FHSU University Relations
A candlelight vigil on Thursday, sponsored by Fort Hays State University’s American Democracy Project and Tigers in Service, will mark the 9/11 anniversary.
The vigil in the Quad on the FHSU campus will begin at 8:30 p.m. The public is welcome. Student Government Association President Arin Powers, Woodward, Okla., junior, will be the speaker.
By Andy Marso
KHI News Service
The Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved will get a $468,000 federal grant to again lead the state’s efforts to get residents signed up for health insurance on the online exchanges.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday announced $60 million in “navigator” grants to 90 organizations nationwide, including KAMU.
“We’re thrilled that we got the grant for another year,” said Katrina McGivern, KAMU’s communications coordinator. “We’ve been working very diligently trying to lay out a plan prior to getting the grant to have navigators in place to get them retrained and ready to start enrollment assistance.”
McGivern said KAMU plans to use about 160 navigators for 2015 enrollment, including many who helped with sign-ups last year and “some new blood.” McGivern said the navigators’ efforts are being rebranded as “Cover Kansas.”
This year’s grant was less than the $525,000 KAMU received last year to train navigators to help Kansans sign up for health insurance on the online marketplace created by the federal Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare.
This year’s open enrollment period will be from Nov. 15, 2014 to Feb. 15, 2015. McGivern said the second year of sign-ups should be smoother than the first, when the effort was besieged by technological glitches for the first six weeks.
“One challenge we hope we don’t have is that the website works, unlike last year,” she said.
McGivern said KAMU-trained navigators across the state helped more than 15,000 Kansans sign up for health insurance during 2014 open enrollment. She said one of the challenges for 2015 will be letting those Kansans know they need to renew their policies. Use of a navigator was not required to sign up, and about 57,000 Kansans total used the marketplacee to select a plan last year, according to HHS.
In addition to KAMU, a Catholic nonprofit health system called Ascension Health received about $242,000 in grant money to help enroll Kansans. The group received a $166,000 grant last year, which Via Christi Health administered to help cancer patients and survivors obtain health insurance.
Across the state line, the Missouri Alliance of Area Agencies on Aging ($954,618), Advanced Patient Advocacy ($393,022), Community Action Agency of St. Louis County ($144,000) and National Healthy Start Association ($99,094) received navigator grants.
Advanced Patient Advocacy received a grant to operate in Kansas last year, but not this year.
Despite the technological glitches, widespread Republican opposition and several court challenges, about 8 million Americans are estimated to have selected a plan and paid for premiums under the ACA.
Last year after reports that one navigator had a bench warrant for unpaid medical bills, the Kansas Senate passed a bill to require all navigators in the state to pay $100 to register with the attorney general, be fingerprinted and undergo a background check, though KAMU already required background checks of its navigators.
Democrats said Senate Bill 362 was politically motivated. It stalled in the House.
“We’ll still have the strong opponents who are against the ACA and navigators as well,” McGivern said. “We hope the legislation that got brought up last year does not rear its head again this year, but we’re prepared to go to battle if we have to.”
McGivern said her organization expects a “significant amount” of new health insurance plans to be offered on the exchange this time around. Consumers are advised to study the plans before their appointments with navigators to determine which might best suit their needs.
Navigators also will have some studying to do if there are as many new options as rumored, she said.
“They’ll have to do more research on their end getting to know what all’s out there and available,” McGivern said.
The Fall and Winter edition of the Hays Rec Times was scheduled to arrive in mailboxes last week.
Online registration for activities and programs for all ages has begun, and in-office registration began Monday.
Burger King bills itself as “home of the Whopper,” a name intended to convey to burger eaters that this one is a whale of a deal. But “whopper” also means a prevarication, a crock, a tall tale — hogwash.
Both meanings apply to Burger King’s current effort to take over Tim Hortons, a Canadian coffee-and-doughnut chain. The $11 billion price certainly is a whopping big one — the most ever paid to buy out a fast-food purveyor. And the deal would cook up a massive corporation, with 18,000 restaurants in 100 countries, making about $22 billion in annual sales.
But the deal is clearly a whopper in that it’s based on a con. While Burger King’s CEO, Daniel Schwartz, offers some credible business reasons for the combine, what he doesn’t want BK’s American customers to ponder is the clincher in the deal: It gives his corporation a huge tax dodge.
In U.S. tax law, something called an “inversion” is a loophole allowing an American corporation that merges with a foreign one to reincorporate in the foreign country — and shirk its tax responsibilities to our nation. It’s really a perversion of the law.
Schwartz intends to do just that, renouncing Burger King’s U.S. citizenship so it can get a lower tax rate as a Canadian citizen. Schwartz & Co. would still be headquartered in Miami, Burger King would still haul in billions of dollars in sales from its U.S. outlets, and its top executives would still enjoy all the benefits that the USA affords them — but potentially without putting a corporate dime into our national treasury.
