Quindaro Ruins in Kansas City, Kansas, are one step closer to National Historic Landmark status

Before local preservationists focused attention on the decaying ruins of the town of Quindaro in the 1980s, the overgrown and largely forgotten site, hidden on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River, was nearly turned into a landfill. Since then, community members and legislators have pushed for official recognition and the resources that come with it. Preservation advocates got one step closer to their goal on Tuesday. Three U.S. House representatives, two Democrats and one Republican, introduced a bill to further protect the ruins in northeast Kansas City, Kansas. Sharice Davids (D-KS), along with Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Jake LaTurner (R-KS), introduced the bill Tuesday that would make the Quindaro site one of 2,600 National Historic Landmarks across the country.
Source: KCUR News

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T11:13:54-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

Stevens County Fire Department teams up for Fire Prevention Week

The Stevens County Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention WeekTM (FPW) for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire preventionTM.” The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.
Source: Hugoton Hermes News

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T12:48:04-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

Kansas on track for $2.6 billion state revenue surplus, $1.6 billion stash in rainy-day fund

Kansas budget director Adam Proffitt said Tuesday the state government was on track to meet revenue projections necessary to create a $2.6 billion ending balance in the current fiscal year and reinforce the state’s financial position with $1.6 billion in a rainy day emergency account. He told participants at Washburn University’s economic outlook conference the state generated $2.2 billion in revenue during the initial three months of the fiscal year. That was a 0.5% or $10 million above the estimate issued in April. If all goes as assumed, he said, the state would spend only $9.4 billion of $10.3 billion in revenue flowing into the state general fund during the year ending June 30, 2024.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T11:11:17-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

Winfield City Lake at lowest level since 1992, new way to track levels

Winfield City Lake is at its lowest level since 1992. The City of Winfield says this is because of the extended drought conditions in Cowley County and the Upper Timber Creek Watershed Area. “The City of Winfield addresses its short-term water shortage problems through a series of stages based on conditions of supply and demand with accompanying triggers, goals and actions,” said Winfield. “Each stage is more stringent in water use than the previous stage since water supply conditions are more deteriorated.” The City Manager is authorized by ordinance to implement the appropriate conservation measures. There is a new way to track the water level at Winfield City Lake. Data is added weekly, if not more often, to the new tool.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T11:06:17-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

Wichita has 9 active TIF districts — where they are, how they’re performing

Tax increment financing, one of the tools in the city’s economic-development toolbox, has supported several notable commercial projects locally. The Wichita area has nine active TIF districts that have helped finance a range of projects, including the construction of Riverfront Stadium, the renovations at Union Station and a housing development in Riverside, among others. So, what is a TIF? TIF districts are designed to fund redevelopment costs in blighted areas of the city through the incremental increase in property taxes that occurs over time because of the investment. The incremental increase is used to reimburse bonds that were sold to finance the project, or to reimburse the developer on a pay-as-you-go basis. The funding can go toward costs such as land acquisition, site preparation, infrastructure, parking structures and other related costs.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T11:04:47-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

Panasonic details its hiring to date and future plans for De Soto plant

Panasonic is ramping up hiring for its $4 billion electric-vehicle battery factory in De Soto. To date, the company has hired 70 people for the plant and has filled out its senior leadership team, said locally based Kristen Walters, vice president of human resources. The newly hired employees are roughly a 50/50 split between area residents and outside hires, she said. New hires and open positions are across the board, and include areas such as human resources, finance, supply chain and logistics, procurement, production/operations and engineering. Some engineers will be training in Nevada and Japan before working at the De Soto plant. The company also is collaborating with area universities to train the future workforce it needs.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T11:03:33-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

What’s next for Wichita’s housing market?

Wichita’s housing shortage will likely get worse in 2024, according to a new forecast from the Wichita State Center for Real Estate. Home prices are expected to stay high, and fewer units will be sold next year than in 2023, said Stanley Longhofer, the center’s founding director who pens annual analyses of Kansas’ major real estate markets. At least that’s his best guess, based on local and national economic indicators. “Housing markets have been so crazy over the past few years, it can be hard to see through the distortions to understand what ‘normal’ really is,” said Longhofer, who will present his findings at the Kansas Association of Realtors Annual Conference in Manhattan on Thursday. The center projects that home sales in Wichita metro area will end the year down by 10.4% with 9,470 units sold and that that figure will drop another 80 units in 2024.
Source: KLC Journal

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T11:02:10-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for October 5, 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 Schmidt2023-10-06T10:08:28-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

Wichita East High School celebrates 100 years

Wichita East High School is celebrating 100 years with celebrations and events on Friday and Saturday. The event is open to the public. “We’ve got band show, choir show, dancers our jazz band,” Principal Sara Richardson said. “We have self-guided tours going on and just kind of a fun atmosphere all the way up until three o’clock that really everyone and anyone in the community is invited to.” Wichita High School opened in 1873, but on Oct. 8, 1923, Wichita High School opened at Douglas and Grove. It then became Wichita High School East when Wichita High School North opened in 1929. “We take a lot of pride in being the original, the heart of the city, heart of the community,” Richardson said. “Our current kids, the legacy of multiple generational families that come through here, are very excited to celebrate their family’s history, their school’s history, and then we’re doing, I think a nice job of bridging the gap between the past and the present and then on to the future.”
Source: KSN

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T10:17:04-05:00October 6, 2023|News|

Sedgwick County working on AI policy for employees

Sedgwick County is adding employee guidelines for using artificial intelligence. Their information technology department met with commissioners Tuesday to discuss the artificial intelligence policy in the works. Chief Information Officer Mike Elpers explains their concern is on Generative AI, which takes in information to create content in the form of text or images. The policy will help prevent issues with security and inaccurate information. While AI is growing rapidly in professional industries, “There’s no guidance on how to use it in business,” said Elpers. “It’s going to be a very good time to sit down and understand what AI does, what it can do, and what the positive and negative really are,” explains Bill Ramsey, CEO of Soteria Solutions.
Source: KSN

Ranson Financial2023-10-06T10:19:54-05:00October 6, 2023|News|