HAYS — Two women were injured in an accident just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday in Ellis County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford Focus driven by Melissa A. Braun, 40, Manhattan, was traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 at the U.S. 183 Junction.
The vehicle drifted across the median into the westbound lanes and struck a 2013 Ford Edge driven by Kimberly A. Gaschler, 52, Ellis, head on.
Braun was transported to Hays Medical Center.
According to the KHP, Gaschler is believed to have sustained injuries, but the report did not indicate where she was treated. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has indefinitely postponed a hearing on a gay-marriage case because of a federal judge’s order in a separate lawsuit barring the state from enforcing its ban on same-sex marriage.
The Kansas court issued an order Wednesday, a day before arguments from attorneys on a petition filed by Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
The court told the parties it wants to hear from them by Nov. 15 on whether it should continue to bar counties from issuing marriage licenses to gay couples and postpone Schmidt’s case until a federal lawsuit is resolved.
In the federal case, U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled Tuesday that the state could not enforce its gay-marriage ban but stayed his decision to allow the state to appeal. The state did that Wednesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is telling the Veterans Affairs Department it needs to keep working to improve services, health care and accountability for veterans.
Obama met on Wednesday with VA Secretary Robert McDonald and his deputy, Sloan Gibson. The White House says Obama urged them to continue strengthening VA management, cutting the backlog of disability claims, speeding up access to health care and ending homelessness for veterans.
Obama nominated McDonald to head the agency in June after his former VA secretary resigned amid a nationwide scandal over long wait times for veterans seeking medical care, and falsified records covering up the delays.
The White House says McDonald updated Obama on his plans to improve how the VA functions and what choices veterans have to access services.
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for selling stolen firearms, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Joshua S. Bailes, 32, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of stolen firearms. In his plea, he admitted that on Aug. 16, 2012, he and two co-defendants sold a total of four firearms to undercover agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On Aug. 21, 2012, Bailes and one co-defendant sold a total of 17 firearms to undercover ATF agents. It was determined later that the firearms were stolen. Among the firearms Bailes sold were handguns, rifles and shotguns. At the time of the crime, Bailes was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was a prior convicted felon.
Co-defendant Richard Fisher was sentenced to 15 years. Co-defendant Vincent Leuzinger was sentenced to 70 months.
Grissom commended the ATF and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead for their work on the case.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has narrowly won re-election even though exit polling suggested a majority of voters were skeptical of the personal income tax cuts he championed.
Exit polling conducted for The Associated Press and television networks showed Wednesday that 53 percent of the voters surveyed believed the cuts mostly hurt the state and 41 percent said they mostly helped.
The survey of 2,027 voters was conducted by Edison Research and had a margin of error of 4 percent. Earlier, preliminary exit polling data — involving fewer voters — had suggested a more favorable opinion of the tax cuts.
Legislators enacted the tax cuts at Brownback’s urging. He argued during the campaign that they were boosting the economy.
Democratic challenger Paul Davis said they wrecked the state’s finances.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The quest for a drug to treat Ebola is speeding up. Federal officials have settled on a plan to test multiple experimental drugs at once, in an umbrella study using a single comparison group. They say this will give more Ebola patients a chance to try a treatment and provide quicker answers on which ones work.
Federal Food and Drug Administration officials described the plan Wednesday at a conference of several thousand tropical disease experts in New Orleans.
There is no treatment for Ebola, but several experimental ones have been tried on a few patients, and scientists are eyeing some others that were developed for different conditions and also might fight Ebola.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, One Direction and One Republic will compete for favorite group at the People’s Choice Awards. Beyoncé, Iggy Azalea, Katy Perry, Sia and Taylor Swift are nominated for favorite female artist. Blake Shelton, Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Pharrell Williams and Sam Smith will face off for favorite male artist. Nominees in other music categories include Charli XCX, Hunter Hayes, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Florida Georgia Line, Jennifer Lopez and Jay Z. The People’s Choice Awards will be January 7 in Los Angeles and shown on CBS.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is standing by his pledge to act on his own to reduce deportations and improve border security by the end of the year. Obama says he will take his own steps despite election results that gave Republicans control of Congress.
