City of Pratt employee held at gunpoint; Wife listened on the phone

25 Wednesday, October 25

City of Pratt employee held at gunpoint; Wife listened on the phone

info2023-10-25T12:13:25-05:00October 25th, 2023|

The man who led law enforcement on a multi-county chase on Monday pulled a gun on a City of Pratt employee. The victim's wife was on the phone during the incident. Catelyn Shaw says she was at home when her friend messaged her about the police chase. Soon after, her husband called during his lunch break at Casey's. She was shocked by what she heard on the phone. "He was like, 'Oh my God, they just pulled into Casey's.' And I was like, 'No way,' and he was like, 'Yeah, they did,'" explained Shaw. The typical day took a turn as Shaw's husband [...]

25 Wednesday, October 25

Municipal Bond Trends for October 24, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-10-25T10:41:13-05:00October 25th, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. 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.

24 Tuesday, October 24

Municipal Bond Trends for October 23, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-10-24T09:55:40-05:00October 24th, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. 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.

23 Monday, October 23

Bond Rout Drives 10-Year Treasury Yield to 5%

info2023-10-23T11:40:33-05:00October 23rd, 2023|

A deepening selloff in the U.S. bond market drove the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note to 5% for the first time in 16 years, extending a rout that has rattled stocks, lifted mortgage rates and fueled persistent fears of an economic slowdown. A critical driver of U.S. borrowing costs, the 10-year yield rose to within a few thousandths of a percentage point of 5% last week following an unexpectedly strong retail-sales report and comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that reinforced investor bets on stubbornly high short-term interest rates. The 5% barrier barely held then, but broke in an early Monday climb. The 10-year yield [...]

23 Monday, October 23

Should Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County split after 25 years? Opinions vary

info2023-10-23T11:39:20-05:00October 23rd, 2023|

After nearly three decades, should the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, change its consolidated government structure? That will be a key question posed at neighborhood discussions in the coming weeks after the mayors of KCK, Edwardsville and Bonner Springs announced plans to create a task force to hear resident concerns, and solutions, about the UG. While no meetings have been set, current and former officials are divided on the region’s future, especially over the suggestion that KCK and county could break up. Mike Jacobi, who was a leader in the consolidation effort in the 1990s, considered the [...]

23 Monday, October 23

City staff members explain plans to reduce campsites around Lawrence

info2023-10-23T11:38:19-05:00October 23rd, 2023|

Within two days of announcing a new online form to report people living outside to Lawrence’s homeless programs team, the city had received more than four dozen responses regarding approximately 20 camps. City staff members are upping their efforts to discourage people from making new campsites in areas where the city has deemed it illegal. That includes parks, sidewalks, the public right of way, and on private property without the owner’s consent. Staff members are also formulating plans to make progress with residents of the longer-term campsites that are pretty well established and have larger populations. The city on Wednesday announced [...]

23 Monday, October 23

Community celebrates 150 years of Emporia Fire Department

info2023-10-23T11:36:35-05:00October 23rd, 2023|

Emporia Fire Chief Brandon Beck was more than pleased to welcome the community to the fire department’s 150th anniversary celebration Saturday. And he was even happier to see how many people turned out for the event. “We’ve had a great turnout today. It’s been just kind of a steady flow of people since 8 a.m. this morning,” he said as the celebration began winding down Saturday afternoon. Battalion Chief Tony Fuller told The Gazette last week that EFD recognizes every 25-year milestone. Beck, who joined the fire department as a volunteer in 1993, said it was exciting to be on hand [...]

23 Monday, October 23

Grant to improve 988 hotline capacity in Kansas

info2023-10-23T11:35:24-05:00October 23rd, 2023|

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says the state will receive a federal grant that will help build local capacity for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and related crisis services. The grant of over $5.4 million is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It will be provided to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Governor Kelly said the funds are critical to ensure that Kansas has the staff and resources to address the mental health crisis in the state. The funding will give Kansas the ability to recruit, hire and [...]

23 Monday, October 23

New agreement with De Soto lays groundwork for Panasonic’s $4B battery plant

info2023-10-23T11:34:33-05:00October 23rd, 2023|

Panasonic has starting filling in details about hiring plans and how it will use tax incentives to build a $4 billion electric-vehicle battery plant in De Soto. On Thursday, the De Soto City Council approved a development agreement with Panasonic Energy of North America that outlines tax incentives for the company’s EV battery manufacturing plant. The agreement details the scope of the project and the company’s commitment to support community infrastructure needs and future employment quotas. “This is a hugely complex, impactful and important document for our city. It’s had our top priority and attention for the past several months,” City Administrator Mike [...]

23 Monday, October 23

Preserving History and Using Cemeteries to Learn

info2023-10-23T11:16:28-05:00October 23rd, 2023|

Mount Olive Cemetery stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of those who rest within its peaceful and beautiful grounds. The City of Pittsburg's Parks and Recreation Department takes great pride in providing a tranquil final resting place, where the community's history is etched into the landscape. Toby Book, the director of the City of Pittsburg Parks & Recreation, highlights the significance of this cemetery. He mentioned, "I still get a lot of requests from families out of state to bring the remains or cremains back to this cemetery to be buried where they're from, to be back in their [...]