Monthly Archives: August 2015

Earlier this summer KCHBA joined the national coalition “United for Patent Reform” in support of federal patent trolling legislation. Patent trolls, which bring frivolous lawsuits against businesses while not actually manufacturing anything themselves, cost the economy billions both indirectly and directly each year. They send threatening letters asserting patent infringement claims with the goal of collecting large settlements. Patent trolls are hurting home builders and other Main Street businesses across the region. For example, they have sued home builders for using fans to dry out a house frame or scanning documents to their computers.

Pulaski Bank Home Lending is pleased to announce that it has been ranked as a Top Ten Lender in the LendingTree® Network Lenders List for second quarter 2015. The „Top Ten? list is based on a weighted average of consumer ratings and reviews. Lenders were rated on mortgage rates, fees, closing costs, responsiveness, customer service and overall experience

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro announced Wednesday the allocation of more than $26 million from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for St. Louis County, Missouri. St. Louis County received $24 million under the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program to establish a loan pool for community development projects, while an additional $2.4 million in Declared Disaster Recovery Funds was awarded to the North County area of St. Louis County to help communities impacted by tornadoes and severe storms in 2013.

EPA Region 7 and Coastal Energy Corporation, Willow Springs, Mo., recently reached a proposed settlement valued at more than $200,000 to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The settlement requires Coastal to pay $25,000 in cash penalties and complete more than $175,000 in supplemental environmental projects

Yesterday Congressman Cleaver led a working meeting with local county economic development professionals, as well as the Administrator of USDA’s Rural Housing Service, Tony Hernandez, and representatives from the Federal Home Loan Bank and the Housing Assistance Council. The working meeting focused on rural workforce housing priorities and the housing needs of the Fifth District's rural communities. This effort included a roundtable discussion aimed at clarifying the workforce housing program options for local communities

Eitas the Developmental Disability Services of Jackson County welcomes the 16th Annual Gentle Teaching International 2015 Conference attendees and speakers September 9-11, at the Westin Crown Center Hotel. The conference offers ongoing dialogue in a global community, building on the momentum of previous years while seeking new ways to cultivate a spirit of gentleness in the lives of marginalized individuals

Local builders took out permits for 433 single family homes during June, the highest June number since 2007, according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City’s (HBA) monthly Residential Building Permit Statistics report. With 433 single family permits issued during June, the year-to-date total for 2015 is 2,148. Multi-family construction continues to grow as June recorded 120 units making a year-to-date total of 1,528.