ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The former director of a southern Kansas senior center has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and ordered to repay $53,000 he took from the city-owned center.
Forty-seven-year-old Edward Greene pleaded no contest last month to theft, misuse of public funds and giving false information. Cowley County authorities believe he took or misused as much as $138,000 during his four years at the Arkansas (ar-KAN’-zuhs) City Senior Center, but they could only prove $53,000 in losses.
The Arkansas City Traveler reports Greene will serve his jail time on a work-release basis under the sentence he received Wednesday. He now works at Rubbermaid in Winfield, and the judge said it would be hard for Greene to pay restitution if he lost his job.
Greene resigned from the senior center in September 2012.
Congratulations to Greg Bates, who proposed to his girlfriend of two years, Shelley Skidmore, on Valentines Day. He popped the question at the church Skidmore attended while growing up in Stanton, KY. They are planning a May, 2015 wedding.
Long-rumored, it is finally confirmed Hobby Lobby will open a Hays location this year.
According to Vincent Parker of Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., the arts-and-crafts/home decor store is expected to open mid-year in the former Walmart at 3300 Vine.
The 52,420-square-foot facility will be the 13th in Kansas and among the nearly 600 Hobby Lobby stories nationwide owned by the Green family.
“We feel that we can bring a very unique shopping experience to the area. We are looking forward to becoming part of the community,” Parker told Hays Post.
The store will employ between 30 and 50 local employees ranging from cashiers and stockers to custom picture framers and floral designers. Pay for full-time employees is expected to start at $14, with part-time employees beginning at $9.50 hourly. A call for applicants is usually made between three and four weeks of a store’s opening.
“The constant element throughout our 44 years of growth has been our loyal customers and our outstanding employees,” said Parker, Hobby Lobby’s director of training and customer service. “The foundation of our business has been and will continue to be strong values based on biblical principles, including integrity, service to others and giving back to those in need. We thank everyone who has contributed to our success during the past four decades and look forward to many more years of growth and service.”
Store managers and co-managers generally are trained at other Hobby Lobby locations and “come with the store,” Parker noted.
“Each new Hobby Lobby location enables us to become an integral part of the community by contributing to increased foot traffic, generating sales tax, and adding new jobs, while sharing in the growth of both the state and the city,” John Schumacher, assistant vice president of advertising, said in a press release Thursday.
Hays Post will have additional details on the development as they become available. For more on Hobby Lobby, click HERE.
TOPEKA — Kansas college students are one step closer to having a little more cash in their pockets next school year as the House unanimously approved a bill Wednesday to refund sales tax on textbooks.
Rep. Brandon Whipple, D-Wichita
With an average of $660 spent per year on textbooks, a student would save $40. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Originally, House Bill 2557 would have made textbooks for students tax exempt. However, Rep. Brandon Whipple, D-Wichita, amended the bill Tuesday to make the refund retroactive, writing: “Sales tax paid on and after July 1, 2014, on the gross receipts received from the sale of required textbooks purchased in Kansas by a student enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution in this state shall be refunded.”
According to a supplemental note on HB2557, the refunds would be claimed pursuant to forms developed by the Director of Taxation. Students looking for the tax refund would also have to accompany the forms with sufficient documentation of the textbook purchases. Essentially students would need to send in the proper forms and their textbook receipts in the mail to receive the refund of the sales tax.
At the end of the amendment, “post-secondary educational institution” is defined as “any university, municipal university, community college and technical college, whether public or private.” This means that many other schools will potentially be affected by this legislation, not just the seven public, Kansas Board of Regents’ universities. But it was the student leaders from those universities who pushed for the legislation at higher education day at the Capitol last week.
“This is a good sign that student voices were heard by legislators,” University of Kansas Student Body President Marcus Tetweiler said.
The bill will now be referred to a Senate committee for consideration.
“The students need to be ready to testify at the Senate,” Rep. Mario Goico, R-Wichita, said. “They need to stay in contact with Sen. Les Donovan (R – Wichita, Assessment and Taxation Committee Chairman). I will also be writing letters to the Senate president.”
But the bill is not quite what student leaders had hoped for when they first proposed the elimination of sales tax on textbooks. Tetweiler said that it is still money coming out of students’ pockets, but he is excited about the bill’s passing the House.
“It is more of a rebate than a complete tax exemption, but again, I’m excited that what was proposed was passed,” Tetweiler said. “We (student leaders) will be completely ready to testify when the time comes. I am very excited for the opportunity.”
Rep. Goico originally sponsored the student leaders’ proposal when they went to the House Taxation Committee last week. Goico said he was surprised when Whipple proposed the amendment to HB2557. Because the student’s proposal is not its own bill, Goico said the bill could be split when it goes to the Senate and that “things might happen.” However, he did say he is confident the bill will pass the Senate.
“I wanted a bill, I did not expect an amendment,” Goico said. “But sometimes we do things to take a shortcut in Legislature.”
ATLANTA (AP) — As the flu season winds down, health officials say it wasn’t as bad as last year and the vaccine worked better. But younger adults were hit harder because of a surge of swine flu.
