RUSSELL — Just after noon Wednesday, the city of Russell ended its weather-related traffic emergency. Vehicle are again allowed to park on city snow routes.
The city expressed its appreciation to residents for keeping their vehicles off of the emergency snow routes and for those who were able to move their vehicles off the street in residential areas, which aided in efforts to clear snow.
The numbers are in and the K-State Ag Research Center in Hays reported Tuesday’s snowstorm dropped exactly 6 inches of snow on the community.
And with an overnight low of -4 degrees and projected high in the single-digits, the snow isn’t expected to melt away anytime soon.
Compare that to a year ago today, when the high temperature was 61 degrees and the low barely dropped below freezing at 29 degrees.
The record low for today was 79 degrees in 1963, and the coldest Feb. 5 on record was in 1982 and 1996, when the mercury dipped to -13 degrees.
The snowstorm brought the February snowfall total to 7.7 inches, with total snowfall for the winter so far at 11.4 inches.
JUNCTION CITY — Geary County Extension Agent Chuck Otte said Tuesday’s snowstorm set a modern-day record for heaviest single snowfall event.
Otte has maintained snowfall records in Geary County since the winter of 1992-93.
He said this week’s storm was measured in west Junction City at 10.5 inches. That beats the previous record established on Feb. 9 and 10, 2001, when 10 inches of snow was deposited on Geary County.
HUTCHINSON — Tony Mendez, a former CIA operative and author, will be the first speaker for the 2014 Ray and Stella Dillon Lecture Series at Hutchinson Community College.
Mendez will speak at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 11 at Hutchinson Sports Arena. The lecture is open to the public. Cost to attend the lecture is $10; students will be admitted free.
Mendez was played by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning film “Argo,” a retelling of an event during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980. The screenplay was based on “The Master of Disguise,” authored by Mendez.
Mendez will speak on his experiences in the CIA and his role in the rescue of hostages from Iran. He also is scheduled to speak at a luncheon immediately following his presentation.
For more information, click HERE.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has agreed to limit what material the court can consider in a lawsuit filed by Kansas and Arizona seeking to force federal election officials to modify voter registration forms to require proof-of-citizenship from residents in those states.
U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren on Wednesday sided with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission in limiting his review to the existing administrative record, rather than hold an evidentiary hearing in the case.
The decision means that the court will hear only arguments from attorneys instead of considering any new evidence.
The election commission won its argument that any judicial review of its January decision to reject the states’ request for the documentation requirement should be limited to whether the decision was arbitrary or unlawful based only on the administrative record.
Those looking east Wednesday morning as the sun rose were treated to an atmospheric event known as a sun dog.
A sun dog, or parhelion, creates the illusion of three suns in the sky. It is caused when sunlight is refracted by ice crystals in certain high-atmosphere cloud types.
Adrian Hubele submitted an image of the event to Salina Post. Click on the image for a larger view.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Hundreds of residents are seeking shelter at the Topeka Rescue Mission from brutal winter weather, with more cold days and nights ahead.
Barry Feaker, executive director of the mission, says Wednesday that the shelter is housing 308 people. He says teams had been out trying to coax “hardcore outdoors folks” to come in from the winter conditions.
Topeka had more than a foot of snow Tuesday. Temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing, with bitterly cold wind chills, for the next several days.
The shelter has additional space if the city gives it permission to use cots. Feaker says some residents with mental illness who don’t like being around others may be placed in hotel rooms, if necessary.
The shelter serves an average of 1,200 meals a day.
ROELAND PARK (AP) — Police in a Kansas City suburb have identified a decomposed body that was found Sunday.
Officials say the body was that of 43-year-old Sandra Herron-Burns, who had been reported missing from a nearby apartment in December.
Her body was discovered Sunday in Roeland Park. Police used fingerprints to identify her and an autopsy will be conducted to determine her cause of death.
