TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Staff at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site are using Twitter to re-enact the 1954 Brown v. Board ruling and reactions.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports they’ve created dozens of Twitter accounts representing historical figures such as court clerks, Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren and Georgia Gov. Herman Talmadge. Other accounts represent specific newspapers, churches and other perspectives from 1954.
The tweets started Saturday with message from Ellis McKay, the Supreme Court Clerk who went down to the court’s basement on May 17, 1954, to pick up copies of the ruling. Throughout the weekend, the Twitter accounts are re-enacting the reactions on May 17 and the month that followed.
To view a summarized re-enactment, visit the Brown v. Board National Historic Site Twitter feed,
CHERRYVALE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health officials say recent lead level tests among children in a southeast Kansas town were significantly higher than statewide levels.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says tests conducted from 2005 to 2012 showed children tested in Cherryvale had a mean blood lead level of 4.54 micrograms per deciliter. The level for children in Montgomery County was 3.17, and the state was 2.49. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the national average was 1.3 from 2007-2010.
The analysis doesn’t address the source of the elevated levels.
The National Zinc Company mine in Cherryvale has been closed for years and has been the subject of a cleanup. The KDHE is also investigating reports that waste from the site has been found around the town.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The ROTC program at the University of Kansas is graduating its first female combat arms officer since the Pentagon lifted the ban on women in combat.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports Madeline Wilcox enrolled in the Army ROTC program at the University of Kansas four years ago when women weren’t allowed to be combat officers. So she planned to go into military intelligence. But that changed when the Department of Defense lifted the ban on women in combat.
Her superiors were so impressed with Wilcox’s leadership and athletic abilities they assigned her to be a field artillery officer. On Monday, the 21-year-old Wilcox becomes the first female combat arms officer to be commissioned by University of Kansas ROTC under the military’s new rules.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita officials grappling with how to secure the city’s long-term water supply are reconsidering a groundwater project that was discarded earlier.
City Manager Robert Layton and public works officials on Tuesday presented four water supply options. The Wichita Eagle reports ( three options involve buying treated water from the city of El Dorado and El Dorado Reservoir.
A fourth option includes expanding the city’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery Program northwest of Wichita. That plan involves drawing water from the Little Arkansas River to recharge the Equus Beds Aquifer. Earlier this year, however, several council members said they were doubtful the program would be a viable single long-term water source for the city.
Another water option, converting sewer water to drinking water, was discarded as too expensive.
Eleven students and one faculty member from Fort Hays State University will travel to Shiroles, Costa Rica, to help rebuild a village.
From May 23 to 30, thanks to the Center for Civic Leadership and the Global Leadership project, the students will learn about culture and service in Shiroles, in the southern region of Costa Rica. Faculty advisor Dr. Katherine Kelley, assistant professor of communication studies, will accompany the students.
The students are listed by hometown with classification and major.
ABILENE: Jessie Havice, a senior majoring in speech-language pathology.
BELOIT: Brenna Johnson, a senior majoring in organizational leadership.
ELLSWORTH: Anna Hand, a sophomore majoring in political science.
GARDEN CITY: Daisy Saavedra, a sophomore majoring in tourism and hospitality.
GLADE: Kaci Ferguson, a junior majoring in English.
GREENSBURG: Brandon Taylor, a junior majoring in management.
GOODLAND: Carly McCracken, a sophomore majoring in wildlife biology.
EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine: Chris Ouellette, a graduate student majoring in health and human performance.
MOSCOW: Rachal Cotherman, a senior majoring in organizational leadership.
ONAGA: Korby Boswell, a senior majoring in organizational leadership.
VICTORIA: Aubree Broyles, a sophomore majoring in graphic design.
The FHSU Foundation seeks a full-time Staff Accountant. A major function of this position is the financial administration and compliance requirements of the FHSU scholarship programs. Strong accounting, organizational, and administrative skills along with excellent oral and written communication proficiency are a must. A bachelor’s degree and experience in accounting is required.
Please send resumes and cover letter by May 28th, 2014 to FHSU Foundation, Accountant Search, PO Box 1060, Hays, KS 67601.
WICHITA–A Kansas man was killed in a crash with a tree just after 8 p.m Saturday night in Sedgwick County,
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1989 Chevy pickup driven by Joseph D. Crowder, 49, Sedgwick, was northbound in the 9900 Block of north Broadway in the outside lane.
The vehicle left the roadway for an unknown reason and struck a tree.
Crowder was pronounced dead at the scene. The KHP reported he was not wearing a seat belt.
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft left the International Space Station at 8:26 a.m. CDT Sunday- Photo courtesy NASA
MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The commercial cargo ship, Dragon, has left the space station.
After a one-month visit, the SpaceX cargo ship was set loose Sunday morning for return to Earth. The astronauts released it using the International Space Station’s big robot arm.
The Dragon capsule is bringing back 3,500 pounds of science experiments and old equipment. The California-based SpaceX company is aiming for a Pacific splashdown in midafternoon, Eastern Daylight Time. It’s the only supply ship capable of safely returning items.
