Kansas Municipal News
Loud booms in central Kansas believed to be military training, sheriff says
Residents in Barton and Rush County have heard some loud booms in the area, some that reportedly shook a car and opened a front door on Thursday. A KSN viewer in eastern Rush County reported hearing two loud booms and that a friend of theirs from near Olmitz said they heard the same a few days prior. Two other viewers stated that this wasn’t the first time hearing the booms over the past week as well. KSN reached out to both Rush and Barton County.
Source: KSN-TV
Pittsburg has a new EV charging station — near a local landmark
Many gathered in downtown Pittsburg for the celebration of the new EV charging station at the Colonial Fox Theatre. Pittsburg native and Pitt State graduate Kelly Burgess gifted the first, fast level three dc charging station in Southeast Kansas. This new charger gives electric vehicles a healthy charge in just two hours. The charging installation is supported by the Switch Energy Network where drivers can create and activate the station from their smartphones. The nearest station that would compare to this one is in Joplin.
Source: KSNF/KODE
This JoCo city is next to weigh antisemitism measure
Roeland Park is the latest Johnson County city considering adopting a non-legally binding definition of antisemitism that would guide the city’s response in the event of an act of hate. The item came up this week on the city council’s agenda, two weeks after Leawood adopted what is believed to be the first such municipal resolution against antisemitism in Johnson County. It also comes in the wake of multiple incidents at local high schools — including one at Bishop Miege in Roeland Park — in which students used antisemitic and racist language in acts that were investigated by police.
Source: Prairie Village Post
World-renowned pianist performs at Pratt library
Steven Spooner, a Professor of Piano at the Peabody Institute at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, made a stop at the Pratt Public Library on cold February 15 night, warming hearts and souls with his engaging pianistic abilities. “I’ve never been to a piano concert like this before so I didn’t know what to expect, but he was pretty good,” said local piano player and artist Patrice Egging. “I was particularly impressed with how soft he could play, and his expression. I was also impressed with his humility. I told him I felt like he was inspired by the spirit.”
Source: Pratt Tribune
Grant helps Winfield fire department with equipment
Winfield Fire Department and EMS has received an award of personal protection equipment worth $36,400 from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The award, made Tuesday in Wichita, is for eight sets of new bunker gear and nine pairs of boots, all to help replace outdated gear and provide protection against burns, smoke inhalation and other dangers faced on the job. Winfield Fire Chief Vincent Warren and EMS coordinator Brad Klein accepted the award.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Dog park plans slowed by ADA requirements
Catapla Park in Arkansas City is still going to the dogs, it’s just taking longer than expected. The city announced its plan last October to revamp the small park into a safe place for pet owners to let their pets get some exercise, but so far no progress has been made. Municipal Planner Nick Rizzio said Tuesday that the goal for the project had been to keep the cost minimal and have it completed before the end of the year. The project will be more expensive than he had anticipated due to the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for parking spaces, sidewalks and an entrance and exit for each gate. He said the cost is still being evaluated.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
City of Lawrence may consider adopting version of the CROWN Act
Lawrence’s Human Relations Commission on Thursday voiced support for the city to adopt a version of the CROWN Act, a law that blocks race-based hair discrimination. Michele Watley, founder of Shirley’s Kitchen Cabinet, presented to the HRC on why Lawrence should implement the CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” Watley is the founder of Shirley’s Kitchen Cabinet, a Kansas City-based organization dedicated to advocacy for Black women.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Chanute Ks, is celebrating its 150th anniversary
Chanute, Kansas is celebrating its 150-th anniversary. The city was founded in 18-72 as a railroad hub. Chanute is a city located in the southeast part of the state of Kansas. the city was founded in the 1870’s, during the expansion of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway westward, which played a major role in the city’s growth and development. “So in 2023 is our 150th anniversary. we’re looking at a number of different events. we’ll have a downtown block party on July 1st with a circus that has stilt walkers and aerial acts and different things like that, as well as activities that go on down along our main street.” Said Jane Brophy, the Executive director of Chanute Chamber of Commerce.
