Pittsburg Ascension Via Christi transfers ownership to Mercy

Mercy Joplin announced Thursday they will take over Ascension Via Christi in Pittsburg – and planning for that transition is now underway. Mercy Hospital administrators expect it will be official in about four months – and there are already some goals for the future mercy hospital in Pittsburg. They plan to expand primary care options, saying there aren’t currently enough for the market. And Mercy Hospital officials expect to offer more choices for patients in need of specialty medical care. “We want to strengthen the current specialists that they have. They’ve got really good physicians. We’re going to do that with recruitment, some outreach and satellite clinics with our specialists, maybe offer some virtual options as well,” said Jeremy Drinkwitz, Mercy Joplin President. The transition plan doesn’t include any cuts, meaning all current programs and employees in good standing will continue after mercy takes over.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T10:47:19-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

Did your teeth just rattle over that pothole? Here’s how to report it to Wichita, county

Unexpectedly driving over a pothole is not a fun surprise. Not only are potholes nuisances, but in some cases they can also cause significant damage to your vehicle. According to auto club AAA, in 2021, damage caused by potholes cost more than $26 billion in the U.S. The average cost that year for pothole damage was about $600 per repair, according to the same release. While you may not be able to avoid potholes during your morning commute, there are ways to report them to ensure the city of Wichita knows where repairs are needed. Anyone can report a traffic issue, including potholes, online at wichita.gov/1013/Report-an-Issue. You can also use the same website to report an ethics complaint, a nondiscrimination ordinance complaint, nuisance reporting and more. To report potholes, click “new request” on the map underneath “report an issue.” From there, type in the location of the pothole. Once you verify the address, you will get a list of categories, and one of those options is “report a pothole,” which you should select and submit. There’s also an option to download a photo. Alternatively, you can email the complaint to traffic@wichita.gov or call 316-268-4013. The location of the pothole should be included. You can also report potholes through the city’s app. There you can check recent pothole reports and see if the city has responded to the reports.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T10:32:36-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

County forms new 911 advisory board

A couple of years ago, according to Sedgwick County Emergency Communications Director Elora Forshee, efforts began in earnest to seek out a way to engage the community voice regarding 911 operations. In the wake of those ongoing efforts and feedback heard from a 2022 task force formed in response to the death of Wichita teenager Cedric Lofton, a community advisory board (CAB) was suggested and officially approved by the Sedgwick County Commission at its Feb. 7 meeting. Representing first responders (Wichita-Sedgwick County Emergency Communications Advisory Board) and staff (Employee Advisory Board), county 911 was getting input from two of the three key facets in its response – with only the community voice missing. “We didn’t have a good conduit for the community to have input in their 911 services,” Forshee said. “We think this is a great opportunity for our community to have some voice within the system and provide input.” Opening the county’s new emergency communications center within the past year also led to the prioritization of the CAB, which will be made up of 13 voting members. Makeup of the board will include a representative from each of the five commission districts, the city of Wichita, city of Derby, a city of the second class, a city of the third class, a youth member and three at-large members. The board will be fully ratified by the county commission.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T10:31:10-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

City of Lawrence to launch revamped SeeClickFix mobile app

The City of Lawrence will soon launch a mobile app where community members can report code compliance issues, missed trash pickups and more, according to a city news release. Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 20, the app, powered by SeeClickFix Inc., will be free to download and use on smartphones. The city in June 2022 announced that it was pausing its SeeClickFix app for about nine months so the city could “revamp and improve the system to better serve our community.” Next week’s launch will mark 20 months since that announcement. Community members will be able to submit requests for city assistance in seven service categories, according to Thursday’s news release: General property maintenance pertaining to code compliance; property maintenance pertaining to weeds; nonemergency police assistance pertaining to theft, damage to property or use of financial cards; parks maintenance issues; tree or overhead limbs; missed trash collection; and dead animals. All communication related to the service request will take place live within the app. “The City of Lawrence App makes it easier for community members to request City services – allowing them to submit a ticket and follow along with progress updates through the work’s completion,” according to the release.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T10:25:52-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

