A day after Fort Hays State University held its commencement exercises, Gross Memorial Coliseum transformed into a sea of maroon caps and gowns as members of the Hays High School Class of 2014 took their final steps as high school students. And the group took pride in its shared accomplishments.
All 170 members of the class achieved Standard of Excellence in the areas of reading, math and science on the Kansas State Assessments. Sixty eight of the seniors graduated with a 3.6 cumulative GPA or higher, and 108 of the graduates received some kind of scholarship for their next level of education.
At the ceremony, graduates spoke of mixed emotions.
“I’m a little bit nervous. But at the same time, I’m kinda flippin’ out,” John Staab said. “I can’t believe it’s actually here. The year has gone by way too fast.”
“There’s a lot of pressure off of your back now,” classmate Clayton Riedel said. “It’s really exciting.”
The featured speaker at the commencement exercise was math teacher and track coach Jerold Harris. He gave a speech titled “Lessons Learned From the Four Minute Mile,” in which he compared the challenges new graduates will face to those of famed runner Roger Bannister.
“If you have a goal like the four-minute mile, you will need belief that you can surpass it,” Harris said. “Once you have that belief, you will need to train, surround yourself with a support system, work hard and persevere. If you do that, you can pursue your four-minute mile.”
By LINDSEY ELLIOTT K-State News and Editorial Services
MANHATTAN — If you’re cooking out this Memorial Weekend, plan on spending some extra money for your food, says a Kansas State University agricultural economist.
Glynn Tonsor, associate professor, says beef and pork prices are at an all-time high. Beef, which costs about $5.50 a pound, is 13 percent more compared to last year. Bacon and pork chops have increased by 15 percent.
Tonsor says several factors are contributing to the increased prices, such as the drought, the historically low number of cattle and recent animal health diseases.
“There are new animal health concerns in 2014,” Tonsor said. “We simply are producing less pork and that’s showing up as less pork on the retail shelf. Couple that with strong demand, and we have notably higher pork prices.”
Prices are steadily increasing in 2014. Meat prices in April were 3 percent higher than in March. Tonsor believes they will continue to increase for the rest of the year.
But despite the higher prices, consumers are still snatching burgers and bacon off the shelves.
“The public is willing to pay higher prices,” Tonsor said. “They value the convenience, the freshness, the qualities that are in these meat products.”
It could be awhile before beef prices come down.
“We have ongoing concerns with the drought and then a long biological lag for cattle,” Tonsor said. “Even though we’re trying to expand production, it takes multiple years. It’s probably going to be 2016 before we see more pounds on the shelf in the beef complex.”
Tonsor suggests comparing prices of meat products and consider buying alternate products, like bone-in instead of boneless, to save some money.
The Fort Hays State men’s basketball team has added a Division I transfer to their team. Royce Williams, a 6-5 guard from Los Angeles, is transferring from Weber State according to the Tigers twitter account and the web site verbalcommits.com.
Willams, who played one year at New Mexico Military Institute, played in 25 games for the Wildcats this past season averaging 2.5 points and 0.9 rebound per game but did shoot 40-percent from 3-point range. He played in 33 games as a sophomore at WSU and connected on 50-percent from beyond the arc.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Weather patterns more like the heart of summer than late May have some forecasters concerned that Kansas could be in store for continued hot and dry conditions.
Others aren’t quite ready to jump on the drought bandwagon, even though high-temperature records were broken three times in Wichita earlier this month, including the earliest 100-degree day in the city’s history.
The Wichita Eagle reports all sides agree the unusually weak jet stream means few tornadoes are expected the rest of the season.
AccuWeather forecaster Paul Pastelok says the ridge of high pressure that can make for a long, hot summer if it sets up over Kansas is likely to be south and west of the state. That happened last year, when Wichita had one of its wettest summers on record.
