Kansas Association of Broadcasters

The Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government today named Topeka media law attorney Michael L. Merriam as recipient of the Coalition’s “Above and Beyond Award” for Merriam’s career-long contributions to promoting and defending open government.

The award will be presented at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the auditorium on the first floor of the Statehouse.

Ron Keefover, Coalition president, said the Sunshine Coalition Board of Directors voted unanimously to bestow the 2014 award to Merriam based on his 35-plus years of innumerable presentations, consultations, lobbying, and other outreach efforts designed to open government records and meetings, many of which were done at no charge on behalf members of the Coalition and media outlets that had been denied access to government in Kansas.

Sunshine Coalition board members, including Doug Anstaett, executive director of the Kansas Press Assn., and Kent Cornish, president of the Kansas Assn. of Broadcasters, are among officials who will preside at Friday’s brief awards ceremony.

“Said simply, Mike Merriam has been one of the newspaper and broadcast industry’s greatest and most consistent champions these past three decades, never accepting less than total compliance with the open records and open meetings laws of Kansas,” Keefover said.

During the years, Merriam has among other endeavors:

• Successfully pursued the opening of massive records held by the Schools for Fair Funding, a statewide organization of school districts that sued the State of Kansas for additional school finance;
• Operated a legal hotline telephone call-in program for more than 25 years for those inquiring about access to government records and meetings;
• Written an Advertising Law Guide for newspapers;
• Teamed up with the University of Kansas Professor Mike Kautsch to provide the “Mike and Mike Show,” a primer on open government, which has been presented dozens of times to local government officials around the State of Kansas.
• And has spoken at many media law seminars presented in Kansas and at national programs on the open government and the First Amendment, including annual regional seminars on the Kansas Open Records and the Kansas Open Meetings Acts.

Merriam is a fifth generation native of Topeka, where he received his Juris Doctor degree from Washburn University after receiving a B.A. from the University of Kansas. He is admitted to practice law in the courts of Kansas, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Supreme Court, and in many other jurisdictions whenever necessary. He is currently in private practice in Topeka.

He has practiced extensively in media law and First Amendment representation for over 35 years, and represents many communications companies, individual newspapers, broadcasters, and membership organizations including the Kansas Press Association, the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, and the Associated Press, and has created and maintained telephone hotlines for journalists for many years. He has authored many materials for publication on this subject, and has been an Adjunct Professor teaching Mass Media Law at Washburn University. For his work in media law he has been recognized as a Best Lawyer in America biannually since 1991.

The Sunshine Coalition for Open Government is a statewide organization of journalism and law professors, members of the news media and other private citizens committed to promoting open government in Kansas. Its Board members include the Executive Directors of the Kansas Press Association, Kansas Association of Broadcasters and representatives of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Kansas League of Women Voters, among others. It is housed at the Elliott School of Mass Communication at Wichita State University, where the Coalition was founded in 2000.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Chinese company and the Dairy Farmers of America say they are planning a $100 million plant somewhere in Kansas but details are sketchy.

The Dairy Farmers of America, a cooperative owned by 13,000 dairy farmers based, is based in Kansas City. It is working with the Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group. The two groups formed a partnership two years ago.

The Kansas City Star reports  the plant’s location was not disclosed but it is likely to be in western Kansas, where most of the state’s milk production occurs.

The plant would produce up to 88,000 tons of milk powder a year.

Rick Smith, president and CEO of Dairy Farmers of America, said Yili is a fitting partner because it is a leading Chinese dairy processor.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Findings from congressional investigators suggest Medicare patients aren’t being told enough of what they need to know and some of the weaknesses are deemed “critical.”

The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office says Medicare lacks clear procedures for getting useful information to consumers. Its investigation finds that federal government websites meant to give Medicare patients basic consumer tools instead fail to provide adequate information on out-of-pocket costs, and even quality of care.

The GAO report, obtained by The Associated Press before its public release, says a confusing layout, data gaps and lack of customized information make it virtually impossible for consumers to get the knowledge they need. The GAO says it won’t be fixed anytime soon, even as the federal government plans new websites on other forms of care.

The GAO says there’s a growing need for the information as health care costs rise.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R –Kan.) issued the following statement in advance of this evening’s vote on construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline:

“On Election Day, Americans voted overwhelmingly to end the gridlock in Washington. Unfortunately, it appears many Senate Democrats didn’t get the message. The liberal obstructionists in the Senate are still standing in the way of the Keystone Pipeline. The Keystone Pipeline can deliver over 40,000 American jobs. It is the single largest shovel-ready project in America, and construction of this critical project is long past due. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to end the obstructionism, stand with the American people, and vote to create jobs and build the Keystone Pipeline.

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling about 65,000 Fusion midsize cars in North America because the ignition keys can be removed if the transmission is not in park.

The recall covers certain Fusions, including gas-electric hybrids, from the 2014 and 2015 model years. Ford traced the problem to a computer program in the instrument cluster. Keys can be removed 30 minutes after the ignition switch is turned off if the cars are left in gear. That violates U.S. safety regulations and increases the risk of cars rolling away unexpectedly.

Ford says it’s not aware of any crashes or injuries from the problem. Dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster at no cost to owners.

The recall covers about 55,000 vehicles in the U.S., with the rest in Canada and Mexico.

WICHITA- Two people were injured in a five-vehicle accident just before 5 a.m. on Tuesday in Sedgwick County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Chevy passenger car driven by Noe Beltran-Chavez, 23, Wichita, was northbound on Interstate 135 at mile post 3 and struck a 1992 Olds passenger car driven by Gerald Vontress Jr., 28, Wichita, that was out of fuel stalled in the roadway.

A 2003 Kia driven by Kellie Martin, 40, Wichita, a 2006 Chevy driven by Laquetta L Nobel, 26, Wichita, and a 2003 Pontiac driven by Clifford J Robinson, 41, Oklahoma City collided attempting to avoid the initial collision.

Vontress Jr. and Beltran-Chavez were transported to Wesley Medical Center. No other injuries were reported.

Vontress Jr. and Beltran-Chaves were not wearing seat belts according to the KHP.