Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is going to be as slow as getting COVID-19 test kits, according to Thomas Langer, City-Cowley County Health Department director. “Remember back in March we couldn’t get enough tests,” Langer said. “Now we have all the tests we need. That’s the way it is with the vaccine.” Cowley County does not have nearly enough vaccine, Langer said. “We’re waiting on it.”
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
After months of struggling with reduced staff and financial shortages due to COVID-19, South Central Kansas Medical Center is starting to get back on its feet, hospital trustees were told during the December meeting. CFO Debbie Hockenbury reported that the hospital saw a gain of $1.15 million in November, giving it a year-to-date total of $7.9 million more revenue than expenses. Much of the gain was due to a large adjustment in deprecation expenses. Board Chair Dan Jurokovich said Monday that the $7.9 million surplus was largely due to $10,808,496 in funds received through the CARES Act relief money, and Medicare and Medicaid advances. He said without those funds, the year to date loss for 2020 would have been more than $3 million. The medical center broke even in December.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday that Kansas exceeded its goal to conduct 1 million COVID-19 tests in 2020. “In October, we launched our Unified Testing Strategy with a goal of testing one million Kansans by the end of the year, and I’m excited to announce that we exceeded that number,” Kelly said. “This coordinated partnership between state health officials and local providers, in addition to a majority of counties’ decision to adopt face covering requirements, led to the control of the spread of the virus in Kansas for the first time since the stay-at-home order was lifted in May.” Kansas conducted over 1,001,000 tests in 2020, and as of Monday, it reported that 1,024,129 people have been tested since the start of the outbreak.
Source: KMBC.com
The Harvey County Commission voted to extend a local health order limiting mass gatherings in Harvey County to 10 individuals. The order remains in effect until rescinded, superseded or amended. The commission, which serves as the local board of health, and in consultation with Public Health Officer Dr. Doyle Detweiler, approved the extension at its Jan. 5 meeting. The order requires gatherings be limited to 10 individuals where six feet of distance cannot be maintained. It does not limit the occupancy allowed in a facility or event if six feet of distance can be maintained between groups at all times.
Source: KSN-TV
The Wichita State University Center for Economic Development and Business Research released the 2021 employment forecast for Wichita and Kansas. For Wichita, unemployment spiked in April 2020 to 17.7% due to the coronavirus pandemic. The economy began to recover in the third quarter as unemployment dropped back to 6.8% in October 2020. Recovery is expected to continue in the fourth quarter of 2020 and job growth is expected into 2021. Average employment growth is forecast to be 0.7% in 2021, which would add more than 2,000 jobs back to the Wichita economy.
Source: KSN-TV
U.S. states, cities, schools and other issuers sold $451.2 billion of municipal bonds last year, the highest amount on records that date back to 1980, according to Refinitiv data on Monday. With the U.S. Federal Reserve pushing interest rates to historical lows to combat the economic fallout from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, muni bond sales were up 11% compared to 2019.
Source: Reuters.
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.
Back to school means mask up and keep your distance. Derby schools is seeing roughly 75-percent of the kids in class with the rest in remote learning. “We are excited to be back,” said Katie Carlson, Director of Communications for USD 260 Derby Schools. “And optimistic we will be able to remain there. But that’s why we review every couple of weeks.” Gating criteria for in-class learning is reviewed by the Derby Schools gating criteria committee. “To make informed, current decisions with the safety of students and staff at the forefront,” said Carlson. Surveys are going out to parents and families starting Tuesday for decisions about the next nine weeks.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita’s newest public library will likely be named after civil rights icon and author Ronald Walters, who as a young man led the Dockum Drugs store sit-in that helped end racial segregation in the city. The City Council is poised to accept a recommendation from the Library Board on Tuesday to name the replacement for the Linwood Branch, which is scheduled to close Jan. 15. It’s being replaced with a new library under construction in a building at 4195 E. Harry that housed the former Karl’s Tire Shop in the former Wichita Mall. Walters, who was born and raised in Wichita before becoming a national-level civil rights icon, came in third in a community vote on what to name the new facility. Naming it for former Mayor Carl Brewer or calling it the Meadowlark branch came in at Nos. 1 and 2, according to a city report.
Source: Wichita Breaking News, Sports & Crime |
This past year took its toll on several major development projects in Johnson County. The long-awaited, ill-fated Mission Gateway development stalled, once again. For months, the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult for crews across the county, including those working on the Interstate 35 expansion, to finish work due to a shortage of supplies. And when city leaders planned for the financial impacts of the pandemic, several projects were pushed back. But looking ahead to 2021, developers and county leaders are optimistic that this coming year they’ll see significant growth in these Kansas City suburbs. Some projects that have managed to stay on track during 2020, like the new Johnson County Courthouse, are about to reach the finish line. And others that have been in the works for years, such as an expansion at the Overland Park Arboretum and a new sports center, are finally coming to fruition.
Source: KC Star Local News
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