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Business Buzz – Newton Kansan

Insurance agency donates to CCRT

Miller Insurance Agency and , Goodville Mutual Casualty Company, recently made a donation to the Community Chaplain Response Team.

One of the insurance companies Miller Insurance represents, Goodville Mutual Casualty Company, recently offered to let personal auto policy holders “pay it forward” to benefit first responders or health care workers instead of receiving COVID-19 refund payments.   

Goodville then committed to match those monies.   

 As a result, Goodville has donated $500 to the Community Chaplain Response Team. 

Miller Insurance agency matched that $500 donated by Goodville, resulting in a donation to the Community Chaplain Response Team. 

Two Kansas projects take home regional America’s Transportation Awards

Two Kansas projects – the Turner Diagonal project in Kansas City and the Kidron Loop Trail project in North Newton – earned regional recognition in America’s Transportation Awards, a national competition that recognizes state DOTs and highlights projects they deliver that make their communities a better place to live, work and play.

“To have two uniquely different Kansas transportation projects receive recognition is testament to the good things that can be accomplished when state and local governments and the private sector work together,” said Julie Lorenz, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation. “It’s an honor for America’s Transportation Awards to highlight projects that had a positive impact on our state’s economy and Kansans’ quality of life.”

The Kidron Loop Trail project is an extension of the “Trail of Two Cities,” a collaboration between Newton and North Newton and connecting the adjoining towns. It’s home to scenic and historic sites such as 150-year-old Chisholm Trail ruts. The City of North Newton received KDOT Transportation Alternatives funding to continue the existing trail system along Kidron Creek and provide an unobstructed 1.2 miles of pedestrian/bicycle trails and other amenities. It is a regional winner in the Quality of Life/Community Development (small) category.

The Turner Diagonal project in Kansas City reconfigured an interchange, allowing the release of nearly 50 acres of right-of-way and opened 300 acres of land for economic development and job creation.

The Mid America region consists of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, which had a total of eight regional America’s Transportation Awards winning projects.

Finalists from the four regions nationwide will be announced and online voting for the People’s Choice Award will begin later this month. Visit https://americastransportationawards.org/ to learn more about this year’s nominees and to view the awards presentation.

REALTOR® Association Elects New Board of Directors

REALTORS® of South Central Kansas recently announced newly elected Board of Directors at their Annual Meeting. 

These officers include:

Tim Drennan (Tim Drennan Appraisals)

Myron Klaassen (Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate)

Diane Z. Park (Berkshire Hathaway PenFed Realty)

Patty L. Sanders (Berkshire Hathaway PenFed Realty)

Sandy Wendt (J.P. Weigand & Sons, Inc.)

These newly elected officers will serve on the RSCK Board of Directors January 2022 through December 2024.

Community National Bank & Trust Given top rating

National Bank & Trust recently announced it has received the highest rating of Outstanding, for its recent Community Reinvestment Act examination from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The Examination covered a period of three years, and the Outstanding rating was received on each of the three CRA testing areas of Lending, Investment and Service. 

“We greatly appreciate the strong commitment by our Banking Centers and employees in 38 locations in supporting small business and agriculture, affordable housing and revitalization of neighborhoods, business development and creating employment opportunities,” said Dan Mildfelt, President and CEO of Community National Bank & Trust.. “Our employees participate in leadership roles on over 110 Boards in the communities that we serve throughout our Regional footprint in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. I am extremely proud of the community service that our people provide to civic groups, local schools, colleges and universities, and wonderful organizations that make our communities successful.”

Community National Bank & Trust has invested further with the formation of the Community National Foundation for charitable donations to our communities and the CNB&T Community Development Corporation to provide unique financing options for minority and women owned businesses in our Region. Community National Bank & Trust is a $1.8 billion Bank with a Preferred Lender designation in SBA and FSA Lending.

 Grants announced for community organizations to support vaccination

TOPEKA – To reaffirm her administration’s support for local organizations engaged in efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccinations, Governor Laura Kelly today announced the launch of the Pandemic Assistance & Vaccine Equity Grants (PAVE) program. 

The PAVE program, launching today through a partnership between Governor Kelly and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, provides an additional funding opportunity to local organizations’ vaccine efforts. The program is specifically dedicated to reaching high-risk, vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic, including underserved populations such as racial and ethnic minorities and rural communities.

“Local organizations across the state have been working tirelessly for months to increase vaccinations among underserved populations and protect all of their communities from the threat of the virus,” Governor Kelly said. “Through the PAVE program, my administration is pleased to support those efforts, empowering local communities to keep Kansans healthy, keep businesses open, and keep kids in school.”

Organizations can apply for grants up to $10,000 to support vaccination efforts. Requested funds must be utilized to support vaccine planning and activities to ensure effective and equitable COVID-19 vaccination distribution. This includes expanding infrastructure and supplies, engaging in additional partnerships, providing additional education and communication materials, supporting transportation costs, and implementing and evaluating new strategies to reach underserved populations.

By expanding available resources, the State aims to empower communities promoting vaccination while ensuring greater access to the free and safe COVID-19 vaccine for all Kansans.

These funds are available to many types of organizations, including not but limited to clinics, community and faith-based organizations, Kansas tribes, nonprofits, colleges, and pharmacies. Funding does not need to go through the SPARK approval process.

Applications must be submitted for consideration to [email protected] by December 31, 2021.