Beautiful Benches provide restful spots for public stops

Additional sights to behold around the communities are also offering more seating for the weary. The initiative is all part of the Atchison Art Association’s Beautiful Benches Public Art Program. “Pride” the second beautiful bench in Atchison is the most recent installment of the artful benches that was put in place Friday, Oct. 1 along the corner of Eighth and Commercial Streets. Angie Cairo, project manager, said the Pride concept arose after consultation with Gay Straight Alliance members of Atchison High School. The mosaic work of the bench depicts a Pride Flag waving amid blue sky and clouds. The Beautiful Benches project is a focus on the functional public art in the communities throughout the county to represent the life and organizations in the community. The benches not only enhance the landscape, but they offer a place to relax and rest a bit along the sidewalks.
Source: News | atchisonglobenow.com

Ranson Financial2021-10-12T00:52:48-05:00October 12, 2021|News|

Prairie Village may commit to plan that puts city on path to zero carbon emissions by 2040

The city of Prairie Village will soon consider committing to a UN-backed campaign aimed at getting cities, local governments and other institutions to take “rigorous and immediate action” against climate change. Specifically, Prairie Village is considering a commitment to the UN’s ‘Cities Race to Zero,’ an initiative that urges cities to strive towards reducing their carbon emissions by 50% by the year 2030, according to city documents. Councilmember Ian Graves introduced the item this week to the city council committee of the whole — prior to discussing it with the council’s environmental committee — because, he noted, the city must enter into the commitment by the end of the month.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2021-10-12T00:46:10-05:00October 12, 2021|News|

Overland Park considers extending e-bike pilot program and could also add rental scooters

Overland Park experiment with electric bikes received mixed reviews from residents, as the city’s 18-month pilot program nears an end this November. The pilot project allowed certain types of motorized bikes on trails throughout Overland Park. With the project’s end date approaching, the city council’s Community Development committee on Wednesday heard a report about the pilot’s impact, including citizen feedback. The report concluded that there are some concerns with how the e-bike program currently runs, but overall, seem to appreciate having the bikes in the area.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2021-10-12T00:42:32-05:00October 12, 2021|News|

Oktoberfest leaves Germany and comes to Kansas

Junction City hosted its first-ever Oktoberfest, and they plan to make it an annual gig. People from all over the Sunflower State came to enjoy the German beer, food and live music at the event. Some people even took it the extra mile and dressed up in traditional German attire. One stand in particular, the Schnitzel Sisters, attracted all sorts of attention with authentic schnitzels. Ilona “Charlie” Swartz came to the Little Apple from Germany and has shared her love of German cuisine with Kansas ever since.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2021-10-12T00:33:59-05:00October 12, 2021|News|

This Kansas town now has the 3rd largest school in the nation

The Junction City community is grateful and excited for a much-needed upgrade for their students in the form of a state-of-the-art building: Junction City High School. The school is now the largest one in Kansas and is said to be the third largest in the nation, finishing off at a quarter-mile in length. After two years of construction, the ribbon-cutting was on Saturday, October 9. The community, teachers at the school, special guests, students and alumni from the older Junction City High School came out to celebrate the new building for future students of Junction City. The band, the dance team and cheerleaders welcomed people as they came to the outdoor event.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2021-10-12T00:31:44-05:00October 12, 2021|News|

Wichita city staff improving communication with non-English speakers after boil-water advisory

After this week’s boil-water advisory, city leaders now hope to come up with a more strategic plan to inform the public when an issue similar to this one occurs. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said although he is very proud of how quickly essential workers stopped the water line break from becoming a bigger issue there is one thing the city has to solve. That issue is informing non-English speakers of critical issues like this one. He said even though the city was able to get a press release out in Spanish about the advisory around 15 minutes after the incident that is not quick enough. “We now need to be taking those steps further to systemize these alerts by using our current assets,” Whipple said.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2021-10-12T00:29:31-05:00October 12, 2021|News|

Wellington council contemplates economic development incentives to getting college grads to return home

The Wellington City Council heard a proposal from the economic development commission that would provide incentives for college graduates to return to the community. The council tabled the matter to a later meeting to gather more input. At Tuesday’s council meeting, Sumner County Economic Development Director Stacy Davis said the city of Wellington is considered a “rural opportunity zone.” Wellington’s already been under that classification since 2014, and offers tax credits for five years to anyone who moves back to Wellington.
Source: Sumner NewsCow

Ranson Financial2021-10-12T00:27:44-05:00October 12, 2021|News|

Appeals court finds Johnson County overvalued Walmarts

Johnson County overvalued 11 big-box retail stores by about $60 million, a state appeals court has ruled, potentially firing up the ongoing debate over whether property should be appraised as if it’s vacant, or “dark.” The Kansas Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a decision by the state’s tax appeals board that found the county incorrectly valued a group of Walmarts and Sam’s Clubs by about $60 million in 2017 and $63 million in 2016. The new ruling comes several months after a separate panel of appeals court judges SSJ.
Source: Sunflower State Journal

Ranson Financial2021-10-12T00:24:27-05:00October 12, 2021|News|

Haven Fall Festival

A burst of color filled the Haven skyline on Saturday morning. Bags of pigment thrown into the air rained on Haven residents as they began the first Haven Fall Festival Color Run. This year, the Haven Fall Festival included more than 20 parade floats, 25 vendors and almost the entire Haven population, with more than 1,000 attendants who visited Kansas Avenue to participate in a variety of activities as pancakes sizzled on grills outside of the Haven Senior Center for the Booster Club Breakfast.
Source: Hutch News

Ranson Financial2021-10-11T06:53:13-05:00October 11, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for October 8, 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 Financial2021-10-11T06:44:56-05:00October 11, 2021|News|