The stop light debate: City and KDOT disagree about intersection of US 56 and Old US 81

When it comes to the intersection of US 56 and Old US 81 Mayor Tom Brown has some real concerns.
“I don’t want anyone to die out there,” Brown said in a meeting regarding the intersection Monday.
The city has received up to $1 million to improve the intersection, mainly to remove and replace deteriorated pavement and make safety improvements. Currently, the intersection is not well marked and serious wrecks have occurred.
(Read more: McPherson Weekly News » Feed)

Ranson Financial2020-02-14T08:20:16-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

39 Kansas towns to receive Community Development Block Grants

Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today the award of more than $17 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to 39 Kansas communities.

A total of $17,486,103 in federal funds is being made available through the CDBG program this year. Communities receiving grants have presented plans for projects to make improvements toward water and wastewater systems, streets, facilities and housing.

“Quality of life is key to economic development,” Secretary Toland said. “Each of these investments in critical infrastructure helps keep communities competitive as they work to retain and recruit residents and businesses. Governor Kelly and I are proud to support these projects in rural communities across our state.”

CDBG funds are one of Commerce’s primary tools in supporting the state’s small, predominantly rural communities. Each community awarded has a population less than 50,000.

The CDBG program allows the Department of Commerce to distribute federal funds to Kansas cities and counties looking to improve their communities. To receive funds, projects must meet at least one of the following federally mandated criteria:

· The project benefits low- or moderate-income individuals

· The project removes or prevents slum or blight conditions

· The project eliminates an urgent need created by a disaster when local funds are unavailable

Grants in this category are awarded through an annual competition and support a variety of activities in communities throughout the state of Kansas.

The following communities are recipients of Community Development Block Grants:

