Unemployment rates up across state for month of June

25 Monday, July 25

Unemployment rates up across state for month of June

info2022-07-26T07:47:19-05:00July 25th, 2022|

Kansas’ unemployment rate increased slightly between May and June, however, Kansas Labor Secretary Amber Schultz says employment rates are still in a good place. The state did see a robust level of hiring for the month adding 4,600 new jobs, however, due to inflation, real-hourly earnings did decline by 4.1 percent compared to June 2021. Unemployment rates were up across most of the KVOE listening area between May and June. Lyon County’s unemployment rate increased from 2.2 percent to 2.7 percent. Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

25 Monday, July 25

There are no dog parks in west Wichita. Some City Council members want to change that

info2022-07-25T06:53:36-05:00July 25th, 2022|

When Reece Hembree takes his dog, Simba, to the dog park, he has to drive east. That’s because Hembree lives out west, and the closest dog park is on Meridian, in north central Wichita. “The closest one I saw was like 11 to 12 miles away, and I was like, ‘OK,’” he said. “It’s not bad, but it would be pretty convenient to have one somewhere in west Wichita.” That’s a common request, the two City Council members who represent west Wichita say. Source: Wichita Eagle

25 Monday, July 25

Investors Bet Fed Will Need to Cut Interest Rates Next Year to Bolster the Economy

info2022-07-25T06:52:52-05:00July 25th, 2022|

As the Federal Reserve prepares to meet this week, Wall Street investors are betting that officials will raise interest rates aggressively through the end of the year—and then turn around and start cutting them in six months. The unusual wager reflects investors’ growing sense that the Fed is driving the economy into a recession as it tries to fight inflation, analysts said. At the same time, by constraining longer-term borrowing costs, it makes a recession slightly less likely to happen soon. That is a boost to riskier assets such as stocks, compared with a more traditional bet that rates wouldn’t boomerang [...]

25 Monday, July 25

USDA Invests Nearly $2.3 Million in Community Infrastructure and Economic Development in Eight Rural Kansas Communities

info2022-07-25T06:51:23-05:00July 25th, 2022|

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Kansas Director for Rural Development Christy Davis today announced that USDA is investing $2,268,200 toward eight community projects across the state. ... Project details of today’s eight announcements are: A $33,000 grant will assist Thrive Allen County, Inc. with a Feasibility Study to create an incubator/accelerator space for Allen County. The space would increase economic development by creating an inviting, supportive space for entrepreneurs in the area. A $202,000 grant will assist The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, in conjunction with partners Pittsburg State University Small Business Development Center and Kansas Works, expand services to small [...]

25 Monday, July 25

Amelia Earhart statue lands in Congress 23 years after Kansas started effort

info2022-07-25T06:40:07-05:00July 25th, 2022|

Kansas aviation pioneer and advocate for women’s equal rights Amelia Earhart will be honored this week with a bronze statue in Congress, an effort that has taken more than two decades to accomplish. Congress will unveil the statue Wednesday, making Earhart the 11th woman enshrined in the National Statuary Hall Collection. The effort has taken 23 years since the Kansas Legislature voted in 1999 to replace the state’s two statues with Earhart and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It took four years to get Eisenhower’s statue in Congress. Source: Salina Journal

25 Monday, July 25

Municipal Bond Trends for July 22, 2022

info2022-07-25T06:38:48-05:00July 25th, 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 and Beth Warren.

25 Monday, July 25

Panasonic’s De Soto plant will put a charge into KC-area economy

info2022-07-25T06:38:07-05:00July 25th, 2022|

Kansas and the Kansas City region are riding high after winning the megaproject known for months only as Project Ocean. Plans by Panasonic Energy Co. Ltd. to build a $4 billion electric-vehicle battery plant in De Soto bring the promise of 4,000 jobs. More than that, they position the region as a new player amid a sea change in how the world powers vehicles and other products of everyday life. “We will be the production epicenter for batteries that will power the increasing demand for EVs and a more sustainable world,” Gov. Laura Kelly said at a July 13 news conference. [...]

25 Monday, July 25

Nevada official: Tesla/Panasonic gigafactory offers excitement, lessons for KC area

info2022-07-25T06:37:10-05:00July 25th, 2022|

“People don’t realize what an investment like this, and a name like Panasonic … means.” Forms of this statement have come from scores of government, development and business officials since the announcement that Panasonic Corp. plans to build a $4 billion battery plant in De Soto. But the above quote means even more because it comes from someone who has seen firsthand what such a project can do for — and to — a region. Mike Kazmierski, CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, has watched the buildup of Tesla Gigafactory Nevada. Tesla and Panasonic share the plant for [...]

24 Sunday, July 24

Communities designate ‘cool off areas’

info2022-07-25T06:31:41-05:00July 24th, 2022|

With temperatures forecasted to remain above 100 degrees for the next week, several communities in Crawford County have designated "cooling off areas" open to the public should residents have issues with their air conditioning or just need to stop in during errands. Source: Morning Sun

24 Sunday, July 24

‘Miracle Mile’: Flurry of openings energizes Iola’s State Street business corridor

info2022-07-25T06:33:09-05:00July 24th, 2022|

The timing may be a coincidence, with several Iola businesses opening (or reopening) within weeks of each other. But that activity also brings a palpable sense of enthusiasm, notes Jonathan Goering of Thrive Allen County. Goering serves as Thrive’s economic development director for Iola, Allen County and Humboldt, and has watched — and occasionally assisted — as several businesses have opened this summer. The fun started when the owners of Yates Center’s Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant decided to open a second location, Vaqueros II, in the building formerly occupied by the Greenery and Inn Club. That was followed in late May with [...]