NASA is paying SpaceX and Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. to make station deliveries. SpaceX is also competing for the right to ferry station astronauts, perhaps as early as 2017.
The Dragon rocketed to the space station on April 18 with a full load and arrived at the orbiting lab two days later, on Easter.
Two Fort Hays State University students received the Dr. Edward Hammond Leadership Scholarship for the 2014-15 academic year. The scholarships were awarded at the Half Century Club spring reception May 2.
FHSU President Edward Hammond
The Half Century Club started the award in 2012 when they surprised President Hammond with an endowed $10,000 scholarship recognizing his 25 years at the helm of FHSU. The fund has grown to more than $100,000, thus enabling the HCC to award two $2,500 scholarships.
In remarks at the reception, HCC president Twilla Wanker, ’57 alumnae, said that both recipients have displayed the highest standards in academic excellence, campus or community involvement and leadership skills.
Michaela Sasse, Gaylord, is majoring in biology with a minor in leadership studies. She is on the Deans Honor Roll and is a member of the Fort Hays State Honor Society, the Distinguished Scholars Program and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
She has been a Peer Mentor for the L3 (Live. Learn. Lead.) Learning Community, is an Anderson VIP Ambassador and has completed a leadership studies certificate curriculum. Her campus and community involvement includes participation in Up ’til Dawn, Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day, Red Cross Blood Drive, Tiger Day, Poverty Awareness Week, Swipe Out Hunger food packaging and Kid’s Voting just to name a few.
Sasse plans to become an optometrist and practice in a rural area.
Brandon Taylor, Greensburg, is majoring in Management with the intent of continuing his education to earn an MBA. He is on the Deans Honor Roll and is a College of Business and Entrepreneurship Honor Scholar.
He is a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity and the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. He has served as Alpha Lambda Delta vice president, National Collegiate Scholar secretary and as SPURS treasurer. Taylor is the Student Government Association treasurer and most recently was elected Alpha Kappa Psi vice president of fundraising. He is a member of the Memorial Union Policy, the Scholarship Environment, College of Business Student Advisory and the Undergraduate Research Experience committees.
His campus and community endeavors include Tigers in Service Paint-a-Thon, Up ’til Dawn Letter-Writing Campaign, Trick-or-Treat so Others Can Eat, and Swipe Out Hunger. He also has taken part in an alternative winter break with Tigers in Service to New Orleans to aide in hurricane recovery.
Established in 1916, the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association serves the population of FHSU graduates by identifying needs and providing solutions. More than 56,000 graduates live throughout the United States and approximately 74 foreign countries.
For more information, contact the Alumni Office at (785) 628-4430 or [email protected].
Expect a pleasant day today with partly clear skies and a high in the mid 70s. Temperatures in the 90s are expected tomorrow with very dry conditions at the surface.
Dry and hot conditions continue on Tuesday with mostly clear skies. A slight chance of thunderstorms will then be possible Wednesday into this weekend with a cooling trend
Today:Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Windy, with a south southeast wind 13 to 18 mph increasing to 23 to 28 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 43 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Windy, with a south southeast wind 21 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 95. Breezy, with a south wind 16 to 20 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. West southwest wind 8 to 17 mph becoming east after midnight.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind 11 to 13 mph
RUSSELL — The exhibition “Finding Balance” will at the Deines Cultural Center, 820 N. Main, Russell, from May 23 through July 10.
The exhibition was curated by Joel T. Dugan, Fort Hays State University professor of painting. Dugan has selected works from 15 renowned artists from across the country to participate in the exhibit.
An opening reception will be from 5 to 8 p.m. May 23.
“The artwork created by the artists of the Midwest has historically focused on themes of the land and mans reliance upon it. Many artists explore the landscape of the region as it pertains to our physical survival, domestic livelihood and spirituality,” Dugan said. “In choosing the works for this exhibition, I selected artists that explore the presence of mans footprint on the environment and the impact our surrounding have on us. These works explore the spaces we inhabit, places we visit and memories. As we look forward and consider what the future holds, the landscape reminds us of the changes we have lived through.”
LEON, Kan.–Four people were injured in a 3-vehicle crash just before 10 p.m. Saturday in Butler County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Grand Prix driven by Robert V. Lara Jr., 41, El Dorado, was westbound on U.S. 400 six miles east of Leon.
The vehicle drove left of center and sideswiped a 2013 Lincoln driven by J.K. Wright, 66, Joplin, Mo. The vehicles left the roadway and entered the south ditch.
A Ford Taurus driven by Donald Allen Hoffman, 58 Haysville, stuck debris from the original crash.
Lara was transported Susan B. Allen Hospital in El Dorado
Wright and a passenger in the Lincoln Mary Jo Wright, 66, Joplin were transported to St. Francis Medical Center. A passenger in the Taurus Lois I. Roper, 86, Wichita, was transported to Wesley Medical Center.
The KHP reported Lara was not wearing a seat belt.
MCPHERSON—Two people from Colorado were hospitalized following a Sunday morning accident in McPherson County.