Why should we buy this whopper? There are plenty of places to buy a burger, so you don’t have to spend your dollars at the one that says it doesn’t want to be a U.S. citizen.
If Burger King won’t support America, Americans shouldn’t support it either.
OtherWords.org columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer and public speaker.
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) – You use iTunes, you get U2’s album for free. In fact, it’s already there waiting for you.
U2 made the surprise announcement at Apple’s unveiling event in Cupertino, California, yesterday.
More than half a billion iTunes accounts got the “Songs of Innocence” album free yesterday.
Don’t have iTunes? You can get the album the traditional way on October 14.
U2 has a long relationship with Apple. Their 2004 song “Vertigo” was used for an Apple iPod commercial and a special iPod was released with the band’s autographs on it.
The band’s fee went to charity.
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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas students are pressuring the school to improve its response to sexual assault reports.
More than 200 people attended a forum on the subject Tuesday, hours after a student group posted a video telling people that the school is not safe. The student group, called September Siblings, also is circulating petitions asking the school to change its response to sexual assault allegations.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports the effort is in response to recent reports that a university student who said she was raped in 2013, and her assailant was given a lenient punishment. University officials have declined to comment on the case, which Douglas County District Attorney Charles Bronson is reviewing.
Speakers at Tuesday’s forum criticized the university’s current approach of emphasizing education about sexual-assault awareness.
By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
Seventy-six trombones, clarinets, drums, tubas and more left Hays Middle School before dawn Wednesday to lead the big parade at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson this morning.
The seventh- and eighth-graders are following a more than 20-year tradition at HMS and traveling to Hutchinson to march in the annual State Fair parade.
Hays Middle School band director Marcus Bishop said the students will be judged alongside more than 60 bands from across the state on their marching and musical skills, something Bishop said is not as easy as it looks.
“It’s always a challenge for some kids to memorize music and, when you think about the memorization, playing all your notes, getting your left foot to come down on count one and getting everyone in line, I have counted at least 10 things the brains are having to do all at once,”Bishop said. “Talk about multi-tasking.”
The students have been preparing for the parade since the beginning of the school year — a performance he sees as inspiring for his students.
“It motivates our kids to get better, which is our desire in everything we do, be it sports, be it our math classes, whatever it is, that we get better everyday,” Bishop said.
After a full morning of competition, Bishop said the students also get the chance to attend the Kansas State Fair in the afternoon and will return to Hays on Wednesday evening.
By NICK BUDD
Hays Post
111th District Rep. Sue Boldra, R-Hays, and her Democratic challenger, USD 489 School Board President James Leiker, D-Hays, held their first debate at the Ellis County Big First Tea Party’s meeting on Monday night. Boldra is seeking her second two-year term in the Kansas House of Representatives.
Both candidates talked about various issues facing the state of Kansas including education, wind energy and the state tax system.
Boldra and Leiker said they were in favor of Common Core Standards. According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, the standards are “a set of mathematics and English-language arts standards that are created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, their career and life regardless where the live.”
Both Boldra and Leiker said they were in favor of the certain parts of the initiative.
“(The standards) teach students how to think not what to think and, because of that, I stand for what the (Common Core Standards) stand for,” Leiker said. “We need to teach kids ‘why.’ It’s great just to know the answer, but you need to know why, because that is what pushes each generation to succeed in our country and to keep innovation going.
“When you look at the concept of what common core is doing, it is there to teach the student critical thinking.”
Boldra noted the Legislature has worked to “tweak” the national standards in order to keep the initiative at a state level. She said the state only adopted the mathematics and English-language arts standards.
“Everybody’s state has played with the name and almost every state is using something of it. If we say we can no longer teach the Common Core math standards, then what happens if I want my kids to count to 100 by 10? At some point somebody is going to have to tell us what part of the (standards) are so abhorrent and dangerous to everyone,” Boldra said. “We’re not finished yet. There will be some more debates, but I really do think we’re on the right track.”
Boldra also addressed the issue of privacy with the Common Core standards. The state passed a bill in the past legislative session that prevents the government from data mining.
“We never align the name with the student unless the parents want them to,” Boldra said.
“(Common Core Standards) also tracks data as the kids move through so their teacher can track them on an individual basis to find areas of improvement.” Leiker said.
Boldra and Leiker also discussed the recent school funding bill that was passed this spring. The bill increased aid for poorer school districts but also removed a due process provision from the bill and gave the option to local school boards. The recent contract signed by USD 489 contained no language regarding due process. Boldra voted against the legislative measure.
“I’d like a system where teachers are held accountable,” Leiker said. “From a school board standpoint, we’ve put in ways to help the teachers and show them areas of improvement and where they are doing great, and we’ve tied that into the safety net of that position.”
