Kansas Municipal News
Kansas coronavirus update: Gov. Laura Kelly reveals detail of six-week plan for restoring state’s economic life
Gov. Laura Kelly unveiled Thursday night her framework for reopening the state by phasing out restrictions for businesses and social activities over the next six weeks while ramping up efforts to test and trace the spread of a deadly virus that left residents isolated and put the state’s economy in a tailspin. Kelly announced her plans, which begin with the expiration Monday of her statewide stay-at-home order, in a live address to the people of Kansas. She said the blueprint of her exit strategy from the dark cloud created by COVID-19 was a painstaking, intensive exercise in finding a balance. “It’s an effort to balance non-negotiable public health considerations with jaw-dropping, unsustainable economic realities,” the governor said. “It’s an effort to balance state obligations to keep Kansas communities safe with the need for returning flexibility to local leaders. And it’s an attempt to balance the need for stability in the future with agility as we continue to adapt to a rapidly evolving, lethal threat.”
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
SW KS counties look toward reopening as COVID-19 cases continue to rise
Even though confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise in southwest Kansas, area businesses could reopen in a few days. When Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s statewide stay-at-home order expires Sunday, individual counties get to decide whether or not they’ll extend it. Finney County made its decision Wednesday. County commissioners voted 4-1 to allow businesses to reopen at their own discretion,as long as they follow new guidelines from the governor when it comes to social distancing, safety measures and limits on the number of people that can be inside a business at one time.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Under governor’s plan, Kansas will allow many businesses to reopen next week
Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday that she will allow many Kansas businesses to reopen next week if they can maintain social distancing and said she hopes to lift all coronavirus-inspired state limits on mass gatherings and other restrictions by June 15. Kelly said in a televised speech that she is lifting a statewide stay-at-home order Monday and moving to gradually reopen the state’s battered economy. But her plan won’t allow bars, gyms, theaters, barbershops, hair and nail salons or state-owned casinos to reopen until at least May 18. Also, local officials will be allowed to impose their own, stricter rules.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for April 30, 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.
Walmart providing testing in rural Kansas
WalmToday, a mobile COVID-19 testing initiative launched in Kansas to set-up drive-thru sites in certain communities to support access to testing.
Mobile units will travel to Reno, Butler, Scott, Rooks and Saline counties on a rotating basis each week to test those who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, all health care providers and first responders can be tested whether or not they are exhibiting symptoms, per CDC guidelines.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Reno County COVID-19 patient ignores self-isolation guidelines, infects others
“When it comes to dealing with cases of COVID-19 in Reno County, the approach by health officials has been relying on people to use common sense and asking them to follow self-quarantine guidelines. But thanks to one person who didn’t listen, that’s all about to change. “If somebody wants to be selfish and avoid formal quarantine or isolation orders, and risk the infection of other people within the community, we will lock them up,” said Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder. Residents were in disbelief Wednesday when Schroeder announced someone who tested positive for COVID-19 didn’t follow isolation requests by the health department and infected at least four others in the community.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Dodge City meatpacking plants beef up protocols; Ford County maintains high recovery rate
With two national meatpacking plants in the county’s jurisdiction, Ford County is increasing its testing and the plants are beefing up COVID-19 protocols.
The numbers for Ford County have increased to 544 individuals who have had or still have the coronavirus as of April 28. This amounts to 1.6% of the county’s population.
But, according to J.D. Gilbert, a spokesman for the county, 90% of those infected have recovered. No deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in Ford County. Statewide, the deaths from the virus are at 124, or four deaths per 100,000 individuals.
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)
Over some officials’ objections, Johnson County extends COVID-19 shutdown till May 11
Over objections of some elected officials, Johnson County Public Health Officer Joseph LeMaster on Thursday announced he will extend the local stay-at-home order through May 10, a week longer than earlier planned. On May 11, businesses can begin to slowly reopen. Wyandotte County announced similar measures on Thursday as well.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
From a farm to the library, plenty of services keep minds, bodies active in Olathe
For places that are normally all about hands-on activities, like the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm, it’s a big adjustment but not an impossible one.
One thing staff members are encouraging children to do is write letters to the Farm’s many animals. Alexis Radil, events coordinator at Mahaffie, said not only does that encourage a creative outlet but it can help strengthen kids’ penmanship as well.
Staff members are facilitating the animals’ responses. So far, the animals receiving mail include Smoothie the sheep, Ashley the rooster and multiple horses. The idea is to send back handwritten responses using cursive, as the Mahaffie family would have done, but it also depends on the volume of mail they receive.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Sedgwick County will begin to reopen once Kansas stay-home order is lifted, commissioner says
A Sedgwick County leader says if Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide stay-at-home order is over at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, local businesses will have the choice to open or not.
Commissioner Pete Meitzner joined Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple for a news conference Thursday morning. He said the county will not mandate that businesses have to open.
