Housing leaders announce $200 million in statewide rental assistance

Kansans struggling to cover rent and utility payments due to COVID may qualify for up to 12 months of emergency assistance thanks to new federal relief. The initiative, funded through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, provides the state of Kansas with $200 million to support housing stability and prevent evictions and homelessness. Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) and the City of Wichita will administer the funds. “Home has never been more important,” said Ryan Vincent, KHRC Executive Director. “Home has always been a place of shelter, but in the midst of the pandemic it’s also become our virtual workplace, classroom, and gathering space. Rental assistance protects Kansans’ access to home when they need it most.”
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2021-02-17T08:09:19-06:00February 16, 2021|News|

‘Bitter, dangerous, arctic’ chill disrupts power grid

Public officials pleaded Monday for Kansans to turn thermostats down and conserve electricity as utilities warned that severe cold would force coordinated power outages across the Midwest. Gov. Laura Kelly declared a state of emergency Sunday in anticipation of sub-zero temperatures and wind chills that reached the -30s. The extreme conditions knocked wind turbines and natural gas plants off the grid as power consumptions soared, prompting concerns about skyrocketing natural gas supplies and an inability to meet demand. Evergy, which serves eastern Kansas and western Missouri, announced plans Monday afternoon to begin shutting off power for rotating blocks of customers for 30-60 minutes at a time. The rolling blackouts were directed by the Southwest Power Pool, which markets the power supply for a 17-state region.
Source: The Iola Register

Ranson Financial2021-02-17T08:10:26-06:00February 16, 2021|News|

Kansas struggles to fix vaccine reporting issues

Kansas is working to fix its troubled system for sending vaccine data to the federal government, saying glitches caused about 100,000 doses that were given to not be registered as being administered. The state’s vaccination rate has consistently ranked as among the lowest in the country. As of Monday, 10% of the state’s population had been vaccinated, with 394,523 people receiving at least the first of two required doses, state health data showed. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows the state administering only 67% of the 581,975 doses it has received. The state, however, puts the figure at 68.9% and says it has received 572,275 doses. Both were an improvement from Friday.
Source: The Iola Register

Ranson Financial2021-02-17T08:12:42-06:00February 16, 2021|News|

Pottawatomie County opens five warming stations

Pottawatomie County has opened warming stations across the county in response to widespread controlled power outages the past two days. County officials say short-term temporary areas are available while citizens make longer term arrangements at fire stations in Olsburg, Wheaton, St. George and Havensville as well as the Sunflower Room at the Public Works/K-State Extension Office in Westmoreland. Anyone needing additional resources or information should contact the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 785-457-3353. The City of Manhattan has opened a warming shelter in the conference room at the Four Points Sheraton at 530 Richards Drive.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Ranson Financial2021-02-17T08:12:51-06:00February 16, 2021|News|

How resources are depleted by winter weather, causing power issues

Evergy leaders described how the three major energy resources are all depleted with the harsh winter weather this week, at their press conference on Tuesday morning. The first is our coal power; because coal is stored outside and on the ground, it’s now wet and needs to be broken up manually. It also doesn’t get hot enough to produce electricity as well as they hoped. The wind has also caused an issue. It’s not quite as windy as it normally was Tuesday, and less energy was produced, therefore it could not pick up any of the slack to help power our homes. Additionally, some of the turbines can’t operate because of freezing fog and icing and thus have not been able to produce as much electricity. The hydraulic fluid inside the turbines is also freezing. The third issue comes with the sheer amount of natural gas that we have in the nation. The entire middle of the country, and other parts too, are trying to access it.
Source: KSNT News

Ranson Financial2021-02-17T08:13:29-06:00February 16, 2021|News|

City of Wichita closing select facilities to conserve energy

The City of Wichita said in an effort to conserve energy it will close multiple public facilities through the end of the day Wednesday, Feb. 17. The shutdowns are temporary and a precautionary measure that the city is taking to preserve power supplies for residents and critical operations. The following facilities will be closed. City Arts, Mid-America All-Indian Museum, Old Cowtown Museum, OJ Watson Park, All Wichita Public Library locations, and All aesthetic lights that do not impact the safety of pedestrian and motorists, including spotlights on City hall and in Old Town.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2021-02-17T08:17:25-06:00February 16, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for February 12, 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 Financial2021-02-16T09:20:33-06:00February 16, 2021|News|

Evergy plans power outages as cold weather disrupts regional grid

Public officials and utilities have asked the public to turn thermostats down and conserve electricity as severe cold wreaks havoc on the Midwest power grid. Evergy, the state’s largest utility, announced plans Monday afternoon to begin shutting off power for rotating blocks of customers for 30-60 minutes at a time. Gov. Laura Kelly declared a state of emergency Sunday in anticipation of sub-zero temperatures and wind chills that reached the -30s. She planned a news conference for 2:30 p.m. Monday to provide an update on the situation. “As the extreme cold temperatures continue to affect the region, we are urging Kansans to conserve energy in order to help ensure a continued supply of natural gas and electricity and keep their own personal costs down,” Kelly said.

Source: Kansas Reflector

Ranson Financial2021-02-15T22:23:47-06:00February 15, 2021|News|

Kansas legislators weigh bills to extend, revamp rural workforce recruitment tool

Kansas legislators are considering separate efforts to extend and revamp a rural development tool that has not reversed population decline as intended. The Rural Opportunity Zones program is currently offered to 77 counties in rural areas suffering from years or sometimes decades of population decline. Designated counties can offer income tax credits and student loan repayments for up to five years as a means to recruit full-time residents. However, a 2020 study by the Kansas Department of Commerce showed 70 counties participating in the program continued to show population loss. Only two counties showed above 1% population growth.

Source: Kansas Reflector

Ranson Financial2021-02-15T22:22:44-06:00February 15, 2021|News|

Rolling Blackouts Hit Kansas And Missouri As Arctic Temperatures Drive Up Power Demand

Rolling electrical blackouts rippled across the Midwest Monday while the region shivered in an arctic blast and suddenly found itself short on electrical power. Record-cold temperatures across the region led to an extraordinary winter demand and a limited supply of electricity across the central United States. To prevent a major uncontrolled power outage, the regional grid operator known as the Southwest Power Pool asked utilities mid-day to begin rolling blackouts. The request lasted about an hour. While cold temperatures increased demand, they also hurt utilities’ ability to crank out electricity. Some wind turbines got knocked out of commission by freezing fog. Power plants couldn’t crank out their usual electrical output because of freezing coal stacks. Natural gas-burning electrical plants had equipment malfunctions while the price of fuel skyrocketed as much as 150 times the normal wholesale price as people cranked up their furnaces to fight off the chill of sub-zero temperatures.

Source: KCUR News

Ranson Financial2021-02-15T22:21:52-06:00February 15, 2021|News|