Overall, hospitalization rates for the flu are only about half what they were last winter. It has been a fairly mild season for the elderly — usually the most vulnerable group to flu and its complications.
But it’s been a different story for younger adults. The government said Thursday that nearly two-thirds of the hospital stays this winter were in adults ages 18-64. Most flu seasons, it’s only one-third.
Swine flu was the dominant strain this winter and it hits young adults harder.
Farmers and ranchers have always adhered to sound principles of animal care for their livestock.
Society’s views on animal welfare, on the other hand, continue to evolve.
John Schlageck writes for the Kansas Farm Bureau.
Today, people are becoming more concerned for the animal’s quality of life.
While there are fringe groups, “activists” if you will, many people have honest questions and concerns about the quality of life for food animals.
Who are these people?
Some are like you. Others may be like me.
They are not opposed to eating meat. They just want to know that while that sow is going through the production cycle she has a reasonable quality of life.
Consumers want to know animals are not abused, or subjected to inhumane conditions. They believe animals should be well cared for and the people who care for them honestly care for them.
Farmers and ranchers cannot single out anyone and place blame for these changing societal views. Instead, the agricultural sector must view this as our culture and society coming to terms with new types of social issues. It just so happens that animals have become integrated into this process.
One reason for this new interest in animal welfare may be that Western European, Japanese and U.S. consumers do not have to worry about where their next meal comes from.
U.S. citizens have time to contemplate the quality of life for animals in this country, but few of us want to change our own lifestyles.
Farmers and ranchers – those people who provide our food – will have to continue to accept and use sound animal husbandry practices. If agricultural producers honestly show they are putting effort into meeting a standard of care that’s beneficial and conducive to a healthy living standard, the public will accept and embrace those who raise and care for livestock.
Agricultural producers must stay tuned in to societal and consumer concerns and be responsive industry wide while enhancing the well-being of their livestock.
That said, today’s consumers will continue to regard agriculture highly and embrace a food which they enjoy and feel good about.
John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.
Behind and beyond the doors of Options: Domestic and Sexual Violence Services staff estimates in the last 30 years the organization has helped approximately 18,000 people live lives free of violence.
Now, after 20 of those years, the person at the helm — Executive Director Charlotte Linsner — is saying goodbye, announcing her upcoming retirement.
Charlotte Linser
“I have encompassed my life in this you know for the last 14, 15 years. Longer than that because I was an advocate first — six years an advocate and 14 years here, so that’s 20 years, “ Linsner said.
Before she leaves, however, Linsner will help lead a capital campaign for the nonprofit agency, which serves 18 counties in northwest Kansas. The group, which offers confidential safe houses and a wide variety of services for victims, is attempting to raise $250,000 to bolster finances and ensure its stability well into the future. For more information or to donate, call (785) 625-4242.
“It’s time for people with some newer ideas and a little more vitality than I have anymore,” Linsner, 67, added with a laugh. “I have the heart but not necessarily the strength anymore.”
But strength is exactly what Linsner offered her clients — survivors — who will never forget Options and what the agency did for thousands of families. Linsner and her staff helped them break the cycle of abuse.
“Some of the times, we have had a child who is now an adult but their mother came through at the time, and you can talk to them and they come and say, ‘My mom was here. You guys made a difference in our lives,’ ” she said. “They are not in an abusive relationship and they have their children and going to school … That is what is all about.”
Linsner speaks with a passion about ending domestic violence. Her co-workers say it’s Charlotte’s passion they will miss most.
“When you talk about somebody being passionate about something, it’s the little things, the things that happen behind the scenes,” Options advocate Dennis Becking said.
“I know that Charlotte would step up and wash clothes that were donated, spend her evenings ironing those clothes and putting them in plastic wrap and storing them for one purpose only, to be able to provide those to individuals who were fleeing from a real tough situation,” said Becking.
Shelter advocate, Jackie Gray says she will also miss Linsner’s “spunkiness,” and said she is one of the funniest people she knows.
Passion, spunk and a need to help others are traits Linsner says she has possessed from a young age, learning from her grandmother.
“She was one of the nicest people,” Linsner said.
Her grandmother also happened to be in a “severely abusive” relationship — violence that was also carried over to young Charlotte and her two siblings.
Linsner is leaving a legacy that will be hard to replace, but she believes her grandmother would be proud.
“Every day, I wake up I say, ‘This is a little payback for you, Grandma,’ ” said Linsner.
Linsner’s last day is scheduled for late June, but she will not completely leave Options and advocacy work behind. Linsner plans to work once a month at the shelter house as an advocate — something she says she is looking forward to doing again.
Linsner said she will also be spending some of her extra time taking history and photography classes at Fort Hays State University and spending more time on one of her favorite hobbies — genealogy.
What does her husband, Larry, think of Charlotte’s retirement?
“I think he really enjoys the fact that I’m going to around a lot of the time. He likes to have me just sitting there with him,” Lisner said, “but he doesn’t realize I am just not going to be all be around him all that much.
“I am who I am. I’m going to do what I’m going to do,” she added with a laugh.