Dear Dave,
My wife and I are debt-free except for our house, and she would like for us to go ahead and start a family. I make good money, but I’d still like to wait a little longer and add some extra to our emergency fund before taking that step. Who do you think is right in this situation? Joel
Dave Ramsey
Dear Joel,
Assuming, of course, you’re talking about a reasonable number of children, the old adage is true: if you wait until you think you can afford them, you’ll never have them. You guys have been responsible and are in pretty good financial shape right now. So my thought is have babies if you want babies. Even if your wife told you that she’s pregnant tomorrow you’d still have nine months to add on to your emergency fund.
Your financial situation tells me you’re both responsible people. You’ll be a good provider, and it sound like you’d both make great parents. And the fact is babies are not that expensive. Having kids won’t break your back like lots of people say. You’ve got extra expenses like diapers and baby stuff the first few years, but it’s not going to drive you to the poor house.
Now, if you go to the extreme and have 16 kids, that many baby birds could become quite a financial problem. But for a normal-sized family with a normal-sized income, children do not create a big financial issue. God bless you guys, Joel! —Dave
Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. His newest best-seller, Smart Money Smart Kids, was written with his daughter Rachel Cruze, and recently debuted at #1. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 8 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.
EMPORIA — Bethany Laree Polifka of Ellis was a candidate for undergraduate graduation from Emporia State University during commencement exercises May 17.
Polifka earned a bachelor of science degree in sociology with a minor in crime and delinquency studies.
More than 600 students were candidates for undergraduate degrees.
Commencement speakers included Helen Van Etten of the Kansas Board of Regents. The commencement address was delivered by Ed O’Malley, president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center.
LAKE WALES, Fla. (AP) – A National Transportation Safety Board report details how a small plane carrying a Junction City businessman, his wife and their four children plunged to the ground after parts of both wings and the horizontal stabilizer broke off in mid-air.
But the report released Monday doesn’t say why the June 7, 2012, crash occurred. Agency spokesman Eric Weiss says a probable cause report will be released in six to eight weeks.
The Ledger of Lakeland reports pilot Ronald Bramlage was trying to avoid stormy weather before the plane dropped nearly 12,000 feet in about 36 seconds. The family was headed from the Bahamas to Junction City, Kansas.
Bramlage, his wife Rebecca and their children – ages 15 to 8 – all died in the crash in a remote area of Polk County.
Sana Cheema, 2014 Topeka Capital Journal All State Academic Team
By KARI BLURTON Hays Post
A recent graduate of Hays High School, Sana Cheema, 18, has been chosen to join the 2014 Topeka Capital-Journal All-State Academic Team — an honor bestowed on just 30 high school seniors in Kansas.
According to HHS counselor Suellen Stenger, “Each high school in the state can nominate one student and, from those nominations, 30 students are chosen.”
Cheema said she feels honored to be named part of the team.
“I realize this is a very special award,” Cheema said, “and I get the chance to represent Hays and western Kansas.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my teachers and parents and community support,” she added.
According to Stenger, in order to meet award criteria, the student must not only have excellent grades and college entrance exams, but also exhibit leadership skills and a passion to help others — all qualities Cheema possesses.
Cheema was co-editor of the HHS yearbook, a member of the HHS Leadership Team, the Hays High International Club, and an “avid” volunteer at Hays Medical Center.
“She is just an exceptional student,” Stenger said. “She defines the the meaning of persistence and perseverance for sure.”
Stenger said when Cheema was a freshman at Hays High School she had to return to Pakistan for visa purposes.
“(She) had to sit out for more than a year, and when she came back, she didn’t skip a beat,” Stenger said.
Cheema is humble about her achievements.
“It definitely has been hard at times because when I reached a goal, I would set another goal, so it has been an ongoing process,” she said.
Cheema is the daughter of Gulraiz Cheema and Nazish Firdous.
In her application for the award, Cheema said she receives inspiration from her parents — both doctors who moved to the United States so their daughter could have a better education.
“I want to bring change to this world and, in order to do that, I have to reach a level of credibility through hard work and perseverance,” she wrote.