Boldra said that the due process portion did not go through the House Education Committee, on which she serves.
“If it would’ve gone through the committee, we would’ve had administrators, school board members and teachers talk about it and decide what needed to be changed,” Boldra said.
Both candidates discussed a recent bill that would have enacted state sovereignty over non-migratory animals. The bill eventually died in the House. Recently, the lesser prairie chicken was listed as a threatened species, which limits agricultural and business land use in their habitats. Both agreed that national governments should not be involved in the issue.
“I was really disappointed that bill went away,” Boldra said. “We really need to enforce the Tenth Amendment on this issue, which gives states rights. The idea of federalism, it’s very strong in our Constitution. Yet, the EPA and the National Fish and Wildlife Service have encroached on Kansas’ rights.”
“I was in Medicine Lodge in 2003 when they started the conservation piloting programs for (the prarie chicken),” Leiker said. “I have friends that work for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and they know what they’re doing and I’ve met a lot of people that are part of the national government that think they know what they’re doing. I’d trust my friends any day over somebody from Washington, D.C.”
Candidates were also asked about the proposed freezing of tax cuts by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paul Davis. Since the cuts were signed into law in 2012, the state has seen a decreased bond rating, and Davis’ campaign is projecting a multimillion-dollar shortfall in the coming years, which would threaten state services.
“From what I’ve seen, tax revenues are up right now, but I can’t say if I would vote for it or not until I’ve seen some numbers,” Boldra said.
“When you look at this, we’re outspending what we’re bringing in and, if we keep with this decline, you’re going to see a lot of services cut,” Leiker said. “Until we can actually get a plan on the ground that says what we’re doing, we cannot continue to outspend what we bring in. … We’ve been downgraded twice because there is no plan.”
Both candidates said the debate went well, noting the turnout of approximately 150 people. The candidates also will debate on Smoky Hills Public Television and with the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.
DETROIT (AP) — The Kansas City Royals were at it again, starting the ninth inning with a couple of infield singles.
Then the team that’s threatening to win the AL Central because of its speed and defense made a costly blunder on the bases.
“Every time I’m in I’m looking to steal. I just didn’t get the job done,” pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson said. “There’s no excuse for it.”
Dyson was picked off second with one out in the ninth, and the Royals lost again to the Detroit Tigers, 4-2 on Tuesday night. The Tigers pulled within percentage points of Kansas City atop the AL Central, and they can sweep the three-game series with a win Wednesday night.
Rajai Davis and J.D. Martinez homered for the Tigers, and Max Scherzer (16-5) allowed a run and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. Kansas City was down 3-1 in the fifth when Alex Gordon’s deep fly to right went just foul with two on.
“When that came off the bat, I was sure that thing was gone, and I was stunned when I turned around and realized it had gone foul,” Scherzer said.
Gordon walked to load the bases with one out, but Salvador Perez lined out and Eric Hosmer struck out.
Joe Nathan worked out of another jam in the ninth to earn his 30th save in 36 chances. He allowed the two infield singles before closing out the game with two strikeouts sandwiched around the picked-off runner.
Kansas City’s Jason Vargas (11-8) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Scherzer had allowed 14 earned runs over his previous four starts — not terrible, but below his standards as the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. He’s had a hard time protecting leads lately.
On Tuesday, the Tigers led 3-0 in the fifth when Omar Infante hit an RBI single for the Royals — but Scherzer avoided the big inning.
Martinez opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first, and Davis’ two-run homer in the second made it 3-0.
Martinez’s 20th homer of the season gave Detroit a 4-1 lead in the fifth.
TOO MANY MISTAKES
The normally sure-handed Royals made two errors Tuesday after making two in the series opener. Then there was Dyson’s mistake in the ninth, which eliminated a crucial baserunner.
The Royals had men on first and second for the dangerous Gordon, but he struck out. Then Dyson was picked off second. Manager Ned Yost said he was hoping Dyson and fellow pinch-runner Terrance Gore could pull off a double steal.
“Dyson’s the lead runner, Dyson’s going to find a spot when he can get a jump and go,” Yost said. “Gore’s the tail runner. He’s going to be right behind him.”
The Tigers aren’t known for their impressive fielding, but second baseman Ian Kinsler made a crucial diving stop to his left on Josh Willingham’s grounder in the eighth. The Royals ended up scoring a run that inning, but that was it.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Tigers are trying for their fourth straight AL Central title, and the hallmark of this run has been their ability to beat their closest competitors in the division head to head. Last year, Detroit went 15-4 against Cleveland and finished one game ahead of the Indians.
The Tigers are 11-4 against the Royals this year, and the race is now in a virtual tie. Detroit has one more win and one more loss than Kansas City — and the Royals still have to finish a suspended game in which they trail Cleveland 4-2 in the 10th.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: Yost said he would not have used star closer Greg Holland on Tuesday, but he is close to returning from a triceps injury. … RHP Liam Hendriks (1-1) is listed as Thursday night’s starter against Boston — LHP Danny Duffy is missing that turn in the rotation because of a sore shoulder.
