Sedgwick County asking for volunteers or else could mandate furloughs

Sedgwick County is looking for employees to voluntarily furlough or officials could have to choose who isn’t essential.
The Sedgwick County Commission is expected to weigh in during its meeting Wednesday. Commissioners received an email about the furlough Friday when a separate email from County Manager Tom Stolz went out to the 2,500-plus employees, notifying them about the voluntary furlough as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“I think every employee of Sedgwick County knows that our manager has the best interest in mind when he makes these tough decisions,” Commissioner Michael O’Donnell II said. “And I have full faith in Tom Stolz as well.”
(Read more: Local News |)

Ranson Financial2020-04-13T08:16:57-05:00April 12, 2020|News|

Here’s how Sedgwick County epidemiologist ‘disease detectives’ investigate coronavirus

The new coronavirus pandemic has led the Sedgwick County Health Department to more than double its number of epidemiologists, the health care workers who investigate and analyze data on infectious diseases.
“We are the ones that if you come down with chicken pox or whooping cough, we’re going to be calling you to figure out who you’ve been around that could have given it to you and also who you’ve been around that you could have spread it to,” said Kaylee Hervey, the epidemiology program manager for the Sedgwick County Health Department.
“Our goal is always to prevent the spread of disease and protect the health of the public. With coronavirus, we’re essentially doing what we always do. We’re just doing it at a much larger scale.”
(Read more: Local News |)

Ranson Financial2020-04-13T08:17:11-05:00April 12, 2020|News|

KHF opens $2 million COVID 19 grants initiative

The Kansas Health Foundation will begin accepting applications next weeks for its 2020 Impact and Capacity Grants Initiative, this year focused on COVID-19 response and recovery.
The $2 million initiative provides one-year grants of up to $25,000 for nonprofits who are mission-aligned with KHF.
Due to the urgency of responding to COVID-19 impacts, KHF is moving up its normal May 1 application launch date to April 13. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 31, or until all designated 2020 funds are awarded.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Ranson Financial2020-04-13T08:17:32-05:00April 12, 2020|News|

Topeka city officials take 3% pay cuts while expecting significant revenue shortfall

Topeka’s city government appears destined, because of the coronavirus pandemic, to bring in significantly less sales tax revenue this year than it planned, city media relations coordinator Molly Hadfield announced in a news release.
The city is responding by taking steps that include reducing salaries by 3% for management and executive staff, asking employees represented by labor unions to accept a 3% pay cut and implementing a freeze on hiring, except for jobs for which a critical or citywide operational need exists, Hadfield said in the release put out Friday.
“This type of loss in one budget year is substantial and cannot be made up with minor changes in the budget,” she said. “It will require major changes in expenses.”
Still, city manager Brent Trout said in the release that the city has engaged in sound financial management, which has given it the ability to manage decreases in revenue during this pandemic while still keeping essential services going.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-04-13T08:17:59-05:00April 12, 2020|News|

JoCo begins drive-thru coronavirus tests: ‘No time more important than next week’

At 9 a.m. on Friday, Lee Jarrell of Leawood joined a line of more than 100 cars wrapped around the College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe.
As she waited, Jarrell meditated on the fact that she will finally know — after days of worrying about her cough and the possibility of infecting her family — whether she has coronavirus.
Jarrell was among the first randomly selected group of Johnson County residents invited to go to the drive-thru testing site on its opening day.
(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Ranson Financial2020-04-13T08:18:45-05:00April 12, 2020|News|

Independence announces emergency grant recipients

Within the last few days, the City of Independence has disbursed a total of $355,000 to locally owned brick-and-mortar businesses as part of an emergency relief grant program designed to offset losses incurred during the COVID-19 crisis.
The following 71 recipients each received funding:…
(Read more: Independence, KS – News Flash)

Ranson Financial2020-04-13T08:19:27-05:00April 12, 2020|News|

Osawatomie hires new city manager (might be the first city manager ever appointed while in quarantine)

Michael Scanlon said he is eager to begin work as Osawatomie’s new city manager – as soon as he gets out of quarantine.
The 58-year-old Scanlon did not contract coronavirus (COVID-19) but he lived in one of Colorado’s highly contagious counties in high ski country that was on a no-travel list in many states.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) last month issued an advisory that anyone who had traveled or worked in Pitkin County (Aspen, Colo.) should go into self-quarantine for 14 days as soon as they returned to Kansas.
Scanlon made his way from Aspen to Kansas and promptly went into self-quarantine. The veteran city government official, who said he has not exhibited any symptoms associated with COVID-19, will soon complete his quarantine period and is set to begin his new post in Osawatomie on Monday, April 20.
Read more: The Miami County Republic.

Ranson Financial2020-04-10T14:14:30-05:00April 10, 2020|News|

Fed muni purchases seen as ‘smart move’ for market’s long-term stability

The municipal market rallied Thursday, with yields declining at least 10 basis points across the curve against a backdrop of the Federal Reserve’s announcement that it would purchase up to $500 billion of short-term municipal notes.
While the announcement signaled the Fed would prop up short-term munis, long-term bonds are not going to be a part of the programs, at least for now.
Many participants said the shift to a more constructive tone was based more on the fundamentals of the municipal market itself than the news that the Fed would selectively purchase up to 24-month securities from states — whose officials would then select which cities would have access to the programs.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)

Ranson Financial2020-04-13T08:21:24-05:00April 9, 2020|News|

Pittsburg Parks & Recreation Department Easter Egg Surprise

Each year, the Pittsburg Parks & Recreation Department hosts its annual Easter Egg Hunt at Lincoln Park, drawing hundreds of children to gather brightly-colored eggs. Sadly, this year the event was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Since families could not come to us, we brought Easter to them! Our staff got creative and collaborated with Pittsburg USD 250 School District to place eggs inside their school lunches.

(Read more: City of Pittsburg)

Ranson Financial2020-04-09T21:59:21-05:00April 9, 2020|News|

Johnson County cuts $20M from budget, furloughs staff as COVID-19 depletes revenues

As the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on local revenue, Johnson County has furloughed more than 260 employees and has a plan to cut about $20 million from its budget, officials announced Thursday.

But Johnson County commissioners warned that those cuts will likely only begin to address the shortfalls as the outbreak continues to overturn nearly every facet of life.

Scott Neufeld, budget director, estimates the county could lose between $18 million and $38 million in tax revenues. Officials project sales tax revenues will take the biggest hit, although the county could also see a significant reduction on investment income due to the Federal Reserve’s emergency cuts to interest rates.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Ranson Financial2020-04-09T21:56:40-05:00April 9, 2020|News|