City of Sedgwick names Brian Keller as city administrator

Brian Keller, a 1984 graduate from Halstead High School, has been hired as the new city administrator for Sedgwick and will begin on Nov. 22. Keller has spent the last twenty years living in Wamego and working for the State of Kansas with most of that Department of Revenue as a taxation agent. He recently transferred to Wichita and has lived in Halstead for the last few months. Sedgwick Mayor Bryan Chapman said that Keller’s local ties and his interest in living in Sedgwick were factors in his higher, as were his people skills and his ability to communicate. Chapman said he interviewed very well. “He’s very easy to talk to,” Chapman said. “I think he’ll work well with both the public and our employees, getting a feel for what’s going on and I think he’s anxious to learn. I think he’ll be very involved in all aspects of the community.”
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T11:27:59-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

Kansas sees bumper revenue projections

Kansas is flush with cash, updates to the state’s fiscal forecast released Wednesday project, and the news is sure to prompt considerable jockeying among legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly over how to spend the expected windfall. The state avoided the worst case scenario of seeing revenues plummet due to COVID-19 and instead has seen its tax collections soar in recent months, with experts saying the state’s economy has rebounded from the pandemic. Officials now project the state will take in $1.3 billion more than initially thought for the current fiscal year, a 17% increase which brings the current revenue estimates to $8.8 billion overall.
Source: GC Telegram

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T07:02:11-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

How state’s decision on Docking building could affect downtown Topeka

Downtown Topeka’s revival is not a secret — looking at a picture of its strip shows businesses, restaurants and residences where none existed previously. But Morse, a real estate broker at Kansas Commercial, said one of the key building blocks in bringing back the area is less well known: the state of Kansas. Before Docking State Office Building was vacated, workers would carry lunch pails to and from their cars, not wanting to spend time walking over to S. Kansas Avenue. As the state gravitated toward private leases throughout downtown, that opened up more possibilities for state employees to eat, shop and even live in the area. ‘They’ve sustained a lot of businesses and they sustain our growth downtown on Kansas Avenue and changing who we are,’ Morse said.
Source: Salina Journal

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T07:02:52-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

These three Kansas rodeos win awards

Abbyville is once again on the map. The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association awarded Abbyville Frontier Days PRCA Rodeo third place in the prairie circuit for best footing — meaning the rodeo ensures a safe and stable ground for the animals in the rodeo. The award specifically focusses on barrel racing horses. The Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo out of Abilene was voted most improved.
Source: Hutch News

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T06:59:37-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for November 12, 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 Financial2021-11-15T06:58:20-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

End to lawsuit over nixed $300M Olathe project precedes Garmin land deal

Key puzzle pieces were sliding into place shortly before Garmin Ltd. completed its purchase of the former Great Mall of the Great Plains site in Olathe. The electronics manufacturer bought 193 acres northwest of Interstate 35 and 151st Street, west of its existing Olathe headquarters. Company officials said the acquisition was made for future facilities and workforce growth. But first, there was a separate property sale and resolution of a civil lawsuit involving two parties who used to own portions of the acreage.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal – The Business Journals

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T06:46:24-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

States, cities face deadline for proving how quickly they’ve helped renters in crisis

States, cities and counties that excelled at distributing emergency federal aid to renters struggling during the pandemic may soon be rewarded — with yet more cash. Their new funding would be drawn from sluggish states and localities that didn’t move as swiftly to help people facing eviction and homelessness, who were targeted for billions in assistance in relief legislation passed by Congress. The potential redistribution comes during a year in which Americans who risked losing their housing looked to government for help and a federal eviction ban expired. Meanwhile, state and local leaders struggled to ramp up their rental relief programs—and now a major deadline looms. The process for sorting out which states and cities may receive more federal rental aid money and which may see reductions begins Monday.
Source: Kansas Reflector

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T06:48:14-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

Electric car drivers are growing in the Midwest, now chargers need to keep up

Keeping an electric vehicle charged can be a challenge. Even for the editor-in-chief of a website focused on electric vehicles. Just consider the range anxiety of Bill Moore. He was scheduled to talk about the cars at the Nebraska Wind & Solar conference. The 12-volt auxiliary battery on his Nissan Leaf had gone dead. He’d thought, well, he could manage the drive in his backup, an all-electric Fiat 500e. “Unfortunately, Bill had to get a hold of us at about 11 o’clock this morning,” panel moderator and Lincoln Electric System manager Scott Benson said. “It dawned on him, ‘I don’t have enough range to get to Lincoln with that car.’” Growing numbers of people face the same problem.
Source: KCUR News

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T06:48:34-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

Infrastructure bill’s funds for water systems will be drained quickly

The just-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill will provide the EPA with more than $50 billion for improving the nation’s water systems. Anyone who doubts the need for such funding should take a peek at the inbox of Tommy Holmes, legislative director for the American Water Works Association, which represents public and private drinking water utilities across the country. “I have been getting a relatively steady stream of emails and phone calls from water utilities large and small asking ‘all right, how do we apply for the money?’” Holmes said. “And I have to point out that, well, the president hasn’t signed it into law yet, so EPA can’t officially roll out the program.”
Source: The Iola Register

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T06:49:04-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

Plains Cotton celebrates grand opening of massive Clearwater distribution center

On Friday, the Texas-based Plains Cotton Cooperative Association celebrated its presence in the market on Friday with a grand opening event at its massive new warehouse and distribution center in Clearwater. The 473,000 square-foot building is up and running at 13131 W. 95th Street S. in Clearwater Business Park, which is about 20 miles southwest of Wichita.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Ranson Financial2021-11-15T06:49:16-06:00November 15, 2021|News|

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