TOPEKA–Kansas First Lady Mary Brownback announced the winners of the 2015 Kansas Book Festival Grants during a news conference this week at the State Library.
Three western Kansas towns are among the winners.
“The Kansas Book Festival works year round to promote literacy and encourage a life-long love of reading,” said First Lady Brownback. “These grants will help libraries purchase new technology and a wide range of reading materials for many reading levels.”
The 15 public and school libraries will share in receiving a portion of the $11,160 in grants from corporate and private sponsors.
2015 Technology Grants
Wamego Public Library
Wamego
$ 929
Wallace County Public Schools
Sharon Springs
$ 2,000
McCune Osage Township Library
McCune
$ 600
Washburn Rural High School Library
Topeka
$ 645
Clearwater Public Library
Clearwater
$1,968
2015 Book Grants
Oaklawn Elementary School Library
Wichita
$ 500
Formoso Public Library
Formoso
$ 500
Earl M. Lawson Elementary Library
Leavenworth
$ 800
Vermillion Public Library
Vermillion
$ 300
Elmendaro Township Library
Hartford
$ 500
Harper Public Library
Harper
$ 178
Augusta High School Library
Augusta
$ 800
Horton Public Library
Horton
$ 500
Pioneer Memorial Public Library
Colby
$ 440
Dodge City Public Library
Dodge City
$ 500
Matt Deighton, a 2015 featured author, survived the 2007 Greensburg tornado along with his dog Mollly.
The Kansas Book Festival Fund is a 501c3 organization through the Topeka Community Foundation. The grants are funded through corporate and private sponsors.
The 2015 Kansas Book Festival will be held September 12 at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka. All age groups are invited to attend the free, day-long event. To learn more, visit kansasbookfestival.com.
Fort Hays State tennis dropped a conference match to 19th-ranked Southwest Baptist on Thursday at the FHSU Tennis Courts in Hays. SBU took the match by a score of 7-2 with FHSU picking up its wins by forfeit.
Led by the top ranked player in the region, Fanni Varga, who is also ranked No. 20 nationally, the Bearcats won all seven of the matches contested on the afternoon. SBU has four individuals in the top 20 of the region rankings, but only three were in action on Thursday as their second-best individual, Christina Zentai, was out of the lineup.
The No. 1 doubles team of Camille Caron-Bedard and Michelle Miller fell 8-0 to the region’s 10th-ranked team of Lani Tuemmers and Maria Josie Zehnder. The No. 2 team of Brittney Ricci and Katie Hipp fell 8-3 to Varga and Zorana Jovanovic. Jessica Johnson and Raven Dick received a forfeit win at No. 3 since SBU had only five players available for the dual.
In singles play, Varga defeated Caron-Bedard at No. 1, 6-1, 6-0. Zehnder blanked Ricci at No. 2 6-0, 6-0. At No. 3, Tuemmers defeated Miller 6-0, 6-2. At No. 4, Beatrix Federer defeated Hipp 6-2, 6-1. At No. 5, Jovanovic defeated Johnson, 6-0, 6-2.
The Tigers will be in search of their first MIAA win on Saturday when they host Lincoln University at 10 am.
City of Hays workers repaired a water main break at 22nd and Donald Thursday.
By Becky Kiser Hays Post
The water was back on about 7:15 p.m. Thursday evening following a break in an 8-inch water main at 3:45 p.m. just northeast of the intersection of 22nd and Donald streets.
“It split apart on the bottom — blew out about a 3-foot piece,” according to Tobin Miller, Hays Utilities Department equipment operator. “We put in a new 6-foot length of pipe.”
He explained the situation to Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty who stopped by to check the repair progress after Thursday night’s city commission meeting.
Although it’s “hard to know why it happened,” Miller suspected the spring weather.
“It’s so dry and the ground has started shifting as it goes going from frozen to thawing out,” he explained.
“It’s not unusual this time of year,” Miller said as waited for the rest of the repair crew to return to the site.
Miller estimated about three blocks of homes were without water for the three and half hours it took to repair the water main break.
Donald Street is coated with mud and water along the repair area.
Crews will wait for the mud to dry and then scrape it off Donald Street Friday.
