Kansas Municipal News
Municipal Bond Trends for July 17, 2020
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.
In Johnson County 90,000 request mail ballot, more than all votes cast in 2016 primary
About 90,000 Johnson County voters have requested mail-in ballots ahead of the Aug. 4 primary election. That’s more than the total number of votes cast in the 2016 primary, officials said. And a record number of residents — more than 430,000 — have registered to vote, said county spokeswoman Lori Sand. “The response has been phenomenal. It’s more than we would have estimated, definitely. So we think our voter turnout is going to be a record-setter for this election,” said Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Ellinwood celebrates with annual 47th After Harvest Festival
There may not have been a parade, but Ellinwood residents found ways to celebrate this past weekend with the 47th annual After Harvest Festival. There were concerts and comedy, contests and collections of memorabilia Thursday through Saturday. Events included the “Through the Years” display at the School/Community Library. The Museum of Ellinwood had a dairy exhibit, country kitchen exhibit, “Children’s Toys Through the Ages” and a Boys Scout-Girls Scout exhibit. The Historic Wolf Hotel brought in an adult comedy show and concerts. There was also a free concert at the American Legion Post 320 and the Kansas Sidewinders Motorcycle Club held an open house/beer garden. Naturally, there were multiple options to sample local food.
(Read more: Great Bend Tribune)
How will rural schools fair this upcoming school year?
COVID-19 has hit the school system hard. Remote learning, concerns about safety, and now delays. Ingalls Schools is a Pre-K through 12 school system with nearly 250 students. As the upcoming school year quickly approaches, they are preparing to have students in the classrooms come September. Extra wash stations, social distancing, and new cleaning units to fog classrooms are just a few ways the district is preparing. They also plan to disinfect rooms after every class and clean busses after every route. “We will have a plan where the kids will wash their hands every hour,” said Randy Rockhold, superintendent of Ingalls Schools. Their goal is to keep kids safely in school. But that safety does come with a price. The school could expect upwards of nearly $218,000 in expenses.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Big Brutus – the world’s largest electric coal mining shovel
A massive piece of equipment, hidden in a small southeast Kansas town, is a symbol of the area’s rich mining history. Its size and force were the talk of the town for decades. And now it’s an interactive museum that tens of thousands from across the globe visit each year. Big Brutus is the largest electric mining shovel still standing in the United States. The behemoth machine is located in West Mineral, Kansas.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Pretty Prairie brings in the best
Since before World War II, in 1936, there has been a rodeo in Pretty Prairie, Kansas. Known as Kansas Largest Night Rodeo, the rodeo in this rural Kansas town has hosted many greats. But this year, because of COVID-19, more high-profile contestants threw their hat in the ring. With an entry of more than 550 contestants, Pretty Prairie doubled their roster – and brought in world-ranked contestants.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Topeka rally seeks to ’bridge gap’ between citizens, law enforcement
Police officers currently need all the help they can get, Lisa Baker-Zirbel said Saturday. So she said she considered it important for her to take part in a rally held that day to show support for law enforcement in front of Topeka’s City Hall at 215 S.E. 7th. “We call on them in our times of need,” Baker-Zirbel said. “This is their time of need, and I believe that we need to give back. About 40 people took part in Saturday’s peaceful “#SilentNoMore!” rally.
(Read more: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal)
Mission approves drone ordinance outlining regulations for public and private spaces
The Mission City Council on Wednesday evening approved an unmanned aircraft systems, or drone ordinance that outlines rules and regulations throughout the city’s public and private spaces. …. The ordinance makes it illegal to operate a drone on public or private property without the owner’s consent. As long as operators comply with all other provisions — as well as city, state and federal regulations and laws — drones can be operated in a city-owned park.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Winfield looks to add electric vehicle charging stations
The City of Winfield, in partnership with the Kansas Power Pool, plans to install at least two public-use electric vehicle charging stations, Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall said Tuesday. The Level 2 charging stations will cost around $3,000 each. The city will pay for half the cost with electric utility funds, and the KPP will cover the other half, Wall said. The station locations are still being discussed, but will be placed in areas where they will most likely be used by travelers to Winfield.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
Small Kansas town hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic
Logan, population about 540, and Phillips County are an illustration of rural America during the global coronavirus pandemic. For months, the county had managed to dodge the wrath of COVID-19, with only a handful of confirmed cases cropping up even as the large metropolitan counties saw them explode. County officials, believing the threat was minimal, lifted all restrictions at the end of May.
(Read more: Kansas City News)
Police chief talks about use of force
Use of force will never be eliminated from law enforcement because there will always be people who do not cooperate when being placed under arrest, but Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said discussion about change is necessary and changes must come in a thoughtful and methodical manner. “We can change things. We can try to make it better,” Kitchens said, in a forum last week that focused on the Leavenworth Police Department’s use of force. The chief spent time during the forum reviewing the law and court decisions that guide use of force by law enforcement officers. He also reviewed the Leavenworth Police Department’s policy on use of force. He also answered questions from the audience.
