Riley County welcomes Phillips as new budget and finance officer

19 Wednesday, July 19

Riley County welcomes Phillips as new budget and finance officer

info2023-07-19T11:47:38-05:00July 19th, 2023|

Riley County recently welcomed a new Budget and Finance Officer. Brittany Phillips took on the role July 6th. Before joining Riley County, she served as board treasurer for the USD 473 Chapman School District. Phillips has also spent time in municipal budgeting for the city of Chapman. Her responsibilities will include preparing and coordinating budgets for the county programs and departments and working closely with commissioners, department heads and the county clerk to lead budget discussions. Phillips succeeds Darell Edie, who retired from the position in June. Source: 1350 KMAN

19 Wednesday, July 19

Packed City Council meeting in Colwich with most against proposed solar project

info2023-07-19T11:46:08-05:00July 19th, 2023|

The Colwich City Council meeting Monday night was packed with area residents protesting a proposed solar project that could be built east of town. "We just have eyesore after eyesore, and we are going to add another mile and a half onto that all the way into Maize," said one resident to the council. The proposed solar project would be built between Colwich and Maize. Another resident, Jeff Hardin, says he does not like the look of an industrial size solar farm, and it would change the landscape. "Because I grew up on a farm," said Hardin. "And I love the land. And as you [...]

19 Wednesday, July 19

Affordable Connectivity Program in Louisburg

info2023-07-19T13:43:37-05:00July 19th, 2023|

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) offers eligible households $30/month toward home internet service. The ACP is a long-term $14 billion program of the Federal Communications Commission, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The program offers eligible households a $30/month discount toward high-speed internet and a one-time discount of $100 toward the purchase of a connected device such as laptop, desktop computer or tablet from a participating provider if the household contributes $10-50 toward the purchase price. In Miami County, fewer than 20% of eligible households are taking advantage of the Affordable Connectivity Program. In mid-July, only 26 of the estimated [...]

19 Wednesday, July 19

Prairie Village, Fairway declare states of emergency following storm

info2023-07-19T11:34:18-05:00July 19th, 2023|

The city of Prairie Village and Fairway, two northeast Johnson County suburbs battered particularly hard by Friday’s severe thunderstorms, have both declared local states of emergency amid ongoing recovery efforts. During a regularly scheduled city council meeting Monday, Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson said he had declared the local disaster state of emergency for his city. That came shortly after Fairway’s Mayor Melanie Hepperly sent out notice of her own emergency declaration via email. Mikkelson said the July 14 storm was significantly worse in terms of damage compared to other severe storms Prairie Village has experienced, noting that the city’s police and [...]

19 Wednesday, July 19

Leawood PD and HappyBottoms team up to give out free diapers

info2023-07-19T11:32:29-05:00July 19th, 2023|

The city of Leawood is collaborating with Kansas City nonprofit HappyBottoms to help local parents in need. The Leawood Police Department has begun a partnership with the organization to distribute diapers to families who cannot afford them. The nonprofit works with hospitals and social service agencies to identify parents in need of diapers. Through HappyBottoms’ programs, families can qualify for either 50 disposable diapers or 30 training pants per month. The organization’s “Bundles of Joy” program also allows new mothers in need at hospitals to receive 75 diapers right after the birth of their child. “We started in 2009, and since then, we’ve distributed more [...]

19 Wednesday, July 19

New bill aims to simplify federal grant applications, boost funding for underserved communities

info2023-07-19T11:28:43-05:00July 19th, 2023|

Lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that proposes to streamline the federal grant application process while increasing access to funding opportunities for under-resourced communities and local governments. Applying for federal grants can be a lengthy and complicated undertaking that often includes bureaucratic red-tape and requires a multifaceted understanding of the process. The Streamlining Federal Grants Act would task the Office of Management and Budget with developing guidance for all federal agencies on how to modernize and simplify their grant applications. The legislation also calls for agencies to update the software and systems used to manage their grant application processes and implement common data standards for [...]

19 Wednesday, July 19

Barton County storm siren systems malfunctioned, officials say

info2023-07-19T11:54:03-05:00July 19th, 2023|

Storm sirens malfunctioned in Great Bend when officials tried to set them off during the Sunday night storms. Great Bend Fire Chief Brent Smith said dispatch attempted to set off the alarm ten times but had no success. "Trying to identify some of the problems or where the problems occurred, we discovered the fail safes that were in place had also not allowed the sirens to go off," explained Smith. The storm caused the main power grid to go out, so the tower couldn't receive the signal to sound the sirens. Smith explained they have two backups for when the power [...]

19 Wednesday, July 19

Viega to expand production capacity in McPherson

info2023-07-19T11:55:09-05:00July 19th, 2023|

Plumbing and piping manufacturer Viega LLC plans to spend $70 million over two years in expanding its production capacity at its 1 million square-foot facility in McPherson, the company said this week. The first wave of investment is planned for $14 million and will increase the company's ProPress pipe-fitting production ability. "As we continue to grow the business, we are bringing more production to the United States," president and CEO Markus Brettschneider said in a statement. "These investments in our U.S. footprint will further support demand and leverage the talented U.S. manufacturing workforce, starting with the expansion of production capacity in [...]

19 Wednesday, July 19

Indoor pickleball, commercial kitchen part of $13.7M project named for former Wichita mayor

info2023-07-19T11:54:34-05:00July 19th, 2023|

The Carl G. Brewer Community Center at McAdams Park will see major upgrades in 2024. The Wichita City Council has approved a major expansion of the Carl G. Brewer Community Center at McAdams Park, bringing the project cost from an initial estimate of $8 million to $13.7 million. The expanded recreation center at 17th Street and Wabash will include a nearly 25,000-square-feet addition to the existing 10,800-square-feet building recently renamed to honor Brewer, Wichita’s first African American mayor elected by a citywide vote (A. Price Woodard, Wichita’s first African American mayor, was elected by city commissioners in 1970). Source: Local News [...]

19 Wednesday, July 19

Municipal Bond Trends for July 18, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-07-19T09:35:46-05:00July 19th, 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.