Month: November 2013
Friday Night at the Museum Rescheduled
The Sternberg Museum has rescheduled November’s Friday Night at the Museum. On Friday November 15th, the public is invited to explore the museum and rediscover all of the exhibits as guides take participants on an evening tour from 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm. Those attending will explore the nature trail, tour the museum with flashlights, handle live animals, uncover fossils, and more.
The event is for children ages 5 and up. Any children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult or older sibling. Snacks are provided, registration is required. The event costs $15 for visitors, $12 for museum members.
The event usually takes place the second Friday of the month but was rescheduled to the 15th of November.
Brother-in-law sentenced in Kansas woman’s death
(AP) — The brother-in-law of a Topeka woman was sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison for his role in her death.
Twenty-year-old Gabino Alcala, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced Tuesday to 14 years and eight months for the October 2012 death of Ashley Alcala at her home. He was also ordered to pay nearly $40,500 in restitution to Ashley Alcala’s mother.
Ashley Alcala’s husband, Manuel Alcala, previously was sentenced to life in prison for shooting his wife. Gabino and Manuel Alcala’s mother, Manuela Alcala, is serving two years and six months in prison for obstruction and other charges.
A fourth defendant, 20-year-old Benjamin Anaya, also of El Paso, Texas, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Focus session: “Education is not a business”
The eleven people attending the second and final focus session soliciting public input in the search for a new USD 489 superintendent talked a lot about the school board members.
Many of the participants feel the board is “too business-minded” rather than education-minded and that the “perception of the board dynamics feels confrontational and rigid.”
School district staff and teachers as well as site council members were specifically invited to Tuesday night’s meeting. Monday night’s event was open to parents and community members. Both were held at Hays High School
USD 489 has hired Kansas Association of School Board consultants Gary Sechrist and Max Heim to conduct the superintendent search. Heim previously served as a school superintendent for 28 years.
“It’s a tough job and the most difficult aspect is working with the board,” said Heim.
Heim will present the public feedback findings at the November 11 school board meeting.
Applications for the superintendent job are due January 6.
Below is the feedback from Tuesday’s meeting as compiled by Elizabeth Jaeger, USD 489 assistant to the superintendent and public relations coordinator.
KASB Focus Group_Parent-SchoolOrganizations
Hays Post 11-5-13
Hays Post
Meat labels to change after ‘pink slime’ uproar
(AP) — Cargill Inc. says it will start labeling beef products that contain finely textured beef, an ingredient that came under attack as “pink slime.”
The meat company says the new packages will appear before next year’s grilling season and is in response to consumer demand. It says packages will note when a product “Contains Finely Textured Beef.”
Finely textured beef is made of fatty bits of meat left over from other cuts that are treated to kill bacteria. The filler had been used for decades in the U.S. but started to gain negative attention after a New York Times article in 2009, in which a federal microbiologist referred to it as “pink slime.”
Cargill says it has been making finely textured beef since 1993.
KHAZ Country Music News: Brad Paisley’s CMA Preview
NASHVILLE (AP) – Brad Paisley hopes you laugh as well as sing along to the Country Music Association Awards. He says it’s a well-thought-out show and they put a lot of effort into the comedy as well as the performances. He wants the opening monologue to be memorable, so that in a few years viewers will look back on that and know it was 2013 because of the things he poked fun at. Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the awards for the sixth straight time. Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves lead the nominations with six each. The CMAs will air live from Nashville tonight on ABC.
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Funds for mental health services coming to Kansas groups
Three Kansas organizations have been awarded grants from the Tower Foundation totaling $62,000 to support mental health services.
NAMI Kansas, Inc, which has a representative in Hays, received $9,000 to pay for training In Our Own Voice presenters. In Our Own Voice is a public education program developed by NAMI in which two trained speakers share personal stories about recovering from mental illness.
The Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, Inc., was awarded $30,000 to fund staff training across the state in the Mental Health First Aid for Youth program, which focuses on warning signs of mental health problems.
The Disability Rights Center of Kansas, Inc., was awarded $23,000 to fund development and promotion of a “transition toolkit” for recent high school graduates with disabilities, including mental health problems, to navigate the transition from high school to adult life.
The toolkit will provide information to students and their parents so they can understand their rights and how to obtain support during and after the transition. The toolkit will include a smart phone application.
The Tower Mental Health Foundation of Kansas was created as a result of an agreement between the Attorney General’s Office and the Menninger Foundation in 2007. It offers support to organizations that provide mental health services in Kansas. The attorney general is the sole member of the foundation, which has a nine-member board of directors. Dr. Walter Menninger is the board president.—KHI News Service
Search for Stolen vehicles UPDATE
Wednesday 6 a.m. Authorities continue to look for the Ford F 350 truck reportedly stolen in Russell on Sunday night.
Monday 9 a.m. Law enforcement authorities in the region are looking for a white 2008 Ford F 350 dually with a bale bed. The truck was reportedly stolen from a shed in Russell on Sunday night.
The truck has Kansas license 281 EBZ
They are also looking for an ATV and trailer taken from Pawnee County over the weekend.
The 2007 Arctic Cat was on a black 8×10 utility trailer, wood floor and white wheels.
If you have information on these vehicles, please contact police.
Kansas man killed in hit and run highway crash
A 39-year-old Wichita man was killed in a hit and run accident in Stafford County Tuesday evening.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol Christopher L. Burton-Scott of Wichita worked for a tow company and was out securing a disabled tour bus to a trailer with safety chains on US 50 at mile marker 201, 2/10 of mile west of Stafford.
