Washington – Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5759 – “Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act.” Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) issued the following statement:
“While I voted for this bill, it is going nowhere fast. After this merely symbolic vote against Obama’s lawless amnesty order, we must now employ our constitutional power of the purse and defund his order in next week’s spending bill. The Administration is already hiring over a thousand employees to implement his unfair amnesty plan — so it is not an option to wait until April or even March.
The American people just dealt Obama and his amnesty agenda a resounding defeat at the polls. I encourage my Republican colleagues to join me and keep our campaign promise by opposing this lawless amnesty action.
NASHVILLE (AP) – Carrie Underwood is launching a line of athletic clothes because she couldn’t find something she liked for the gym. Underwood says the high performance clothes are not pretty and the pretty things don’t last long or don’t do what she needs them to do. Her line is called Calia by Carrie Underwood and it will be sold through Dick’s Sporting Goods beginning in March. The items sell for about $30 for tops and $60 to $85 for pants. Underwood says the people who buy her music are the people she wants to buy her clothes. She says it doesn’t make sense to put out things that they can’t go out and get.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City couple will serve nine years in federal prison without parole for a scheme that targeted financially struggling clients.
Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that 43-year-old John Lee Norris and 39-year-old Julie Tina Hatcher defrauded 81 clients. They were each ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution.
Norris and Hatcher pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to defraud debtors, the victims’ lenders and the federal government between August 2010 and June 2013. They also each pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and Hatcher pleaded guilty to disability fraud.
Norris and Hatcher promised to help homeowners and others keep their homes and resolve their financial difficulties for monthly payments. They instead spent the payments on personal expenses.
Victims were from several states including Missouri and Kansas.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Overland Park police say a man shot by U.S. Marshals was a suspect in several felonies in multiple jurisdictions.
The man was identified Thursday as 44-year-old Keith D. Angell, of Overland Park. He was shot Wednesday as U.S. Marshals were attempting to arrest him. Details of what prompted the shooting have not been released.
He remained in critical condition on Thursday. No officers were injured.
The Kansas City Star reports that Kansas City-area court and prison records show Angell has a criminal history dating back more than 20 years. He is currently wanted for failing to appear in court on various charges in Johnson, Wyandotte and Platte counties.
Teaming up For Tots Angel Tree, Walmart, 4301 Vine, Hays.
By KARI BLURTON Hays Post
With less than a week until the local Teaming Up for Tots toy drive ends, nearly 30 angels — each representing a child in Hays in need of a Christmas gift — remain on the organization’s Angel Trees at Walmart, 4301 Vine, and seven remain on the tree at First Kansas Bank, 1200 E. 27th.
Coordinator Shauna Zweifel said the last day to return gifts is Dec. 10.
“The angels are on the trees, and we are just hoping they get pulled off and people will purchase clothing and toys for those kids,” Zweifel said.
More than 400 children in Hays were referred to Teaming Up for Tots from the Community Assistance Center in Hays this year — slightly fewer than last year.
Zweifel said each child has two angels on the trees, one represents a toy item and one is for a clothing item. The clothing size, age of child and a specially requested toy is listed on the angel.
Zweifel said it is especially common for people to be intimidated about what to buy the older children on the trees, especially when it comes to buying clothing for teens.
The Community Assistance Center referred more than 400 kids in Hays to the Teaming up for Tots Angel Tree project.
“In that case, you can just buy a gift card and the kids can pick out their own items,” Zweifel said.
Most importantly, Zweifel said she knows the kids and their parents appreciate the gift.
“I feel so excited when we see the families come in and actually are so appreciative of getting that extra help they just need at Christmastime … and to know you’re really helping the kids.”
Angel trees were originally located at Walgreens, The Mall at Hays, Walmart and First Kansas Bank.
The Walmart and First Kansas Bank are the only two trees left with angels remaining, although there are dropboxes for gifts at The Mall, Walmart and First Kansas Bank.
Zweifel said the community also can help with the project by donating items such as wrapping paper, tape or gift boxes or donations to buy the supplies and any “extra” gifts that may be needed. Monetary donations for supplies also are accepted.
“Maybe somebody had good intentions of taking one of the angels and either forgot about it or lost it, so we are always in need of donations,” she said.
For more information about the Teaming Up for Tots toy drive, contact Zweifel at [email protected] or (785) 625-6895.
TOPEKA – The nation’s largest satellite radio provider has agreed to repay consumers after being accused of violating state consumer protection laws, Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced today.
Schmidt, along with the attorneys general of 43 other states and the District of Columbia, reached a settlement with Sirius XM Radio, Inc., to provide restitution to eligible consumers. The states alleged that the company engaged in misleading advertising and deceptive billing practices, such as automatically renewing customers’ subscriptions without sufficient notice and making cancellation difficult. In addition, the company agreed to pay $100,000 for violating the Kansas No Call Act.
“Companies that sell services to Kansas consumers must play by the rules,” Schmidt said. “Being upfront and honest about the cost of a service is essential to allowing consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. Companies must also respect the wishes of consumers who choose to list their numbers on the Do-Not-Call list.”
