While it is unlikely conditions will deteriorate to February 2021 levels, when cities across Kansas were forced to save power amid a historic winter storm, the possibility for rolling blackouts is real. An annual assessment conducted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said there was a “low likelihood” of emerging reliability issues over the summer and the state’s largest utility said it was prepared. But the NERC report also contained a word of warning. “Load shedding may be needed under extreme peak demand and outage scenarios studied,” the group wrote.
Source: Salina Journal

The ground has finally broken on the Garden City Regional Airport new terminal project. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held Friday. Shannon Dick, Garden City mayor, said in researching for his speech at the groundbreaking he found a paper called “The Economic Importance of Air Travel in High-Amenity Rural Areas” by Ray Rasker, et al. The paper found strong correlations to a resident’s per capital income, earnings per job, employment in professional jobs, education and diversity of job types to a community’s distance to major airports, those with 15,000 enplanements or more. Based on that number, GCRA is classified as a major airport. Dick said the paper found that “connected” rural areas, those that are within about 100 miles from a major airport, outperform rural areas that are “isolated”, those further from an airport, and act more like metropolitan areas.
Source: GC Telegram

While Biking Across Kansas will send about 600 cyclists streaming through the area this week, the annual non-competitive ride isn’t the only bicycle-related event that passes through central Kansas this month. With three riders killed while traveling through the state over the past five years, cyclists and event organizers are asking motorists to be aware and share the road. State law requires at least 3 feet of space between a cyclist and a vehicle when passing, so drivers should pass like any other vehicle, only when it is safe to do so with sufficient space. Two races — the Trans Am and the RAAM — should reach the western Kansas border around the third week of June, if not sooner. Those races follow different routes.
Source: Hutch News

Markets are beginning to anticipate an even faster pace of interest rate hikes, and Federal Reserve officials apparently are contemplating the possibility as well. Central bank policymakers are entertaining the idea of a 75 basis point increase to the Fed’s benchmark funds rate that banks charge each other for overnight financing, according to CNBC’s Steve Liesman. Changes in the economic outlook, including the likelihood that inflation hasn’t peaked and is running well ahead of the Fed’s 2% goal, could influence a bigger rate move during the two-day meeting that concludes Wednesday. A 75 basis point move is “a real distinct possibility,” Liesman said.
Source: CNBC

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.