“There might be some steps where businesses are not allowed to open in maybe the first phase or two, whatever, depending on the industry,” he said.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
With rural Kansas looking to reopen, doctor remains nervous
Dr. Beth Oller would like Kansas to remain under a stay-at-home order a while longer, even as some neighbors in her rural northwest county are restless to see businesses return to normal. Oller and her husband are family physicians in their late 30s in Stockton, a town of 1,300 people roughly halfway between Kansas City to the east and Denver to the west. They watched as the coronavirus pandemic crept ever closer from those two metropolitan areas, each some 300 miles away. The first positive case in Rooks County was one of Oller’s patients, confirmed on Palm Sunday, April 5. A few days after Easter, the doctor’s husband displayed mild symptoms. He later tested negative. Now, as Gov. Laura Kelly prepares to start reopening Kansas businesses next week, Oller worries that the restrictions are being abandoned too soon, with potentially deadly consequences. Meanwhile, neighbors worry that tight restrictions in a rural county with few coronavirus cases will kill their livelihoods.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Reno County Emergency Management offering mobile drive-through COVID-19 testing
The Reno County Emergency Management said starting Thursday this week, a mobile drive-through COVID-19 testing site will be open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 200 State Fair Road. This testing site is for anyone exhibiting the symptoms of COVID-19 per the CDC guidelines. In addition, all health care providers and first responders can be tested whether they are exhibiting symptoms or not. All appointments will be drive-through observed, self-collection.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner shares contingency plan for this year’s election cycle
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman on Wednesday provided three goals for a contingency plan for this year’s election cycle — including protecting workers from the spread of COVID-19, protecting voters from being disenfranchised, and protecting the integrity of the election. When asked if the upcoming election can be switched to ‘all by mail’ — Lehman said, “The answer right now is Kansas law restricts any election that has a candidate on the ballot from being conducted solely by mail, so the answer is no.” Lehman explained they normally send out an advance mail flyer in September to encourage people to vote by mail and give them early voting options, but this year they are planning on sending those out in May instead of September.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Covid-19 presenting recruitment challenges for PSU
Covid-19 has brought some challenges for Pittsburg State when it comes to recruitment. Scott Donaldson, Director of Admission, PSU, said, “We’ve talked to kids constantly and the very first thing they tell us is that campus visit really sealed it for us.” While it may be too soon to say if enrollment numbers at Pittsburg State are down for the upcoming Fall semester, students not being able to tour campus is having an impact. “In fact, when we ask students, what’s the number one reason you chose to come to Pitt State or really any college, most of them will tell you it’s when I visited. It’s when I met the faculty, it’s when I ran across a few friends that we’re going there and they told me about it. So the visit is very important.”
(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)
Local meat markets busy as ever during pandemic
Many meat packing companies have closed across the United States due to the coronavirus and customers are noticing a resultant meat shortage in grocery stores. It’s all about farm to table these days. So, Coal Valley Marketplace is keeping its supply stocked, so residents can have meat at the dinner table. Dale Helwig, Cherokee County Ag & Natural Resources Extension Agent, said, “Last part of March, first part of April when the Coronavirus hit the packing plants and it slowed down production, prices have dropped about 20% in the livestock industry.”
(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)
Saving Main Street: Why State and Local Governments Are Vital for Its Survival
The storefront signs read, “Closed.” Nobody is walking by on the sidewalks. And profits have plummeted or are nonexistent. This is the new norm for Main Street businesses in the era of Covid-19. Since the first stay-at-home orders went into effect, independent small businesses have borne the brunt of the economic hardship brought on by the pandemic.
The nearly 31 million small businesses in the United States are the backbone of the U.S. economy. They make up approximately 44% of economic activity, create almost two-thirds of new jobs and employ almost half of the U.S. workforce, according to the Small Business Administration.
(Read more: Route Fifty)
Municipal Bond Trends for April 29, 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.
Riley County Clerk encourages voting by mail, sees a decrease in poll worker numbers
Riley County will still hold in-person polling this election season, but officials encourage residents to vote by mail in anticipation of congestion.
Riley County Clerk Rich Vargo says he has no authority to run the 2020 primary and general elections entirely by mail amid public gathering concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the State of Kansas has not made any exceptions to the laws requiring them to open polling places. Even so, Vargo says the county will be “proactive” in sending out personalized vote by mail applications to all registered voters to encourage them to participate in the upcoming elections that way.
(Read more: 1350 KMAN)
Tyson remains largest cluster for COVID-19 in Lyon County
Emporia’s Tyson facility continues to remain a focal point of the local outbreak of COVID-19 according to the latest cluster data released by Lyon County Public Health Tuesday evening.
Of the 215 local reported cases, there are 95 cases associated with the meat packing plant. Six of those cases are listed as recovered.
“We have been, and continue to, follow CDC guidelines throughout this situation,” Tyson Communications Manager Liz Croston said in an email. “We are working closely with our local health officials.”
(Read more: Emporia Gazette)
Marion Historical Museum director remembered for enthusiasm, caring
Teresa Mills, who died Saturday, didn’t necessarily match what the board of Marion Historical Museum was looking for when choosing a new director two years ago.
The board was hoping for someone from the community who had a few computer skills and grant writing experience.
Mills was a registered nurse from Washington State who answered a newspaper ad for what she thought would be an interesting job.
(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)