Long lines at Sedgwick County voting sites set record for first day of early voting

23 Wednesday, October 23

Long lines at Sedgwick County voting sites set record for first day of early voting

info2024-10-23T09:15:12-05:00October 23rd, 2024|

More than 3,600 people turned out Monday in Sedgwick County to cast their ballot on the first day of early in-person voting for the 2024 general election. Long lines formed outside early voting places in the county, and Tuesday morning saw more of the same. Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Laura Rainwater said Monday was a record-setting day for the first day of early voting, but figures for comparable first days in the 2016 and 2020 November general elections were not immediately available. Monday ended with a 3,627 in-person votes cast. In 2016, about 51,000 early in-person votes were cast, and 2020 [...]

23 Wednesday, October 23

County in ongoing litigation over Bitcoin mine

info2024-10-23T09:14:09-05:00October 23rd, 2024|

After repeated denials for rezoning requests from both Harvey County Commissioners and planning and zoning board, Print Crypto Inc. filed an appeal with the courts to overturn the decision. Since late 2022, the county heard from both Butler Rural Electric Cooperative and Print Crypto, Inc. about the Bitcoin mining operation taking place at the cooperative’s substation located at 8399 S.E. 84th, Whitewater. The company received a conditional use permit, and Print Crypto, Inc. paid Butler Electric to use one acre of land for its Bitcoin mining operation. After Planning and Zoning Director Karen Rothe received several complaints from neighboring residents, Rothe [...]

23 Wednesday, October 23

Out-of-district enrollment impacts districts differently

info2024-10-23T09:11:57-05:00October 23rd, 2024|

With legislative changes to out-of-district enrollment allowing students to choose which district to attend, some Harvey County schools were more open to the change than others. Halstead saw a jump in overall out-of-district students, although only a portion was from open enrollment. Superintendent Ron Barry said the district had 71 out-of-district students this year, which is a jump from 55 students last school year. Source: Harvey County Now

23 Wednesday, October 23

City returning solar regs to planning commission

info2024-10-23T09:09:16-05:00October 23rd, 2024|

The Great Bend City Council sent an ordinance on solar regulations within the 3-mile zone back to the Planning Commission when it met Monday. City Administrator Logan Burns had already recommended that action so the commission could consider recommended changes. After Great Bend resident Leslie Barrett shared community concerns about setbacks, the council added those to the list of possible changes. Source: Great Bend Tribune

23 Wednesday, October 23

Governor Kelly Announces Evergy to Invest More than $2B in Two New High-efficiency Natural Gas Plants

info2024-10-23T09:08:34-05:00October 23rd, 2024|

Governor Laura Kelly joined Evergy executives and legislative leaders today to announce that the company will invest more than $2 billion in building two new 705 megawatt (MW) combined-cycle natural gas plants in Kansas. Together, the new projects will provide more than 1,400 MW of dispatchable power. “Kansas is experiencing record economic growth, and Evergy is prepared to deliver the reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy needed.” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Evergy’s multi-billion-dollar investment brings direct value to the Hutchinson and Sumner County areas in jobs and tax dollars. It also ensures Kansas can continue to invite business growth that benefits the [...]

23 Wednesday, October 23

CNBC Daily Open: Concerns over high interest rates return, pressuring stocks

info2024-10-23T09:07:32-05:00October 23rd, 2024|

U.S. markets were mixed on Monday. The Nasdaq Composite rose while the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell, with the latter snapping its three-day winning streak. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped almost 12 basis points. Europe’s Stoxx 600 index lost 0.66%, with almost all sectors retreating, though oil and gas stocks managed to gain 0.6%. The S&P 500 will return just 3% over the next 10 years, on an annualized and nominal basis, forecast Goldman Sachs’ equity strategy team led by David Kostin. By comparison, the index has returned an average 13% annually over the last 10 years, [...]

23 Wednesday, October 23

Commerce Announces New Round of Funding for HEAL Grants

info2024-10-23T09:04:44-05:00October 23rd, 2024|

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced that $1.5 million is available for a fifth round of Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grants to revitalize dilapidated and underutilized downtown buildings in small communities across the state. These grants help close the financial gaps for communities striving to make their downtown districts economically vibrant. Since Commerce launched the program in 2021, nearly $5 million has been awarded to fund 87 different community projects throughout Kansas. Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

22 Tuesday, October 22

Municipal Bond Trends for October 21, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-10-22T09:43:38-05:00October 22nd, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

22 Tuesday, October 22

Kansas economy growing rapidly: More workers needed to support revitalization

info2024-10-22T08:29:33-05:00October 22nd, 2024|

Armed with a new economic report, Kansas officials touted jobs data while warning that the workforce continues to face a challenge of not enough laborers. “It’s simple: we need more humans in Kansas to keep up with the phenomenal economic growth our state is experiencing,” said Lt. Gov. David Toland, who is also the Commerce secretary. Source: Salina Journal

21 Monday, October 21

Positive economic report singles out need for housing

info2024-10-21T10:05:45-05:00October 21st, 2024|

According to the most recent economic snapshot from Pittsburg State’s Kelce College of Business, Crawford County’s gross domestic product grew by 8.8 percent between 2015 and 2024. That was greater than the rest of the state. The number of middle-income households also increased by 9 percent in Pittsburg and by 3 percent in the county, as a whole. Statewide, this increase was only 0.1 percent and 0.9 percent nationally. The Kelce report states that local households are on a strong financial foundation that will benefit when interest rates begin to decline. As the economic center of southeast Kansas, 65 percent of [...]