The sales team from Eagle Radio in Hays won top honors at a company retreat this month in Mayetta.
Pictured, from left, Gary Shorman, Doug Minson, Mike Ashcraft, Mike Holliday, Mark Hammerschmidt, Todd Lynd, Steve Urban, Joe Lohmeyer, Steve Klitzke and Kurt David.
The Eagle Communications Lead Eagle Award is given to the sales team that displays leadership and outstanding sales performance within the company.
It is the fourth time in eight years the Eagle Radio of Hays sales team has won the award.
“We’re all honored to represent this company,” said Todd Lynd, general manager. “This award is recognition for an enormous amount of hard work done by everyone at Eagle Radio of Hays.”
Sales professionals from all of Eagle’s markets were on hand for the annual awards and training program, including the Kansas markets of Hays, Salina, Hutchinson, Junction City, Manhattan, Great Bend; the Nebraska markets of North Platte and Alliance-Chadron; and St. Joseph, Mo.
Doug Minson was named market leader for Eagle Radio of Hays, while Joni Phelps received the award for top sales performer for Hays-based Eagle Community Television.
Gary Shorman, Eagle president and chief executive officer, and Kurt David, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, presented the awards.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A large order for wind turbines from North Dakota could be good economic news for Hutchinson.
The Siemens Wind plant received an order for 64 of its 3.0-megawatt direct-drive turbines for a wind farm in North Dakota, which will mean about 30 new jobs at the Hutchinson plant.
The Hutchinson News reports it’s the first large order for the direct-drive turbines.
The blades for the Bison Wind Energy Center project will be manufactured at Siemens’ plant in Fort Madison, Iowa. Workers at the Hutchinson plant generally make the company’s 2.3 megawatt nacellas, but began making a few of the 3.0 direct-drive turbines last year.
A nacelle holds the wind turbine’s generating components, such as the generator, gearbox, drive train, and brake assembly.
TOPEKA — The Senate committee on education ducked discussion of creating a Kansas public charter school act Tuesday, but moved two other bills to the Senate floor.
The committee last heard testimony on the establishment of charter schools on Feb. 14 and further discussion was slated for Tuesday’s hearing. If passed, the measure would increase the number of charter schools in the state by allowing more public entities to establish charter schools. It would also remove procedural and funding barriers for charter schools.
Sen. Pat Pettey, D-Kansas City, said the bill is still on the table, but committee members who are not in support of charter schools are still trying to shore up votes before it is presented to the committee again. She said it is unlikely to be heard next week but it will be heard before the session is up.
The committee did move an amended form of SB 335 to the Senate floor by a 6-2 vote with three abstentions. The bill would require that school districts implement a drug screening program for all employees. The program will be based upon suspicion of illegal drug use by any employee.
The amendment passed Tuesday would allow the employee to request a second drug test of the same specimen by a different testing facility to check for false positives. The bill says that school districts must wait to administer disciplinary action against the employee until the second drug test is conducted.
The bill also calls for districts to create an “impaired teacher program,” to assist teachers who have completed a drug or alcohol treatment program and are returning to teach. If a teacher fails a drug screening and refuses to enter a treatment program, then the bill allows for the teaching license to be suspended or revoked.
Lawrence Public School district policy states that district employees shall not possess, use or sell drugs or alcohol on district property. If employees violate this policy, they are reported to law enforcement and required to attend counseling or rehabilitation at their own cost. The district also has the option to suspend or terminate the employee.
The same bill generated some debate over new regulations that would require all new applicants for teaching licenses to be finger printed by law enforcement.i Fingerprints would be kept on file with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and used to conduct criminal background checks. The KBI will notify school districts if any of the teachers’ fingerprints are related to a crime in the state.
The State Board of Education will not issue licenses to individuals who have been convicted of rape, indecent liberties with a child or aggravated indecent liberties with a child. They will also revoke teaching licenses for the same list of crimes.
The original version of the bill called for teachers to be fingerprinted every five years for license renewal but the committee decided that it would be excessive. After some debate, the committee was informed that the State Board will be hearing a measure in March that will require all teachers to be fingerprinted eliminating some committee members’ concerns about some teachers not being put into the system. All teachers would be subject to the law and no one will grandfathered.
