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JANUARY 9, 2015
Mortgage Rates Fall to New Lows
WASHINGTON —
The average for a
meant to keep longterm rates low.
spot for the financial markets last year. The decline in The 10-year note mortgage rates also has new lows, with the traded at 1.97 percent A year ago, the come as bond yields benchmark 30-year rate Wednesday, down from 30-year mortgage stood have marking its lowest level hit record low 2.17 percent a week at 4.51 percent and the levels. since May 2013. Mortgage rates earlier. It recovered 15-year mortgage at often follow the yield to trade at 2 percent The mortgage giant 3.56 percent. Mortgag e on the 10-year Treasur y Thursda Freddie Mac says the y morning. rates have remained note, which has fallen nationwide average To calculate average low even though below 2 percent. Bond for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates, Freddie the Federal Reserve yields rise as prices mortgage fell to 3.73 Mac surveys lenders in October ended fall. percent this week from across the country at its monthly bond Bond prices were an 3.87 percent last week. the beginning of each purchases, which were unexpected strong week. The average 15-year mortgage slid to 3.05 percent from 3.15 percent last week.
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slipped to 2.39 percent from 2.40 percent. The from last week. The fee fee held at 0.4 point. for a 15-year mortgag e declined to 0.5 point The Associated Press from 0.6 point. contributed to this The average rate on report.
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A federal grand jury is looking into loans made to Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s re-election campaign and has ordered the state’s ethics chief to testify next week as part of its investigation, according to a subpoena obtained by The Associated Press. Carol Williams, the executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, was summoned to appear be-
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fore the grand jury Wednesday in Topeka, $300,000 according to documents the AP obtained through an open records request. She also was or- Brownback dered to provide documents pertaining to loans Brownback’s campaign received in 2013 and 2014. The subpoena doesn’t say
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which specific loans are being investigated, but the only loans listed on campaign disclosure reports for those years are one Colyer from Brownback himself and others from Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer. Colyer loaned Brownback’s campaign $500,000 in August — the third such loan
the governor’s running mate made to their re-election bid — according to the last disclosure report, filed days before the November general election. Such large loans by candidates to campaigns are uncommon in Kansas, and the pattern of repaying one within days is a highly unusual move that has generated unanswered questions about where Colyer obtained such a large amount of cash. “The campaign followed all
Synthetic ice requires attitude adjustment, skaters are finding By Caitlin Doornbos Twitter: @CaitlinDoornbos
I
went ice-skating — or maybe I went ice-scooting — at the Lawrence Plaza Skate Rink Monday. After a letter to the editor and several members of the public criticized the new ice-skating rink, at 707 Vermont St. between the library and the parking garage, I was assigned to go see what all the fuss is about. So I bragged to my colleagues that I grew up ice skating, that I can do a few tricks, that I’m practically Michelle Kwan. This assignment was going to be a piece of cake. Then I fell — hard — twice during my first lap. “Skating” on the synthetic ice was a bit like sliding in socks on a heavily waxed gym floor. You move, but not very far. And if you try to skate like you would on real ice, you end up on the ground, like I did. Ice rink employee Sydney Studer said she also grew up ice skating. She said at Lawrence Parks and Recreation’s employee orientation to introduce staff to the rink she asked, “Is it finished?” “Everyone who goes from ice skating (to the synthetic ice) is a little disappointed you can’t really glide,” Studer said, “but it’s a great way to get outside in the winter.” Studer said first-time skaters, especially children, love the rink. And you can’t beat the price at $3 per skate rental. Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo “You can stay for 20 minutes or you can stay for an NATHAN DREWRY, OF LAWRENCE, helps his daughter with a skating move earlier this hour,” Studer said. “That beats week at the Library Plaza Skate Rink on Vermont Street. The rink’s synthetic ice means the rink can be used even in warm weather, but some skaters are finding the Please see SKATING, page 4A surface difficult to glide on.
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applicable laws and ethics regulations and this investigation has no merit,” Brownback’s press secretary Eileen Hawley said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “It is a common practice for candidates to make loans to their campaigns and any loans were done in compliance with Kansas law and ethics regulations.” “Governor Brownback’s focus is on doing the people’s Please see LOANS, page 3A
LEGISLATURE
Medicaid expansion to get early hearing By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
The chances may be slim that Kansas will expand its Medicaid program this year, but at least one Lawrence-area legislator says he is going to try. Rep. Tom Sloan, chairman of the House Vision 2020 Committee and the only Republican in the Sloan Lawrence legislative delegation, said Thursday that he plans to begin holding hearings early in the session on the consequences of not expanding Medicaid. The 2015 session begins Monday. Sloan said the purpose of the hearings will be “to identify what a Kansas solution might look like.” Please see MEDICAID, page 6A
City sets listening sessions about police HQ vote By Chad Lawhorn Twitter: @clawhorn_ljw
Lawrence city commissioners want to hear what went wrong with their proposal to build a $28 million police headquarters, which was defeated by voters in November. Commissioners have scheduled two listening sessions this month to hear from residents about why voters rejected a proposed 0.2 percent sales tax that would have funded a police headquarters on a site near the Kansas Turnpike. “I just want to find out how we can do this project in a way that will make people feel comfortable,” Mayor Mike Amyx said. “Obviously, the things we proposed, at least for the majority of the voters, weren’t quite right.” Please see POLICE, page 2A