(Read more: Dodge City Daily Globe)
Rural Economic Index Inches Upward
The rural economy in the middle of the country is not booming – but it’s moving upward. The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index, or RMI, increased in July. According to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy, July’s overall index climbed to 44.1, well below growth neutral, but up from June’s 37.9, and April’s record low 12.1. The index ranges between 0 and 100 with a reading of 50 representing growth neutral.
(Read more: WIBW News Now)
USDA Invests in Community Infrastructure in Independence, Kansas
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Kansas Lynne Hinrichsen today announced that USDA is investing $7,200 for community infrastructure in the city of Independence. … The Independence Area Library District will use a $7,200 Community Facilities Grant to purchase new mobile book shelves, storage and extra seating for the Independence Public Library. The library was built in 1907 and expanded in 2007. Existing furniture is deteriorating and unsafe. The improvements announced today will help modernize the older portion of the facility, enhancing the children and teen areas, and allow more space for classes and large events.
Read more: USDA.
‘I’m scared to death’: KC area teachers worry if schools can be safe during COVID-19
Olathe teacher Amy Hillman said she was “given a gift” when Gov. Laura Kelly announced Kansas schools would stay closed until after Labor Day due to skyrocketing coronavirus cases. “These three weeks are giving us a leg up. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a lifetime for teachers,” said Hillman, a science teacher at Santa Fe Trail Middle School. Like other teachers, she has spent the summer taking online courses, learning how to use new technology and researching the virus — preparing to drastically transform her classroom for students returning during the worsening pandemic.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Facebook deletes Butler County Health Department’s page
With everything going on during the coronavirus pandemic, the importance of fast and easy communication with the public is at an all-time high. For this, most turn platforms like Facebook, but for now, that’s no longer an option for the Butler County Health Department. “We’re just stunned and with what’s going on right now that is, you know, Facebook is our main means of communicating with our citizens,” said Jamie Downs, Administrator of the Butler County Health Department. Downs was shocked Wednesday when she saw a notification from Facebook saying it unpublished the county’s official health department page because it violated the company’s community standards policy.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Looming election challenge: Pandemic leads to influx of mail-in ballot requests
Widespread concern over catching coronavirus at polling places is setting the stage for a record-breaking election for votes by mail. To date, 272,794 advance ballots have been sent by mail compared to 3,046 in 2018. In Sedgwick County alone, the election office has received close to 50,000 requests for a ballot by mail for the primary compared to a total of 8,100 for the 2016 primary. With thousands more choosing to send in votes, Kansas counties are scrambling to bring in enough election workers to count the ballots by hand.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Pandemic increasing substitute shortage in Kansas schools
School superintendents say substitute teachers are always hard to come by, but this year some districts say that problem is getting worse thanks to the pandemic. Retired teacher Brenda Groat enjoyed seeing the kids at school, especially during passing period at the middle school where she taught. “Generally, that’s a really good time and fun to watch,” Groat said. That’s why she became a substitute teacher, but she says with the pandemic, not this year.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Send in the clowns
Along with exceptional athleticism, rodeos bring joy to onlookers. This year’s Kansas Largest Night Rodeo in Pretty Prairie is no exception. National rodeo stars John Harrison and Wacey Munsell, along with newcomer Jacob Welker of Pretty Prairie, helped bring joy and suspense to rodeo onlookers. Harrison, this year’s barrelman, taunted the bulls from his barrel, which was positioned close to the chutes. “He’s gone. You can stop now,” Harrison said as a bull took off past him, causing the pickup men — mounted cowboys — to spend several minutes trying to get the bull back to the pen. On his way, the bull, Rock ’em Sock ’em, gave Harrison’s barrel a little nudge.
(Read more: Kansas Agland – The Hutchinson News)
12 ways to celebrate Wichita’s 150th birthday
It’s not the sesquicentennial celebration many people and organizations envisioned, but even a global pandemic can’t stop the city of Wichita and Sedgwick County from turning 150 years old. Tuesday, July 21 is the city’s official birthday while the county first elected officials earlier in 1870. There is one toned-down event that survived restrictions on gatherings intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 along with several date-specific activities still on the calendar to celebrate the 150th. There also are other ways to commemorate the milestone when and how you’re comfortable.
(Read more: Local News | Wichita Eagle)
Parsons seeks more businesses to apply for COVID-19 grants
City officials hope that a deadline extension will spur more businesses to apply for COVID-19 relief grants. Labette County and the city of Parsons received $132,000 each in a special disbursement of Community Development Block Grant funding. The county also has about $67,000 left from a 1999 business loan program that will be added to the grants. The money is allocated for reimbursement of expenses to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 50 businesses expressed interest in receiving grant money, but only 18 qualified businesses had applied before the July 8 deadline, Laura Moore, community development director, said. Eleven others applied but either weren’t eligible to receive funding or decided against it. Fifty-one businesses that expressed interest hadn’t responded to inquiries from the city as of Tuesday morning.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)