Henry Schmidt2022-12-28T08:08:58-06:00December 28th, 2022|
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
info2022-12-28T01:45:22-06:00December 28th, 2022|
Governor Laura Kelly today announced the recipients of the fall 2022 Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grants. A total of 15 projects from across the state are receiving almost $773,000 in matching grant funds. HEAL was created in 2021 as a partnership between the Patterson Family Foundation and the Department of Commerce. The HEAL program provides grant funding to assist communities in revitalizing underutilized and dilapidated downtown buildings and turning them into economic drivers in the community. The first round of HEAL grants resulted in 32 commercial buildings being rehabilitated. Interest in the program remains strong. A total of 30 applications [...]
info2022-12-28T01:44:15-06:00December 28th, 2022|
Despite snow and record-breaking cold, the number of 911 calls in Lyon County over the past week was up only slightly from last year. The Lyon County Emergency Communications Center reported Tuesday that its officers handled 1,532 calls between December 21-27. That number includes emergency and non-emergency calls. That was up five percent from the 1,458 calls received in the same seven-day period in 2021. The period last year had only a trace of rain, one morning with a low of 19 degrees and one afternoon with a high of 75. In contrast, the past few days featured a two-inch snowfall, [...]
info2022-12-28T01:43:01-06:00December 28th, 2022|
Amid a childcare crisis in Kansas, Ignite Emporia is making great strides to address the needs of Lyon County families — and helping those throughout the state. Sherry Harrison started her new position as Ignite Emporia director in June of this year. Early into her role, Harrison conducted in-depth questioning around Emporia and Lyon County, especially about the lack of housing. Within that research, another problem arose: the lack of childcare. “We started hearing from employers that they had people that would like to come to Emporia and work but they could not find housing that they were happy with,” Harrison [...]
info2022-12-28T01:42:09-06:00December 28th, 2022|
The Kansas Preservation Alliance’s annual list of the state’s Most Endangered Buildings includes six specific locations and a statewide category called “Tiny Jails.” Several of these lockups can be found in the Golden Belt. Most were built in the 1880s through 1920s and were used merely as “holding tanks” in later years of operation, according to the KPA website. By the 1960s, more were retired and then forgotten about. The “bear cage” jail cell that is alleged to have belonged to the City of Claflin is now located at the Barton County Historical Society Village and Museum. It provides a fun [...]
info2022-12-28T01:41:00-06:00December 28th, 2022|
The question Gary Demel has heard most for the past month is, “What are you going to do when you retire?” Demel’s last day as Superintendent of the Barton County Road and Bridge Department was Dec. 1. He’d worked for the county for 51 years, with some time off to serve in the U.S. Army. “I’ve been busier than ever since I retired,” he said. His wife Renee’s father passed away and they’ve been taking care of selling his property in Trousdale, and Gary also takes Renee’s grandchildren to and from school. Then there’s the Demels’ rural property in the Walnut [...]
info2022-12-28T01:39:44-06:00December 28th, 2022|
Johnson County Wastewater was recently included in the Mid-America Regional Council's 2022 Resilient Success Stories. The success stories highlight climate resilient-focused policies, plans, projects or practices that are aligned with the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan. Wastewater was honored for the impact of the Tomahawk Wastewater Treatment Facility's sidestream treatment process. The process has resulted in a decrease in energy consumption, helping the facility meet environmental requirements and reduce costs. In the video below, Tami Lorenzen, Assistant Chief Engineer-Integrated Planning Manager and Tomahawk Project Leader, explains the sidestream treatment process at the Tomahawk facility. Source: Johnson County Kansas |
info2022-12-28T01:37:43-06:00December 28th, 2022|
Starting on New Year's Day, the state tax on groceries will drop two and a half percent. Right now, the plan is for the grocery tax to disappear in 2025. Say you pay $10 in taxes on groceries. With the state tax reduced by 2.5%, you could save 25 cents for every $10. "I paid, looks like 13 dollars." That's what Chuck Crawford paid in taxes on his grocery bill Monday. But, come Sunday, anyone paying $13 in state tax on their bill now, will pay just eight dollars. “Paying less on anything feels good right now because everything just seems [...]
info2022-12-28T01:35:50-06:00December 28th, 2022|
The cold weather during the last few days has added to the water woes in Caney. It's now issued a Boil Water Order after freezing pipes caused a sudden drop in pressure, but that's not the only problem they're dealing with. "This is the stuff that we have pulled from our filters," said Caney Mayor Josh Elliott. "This gets stuck in our filters. This is like goo." A day after the city's latest water troubles began, Elliott took to Facebook live to explain what was going on. "All this stuff has clogged them and we are working day in, night out [...]
info2022-12-28T01:34:07-06:00December 28th, 2022|
Education deans at public universities in Kansas working on solutions to a K-12 teacher shortage want to dramatically expand over three years state financial aid for college students in education programs and to implement a partnership to uniformly compensate student teachers. The task force appointed by the Kansas Board of Regents has also been working to refine an agreement among community colleges and universities allowing education students to automatically transfer 60 credit hours of courses. Another of 15 recommendations in the report draft would strengthen literacy instructional skills of teachers. Source: Kansas Reflector
