10-year yield hits lowest level since March as historic oil plunge stokes fears about the economy

U.S. government debt prices were higher Tuesday morning, after a historic oil price plunge stunned market participants in the previous session.
At 2:45 a.m. ET, the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to price, was lower at around 0.6130%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also lower at around 1.2152%.
It comes after U.S. oil prices tumbled below zero for the first time on record, with crude storage facilities filling rapidly and as the coronavirus crisis ravages demand.
(Read more: Bonds)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:30:55-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

Fort Scott residents create fundraiser to help laid off workers

Southeast Kansas residents are getting creative in an effort to support local businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fort Scott residents have created a fundraiser on Facebook to help keep local workers who’ve been laid off, paid.
Anyone can donate then, organizers purchase gift cards from businesses that have been closed.
(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:30:16-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for April 20, 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 Financial2020-04-21T09:07:03-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

New LED streetlights coming to east Lenexa

A pair of streetlight improvement projects will bring brighter, more efficient lighting to areas of east Lenexa.
The City of Lenexa has begun replacing some of the streetlights in Old Town and in the area around Rosehill Road and 103rd Street. See maps of the Old Town project and the Rosehill Road/103rd Street project for impacted streets.
The City currently leases streetlights on the wood power poles from Every, while the remaining streetlights were purchased from KCP&L (Evergy) in 2009. All of these lights will be replaced with City-owned streetlight poles with energy-efficient LED fixtures.
(Read more: Lenexa)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:05:19-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

Peabody Foundation activates community relief fund

Donors in Peabody have committed over $5000 to the Peabody Community Foundation (PCF) Community Relief Fund in support of the COVID-19 relief efforts. As a result of incoming donations and anticipated needs, the PCF board took action to open The Peabody Community Relief Fund.
“I was contacted two weeks ago by a supporter of PCF wondering what we were going to do in the face of economic hardship brought on by the pandemic,” said Becky Nickel, PCF Director. “The board took action so that funds can be granted locally.”
The Peabody Community Relief Fund is not a traditional endowment, but rather a pass-through fund. This type of fund maintains liquidity and allows the PCF review committee to mobilize grants to charities very quickly.
(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:01:47-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

Wichita USD 259 moving forward with graduation plans

Wichita USD 259 is moving forward with plans for in-person graduation ceremonies, if COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. USD 259 Superintendent Alicia Thompson updated school board members during a meeting Monday.
Members of the Student Advisory Council told administrators they wanted to have events where they could wear their caps and gowns. Dr. Thompson said events like this could take place before the end of July if restrictions on large gatherings are lifted.
Dr. Thompson said plans are underway for televised graduation-style events for each USD 259 high school. Those events are expected in May.
(Read more: KAKE – News)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:01:57-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

Contact Tracing happening on “limited basis” in Sedgwick County.

Contact tracing is a research method used to find most or all contacts a COVID19 positive person has before, during and after a diagnosis.
It is happening on a limited basis in Sedgwick County.
KU School of Medicine-Wichita says Dr. Garold Minns has been doing contact tracing by himself and with current county staff.
Dr. Minns is the Sedgwick County health officer.
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:02:08-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

Kansas beefs up testing at infection clusters linked to meat processing plants

The state rushed newly acquired testing supplies and personal protection gear into southwest Kansas to bolster the response to expanding clusters of coronavirus infection linked to the region’s large meat processing facilities, officials said Monday.
Mike Beam, secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, said Ford, Seward and Finney counties in southwest Kansas and Lyon County all host processing facilities that have been challenged by spread of the virus. COVID-19 has killed 100 Kansans and infected nearly 2,000 people during the past two months.
“This is not a food safety issue,” Beam said. “There is no evidence of food-to-food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:02:28-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

Ascension Via Christi talks with city about providing ER service

The Wellington City Council voted unanimously to enter into a non-disclosure agreement with Ascension Via Christi, of Wichita, which has expressed an interest in providing emergency room services in the closed Sumner Community Hospital building.
“The city has been contacted by a couple of other groups with an interest in providing health care services,” City Manager Shane Shields told the council, during the Tuesday meeting. “The interest by Via Christi in providing full emergency room services appears to be the most positive possibility at this time.”
Ascension Via Christi reopened emergency services at the Fort Scott Hospital after it closed a year ago. Shields said he talked to the Fort Scott City Manager, who had spoken highly of Ascension and what it had accomplished in continuing emergency care for the city.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:03:09-05:00April 21, 2020|News|

Clearwater nursing home has 42 COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths as coronavirus testing continues

A Wichita-area nursing home with an outbreak of the novel coronavirus now has 42 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths as testing continues.
The Clearwater Nursing and Rehabilitation Center coronavirus cluster had 29 additional residents test positive as of Monday, the Sedgwick County Health Department said in a news release.
All 53 residents of the nursing home have been tested for COVID-19, though not all test results have been returned. An undisclosed number of staff who have worked at the facility members have also tested positive and some have quit.
(Read more: Local News |)

Ranson Financial2020-04-21T09:04:26-05:00April 20, 2020|News|