Nicodemus, Kansas’ historic Black town, celebrating 144 years

The town of Nicodemus in northwest Kansas is holding a big celebration this weekend and is inviting people to stop and visit. The Nicodemus Homecoming Emancipation Celebration LLC Committee is holding its annual homecoming weekend to honor its 144 years of heritage and history. As many of the town’s initial population has relocated, descendants of Nicodemus come back every July to celebrate the community’s history, educate the next generation, and get together with old friends and family. This celebration will feature a parade, food vendors, games, live music, a 5k run/walk, pancake feed, karaoke, and more through July 31.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2022-08-01T08:04:09-05:00July 31, 2022|News|

Parsons PD welcomes their newest member to the force

Officials from a national nonprofit were in Southeast Kansas today to witness their efforts in action. The Parsons Police Department opened its doors to Canines for Cops. Based out of Houston, Texas, this was the first chance its representatives got to see the newest member of the police department, K-9 officer Morgan. The organization played a role in getting her on the force. It reached out following the December murder of a puppy belonging to a Parsons police officer. It also provided more than $12,000 to help purchase and train K-9 officer Morgan.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Ranson Financial2022-07-31T23:47:38-05:00July 31, 2022|News|

‘Someone could die,’ trains slow response time in Marshall County

The fear in Marshall County is someone could die, a house could burn down, or a first responder could need help, that concern is coming from Sheriff Tim Ackerman following numerous complaints from citizens about blocked train crossings. Ackerman is frustrated. “There’s nothing we can do, we are just hoping no one dies, no house burns down because they can’t get through,” Ackerman told KSNT 27 News. In the past, the sheriff’s office would ticket the trains, some up to three miles long, but eventually, the railroad stopped paying the tickets and invoked a federal loophole in the law that let them block roads for five minutes to an hour, according to Ackerman.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Ranson Financial2022-08-01T08:07:43-05:00July 31, 2022|News|

Emporia’s transient guest tax receipts 15 percent above 2019 record

Emporia’s transient guest tax receipts are doing quite well. Visit Emporia Director LeLan Dains says the 7-percent tax on each room night stay at local hotels has led to some impressive totals as the local economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dains says it’s important for Emporia to have large-scale events that bring people to the city from a regional, national or international basis. He also says travel numbers are higher than expected with gas prices elevated for at least three months, and that is a good trend for Emporia.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Ranson Financial2022-07-31T23:43:48-05:00July 31, 2022|News|

Common Ground adding 11th community garden in Lawrence

A new garden site is set to join the list of urban gardens located throughout Lawrence as part of the Common Ground community gardening and urban agriculture program. The new garden site at Broken Arrow Park, located at 31st and Louisiana streets, will be the 11th garden established as part of the program. Common Ground is facilitated through the Lawrence-Douglas County Sustainability Office, and the program’s new manager, Umut Bayramoglu, told the Journal-World earlier this year that the program hoped to add another garden site sometime during 2022.
Source: LJWorld

Ranson Financial2022-07-29T07:37:48-05:00July 29, 2022|News|

What’s black and white and cool all over? Tesla vehicles join Leawood police fleet

The Leawood Police Department has added a Tesla Model Y electric vehicle to its fleet of black-and-white patrol cars. The department began researching electric vehicles last year after finding unfavorable reviews of the hybrid patrol cars that were available then. An early cost comparison — done more than a year ago when the city could buy gasoline for $1.75 a gallon — put energy costs for the city’s current Ford Explorer Patrol SUV at roughly $4,500 a year.
Source: KC Star

Ranson Financial2022-07-29T07:37:10-05:00July 29, 2022|News|

Resident revitalizes downtown Pittsburg building

Over the past several years, downtown Pittsburg has been receiving a facelift from many business and community members in the area. What started out as a simple investment for Pittsburg resident Ian Youvan developed into a project of renovation, creativity, and hard work on a building on Broadway. When Youvan received his first COVID-19 stimulus check in 2020, he decided to invest the money into a rising cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, he said. After having success with it, he purchased the building 117 N. Broadway from the city’s landbank, and began cleaning it out and restoring the building last year. Youvan said the building was full of trash when he bought it.
Source: Morning Sun

Ranson Financial2022-07-29T07:36:49-05:00July 29, 2022|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for July 28, 2022

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.

Ranson Financial2022-07-29T07:23:10-05:00July 29, 2022|News|

Radio towers handed over to Claflin, Ellinwood

As County Communications continues its move to the system, the county’s Claflin and Ellinwood repeaters are no longer needed, 911 Director Dena Popp said. It was suggested the UHF TAC 11 (Ellinwood) and 18 (Claflin) be transferred to the cities for their utility and public works departments. Under the proposed agreements, the cities would be responsible for the transfer of the repeaters and utilities, if any, and assume all licensing, maintenance and other costs. Both were established over a decade ago and are atop the water towers. Popp said for the county to remove and get rid of them wasn’t cost effective and this was a good alternative.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Ranson Financial2022-07-29T00:41:29-05:00July 29, 2022|News|

KPERS moves ahead with refinancing to avoid volatility of employer contributions

Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System relied on their authority to refinance the system’s unfunded liability in a bid to stabilize public employer contribution rates during a period in which investment earnings were expected to shrink. The KPERS board simultaneously cut the porfolio’s investment return assumption to 7% from 7.75%, which had been the highest among the nation’s large public pensions. The decision to lower the portfolio’s annual earning estimate added $1.8 billion to the system’s unfunded liability, but had no influence on retiree benefits. The board in May also committed to reamortization, a process of refinancing billions of dollars in unfunded liability held by KPERS. Amortization is a financial tool comparable to refinancing a home mortgage, because it spread KPERS’ liability over a period of decades.
Source: Kansas Reflector

Ranson Financial2022-07-29T07:19:13-05:00July 29, 2022|News|