KDHE Announces Recipients of Waste Tire Product Grants

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has announced the recipients of waste tire product grants. “These grants will help handle the costs of proper disposal of many materials scrap tires and assist many important local efforts to promote litter and waste reduction. KDHE applauds the creativity and innovation that our communities have in reusing materials that help support the mission of protecting the health and environment of all Kansans.” said Janet Stanek, Secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The grants are funded by revenue collected through the tire excise tax, a $0.25/vehicle tire fee. The grants totaled $522,312.25, an almost 20 percent (19.8%) increase from 2022 were awarded to 45 organizations to fund projects that include the use of recycled tire products, including playground surfacing and picnic tables. Visit, kdhe.ks.gov/700/ for information about their projects and dollar amounts awarded.
Source: KDHE

Ranson Financial2023-03-22T09:03:15-05:00March 22, 2023|News|

Lenexa latest JoCo city to change building codes after firefighters injured

Lenexa is taking steps to protect firefighters responding to house fires after several first responders were injured last year trying to bring a Shawnee house fire under control. Earlier this month, the Lenexa City Council updated a series of home building codes that will require so-called under stair protection in new home construction.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2023-03-22T09:03:00-05:00March 22, 2023|News|

Here’s everything the Federal Reserve is expected to do today

The Federal Reserve will close its two-day meeting Wednesday with a heavy air of uncertainty as the central bank moves forward in its efforts to bring down inflation and stabilize the troubled banking sector. At the moment, those two goals seem to be in conflict: Getting inflation down requires the same higher interest rates that have inflicted crisis-level effects on banks. Still, after much volatility markets seem to have coalesced around expectations that the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee will approve a 0.25 percentage point, or 25 basis point, increase. But that won’t be all that policymakers will have to address. They’re also on tap to update rate and economic projections, and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell then will have to explain it all at his post-meeting news conference. Here’s a quick look at everything likely to happen.
Source: CNBC

Ranson Financial2023-03-22T09:02:02-05:00March 22, 2023|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for March 21, 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.

Henry Schmidt2023-03-22T08:02:32-05:00March 22, 2023|News|

The Fed is likely to hike rates by a quarter point but it must also reassure it can contain a banking crisis

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates Wednesday by a quarter point, but it also faces the tough task of reassuring markets it can stem a worse banking crisis. Economists mostly expect the Fed will raise its fed funds target rate range to 4.75% to 5% Wednesday afternoon, though some expect the central bank could pause its hiking due to concerns about the banking system. Futures markets were pricing in a roughly 80% chance for a rate hike, as of Tuesday morning.The central bank is contemplating using its interest rate tools at the same time it is trying to soothe markets and stop further bank runs. The fear is that rising rates could put further pressure on banking institutions and crimp lending further, hurting small businesses and other borrowers.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Ranson Financial2023-03-21T14:40:29-05:00March 21, 2023|News|

Maize City Administrator Richard LaMunyon to Retire at End of 2023

Mayor Pat Stivers today announced that Maize City Administrator, Richard LaMunyon, has informed the City Council of his intention to retire from his duties at the end of December 2023, after 23 years of service. Richard, a long-time resident of Maize, became City Administrator in 2000 when the city employed eight people (half were part-time), had a geographic size of one square mile, and a population of about 1,800 citizens. Today, Maize is the fastest growing community in the State of Kansas. It now incorporates over ten square miles, employs fifty dedicated workers, and an estimated population of 7,100 residents. During his tenure, city operations grew to include modern facilities at City Hall and Public Works for enhanced citizen services. Growth and economic developments successes include an industrial park district, commercial outlets, sixteen active housing developments and enhancements for quality-of-life amenities.
Source: City of Maize

Ranson Financial2023-03-21T14:18:10-05:00March 21, 2023|News|

Riley County: Dangerous dog policy part of broader animal control update

The Riley County Commission on Monday heard a proposal for adding a dangerous dog policy to the county’s animal control regulations. Deputy county counselor Craig Cox presented commissioners with a proposed revision to the countywide animal control resolution, which has remained largely unchanged since it was adopted in 1988. Cox said the proposed addition to the policy would include regulations for keeping dogs that are classified by a court as “dangerous” or “potentially dangerous.” He told commissioners that owners of dogs labeled as such would have to meet certain requirements to keep their dog, such as maintaining a specific type of outdoor enclosure and keeping the animal restrained with a specific type of chain. Owners also would be required to place “beware of dog” signs on their homes before they could get a certificate from the county indicating their dog is registered.
Source: themercury.com

Ranson Financial2023-03-21T10:21:09-05:00March 21, 2023|News|

Wichita parking plan would clear the way for price hikes, more parking tickets downtown

The city’s parking plan, up for approval Tuesday, calls for replacing coin-operated parking meters with newer, more expensive technology such as the ParkMobile app, which went into use at Century II last week. The Wichita City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a plan to hike downtown parking prices and install new technology that would make it easier for the city to issue parking tickets. The Wichita Parking and Multimodal Plan would more closely align the rest of downtown with a recent change at Century II and the former downtown library, where the city removed its coin-operated parking meters, replaced them with a mobile-app payment system and increased prices by 300%. The plan does not say exactly how much rates would change downtown and where pay-to-park would be located. But it does say what the city charges now is too low and that the city should focus its efforts on the most high-traffic areas, such as Old Town. It also calls for the use of license plate readers and other technology to help issue tickets more easily. Any changes should be made with community input, the plan says. The plan aims to maximize profits for city government and downtown businesses through downtown parking pricing and enforcement.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2023-03-21T10:19:49-05:00March 21, 2023|News|

Riley County Commission to hold quarterly meetings in smaller communities

The Riley County Board of County Commissioners are planning to host quarterly meetings this year outside of Manhattan. Meetings will be held at 6 p.m. in the smaller cities within the county. Commission Chair Kathryn Focke says it’s important to make local government accessible to everyone and says she’s hoping to send the message that “commissioners are here to serve rural residents too.” The first of four meetings will take place March 30 at Riley City Hall.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Ranson Financial2023-03-21T14:08:30-05:00March 21, 2023|News|

Salina residents lighting up porches for Narcan awareness

Houses in Salina are going green, and not for recycling. Porches are “lighting up” awareness about Narcan in hopes of saving lives. If you see a porch shining a green light in Salina, you have found a house joining the fight against fentanyl. A green porch light means there is Narcan inside and someone who can administer it. Recently, residents out at the Oxford House in Salina began this awareness campaign, and now the campaign is spreading to personal homes as the need increases. Preston Cressler, a volunteer at an Oxford House, says recent overdoses could’ve been prevented, and the green lights are a way to be proactive. He says when people come to the Oxford House and do drug tests, most people don’t even know they have fentanyl in their system. “There’s a lot of people that don’t know that they are using fentanyl, and then they use fentanyl and the next thing you know, they’re on life support in the hospital and their families sitting around them wondering what happened and like it doesn’t have to be that way,” said Cressler.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2023-03-21T10:16:58-05:00March 21, 2023|News|