The Kansas Board of Regents approved two separate amounts of money Thursday morning in order to help schools during the coronavirus pandemic. The board approved $26 million to be sent to the six state universities and their specialized schools. That includes the University of Kansas, Kansas State, Wichita State, Emporia State, Pittsburg State, and Fort Hays State. This money is part of the CARES Act that Congress passed and the president signed. Governor Kelly approved sending the full amount to schools. The money can be used to provide emergency support through grants to the schools to continue to provide educational services and the ongoing functionality of the institution. An additional $64 million of CARES Act money was approved for the schools to make necessary preparations to deliver in-person instruction and prepare for campus operations in the Fall 2020 semester.
via KSN-TV

City of Lawrence leaders say they are interested in strengthening the city’s rental inspection program, which currently inspects very few of the city’s more than 21,000 rental properties. As part of their work session Tuesday evening, city commissioners all agreed Lawrence’s rental inspection program is inadequate, and that they are interested in increasing the number of units inspected and making other changes. Because of the way the current program is set up, the city inspected about 1% of the city’s rental properties last year.
Read more LJWorld.com.

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.

Local restaurants, bars, and retail shops are getting some relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Wichita is rolling out “Open Air ICT” which will allow businesses to use on-site parking, sidewalks, and streets near the venues for free. This will give businesses the opportunity to maximize the space around their location to help customers stay safe while practicing social distancing. “I think it’s going to show a big improvement in business in general,” said Delano’s Diner Manager, Amber Almos. “Most places that I’ve been to and even here at the diner itself we’ve only been seating at a 50% capacity and this way it opens up a lot more doors for us you know with being able to seat guests outside.”

via KSN-TV

About 900 Spirit AeroSystems workers who have been on unpaid furloughs for 60 days are scheduled to report back to work Friday. Originally announced as 21-day furloughs in early June, the furloughs were extended by Spirit (NYSE: SPR) on June 25 to 60 days. Furloughs, along with thousands of layoffs, are due to both the production halt of the Boeing 737 MAX at the first of the year and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. In an update on its website Tuesday, Spirit notified furloughed employees that they will report back on their previous schedule, shift and work location unless otherwise notified. Employees are required to wear a face covering while at work.
via Wichita Business Journal

Sedgwick County commissioners approved a plan Wednesday to make safe-operating grants of up to $5,000 available to small businesses beginning next week. The allocations will go up to a total of $5 million, which is part of an additional $9.3 million in federal CARES Act funding given to the county because it has the state’s highest employment rate after the effects of Covid-19. The county originally received $99.6 million in funding. The county surveyed businesses this summer for their most pressing needs in responding to the pandemic’s effects, which have taken a toll on restaurants, bars and many other hospitality and retail sectors. Of the 140 responses, the priorities were cash, personal protective equipment and supplies, training and workforce development, and Covid-19 testing.
via Wichita Business Journal

The Hutchinson Correctional Facility Central Unit is on lockdown after 84 residents and 10 staff tested positive for the coronavirus this week. The Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) says a total of 99 residents and 17 staff have tested positive since the pandemic began. Five residents and 7 staff have recovered. The KDOC says all the positive cases are asymptomatic. KDOC Secretary Jeff Zmuda says they have consulted with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). New steps include: All residents in the Central Unit will remain locked in their cells, necessary movement will be done in cohort groups, essential resident workers in laundry and food service will continue to operate on a limited schedule, some residents may be relocated to Lansing Correctional Facility’s COVID-19 Medical Unit
via KSN-TV

After accepting just over $11 million for coronavirus relief last month from the state of Kansas, the Saline County Commission approved how that funding will be divided Tuesday. The funding comes from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund and passed through the state. Saline County administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes said the county received over 100 applications for funding, which were submitted to an advisory committee set up by the county commission last month.
via News – Salina Journal

City of Lawrence sanitation workers will soon vote on whether to unionize. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to adopt a resolution setting dates for the election for later in August. Teamsters Local 696 recently filed a petition with the city on behalf of the city’s 70 sanitation workers, whose duties include handling trash, recycling and yard waste collection, asking that the city conduct a union election…
Read more: LJWorld.com.

Kansas State University will not implement mandatory COVID-19 testing for students, faculty and staff upon returning to campus this fall, according to Dr. Kyle Goerl, medical director at Lafene Health Center. “It doesn’t seem to do much good to test an entire group of individuals once with no plan to do further surveillance testing,” Goerl said during a Virtual Town Hall Meeting put on by K-State officials Tuesday. “And so, we have elected no to do that at Kansas State.” This route is different than the one being taken by the University of Kansas, which is requiring everyone returning to campus to get tested for COVID-19 before fall classes begin. K-State will still test people who show symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
via 1350 KMAN