over which federal agency has authority over blocked crossings and asked the justices for clarification. Over the past 20 years, lower courts have repeatedly ruled that state and local restrictions on train movements are preempted by the federal laws that govern the railroad industry. Some of those restrictions were passed recently in response to growing concerns that trains were blocking crossings more often and for longer periods. Other states, like Kansas, adopted their laws more than a century ago. While the courts have ruled that only the federal government can regulate train movements, the states note that Congress has failed to pass any laws limiting how long trains can block a crossing.
Source: KC Star Local News
Munis steady ahead of FOMC meeting
Municipals were steady Monday ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, while U.S. Treasury yields rose as investors considered the stability of the banking sector. Equities ended up. Triple-A benchmarks were little changed, no more than a basis point or two, while U.S. Treasury yields rose five to 12 basis points. … The banking sector crisis, which erupted with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and resurfaced with the struggles of Credit Suisse, sent USTs on a flight-to-quality bid last week. “The two-year plummeted by well over 100 basis points [since March 8], after the short benchmark attained a multiyear high of 5.08% during [Federal Reserve Board] Chair [Jerome] Powell’s semi-annual testimony,” said Jeff Lipton, managing director of credit research at Oppenheimer Inc. Munis joined “the flight-to-quality bandwagon with 10- and 30-year AAA benchmark yields dropping by 23 and 16 basis points respectively,” he said. “Price advances have been more pronounced on the short-end of the muni curve as yields on the one- and two-year tenors declined by 40 and 39 basis points respectively,” he noted.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Mission latest JoCo city to consider antisemitism measure
Mission is joining some other Johnson County cities in considering the adoption of a non-legally binding definition of antisemitism. Like Leawood and Roeland Park, Mission heard from the Jewish Relations Bureau American Jewish Committee about the national rise in antisemitism — punctuated locally by two recent incidents at Johnson County high schools — and the importance of defining it.
Source: Prairie Village Post
SVB Collapse Shows Smaller Banks Can Pose Risk
For 15 years, regulators and legislators have assumed the biggest risks to the financial system came from a handful of “too big to fail” banks. This month’s failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank—and last week’s bank-led rescue of a third lender, First Republic Bank FRC 39.67% increase; green up pointing triangle—suggests that focus on size may have blinded officials to the threat posed by smaller lenders, observers and former regulators say.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
Fed Faces Tough Decision on Rate Increase
Central-bank officials must balance inflation concerns with new worries about spillovers from banking turmoil. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues this week face one of their toughest calls in years: whether to raise interest rates again to fight stubbornly high inflation or take a timeout amid the most intense banking crisis since 2008. The decision over whether to raise interest rates by a quarter-percentage point is likely to hinge in part on how markets digest the forced marriage Sunday of two Swiss banking giants, UBS and Credit Suisse, and other steps to calm fears of contagion in the banking system. Fed officials’ two-day meeting concludes Wednesday.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
Municipal Bond Trends for March 20, 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.
Valley Center Public Library is celebrating its 100th birthday
There have been many constants at the Valley Center Public Library over the years. Storytimes. Easter egg hunts. Best-selling novels. Newspapers. And the bell at the front door. “We still have it,” said Terry Foster, the library’s assistant director. “It’s a counter. It’s a patron counter,” Director Janice Sharp said. “And if you’re out in the stacks, you know somebody has come in,” Foster added. And they’ve been coming in for a century. The Valley Center Public Library is celebrating its 100th birthday this month with a party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 20 and with a look back at what got it here. “Libraries are for everybody,” Sharp said. “To me, every community should have a library.” Valley Center’s library started in 1923 with a trunk holding a few dozen books the Progressive Women’s Club bought from the state library board and kept in the homes of club members.
Source: AV News
Water Wise: Hays residents meeting challenges of water conservation, quality
Two water officials in Hays, Kansas say that policies put in place in the 1990s are still paying dividends for a city that is often seen as a model for water-use efficiency. Holly Dickman, a water conservation specialist with the City of Hays, said the nearly three-decade-old water policies are important because Ellis County relies on groundwater mostly from alluvial (shallow) aquifers around the Smoky Hill River and Big Creek, which flow near the city. “So, you can imagine that if it doesn’t rain, those rivers and creeks aren’t running quite as much as they would be and so our well levels can decline,” she said. “The city relies on those water sources for drinking water and more, so you get a little concerned when there’s no rainfall and the well levels begin to fall.” Dickman said drought conditions in the 1990s forced the city’s leaders to adopt several water conservation strategies to preserve what water was available.
Source: Hays Daily News
Municipal Bond Trends for March 17, 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.
