Month: May 2014
Mental health conference to focus on hope, recovery
By KHI NEWS SERVICE
PARK CITY — More than 200 people with serious mental illnesses are expected to gather here next month for the Kansas Consumer Advisory Council for Adult Mental Health’s annual conference.
The two-day event will be held at the Best Western Hotel, 915 E. 53rd St., beginning on June 17.
“The conference is about hope, because where there’s hope, there’s recovery,” said Gary Parker, executive director of the advisory council. “The whole idea behind this is to let people see how others have found hope and recovery, and then have them take those ideas back to their communities. This is a great way to do that.”
Featured speaker will be Wilma Townsend, director of consumer affairs with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Forum topics include health and wellness, overcoming stigma and discrimination, employment, peer support and trauma-informed care.
“Trauma-informed care is a hot topic right now,” Parker said.
Financed by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the conference is a project of 17 consumer-run organizations throughout the state.
Kansas loosens rules on circulating petitions
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is ending a ban on non-residents circulating election petitions that hasn’t been enforced for almost four years because a federal judge declared it unconstitutional.
Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill Thursday repealing the requirement that petition circulators be Kansas residents. The change takes effect next week.
Members of political organizations can circulate petitions to gain party recognition from the state so their candidates can have the affiliation listed on the ballot. People also circulate petitions to recall elected officials, and some candidates circulate petitions to get on the ballot.
The residency requirement was challenged in 2010 by members of the Constitution Party, and a federal judge said it violated their right to free association. The attorney general’s office also had concluded that the law was unconstitutional.
Towers will study wind in Douglas County
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Douglas County commissioners have approved a plan to erect two meteorological towers in a rural area to study wind patterns.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports the towers will be installed by NextEra Energy Resources, the nation’s largest wind energy developer.
Company officials told the commission earlier they wanted to study wind patterns for one to five years to determine if a wind farm would be feasible in the area.
The towers are about 200 feet tall and anchored by several wires. The conditional use permit approved by the commission is good for six years.
Chiefs draft Auburn DE Dee Ford in first round
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs selected Auburn defensive end Dee Ford with the No. 23 overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, landing a potential replacement for Tamba Hali or Justin Houston.
With only one selection in the first two rounds, Kansas City was thought to be trying to trade out of its pick. But general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid wound up with Ford, eschewing a wide receiver or defensive back that could have filled bigger holes.
Hali turns 31 in November while Houston is due to become a free agent after the upcoming season. Ford will likely move to outside linebacker and be groomed as a replacement.
Ford made 10 1/2 sacks for the Tigers last season.
Former US Sen. Dole to resume Kansas tour
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole resumes his Kansas tour next week with stops including Wichita, Manhattan and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene.
It’s the second leg of a planned series of visits by the 90-year-old Russell native to his home state this year. Dole has said he’s making the trips from his current home in Washington, D.C., to visit with friends and former supporters.
Next week’s schedule includes 16 stops for what are billed as public meet-and-greet events. Dole made a 10-day trip to northeast Kansas in April.
Dole spent nearly 36 years in Congress. He was the Senate majority leader for 11 years before stepping down in 1996 to run as the Republican nominee for president against Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton.
Kansas forward Andrew White III leaving program
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Guard Andrew White III is transferring from Kansas in search of more playing time after two seasons in which he failed to break into the regular rotation.
Jayhawks coach Bill Self announced White’s decision in a statement Thursday night.
White played in 25 games as a freshman and showed a deft touch from the perimeter, but he got lost in the mix last season, averaging just 5.9 minutes while appearing in 19 games.
White said that Self told him “it would be questionable to break into the rotation,” so he decided to explore other options. White did not say where he would transfer.
His decision came one week after starting point guard Naadir Tharpe announced he would transfer closer to his home in Massachusetts for his final year of eligibility.
Kansas technology firm pleads guilty to visa fraud
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas information technology firm has admitted bringing foreign employees into the U.S. under a specialty worker program when it did not have work readily available for them.
Court documents show Overland Park-based iNEX Technologies pleaded guilty Thursday to visa fraud in a deal with the government to pay $552,601 in restitution and a $30,000 fine.
The company admitted in its plea agreement that it filed paperwork under the H-IB special worker program claiming foreign workers would be paid when they arrived. However, iNEX acknowledged it would not pay them until they found work with one of its contract vendors.