Sirius XM also agreed to make changes to its business practices, including:
clearly disclosing all terms and conditions, such as billing frequency, contract length and cancellation policy at the time of sale;
providing consumers advance notice via mail or email if their contract is about to automatically renew; and
revising its cancellation procedures to make it easier for consumers to cancel.
Consumers may be eligible for restitution if they have filed a complaint regarding Sirius XM’s business practices since July 28, 2008. The deadline for filing complaints is May 1, 2015. To file a complaint, Kansas consumers should contact the attorney general’s consumer protection division at www.InYourCornerKansas.org or (800) 432-2310. Consumers may also file complaints directly with Sirius XM by mail to PO Box 33059, Detroit, MI 48232 or online at www.siriusxm.com/settlementprogram.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators from both parties are urging the National Football League to get rid of a rule that bars home games from being televised in a local market if they have not sold out.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal and John McCain say the NFL’s “blackout” rule is unfair to fans who have helped the league reap billions of dollars in revenue from broadcast rights to games that are among the most-watched programs on TV.
The Federal Communications Commission voted this fall to stop enforcing the NFL’s blackout policy, but the action did not end blackouts, which are written into the NFL’s private contracts with broadcast and cable companies.
Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, and McCain, an Arizona Republican, warned that if the league does not repeal the rule, Congress may step in.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A market analyst is warning Kansas ranchers not to get too comfortable with the record high cattle prices they have been enjoying recently.
CattleFax Executive Vice President Randy Blach told producers attending the Kansas Livestock Association convention in Wichita that they can continue to make good profits in the coming years. But he says cattle prices will soften amid more competition next year from pork and poultry as the nation’s cattle herd expands.
He says this year’s all-time high cattle prices were driven by a perfect storm. Rainfall broke the drought across much of the country’s major cattle producing areas, while cattle profitability sparked a herd expansion as ranchers held on to their animals. Production of competing meats like pork and poultry were also down this year.
———
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A market analyst is headlining the annual gathering of Kansas ranchers amid record high cattle prices.
CattleFax Executive Vice President Randy Blach will talk Thursday about the cattle market outlook at the Kansas Livestock Association convention in Wichita. He is expected to offer his perspective on how the industry reached record price levels and how long the profitability might last.
Another keynote presentation is expected from James Herring, the president and CEO of Friona Industries, the nation’s third largest cattle feeding operation. Herring’s session is billed as a presentation on the challenges and opportunities facing the beef industry.
As volunteers for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys For Tots campaign continue to pick up donated toys at drop boxes across the region, Hays coordinator Ryan Bickle said this year the group is trying something new to bring in more donations.
Bickle, president of sales at Federated Auto Parts in Hays, said he and other volunteers will be walking alongside the Federated float at Saturday evening’s FrostFest Parade in downtown Hays collecting toys or monetary donations. The 14th annual parade is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
“We have no idea what to expect at the parade,” Bickle smiled, adding he is hoping the word gets out and people will show up with donations for the annual toy drive.
The last day to donate toys is Dec.8.
Bickle said the toys will then be delivered to members of the Marine Corps in Hays and Hill City, who will sort and distribute the gifts in Ellis County and across western Kansas. The monetary donations are used to buy gifts for older children, who tend to not receive as many donations as younger kids.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The top transportation official in Kansas says highway projects scheduled for 2015 and 2016 will proceed, despite a projected multi-million shortfall in the state’s budget.
The Kansas Department of Transportation announced in August $1.2 billion in highway projects for the next two years. In November, the state announced it was expecting a $279 million shortfall for this fiscal year and another $436 million shortfall the following fiscal year.
Transportation Secretary Mike King said Wednesday the projects for the next two fiscal years will proceed but he wasn’t as certain about 2017.
The Wichita Eagle reports some conservative legislators have suggested using money from the highway fund to find extra money for other state needs. Democrats have warned that doing that would stop the planned highway projects.
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Former first lady Laura Bush is coming to southeast Kansas in the spring to speak during Pittsburg State University’s Women in Government Lecture Series.
The university says Bush will speak on education, literacy, volunteerism and human rights on April 22 at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts.
Ticket prices and their availability will be announced early in the spring semester.
Previous participants in the Women in Government series include former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, human rights activist Kerry Kennedy, White House correspondent Helen Thomas and Kansas Supreme Court Justice Kay McFarland.
The lecture series at Pittsburg State began in 2001 through a gift to the school from the Helen S. Boylan Foundation, which provided a special grant to bring Bush to the campus.
More trouble for AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd on Thursday. Rudd, who faces charges of threatening to kill, and possessing methamphetamine and marijuana, was detained by New Zealand police after he had contact with a witness in his case.
Outside court, his lawyer explained, “It was a meeting with somebody he wasn’t meant to associate with in a shop. It was a chance meeting and then there was contact from that,” New Zealand Media and Entertainment reports.
Rudd, 60, was released on bail without facing additional charges. As an additional condition of his bail, he’s barred from consuming illegal drugs.
Rudd has pleaded not guilty to the charges he currently faces.
Washington – Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5759 – “Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act.” Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) issued the following statement:
