Kansas dairy industry is growing, but small dairy farms continue to shrink

Kansas’ dairy industry has grown significantly during the past two decades, with an outlook for continued growth. Milk production in Kansas during October 2020 totaled more than 330 million pounds. This is up 4% from last year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. There are twice as many dairy cows in Kansas as there were twenty years ago. As of October, more than 170,000 dairy cows were in circulation. This number is 7,000 more than last year, the USDA reported.
Source: Community – Cherokee County News Advocate

Ranson Financial2020-12-15T08:19:21-06:00December 14, 2020|News|

Kansas Commerce Secretary will become the new Lieutenant Governor

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has named Commerce Secretary David Toland as the new Lieutenant Governor. Toland will take over in January after the current Lieutenant Governor, Lynn Rogers, moves into the State Treasurer’s office. Rogers was appointed last week to fill a vacancy created when Treasurer Jake LaTurner was elected to the 2nd District Congressional seat.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2020-12-15T08:19:34-06:00December 14, 2020|News|

Kansas receives its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

Kansas health care workers have begun receiving the first of the state’s coronavirus vaccines amid an ongoing surge in cases that has left hospitals stressed. A spokeswoman says that five employees of the Via Christi Ascension health care system received shots Monday at its St. Francis hospital in Wichita, including a critical care nurse, a housekeeper for a COVID-19 unit and a respiratory therapist. Doses of a vaccine made by Pfizer began arriving in Kansas after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized its emergency use Friday. Kansas officials expect the state to receive the first of two doses for 23,750 people this week.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2020-12-15T08:19:48-06:00December 14, 2020|News|

New hope for controversial Johnson County development, but neighbors still fighting

Overland Park developers on Monday won a second chance at building a $55 million apartment complex at the Ranch Mart South shopping center — a controversial project that was at first unanimously rejected by the City Council. EPC Real Estate Group is proposing the apartment complex, which will require redeveloping a strip of deteriorating duplexes and an existing parking structure at the shopping center, on the southeast corner of 95th Street and Mission Road. The Overland Park Planning Commission voted 7-3 to approve the rezoning for a scaled back version of the complex, which will now include 190 apartments, down from 210. The new proposal will next go to the City Council for final approval on Jan. 11.
Source: Joco 913 News

Ranson Financial2020-12-15T08:23:47-06:00December 14, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for December 11, 2020

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 Financial2020-12-14T08:16:21-06:00December 14, 2020|News|

Broadband Acceleration Grant Program now accepting submissions

Prospective applicants for the Broadband Acceleration Grant Program at the Kansas Department of Commerce now may submit their intent to apply. The program was created to expand broadband access to rural and underserved communities across the state. Over the next 10 years, the program seeks to invest $85 million toward bridging the digital divide in Kansas, with broadband modernization funding provided through swift legislative action during the 2020 session. A maximum of $1 million per grant will go toward funding projects that provide access to high quality, reliable broadband throughout Kansas, with priority given to applications that address unserved areas, economically distressed communities, and areas of compelling need. The deadline for intent to apply has been extended to Friday, December 18, 2020, with final applications due by noon on January 7, 2021.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Ranson Financial2020-12-14T07:14:29-06:00December 13, 2020|News|

Andover latest Kansas city to remove ban on pit bulls

Andover is the latest Kansas city to repeal a ban on pit bulls after the city council voted this week to repeal a decades-old ordinance against the dog breed. City administrator Jennifer McCausland said the issue gained momentum this year after the city annexed land where some residents owned pit bulls. Midge Grinstead, Kansas director of the Humane Society of the United States, said she had been involved in overturning about 24 bans in Kansas in recent years. Grinsteade estimated between 80 to 90 pit bull bans still exist in the state.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2020-12-14T07:14:36-06:00December 13, 2020|News|

Wellington begins city flag selection process

The city of Wellington and the Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB are sponsoring a Wellington Flag Project to design a city flag that will serve as a symbol of the past, present and future of the community. From Dec. 7 through Jan. 15, 2021, the public is invited to select up to five of their favorite designs from the 29 flag designs entered. There are two ways to participate. The first is to go to the City of Wellington Facebook page under the post of the flag designs and review all 29 flags in this post.
Source: Leavenworth Times

Ranson Financial2020-12-14T07:15:13-06:00December 13, 2020|News|

Wichita school district’s latest COVID-19 report shows hundreds of staff in quarantine

Wichita school district staff with COVID-19 accounted for 799 of the 1,182 cases the district has reported since Aug. 8, according to Wichita Public Schools COVID-19 numbers, which were updated Friday for the first time since mid-November. School district spokesperson Susan Arensman said staff workloads affected how long it took to have the document updated. Friday’s numbers show that cases from Nov. 15 until Thursday increased from 633 to 1,182. Staff cases went from 389 to 799 in the latest report, which is roughly a 105% increase in about 3.5 weeks. It took more than two months to reach 389. The 799 staff cases are nearly 68% of the total.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2020-12-14T07:16:01-06:00December 13, 2020|News|

Butler County museum hosting Smithsonian’s ‘Crossroads: Change in Rural America’

Smithsonian Partner Site Hosting Virtual Exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America is a statewide initiative featuring the exclusive Kansas tour of a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition made possible by Humanities Kansas. “The exhibit itself really has two parts,” said Ken Spurgeon, history consultant for the Kansas Oil Museum. “One is a physical part where you can come into the museum as the months progress and we hope we get more and more open after COVID. You be able to come into the museum and see elements from across butler county. There will be a digital element as well.”
Source: El Dorado Times

Ranson Financial2020-12-14T07:16:45-06:00December 13, 2020|News|