Will Cheema ever stop reaching for new goals?
“I’m not sure, probably never,” she laughed.
She said she plans to follow in her parents’ footsteps and will attend the University of Kansas this fall, majoring in biology with the goal of becoming a doctor.
HAYS — Dean Elwin LeSage, age 87, died Saturday, May 17, 2014, at the Ellis Good Samaritan Center.
He was born January 26, 1927, in Alcona Township in Rooks County, Kansas, to Charley and Daisy Belle (Ochampaugh) LeSage. He married Ida Mae (Hamel) on July 26, 1951, at Damar, Kansas.
He was a farmer, an owner/operator of Alcona Oil and moved to Hays in 1985. He grew up west of Stockton, Kansas and was a 1944 graduate of Stockton High School. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in WWII. He was very active on the state level of the ARC and also with the Solomon Valley ARC.
After his retirement, he was very active in wagon trains and trail rides in Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado along with his two specials horses, Cochise and Satin. He was a lifetime member of the Monroe-Taylor-Barnes V.F.W. Post No. 8873 and American Legion both of Stockton, Kansas. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph 3rd Degree Knights of Columbus and 4th Degree Knights of Columbus Bishop Cunningham Assembly all of Hays, Kansas.
Survivors include his wife, Ida Mae LeSage, of the home; four sons, Mark LeSage (Sue), Stockton, KS; Alan LeSage (Nyla), Hill City, KS; Leon LeSage (Michelle), Pretty Prairie, KS; Les LeSage (Connie), Winchester, VA; three daughters, Denise Goetz (John), Wichita, KS; Renee Oliphant (Doug), Salina, KS; Deanna LeSage, Hays, KS; two sisters, Nola Odle (Darrel) and Zola (Bud) Tolman, both of Overland Park, KS; 13 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Vyrl LeSage and his wife, Charlotte.
Services are at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, May 22, 2014, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Hays, Kansas. Burial is at 2:00 P.M. Thursday, at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery at WaKeeney, Kansas, with military honors by the Stockton V.F.W. Post No. 8873.
Visitation is from 3:00 to 8:00 P.M. Wednesday and from 8:30 to 9:45 A.M. Thursday all at Cline’s Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601. The family will be present from 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. Wednesday at Cline’s Mortuary of Hays.
A vigil service is at 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, followed by a 3rd and 4th Degree Knights of Columbus rosary at 7:30 P.M. Wednesday, both at Cline’s Mortuary of Hays. The 4th Degree Knights of Columbus will stand honor guard from 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. Wednesday, at Cline’s Mortuary of Hays.
Memorials to Solomon Valley ARC. Condolences can be sent via email to [email protected]
Cornell Kinderknecht recently was chosen to be one of the featured musicians at the USA–Japan Goodwill Concert scheduled for June 7 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Cornell Kinderknecht
The concert, which is part of the International Ocarina Festival, will take place at Carnegie Hall in the Isaac Stern Auditorium on the Ronald O. Perelman stage. Other featured musicians include Cris Gale, Satoshi Osawa, Kazumi Sato, Patrick Michot, Tomohiro Ibaraki, Satuski Yuba and Ensemble 7.
Originally from Ellis and a Kansas State University graduate, Kinderknecht is a Dallas-based professional world flutes, reed and keyboard musician, as well as a composer, teacher and recording artist. He performs throughout the U.S. His music is played on both terrestrial and Internet stations and typically charts under the following categories: New Age, World, Zone or Contemporary Instrumental.
Kinderknecht has twice been nominated as Musician of the Year at the Texas Music Awards for his solo albums “Nightfall” and “Returning Home.” Both CDs include a cut featuring the ocarina: At the Divide (“Nightfall”) and Generations (“Returning Home”).
“Dreamtime” (2013), Kinderknecht’s most recent full-length CD release is a collaboration with percussionist Martin McCall, of Dallas, Texas and is currently nominated in two categories for the 13th Independent Music Awards – New Age Album and New Age Song. Winners of the music industry-judged contest are to be announced in May 2014. Kinderknecht’s song “Mother’s Hands” from his Nightfall album has recently been named a Top 5 Instrumental Winner with the Great American Song Contest.