Tigers: Detroit expects RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) to be activated from the disabled list Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Kansas City’s James Shields (13-7) faces Detroit’s Rick Porcello (15-10) on Wednesday, although the possibility of rain puts that game in some doubt. Shields is coming off a 1-0 win over the Yankees in New York on Friday.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Salina man has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of drugs or alcohol after an accident that killed a 93-year-old man driving a mobility scooter.
Fifty-year-old Dennis Campbell entered the plea Monday. He’s charged in the September 2013 death of Eugene W. Olson.
Police say Campbell’s vehicle hit Olson’s scooter from behind on a Salina street. The Salina Journal reports scooters are permitted on the section of the street where the accident occurred because there are no sidewalks.
Olson is scheduled to go on trial Jan. 13.
His relatives previously settled a civil lawsuit against Campbell.
Jacob F. “Jake” Arnold, 82, Hays, died Monday, September 8, 2014, at Via Christi Villages.
He was born January 29, 1932, in Hays the son of Jacob F. and Rosa (Leiker) Arnhold. On November 5, 1955, he married Janice R. Kryzer in Hays.
He graduated from Hays High School in 1950 and from Missouri Auction School with the title of Colonel in 1956. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, where he was a long time usher, and was a lifetime member of the 3rd degree Knights of Columbus Council #1325. He was also a member of the Kansas Auctioneer Association and the Ellis County Historical Society.
When he was younger, he drove oilfield trucks and hauled oil derricks. He then managed the Horseshoe Bar & Grill on 6th Street and later on 8th and Vine. He was a car salesman for James Motor Company until his retirement. He loved auctioneering as it was his passion, loved listening and dancing to polka music, playing with his children and grandchildren and attending their school programs and athletic events.
He is survived by his wife, of the home, two daughters, June Pennington and husband John of Hays, and Julie Holmes and husband Dave of Madison, Alabama, a son Jay Arnold of Mission, Kansas, three granddaughters, Colleen Olson and husband Stean of Russell, Lesley Pennington of Topeka, and Erin Pennington of Hays, and a great granddaughter Georgia Rose Olson of Russell.
He was preceded in death by his parents, six brothers, Celly, Alex, Fred, Rich, Isadore, and Joe Arnhold, and eight sisters, Amelia Herrman, Anna Rome, Nora Seitz, Irene Witt, Rita Rohleder, Marietta Swim, Berniece Hoskins and an infant sister.
Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Friday, September 12, 2014 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 until 8:00 pm on Thursday and from 9:00 am until 9:45 Friday, all at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine. A parish vigil service will be at 6:30 pm followed by a Knights of Columbus rosary at 7:00, both on Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the St. Joseph Church elevator fund, Hospice of Hays Medical Center, or to Via Christi Villages, in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.
The Delta Zeta Turtle Tug has been scheduled for Sept. 20 on the Fort Hays State University campus.
The Turtle Tug consists of teams of four (women, men or co-ed) playing tug a war over a large pool of Jell-O.
The event will be located in the FHSU tailgate lot from 2 to 5 p.m. before the FHSU football game against Lindenwood.
Each Turtle Tug team can register at [email protected] or by contacting any Delta Zeta member. Each team will pay $20 to enter the contest. All money raised will go to the Delta Zeta local philanthropy, The Herndon Clinic, which is located on the FHSU campus.
The Hays Police Department conducted five traffic stops and received two animal calls on Tuesday, Sept. 9, according to the HPD activity log.
Missing person, 3400 block Vine, 1:18 a.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 1100 block Ash, 5:20 a.m.
Water use violation, 2600 block Vine, 6:07 a.m.
Domestic battery, 2000 block Metro, 11:45 p.m.
Animal at large, 1000 block Vine, 7:41 a.m.
Vehicle theft,1200 block East 43rd, 7:57 a.m.
Search warrant, 100 block West 12th, 08:09
Abandoned vehicle, 500 block Fort, 8:29 a.m.
Animal at large, 100 block Elm, 9:11 a.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 1300 block Anthony, 9:52 a.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 27th and General Lawton, 10:05 a.m.
Criminal damage to property, 700 block West 12th, 10:07 a.m.
Welfare check, Hays, 10:30 a.m.
Welfare check, Hays, 10:50 a.m.
Welfare check, Hays,3:14 p.m.
Telephone harassment, 3000 block Sherman, 4:43 p.m.
Harassment, 2000 block Metro, 8:53 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/DUI, 3300 block Vine, 9:50 p.m.
Domestic disturbance, 100 block East 15th, 10:52 p.m.
Assist, 700 block Vine, 11:01 p.m.