An unknown westbound vehicle hit him as he was standing along the fog line at the rear of the trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities are asking for help with details on the accident. If you can help, call the Kansas Highway Patrol 316-744-0451.
November in the Kansas Room
By: Lucia Bain, Kansas Room Librarian, Hays Public Library
November is a month to be thankful. I am thankful for my health, my home, my family, my job and this year I am incredibly thankful because my husband and I are expecting our first child! As busy as my life has been in the last two years, I suspect that, come April, it will become a lot more hectic. I’ll be taking a few weeks off when the baby comes, but I have plenty of projects and programs to get through before the big arrival. November is no exception.
There are some new print items available in the Kansas Room, including Dragging Wyatt Earp by Rober Rebein, The Big Divide by Diane Eickhoff and Aaron Barnhart, Hooked Rugs of the Midwest by Mary Collins Barile, and Green Town U.S.A., by Daniel Wallach. Stop by the Kansas Room to check out these and other new titles!
The Kansas Room is sponsoring three programs in November – a line dancing class, a wheat weaving demonstration, and a wine tasting event. The line dancing class will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6 PM in the Schmidt Gallery. Vanessa North from the children’s department will be teaching participants how to slide, shimmy and shuffle their way through popular line dances. Wear comfortable shoes and leave your fears at the door. Vanessa’s classes are easy to follow and entertaining.
On Friday, Nov. 22 at 2 PM in the Schmidt Gallery, local resident Patricia Albrecht will be leading a wheat weaving demonstration. Audience members will have the opportunity to see some of Patricia’s handiwork, as well as watch her weave a simple, braided wreath. For those who want to try their hand at weaving, Patricia will also be teaching participants how to construct a simple wheat braid on their own. Wheat weaving is a beautiful folk art and a great way to appreciate Kansas’ most abundant crop.
Finally, on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 6 PM in the Schmidt Gallery there will be a wine tasting event led by Clayton Cutter. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about and sample eight different wines from some of the best wine producing regions of the world. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn about different varieties of wine and maybe even get a few ideas for what to serve with this year’s holiday meals. This event will be free to the public, but spaces are limited. Only the first twenty five people to sign up will receive a ticket to the event, so if you want to attend, be sure to contact me right away. You can either call me at 785-625-9014 to request a ticket or email me at [email protected]. You must be 21 years old to attend this event.
Last month I attended a meeting in Topeka to discuss the Turning Points film project, for which Hays was selected. Don’t forget, our community’s turning point is the formation of the Hays Arts Council in the mid-1960s. It looks like things will really start rolling in the next couple of months as the story is mapped and the interviews are scheduled! The premier of the film will take place in late spring. Keep watching my column for more updates on the Turning Points project as it develops.
The Kansas Room is open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM on Mondays, 9 AM to 6 PM Tuesday through Friday and by request.
USD 489 Budget Nearly Finalized
Interim Superintendent Dean Katt has been working with administrators to finalize this year’s budget so the district can prioritize spending and move forward with certain projects. Katt told Hays Post that while he’s very familiar with school finances, he’s had to get familiar with USD 489’s budget.
Katt said that it’s common for districts to inflate certain areas in the budget and reallocate funds from one section to another. One thing he’s learned through various meetings is which budget items were over-inflated, and what funds have already been moved around. He says that meeting with those who developed the budget and getting everyone on the same page was a big first step.
“We have some idea now but it’s going to take a little bit of time. I can’t say we’re not worried obviously we have a very tight budget which isn’t unusual for Hays I understand. And figuring all that out, it’s just a different philosophy than what I’m used to: I’m just not used to that tight a budget. Obviously we need to make some adjustments and see how we want to get through until we have our audit.”
He says that the budget also doesn’t include reimbursable items or student fees, which according to past figures, average around $500,000 a year. Calculation of funds like that will be a part of future meetings to ensure the district is able to meet its financial obligations in all areas. He also said that one of his long-term goals is for the district to be able to carry money over from one year to another.
Right now, Katt says he’s been working with others to finalize the budget so that unexpended projects across the district can be prioritized and paid for out of current funds, even if some budgeted areas need to be readjusted. Currently, one obstacle is overcoming the full time enrollment (FTE) difference.
According to Katt, each FTE equates to an additional $6,137 in the budget, spread across multiple areas. This year, actual enrollment is about 142 students short of the published budget, which means quite a few areas within the budget will need to be reevaluated and adjusted accordingly.
Katt said that the next step will involve going to Topeka along with Tracey Kaiser and Cheryl Shubert to visit with the State Department, getting the budget “squared away.” After that, he’d like to change the way the district prepares its yearly budget.
“What we want to do is come up with a very good budgeting process where we have involvement from all people like principles, maintenance, and just everyone involved. Go through that and come up with a 5 year plan on finances.”
Kansas committee begins school finance meetings
(AP) — A special legislative committee is opening two days of hearings to review the Kansas school finance system and study the practices of neighboring states.
The meetings Wednesday and Thursday also include a discussion of staffing changes by school districts and how they compares to neighboring states. Policy analysts are expected to also discuss trends in school choice programs nationwide.
The committee is led by Republican Kasha Kelley, chairwoman of the House Education Committee, and Republican Sen. Steve Abrams, a former State Board of Education member.
Legislators will revisit school funding in 2014 after the Kansas Supreme Court issues its decision in an appeal of a lower court’s ruling ordering the state to increase spending. The justices heard the arguments in October.