Linsner also is looking forward to visiting her four children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
For more on the fund drive, Options services and more stories from the nonprofit agency, check Hays Post in the coming weeks.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The newly released 2012 Census of Agriculture shows the number of Kansas farms has decreased but those that remain are larger.
The National Agriculture Statistics Service reported Thursday that the average number of farms in Kansas in 2012 was 61,773. That is down 6 percent from the 2007 census.
Kansas had 46.1 million acres of land used for farming operations, about the same as reported five years earlier.
But the average size of the farm, 747 acres, is larger since the previous census. That is up 6 percent, or about 40 acres larger than the average in 2007.
The service portrays the average Kansas farmer as 58 years old.
The number of farmers under age 34 was 4,327, nearly unchanged from the last count.
Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History will pay tribute to a fallen professor with a memorial talk and movie night.
Dr. John Heinrichs, professor of geography and chairman of the Geosciences Department, died Jan. 11 at age 56.
The memorial will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at the museum and will be followed at 7:40 p.m. by the film “Chasing Ice.”
The documentary follows National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers.
Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence
TOPEKA — Soroptimist International of Hays was awarded the 2014 Community Ally of the Year Award presented by the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. Soroptimist International of Hays was nominated for the award by OPTIONS:Domestic and Sexual Violence Services.
Charlotte Linsner, executive director of OPTION, left, is pictured with Olivia Becker, president of Soroptimist International of Hays.
Olivia Becker, president of Soroptimist International of Hays, accepted the award on the club’s behalf at KCSDV’s 11th annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets Awareness event during the Sunflower Safety Breakfast this month in Topeka.
Since 1995, KCSDV has recognized outstanding advocates and allies who work to enhance victim safety, increase perpetrator accountability, and prevent and eliminate sexual, domestic, dating and stalking violence in Kansas.
“Soroptimist International of Hays has been an ally to our agency and work for over 20 years,” said Charlotte Linsner, executive director of OPTIONS.
Options serves victims of domestic, sexual, dating and stalking violence in Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, Rawlins, Rooks, Russell, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Trego and Wallace counties.
“Soroptimist’s mission of providing public service to the community is solidified through their many projects which include education and mobilization, awareness and prevention efforts, leadership, and helping Options continue to provide domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy services,” said Linsner said. “They are extremely dedicated women who support Options and the betterment of life for victims.”
“Options employs a small staff with a huge service area of 18 counties in northwest Kansas,” said Joyce Grover, executive director of KCSDV. “Soroptimist International of Hays continues to support OPTIONS, helping advocates provide life-saving services to victims. It is this type of community service organization that deserves the Community Ally of the Year Award.”
Soroptimist International of Hays regularly helps OPTIONS with their community service, education and awareness events, including the annual garage sale, the “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes” event on Fort Hays State University campus; the educational summit. “Confronting Violence in Our Communities”; annual financial contributions; and more.
“OPTIONS’ board of directors and staff cannot begin to thank each and every Soroptimist member for their dedication to our agency, willingness to act when asked, and their understanding of victims’ needs. We congratulate them on receiving the 2014 Ally of the Year Award from KCSDV,” Linsner said.
TOPEKA — The Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would enable low-spending legislative candidates to avoid filing campaign finance reports. The bill is one of several efforts by the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee to update campaign finance statutes.
Sen. Mitch Holmes, R-St. John
Senate Bill 98 raises the limit, from $500 to $1,000, for how much a candidate can receive and spend in their campaigns before being required to submit a campaign finance report, which lists all donors and expenses.
Sen. Mitch Holmes, R-St. John, chair of the committee sponsoring the bill said the $500 threshold was adjusted to account for inflation in the 40 years since the statute was first enacted. He said the increase would especially benefit candidates in local races.
“It should be quite a boost for them,” Holmes said. “That $500 limit gets implemented pretty quick.”
Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, said doubling the limit is appropriate because most candidates spend more than $500. She said the responsibility of submitting finance reports might turn away candidates who want to spend more.
“We don’t want to discourage individuals from having an opportunity as a candidate to express concerns that they have,” Francisco said.
The bill now will move to the House where Sen. Holmes said it is likely to pass.
The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee advanced two other bills aimed at campaign finance reform that likely will make it to the Senate floor in the near future.
Senate Bill 339 passed a preliminary vote in the Senate on Wednesday. The bill would eliminate the requirement for treasurers of candidates, political committees and party committees to report the identity, industry and occupation of contributors who give more than $150.
Also, Senate Bill 156 was sent to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The bill would raise limits on individual campaign donations and the value of gifts accepted by legislative candidates.
QUINTER — Two Colorado men were hospitalized after the semi they were in slid on an icy Interstate 70 at 9:14 a.m. Thursday just west of Quinter.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Freightliner driven by Robert S. Ayers, 54, Morrison, Colo., was westbound on I-70 when it attempted to pass a snowplow. The semi hit an icy patch, entered the ditch and came to rest after striking a Kansas Department of Transportation fence.
Ayers and a passenger, Rodney G. Achen, 52, Lakewood, Colo., were transported to Gove County Hospital for treatment.
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The former director of a southern Kansas senior center has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and ordered to repay $53,000 he took from the city-owned center.
