Jason Sudeikis Day in Overland Park honors homegrown star and ‘Ted Lasso’ creator

Johnson Countians don’t need an official reason to brag on homegrown Hollywood star Jason Sudeikis, but now they have one in Overland Park. The city has declared Monday, Oct. 18, “Jason Sudeikis Day.” An official proclamation urges residents to “congratulate and celebrate Jason Sudeikis and his many accomplishments.” The city gives a nod to Sudeikis’ incessant citing of his hometown pride in the show. “He brings a slice of home to the show, whether through references to local barbecue joints or his character’s articulate Midwestern persona, based on his high school basketball coach, Donnie Campbell,” the proclamation reads.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2021-10-19T00:18:59-05:00October 19, 2021|News|

These 6 Johnson County hospitals will get millions from state to help retain stressed out staffs

Over the last year-and-a-half amid the COVID-19 pandemic, local hospitals and their staff have struggled with long hours and demanding workloads. As a result, many of hospitals in the region have struggled to retain nurses and other workers and remain fully staffed. In order to combat this issue, six hospitals in Johnson County, along with three other facilities on the Kansas side of the greater Kansas City metro, are set to receive a total of $14.66 million in stimulus aid to help them retain their workforce. The money comes from Kansas’ $50 million Frontline Hospitals Workers Retention Plan, which was approved by the bipartisan Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) executive committee in September.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2021-10-19T00:15:06-05:00October 19, 2021|News|

Saving the Santa Fe Trail

This time last year, Lynda Fort got cabin fever. As a way to pass the time, she started driving along the Santa Fe Trail, beginning in Marion County and ending up in Rice County. It took three days of driving, and in that time she sought out all 67 of the markers in the southwest district – which begins in Wichita and ends near the borders of Colorado and Oklahoma – of the trail. These boulders were originally placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1906. When tourists or students from nearby schools visit, Fort said, the markers serve as a useful tool for learning about its history.
Source: The Iola Register

Ranson Financial2021-10-19T00:13:09-05:00October 19, 2021|News|

Ordinance proposed for Salina could curb city powers in emergencies

A group called Salina Freedom wants to stop the City of Salina from enacting ordinances in emergencies. “It’s just insane,” said former Salina city commissioner Abner Perney. “It makes no sense whatsoever and it’s potentially very dangerous.” A measure on the ballot for the City of Salina is up for a public vote. A sample ballot in Salina says “This ordinance prevents the City of Salina from enacting any ordinance in response to a public emergency that imposes restrictions on businesses or citizens, leaving that responsibility to the county and subject to the Kansas Emergency Management Act.”
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2021-10-19T07:16:00-05:00October 19, 2021|News|

Manhattan to discuss final draft of local government’s strategic plan

Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will discuss the final draft of the local government’s strategic plan. … The strategic plan, called Crossroads MHK, is to help guide city officials on projects and initiatives. The plan outlines the city’s vision, values, goals and mission. The goals are a well-run city organization, a connected government, an enhanced network of infrastructure, a strong sense of place, and a strong and diversified local economy.
Source: themercury.com

Ranson Financial2021-10-19T07:16:46-05:00October 19, 2021|News|

Health professionals discuss common Halloween holiday emergencies

It’s just two weeks away from Halloween and while COVID-19 recommendations might be at the front of your list this year there are still some safety updates you should know before you head out this holiday. Halloween is a time for fun, frights and spooky sights and while many decided to skip last year’s festivities because of COVID-19. This year spirits are high, but there are some things health professionals want parents to be aware of. Last year the Poison Control Center reported 51 calls on Halloween. And one of the most common calls it gets on Halloween involves an item meant to help protect kids from cars as they’re making their way through neighborhoods. “What you have is kind of the perfect storm right, you have all of these glow-sticks all these kids and just by probability some are gonna break. We occasionally get people try to eat them,” said Dr. Stephen Thornton.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2021-10-19T00:03:41-05:00October 19, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for October 15, 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 Financial2021-10-18T07:05:10-05:00October 18, 2021|News|

Kitten and cat rescue facility formed to help overcrowded cats

A new kitten and cat rescue in Cowley County is trying to help alleviate overcrowding at the local humane society by providing a place for cats to receive care and socialization until they can be adopted. Pretty Kitty Rescue was founded by local resident Charissa Perdaris, after she moved out to the country earlier this year and started finding multiple litters of cats abandoned along the road. “The road I lived on seemed to be a very popular place for abandoning them, and it was truly a heartbreaking discovery,” said Perdaris, who works in the creative and web industries, and had no experience with rescuing cats and kittens before this year.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Ranson Financial2021-10-18T00:30:21-05:00October 18, 2021|News|

Kansas let people get booze to go during the pandemic, and deliveries might be next

The to-go cocktails and longer liquor store hours adopted in Kansas during the pandemic could live on after the virus threat has passed. But some lawmakers worry that additional changes sought by grocery chains and liquor companies could hurt small businesses and overwhelm state regulators. Changes approved during the 2021 legislative session included expanding the hours liquor stores could operate on Sundays and holidays and allowing the sale of to-go cocktails and drive-through drinks. A special legislative committee is being lobbied to make it even easier for consumers to purchase beer, wine and hard liquor — changes that would need approval from the Legislature in the spring.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Ranson Financial2021-10-18T00:28:18-05:00October 18, 2021|News|

Check out how these rural murals transform everyday Kansas into art

Matt Miller slowly walks backward into the middle of 5th Street in downtown Hays. The wall in front of him used to make up the plain, gray side of a local glass shop. Now, it’s his giant concrete canvas — 13 feet tall by more than 18 feet wide — for painting one of the northwest Kansas town’s new murals. It’s so large that he has to take a step back every once in a while just to get a good look at his progress. “I still need to make that brightest highlight a little brighter, but it’s close,” he said. “I could probably about bust into dancing right now.” From Hays to Great Bend to Lecompton, small towns across the state increasingly turn to larger-than-life works of art to inspire pride among residents and attract tourists. And as more towns blaze this artistic trail, the economic benefits of murals — and the roadmap to getting them done — come into focus.
Source: KCUR News

Ranson Financial2021-10-18T00:26:32-05:00October 18, 2021|News|