COUNTY	CITY
Bourbon	The City of Fort Scott will receive $665,303 in CDBG grant funds to purchase a new 100’ Platform Ladder truck for the city. The city will contribute $665,303 in local city matching funds.
Butler	The City of Rose Hill will receive $144,000 in CDBG funds to complete a street project in the city. The city will contribute $604,890 in local city matching funds.
Cherokee	The City of Columbus will receive $600,000 in CDBG grant funds to complete a street project in the city. The city will contribute $600,000 in local city matching funds.
Cheyenne	The City of St. Francis will receive $600,000 in CDBG grant funds to complete a street project in the city. The city will contribute $812,110 in local city matching funds.
Clark	The City of Ashland will receive $421,303 in CDBG funds to make water system improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $421,303 in matching funds it secured through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Cloud	The City of Concordia will receive $561,660 in CDBG funds to make sanitary sewer and storm sewer improvements in the city. The city has local funds of $561,661 to contribute in matching funds.
Cloud	The City of Miltonvale will receive $35,212 in CDBG funds to complete a demolition project. The city will contribute a total of $35,213 through local city funds, force account construction and Landfill Fees.
Cowley	The City of Cambridge will receive $182,000 in CDBG funds to make water system improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $738,200 in matching funds it secured through USDA Rural Development.
Cowley	The City of Udall will receive $494,360 in CDBG grant funds to complete a Library and Wellness Center project in the city. The city will contribute $474,360 which they secured through USDA Rural Development.
Decatur	The City of Oberlin will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make water distribution improvements throughout the city. The city has local funds of $662,700 to contribute in matching funds.
Dickinson	The City of Chapman will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to build a non-discharging wastewater treatment facility to serve the city. The city will provide $3,535,794 in matching funds it secured through USDA Rural Development.
Dickinson	The City of Solomon will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make water distribution system improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $1,416,424 in matching funds they have secured through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Ellis	The City of Ellis will receive $412,113 in CDBG funds to make improvements to its water distribution system. The city will provide all matching funds themselves in the amount of $412,112.
Franklin	The City of Williamsburg will receive $421,230 in CDBG grant funds to complete a street project in the city. The city will contribute $421,230 in local city matching funds.
Labette	The City of Parsons will receive $272,500 in CDBG grant funds to complete a storm sewer project in the city. The city will contribute $272,500 in local storm water funds as a local match.
Lincoln	The City of Lincoln Center will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make water distribution system improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $605,961 in matching funds they have secured through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Lyon	The City of Emporia will receive $300,000 in CDBG Funds and pledged $88,400 in matching funds. This grant will rehabilitate 14 homes for owned and rental units.
Marion	The City of Marion will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make water distribution improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $3,334,478 in matching funds they have secured through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Marshall	The City of Marysville will receive $600,000 in CDBG grant funds to build a new fire station for the city. The city will contribute $938,448 in local city matching funds.
McPherson	The City of McPherson will receive $300,000 in CDBG funds to rehabilitate approximately 13 homes for low-to moderate income families. The city will provide $72,710 in local matching funds.
Montgomery	The City of Coffeyville will receive $268,500 in CDBG grant funds to complete an ADA sidewalk project. The city will contribute $268,500 in local city matching funds.
Nemaha	The City of Centralia will receive $535,423 in CDBG grant funds to complete an electrical distribution system improvement throughout the city. The city will contribute $535,423 in local city matching funds.
Osage	The City of Osage City will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make sanitary sewer improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $979,000 in matching funds they have secured through Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Osage	The City of Overbrook will receive $600,000 in CDBG grant funds to make improvements to their water treatment facility and distribution system. The city will provide $5,575,300 in matching funds they have secured through USDA Rural Development.
Osborne	Osborne County will receive $60,350 in CDBG grant funds to purchase a new brush fire truck for the county. The county will contribute $60,350 through funds secured through the Osborne County RFD #3.
Ottawa	The City of Minneapolis will receive $300,000 in CDBG funds to rehabilitate eight homes for owner occupied and rental residents and demolish one unoccupied dilapidated housing unit. The city will provide $13,700 in local matching funds.
Pawnee	The City of Larned will receive $598,497 in CDBG funds to make water distribution system improvements throughout the city. The city has local funds of $598,497 to contribute in matching funds.
Reno	The City of Arlington will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make wastewater improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $670,000 in matching funds it secured from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Reno	The City of Hutchinson will receive $256,500 in CDBG funds to rehabilitate approximately ten homes for low-to-moderate income families. The CDBG funds will be match with $75,130 in local funds.
Republic	The City of Belleville will receive $175,000 in CDBG grant funds to purchase a new Standard Pumper Fire Truck. The city will contribute $175,000 in local city matching funds.
Riley	The City of Riley will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make sanitary sewer improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $729,200 in matching funds they have secured through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Rush	The City of Liebenthal will receive $220,850 in CDBG grant funds to make improvements to their sanitary sewer treatment facility and install a new pump station. The city will contribute $220,850 in matching funds they have secured through the USDA Rural Development.
Russell	The City of Lucas will receive $264,852 in CDBG grant funds to complete a Community Center and Library project. The city will contribute $264,853 which they secured through USDA Rural Development.
Russell	The City of Russell will receive $600,000 in CDBG grant funds to complete a street project in the city. The city will contribute $992,800 in local city matching funds.
Sumner	The City of Conway Springs will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make wastewater improvements for the city. The city will provide $2,977,275 in matching funds it secured through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Washington	The City of Hanover will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to make water distribution system improvements throughout the city. The city will provide $3,730,247 in matching funds they have secured through the USDA Rural Development.
Wichita	The City of Leoti will receive $596,450 in CDBG grant funds to complete a street project in the city. The city will contribute $596,450 in local city matching funds.
Wilson	The City of Fredonia will receive $600,000 in CDBG funds to create a wastewater treatment facility. The city will provide $2,219,400 in matching funds they have secured through USDA Rural Development.
Woodson	The City of Yates Center will receive $400,000 in CDBG grant funds to purchase a new Quint Fire Truck for the city. The city will contribute $400,000 in local city matching funds.

Ranson Financial2020-02-13T13:20:42-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

Rural Basehor man fears annexation, calls on state to crack down

Jim Seeman lives in the farmhouse he grew up in near Basehor, the place where his parents moved in 1947, and he doesn’t like the idea of being swallowed by sprawling urban development.