PARIS (AP) — A Harley-Davidson motorcycle donated last year to Pope Francis is being sold at a Paris auction to benefit charity.
It’s unknown whether the pontiff ever rode the custom 2013 Dyna Super Glide that was a gift from Willie Davidson, a retired Harley-Davidson designer and grandson of the company’s co-founder.
The pope’s hog is expected to fetch between $16,000 and $20,000 when it goes under the hammer Thursday at the Grand Palais, said Ben Walker, head of collector motorcycles at the auction house Bonhams, which is organizing the sale.
Money from the sale will be donated to the Rome-based charity Caritas Roma, which runs a soup kitchen and a hostel for the homeless in the eternal city.
City Manager Toby Dougherty on Wednesday morning announced the end of the winter storm traffic emergency plan for the city of Hays.
People who live or work along emergency snow routes can to their normal routine of parking on snow routes. Hays Public Works Department crews will continue with snow-removal operations throughout the day, moving to the downtown area Wednesday night.
While the worst of the winter storm has passed, arctic temperatures and blowing snow could continue to cause problems throughout the day. The Hays Police Department is asking motorists limit travel, if possible. Those who must travel are advised to do so with caution and are encouraged to give themselves extra time to reach their destination. The HPD reminded motorists to drive slow, pay attention to vehicles in front of you, and allow for extra stopping distance.
For more information, call the HPD at (785) 625-1030 or the Public Works Department at (785) 628-7350.
WICHITA (AP) — A federal judge has reset a date to hear arguments over the government’s request to limit who can see some evidence in the case of an alleged suicide bomb plot at a Wichita airport.
U.S. District Judge Monti Belot on Tuesday scheduled a Feb. 11 hearing in the case of Terry L. Loewen, a 58-year-old avionics technician facing terror-related charges.
Prosecutors are seeking an order restricting handling of evidence. The government has requested a hearing under the Classified Information Procedures Act, and also wants the case designated as “complex” to ease speedy trial concerns and give the parties more time to prepare for their cases.
Loewen has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to give material support to al-Qaida.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — BNSF plans to invest $5 billion in its railroad this year, including $900 million to expand capacity in the Northern Plains where crude oil shipments are surging.
The railroad said Tuesday its 2014 spending plan is roughly $1 billion higher than last year. BNSF says it’s responding to significant volume growth.
Some projects should help alleviate congestion near the booming Bakken oil field in North Dakota and Montana. Last week, the National Association of Railroad Passengers complained to officials that the growth in oil shipments was disrupting Amtrak passenger service.
In addition to expanding capacity, BNSF plans to spend $2.3 billion maintaining its network and $1.6 billion on locomotives and equipment.
BNSF is based in Fort Worth, Texas, but it is owned by Omaha, Neb., based conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
BOSTON (AP) — Residents of the Northeast who have already had enough winter to last them a while are getting another dose of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
The second storm of the week is canceling classes, closing government and business offices and causing power outages across the region. The storm had a similar impact yesterday in the Midwest.
Anywhere from a few inches to a foot or more of snow is expected to fall today on East Coast states. Some are getting freezing rain and sleet that is making driving treacherous. It’s the region’s second go-round since Monday.
Massachusetts is bracing for six to 12 inches of snow. It started falling in western parts of the state before dawn. Boston and other communities have closed schools and banned street parking to prepare for snow removal. Some non-essential Massachusetts state employees have been told to stay home.
A mix of snow and freezing rain began falling after midnight in the New York area. Manhattan could get three to six inches of snow, and up to a half-inch of ice. In upstate New York, hundreds of schools are closed and authorities are advising against any unnecessary travel.
Icy conditions have knocked out power to more than 200,000 electric customers in southeastern Pennsylvania. Nearly 30,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey are without power.
To the west, much of Ohio got four to eight inches of snow overnight. Many counties declared snow emergencies. Freezing rain and ice that moved through Kentucky overnight left thousands without power.
