Gov. Laura Kelly warns of shortage of medical supplies as FEMA fails to fulfill requests

Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday the state’s health care providers are nearing a critical shortage of personal protective equipment, and her seven requests to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for additional supplies have gone unanswered.
Additionally, the governor said, the state received just 90% of its allotment of PPE from the Strategic National Stockpile, which was divided among states based on figures from the 2010 U.S. census.
The state is left scrambling to secure millions of masks, gloves, gowns and other supplies at inflated prices from from private markets, Kelly said, and may not have enough to meet demand as the number of COVID-19 cases surge in Kansas as projected over the next three weeks.
(Read more: Lifestyle – The Garden City Telegram)

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:41:31-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

Insurance Commissioner warns Kansans of potential scams

Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, today, put out a warning to Kansas consumers and investors about potential scams in the insurance and securities industry related to COVID-19.
“Scammers don’t take breaks,” Commissioner Vicki Schmidt said. “While Kansans are adjusting to their new everyday lives, scammers are out there looking to take advantage of the situation.”
The department’s warning can be found on the home page of the Kansas Insurance Department’s website insurance.kansas.gov. It advises Kansans of nearly a dozen fake insurance scams and potential securities schemes including fake coronavirus insurance, bogus travel insurance, off-market securities and get-rich quick schemes.
(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:42:04-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

Manhattan city pools likely won’t open in time for Memorial Day

The Northview Park Swimming Pool as seen Monday, may look a lot like this when the Memorial Day holiday weekend rolls in next month. Parks & Rec officials aren’t anticipating city pools to open on time for the annual kick off to summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manhattan parks remain open during the pandemic, but not to the extent they normally would be.
Playgrounds are fenced off to thwart of the spread of germs, social gatherings of more than 10 people are discouraged and spring activities are on hold.
(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:42:35-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

Amid coronavirus, investors need to understand credit quality now

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives and our financial markets. It is hard to assess the long-term effect of the virus, but it is clear the short-term and mid-term effects on the markets are and will be significant. This is especially true in the tax-exempt market. From traditional municipal bonds to conduit financing issued by municipal authorities, the impact will be vast.
As state and local governments continue to enact measures to control the spread of COVID-19, obligors of tax-exempt financing are likely to continue to see a significant drop in revenues. Because of this, revenue bonds may see a deterioration in credit quality. While some types of revenue bonds may be less adversely affected than other types of revenue bonds, the entire market could see significant stress as the pandemic continues.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:50:10-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

Money Direct to Residents: Making Sense of CARES Act Payments

The federal government will be sending money directly to people as part of the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act. Local leaders can take action now to make sure their residents keep more of those dollars in their pockets that can be spent in the local economy.
The funds being made available to individuals is an advance on their tax refunds for 2021. Those that earned less than $75,000 in 2019 will be eligible for the full $1,200. Couples who filed jointly and earned less than $150,000 will get $2,400. An additional $500 per child will also be provided. If a person earned more than the limits their payment will be reduced by $5 for every $100 of income that exceeds the limit. The IRS will use the information on Form SSA-1099 or Form RBB-1099 to determine the eligibility of retired people for funds. As of now, the timeline for these funds getting out is a few weeks away via direct deposit for those who have filed their 2019 returns. For those who have not filed their taxes in the last two years, the IRS is creating a web-based portal where they can verify where they would like their funds sent. At this time, it is unclear if individuals whose tax refund went to a paid tax preparer in exchange for a rapid anticipation loan or those that had their tax refund sent to a prepaid debit card should verify their information on the IRS web-based portal.
The IRS has created a webpage that will be updated with information about the stimulus payment.
(Read more: CitiesSpeak)

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:46:21-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

Reno County establishes COVID-19 self-reporting form

The Reno County Health Department has released a self-reporting form hosted on its COVID-19 Information Center (https://www.renogov.org/741/COVID-19). As a result of Reno County’s last confirmed COVID-19 case coming from confirmed community transmission, the Health Department seeks to mobilize residents to self-report their symptomology through the self-report form to better assist in quantifying and tracking case contact and spread within the county.
(Read more: Hutchinson, KS – News Flash)

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:47:45-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

New grading systems cause confusion among Kansas high schoolers

With school buildings closed and classes looking very different from what we’re all used to, many K-12 schools are changing their grading systems, too. But that’s creating a new sort of confusion, especially among high schoolers looking toward college.
“I mean it’s really kind of upsetting,” said Caleb Hicks, a Maize High School senior.
Hicks is the captain of his high school baseball tame, or was. He dreams of playing college ball next year.
Not only has the pandemic interrupted his senior year of play and made getting a scholarship harder, it’s made figuring out what grades he needs to remain eligible, a headache.
“I mean you work your whole…high school career to get to a college and then you’re given an option of pass or fail,” Caleb said. “But if you take the pass or fail, then you’re going to be given a D as a pass.”
(Read more: KAKE – News)

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:38:01-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

Lawrence outdoor pool will again provide a place to shower for those in need

Facilities at Lawrence’s downtown pool will be open twice this week in an effort to provide people in need a place to shower and hand-wash clothing.
The City of Lawrence’s Parks and Recreation Department will open the Outdoor Aquatic Center, 727 Kentucky St., on Tuesday and Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, the city said over the weekend in a post on social media.
The city previously had showers open to the public at its recreation centers, but recreation facilities have been closed to the public because of health orders to help combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Read more: LJWorld.com.

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:54:03-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

Despite lifting moratorium, Douglas County has not received any applications to subdivide land under new codes

Although Douglas County recently lifted a monthslong pause on processing requests to subdivide land in the rural parts of the county, residents have not yet taken advantage of it.
Tonya Voigt, the director of zoning for the county, said Friday that no applications have been submitted since a moratorium on processing the applications was lifted on March 22.
The lack of requests could be because of the county’s newly installed regulations on subdividing land, which include a new step in the process that allows the public to weigh in. But it could also be because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has stymied many aspects of life in Douglas County.
Read more: LJWorld.com.

Ranson Financial2020-04-07T08:55:04-05:00April 6, 2020|News|

Municipal bond yields decline as market settles into sustained volatility

Municipal bond yields fell more than 15 basis points Friday, gaining back a portion of the pronounced losses from the past two sessions. The market is settling into what appears to be sustained volatility after more than a month of dramatic swings in yields.
In what used to be considered a normally functioning market, a 10 to 15 basis point cut or bump in one day in benchmarks would be considered quite drastic, but in the current context in which 50 basis-point daily moves have occurred, participants said benchmark weakness or strength to the tune of double digits feels almost steady.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)

Ranson Financial2020-04-06T08:33:45-05:00April 6, 2020|News|