Natives of a small Kansas town just opened a brewery, and Wichitans are making the trip

A small Kansas town not too far from Wichita has just added a craft brewery, owned by two women who grew up there. And so far, the response to Ladybird Brewing — which officially opened on Nov. 13 in an old gas station building in downtown Winfield — has been more enthusiastic than the owners anticipated. In fact, their Thanksgiving Saturday traffic, which saw people lined up for seats long before the doors opened, has them thinking they may need to expand their staff.
Source: Dining With Denise Neil |

Ranson Financial2021-12-01T06:55:03-06:00December 1, 2021|News|

Thunderbirds to headline 2022 McConnell air show

McConnell Air Force Base recently announced the return of air shows to the base, with Frontiers in Flight 2022 scheduled for Sept. 24-25, 2022.This event marks McConnell’s first air show in four years. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will headline the free event, along with a wide variety of civilian and military static aircraft – including the KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46A Pegasus – throughout the two-day show. The open house and air show is expected to host more than 150,000 visitors over the two-day event and generate upwards of $6 million of economic stimulus for the local and surrounding communities.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Ranson Financial2021-12-01T06:54:31-06:00December 1, 2021|News|

KS housing survey: despite population growth JoCo, WyCo not meeting community needs

The Kansas City Metro area is the fastest growing region in Kansas but, like the rest of the state, it struggles to fill the housing needs of its community. Preliminary results of a statewide survey, the first of its kind in 30 years, found that 30% of homes in Kansas were built before 1960 and that the state lacks diverse housing options for middle income buyers and renters. Full results of the housing needs assessment, conducted over the past year by the Office of Rural Prosperity and Kansas Housing Resource Corporation, will be released in December or January. Before that, researchers are touring the state holding public presentations on regional findings.
Source: KC Star Local News

Ranson Financial2021-12-01T06:53:56-06:00December 1, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for November 30, 2021

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 Financial2021-12-01T06:52:16-06:00December 1, 2021|News|

Hillsboro golf course superintendent to retire after 32 years

Almost anyone who has golfed in Hillsboro anytime in the past 30 years or so knows who Gary Andrews is, because he is always around the golf course and always friendly. “Gary has done amazing things for the Hillsboro Golf Course,” Hillsboro City Administrator Matt Stiles said. “Gary works as hard as anyone I’ve ever known and has devoted himself to making sure Hillsboro has a superb golf course. Gary is also the first one to offer a hand or advice on other projects around the city. Expertise and work ethic like that don’t come around very often, and the city has been lucky to have Gary all these years.” Andrews has been the superintendent at the Hillsboro GolfCourse for almost 32 years. He is retiring at the beginning of the year, although he is basically done now and taking vacation time for the rest of the year.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press

Ranson Financial2021-12-01T06:51:16-06:00December 1, 2021|News|

Take a look at recent changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The United States Department of Education recently announced sweeping (and welcome) changes to the troubled Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. These changes make it easier for government and nonprofit workers to gain tax-free forgiveness on their federal student loans when working for a qualified employer. This is welcome news for public servants. Forgiveness has no cap and could reach into the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for qualified individuals. PSLF in its original form requires four criteria to achieve forgiveness…
Source: Joco 913 News

Ranson Financial2021-11-30T06:56:34-06:00November 30, 2021|News|

Crazy home prices hit rural Kansas and Missouri

All across the United States, the pandemic has sparked high housing prices in places long insulated from them, even rural Kansas and Missouri towns with historically low real estate values. As KCUR’S Frank Morris reports, a surge of interest in some of these markets is squeezing out long-time residents.
Source: KCUR News (Audio Report)

Ranson Financial2021-11-30T06:55:27-06:00November 30, 2021|News|

Prairie Village measured its city’s carbon footprint — here is what the report said

The city of Prairie Village emitted more than 227,000 metric tons of green gas emissions in 2020, according to the city’s first-ever study of its overall carbon footprint. Last year, Prairie Village entered an agreement with Kansas City-based Dynamhex to track the city’s greenhouse gas emissions — with the goal of ultimately using that data to come up with ways to reduce emissions. Prairie Village along with Roeland Park are the only Johnson County cities so far to get such an emissions report.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2021-11-30T06:52:44-06:00November 30, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for November 29, 2021

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 Financial2021-11-30T05:57:05-06:00November 30, 2021|News|

Wichita Public Library now has 250 internet bundles, hoping to bridge digital divide for residents

“One of our library pillars of operation is digital inclusion, making sure people have access to adequate digital resources, so internet, computers, printing, faxing, that sort of thing. We hope that with the internet bundles, people with low or no internet connectivity, who need access to the internet the most, whether to do school work or find jobs or for leisure activities, can utilize these bundles and connect and finish the work that they need to get done,” Jones shared. All you need to borrow one of these internet bundles is a library card in good standing. If you do not have one, you can visit one of Wichita Public Library’s 7 locations to register.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2021-11-29T23:24:49-06:00November 29, 2021|News|