A multi-use trail project along more than three blocks of Midland Railway tracks will soon be moving forward in Baldwin City, and city officials will also be seeking $20 million in grants for a project that would link the city with a 51-mile trail that connects Ottawa and Iola. On Friday, Baldwin City Administrator Glenn Rodden said the Kansas Department of Transportation would soon be starting the bidding process for construction of a concrete multi-use trail on the east side of the Midland tracks. The trail will be 8 feet wide and will run from the existing multi-use trail on Elm Street to the old Santa Fe Depot just south of High Street. KDOT approved the city’s grant application for the trail two years ago. The bidding process will take place in the summer or early fall, Rodden said, and KDOT will then decide whether the trail will be constructed this year or in the spring of 2023.
Source: LJWorld.com

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.

For Ryan Jones, home in Wabaunsee County feels a lot like Philadelphia. In a literal sense, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The City of Brotherly Love remains one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the U.S. and its population of 1.5 million is a far cry from the roughly 800 residents in Alma, a town best known for its creamery. But outside of an internship in Philadelphia, Jones said his downtown apartment here is the most urban living arrangement he has ever had. The bank and post office are a short walk away, as is his job at the nearby Volland Store outside town.
Source: CJonline

Hutchinson has more than 40 murals that bring pride to the city. These murals boast of Kansas wildlife, the street art movement, the beauty of Kansas and its state symbols, Hutchinson landmarks and community stories. Mural tourism has become a fascination for many, and interest has increased in part because influencers have posted their photographs on popular social media. “It’s becoming a big deal,” said Jordan Roemerman, marketing manager for Kansas Tourism, “a movement that began outside the state, but Kansas has picked up on it and run with it.” She said, for example, music artist Taylor Swift had a butterfly mural painted in Nashville and now people will line up and wait their turn to have their photo taken by the mural.
Source: Hutch News

Downtown Hutchinson gained more than 50 new businesses in the last five years, filling the storefronts that had been empty for decades. The growth exceeded the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, downtown business owners and residents’ expectations — but there is still more than an estimated 140,000 square feet of open retail, restaurant and commercial space on Main Street. According to Reno County’s property records, the estimated value of these empty properties that are owned by private residents is $1.4 million, while businesses own another $1.6 million in empty storefronts.
Source: Hutch News