In a separate case, the government also deferred prosecution of company owners Preetham Kodiripaka and Sudhir Dodda. They did not immediately return a phone message left at their office.
Indians Wendy Zimmerman to Compete for FHSU
By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Most any coach at Hays High School will tell you that Wendy Zimmerman is a talented athlete. Unfortunately injuries have kept the senior from training fully over her high school career. But through all the injuries, Zimmerman kept coming back and competing. That attitude and determination also helped her land a spot on the Fort Hays State University Track and Field team. She signed her letter of intent Thursday at Hays High School.
Zimmerman says the first time realized she could compete at the collegiate level was during her senior year of track when she cleared 5’6″ in the high jump and colleges started to contact her.
Zimmerman qualified for the 2013 State Track Meet in four events. She finished third in the high jump and ninth in the triple jump. Zimmerman also was part of the ninth place 4×400 meter relay team and qualified in the 400 meters.
Hays High’s Lane Clark to kick for Tennessee State
By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post
Four sport athlete at Hays High School, Lane Clark signed his letter of intent Thursday to kick at Division 1 Tennessee State University. Clark was on the football team three of his four high school years and also played soccer during the same fall season. He also was on the 4th place state basketball team where he was a three year starter and also a varsity member of the golf team in the spring.
This summer Clark spent time honing his football kicking skills at the KCKicking camp as was named MVP and also won the Last Man Standing Competition, Punt Championship and Kick-Off Championship. According to KCKicking.com “Lane Clark proved at this camp that he is one of the most consistent kicker we’ve ever worked with.”
During Clark’s junior season he made 33 of 38 PATs and was 4-4 on field goals hitting from 27 yards twice, 33 yards and 37 yards.
His senior year Clark missed just one PAT making 30 of 31 and was 7-9 of FG. He converted from 28, 29, 31, 36, 37, 38, and 48 yards. His only misses in two years were from 47 and 50 yards. Clark also played wide receiver and defensive back during his senior season.
Tennessee State University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and is a Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision school. The Tigers compete in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Renovation proposal ‘skates’ through city approval (VIDEO)
By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
A crowd of local skate enthusiasts heard the good news they were hoping for at Thursday night’s Hays City Commission meeting.
The Western Kansas Skate Park Committee received the unanimous endorsement from commissioners to begin soliciting donations for the improvement and expansion of the skate park at Aubel-Bickle Park, 30th and Sherman.
“I appreciate your initiative and think it’s a good thing,” said Commissioner Kent Steward.
WKSC member Derek Hadley told commissioners the total project cost is estimated at $250,000:
The funding process will be similar to the Hays Dog Park projec. All donations will be deposited with and accounted for by the city of Hays.
Commissioners voted to require Phase 1, the bowl area, to be completed within two years, and the entire project to be finished within five years.
The skate park was built in 1996.
For more on Thursday’s meeting, check Hays Post.
KHAZ Country Music News: Shania Twain Teaming Up With Panthera
Shania Twainhas joined with cat conservation organization Panthera to launch Project Pardus, a worldwide effort to highlight the plight of and to protect leopards in the wild. “The image and spirit of the leopard is an inspiration to millions around the world, including myself,” says Twain. “That it is also the most oppressed of the big cats is almost unknown. I feel privileged to give back to a creature that depends for its future on what we do now to save it, and I urge the wider world to join Panthera and me in this mission.” More here.
Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry
Wind gust leads to injury at sports complex Wednesday
Hays Post
A woman was injured Wednesday night after being struck by a metal bleacher at Bickle/Schmidt Sports Complex.
At 6:37 p.m. Wednesday, Hays EMS and Fire were dispatched to the complex after a gust of wind flipped a bleacher into the air striking a spectator on the head.
She had been sitting on her lawn chair next to a two-level metal bleacher when the bleacher moved about 50 feet.
After losing consciousness, she was taken to Hays Medical Center and told officers she was all right but most likely sustained a concussion.
Ellis County Emergency Management Bill Ring said his office received reports of straight-line winds across the county.
Ring said just before 7 p.m. a wind gust of 40 mph were reported. Fifteen minutes before and after that wind gusts were around 15 mph.
Ring said he believes the winds in Ellis County were part of the same front that produced wind gusts responsible for blowing a train off the tracks west of Galva in McPherson County on Wednesday night.