He says he prefers congressional action but that he has shown patience and has tried to work in a bipartisan fashion.
Obama says if Congress acts, his executive actions will go away. Republicans say any action will poison relations with the White House.
Obama angered Latinos and immigration advocacy groups earlier this year when he delayed any executive action until after the election. Any action Obama takes will likely reduce the number of deportations and grant work permits to millions of immigrants illegally in the United States.
After a public hearing two weeks ago, Hays city commissioners are scheduled to discuss the direction they want to take regarding the proposed Community Improvement District at the Hays Mall at this week’s work session. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.
Mall developers are proposing a 1 percent sales tax increase on sales generated on the mall property to fund improvements to the entrances, interior, exterior and landscaping. Developers have told the commission national retailers are looking to lease property, contingent upon the improvements. According to Assistant City Manager Paul Briseno, city staff is seeking guidance from the commission regarding which direction to take and, if they want to move forward with the request, any stipulations they require in the development agreement.
Commissioners also are scheduled to discuss a proposed design and engineering contract for the rehabilitation of the crosswind runway at Hays Regional Airport. The project is ranked as the “highest priority project” in the Airport Capital Improvement Program after the completion of the terminal expansion and remodel. The proposed contract is for approximately $95,000 and it is eligible for the 90/10 match with the Federal Aviation Administration. The runway was constructed in 2003. The construction is expected to cost approximately $668,000 and will also be eligible for the 90/10 AIP match.
City staff also will recommend the city continue the 1 percent transient guest tax increase after the Hays Welcome Center at 27th and Vine was paid off at the end of October. The guest tax was raised from 4 percent to 5 percent in 2006 to pay for the construction of the center. The city projected the facility would be paid off in 2018, but due to “incremental increased revenues” from the guest tax, the city was able to pay the center off early. If commissioners approve the request, the funds would be used to pay for promotions, marketing and for funding the quality-of-life agencies, including the Downtown Development Corp.
Click HERE for a complete agenda for Thursday’s meeting.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is appealing a federal judge’s order that the state must allow same-sex couples to marry pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban.
The state attorney general’s office filed a notice of appeal Wednesday. The filing came one day after U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree issued a preliminary injunction barring the state from enforcing its same-sex marriage ban as of 5 p.m. on Nov. 11. The enforcement delay was designed to give the state time to appeal.
The American Civil Liberties Union had sued to overturn Kansas’ ban after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals from five states seeking to save their gay marriage bans. Among them were Oklahoma and Utah, which are in the same appeals court circuit as Kansas.
Marcy McClelland, 1st District Ellis County Commissioner-Elect, looks over balloting results with Lisa Campbell Tuesday night in the Ellis County Clerk’s office.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Hays resident Marcy McClelland was elected Tuesday as the new 1st District Ellis County Commissioner.
Her win came as no surprise — McClelland had no Democratic challenger.
She won the April primary race against fellow Republican Lyle Johnston, Ellis.
The unofficial result showed McClelland with 2,866 votes. There were 49 write-ins.
McClelland will assume her county commission seat in January.
The 1st District seat is currently held by Republican Swede Holmgren, Ellis, who did not seek re-election.
The 2014 Hays alley cleanup was completed November 5.
Hays Public Works Department
The 2014 Alley Cleanup is complete. It started Oct. 27.
City staff appreciates the residents of Hays for following the rules to make Alley Cleanup a safe and economical service provided to the refuse customers of Hays. Thank You.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas State Board of Nursing has approved disciplinary action against a fired nurse charged with sexually assaulting three patients.
Board attorney Alma Heckler said Wednesday that no details would be provided about the type of discipline until paperwork was filed in the case against 47-year-old Dennis Clark of Gardner. That was expected to happen in the next few days.
Clark was released from the Wyandotte County Jail on Tuesday night after posting bond. He faces three counts of aggravated sexual battery. Prosecutors are urging anyone with information about other possible victims to call police.
Clark didn’t have a listed number, and his attorney didn’t return a phone message.
Prosecutors say the alleged assaults occurred from December through May while Clark worked at Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
HAYS — Two women were injured in an accident just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday in Ellis County.