“We’ll be back tomorrow after the mud dries and just scrape it off the street,” Miller said.
“That’s a lot easier than trying to clean up all this mud,” he said with a grin.
Healing After Loss
This program offers mutual support for those who are healing from an adult loss in their lives such as a spouse, parent, sibling, or friend. This group gives emphasis to the particular needs and situation of each individual by sharing the strengths and knowledge that each person brings to the group. Many resources are available to the group through the CFLE library.
Socialization is an important part of this group’s activity and for anyone who is grieving. Stepping out into the reality of the workplace or society in general can be very difficult.
When: Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Dinner-Thirsty’s-5:30
Gathering: 7:00pm
Center For Life Experiences (2900 Hall St. Hays, KS 67601)
For more info call:
Ann Leiker – 785.625.2847
When: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Dinner – JD’s Chicken- 5:30
Gathering: 7:00pm
Center For Life Experiences (2900 Hall St. Hays, KS 67601)
For more info call:
Ann Leiker – 785.625.2847
Healing Hearts
This program provides support for immediate family members who are healing from the death of a child in their lives. It is offered in a safe, confidential but friendly and informal environment where parents, grandparents and siblings can connect with others who understand the journey toward healing after the loss of a child. The group focuses on identifying each individuals personal strengths in helping them chart their healing journey according to their own situation and needs.
When:April 9, 2015
Place: Center For Life Experiences (2900 Hall St. Hays, KS)
Time: 7:00pm
For more info call:
Ann Leiker – 785.625.2847
Doris Schmidt – 785.735.2578
NAMI
CFLE shares in the leadership and administration of the NAMI Hays Affiliate and is the point of contact for the public for information, referrals and support. The Center provides the meeting facility and houses the Affiliate’s reference library.
When: April 6, 2015
Place: The Center For Life Experiences 2900 Hall St. Hays
“Exploring your Creative Side”
Presenter- Mary Akins & Gina Anderson
6pm-7pm – NAMI Connections Recovery Support Group
7pm-8pm- Educational Workshop
8pm-9pm Family “Care and Share”
For more info call:
NAMI Hays Resource Center
Mon. – Thurs. 10am-5pm
Ann Leiker – Coordinator – 785.625.2847
HALOS
This program offers family members and friends of those who have lost a loved one to suicide a place to connect with others who are dealing with this highly specialized grief recovery process. Like all the other grief support programs HALOS is offered in a confidential and safe but informal environment.
When: Monday, April 13, 2015
Dinner: Applebee’s-5:30
Gathering: 7:00pm
Center for Life Experiences
2900 Hall St. Hays, KS 67601
For more info call:
Ann Leiker – 785.625.2847
When: Monday, April 27, 2015
Dinner: Gutch’s-5:30
Gathering: 7:00pm
Center for Life Experiences
2900 Hall St. Hays, KS 67601
For more info call:
Ann Leiker – 785.625.2847
Family Night Out
TGI… Family Night Out: Through a partnership with Hays Head Start and Early Head Start, the Center invites any family in the community to participate in this relaxed, informal evening which offers a free meal and childcare. Parents are given a time to connect and share with other parents “What works” in their families to help them grow stronger. Community professionals facilitate the “forum” time for the parents addressing topics related to family life.
Mark your calendars for our next event:
When: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: Center For Life Experiences (2900 Hall St, Hays, KS 67601)
To Reserve Childcare Please Call:
Ann – 785-625-2847
Photo by Andy Marso -Tuck Duncan, a lobbyist for the wine and spirits industry, used a water bottle and a bowl of jelly beans to illustrate how much those industries are taxed. Duncan joined with tobacco industry representatives Tuesday to oppose tax increases.
By Andy Marso
Representatives of the tobacco industry told senators Tuesday to ignore the health benefits of increasing the state’s tobacco tax, arguing that the measure is only under consideration because of a state budget crisis. Public health advocates turned out for
Tuesday’s hearing in the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee and tried to counter that message with policy research. Doug Mays, a former Kansas House Speaker who now lobbies for groups that include the Cigar Association of America, conceded that there might be health benefits to the tax, but suggested it would be disingenuous to pass Senate Bill 233 on those grounds.
“I don’t think anyone believes that this bill is here before the committee for health reasons,” Mays said. “We need money.” The state faces a projected deficit of about $700 million — more than 10 percent of the total general fund — in the upcoming fiscal year, following large income tax cuts passed in 2012.
In January, Gov. Sam Brownback proposed taxes on tobacco and liquor products to close about $100 million of that gap annually. Altria, the parent company of Phillip Morris, has lobbied against it and continued its opposition Tuesday with a mass email sent from a group it funds, Citizens for Tobacco Rights.
The email called the bill “an unjust tax that takes aim at our state’s middle class.” Other opponents of the tax increases used Tuesday’s hearing to paint them as a desperate government money grab.
Tuck Duncan, a lobbyist representing wine and spirits wholesalers, brought a bowl of jelly beans to represent the tax dollars legislators would be gobbling up, comparing their appetite for revenue to his granddaughter’s for candy. He also poured liquid through a funnel into a clear plastic bottle to illustrate the amount of profits the industry sees consumed by federal, state and local taxes.
Mays joined Duncan in the “tax on tax on tax” argument and said the bill is meant to punish Kansans for making personal choices to consume legal products.
Business owners who sell alcohol and tobacco products said that passing the bill would drive customers online or to other states, especially Missouri, which has the nation’s lowest tobacco tax. They also said it was unfair for the state to attempt to balance the budget on the shoulders of them and their customers and the tax burden should be spread more evenly.
James Franko, the vice president of the Kansas Policy Institute, which pushed for the 2012 income tax reductions, said his group opposed the alcohol and tobacco taxes in part because they’re “inherently regressive.”
Nearly all of the opponents sought to turn senators’ focus away from the potential health benefits of the bill and make it a simple question of taxing-and-spending. “The medical side of this, we hear that and we understand that but that’s not what this is about,” said Tom Palace, a lobbyist for a group that represents hundreds of convenience stores throughout the state. “It’s about money.”
Public health advocates argued that the proposal would aid the state budget on both the spending and the revenue side. Jeff Willett, vice president for programs for the Kansas Health Foundation, told senators that tax increases on tobacco are proven to compel smokers to quit and non-smokers to avoid taking up the habit.
The proposed $1.50-per-pack cigarette tax hike is expected to keep about 50,000 Kansans from starting or continuing to smoke. That will help draw down state medical costs, because a disproportionate number of Kansans who are on Medicaid use tobacco.
“Smoking is one of the key cost drivers in Medicaid,” Willett said. The Kansas Health Foundation is the primary funder of the Kansas Health Institute, which is the parent organization of the editorially independent KHI News Service.
Willett said Kansas is falling behind other states in tobacco prevention efforts, which is causing the state to slide in health rankings. Jodi Radke, director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Great Plains Region lobbying efforts, said research on many tax increases across several states showed they provide a reliable source of revenue and only a small percentage is lost to online sales, cross-border sales or cross-border smuggling.
A recent successful example, she said, was Minnesota, which raised its cigarette tax to almost $2.50-per pack more than North Dakota despite having a metropolitan area, Fargo-Moorhead, that straddles the state line. “Every state that has significantly increased its tobacco tax has recovered more in revenue than its neighboring states while reducing cigarette sales,” Radke said. “This is true 100 percent of the time.”
Roy Jensen, director of the University of Kansas Cancer Center, said the tax bill represents proven policy that would decrease the number of Kansans who smoke and in turn decrease the number who get cancer. He disagreed with those who cast it as a knee-jerk budget fix.
“This is a very significant piece of legislation,” Jensen said. “From my standpoint it’s the one opportunity this Legislature and the state government has this year to do something that is visionary in nature and not focused solely on the immediate urgent issue of the budget.”
Reagan Cussimanio, a lobbyist for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, called the tobacco tax increase “the ultimate consumption tax” because consumers could choose not to purchase and use tobacco. She said tobacco use currently saddles all Kansas households with $825 per year in public health costs, even if they don’t use themselves.
Cussimanio also said it would be a mistake to evaluate the legislation without taking into account its health benefits, noting that it is projected to prevent about 15,000 Kansans from dying of tobacco-related illnesses. “It’s rare that you find a tax that actually can save lives,” Cussimanio said.