Hesston approves property sale tied to grocery store project

The Hesston City Council approved selling property it owns to BHF Grocery Store, LLC, owned by Beneficient Heartland Foundation Inc. At its Feb. 12 meeting, the city council voted 5-0 to sell 0.57 acres of property located at the corner of Old Highway 81 and North Lancaster Street to the company for $50,000. “The 50,000 offer for the property is well above our investment in the property,” City Administrator Gary Emry said, adding that the city had invested $42.000 to $44,000 in the property so far. “I think it’s a good offer.” Emry described the property as serving as a domino piece in Hesston’s downtown grocery store project. The long-discussed project is to be paid through funds from the state’s TEFFI law, which allows the Beneficient company, with an office in Hesston, to offer financial services in the state, requiring two and one-half percent of the value of transactions to be given to the State of Kansas for rural development or used for the benefit of Hesston. Beneficient Heartland Foundation, Inc., oversees the spending of the funds to benefit the City of Hesston. A City of Hesston memo stated that the property will be used for the purpose of building a one-story office deposit institution, the property’s future owner.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T10:15:15-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

Water sector issues joint statement to Congress on fully funding SRFs

On Feb. 15, a broad cross-section of water sector organizations representing, utilities, public works departments, executives, manufacturers, research organizations and other industry partners sent a letter to Congress requesting that it fully fund the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to congressionally authorized levels of $3 billion each for fiscal year 2024. The letter stated in part: “Fully funding the SRFs will expand access to affordable financing for water infrastructure that protects public health. SRF subsidized loans fund infrastructure that provides safe drinking water, recycled water, wastewater services and stormwater management in thousands of communities around the nation every year. Without increased federal funding for this critical public health infrastructure, the risk of exposure to preventable diseases from poor water quality and water scarcity will increase for millions of Americans.” The demand for affordable SRF financing has increased exponentially in recent years. Increased federal funding is needed to meet the growing demand for SRF subsidized loans, which has skyrocketed due to the increased cost of planning, design, construction and financing.
Source: Water Finance & Management

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T10:06:54-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

Mulvane seeks to bring back farmers market

At the most recent meeting of the chamber board in Mulvane, according to The Mulvane News, the possibility was discussed of restarting the farmers market in the downtown area. Previously, several years ago, a market was operated by local farmer Tom Phipps in the Carson Bank lower parking lot on Saturdays during the summer. Currently, chamber members are making plans to start the new market the second Sunday in April from 1 to 4 p.m. at the west end of Main Street (by the Historical Depot Museum).
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T10:05:44-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

Rainbow representative gives city info about fiber project

The City Commissioners met on Monday to speak with Rainbow Communications representative Julie Bergman about updates with the Fiber Project. City Administrator Becky Berger was not present during the meeting due to illness with strep throat. Bergman explained the current status of the project and how it aims to provide a fiber broadband network to residents in Hiawatha. “We’re overbuilding all the lines in town to be able to provide fiber Internet to all the residential residents,” Bergman said. “We’ve had fiber to businesses since about 2012-2013 time frame.” Bergman also mentioned about working with construction companies to complete the fiber cable installation and notices would be hung on customers’ doorknobs to let them know about fiber cable work being done. Bergman also gave more info about more Internet technology being upgraded in Kansas and added that the state was qualifying cities as being “broadband ready” and “fiber ready.” “Here in the next 30 or 60 days, we’ll be coming back to kind of talk to you about that as far as becoming a certified broadband ready city in the state of Kansas,” Bergman explained. “So that’s a campaign that the state is starting also to make sure all cities are open to, you know, advanced services and being ready for high speed.”
Source: City Government | hiawathaworldonline.com

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T10:02:06-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

Hutchinson officials share concerns about community’s wildfire risk

Mayor Greg Fast asked Chief Beer if he has any suggestions on how to get people to voluntarily comply. Cutting down trees and hauling them away can be an expensive undertaking, so Beer said fire officials have researched grants to help offset the costs. He suggested a “chipper day” with a third party contracted to run limbs and brush that individuals have put out by the curb through a chipper, but many grants are limited to property bordered by federal lands, and only state lands surround Hutchinson. Councilmember Goss said it makes sense for the city to fund a chipper project if it will save homes in the community. Fast reassured residents that “We are not going to make people take out trees, and they shouldn’t be afraid to get the fire department involved.” City ordinances do not indicate clearance around things like backyard fire pits or chimineas, and problems ensue when fires are burned near wood fences or dry leaves.
Source: Hutch News

Ranson Financial2024-02-20T07:18:58-06:00February 20, 2024|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for February 16, 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.

Henry Schmidt2024-02-19T09:20:28-06:00February 19, 2024|News|