Burrton third graders bring local history to life

A group of third graders at Burrton Elementary School are turning into quite the young history buffs. They can spout off names, dates and other facts about their town history that they’ve been learning, recently. The students just finished building a model representing downtown Burrton in the late 1800s and early 1900s. “We tried to make buildings about where they were, but we learned that there were fires, so some of these buildings maybe weren’t in a certain spot after the fire happened, but it’s pretty true to it,” teacher Michelle Armendariz said.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2021-05-13T07:08:10-05:00May 13, 2021|News|

Topeka’s JEDO approves more than $5.8 million dollars for Downtown Topeka Innovation campus

Topeka’s Joint Economic Development Organization board approved a project that is estimated to produce 20-40 full-time jobs to the capital city. The board approved up to $5.871 million to develop and build an innovation campus in downtown Topeka. JEDO will partner with BioRealty, Inc. According to Katrin Bridges, SVP of innovation at GO Toepka, the campus will have world-class facilities which will include wet labs, co-working and meeting spaces, office space for launching business research and innovation and even a rooftop space for events. It will be a 60,000-70,000 square foot facility. The total estimated cost of the campus is around $13 million.
Source: KSNT News

Ranson Financial2021-05-13T07:08:34-05:00May 13, 2021|News|

Manhattan talks changes to sidewalk, easement regulations

The construction of encroachments into public easements will no longer be permitted, according to the newly created Manhattan Development Code. The topic came up during the Manhattan City Commission meeting Tuesday, during which officials discussed proposed changes to subdivision standards. “When we have utility failures or need maintenance for a utility line and there are fences in the way or all sorts of other things in the way of our utility easements, it becomes a costly and cumbersome process for both the city and those homeowners and business owners,” Chad Bunger, assistant director of community development for the City of Manhattan, said. He says the policy likely will not apply to currently existing structures, at least for now.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Ranson Financial2021-05-13T07:09:44-05:00May 13, 2021|News|

Land use law expert affirms City of Golden petition is valid

A petition to establish the city of “Golden” in Miami County has gained another level of validation as the county moves closer to the June 23 public hearing on the matter. The Miami County Clerk’s Office verified that the petition, filed April 9, had enough valid signatures to meet the state statutory requirement. County commissioners wanted to ensure the document also met all other statutory requirements before going through a hearing process — to avoid the potential for a legal challenge to the petition’s validity in the future. The County Commission sought the legal services of a Topeka attorney who specializes in land use law and has more than 25 years of experience working with cities and counties in Kansas on a range of topics such as annexation, planning and zoning issues and others.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com

Ranson Financial2021-05-13T07:11:11-05:00May 13, 2021|News|

City of Topeka dropping mask requirement on May 17

The City of Topeka is dropping its mask requirement in city buildings, a spokeswoman said Monday. The new rule allowing people to go into city buildings without a mask takes effect May 17. The new rule excludes the municipal court, which will still require masks, according to the City of Topeka. The new rule takes effect the same day that Kansas State University is also loosening its mask rules. K-State will require masks inside campus buildings, but anyone who is fully vaccinated can drop their mask while outside.
Source: KSNT News

Ranson Financial2021-05-13T07:13:21-05:00May 13, 2021|News|

Kansas School Districts Find Ditching Offensive Mascots Costs Money

What does it cost a school district to change an offensive mascot? Some Kansas schools are starting to find out. Wichita school board members voted in February to get rid of the controversial Redskins mascot at North High School. They learned recently that replacing athletic uniforms, painting over a gym floor and retrofitting the marching band could cost upward of $400,000.
Source: KCUR News

Ranson Financial2021-05-13T07:13:33-05:00May 13, 2021|News|

The pros and cons of county-wide zoning

County officials continue to debate the pros and cons of county-wide zoning. On May 4, Bourbon County Commissioners and County Counselor Justin Meeks discussed flood plains, free will, and the differences between zoning and codes enforcement. … Citizen Michael Hoyt said there are remedies for building in a flood plain. “I ‘m very opinionated when it comes to codes in rural America,” Meeks said. “There is a very fine line between growth and wanting growth to happen and limiting it … We don’t want anyone to die in a fire or have a structural problem with a new build. Sometimes sprinkler systems in a 200-year-old building are very expensive.”
Source: Fort Scott Tribune

Ranson Financial2021-05-13T07:17:59-05:00May 13, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for May 11, 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 Financial2021-05-12T06:39:07-05:00May 12, 2021|News|

Teen COVID rate doubles rest of Kansas as FDA approves Pfizer vaccine for ages 12-15

Kansas teenagers, who have the highest COVID-19 case and test positivity rates in the state, may now get vaccinated. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to allow children ages 12 to 15 years old to get vaccinated. The two-shot mRNA vaccine already had emergency approval for people 16 and older. “Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. “Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2021-05-12T06:28:17-05:00May 11, 2021|News|

State Announces Rural Highway Funding

The state has announced 16 counties have received approximately $8.5 million through the Kansas High Risk Rural Roads, or HRRR Program. The HRRR program is a state/local partnership designed to improve safety on off-system rural roads. This year’s HRRR selections include 16 counties with total projects costs of $11 million. When Coronavirus Relief Funds and Highway Infrastructure Program funds became available earlier this year, the Kansas Department of Transportation was able to distribute twice the funds typically available for HRRR annually. Kansas HRRR funds cover 90-100 percent of total project cost, with the counties making up the difference if required.
Source: WIBW News Now

Ranson Financial2021-05-12T06:28:39-05:00May 11, 2021|News|