Dave Ranney is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A nationwide crackdown on auto dealers has turned up widespread evidence of false ads, deceptive loans and fake odometer readings.
An investigation led by the Federal Trade Commission and law enforcement has led to 252 enforcement actions and $2.6 million in consumer refunds and fees.
In one case, a company called the National Payment Network Inc., in San Mateo, California, pitched car buyers an automated payment program that was said to save customers money. But regulators say undisclosed fees were so heavy that they canceled out any savings.
The investigation also found car salesmen who rolled back odometer readings, failed to disclose known defects on a car and added costly services and warranties without a customer’s consent.
National Payment Network did not return a reporter’s telephone calls for comment.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is moving closer to issuing $1 billion or more in bonds to bolster its pension system for teachers and government workers.
The House and Senate have approved rival plans, even though many lawmakers view issuing bonds as financially risky.
Gov. Sam Brownback advocates the borrowing as part of a larger plan to reduce annual pension costs and help balance the state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
House and Senate negotiators expect to work on a compromise next week.
Thanks to laws enacted in recent years, the state pension system is on track to close a projected $9.8 billion gap between revenues and the benefit costs from now until 2033.
But those laws require increasing state contributions, and Brownback argues that the payments will strain the budget.
The Ellis County Historical Society will host a “Sports as Religion: Fact or Fiction?” presentation by Dr. Michael J. Zogry, Hometown Teams tour scholar, on Saturday, March 28, at 2:00 pm in the Stone Church at 100 West 7th Street in Hays. Members of the community are invited to attend this free program. Contact the Ellis County Historical Society at (785) 628-2624 or [email protected] for more information. The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.
“Sports as Religion: Fact or Fiction?” makes unexpected connections between the world of sport and religion. Drawing on different cultures and historical periods, Zogry highlights several examples when athletic games and religion cross paths.
Michael J. Zogry is the director of Indigenous Studies and an associate professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas (Lawrence). He is also co-chair of the Native Traditions in the Americas Program Unit, American Academy of Religion. Zogry’s research interests include the significance of ritual, sport, play, and games in Native American/First Nations religions. In 2010, he published his first book, Anesto, the Cherokee Ball Game: At the Center of Ceremony and Identity. He is currently working on his second book, Religion and Basketball: Naismith’s Game.
“Sports as Religion: Fact or Fiction?” is part of Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition presented by the Kansas Humanities Council in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street program.
The Ellis County Historical Society is one of 19 Hometown Teams partner sites in Kansas. The local special exhibit, Polo on the Plains, tells the story of how the 1870s existence of a British colony of cattle breeders at Victoria in eastern Ellis County eventually led to a taste for this traditional equestrian sport. Polo continued to have a loyal local following well into the 20th century with the formation of the Hays Polo Club in 1922 and the Fort Hays Polo Club in 1947.
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its 2015 Outdoor Track and Field Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday (Mar. 26). Fort Hays State’s men were selected sixth, while the women were picked 10th. Outdoor season begins this week for FHSU as it hosts its annual home meet, the Alex Francis Classic on Friday and Saturday (Mar. 27-28).
The FHSU men received 30 voting points in the poll, tying Lincoln University for the sixth spot. Pittsburg State received all first-place votes from the coaches, topping the list with 81 points. Central Missouri received a first-place vote from PSU since coaches cannot list their own team in the poll they fill out. The Mules are picked second in the conference at 73 points. Missouri Southern, Nebraska-Kearney, and Emporia State round out the top five.
Brady Tien was the only individual selected to compete in the NCAA Championships last outdoor season. He was just two places shy of earning All-America status in the outdoor pole vault last year, but he did grab All-America status during last year’s indoor season. Cory Keehn (distance) qualified for two events at indoor nationals this year and looks for a good outdoor season to cap his successful collegiate career on the track.
On the women’s side, FHSU received 23 points to hold the No. 10 slot out of 11. Central Missouri received all but one possible first-place vote with 99 points. Lincoln received two first-place votes and was selected second at 91 points. The UCM women are coming off a national championship as a team for the 2015 indoor season, but Lincoln is the defending outdoor national champion from 2014.
