WASHINGTON (AP) — New research shows that U.S. teachers are nowhere near as diverse as their students.
The diversity gap comes as the number of minority students in public schools is on the rise. Almost half the students in the public system are minorities.
Studies from the Center for American Progress and the National Education Association point out that only 18 percent of the teachers in the public school system are nonwhite.
The NEA, the Education Department, the American Federal of Teachers and others are committed to turning around those numbers.
Teachers and advocates say minority students can be helped by seeing successful teachers in the classroom.
Highs Today will be in near record territory with temperatures in the mid 90s. The record high on this day is 93 which occurred in 2012.
A stationary front will move South tonight, cooling temperatures down to the low 50s.
Dry and warm weather will continue for the next three days. Before a low pressure system will come into the area on Thursday and Friday bringing cooler temperatures.
Today: Sunny, with a high near 93. East southeast wind 8 to 11 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. East northeast wind 7 to 11 mph.
Monday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 84. North northwest wind 9 to 13 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 54. East wind 11 to 15 mph.
Tuesday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 92. East southeast wind 6 to 11 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon.
American Legion Riders and bicyclists at start of Saturday’s Rope ‘Em Ride
By KARI BLURTON Hays Post
Big bikes led little bikes as motorcyclists from American Legion Riders escorted nearly 50 cyclists from the starting point of the 26th annual Hays Area Children’s Centers Rope ‘Em Ride on Saturday morning.
“It’s really exciting and such a beautiful day,” said HACC executive director Susan Bowles. “I am so happy and honored that everybody is here.”
According to Bowles bicyclists from across the state and as far away as Boulder CO participated in the bike ride to raise funds for HACC’s support programs such the Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program (providing support for young children with special needs) and the center’s childcare services.
Sara Kay Carrell, an avid bicyclist and founder of the adventure fitness company Wild Within You, was there to offer road support for the participants.
“This is a very important ride. It’s a unique one because of the benefit its gives to the children’s center,” she said. “It is something that gets people out and lets them know they are there to help promote and provide resources for this great center we have in our town.”
This year’s ride featured new routes from the Bike Hays Master Plan and 12 stops at local artist Pete Felten’s limestone sculptures throughout Hays and as far away as Victoria.
Participants in Saturday’s Rope ‘Em Ride event leaving one of the stops on the route, Pete Felten’s Stone Gallery.
According to HACC community relations coordinator Kelly O’Brien Koerner, the Rope ‘Em ride includes routes to fit every age and level of experience adding the age range of participants in this year’s ride varied from kindergarten age to almost 80.
Hays resident Stacey Jones brought her four children along and made the ride a family event .
“I think its such a great opportunity to raise money…it’s a great fundraiser for our children’s center,” said Jones. “It is such a beautiful day and it’s great exercise and we just thought this was a great day to come out and have a family activity.”
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The first openly gay bishop in the Anglican church has announced he is divorcing his husband.
Retired Bishop Gene Robinson announced that he is divorcing Mark Andrew in an email to the Diocese of New Hampshire Saturday and an article for The Daily Beast.
The coupled entered into a civil union in 2008 that converted to a marriage when New Hampshire legalized gay marriage in 2010.
His election in 2003 as the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican church created an international uproar and led conservative Episcopalians to break away from the main church in the United States.
He writes that details of his divorce are private and that he can’t repay the debt he owes Andrew “for his standing by me through the challenges of the last decade.”
SCOTT CITY — A Finney County man was injured in a Motorcycle crash just after 8 p.m. on Saturday in Scott County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Big D motorcycle driven by Richard David Scott Jr., 32, Holcomb, was southbound on U.S. 83. The driver lost control of the bike, entered the west ditch and rolled.
Scott was transported to the Scott County hospital.
The KHP report does not indicate if he was wearing a helmet.
Col. Matthew Lewis, left, commander of the 1st CAB, 1st Inf. Div., Lt. Col. Richard Martin, commander of the 601st ASB, 1st Inf. Div. uncase their units colors at Fort Riley, Kan
JC Post
Fort Riley–The colors were uncased at Fort Riley Saturday, marking the end of a nine-month deployment for the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade to Afghanistan.
The final main body flight with about 90 Soldiers returned along with the Brigade’s command team.
While deployed the 1st CAB conducted aerial reconnaissance and aerial security for Kandahar Airfield, Shindand Airbase, and several smaller bases while providing close combat air support for the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan forces.
The 1,400 Demon Soldiers provided around-the-clock helicopter aviation support across an area the size of Montana.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, as our nation kicks off “National Mental Health Awareness Month,” U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in introducing the bipartisan “Caring For America’s Heroes Act” to make certain members of the military, veterans, and their familieshave access to quality behavioral health treatments.
