Parsons selected for regional criminal justice training site

Parsons will be home to a new regional criminal justice training site for law enforcement. Agencies from 16 regional counties will report to the new center for criminal justice training. Officials hope to get the new center up and running in the next 90 days. The 16 counties to be served by the site are: Lyon, Greenwood, Elk, Chautauqua, Coffey, Woodson, Wilson, Montgomery, Anderson, Allen, Neosho, Labette, Linn, Bourbon, Crawford and Cherokee. “This is a huge step forward for our agency and our region,” said Parsons Police Sgt. Jason Ludwig. “Training is critical for smaller rural agencies where staff members have to be generalists, who have a wide range of abilities from crime response, criminal investigation, crime scene management and core skills from firearms, driving and defensive tactics.”Earlier this month, the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center training council voted unanimously to select Parsons as the new training site. The group met in Parsons with area officers and other law enforcement staff to look for a location in Southeast Kansas.
Source: Parsons Sun

Ranson Financial2021-08-19T03:31:17-05:00August 19, 2021|News|

Rural residents air concerns about dangerous dirt ‘detour’

Residents along an unofficial detour voiced their concerns to the Neosho County Commission Tuesd ay after a fatality accident last week. Marilyn Henry, who lives in the first mile north of the intersection of Elk Road and K-47, was one of about a dozen residents at the meeting and spoke to the commission about heavy traffic around the US-169 construction project. Four miles of Elk Road are dirt between K-47 and 150th Road. The stretch is posted 30 miles per hour and through trucks are prohibited. Commissioners on Tuesday approved a resolution that specifically prohibits through-truck traffic on Elk, Chase and Douglas roads between K-47 and 160th. Henry presented a petition to the commission with about two dozen signatures asking for action on the road. She said she set up a trail camera at her residence, and during a one-week period counted up to 2,276 vehicles per day – and from between 43 to 302 tractor-trailer rigs.
Source: The Chanute Tribune

Ranson Financial2021-08-19T03:25:46-05:00August 19, 2021|News|

Want to rent a scooter in Prairie Village? Residents may soon have that option

The city of Prairie Village is on the brink of making way for a fleet of dozens of rentable, motorized electric scooters, though lingering concerns about the vehicles has prompted the city to consider a pilot program that can be ended relatively quickly. The city council previously expressed some concerns over adding scooters to city streets, but the council committee of the whole on Monday approved entering a memorandum of understanding for a pilot program with Bird, one of the biggest players in the growing e-scooter market. Mayor Eric Mikkelson said he’s supportive of the pilot program because it will allow the city to look into the viability of alternative modes of transportation.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2021-08-19T06:58:34-05:00August 19, 2021|News|

Sedgwick County hospitals reach “critical” status with new COVID-19 cases

Sedgwick County hospitals now report they are in a “critical” status with new cases of COVID-19. According to data from the county’s COVID-19 web page, there are 147 people hospitalized with the virus, and 56 of them are in the intensive care unit. Sedgwick County reported 142 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with two new deaths. The county has had a total of 53,212 cases for the pandemic, with 669 deaths. The state of Kansas reported 3,006 new cases on Wednesday, compared to Monday’s numbers. There are 62 new deaths, to bring the state’s total to 5,456. The state also reported 98 new hospitalizations.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2021-08-19T03:19:11-05:00August 19, 2021|News|

Council decides not to seek attorney general opinion

At Marysville City Council’s July 26 meeting, council member Terry Hughes said he wanted to request a Kansas attorney general’s opinion on the council’s action to pass Ordinance 1900, which amends Ordinance 1891 and gives the city administrator direct control of non-elected personnel. The ordinance was passed at the June 28 meeting. Hughes said he’s worried about the city being sued for delegating the council’s responsibility to the city administrator. Ordinance 1900 provides a reasoning for previous repeals of city ordinances. The repeals allow for the city administrator to have direct control over city employees. City clerk Cindy Holle said this ordinance is to clarify that the city administrator already had this power. St. John said the city attorney, John McNish, recommends Ordinance 1900 and his stance has not changed after reading it. St. John also said McNish said asking for an attorney general’s opinion takes time. It has taken the state office up to two years to respond to a city in the past.
Source: The Marysville Advocate

Ranson Financial2021-08-19T03:16:47-05:00August 19, 2021|News|

Local developers request Bel Aire incentives to buy Wichita Hoops facility, build new spec warehouses

A group of recognizable Wichita developers is turning its attention to a growing industrial park in Bel Aire. Webb Industrial LLC, the entity that includes Steve Barrett, Ivan Crossland Jr. and Dave Murfin, have asked the Bel Aire City Council for industrial revenue bonds to fund two projects within Sunflower Commerce Park at 53rd Street and Webb Road. One involves the purchase of the bank-owned Wichita Hoops facility, and another for the construction of two new speculative warehouse buildings nearby.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Ranson Financial2021-08-19T03:13:01-05:00August 19, 2021|News|

Kansas’ pension system had one of its best years ever in 2021

The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System saw its investment portfolio turn in one of the strongest years ever in the 2021 fiscal year — although lawmakers are still parsing out how to handle a significant unfunded liability going forward. Pension funds nationally have announced sky-high investment returns, powered by a stock market that has rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic, helping states beat out their expected gains several times over. Kansas was no exception, KPERS Spokesperson Kristen Basso said in an email, reporting a 26.3% rate of return for the 2021 fiscal year, which ended in June. For context, that is the third highest return in the past 45 years and well above the state’s assumed rate of return of 7.75%.
Source: CJonline

Ranson Financial2021-08-18T07:13:22-05:00August 18, 2021|News|

Are loft apartments the answer for Kansas Main Street renewal?

Building owners, storekeepers, Main Street organizers and city officials from across Kansas attended the Main Street Upstairs Downtown Workshop in Hutchinson on Monday and Tuesday. Along with presentations by architects, community development and economic development specialists, more than 100 participants from Leavenworth, Pittsburg and Iola went on a tour of the upper levels of downtown Hutchinson, examining both apartments and businesses, including the newly renovated AgTrax location, which revitalized an upstairs unit.
Source: Hutch News

Ranson Financial2021-08-18T07:12:20-05:00August 18, 2021|News|

Census shows growth in five towns across Washington County

Haddam breaks 70-year streak of Census declines, three towns (Barnes, Hanover, Palmer) have two decades of growth. Washington County lost significantly less population than official estimates had predicted, according to the most recent U.S. Census figures. Data from the 2020 Census was released for counties and cities recently, along with redistricting figures. Washington County’s population dropped by 4.6%, from 5,799 to 5,530. This was the 13th Census in a row with a population decline for the county…
Source: www.backroadsnews.com

Ranson Financial2021-08-18T07:08:25-05:00August 18, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for August 17, 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 Financial2021-08-18T06:58:48-05:00August 18, 2021|News|