City of Wichita drops mask mandate for airport, other public transportation

The City of Wichita is no longer requiring face masks at public transportation vehicles and facilities including Eisenhower National Airport. The move comes a day after a federal judge struck down the Biden administration’s mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods. “In accordance with this decision, face masks will no longer be required at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport, at Wichita Transit facilities or on Wichita Transit vehicles,” the city announced Tuesday. “It kind of just makes everything feel like it’s going back to the way it was before,” said traveler Mason Lee, “because, I mean, don’t have to worry about it, don’t have to worry about where your mask is at all times. Just easier on everybody.”
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2022-04-20T06:57:16-05:00April 20, 2022|News|

A look at how the city treats water for nearly 170,000 customers

How does water get from the Kansas River to the faucet of the 170,000 customers Topeka Water Department serves? The answer is a multistep process that begins at Topeka’s water treatment facility just off of Interstate 70. The water is first pumped out of the river. It is sent to three large basins, where a polymer is introduced twice to encourage bonding between negatively charged particles. Pure chlorine is added next as the initial disinfectant. Ammonia is added to make chloramine, and then a flocculant is introduced to encourage clumping.
Source: CJonline

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:31:37-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Treasury yield touches 2.91%, a level not seen since late 2018

The 10-year yield hit its highest level since late 2018 on Monday, trading at 2.884% at one point. Concerns around rising inflation and its effect on economic growth has seen investors sell out of bonds over the past couple of months, pushing up yields. Data released last week showed consumer and producer prices continued to rise, fueling investor beliefs that the Federal Reserve could increase the size of its interest rate hikes, in a bid to control this inflation. St. Louis Fed president James Bullard told CNBC’s Steve Liesman on Monday that “quite a bit has been priced in” in terms of Fed actions.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:22:48-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for April 18, 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 Financial2022-04-19T07:16:09-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Buy America policy may boost already-inflated construction costs, transportation advocates warn

The White House Monday detailed its new policy requiring that U.S.-made materials be used in all new infrastructure projects, a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law that some transportation advocates warn may increase costs and delays. The Build America, Buy America Act in the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act aims to boost U.S. manufacturing by requiring that all infrastructure projects that use federal funds – from highways to passenger rail, airports and water systems – must use construction products and materials produced in the U.S. The provision builds on existing Made in America laws, which have applied to iron, steel and various manufacturing products, by expanding it to construction materials and revamping the waiver process. The Buy America initial guidelines released Monday are a key consideration for states and cities that are starting to craft budgets and timelines for projects funded by the IIJA. The new provision applies to all infrastructure projects that use federal funding, not just IIJA projects. The 17-page guidance outlines new requirements for waivers, including that the U.S. Department of Transportation may approve a waiver if it believes compliance would be “inconsistent with the public interest” or increase the project’s cost by at least 25%. Surface transportation advocates, while saying they support Buy America’s policy goals of strengthening U.S. manufacturing, warned it could drive up costs and bring delays to the rollout of the IIJA. “If Buy America is truly applied to all ‘…iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials,’ it will take years before everything is domestically available,” American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials President Shawn Wilson said in an April 1 letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:02:11-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Fed’s Waller sees likelihood of multiple half-point interest rate hikes ahead

Getting inflation under control will require raising interest rates at a faster pace than normal even though the pace of price increases probably has peaked, Federal Reserve board member Christopher Waller said Wednesday. That means the central bank likely will hike short-term rates by half a percentage point, or 50 basis points, at its meeting in May, and possibly follow it up with similar moves in the next several months, Waller told CNBC. The Fed normally increases in 25-basis-point increments. A basis point equals 0.01%. “I think the data has come in exactly to support that step of policy action if the committee chooses to do so, and gives us the basis for doing it,” he said during a live “Closing Bell” interview with CNBC’s Sara Eisen. “I prefer a front-loading approach, so a 50-basis-point hike in May would be consistent with that, and possibly more in June and July.”
Source: CNBC

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:05:24-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Largest Economic Development Investment in Kelly Administration History (Manhattan)

On Monday, Governor Laura Kelly announced her administration’s most significant economic development project to date. Scorpion Biological Services, a subsidiary of Heat Biologics, Inc., is commencing on a planned development of a new 500,000 square foot biomanufacturing facility in Kansas. The $650 million business investment project will create 500 new, high-paying jobs in Manhattan within the next seven years. “Kansas is the center of the country, with quick access to either coast, a strong workforce and a growing economy—so there’s no better state for Scorpion to locate to address potential threats to public health,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Scorpion’s selection of locating this facility in the state reinforces what many have come to learn—Kansas is open for business.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:09:49-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

According to new survey, nearly all residents feel good about living in Johnson County

In Johnson County’s annual community survey, residents again gave high marks for the county’s quality of life, services and programs, and voiced their opinions on the services most important to them. Results from the 2022 community survey were shared Thursday, April 14, with the Board of County Commissioners during a Committee of the Whole meeting. The six-page survey consisted of 25 questions and was conducted in January and February by ETC Institute of Olathe. “When it comes to being a place to live, raise children, work and retire, Johnson County is head and shoulders above the national and other large community averages,” Chris Tatham, president and chief executive officer of ETC, said.
Source: Johnson County Kansas

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:10:16-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

More than $1.6 million in federal grant funding to help support Johnson County’s older adults

Federal grant funding of more than $1.6 million and a new staff position for the Johnson County Aging and Human Services Department were approved Thursday, April 7, by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners by unanimous vote. The funds are provided to the department through the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. The ARPA provided federal funding to states, including grants through the Older Americans Act, to help communities provide services for aging adults. A BOCC priority is to strengthen and finance the appropriate level of service to meet the needs of the county’s vulnerable populations and create conditions that promote community health.
Source: Johnson County Kansas

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:10:29-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

Roeland Park could be impacted by new Kansas immigration law

Roeland Park’s “safe and welcoming” ordinance, which has been on the books for more than a year, could be impacted by a new state law recently signed by Gov. Laura Kelly. HB 2717, among other provisions, prohibits municipalities from “preventing the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” Under the law, local law enforcement agencies are now required to notify officers of their “duty to cooperate with state and federal agencies in the enforcement of immigration laws.” The law also bars the use of municipal IDs for any state purpose, such as voting.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2022-04-19T07:11:25-05:00April 19, 2022|News|

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