Amtrak moving forward on Newton improvements

26 Tuesday, November 26

Amtrak moving forward on Newton improvements

info2024-11-26T10:06:09-06:00November 26th, 2024|

Amtrak is moving forward on upgrading the train loading and drop-off deck at the Newton depot. As for other projects, such as the Heartland Flyer Extension and the state of the Depot itself, more information should be available in December. Zach McHatton, Blank, said he recently met with Amtrak officials and primarily spoke to them about the project to update the deck at the Depot. The project would add lighting, make the deck ADA-compliant, and generally upgrade the area. Source: Harvey County Now

26 Tuesday, November 26

Municipal Bond Trends for November 25, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-11-26T10:06:08-06:00November 26th, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

26 Tuesday, November 26

Hillsboro plans for the future

info2024-11-26T10:04:15-06:00November 26th, 2024|

The Hillsboro City Council, along with several other city leaders, spent close to three hours in a strategic planning meeting on Tuesday, Nov 12. The meeting began with City Administrator Matt Stiles explaining that the strategic plan started in January 2020 and has been updated quarterly. Stiles led the group through a review of the vision, values, goals and status of the past five years of the current strategic plan with a promise to work on a three-year plan in the rest of the meeting and another two or three meetings. He said the hope is to have marching orders to [...]

26 Tuesday, November 26

Overland Park’s property tax rebate pilot takes shape — Who will qualify?

info2024-11-26T10:02:57-06:00November 26th, 2024|

The details for Overland Park’s new city property tax rebate pilot program are starting to firm up. On Wednesday, the Overland City Council Park Finance, Administration, and Economic Development Committee voted unanimously to recommend an agreement with the Community Capital Fund to administer the pilot. The action also effectively endorsed the pilot program’s eligibility rules and extra priority criteria. Previously, the city set aside $200,000 for the rebate pilot program as part of its 2025 budget, but at the time, the parameters for it were unclear. The decision to start a pilot of this sort followed several months of sometimes heated [...]

26 Tuesday, November 26

JoCo OKs $6M for 5 projects addressing housing and homelessness

info2024-11-26T10:01:14-06:00November 26th, 2024|

After months of talking about how best to tackle homelessness in Kansas’ most affluent county, the Johnson County commission on Thursday allocated $6.35 million in federal funds for various proposals intended to increase affordable housing and support services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Commissioners took separate votes on five items that ranged from building new houses and apartments to expanding space and providing supplies for county homeless shelters. The vote secured the final destination for federal coronavirus relief funds that earlier this year had been pegged to be spent on a homeless shelter and services center at the La Quinta Inn and [...]

26 Tuesday, November 26

Panasonic aims to hire 200 more workers ahead of March production start

info2024-11-26T09:59:52-06:00November 26th, 2024|

Panasonic is ramping up hiring efforts as it prepares to begin electric-vehicle battery production in De Soto this spring. Workers will begin producing lithium ion batteries at Panasonic’s 4.7 million-square-foot plant in March, though an official opening date has not been announced. The Japanese manufacturer announced its executive leadership team for the De Soto facility in September 2023 and began hiring for plant jobs last fall. Source: Kansas City Business Journal

26 Tuesday, November 26

Olathe approves STAR bond plan for $320M entertainment hub

info2024-11-26T09:58:46-06:00November 26th, 2024|

With public financing secured, developers are set to break ground this summer on an all-abilities theme park in Olathe. On Tuesday, the Olathe City Council unanimously voted to approve a series of tax incentives to support the development of a $320 million entertainment district called Olathe Gateway. The project will get about $104 million in state and local tax incentives. Developers plan to begin construction by July 15. On Sept. 17, the City Council approved creating a sales tax revenue (STAR) bond district on roughly 130 noncontiguous acres at the southwest and northeast corners of 119th Street and Renner Boulevard for [...]

26 Tuesday, November 26

Economic push in Reno County brings funding, new ideas

info2024-11-26T09:57:08-06:00November 26th, 2024|

A process that brought together local stakeholders to try new methods for growing the Reno County entrepreneurial ecosystem is considered a success. According to StartUp Hutch Director Jackson Swearer, one of the Reno County Heartland Together program’s original advocates, the energy provided by the program led to the acquisition of $120,000 in funding over two years from the K-State 105 initiative. Founded last year, the university program aims to reach residents in all 105 Kansas counties through various extension programs, including entrepreneurial ecosystem support. Source: KLC Journal

26 Tuesday, November 26

Efforts in Liberal solidify link between leadership and growth

info2024-11-26T09:56:03-06:00November 26th, 2024|

If the southwest Kansas community of Liberal has learned anything over the past few years, it’s to not settle. The city of just over 19,000 people has a dynamic economic development office that has spent the past year rolling out small-business loans, announcing major industrial growth and helping small businesses. In 2023, business leaders and community members in Liberal gathered for a program called Heartland Together, funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and designed by the Kansas Leadership Center, which publishes The Journal. Liberal residents discussed how to stay engaged in the community and how to make the city’s entrepreneurship [...]

26 Tuesday, November 26

Homeless Wichitans dream of shelter beyond four walls

info2024-11-26T09:54:49-06:00November 26th, 2024|

Wichita’s homeless face temperatures below freezing at a time when local officials are still working to open this year’s emergency winter shelter. Once set for a Thanksgiving opening, the shelter is now scheduled to open Dec. 2. Seeking shelter can be complicated for many of those who live outside. Over months of meeting and conversing with homeless Wichitans (many of which who claimed to be chronically homeless), few saw themselves taking a shelter bed. Why? Some cited past poor experiences. Others couldn’t stand the idea of being separated from their partner or pet. (Wichita’s new shelter is supposed to have kennels [...]