Kinderknecht’s music is available at Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby and other online CD sales and digital music outlets, as well as through www.cornellk.com where you can also read more about his music and calendar.
EL DORADO — The Butler County Attorney announced Monday that his office has filed one felony count against a worker suspected of abusing an Andover nursing home resident in September of 2013.
County Attorney Darrin Devinney said that Geofrey Nyangweso is scheduled to appear in court June 16 to face the charge of abusing a dependent adult.
Devinney said Nyangweso was identified as the nurse in a clandestine video that showed an elderly female resident of the nursing home, which is called Victoria Falls, being lifted from a wheelchair, dropped to the floor and left alone in the dark.
The woman can be heard on the video pleading for help for almost 45 minutes.
The incident occurred in early morning hours of Sept. 2, 2013.
KAKE TV, according to station’s website, planned on airing portions of the video during its 10 p.m. news program today.
“A lot of pots are boiling on this,” Devinney said. “I’m hoping the situation is not as bad as I think it is, but there’s definitely some more poking around to do. People will be held accountable for their actions.”
He declined to say if other Victoria Falls workers might be charged.
The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services last week announced that the nursing home had been fined at least $155,800 for failing to protect residents from abusive workers.
The announcement followed the release of a 150-page report, citing the nursing home for poor care, poor recordkeeping, being understaffed, not performing background checks on prospective employees, not doing enough to investigate reports of suspected abuse and neglect, not doing enough to ensure residents’ dignity, not doing enough to keep track of residents’ personal funds, and not doing enough to prevent cuts and bruises.
The $155,800 fine is thought to be the largest levied against a Kansas nursing home.
The fine, imposed by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, represents an $8,200-per-day penalty for each day – March 26 through April 13 – that Victoria Falls was found to be out of compliance with state and federal safety standards. An additional $1,000 fine is being levied for each day the facility remains out of compliance after April 13.
Victoria Falls, which has about 60 residents, is owned and operated by Watercrest Communities and DB Consulting, Andover-based companies that are owned by Dennis and Debbie Bush.
According to the Watercrest Communities website, the company also owns Victoria Falls Assisted Living in Andover; Carrington at Cherry Creek, an assisted living facility in Wichita; and Carrington Health Center, a residential health care facility in Wichita.
The Bushes have the right to appeal the findings and the fines.
Neither the Bushes nor the Kansas State Board of Nursing responded to calls seeking comment Monday.
But in an earlier statement following the announcement of the fines, Dennis Bush said the company was cooperating with KDADS and law enforcement officials “…in regards to an allegation of abuse that occurred in 2013. Victoria Falls has taken appropriate measures to ensure the safety of residents, including termination and suspension of involved staff. Unfortunately we are not at liberty to say any more due to federal disclosure laws.”
He also met with reporters today at the nursing home and made statements without taking questions.
“We are pleased to let you know that our plan of correction has been accepted by KDADS and has been implemented,” according to the Butler County Times Gazette. “When notified about alleged incidents in March of 2014,…we immediately took action and one employee was terminated. During the KDADS investigation, two other employees were placed on suspension in April of 2014. To the best of our knowledge, no charges have been filed against any of these individuals.”
DETROIT (AP) — Officials say a Detroit-based business is recalling about 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products sold for restaurant use in four states that may be contaminated with the bacteria E. coli.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Monday that affected Wolverine Packing Co. products were produced between March 31 and April 18. They were shipped to distributors in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. However, it may have been shipped to distribution centers nationwide.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service says 11 illnesses have been identified.
The products bear the establishment number “EST. 2574B” and will have a production date code in the format “Packing Nos: MM DD 14” between “03 31 14” and “04 18 14.”
E. coli can cause severe cramps, nausea and diarrhea, as well as other complications.