Fed poised to approve quarter-point rate hike this week, despite market turmoil
Even with turmoil in the banking industry and uncertainty ahead, the Federal Reserve likely will approve a quarter-percentage-point interest rate increase next week, according to market pricing and many Wall Street experts. Rate expectations have been on a rapidly swinging pendulum over the past two weeks, varying from a half-point hike to holding the line and even at one point some talk that the Fed could cut rates. However, a consensus has emerged that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and his fellow central bankers will want to signal that while they are attuned to the financial sector upheaval, it’s important to continue the fight to bring down inflation. That likely will take the form of a 0.25 percentage point, or 25 basis point, increase, accompanied by assurances that there’s no preset path ahead. The outlook could change depending on market behavior in the coming days, but the indication is for the Fed to hike.
Source: Economy
Local Banks Could Leave Gaps That Are Hard to Fill
Tighter belts for smaller banks could count as a big problem for some parts of the U.S. The failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank as well as questions about First Republic Bank’s future have cast a sudden pall on the banking sector. An emerging concern is that customers at community and regional banks, worrying that their deposits aren’t safe, might pull their money, putting it into money-market funds or accounts at bigger banks. Regulators’ move last Sunday to protect depositors at SVB and Signature, and big banks coming together on Thursday to shore up First Republic with a $30 billion infusion of deposit cash, were aimed at avoiding such an eventuality. With hope, these fire lines will hold. Even if any outflows are halted or reversed, small banks may now grow cautious, such as by simply sitting on more of their cash as a defensive measure. Doing so would effectively reduce their capacity to extend credit.
Source: WSJ.com: Markets
Smaller Banks’ Role in Economy Means Distress Raises Recession Risks
Main Street businesses and American families are likely to find it harder to get a loan because of turmoil in the banking industry, denting economic growth and raising the risk of a recession. “The risk in terms of the spark from SVB is real,” said Greg Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, a strategy consulting unit of Ernst & Young LLP. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank set off fear among depositors that led to the failure of Signature Bank and the move to rescue First Republic Bank.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
Sedgwick residents turn out to defend their chickens
A full council room of residents concerned about a proposed city ordinance to regulate chickens convinced the Sedgwick city council to table the matter until further changes were made. City staff drafted the proposed ordinance and presented it in January to the council, who chose to hold off until they could get public input. The prior ordinance limited the number of fowl to six but didn’t address coop setback limitations, according to City Administrator Kyle Nordick. He said his research showed neighboring cities with coop structure regulations ranging from 30-50 feet from neighboring dwellings, regulations of the location to include only the backyard, and a required permit for ownership.
Source: Harvey County Now
Wichita looking at plan to shape downtown parking options
If you look around downtown Wichita and you’ll see cars parked everywhere, on the street or in lots. It is something that often goes unnoticed by most but the city of Wichita thinks about parking a lot. Councilman Brandon Johnson says the city has “been looking at downtown streets and parking for quite some time and trying to get more efficient. So looking at where parking is needed, compared to where all it is, what that looks like this plan.” On Tuesday the City Council will vote on a parking plan that looks to improve parking in the city, mostly in downtown. It’s a plan that was researched back in 2018 and 2019 but has been on hold since the pandemic.
Source: KAKE – News
Wichita just updated its tobacco ordinance. What’s changed?
Retail stores, not cashiers, will now shoulder fines and fees when caught selling tobacco to underage customers after the Wichita City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to update the city’s tobacco retail licensing. Previously, individual cashier clerks who sold tobacco, e-cigarettes or vapes to someone under the age of 21 were fined $55 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $150 for any subsequent offenses — an approach that critics say inappropriately shifted blame away from management.
Source: KLC Journal
Why Sedgwick County plans to burn parkland
Sometime in the next three weeks, drivers may see smoke coming from the northeast corner of Sedgwick County. The Sedgwick County Parks Department plans to do a controlled burn at Northeast Sedgwick County Park, at 127th Street East and 77th Street North. Many people may not realize there is a park in that corner of the county. It’s 600 acres of grass and woods. The County website encourages people to use it for hiking, walking dogs, and riding horses. There’s even a YouTube video for the park.
Source: KSN-TV
Southeast Kansas museum celebrates railroad history
More people are now able to check out a museum in southeast Kansas that celebrates railroad history. The Heart of the Heartlands Railroad Museum in Carona has expanded its hours. It had only been open a few weekends during the summer. It’s now open 5 days a week — Wednesday through Sunday — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days. Museum Director John Chambers says the railroads played a important role in developing the area.
Source: KSNF/KODE
City of Emporia enters home stretch in search for next Assistant City Manager
The search for Emporia’s next Assistant City Manager has reached the final stages. Finalists for the position met with four panels as part of the selection process Friday morning. The city is not releasing the names of the finalists in order to protect current employment, regardless, City Manager Trey Cocking tells KVOE News this will not be an easy decision as each candidate brings a unique set of skills to the table. Cocking says the chosen candidate will be stepping into the role at a time when several large-scale projects are currently in the works or underway and will have to be ready to adapt to that environment.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio