(AP) – A realtors association says home sales in Kansas in May were the highest in the state since 2007.
The Kansas Association of Realtors says sales increased 14.2 percent in May, to 3,727 units sold to 3,265 in 2012. Nationwide sales rose 12.9 percent in May.
The association’s president, Steve McCullough, says another 3,418 sales were pending at the end of May, up 3.4 percent from May 2012 and 16.1 percent from May 2011.
McCullough says if current sales rates continue, it would take about four months to run through the 15,112 houses listed for sale across the state.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the median sales price statewide was $156,000, up from $144,850 in May 2012.
After months of debate, the Wichita school board decided to build a new Southeast High School, rather than renovate the current building.
The board voted Monday night to proceed with construction of a $54 million high school about six miles from the current building. It isn’t expected to open until 2016.
The project will be funded with money from a 2008 bond issue, which was originally targeted to renovating the old school and building a new one. But board members said a reduction of nearly $60 million in state aid since that bond issue passed made it difficult to operate two schools.
The old school will be used for administration offices. And the district will negotiate to bring some programs from Wichita Area Technical College to the old building.
Salina residents will not be allowed to carry concealed weapons into the city’s public buildings for at least six months.
The city commission voted unanimously Monday to exempt until Jan. 1 more than 30 public buildings from a new law that allows concealed weapons.
A law that takes effect July 1 allows people with concealed-carry permits to take weapons into public buildings unless the buildings have adequate security. The law gives cities and counties the right to exempt their buildings for six months.
City Manager Jason Gage says it would cost the city thousands of dollars to install electronic scanners and a security guard at the buildings.
The Salina Journal reports the Saline County-Salina Building Authority also passed the exemption last week for the City-County Building.
Confused about immigration reform? Don’t be. Many groups including the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and over 20 other business groups, a wide variety of church representatives, and law enforcement officers support reform. What do they understand that we don’t? First, we are a nation of immigrants, we need to make the system more efficient, accessible and open to immigration through increased visas and efficient verification. We support securing the border to prevent future illegal immigration, but the broken system led to illegal immigration. Supporters recognize there is a moral obligation to fix laws that cause families to be split and lead to oppression of hardworking, responsible people. It’s in the public’s best interest to offer persons an opportunity to become citizens; carry identification; gain a driver’s license and carry insurance; and encourage children to receive an education. It’s in Kansas’ best interest to have lawful, reliable, taxpaying workers; growing communities; and safe streets. Do not discourage people from pursuing the American Dream. Call Mr. Roberts and Mr. Moran and ask them to vote for immigration reform.
Brian Hemenn Mascow Dairy Hugoton, Kansas
A graveside and inurnment service will be held for Wayne & Lois Groom on Friday, June 28, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Phillips County, KS with Pastor Joel Hiesterman officiating.
Lois passed away March 7, 2011 in Phillipsburg, KS and Wayne passed away January 23, 2013 in Logan, KS. The couple chose cremation.
Survivors include their daughter, Dawn Wollard of Phillipsburg, KS; granddaughter, Bethany Wollard; and Wayne’s sister, Myrna Townley of Glade, KS.
Friends may sign their memory book on Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.
Memorial contributions may be given to Hospice Services. Online condolences to: www.olliffboeve.com.
Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, is in charge of arrangements.
Former Phillipsburg resident, Mike Swarts, passed away Saturday, June 15, 2013 at his home in San Antonio, TX at the age of 48. He was born in Herington, KS on June 30, 1964, the son of Leslie & Joan (Hogue) Swarts. Mike worked as an auto mechanic.
He is survived by his father, Les Swarts & wife, Sylvia, of Phillipsburg, KS; his mother, Joan Roberts of Higby, MO; brothers, Curtis Swarts of Ft. Riley, KS; Kenny Roberts and Russell Roberts, both of Moberly, MO; sisters, Angie Johanek of Cawker City, KS; Lesley Nisbet of Lockney, TX; and Teresa Andrews of Centralia, MO.
Cremation was planned. A memorial service will be held Thursday, June 27, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. in the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, with Pastor Shelly Klingensmith officiating.
Friends may sign his memory book at the funeral home on Tuesday & Wednesday during regular hours, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be given to: Teach a Kid to Fish in Kansas or the Donor’s Choice. Online condolences to: www.olliffboeve.com.
Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, is in charge of arrangements
Former Kirwin, KS resident, Joimae Grismore, passed away on Saturday, June 22, 2013 at the Deseret Heath & Rehab Facility in Kensington, KS at the age of 77.
Joimae was born August 18, 1935 in Smith County, KS the daughter of Jesse H. & Lorraine (Scott) Lee. She worked as a Certified Nurse Aide at several Nursing Homes in the area.
She was united in marriage to Frankie E. Grismore on Sept. 25, 1953 in Kensington, KS. He preceded her in death in 1966. She was also preceded in death by a son, Wayne “Sug” Grismore & a step-son, Lester Troster.
Survivors include her five children, Billy Grismore, Phillipsburg, Joimae (Mike)
Kidd, Auxvasse, MO, Frankie (Lindsay) Grismore, Purdin, MO, Lorraine Werner and
fiancé Mickey, Salina, KS, Barb (Evan) Whitney, Norton, KS, Step daughter-in-law
Martha Troster, Grant City, MO, 13 grand-children, 11 great-grand-children.
Graveside services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 25, 2013 in the Kirwin Cemetery, Kirwin, KS with Pastor Joel Hiesterman officiating.
Mrs. Grismore will lie in-state from noon until 9:00 p.m. Monday evening at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, 1115 2nd St., Phillipsburg, Kansas 67661, with the family receiving friends from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for visitation.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Services, Inc.
Online condolences may be left at www.olliffboeve.com.
The Hays Monarchs were only able to get one game of their scheduled doubleheader at Larned in last night due to weather, and that was shortened to to ran. The Monarchs won 4-2 in five innings.
Hays scored one in the second then three in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. Larned rallied with two in the bottom of the inning when the game was called.
Cameron Brin and Jordan Gottschalk both doubled with Gottschalk, Shane Zimmerman and Pierce Schippers all driving in runs helping Schippers pick up the victory on the mound.
The Monarchs are now 5-5 on the season. They are scheduled to travel to Colby for two games on Wednesday.
The setup for the 2013 Country Stampede started last Friday at Tuttle Creek State Park.
Crews have until Thursday at 4:00 p.m. to have everything ready. According to Wayne Rouse, Country Stampede President and GM, the stage will be up and ready for sound and light checks by Wednesday.
“So far we have all of the offices and we’re putting up tents. The stage is going up and all of the fence is done,” Rouse said Monday morning.
Rouse estimated that their was around 150 crew members working on the grounds Monday and when the festival actually starts on Thursday he expects to have around 1,100 employees working the grounds.
This years headliners include Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins and Miranda Lambert. Between 150,000 and 160,000 people are expected to attend this year’s music festival.
Gates open Thursday at 4:00 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
A teenage driver is hospitalized today from injuries she suffered in an accident in Thomas County on Monday night.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, “Seventeen-year-old Andrea Dawn Barton of Colby was driving a 2006 Pontiac G-6 northbound on K25 a mile and a half South of I-70 mile post 53 on Monday night. The car drifted right onto the shoulder and the driver lost control of the vehicle. It flipped onto its top where it came to rest. Barton was transported to Citizens Medical Center. She was wearing a seat belt.”
Rosemary Leicht of Bethel, Ohio, is the grand prize winner in the 2013 National Festival of Breads baking competition, sponsored by King Arthur Flour,
Rosemary Leicht of Bethel, Ohio, won the National Festival of Breads with her Time Saving and Simple recipe, “Onion Parmesan Cracker Bread.”
Fleischmann’s Yeast, and the Kansas Wheat Commission. Judges selected Leicht’s recipe for Onion Parmesan Cracker Bread from among eight finalist recipes bake-tested at the public competition on June 22 in Manhattan. The National Festival of Breads is the nation’s only amateur bread-baking competition.
Rosemary Leicht of Bethel, Ohio, won the National Festival of Breads with her Time Saving and Simple recipe, “Onion Parmesan Cracker Bread.”
“It is very exciting, but it is surprising,” Leicht said after the award announcement. “There were so many great breads here, and they all sounded wonderful.”
Leicht’s Onion Parmesan Cracker Bread was entered in the competition’s “Time Saving and Simple” category. Leicht says she developed the recipe after her son-in-law raved about a similar bread served at a Chicago restaurant.
“Michael is our newest member of the family, so when this contest came up, I thought I would try something he would enjoy,” says Leicht, who perfected the recipe after nearly four months of testing and tweaking.
Leicht works as a part-time paralegal in Bethel. She and her husband, George, have two grown children, Martin and Elizabeth.
As the 2013 National Festival of Breads champion, Leicht wins $2,000 in cash, an expense-paid trip to King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont, and a year’s supply of yeast from Fleischmann’s Yeast.
According to judges Kristina Vanni, Cooking Contest Central; Jane Marshall, Kansas State University College of Human Ecology; Allison Fishman-Task, Yahoo.com’s “Blue Ribbon Hunter”; and Aaron Clanton, Baking Curriculum manager at AIB International, Leicht’s Onion Parmesan Cracker Bread was unique, fun, and delicious. Its crispiness allows families and friends to truly “break bread together.”
The NFOB Awards Banquet concluded a day of baking-related activities, including educational baking demonstrations, children’s activities, bread taste-tests and more. More than 600 people – many from out of state – attended the event in Manhattan.
“The third National Festival of Breads exceeded our expectations in terms of outstanding bread recipes vying for the grand prize,” said Cindy Falk, nutrition educator for Kansas Wheat and chairperson of the National Festival of Breads. “We were thrilled with the wonderful attendance and support we had from home bakers seeking to gain additional insight and expertise during our educational sessions. The 2013 National Festival of Breads was a tremendous success.”
Additional information about the 2013 National Festival of Breads, including the finalists’ recipes and a complete list of sponsors, is available at NationalFestivalofBreads.com.
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback will tour North Central Kansas on Wednesday. The Governor will be touring several manufacturing companies with locations in Kansas and will present a check for Concordia High School’s efforts in helping their students succeed in the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) program the Governor authored and signed into law in 2012. The full public schedule is as follows:
· 9:00 am- Concordia High School, 436 W 10th St., Concordia, KS.
· 10:00 am- Concordia Tractor Co., 1441 Union Road, Concordia, KS.
· 11:00 am- Reinke Manufacturing Company, 1207 8th Street, Belleville, KS.
(AP) – A realtors association says home sales in Kansas in May were the highest in the state since 2007.