“Those who served our nation with duty and honor, as well as with the family members who supported them, deserve access to quality health care,” Sen. Moran said. “The wounds of war after returning home from service not only impact our military retirees, but also their families. They should be able to seek inpatient mental health services the same way physical injuries are treated.”
Sen. Moran serves on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and introduced the legislation so mental health treatment is handled the same way physical injuries are treated under TRICARE. The goal is the Caring for America’s Heroes Act will help to reduce the stigma surrounding behavioral health challenges and allow the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to provide TRICARE beneficiaries with better care.
“The Retired Enlisted Association wholeheartedly supports this bill,” said Rick Delaney, President of the Retired Enlisted Association. “This bill will give America’s warfighters the peace of mind to know that their dependents will receive appropriate mental health treatment that will enable them to go and carry out the mission of keeping America safe, and it will give military retirees the knowledge that their sacrifices to our nation are respected and honored as well.”
EUDORA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man charged with using a rural Douglas County home to produce methamphetamine.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports Benito Olivas-Yanez was arrested Wednesday in Olathe. He’s one of 17 defendants indicted in December as part of a conspiracy federal prosecutors say spanned from July 2011 to December 2013.
Olivas-Yanez, a Mexican citizen, is scheduled to return to federal court Monday for a detention hearing. He’s the 12th defendant arrested in the case, which is scheduled to go to trial in March 2015. He’s charged with possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and for using a home in rural Douglas County to produce methamphetamine.
Investigators believe the conspiracy spanned multiple states and into Mexico.
A lawyer listed for Olivas-Yanez couldn’t be reached for comment.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Two gasoline stations in suburban Kansas City mistakenly sold gas mixed with diesel fuel on one day this week.
The Kansas City Star reports two QuikTrip stores in Olathe sold the mixed up fuel Thursday.
QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh says the mix up occurred at the fuel terminal, and tankers delivered the bad product to the stores. The contaminated fuel has been removed, and both stores resumed selling gasoline later Thursday.
Thornbrugh says the mixture of fuel can cause vehicles not to operate properly and the chain will pay for towing services, repairs and rental cars for affected customers. Those customers will also be reimbursed for their gas purchase and given a free tankful.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 38-year-old Wichita man won’t face the hard 50 prison sentence after the jury in his trial couldn’t agree on giving him the heftier sentence.
Jason A. Jones was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the death of 34-year-old Shawn Lindsey, who was injected with a lethal dose of methamphetamine in January 2013.
Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Dan Dillon says jurors charged with deciding whether Jones should serve at least 50 years before being paroled could not reach consensus.
The Wichita Eagle reports Jones will face life in prison on the murder charge and more than 12 years in prison for kidnapping when he’s sentenced June 20.
In Kansas, standard first-degree murder convictions carry a life prison sentence without parole eligibility for 25 years.
LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Wells’ Dairy says it is voluntarily recalling one of its Blue Bunny ice cream products for a labeling problem.
The Le Mars, Iowa-based company said in a news release Saturday that packages of 56 fluid-ounce Blue Bunny Premium Bordeaux Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream are being recalled because the product may contain egg not declared on the label. People who are allergic to egg could have a severe reaction if they consume the ice cream.
The packages were sold at retail grocery stores in Kansas, Indiana and Iowa. The products affected are from Lot Number 40010 TTT 19115, and have a best-used-by date of Oct. 9, 2015.
The company says no customers have reported any illnesses in connection with the ice cream to date.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Supporters say a bill heading to Gov. Sam Brownback’s desk will give Kansas residents more information about law enforcement activities and bring the state in line with openness in other states.
The measure would make affidavits used to support arrest warrants and search warrants available to the public, including the media, upon request, ending the practice of keeping the documents sealed from review.
Legislators gave strong support to the bill late Friday as they ended the 2014 session.
Rep. John Rubin, a Shawnee Republican who sponsored the bill, says law enforcement should be held to the same level of accountability and transparency that is expected from every other governmental agency.
The Kansas Press Association fought for the changes to no avail for several decades to open access to the records.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House of Representatives has rejected a bill that would have exempted private-sector health clubs from property taxes.
The Wichita Eagle reports that a House-Senate conference committee had earlier removed the proposed tax break from a bill that passed the Senate, but supporters in the House made a last-ditch effort to restore it in a floor vote. They lost on a vote of 16-108.
Rep. Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, argued the measure was needed because dozens of health clubs have gone out of business facing what he said was unfair competition from YMCAs.
Emporia Republican Rep. Don Hill countered that all kinds of small businesses fail for various reasons and health clubs are no different.
JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press
