The Ogallala Aquifer Advisory Committee (OAAC) will hold their first meeting of 2013 to continue looking at short and long term options for the aquifer and its stakeholders.
The committee will meet Monday, April 8 in Scott Cityat the Scott County Library meeting room, 110 W. 8th Street, Scott City at 10 a.m. Main agenda items include Local Enhanced Management Areas (LEMAs) implementation updates by each Groundwater Management District and potential future changes to the Multi-Year Flex Account program.
The complete agenda is posted on the Kansas Water Office (KWO) web site, www.kwo.org. For more information call (785) 296-3185 or (888) 526-9283 (KAN-WATER).
Kacey Musgraves made a splash by taking an honest look at small-town life in her debut hit, “Merry Go Round.” Now she’s offering up another slice of honesty with the follow-up single, “Blowin’ Smoke.” Look for Kacey to premiere the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show April 10.
Kacey is nominated for Female Vocalist and Video of the Year for “Merry Go Round” at the ACM Awards this Sunday night on CBS. Her debut album, Same Trailer Different Park, recently debuted at the top of Billboard‘s Country Albums chart. Kacey is the first solo female act in five years to pull off that feat.
The Fort Hays State baseball team rallied from an early 4-1 deficit to beat Nebraska-Kearney 5-4 in game one of their MIAA doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Larks Park in Hays. The Lopers turned the tables on the Tigers erasing a 4-0 first inning deficit for a 10-5 win in game two. The split leaves Fort Hays State at 16-14 overall and 12-13 in the MIAA. The Lopers are also 16-14 but 16-12 in conference play.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 5, Nebraska-Kearney 4
Clayton Garland’s single to right field scored Sam Thornton with the game winning run as the Tigers erase an early 4-1 deficit. Ryan Busboom led off the sixth inning with a double stole second then scored on a throwing error to tie the game.
Both teams scored a run in the first inning, but the Lopers answered with three in the top of the second for a 4-1 lead.
Kyle Leroy picked up the win in relief, getting the final out in the seventh to move to 2-1. Starter Jesse Hart gave up four runs on six hits, walking six and striking out four over 6 2/3 innings.
Game 2: Nebraska-Kearney 10, Fort Hays State 5
Fort Hays State struck for four runs in the first but the Lopers come back with three in the third and two in the fourth to take the lead. They would add two more in the eighth and one in the ninth. Clayton Garland’s solo home run to lead off the sixth was the Tigers only run after the first inning.
Loper starter Alejandro Sosa shook off the rough early start to pick up the win. He retired 10 straight and 16 of 17 batters from the third through eighth innings.
Shane Wade had a two-run double, Ryan Busboom a RBI single and Clayton Garland an RBI sac fly in the first for the Tigers.
Starter Michael Edlefson retired the first six to start the game but takes the loss, giving up five runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings.
TOPEKA, Kansas (AP) — Legislation authorizing $1.5 billion in bonds to bolster the Kansas pension system for teachers and government workers has stalled in the state Senate.
A leading backer of the measure, House Pensions Committee Chairman Steve Johnson, said Wednesday the measure is now “dead in the water.”
Johnson commented after Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ty Masterson said he won’t bring up the bill unless it’s tied to a plan for starting a 401(k)-style pension plan for public employees.
The House approved the bonding bill last month, but its pensions committee tabled a proposal for a new 401(k)-style public pension plan.
If the bonds were issued, the state would pour the funds into the pension system, quickly boosting its assets.
Wynonna‘s husband and drummer Cactus Moser began walking on his own this week for the first time since losing one of his legs in a motorcycle accident last August. The couple has been waiting eight months for this moment, and Wynonna tells People, “It freaked me out because I’ve seen him in a wheelchair and using a walker, and he just walked towards me and I was like, ‘Wow.’ I was so stunned. I saw the wreck, I saw him lose the leg.”
Wynonna is now competing on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, and her fellow contestant and reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump was one of the first people to walk with Cactus.
Wy says of her husband, “He’s so positive. I call him Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky. It’s really irritating, because sometimes I just want to complain or act tired about dancing, and he’ll say, ‘But you’re moving and you’re looking so great.'”
TOPEKA, KAN. – Three Kansas men who launched a global sales and supply network for a synthetic version of marijuana have been charged with violating the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
A 64-page federal indictment alleges the men began selling K2 – named after the second-highest mountain in the world – at a shop in Lawrence, Kan., and quickly expanded the business to encompass a chain of suppliers, retailers, wholesalers and business associates that reached to California; Massachusetts; New Jersey; Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas, Nev.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Argentina; Latvia, Germany, Lithuania, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, Singapore, Thailand and Uruguay.
The indictment also alleges the defendants unlawfully smuggled and distributed a Chinese-made diet drug called Que She.
Named in the indictment are:
Bradley Miller, 55, Wichita, Kan., who was part owner of Bouncing Bear Botanicals, a store in Lawrence, Kan., and Persophone’s Journey, a store that moved from Lawrence, Kan., to a warehouse in Oskaloosa, Kan. He developed recipes for K2 and manufactured it.
Clark Sloan, 54, Tonganoxie, Kan., Miller’s brother, who was part owner of Bouncing Bear Botanicals in Lawrence, Kan. He developed and monitored the Bouncing Bear Botanical Web site and worked in marketing and Internet technologies.
Jonathan Sloan, 32, Lawrence, Kan., Clark Sloan’s son, who was co-owner with Miller of Persephone’s Journey.
Each of them is charged with the following:
One count of conspiracy to distribute a misbranded drug
One count of distributing K2, which is a misbranded drug.
One count of distributing Que She, a misbranded drug.
Eighteen counts of mail fraud.
One count of smuggling Que She into the United States
One count of smuggling K2 out of the United States
One count of smuggling Que She out of the United States
One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The indictment alleges:
– The defendants manufactured and distributed K2 as an “all natural product” but it contained synthetic chemicals called JWH Compounds that mimic the effects of the THC in marijuana. Their products also contained solvents, either the alcohol Everclear or acetone, as well as other additives.
– They manufactured and sold at least four types of K2 products: Standard, Citron, Blonde and Summit, with Standard being the least potent and Summit being the most potent, depending on the amount of JWH Compounds that were mixed with herbs. The defendants manufactured the K2 without quality controls, resulting in inconsistent potencies.
– They intended K2 products to be smoked like marijuana by recreational drug users, but they falsely referred to K2 products as aromatic incense and falsely labeled them as “not for consumption.” On Sacred Journey’s Facebook page they promoted what they called “K2 Smoke” as follows: “Ask about our new K2 smoke 🙂 K2 = the second highest peak in the world 🙂 Enjoy your journey!”
– Miller and Jonathan Sloan mailed samples of K2 to retail stores along with brochures and pricing information. They gave out free samples of K2 on what they called “Sample Sundays.”
The indictment quotes from e-mails the defendants sent and received including the following:
– “I made a new batch…If this flies pretty fast, maybe we can make half a million or so real quick and then bail.”
– “We could name the whole line off of mountains. The higher the strength, the higher the mountain.”
– “Big shipments of some weird substance are going to raise lotsa red flags…As soon as they figure out that it gets people high – BOINK – illegal.”
– “I know that money looks good…But I think it is walking a shaky line. Playing one step ahead of the feds is whacked out.”
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Conspiracy: A maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Distributing misbranded K2 or misbranded Que She: A maximum penalty of three years and a fine up to $250,000.
Mail fraud: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Smuggling Que She into the United States: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Smuggling Que She or Que She out of the United States: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Conspiracy to commit money laundering: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000.
The Food and Drug Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway is prosecuting.
For the third consecutive month, a record number of Kansans applied for permits to carry concealed handguns, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced today.
Schmidt said his office received 4,072 applications for concealed carry permits during March, which is a new single-month record. The previous record was set in February, when 3,573 permit applications were received.
In the first quarter of 2013, 10,812 new concealed carry applications were submitted to the Kansas Attorney General’s office. There are currently 53,272 active concealed carry licensees in Kansas.
Schmidt’s office administers the concealed carry licensing program.
Little Big Town has four ACM Awards nominations going into Sunday night’s show including album of the year for Tornado. While they have their fingers crossed about taking home a trophy or four, Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman tells ABC News Radio they’re just as excited to see Luke Bryan make his debut as Blake Shelton‘s new co-host on the show. Luke replaces Blake’s longtime co-host, Reba, who is often credited with reining in Blake’s racy sense of humor. Kimberly’s not sure if Luke is up for that task.
“They’re gonna have to put, like a 15-second delay on the show,” she says. “How in the world will they keep them in check? And it’ll be hilarious. It’ll be so entertaining and so much fun.”
Since Luke and Blake’s brand of humor may have the network censors up in arms, Kimberly adds with a laugh, “Reba will be back next year.”
Look for Little Big Town to perform on The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night at 8 Eastern on CBS.
(AP) – Law enforcement authorities say a Sedgwick county sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a suspect fleeing from a robbery at a credit union in Wichita.
Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says dispatchers received the robbery call early Wednesday. A deputy in the area saw a man running from the building.
Easter says police are still investigating but he says the suspect had a weapon. The deputy shot the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Easter would not say whether the Credit Union of America branch was open at the time. Its website says the branch does not offer lobby services, and its drive-through window opens at 7:30 a.m.
Fort Hays State sophomore Samantha Hobson was named the MIAA Women’s Golf Athlete of the Week on Wednesday (Apr. 3) for her efforts at the Regis Invitational on Monday and Tuesday (Apr. 1-2).
Hobson finished second individually at the Regis Invitational in Lakewood, Colo. at the Fox Hollow Golf Course. She helped the Tigers rally from a fifth-place standing after the first day of competition to finish second overall in the final standings.
Hobson shot her lowest collegiate round on the second day, a 3-over par 75 after an 84 on the first day. She jumped from seventh individually after the first round to second in the final standings. It was the third time Hobson shot in the 70s this year and the 75 was well under her season stroke average of 83.1.
She collected her team-leading second Top 5 finish of the season.
(AP) – A former central Kansas football player has pleaded to a reduced charge in the beating death of a player from a rival college and has agreed to testify against his co-defendant.
20-year-old DeQuinte Flournoy pleaded no contest Tuesday to felony aggravated battery in the Sept. 22 death of 26-year-old Brandon Brown, a defensive lineman at Tabor College.
Flournoy and fellow McPherson College football player Alton Franklin were charged with second-degree murder in Brown’s death after a Sept. 16 altercation at a party in McPherson.
A third former McPherson College player testified in January that Franklin struck Brown in the face and Flournoy held Brown down.
Flournoy is expected to testify at Franklin’s trial, scheduled to start Monday in McPherson.
The Ogallala Aquifer Advisory Committee (OAAC) will hold their first meeting of 2013 to continue looking at short and long term options for the aquifer and its stakeholders.
