February home prices see the biggest gain in 15 years, S&P Case-Shiller says

Home price gains continue to outpace expectations, as tight supply and strong demand lead to bidding wars. Nationally, prices in February rose 12% year over year, up from 11.2% in January, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index. The 10-City Composite rose 11.7% annually, up from 10.9% in January. The 20-City Composite gained 11.9%, up from 11.1% in the previous month. All the gains were in the double digits, save Chicago and Las Vegas. “The National Composite’s 12% gain is the highest recorded since February 2006, exactly 15 years ago, and lies comfortably in the top decile of historical performance,” noted Craig Lazzara, managing director and global head of index investment strategy at S&P DJI. “February’s price gains in every city are above that city’s median level, and rank in the top quartile of all reports in 18 cities.
Source: cnbc

Ranson Financial2021-04-28T07:03:41-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

Kansas to resume Johnson & Johnson administration

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced Monday that Kansas will resume administration of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine following an announcement on April 23 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encouraging resumption of the vaccine. “Today, Kansas will resume administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “After a brief pause and a thorough review, the CDC and FDA have determined the vaccine is safe and effective. Whether it’s the Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer or Moderna, I strongly encourage every Kansan to get vaccinated as soon as they can.” Johnson & Johnson administration was paused April 13 by the CDC and FDA following reports of recipients in the United States who developed a rare disorder involving blood clots within about two weeks of vaccination. During the pause, the FDA and CDC examined available data to assess the risk of the condition as well as conducted extensive outreach to providers and clinicians to ensure they were made aware of the potential for these adverse events and could properly manage and recognize these events due to the unique treatment required for these blood clots and low platelets, also known as thrombosis-thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). Following these reviews, the two agencies have recommended that Johnson & Johnson be resumed in the United States.

Source: Atchison Globe Now

Ranson Financial2021-04-27T21:58:57-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

New state program allows Barton Community College to offer full-scholarship programs

Select Barton Community College career and technical education programs will be available at no cost to eligible students beginning in the fall of 2021, thanks to a new scholarship program designed to increase Kansans’ access to community colleges and technical schools. The $10 million program was passed by the Kansas Legislature and signed by Governor Laura Kelly on Friday. When other scholarships and grants are not sufficient to cover a student’s tuition and fees, the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act will make up the difference. The program is available to Kansas high school graduates, Kansans 21 and older who have resided in the state for at least three years, and dependents of military service members. Select career and technical education programs will qualify.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Ranson Financial2021-04-28T07:04:47-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

Hillsboro unveils architectural plan for Community Plaza project

The City of Hillsboro has unveiled the final site development plan for the Community Plaza project. Phase one of the project is anticipated to begin this year. The site, which covers half a city block, will be installed in two parts and feature a variety of amenities for residents, from a stage to a splash pad to food truck parking. City Administrator Matt Stiles said the ambitious project has been years in the making. Three houses were removed from the site several years ago, and today, it sits as a construction zone for the fiber optic cable project. “I think it’s a really important project. It adds another recreational element to the community that I think is missing,” he said.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press

Ranson Financial2021-04-28T07:04:56-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

Want better internet in rural Kansas? Time to apply for a federal grant

Kansas towns, businesses, charities and others can now apply for a federal grant to improve broadband service in rural areas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering $42.4 million in grants through the Distance Learning and Telehealth (DLT) program. It is taking applications through June 4. The goal is to help rural communities connect with each other and the rest of the world in ways they may not be able to with minimal broadband service. Grants are available to rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. Those who can apply include most entities that provide education or health care through telecommunications, including for-profit businesses, non-profits, governmental entities, and federally recognized tribes.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2021-04-28T07:05:37-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

Wichita city officials drop ‘friends’ from ethics proposal, back away from fines

After drafting a new ethics code for more than a year, the Wichita City Council on Tuesday moved to weaken the wording of the existing policy, scrubbing all mention of the word “friends.” The existing ethics code, which has been in place for 63 years, prohibits City Council members from making decisions involving friends, business associates, customers, clients and competitors. But the council is left to police itself and has not enforced the policy, saying friends was not well defined. The proposed policy would strengthen other parts of the ethics code. It would limit gifts to $150 a year, create an advisory board to handle complaints against City Council members and city board appointees, establish whistleblower protections, and allow penalties to be handed out for violations.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2021-04-28T07:05:51-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

Derby’s Rock River Rapids to open at 60 percent capacity

The Derby Recreation Commission shared details from its plan to reopen Rock River Rapids at the April 20 DRC board of directors meeting. The DRC plans to allow a capacity of 1,500 people, which is 60% of its normal peak occupancy of 2,500 people. Tickets will be sold on location only this year, and the DRC is taking a number of precautions to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Concessions will also make a return.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Ranson Financial2021-04-28T07:03:13-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

2020 Census: Kansas population grows at slowest rate since Great Depression; state keeps 4 U.S. House seats

Kansas will get to keep all of its current seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, federal Census data confirmed on Monday, but the state still had its worst population showing since the Great Depression. The data showed Kansas’ population grew at one of the slowest rates in the state’s history. Over the last decade Kansas added only 84,762 people. Its 2020 population stood at 2,937,880 people. The numbers were the first the Census Bureau has released from the 2020 Census, and they are some of the most important because the figures are used to determine how the 435 seats in Congress are apportioned among the states. Population totals for individual cities or counties haven’t yet been released.
Source: LJWorld.com.

Ranson Financial2021-04-27T07:29:01-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for April 26, 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 Financial2021-04-27T07:23:14-05:00April 27, 2021|News|

Wichita seeks to change freeway design and protect abandoned rail bridge for bikeway

The city of Wichita plans to work with state and federal officials to redesign part of the planned interchange at the Kellogg and I-235 freeways to preserve a bridge that the city wants to use for a bike and pedestrian path linking downtown Wichita to Garden Plain. The city is hoping to save an abandoned railroad bridge across the Big Ditch south of Kellogg and east of Hoover, now the eastern end point of the Prairie Sunset Trail, said Gary Janzen, city engineer. But the bridge, at the perfect spot to extend the bike trail, also happens to be at the same spot where the state Department of Transportation planned to sink a pier for a ramp in the next phase of construction on the freeway interchange.
Source: Wichita Eagle.

Ranson Financial2021-04-27T07:20:19-05:00April 27, 2021|News|