He also doesn’t like the idea that people he can’t vote for could someday make him a city resident.

Seeman testified Wednesday in a House committee where he urged lawmakers to provide more stringent protection for county property owners. He favors legislation that would remove unilateral annexation from the toolbox of cities looking to expand their boundaries.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Ranson Financial2020-02-13T08:28:36-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

Senate panel considers bill requiring paper ballots in Kansas elections

The Senate Ethics, Elections and Local Government committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill that would require all Kansas counties to use paper ballots to count votes.

Ballots would have several requirements, including the voter’s signature. Votes would be counted by hand or using vote-tabulating equipment that would tally the paper ballot.

“At one time, everything was paper ballots, but now Kansas currently has a mix,” said Sen. Richard Hildebrand, R-Baxter Springs. “Once you cast your ballot, you are up to whatever the machine says you voted without the verification from the voter.”
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Ranson Financial2020-02-13T08:28:17-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

Insurance agent breaks down statistics on dog bites

Insurance agent Alex Case gave Marion Kiwanis members a view of the problem of dog bite injuries in Marion County and nationwide Feb. 5 when he spoke at the club’s weekly meeting.
…
Between 2005 and 2018, 469 people — more than half of them younger than 10 — died from dog bites in the U.S., he said.
The breed most often identified as having inflicted serious injury or death between 1982 and 2014 was the pit bull, but more than 30 breeds and mixed breeds of dogs are incorrectly identified as pit bulls, Case said.
…
Pit bulls are three times as likely to be named a culprit in a serious dog attack than the next nine breeds together.
(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)

Ranson Financial2020-02-13T08:26:02-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

Marion resident asks for railroad ordinance

Robert Crawford has had enough of running railroad engines and tanker cars full of hazardous chemicals parked on the tracks just yards from his house.
The Marion man spoke to city council members about it Monday, asking for a city ordinance to be passed.
“We are asking that the city of Marion impose a 72 hour limit on parking and leaving a setting diesel engine to run and at the end of 72 hours move it elsewhere,” Crawford said.

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Ranson Financial2020-02-13T08:22:45-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

City of Topeka hears first plans for improved housing

Topeka city leaders are considering ways to improve the city’s housing market. A St. Louis planning and real estate firm studied Topeka for months and came up with different options.

One option is to renovate existing homes in the city, rather than building brand new ones. They also suggest the city work with local groups to come up with ways to renovating older homes.

“From nonprofits to community development corporations to financial institutions as well the city, philanthropy works in a lot of communities,” said Justin Carney with Development Strategies. “They all play a different role and I think these strategies are designed to leverage all of these resources.”

(Read more: KSNT News)

Ranson Financial2020-02-13T08:21:17-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

Junction City city manager back at work after being ill for five weeks

For five weeks a local city manager fought for his life. Now he’s back at work and looking to make a comeback.

Junction City’s Allen Dinkel became extremely sick around New Year’s Eve. He was hospitalized with pneumonia and sepsis.

…

“My goal is to do a 5K on July 4th at Sundown Salute. I don’t know if I’ll make that,” Dinkel said. “The other day I walked a half-mile and it was enough!”

Dinkel is now back in the office and hard at work again.

(Read more: KSNT News)

Ranson Financial2020-02-13T08:21:04-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

As Prairie Village explores plastic bag ban, Kansas Chamber gets behind effort to preempt such bans

Less than a month after the Prairie Village Environmental Committee announced it would be forwarding a proposal on a city-wide plastic bag ban, a bill to prevent such a ban was introduced in the Kansas House Commerce Committee on Monday.
The bill, HB 2625, would preempt individual cities and counties from banning or regulating plastic bags and other single-use plastic items. The Kansas Chamber of Commerce requested the bill’s introduction on the basis that single-use plastic bans in individual municipalities will hurt businesses.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Ranson Financial2020-02-13T08:19:38-06:00February 13, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for February 12, 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 Advisors.

Ranson Financial2026-10-22T10:29:42-05:00February 13, 2020|Finance|