Senator visits Topeka homeless encampments

2 Monday, October 2

Senator visits Topeka homeless encampments

info2023-10-02T14:32:22-05:00October 2nd, 2023|

Topeka's homeless crisis is catching the attention of federal leaders. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, recently toured a few homeless camps in the city. Barry Feaker, former director of the Topeka Rescue Mission, said he invited Marshall. The visit occurred the same day the senator met with state agricultural leaders prioritizing mental health resources for Kansas farmers. "We were able to visit two camps during this visit and have conversations with some individuals currently experiencing homelessness. When we returned to TRM (Topeka Rescue Mission) we discussed the homeless issues locally and nationally. The visit and conversation with the Senator were greatly appreciated". Topeka has [...]

2 Monday, October 2

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office raising awareness on fentanyl dangers

info2023-10-02T14:11:53-05:00October 2nd, 2023|

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is using social media to ramp up efforts to increase fentanyl awareness. Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves says the demographic most affected by fentanyl ranges from 18-year-olds to 45-year-olds. He also adds that the drug was recently listed as the leading cause of death among that age group. "The slogan is One pill can kill. And we've seen that here in the county. And throughout the region where somebody has taken what is a counterfeit prescription pill, they think it's a Xanax or a person or OxyContin, and it turns out to be a counterfeit pill that contains a [...]

2 Monday, October 2

Four-lane expressway to be expanded between Dodge City and Garden City

info2023-10-02T14:08:46-05:00October 2nd, 2023|

The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced that they will be expanding their four-lane expressway to Garden City. KDOT is expanding four segments of U.S. 50 to a four-lane expressway with a divided median from Aerodrome Rd in Finney County to the west city limits of Cimarron in Gray County. These projects will increase capacity, relieve congestion and enhance safety by limiting direct highway access points. The four segments have been bundled into two groups for design and construction—a western and eastern group. The western group extend from Aerodrome Rd (Garden City Airport) in Finney County east to 7 Rd in Gray County. [...]

2 Monday, October 2

Municipal Bond Trends for September 29, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-10-02T00:01:32-05:00October 2nd, 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.

1 Sunday, October 1

Before Panasonic plant’s arrival, De Soto had spent decades preparing for growth

info2023-10-02T08:37:58-05:00October 1st, 2023|

De Soto City Administrator Mike Brungardt says Panasonic is poised to lead his city and the surrounding area into a new era of manufacturing prosperity as electric-vehicle battery production becomes the modern equivalent of the oil booms of 100 years ago. The center of that boom in northeast Kansas will be the $4 billion lithium battery plant that the company is now building on 304 acres of the old Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, now renamed Ad Astra Enterprise Park. And because of steps De Soto has taken the past two decades, the growth will be aimed along a corridor that points [...]

29 Friday, September 29

Shawnee County gives tax abatement to couple who lost house in accidental fire

info2023-09-29T11:16:38-05:00September 29th, 2023|

Glenn D. Leonardi and Ulrike Schlingensiepen lost their house, 3421 S.W. Briarwood Lane, in a fire in April 2022. ... Later, Leonardi realized they were still paying property taxes on a house that no longer existed. "I just felt like it was ridiculous to be paying taxes on a property that was no longer there," Leonardi told The Capital-Journal. ... Leonardi said he contacted the county appraiser's office to figure out what could be done. The Shawnee County Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to provide property tax relief for Leonardi and Schlingensiepen under Shawnee County Resolution No. 2023-32. ... K.S.A. 79-1613 [...]

29 Friday, September 29

Governor Kelly Announces $350M in Highway Projects Added to IKE Construction Pipeline

info2023-09-29T08:02:04-05:00September 29th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed today announced seven Expansion and Modernization highway projects – a total investment of more than $350 million – have been committed to construction as part of the Kelly administration’s bipartisan 10-year, $10 billion Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, also known as IKE. “When combined with the first two rounds of IKE Construction projects, these investments are part of a $2 billion commitment to make our roads safer, reduce congestion, create good jobs, and deliver more economic opportunities,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “Getting these projects to construction will make getting around Kansas safer and easier [...]

29 Friday, September 29

WSU forecast calls for Kansas home values to continue to increase

info2023-09-29T08:00:01-05:00September 29th, 2023|

Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate is forecasting that Kansas home values will continue to appreciate in 2024. The forecast was released Thursday by CRE director, Dr. Stan Longhofer. He said the inventory of homes available for sale is very limited, and as a result the market still favors sellers despite the softening of demand due to higher mortgage rates. Longhofer presented the forecast in Manhattan to the Kansas Association of Realtors Annual Conference. It calls for home sales to fall slightly in Wichita and remain flat statewide next year, and new home construction activity is also expected to be [...]

29 Friday, September 29

Turbines to take a spin in the spotlight at ribbon-cutting

info2023-09-29T07:59:03-05:00September 29th, 2023|

The formal opening of Orsted’s Sunflower Wind farm will be marked with a ribbon cutting Thursday. The 200 megawatt wind farm is one of 13 Orsted wind farms in the United States. Sunflower will produce enough electricity to power more than 70,000 homes. Local landowners, community members, and stakeholders will be at the event to celebrate the project's completion and economic benefits it will bring to the community and state. Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal

29 Friday, September 29

Will this Johnson County city restrict — even ban — Airbnbs? Neighbors are complaining

info2023-09-29T07:56:23-05:00September 29th, 2023|

The Shawnee City Council is considering whether to tighten restrictions on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals — or outright ban them from residential areas. City officials say they’ve received a growing number of complaints in single-family neighborhoods about noise, parking, alcohol and trash at Airbnb and Vrbo locations. And now the city is considering whether to regulate them more or get rid of them altogether, as a growing number of cities nationwide, including New York City and Dallas, crack down. Shawnee could be one of the first cities in Johnson County to do so. Prairie Village officials also have discussed regulating [...]