Source: KOAM News
Pittsburg unveils new fast-charging station
As of Wednesday afternoon, Pittsburg has a new fast-charging station that has literally put the city on the map for electric vehicle (EV) drivers. “If you looked at a map of charging stations in Kansas this morning, Pittsburg wasn’t there,” said Colonial Fox Foundation Executive Director Vonnie Corsini, “But this afternoon, we are.” Before Wednesday’s unveiling, the closest fast-charging station was outside of Joplin, at the interchange between I-44 and I-49. Although another charging station is in Pittsburg, near the Kansas Technology Center, it is not a fast-charging station. The new station can fully recharge an EV in two hours or less, according to Kelly Burgess, electrification specialist for Case New Holland (CNH) Industrial in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Source: Morning Sun
Municipal Bond Trends for February 22, 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 minutes show members resolved to keep fighting inflation with rate hikes
Federal Reserve officials at their most recent meeting indicated that there are signs inflation is coming down, but not enough to counter the need for more interest rate increases, meeting minutes released Wednesday showed. While the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting concluded with a smaller rate hike than most of those implemented since early 2022, officials stressed that their concern over inflation is high. Inflation “remained well above” the Fed’s 2% target, the minutes stated. That came with labor markets that “remained very tight, contributing to continuing upward pressures on wages and prices.” Consequently, the Fed approved a 0.25 percentage point rate increase that was the smallest hike since the first March 2022, taking the fed funds rate to a target range of 4.5%-4.75%. But the minutes stated that the reduced pace came with a high level of concern that inflation was still a threat. … The summary repeated that members believe “ongoing” rate hikes will be necessary.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Harvey County approves sixth-month moratorium on renewable energy projects
The Board of Harvey County Commissioners adopted a resolution Tuesday morning that placed a six-month moratorium on commercial renewable energy projects on a 2-1 vote in what was at times a tense meeting. Commissioners took action on a separate resolution that would have called for an advisory election.
Source: Harvey County Now
Bullard still favors hiking rates to 5.375% as fast as possible
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said the U.S. economy is proving more resilient than expected and repeated his call for the central bank to keep raising interest rates. “I think we are going to have to get north of 5%. Right now I’m still at 5.375%,” Bullard told CNBC in an interview Wednesday. “We’ve got a little ways to go here and I’ve argued that ‘hey, let’s get to where we want to go’ and then from there we can see how the data come in. Let’s hope that we get disinflation in 2023.”
Source: The Bond Buyer
Fed minutes show members resolved to keep fighting inflation with rate hikes
Federal Reserve officials at their most recent meeting indicated that there are signs inflation is coming down, but not enough to counter the need for more interest rate increases, meeting minutes released Wednesday showed. While the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting concluded with a smaller rate hike than most of those implemented since early 2022, officials stressed that their concern over inflation is high. Inflation “remained well above” the Fed’s 2% target, the minutes stated. That came with labor markets that “remained very tight, contributing to continuing upward pressures on wages and prices.”
Source: Finance
Integra Technologies announces megaproject site for Wichita-area semiconductor plant (in Bel Aire)
Integra Technologies has selected a site to build its microchip manufacturing and testing plant, part of a heavily subsidized $1.8 billion project aimed at winning the international competition for semiconductor superiority. The 1-million-square-foot building will be built at the southeast corner of the intersection of Rock Road and U.S 254 in Bel Aire. A training center and interim headquarters will be at 3718 N. Rock in Wichita, where Integra is leasing space.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Four out of five Sedgwick County homeowners will see tax appraisals increase again
Four out of five Sedgwick County homeowners will see higher tax appraisals when notices are mailed out March 1. “In a very hot market, demand exceeded supply for homes, and prices, they went up,” County Appraiser Mark Clark told the County Commission on Wednesday. Tax appraisal increases are driven by sales of new and existing homes. The median sale price for a home in Sedgwick County increased to $225,000 from $203,000 in 2021, which was the first time the median price point had topped $200,000.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Harvey County’s rescue workers describe response in the event of a train derailment
As hazmat crews continue to clean up the site of a train derailment in northeast Ohio that exposed residents to toxic chemicals, Harvey County’s top rescue officials were questioned about how they might respond if such an incident happened here. “We would respond with an appropriate accoutrement of resources, eyes on the ground to see what we have,” Newton Fire Chief Steve Roberson said. He said he would try to get accounts from first responders to size up the situation instead of bystanders.
Source: Harvey County Now
City of Sedgwick leaders interact with the community at Sodality Place
The City of Sedgwick held a meet and greet on Tuesday to allow community members to interact with the new city administrator (Kyle Nordick), the new chief of police (Lee Nygaard), and the new full-time officer (Josh Blanding). Nordick said he truly appreciated everyone who came out and that it was great to see and meet new people. “Personally, the people I met last night were all new connections which is exactly what I had hoped for,” Nordick said. “This allowed us to conversate on things and obtain perspective on how well we are doing in the city, as well as areas that we are missing on.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Wetmore School to close
The Prairie Hills USD No. 113 board of education has voted to close the Wetmore Academic Center. According to a report in the Sabetha Herald, at the Feb. 13 meeting, the board approved a resolution to close the the school at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Board President Leslie Scoby said the decision was not easy and the board’s decision was based on extensive study and reflection on several things, including: declining enrollment, difficulties of distributing resources to all three campuses, challenges to the community of a school closure.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
9 apply to be Marion city administrator
Nine people have applied to be Marion’s city administrator, Mayor David Mayfield said Tuesday. “We’ve gotten quite a few in the last couple weeks,” he said of applications. “I’m pretty impressed with some of them we’ve got.” Tuesday was the first time council members publicly discussed hiring a new administrator. … Mayfield proposed meeting in executive session at 4:30 p.m. March 1 to review applications and narrow the list of candidates to four.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal