Kansas Municipal News
Kansas lawmakers push health officials for answers as Phase 2 of vaccine rollout nears
Kansas lawmakers grilled state health officials with questions about coronavirus vaccine rollout in a committee meeting Tuesday. But, some left the meeting with their concerns unaddressed and frustrated with the department’s lack of communication. “We want to make sure that all Kansans that want to have the COVID vaccine have that available to them, and so communication is really going to have to improve,” said Sen. Molly Baumgardner, R-Louisburg. Baumgardner and other lawmakers shared in the concern that not all long-term care facilities were receiving vaccines as quickly as skilled nursing homes…
Source: KSN-TV
Keeping Kansas healthy, Colby Elementary secures $30,000 grant to keep students active
Pathways to a Healthy Kansas, a program funded through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) is bringing new life to a northwest Kansas school by breaking barriers toward healthy living. Keeping students healthy and active is the mission of Colby Elementary. But when worn equipment, wintery weather, and cold snaps kept kids inside, it raised concern that they weren’t getting enough exercise or meeting the recommended number of minutes for students to be physically active. “When we would have indoor recess, our students would stay in their classroom and play board games and that type of stuff,” said Bryan Miller, Colby Elementary Physical Education Teacher.
Source: KSN-TV
Lawrence votes to return 23-ton sacred prayer rock to Kaw Nation, apologize to tribe for city’s past actions
Decades after the City of Lawrence removed a sacred prayer rock from the Kaw Nation’s homelands and made it into a monument honoring settlers, city leaders will begin working to return the rock and issue a formal apology to the tribe. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 5-0 to move forward with a request from the Kaw Nation to return the 23-ton red quartzite boulder, which is currently in Robinson Park across from City Hall, 6. E. Sixth St. The city will now formally respond to the request and express its intent to work with the tribe and other community partners to seek grants to pay for the relocation of the rock and develop plans for its return to the tribe.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for January 15, 2021
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.
Torline announces retirement as North Newton administrator
North Newton City Administrator John Torline unceremoniously mentioned his official March 31 retirement date during the Monday night North Newton City Council meeting. This was during a discussion of him wanting to schedule a council spring work session in early March, before his retirement date. Torline told the council he’d like to talk about the past and future status of North Newton during the work session and that he proposed a couple of hours for discussion. He also invited the council to bring other issues to the discussion.
Source: Harvey County Now
Pittsburg schools launches internet service
As we move further into the digital age, access to the internet is becoming more and more necessary. The pandemic has only highlighted the need, since many students now require it to effectively get an education. Kelynn Heardt, Pittsburg High School Principal, said, “What this has provided is a way for our students to connect without interruption in the their school day.” Access to the internet has been a struggle for many during the pandemic. Families in the Pittsburg Community School system were some of those facing this problem. Dr. Brad Hanson, Pittsburg Community Schools Assistant Superintendent, said, “We surveyed and we found that approximately 20 percent of our families did not have good quality internet service.” So the district decided to do something to make sure students in need could have access to an education, even if they’re learning remotely.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Main Street’s Mural Crawl celebrates downtown art installations
Emporia Main Street is inviting the community to celebrate downtown’s interactive murals with the Main Street Mural Crawl. The murals, located in four places along the retail corridor along Commercial Street, offer the public a place for a fun photo opportunity while encouraging a walk downtown. “Emporia Main Street has been wanting to bring more public art work to downtown for a while,” said Community Development Coordinator Jessica Buchholz. “We know that public art increases pedestrian traffic, which then results in an increase of potential consumers in our retail corridor.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
New mural goes up in downtown Wichita
A new makeshift art gallery will showcase local artists’ work in downtown Wichita. Bokeh Development, Harvester Arts, and the Wichita Community Foundation joined forces to collaborate with area artists in a series of pieces that will help bring attention to the former pop-up park. “In an effort to sort of create buzz here and keep people looking at this site in anticipation for what’s going to be next,” Kristin Beale, program director at Harvester Arts. “We want people to be able to engage with art without having to go into a museum or a gallery,” said Beale. “This is all about bringing the art to the people, and for the people”
Source: KSN-TV
Doctors return to rural: After traveling to Peru to learn how to speak Spanish, a couple takes their skills to an underserved western Kansas community
A western Kansas couple is breaking down language barriers, learning to speak Spanish to better serve their community. The United States Census Bureau found that nearly 55% of people in Dodge City speak Spanish, and with a 62% Hispanic demographic on top of that, the demand for more Spanish-speaking doctors became all the more real for Zach and Serina Harvey. It became a need they aimed to fill. After graduating from chiropractic college in 2016 the Harvey’s moved to Peru for three years. The couple studied Spanish while treating patients at a small clinic.
Source: KSN-TV
Iola’s Civil War fort and the widow’s wild ride
Although Humboldt was the more prominent military center in the area, along with other sites like Fort Belmont in Woodson County, at one time Iola’s “fort” had a force of 400 men and filled the area roughly demarcated by Madison, Jefferson, Broadway and South Streets. In the northeast corner of the block stood the Parsons building, which was essentially a Civil War military headquarters (1861-1865), and where many were sworn into service. The structure had initially been intended as a community safehouse in the event of attacks from hostile indigenous forces, but eventually concerns seem to have shifted from incursions by native people to pro-Southern militants.
Source: The Iola Register
‘There’s big hope’: Topeka’s Walmart Distribution Center construction helping struggling hotels
The construction of a new Walmart Distribution Center is one of very few things keeping Topeka hotels together. From fewer cars in the parking lot, to fewer people in the lobby and fewer guests filling the rooms, Topeka hotels are taking a hard hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. “At the beginning, the occupancy was, of course, we were low, low occupancy,” said Farid Elias, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Topeka. “People were scared. They didn’t know what’s going on with the virus, how they can avoid it.”
Source: KSNT News
Johnson County ‘Phase 2’ vaccine registration now available online
Many Johnson Countians wanting to get the COVID-19 vaccine now have a way to tell county health officials. The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment on Friday launched an online survey that allows people in Phase 2 of the county’s vaccine rollout plan to let the county know they’d like to receive the two-dose vaccine when they become eligible.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Sedgwick County announces Phase II vaccination plan
Sedgwick County announced Friday that the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccine should begin in the next few weeks, as vaccines become available in the county. Dr. Garold Minns, Sedgwick County Health Officer, in consultation with local medical providers and the Sedgwick County Health Department, is finalizing the Phase II vaccination plan. It is expected to follow the guidance from the CDC and local medical professionals, with vaccines available to people 65 and older first. Individuals with medically verified high-risk factors would follow. Vaccines from the county, when available, will be by appointment only through a registration portal. Additional vaccination and scheduling options will also be offered in the future.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita will offer rent, utility assistance with federal funding from stimulus bill
Wichita residents who need help paying their rent and utilities because of the coronavirus-related economic downturn can apply to a new city program that will cover back payments and future bills. Applications are not open yet, but could be by late January or early February, said Sally Stang, director of housing and community services for the city of Wichita. The city expects to receive at least $12 million in federal funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, also known as the economic stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in December. The same bill extended a federal eviction ban until Jan. 31.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Olathe school district superintendent is retiring
John Allison, superintendent of the Olathe school district, will retire at the end of this school year, he announced Thursday night. And the district has already named his successor. The school board appointed Brent Yeager, assistant superintendent for learning services, to replace him starting in July. He’s the second Johnson County superintendent to announce his retirement in as many months. In December, Shawnee Mission Superintendent Mike Fulton announced that he also plans to retire in July. The district has yet to name a replacement.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Powell sees no interest rate hikes on the horizon as long as inflation stays low
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell affirmed his commitment to keeping interest rates low for the foreseeable future even as he expressed hope for a strong economic recovery. “When the time comes to raise interest rates, we’ll certainly do that, and that time, by the way, is no time soon,” the central bank chief said Thursday during a Q&A session presented by Princeton University. During the wide-ranging discussion, Powell spoke about how the Fed handled the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as his expectations for what is ahead.
Source: Economy
Wichita taskforce, WSU to study litter as part of debate on banning plastic bans
This spring, volunteers will begin collecting litter around the city to determine how big of a problem plastic bags pose and whether they should be banned locally. A decision is at least a year away. The Wichita City Council created the Wichita Single-Use Plastic Bag Taskforce in February 2020 to assess the possibility of banning plastic bags. The task force will use the litter study, which it announced Thursday, to help make its recommendation to the city. …The project will identify locations to pick up litter, organize volunteers in the litter collection and categorize and count the type of trash and where it came from. WSU’s center will then identify significant sources of litter and develop recommendations to reduce litter.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Muni bond provision outlook is bright in new Congress
The Senate’s flip to a Democratic-majority makes an infrastructure bill likely to pass in the coming months, and key lawmakers support including important municipal bond provisions. … A Democratic Congress and White House mean a solid chance for some sort of infrastructure bill to break through, sources say. This comes as the Chamber of Commerce launched an initiative on Wednesday with over 130 organizations to push for an infrastructure package by July 4. … Municipal bond provisions are set up for success in the next Congress. Last summer House Democrats passed the Moving Forward Act, which has expired and will need to be introduced in the new Congress but which contained numerous bond provisions. Among those were expanding the use of tax-exempt private activity bonds, permanently reinstating Build America Bonds and reinstating tax-exempt advance refunding bonds. Those provisions were headed by House Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal, D-Mass, who will continue to chair that committee in 2021.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Wheat market soars, topping price highs – Experts explain why
It’s a bull market in grains. Farmers are watching as the wheat market soars above $6 and the one question many are wondering is, how high will it go? Being pulled by strong soybean and corn prices, wheat is not far behind, topping price highs that haven’t been seen in nearly six years according to the Kansas Wheat Commission. All major U.S. wheat classes have been climbing in the markets for weeks. “In the 40 or 45 years that we’ve farmed, I’ve seen this happen like once,” said Vance Ehmke, Lane County Farmer. Poor crop conditions and low acreage has led to a lack of supply but a surge in demand.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for January 14, 2021
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.