City commissioners approve cemetery master plan

19 Friday, January 19

City commissioners approve cemetery master plan

info2024-01-19T11:29:20-06:00January 19th, 2024|

Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a master plan to implement infrastructure changes at Sunset and Sunrise cemeteries. The improvements — which will cost $6 million for Sunset Cemetery and $3 million for Sunrise Cemetery — will include a new building for equipment and a joint maintenance facility the Sunset Cemetery will share with Sunset Zoo. Sunrise Cemetery will receive a new office and maintenance shop, a remodel of the existing shop, and ongoing road maintenance and expansion as needed. The Cemetery Advisory Board voted unanimously to support the final draft master plan as presented on Nov. 9. Commissioner Karren [...]

19 Friday, January 19

Fed’s Raphael Bostic expects rate cuts to happen in the third quarter

info2024-01-19T11:26:54-06:00January 19th, 2024|

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic expects policymakers to start cutting rates in the third quarter of this year, saying Thursday that inflation is well on its way back to the central bank's goal. Bostic, a voting member this year on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee, asserted that the goal ahead is to calibrate policy to be not so restrictive as to choke off growth while still acting as a bulwark against persistently elevated prices. However, he said a "golden path" scenario of tamping down inflation while promoting solid growth and healthy employment is getting closer than many Fed officials [...]

19 Friday, January 19

Grant to improve election security

info2024-01-19T11:25:43-06:00January 19th, 2024|

To bolster election security in Barton County, the County Commission Tuesday morning accepted a $94,096.91 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Security Grant. County Clerk Bev Schmeidler said the funding, which requires a 10% local match, will help with election equipment storage, a new trailer to haul supplies to polling locations, rolling bags to haul gear and other needs. “We had the opportunity to go out for a grant offered through the Secretary of State’s office for federal HAVA funds,” Schmeidler said. Since the money can be used for anything to improve election security, “there is quite a list of things that we [...]

19 Friday, January 19

City of Claflin hosting rabies clinic

info2024-01-19T11:24:37-06:00January 19th, 2024|

The City of Claflin is hosting a rabies clinic from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 20. The clinic will be held at the city shop, 710 Front St. in Claflin. Services will be provided by Hoisington Vet Clinic staff. As a reminder, all dogs in the city limits must have current proof of rabies vaccination and must be licensed by March 1. A $5 penalty will be assessed to dog owners after the March 1 deadline. Cost of dog tags is $5 for spayed or neutered dogs and $7.50 for dogs not fixed. Source: Great Bend Tribune

19 Friday, January 19

JoCo clears $500K to help tenants pay rent, avoid eviction

info2024-01-19T11:21:00-06:00January 19th, 2024|

A new round of incentives for landlords aimed at preventing homelessness and evictions won approval Thursday from the Johnson County Commission. Commissioners voted to expand pilot programs on eviction mediation and housing choice vouchers — both programs that have seen success in getting low-income renters into stable housing. The commission voted to add $500,000 to the eviction mediation project. But this time, the money will go to direct aid to tenants in arrears rather than mediators. Eviction mediation began in September in district court and will run through December of this year. Commissioners last year authorized $146,000 to pay court-certified mediators [...]

19 Friday, January 19

Municipal Bond Trends for January 18, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-01-19T11:19:19-06:00January 19th, 2024|

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.

19 Friday, January 19

Johnson County police scanners will soon go silent. What will that mean for transparency?

info2024-01-19T11:17:18-06:00January 19th, 2024|

For 13 Johnson County police agencies and hundreds of listeners to police radio scanners and phone apps, Jan. 23 will be “Encryption Day.” Law enforcement officials see it as the day they take back control over how much of their operations — including sensitive private information on the people they encounter — will go out over airwaves to be noted by anyone with the right technology. Scanner listeners, including some local crime journalists, see it differently. To them, “Encryption Day” will be the day the lights dim over police transparency, the day their desktop scanners become expensive paperweights and phone apps all but useless [...]

19 Friday, January 19

Johnson County allocates additional funds to SLFRF-backed pilot programs

info2024-01-19T11:12:21-06:00January 19th, 2024|

The Landlord Incentive Pilot Program provides financial incentives when landlords rent to a family with a federally funded voucher for available units. Three county programs developed with federal Coronavirus funds received an additional boost in funding to help qualified community members with affordable housing, child care licensing and rental assistance. On Thursday, Jan. 18, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners approved $950,000 in allocations from the interest accrued on the county’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The United States Department of the Treasury, directed by the U.S. Congress, distributed these funds to cities, counties and other governmental bodies [...]

19 Friday, January 19

Wichita selling more public housing units, holding open houses

info2024-01-19T11:01:11-06:00January 19th, 2024|

If you are looking for a fixer-upper, the City of Wichita is selling off more of its public housing units. You can see the homes during open houses this Sunday, Jan. 21, and next Tuesday, Jan. 23. The open houses are from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21, and from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The homes are part of a group of 37 homes scattered throughout Wichita that were recently approved for sale by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Anyone can bid on the properties. Questions may be directed to city staff at HousingDevelopment@wichita.gov. The city has reserved dates in February [...]

19 Friday, January 19

Over 30 people begin firefighter certification in Girard at Firefighter One Academy

info2024-01-19T10:48:36-06:00January 19th, 2024|

More than 30 men and woman took their first step to becoming certified firefighters. The Firefighter One Academy had their first class last night at the Girard Fire Department. It's lead by an instructor from the Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute. Students will meet twice a week for the next four months. Last night they began hazmat awareness, which goes for the next month. After that, they will learn firefighter skills. "This is real exciting for us. I believe this is probably one of the biggest fire one classes that's been hosted in this area in a long time so we're real excited [...]