Governor announces relief from online driver’s license renewal age restrictions

Governor Laura Kelly today announced she signed an Executive Order that will extend Executive Order #20-46, which helps make renewing driver’s licenses easier for people across the state. Executive Order #20-60 offers temporary relief from age restrictions that prohibit applicants 50 years of age or older from applying to renew their driver’s license online. Under the new order, all drivers under the age of 65 are permitted to use the online renewal system.
(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)

Ranson Financial2020-07-30T08:21:23-05:00July 29, 2020|News|

Loose animals have towns’ police running wild

Police around Marion County have had an adventurous month of animal-control incidents. Marion and Hillsboro police are dog-catchers by necessity. Their communities have no official positions for the job. Peabody has a part-time dog-catcher, but if the dog-catcher is not working, it falls to police to handle issues like loose dogs, police chief Bruce Burke said.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Ranson Financial2020-07-30T08:27:29-05:00July 29, 2020|News|

Kansas can’t close businesses, limit crowds to fight coronavirus for seven more weeks

Even as coronavirus cases mount and hospitalizations rise in Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly will be unable to impose statewide restrictions on businesses or mass gatherings until Sept. 15 under a new state law. Because of a single paragraph in a measure hastily passed during a special session last month, neither Kelly, a Democrat, nor her Republican rivals in the Legislature can do much to stem the rising tide of COVID-19 cases when it comes to businesses and gatherings — even if they could agree on a course of action. A provision in House Bill 2016 appears to render the entire state government largely powerless to order changes in business practices or limit crowd sizes for seven more weeks.
(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Ranson Financial2020-07-29T07:38:08-05:00July 29, 2020|News|

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Department of Commerce’s Third KANSASWORKS Statewide Virtual Job Fair

Governor Laura Kelly today announced that the third KANSASWORKS Statewide Virtual Job Fair will be held today, Tuesday, July 28, through Thursday, July 30. “We need to maintain a strong, healthy workforce in our state, and getting Kansans back to work safely is one of my top priorities,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The KANSASWORKS virtual job fair has proven to be a creative and effective way to connect Kansans with jobs opportunities, and will be important as our economy recovers from the challenges of COVID-19.” The virtual fair will allow job seekers to easily live chat with employers from across the state through computers and mobile devices. This is the third KANSASWORKS virtual job fair so far in 2020, with four more planned later this year.
(Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce)

Ranson Financial2020-07-29T07:36:05-05:00July 29, 2020|News|

Two large school systems in western Kansas will reopen with safety precautions, one going hybrid

The majority of western Kansas schools look to reopen at their original start dates in August. In Garden City, the school board met Monday to discuss their plans. Garden City Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in southwest Kansas with nearly 7,300 students. Their schools will welcome students back into the classrooms officially on September 1 for a full day of class. However, students that are entering elementary, fifth, seventh, ninth, and tenth grades as well as students new to the district will start school on August 31 with a half-day orientation. In order to keep their students safe, the district is taking several precautions.
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2020-07-29T07:19:44-05:00July 29, 2020|News|

Salina, Saline County reach agreement on Expo Center

A lease on the Expo Center property has been officially approved by both the city of Salina and Saline County. After unanimous votes by both the city and county commissions, the lease, which is for 30 years and will begin on Jan. 1, 2021, was approved. The general terms of the lease allow the county to use the city’s property in Kenwood Park for the Saline County Livestock and Expo Center. In exchange for this, the county has agreed to make a number of upgrades…
(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-07-29T07:19:03-05:00July 29, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for July 28, 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 Financial2020-07-29T07:18:12-05:00July 29, 2020|News|

Parsons schools to begin the year remotely

The Parsons School District will be starting classes remotely for all students this fall. But the hope is to get back to face-to-face classes. Lori Ray, Superintendent, Parsons School District, said, “Students will start remotely, and so we’re looking to do that, we’re looking at the Labette county numbers in regards to the virus, and trying to be very cognicent of having kids come back and staff come back.”
(Read more: KSNF/KODE)

Ranson Financial2020-07-29T07:35:27-05:00July 29, 2020|News|

Shawnee County districts finalize school reopening plans

After numerous committee meetings, board of education discussions and communications from parents, staff and the community, the five Shawnee County school districts have settled on plans for starting the 2020-2021 school year. Their overall frameworks are similar, divided into three components consisting of on-site learning, remote virtual learning and a hybrid of on-site and remote learning. Each district chose one of the three based on what they felt was safest and best for their students and parents. Most went with a hybrid learning model, which will allow for 50% of the students to be in the classroom for two days each week, either Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday.
(Read more: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-07-29T07:16:41-05:00July 28, 2020|News|

Ask now for local slice of $5.7M virus aid

The Ellis County committee handing out $5.74 million in federal COVID-19 aid to Ellis County wants applications now. Anyone getting the aid, which is being passed down to the county through the state of Kansas, must spend it before Dec. 30. Any money not spent goes back to the state. Local applications for reimbursement of COVID-19 expenses, or for direct aid for COVID-19, are due by noon Monday, Aug. 3. “I really hope we get a lot of applications,” said J.D. Cox, Ellis County administrator, who assembled and leads the committee. “It just worries me that we would have money that would be left on the table and goes back to the state.”
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Ranson Financial2020-07-29T07:17:24-05:00July 28, 2020|News|