Shawnee County budget public hearing draws only one speaker

A public hearing on next year’s requested Shawnee County budget drew only one speaker Thursday, after seven people spoke at last year’s budget hearing. Commission Chairman Bill Riphahn said afterward he felt a bit disappointed that more people hadn’t come to speak. Commissioner Kevin Cook said Monday’s low number of speakers wasn’t indicative of the amount of input commissioners receive from the public.
(Read more: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-08-04T08:14:49-05:00August 4, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for August 3, 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 Financial2020-08-04T08:10:46-05:00August 4, 2020|News|

Kansas Has Lost A Greater Share Of Revenue Than Many States Due To COVID-19

The massive layoffs and business closures caused by the coronavirus outbreak took Kansas from having nearly $1 billion in savings to being $650 million in the red. As the virus began to spread in March, state lawmakers ended their legislative session early and dispersed from the capital before they were able to fix the state budget to fit the new reality. That left Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to propose budget cuts to make up the difference. She has suggested trimming increases in agency spending, gathering up money that agencies have left unspent, taking a loan from a state investment pool and delaying some scheduled payments. Republicans have criticized the strategy as a series of one-time fixes, but Kelly has said the plan avoids cuts to critical state services, such as transportation and K-12 schools. So far, state revenues have outpaced gloomy projections.
(Read more: KMUW)

Ranson Financial2020-08-04T08:11:13-05:00August 3, 2020|News|

Wichita’s mayor planning to hold meeting to give local business owners access to resources

Wichita’s Mayor Brandon Whipple says he is trying to stay ahead in case business owners are being asked to close again. Since business owners that sell alcohol were asked to close at midnight last week, Mayor Whipple says he wants to make sure he hears from them and has resources available for the owners and employees if they are asked to shut down again. This includes federal assistance, available housing and job opportunities. “If the order comes down from the county level or the state level that bars need to shut down then I want to be prepared as Mayor by bringing folks to the table and having the best resources available,” said Mayor Brandon Whipple. Chris Arnold, the Owner of River City Brewery, appreciates the opportunity to speak but says more than anything he wants consistency from the local government, not constant changes.
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2020-08-04T08:11:33-05:00August 3, 2020|News|

Derby school district to purchase hotspots for students with limited internet access

The Derby Board of Education last week approved the purchase of 301 Verizon Jetpack mobile internet hotspots. The unlimited data devices are intended for students in need of assistance obtaining internet services for schoolwork and other school-related needs. The purchase will be funded by Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds and donations, and is estimated to cost more than $20,000. The exact total cost is not yet finalized. The number of devices was determined by the district based upon the number of students who had spotty internet access or no internet access at all last spring.
(Read more: Derby Informer | News)

Ranson Financial2020-08-04T08:12:25-05:00August 3, 2020|News|

Sedgwick County breaks ground on new fire station in Andale to replace current one

Leaders of Sedgwick County Fire District 1 broke ground Monday afternoon on a new fire station which will replace the current Station 31 in Andale. The new, approximately 10,000 square foot station will have four bays to hold public safety vehicles. It replaces the current station’s 2,400 square foot facility that only has one bay and requires some public safety vehicles to be stored outside unprotected from the elements. The new station will be more publicly accessible…
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2020-08-04T08:12:49-05:00August 3, 2020|News|

Big Brutus attraction reopens to the public

After being closed since March 17, 2020 because of coronavirus shutdowns, the Big Brutus, Inc. museum at West Mineral, Kansas is open again for visitors. Face masks are required in the museum and social distancing recommended on the complex, but the monstrous mine tool attraction in Southeast Kansas is viewable, as of August 1, 2020, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Big Brutus is a mining excavator, Bucyrus Erie model 1850B, with the largest electric shovel in the world. It stands 16 stories tall (160 feet), weighs 11 million pounds and has boom 150 feet long.
(Read more: News – Cherokee County News Advocate)

Ranson Financial2020-08-04T08:13:45-05:00August 3, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for July 31, 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 Financial2020-08-03T08:00:05-05:00August 3, 2020|News|

Planning board lauds wind regulation proposal

Limits on noise and shadow flicker would determine how close a turbine could be to a home — rather than set distances — in a draft of proposed commercial wind energy regulations reviewed by the Reno County Planning Commission last week. The sound and flicker limits proposed are a compromise between more stringent requirements sought by homeowners who have weighed in on the debate and those developers have proposed. Planning commissioners praised the work of a subcommittee that drafted the regulations, suggesting only several minor changes during a nearly three-hour meeting when the document was reviewed a paragraph at a time.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Ranson Financial2020-08-03T07:58:44-05:00August 3, 2020|News|

‘Culture of innovation’: Topeka looks to capitalize on Plug and Play partnership

In coming weeks and months, Topeka’s Plug and Play accelerator program, which was announced last year, is expected to gain serious momentum. Additional founding partners are set to be announced throughout August. Then, those founding partners will help select the first group of startup companies to participate in the accelerator. And this fall, they’ll begin a three-month program aimed at helping the startups make connections, perfect their products and form partnerships with area corporations. Then, at some point this year, results of a viability study to determine the future home of an innovation campus will be revealed, leading to the creation of a space that will serve as Topeka’s hub for creative endeavors and collaborations stemming from the accelerator program.
(Read more: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-08-03T07:56:38-05:00August 3, 2020|News|