Also Tuesday, the committee unanimously passed SB 367, a student data privacy act. It is intended to protect individual student data from third parties. It would only allow student data to be disclosed to authorized personnel from state agencies if the school and the state agency. It also only allows aggregate data that does not identify individual students to be disclosed. Individual student data will only be disclosed to parents or guardians of the student.
Both SB 367 and SB 335 will be heard in the full Senate this session.
Hannah Wise is a University of Kansas senior from Wichita majoring in journalism.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The future of a Sedgwick County juvenile home for boys is in doubt, after a long-range funding solution for the struggling operation died in a Kansas House committee.
Sedgwick County commissioners previously said the Judge Riddel Boys Ranch would close June 30 if the state didn’t provide more funding. Getting short-term funding hinged on a long-term funding solution that did not advance Tuesday in the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee.
The ranch nearly closed last year before the state provided an additional $750,000 to keep it open.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the county receives a state reimbursement of $126 per boy per day, but it has told the state it needs $201 per day to cover costs.
Dear Dave,
My 6-year old son has saved up $400. He said he wants to buy a motorcycle with it someday, but he recently changed his mind and wants to buy a computer tablet. Is it OK for him to change his mind like this, and how should I handle things? — Christina
Dave Ramsey
Dear Christina,
I’m not really concerned whether it’s a motorcycle or a tablet, especially if he’s saved his own money. I think the big thing we’re looking for in all this is a teachable moment.
Certainly regret is a concern, especially with a kid so young. But the reality is that neither the decision nor the possible regret afterward will ruin his life. If you talk to him and try to advise him beforehand, and he gets upset later because he feels like he made the wrong choice, it gives you the opportunity to step in and gently say, “I’m sorry you think you made a bad choice, but that’s why I wanted you to really think about it first. You had a chance to listen to mom’s wisdom and didn’t. I’m sorry you feel sad now, but I want you to remember it and learn something from this bad decision.” It’s a process of controlled pain and natural consequences.
One of my daughters did something similar years ago when we went to an amusement park. All the kids had a set amount of money for the day, and we warned them not to spend it too soon. She turned around and blew all her money on carnival games, then she spent the rest of the day whining while her brother and sister rode the rides and had lots of fun. We didn’t give her any more money, but a controlled amount of pain taught her some valuable lessons that day. She learned to listen to her mom and dad, she learned that carnival games are a rip-off, and she learned to control herself a little bit and think things through.
Allowing kids the emotional dignity of making some decisions for themselves is vitally important. You just have to make sure this liberty is supervised and comes with parental warnings and protections. Just because they saved the money doesn’t mean they can do whatever they want. It still has to be used in a way that you, as a parent, are comfortable with and deem appropriate.
There will be some natural tension in the process, but it’s a great way to teach kids about money, decision making, maturity and life choices!
—Dave
Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. His newest book, written with his daughter Rachel Cruze, is titled Smart Money Smart Kids. It will be released April 22nd. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 6 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.
Students from the North Central Kansas Technical College’s information technology and business management departments recently competed in the State Leadership Conference for Business Professionals of America this month in Wichita.
Front row (l to r): Jeremy Guillot, John Haist, Stephanie Raymer, Natasha Cole, Micheal Aspedon, Amanda Noah, Drew Pfannenstiel, David Knappert, Brian Johnson. Back row (l to r): Devin O’Bryan, Cris Hayes, Tessa Hayse, Michael Gledhill, Andrew Shipley, Aaron Turner, Gregory Koelzer
The departments brought home 14 first-, nine second-, four third- and two fourth-place awards. The award-winning students are now eligible to compete at the National Leadership Conference in Indianapolis from April 30 to May 4.
Business Professionals of America helps prepare students for careers in business, computer, and office occupations. Technical Colleges, Community Colleges, and Vocational Schools participate in the post-secondary organization. During the Leadership Conference, competitive events are held in several areas, including financial, administrative, information technology, management, marketing, and human resources. The events require a student to solve business problems in an allotted amount of time and present their solutions to judges from their respective fields or sit for an exam which covers the area of interest.
