Edgerton city leaders weigh in on the incorporation of Golden, Kansas

To prevent the expansion of warehouse development across the Miami County, Johnson County line, homeowners in northern Miami County have petitioned to incorporate the City of Golden, Kansas.
“The possibility of annexation and rezoning for industrial development have raised a number of concerns for our citizens. Concerns they believe can only be addressed by city incorporation that would potentially keep Edgerton north of the county line,” County Commission Chair Rob Roberts said. Ahead of the vote to incorporate the city, the Miami County Board of Commissioners are hosting a series of study sessions to get expert testimony about how creating that city could affect the county overall. Wednesday, the commission heard feedback from community leaders from the City of Edgerton.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF

Ranson Financial2021-09-17T07:20:23-05:00September 17, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for September 16, 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 Financial2021-09-17T06:36:53-05:00September 17, 2021|News|

Wichita looks to install two dams, remove nearly 500 acres from flood plain

In a move intended to remove 212 homes and nearly 500 acres from a flood plain in west Wichita, the City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to seek federal funding to install two dams. The area in question starts at Calfskin Creek west of Maize Road and extends for four to five miles east and three to four miles north and south of Kellogg. After the dams are in place, the homes would no longer be in the flood plain and residents would no longer have to buy flood insurance, said Don Henry, assistant director in public works and utilities.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2021-09-16T23:08:17-05:00September 16, 2021|News|

Rural Kansas nurses say strain of new COVID-19 surge has taken a ‘significant toll’

With limited resources, hospitals in rural areas of Kansas have struggled in recent weeks as COVID-19 cases have surged and hospitalizations are on the rise. In Great Bend, nurses say they’re struggling to keep up. One-third to half of the patients coming to the University of Kansas Health System’s Great Bend campus are there for COVID-related reasons, said Peter Mick, an emergency room nurse. “Working in the emergency room the past several weeks, we’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of patients that we see daily,” Mick told The Star in a video interview.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2021-09-17T06:37:13-05:00September 16, 2021|News|

Wichita unveils redesigned park honoring civil rights icon at entrance to med school

City officials have begun showing off the planned design of a downtown park being rebuilt as the entryway to Wichita’s new osteopathic medical school, while continuing to honor the legacy of civil rights luminary Chester I. Lewis. The proposed redesign of Chester I. Lewis Reflection Square Park features a small stage, the floor of which will be a tinted concrete rendering of the “redline” map of Wichita. It shows the pattern of segregation in the city caused by overtly racist policies from the 1930s to the 1960s, which limited the places African Americans and immigrants could buy housing.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2021-09-17T06:37:32-05:00September 16, 2021|News|

EPA begins environmental cleanup project in Pittsburg

The US Environmental Protection Agency began a cleanup project this week on the East 4th Street field across from the Mission Clay Products property in Pittsburg. Pittsburg Deputy City Manager Jay Byers says the EPA is working in conjunction with the city and the church that owns the property to remove lead and other contaminants found in the soil. “Given the history of the area and its proximity to old smelter sites, the city felt it was necessary to test for possible contamination,” says Byers. The site is also immediately adjacent to a city park and several businesses. “We conducted environmental testing using an EPA-certified lab and the results revealed high levels of lead and other contaminants,” Byers added. “Once the EPA learned of our findings, they undertook their own analysis and committed to a cleanup as a brownfields project.”
Source: City of Pittsburg

Ranson Financial2021-09-16T22:56:19-05:00September 16, 2021|News|

Overland Park commission weighs concerns over height of proposed LUX Senior Living complex off Quivira

Concern over a proposed senior living apartment complex brought concerned neighbors from the surrounding area to the Overland Park Planning Commission meeting this week. Developers of LUX Senior Living apartment, set to be built on the northwest corner of 137th Street and Quiviria Road, presented their request for the lot to be rezoned from RP-5, which allows up to four-story buildings, to RP-6. Under that new designation, the complex would be able to build three buildings, ranging from five to six stories based upon grading. The change would also allow developers to more than double the number of units on the 5.9-acre property, from the original 104 units to 236 units. The additional one to two stories was the primary concern raised Monday by the residents, who live in two neighborhoods near the proposed complex.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2021-09-16T22:54:25-05:00September 16, 2021|News|

Prairie Village’s new and improved Harmon Park skate park is now officially open

The revamped skate park at Prairie Village’s Harmon Park, 7710 Mission Road, is officially open. After a summer of reconstruction, the new and improved park welcomed skaters from across the Kansas City metro on Wednesday, Sept. 15, to celebrate the opening. The concrete from the original 2005 park — which was created with the help of then-eighth graders Jake Shepard and Andy Peterson — had been deteriorating for years, and the city decided to work with Canadian firm Newline Skateparks to design a new one. Kanten Russell, former professional skater and Newline’s lead designer, flew in from San Diego to attend the event. Russell said being present at the ribbon cutting allowed him to “be in the trenches” and get feedback from the local skate community.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2021-09-17T06:37:53-05:00September 16, 2021|News|

Johnson County school districts deal with ‘unprecedented’ classified staff shortages

The school year is underway, but many classified staff positions remain unfilled within the four public school districts serving northern Johnson County. The shortage of classified workers is hindering some district operations at the start of a school year already plagued by the spread of the Delta variant, contentious disagreements over school mask requirements and the challenge of catching up on educational ground lost through online learning. Officials in Blue Valley, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and USD 232 in De Soto all reported experiencing a higher number of classified staff vacancies in their district compared to recent years. This includes shortages in custodians, lunch room staff and classroom aides.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2021-09-16T22:49:13-05:00September 16, 2021|News|

City of Lawrence considering long-term expansion of parklet program

Last summer, Lawrence city officials took measures to allow downtown businesses more room for safety against COVID-19 by allowing outdoor seating to occupy some downtown parking spaces — temporary “parklets.” Now the parklets may be here to stay for a while longer. The temporary right-of-way program is set to expire on Dec. 31, but the city is considering implementing a long-term parklet program after this one expires, according to a city news release Thursday. The long-term program would include several changes to the current regulations for parklets, including “fire code, safety regulations, right-of-way permits, historic design guidelines, equity among local businesses, parking and more.”
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2021-09-17T06:38:20-05:00September 16, 2021|News|