FHSU returns one of two individuals that were selected to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year in sophomore Madison Wolf. She burst on the collegiate scene last year to finish sixth nationally as a true freshman. She was the MIAA Champion in the event last year.
Below are the MIAA Preseason Coaches Polls for 2015…
2015 MIAA Preseason Men’s )TF Poll
1. Pittsburg State (9) 81
2. Central Missouri (1) 73
3. Missouri Southern 63
4. Nebraska-Kearney 59
5. Emporia State 49
T6. Lincoln 30 T6. Fort Hays State 30
8. Northwest Missouri 24
9. Lindenwood 22
10. Southwest Baptist 19
2015 MIAA Preseason Women’s OTF Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (9) 99
2. Lincoln (2) 91
3. Pittsburg State 81
4. Missouri Southern 74
5. Nebraska-Kearney 58
6. Emporia State 53
7. Southwest Baptist 52
8. Northwest Missouri 31
9. Lindenwood 30 10. Fort Hays State 23
11. Central Oklahoma 13
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for stealing prescription drugs during an armed robbery.
The U.S. attorney’s office said that 34-year-old Ryan B. Schmidt was sentenced Thursday for commercial robbery and brandishing a firearm.
Prosecutors say he used a gun when he ordered a Gessler’s Drug Store employee to give him medication in September. He fled with seven bottles of the painkiller hydrocodone and three bottles of the antihistamine promethazine.
Police say he led officers on a high-speed chase before hitting a utility pole and another vehicle.
“Peace, Love and St. Mary’s” is the theme for the 21st Annual Auction at St. Mary’s Church in Ellis, which will take place on Saturday, April 11, in the school gym.
The evening will begin with Mass at 4 p.m. and the gym opening its doors at 5 p.m., where the Silent Auction will begin immediately. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m., with the Oral Auction to follow at 8 p.m. A brief break will be provided so people can slip out to take pictures at the Prom Promenade. Items featured on the auction include tools, home baked goods, massages, outdoor and indoor furniture, home decor, kitchen appliances, technology and more.
Dinner will consist of wedding roast, smothered chicken breast, chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls, salad and dessert. Snacks and refreshments will be provided throughout the evening; you must be 21 years of age to attend.
Tickets are $45 each and available at the church rectory. Tables may be reserved for $45.
If you have any questions or wish to make a donation for the auction, contact Sister Doris Flax at (785)-726-4522.
Friendly signs welcome visitors to the city of Seward, located roughly 18 miles south of Great Bend in Stafford County. Voters in Seward opted to sell their electric system to Midwest Energy in a vote that was certified on Mar. 25.
SEWARD — Residents of the city of Seward recently voted by a 3-to-1 margin to sell their city’s electric system to Midwest Energy, according to a news release by the company Thursday.
On Mar. 25, Stafford County commissioners certified the results of the mail-in ballot, making the vote official.
The acquisition is the company’s first municipal utility system purchase in seven years, when Midwest Energy bought the City of Pawnee Rock’s natural gas system in 2008. The most recent electric system purchase was in 2006, when Midwest Energy acquired the city of Oakley’s electric system.
Seward, which has a population of 63, was among the smaller cities in Kansas operating its own electric system. Midwest Energy has been supplying Seward with wholesale electricity for more than a decade, and Midwest personnel had helped the city over the years with various aspects of managing their system, such as meter reading, billing and rate design.
“Midwest has helped us out numerous times over the years,” said Fairrah Haberman, Mayor of Seward. “It was time to do something pro-active for the future. It’s a big weight off our shoulders.”
On April 14, Midwest Energy will meet with city officials to finalize the sale and negotiate the date for when the city will do its last meter readings, and Midwest will present a check to the city for $10,000 to complete the sale.
“We’re delighted that the residents of Seward have chosen to join our cooperative,” said Earnie Lehman, President and General Manager of Midwest Energy. “Being member-owned, we will bring residents of Seward access to new billing programs and award-winning energy efficiency programs like How$mart®, as well as the responsive service Midwest Energy is known for.”
TOPEKA–Kansas First Lady Mary Brownback announced the winners of the 2015 Kansas Book Festival Grants during a news conference this week at the State Library.