The NCK Tech Business Management program is designed to prepare students for employment in a variety of management and entrepreneurial careers. The basics of marketing and management are studied both in the classroom and through an internship which includes employment within the field of study. Students earn a certificate upon completion of the one year program. The Information Technology Program provides training in network administration, web page design, PC Maintenance, intranet and Internet operations, desktop publishing using Adobe and Microsoft Applications, video production, and programming using Visual Basic and C# (XNA Game Console, Phone App Programming). Students have the option of an Information Technology Certificate or an Associate of Applied Science Degree after successfully completing the program of instruction. Dean Franzen is the Business Management instructor; Robert McCreight and Krystal Link are instructors in the Information Technology Department.
Click on the image for a list of winners and awards.
TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Commerce and the Older Worker Task Force will continue to accept nominations for the Older Worker Awards through March 31. The Older Worker Awards ceremony will be held April 24 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.
The Older Worker Awards ceremony honors older workers who continue to play crucial roles in the Kansas workforce and economy, as well as their employers. Honorees will include older workers who are employed in both public and private sector jobs, and businesses and companies that regularly employ workers age 55 and older.
Nominations for workers 55 and older and for companies that employ older workers are due March 31. Nomination forms are available at KansasCommerce.com/OlderWorkers.
Nominations are accepted for three award categories:
• Outstanding Older Worker: Bestows appreciation on an older worker who demonstrates outstanding qualities of leadership, dedication and commitment. Nominations are open to the general public. Nominees must be 55 years or older, residents of Kansas and working at least 20 hours a week in paid employment. Previous winners are not eligible.
• Oldest Worker: Celebrates the tenacity and fortitude of the experienced worker and is awarded on the basis of age of those working for pay. Previous winners are not eligible.
• Employer of the Older Worker Award: Bestows appreciation on a business that promotes, recruits, retains and develops experienced workers, and provides a positive and friendly work environment for older workers.
The Hays Public Library is passionate about showcasing local Kansas authors. Charlotte Hinger is the next author to appear at HPL. Hinger will be at the library at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Schmidt Gallery for a short presentation and a book signing.
Hinger is a western Kansas historian who writes mysteries and historical fiction novels along with non-fiction books about Kansas. Her latest book, “Hidden Heritage,” is an addition to her popular Lottie Albright Mystery series. More information about Hinger can be found on her website, www.charlottehinger.com, or on her author page at www.amazon.com.
Diane Woodward is among those urging Kansas policymakers to broaden the eligibility standards for the state’s Medicaid Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver, a program that currently serves more than 600 people. Photo by Mike Shields
By Mike Shields
KHI News Service
Officials at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services have scheduled eight meetings around the state to collect public input on the home- or community-based Medicaid services that are provided to people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries.
Currently, 619 people are enrolled in what is called the state’s Medicaid Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver program and are receiving the services, according to KDADS.
The state’s current waiver is due to expire in June and in order to renew it an application must be submitted to federal Medicaid officials by March 31.
KDADS officials said the upcoming meetings would help them collect recommendations from members of the public about what features should be included in the program going forward.
Pushing for changes
At least one group, Advocacy Works, is pushing to have eligibility for the program expanded to include more people.
Diane Woodward, a spokesperson for the organization, has been talking with Kansas policymakers about possible legislation that would broaden eligibility to include children and also allow waiver services for people who have suffered “internally acquired” brain damage from stroke, encephalitis or other maladies.
Eligibility for the program currently is limited to people between the ages of 16 and 65 who have suffered brain trauma from external causes such as traffic accidents or gunshot.
Woodward, a Shawnee resident, is the mother of a 33-year-old daughter who suffered brain damage from encephalitis at age 6 and cycled through the state’s various other Medicaid waivers before qualifying for the TBI waiver in January 2013.
Woodward testified to a Senate Ways and Mean subcommittee earlier this month.
She said it was important to broaden eligibility for the program because currently it is the only waiver that allows for “rehabilitation within the community,” which helps the people who use it get the skills they need to work or otherwise become less reliant on state services.
“The overall goal…is self sufficiency in the individual’s home and community,” Woodward testified.
Meeting schedule
The first meeting scheduled by KDADS is from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Kansas City, Kan. office of the Department for Children and Families, 402 State Ave.
Here is the schedule for the others, one of which is a teleconference:
Topeka
From 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the St. Francis Health Center second-floor auditorium, 1700 SW 7th St.,
Conference Call
From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Dial toll-free 866-620-7326. The conference code is 5826736791.
