Osawatomie power outage likely to continue into Saturday

Osawatomie officials are confident that a transformer acquired from Garden City, Kan., will fix the power outage problem that has been ongoing since the evening hours of Tuesday, Oct. 24, but it is not estimated to be online until the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 28. Meanwhile, an estimated 250 to 300 residents remain without power, according to city news release updates. A critical failure at the city of Osawatomie’s power plant substation caused the initial power outages in the overnight hours of Tuesday, Oct. 24, into Wednesday, Oct. 25. On Wednesday morning, power was restored to some neighborhoods through the city’s generators, but a secondary equipment failure impacting the generators triggered another outage, according to the city’s updates.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com

Ranson Financial2023-10-27T10:24:47-05:00October 27, 2023|News|

Overland Park to formally end old city staff pay structure

Overland Park is taking more steps to update its city employee salary structure and get rid of its old system. Last week, the Overland Park City Council Finance, Administration and Economic Development Committee voted 6-0 to recommend the city council rescind a 2002 resolution that formalized the old compensation system. With the city manager shifting city employee pay into a new compensation structure, the old system was obsolete and no longer needed. The committee’s recommendation to get it off the books would make it official.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2023-10-27T12:02:22-05:00October 27, 2023|News|

Clay Center debates lifting pit bull ban

The Clay Center City Council is asking for feedback on whether the city should lift its ban on pit pulls. Councilwoman Karla Sweet reported at last week’s council meeting that the council’s Administrative Committee is considering the change, but wants to hear more about it from the public. Sweet said she received an email about it, but hasn’t heard much from constituents. Over the course of about 50 minutes, council members also debated whether to add more breeds to the ordinance, whether to modify it by requiring DNA testing of a suspected pit bull and discussed what makes pit bull attacks particularly vicious.
Source: www.ccenterdispatch.com

Ranson Financial2023-10-27T12:02:49-05:00October 27, 2023|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for October 26, 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.

Henry Schmidt2023-10-27T10:19:35-05:00October 27, 2023|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for October 25, 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.

Henry Schmidt2023-10-26T11:00:27-05:00October 26, 2023|News|

Local business owners transforming historical building into event center for Halstead

Reba Lee, and her husband, Jeremy, are turning the former Harvey County Independent building, located at 220 Main Street, into an event center for the community to rent out. The Lees originally bought the building, intending it to be an office for Jeremy Lee, but after trying to host a birthday party for their children, they realized the town was missing an event center for community members to host parties. “I said, ‘Hey we just bought this building; let’s just have the kids’ birthday party up there,’” Reba Lee said. She said this led to the idea of using the space to rent out as an event center. The couple wants the building to be an alternative for community members hosting events they feel would be too crowded in their homes. Reba Lee owns a pop-up consignment shop that she currently hosts in Maize. She hopes to hold pop-up events in Halstead once the building is open for events. They hope to have it open by January.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2023-10-25T12:04:05-05:00October 25, 2023|News|

Halstead schools one of first in the state to get electric buses

The Halstead School District expects to replace half its diesel buses with electric buses within a couple of weeks. The district ordered three electric buses, and after the charging stations are finished, the electric buses will be added to the daily routes. Dr. Ron Barry, Halstead superintendent, ordered the electric buses after discovering a federal grant known as the Clean School Bus Program. The grant is being offered on a five-year rotation through the Environmental Protection Agency, as a way to reduce emissions from older buses that are larger pollutants. Barry said this aligned with the bus replacement program Halstead was already on. “I saw this as an opportunity for, one, being a part of our natural bus rotation but also a grant opportunity for reducing costs for us as a district,” Barry said. The district ordered the buses last winter, after receiving approval for the grant. Barry said it was one of five schools in the state to receive the grant.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2023-10-25T12:01:40-05:00October 25, 2023|News|

Wichita plans to spend $4.9M to change downtown streets, make them more walkable, bikeable

When voters approved a 1-cent sales tax in Sedgwick County, part of the money was supposed to go to relieve traffic congestion. Now, 38 years later, the city of Wichita wants to use local sales tax dollars to fund a plan that intends to slow down traffic. The Wichita City Council is set to vote Tuesday on whether to use $4.9 million in local sales tax to fund the Wichita Downtown Street Plan. The council approved the project concept in February and hired a design firm in August. The downtown street plan aims to decrease motor-vehicle lanes in downtown Wichita and increase lanes for bicycle traffic. It would also convert one-way streets to two-way streets. The goal is to make downtown more pedestrian-friendly and less car-centric. Proponents of so-called road diets say they make streets safer and improve quality of life in dense metropolitan areas. Detractors say they inconvenience drivers and needlessly slow traffic in areas that need it most, diverting people away from downtown businesses.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2023-10-25T11:57:36-05:00October 25, 2023|News|

Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission delays action on proposed wind regulations after 8-hour meeting

Planning commissioners asked many questions but opted not to take any final action on proposed wind regulations at 2:37 a.m. Tuesday after hearing from 80 people and one peregrine falcon. The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission in January 2022 asked city staff members to review existing regulations for wind energy systems, particularly commercial ones, to better align them with recently adopted solar regulations. City staff members produced a draft of new regulations in January 2023. The planning commission voted in March to form an ad hoc committee to help revise that into a second draft. Get a look at the draft and how it compares to the initial draft at this link. Meetings on wind regulations have been long, tense and emotional for many members of the public who have spoken during them. A vast crowd spilled out of the Lawrence City Commission meeting room Monday evening.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2023-10-25T12:07:44-05:00October 25, 2023|News|

Lawrence eyes changes to Mass Street from 14th to 23rd; community meeting coming up

The City of Lawrence is studying options to change a stretch of Massachusetts Street with a goal of better accommodating drivers, people on foot, wheelchair users, bicyclists and transit riders. The city is conducting a multimodal corridor study on Mass from 14th Street south to 23rd Street, according to a recent news release. The road is part of the priority bikeway network under the Lawrence Bikes Plan. The study will include “safety, efficiency, and equity considerations for all modes of transportation,” according to the release. “A roadway reconfiguration can improve safety, calm traffic, provide better mobility and access for all road users, and enhance overall quality of life,” according to the city website about the project. “A road reconfiguration typically involves converting an existing four-lane undivided roadway, like Massachusetts Street, to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL).”
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2023-10-25T12:08:34-05:00October 25, 2023|News|