‘There is light at the end of the tunnel’: Scott City woman joins social media trend to uplift the community

A Scott City resident is using her home as a billboard to share positive messages with members in her community during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I wanted it to be able to be an inspiration, to be positive in everything that we are going through and be a reminder that there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Scott City Resident, Elizabeth Kopfmann said.
She was inspired by an online trend where people wrote positive messages on their sidewalks, fences, and driveways. Kopfmann used her home as a canvas to write inspirational messages to her kids who were having a difficult time adjusting to the guidelines set in place as a result of the coronavirus.
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2020-04-01T09:12:59-05:00April 1, 2020|News|

Public Finance Network urges Fed to act quickly on municipal bond purchases

Members of the Public Finance Network are asking the Federal Reserve to expedite its purchase of municipal securities to help restore equilibrium to the market.
…
Section 4003(b)(4) of the bill, also known as the CARES Act, gives the Fed and Treasury up to 10 days to begin purchasing municipal securities on the secondary market…. that deadline is Monday, April 13.
The letter urges speedier action.
“Stability in our $3.8 trillion municipal bond market is particularly important during this crisis as state and local governments and the municipal bond market provide critical support for the infrastructure — including hospitals — needed to care for and support our citizens,” said a letter.
Market participants are expecting significant and broad-based relief from the Fed and Treasury delivered on an expedited basis.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)

Ranson Financial2020-04-01T09:00:06-05:00March 31, 2020|News|

Derby approves emergency response resolution

Navigating through the current state of emergency has been a fluid process, according to Derby City Attorney Jacque Butler.
“We are responding as quickly as possible to this,” Butler said.
Measures of response to the coronavirus pandemic are changing daily, though, if not hourly. Considering that, Butler brought a resolution before the Derby City Council March 24 to help in those efforts.
Butler noted that while many municipalities have emergency powers built into their city codes, Derby does not. When an emergency is declared (as was the case in Sedgwick County as of March 16), those emergency powers are then granted to city administration to handle day-to-day operations in a broader scope.
The resolution Butler brought forward at the council’s most recent meeting would grant emergency authority to City Manager Kathy Sexton to close city facilities or suspend city operations; amend, extend or suspend policies and procedures … in response to COVID-19.
Under the resolution, the city council would still retain oversight over the city manager’s actions (as is currently the case), but it could allow Sexton the opportunity to take more immediate action and not have to wait for council approval on each individual decision. Currently, there are exemptions to that process, but they are allowed more on a case by case basis.(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Ranson Financial2020-04-01T09:24:09-05:00March 31, 2020|News|

Officials deal with confusion over activities allowed by statewide stay-at-home order

After closing temporarily last week because of a countywide safer-at-home order, Topeka Country Club reopened Monday afternoon while asserting that golf is permitted under a statewide stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Laura Kelly.
Kelly’s order, which supersedes a countywide order issued last week, apparently doesn’t prohibit golf or otherwise address golf courses, Shawnee County Commissioner Bill Riphahn said.
“So as far as I know, they’re good to go,” he said of TCC.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-03-31T08:59:15-05:00March 31, 2020|News|

Officials getting better handle on local COVID-19 expectations

Looking at best- and worst-case scenarios for the potential impact of COVID-19 on local medical facilities, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center vice president Chuck Welch said Monday that officials there “feel better and better every day about our readiness.”
“We’ve had an outpouring of health care professionals willing to come in and work,” Welch said during a morning conference call. “Many who may be retired, if the governor passes a reactivation of licensure, they’re ready to help.”
“Projections are projections,” Welch said. “There are worst-case and best-case and a range in between. We’re planning for the worst-case and exploring opportunities to split ventilators if we had to, and flex up with an offsite area for support.”
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Ranson Financial2020-03-31T08:58:40-05:00March 31, 2020|News|

Municipal bond market steadies as it enters new normal

Yields in the municipal market declined slightly Monday as new-issue market showed some signs of activity.
Municipal credit is beginning to emerge as more of an investing consideration as the market deals with the coronavirus-led selloff and subsequent Fed-led rebound.
These moves are starting to make participants pick winners and losers from a credit perspective as they look at the underlying worthiness of municipalities after an extended period of significantly low rates and a supply/demand imbalance.
For now, the market is settling into a new normal, though caution still pervades.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)

Ranson Financial2020-03-31T08:58:04-05:00March 31, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for March 30, 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 Financial2026-10-22T10:29:40-05:00March 31, 2020|Finance|

Kansas health providers face financial strain from COVID-19. ‘We need help now’

A pandemic is sweeping Kansas, but Lawrence family physician Chad Johanning isn’t seeing a ton of patients.
“Even with tele-health visits, I’ve seen a 50 percent drop in visits during this and I have heard of other clinicians who are closer to 80 percent drops,” Johanning said.
The novel coronavirus has forced healthcare providers in Kansas — and across the country — to suddenly pivot to confront an insidious disease that threatens to overwhelm hospitals in a matter of weeks. But it’s also meant a sharp drop in the number of patients seeking routine and non-emergency care.
(Read more: Kansas City Government & Politics News |)

Ranson Financial2020-03-31T09:22:03-05:00March 31, 2020|News|

New Johnson County health director describes first week on job dealing with coronavirus pandemic

Sanmi Areola started his new job as Johnson County director of health and environment in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. …
From the moment he walked in the door of the public health department in Olathe on March 18, the coronavirus has been his life.
He had a say in crafting the metro’s stay at home order. He asked Johnson County leaders to buy more tests kits for the county’s residents. He filmed a coronavirus YouTube video. He’s trying to take care of his staff’s own health and mental well-being and, oh yeah, the media want to talk to him, too — at least 80 interview requests since he got into town.
The day before the Union Station press conference, it fell to him to announce the county’s first coronavirus death.
(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Ranson Financial2020-03-31T09:16:22-05:00March 31, 2020|News|

Thousands of coronavirus test kits coming to Kansas

As of Monday, 65,000 coronavirus test kits are coming to Kansas.
“We’re talking about a different scale,” Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman Norman said.
On Monday, Norman gave an update to members of the media on the coronavirus outbreak in the state. At the time of the press conference, Kansas had seen 368 cases of coronavirus.
Norman announced that the state will receive thousands of kits, likely by the end of the week, that will be able to test for coronavirus in about 45 minutes.
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2020-03-31T09:14:50-05:00March 31, 2020|News|