Wichita
Two sessions. From 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Independent Living Resource Center, 3033 W. 2nd St. North
Kansas City
From 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on March 4 at the DCF office.
Overland Park
From 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on March 5 at the Overland Park DCF Office, 8915 Lenexa Dr. Park in the back and enter through the staff entrance.
Topeka
From 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on March 6 at the Shawnee Public Library, Marvin Auditorium, 101AB, 1515 SW 10th Ave
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Geological Survey says groundwater levels in southwest Kansas declined at a slower pace in 2013 than in recent years.
The KGS also says increases in wells around south-central Kansas are largely attributed to above-average rainfall that reduced the demand for irrigation during the spring growing season.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports preliminary information shows that water tables in drought-stricken southwest Kansas dropped 2.31 feet last year. During each of the three previous years, water levels fell by more than 3 feet.
In northwest Kansas, water tables fell on average 0.76 feet last year, which is less than the 1.39 feet recorded after 2012.
Girls: Dodge City 41 – Hays 32 It looked like it could happen on senior night at Hays High School. That the Hays High girls could pick up their first win of the season. Down 30-22 to Dodge City fifteen seconds in to the fourth quarter Hays scored seven straight points to get within one at 30-29. After a field goal from the Lady Demons, freshman Talyn Kleweno knocked in a right wing three to tie the game at 32 with 2:15 remaining. Unfortunately that would be the last points of the game for Hays as Dodge City ended the game on a 9-0 run to win 41-32.
Hays was led by Mattison Schlaefli who scored a career high 14 in the loss. Hays High honored their only senior Haley Wells in between the games.
Hays falls to 0-19 on the year and 0-7 in the WAC. Dodge City is now 10-9 and 4-3 in conference play.
Kirk Maska Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Boys: Hays 55 – Dodge City 47 Two years ago on senior night….the Hays High Indians basketball team didn’t have anybody to honor in between games starting a freshman, three sophomores, and a junior instead. Tuesday night, those same sophomores and freshman tried to lay claim to the Western Athletic Conference Crown against Dodge City.
Every time Hays pulled away from Dodge City, the Red Demons had an answer. After Dodge City scored the games first field goal, Hays went on a 10-2 run going six points. The Red Demons answered back with seven straight points pulling ahead 11-10. The Indians regained the lead 14-13 at the end of the first quarter and again started to stretch the lead going up 25-16 capped by one of five three pointers from Jordan Windholz. Dodge City scored the next five points though to get back within four. Hays led 32-26 going into half time.
Hays had one more nine point lead at 38-29 with five minutes to go in the third quarter. Dodge City had another run in them taking a 39-38 after scoring ten straight points. The Indians cored four quick points to go back up four and led 42-41 after three quarters.
Hays never again trailed in the game scoring the first five points of the fourth quarter to go up 47-41 on a Kyler Niernberger lay up. Dodge City again was able to cut into the lead and trailed just 49-47 with 1:51 left. The Hays High defense though was rise to the occasion and didn’t allow a single point the rest of the way while making six straight free throws to close out the 55-47 win. Hays made 9 of 10 fourth quarter free throws and 12 of 13 in the second half.
Hays was led in scoring by Windholz with a career high 26. Brady Werth added 13.
Hays improves to 19-0 on the year and with a 7-0 mark in the WAC became the outright champions with one game remaining. Dodge City drops to 8-11 and 4-3 in conference play.
Hays honored their seniors, Kyler Nierenberger, Clayton Riedel, Jordan Windholz, Lane Clark, Kenny Rounkles and Kade Parker in between games for senior night.
Hays is on the road Friday to wrap up the regular season in Great Bend.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri says retiring CEO Peter Brownlie’s last day will be March 31.
Planned Parenthood lobbyist Elise Higgins said Tuesday that Vice President of Finance Ron Ellefrits will take over as interim CEO until the organization names a more permanent replacement for Brownlie.
Brownlie announced in November that he would retire after serving as the Planned Parenthood chapter’s top administrator since August 1999.
During his tenure, his organization has challenged anti-abortion laws enacted by Kansas legislators and been the subject of a lengthy but now-dismissed criminal case. Brownlie has been the public face of the organization and a key figure in the state’s abortion rights movement.
Brownlie also has been an administrator with Planned Parenthood affiliates in Michigan, Indiana and Texas.
