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Month: April 2015

Tien breaks FHSU pole vault record; Tiger men win three events at ESU

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FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State men’s track and field competed at the Emporia State Mid-Week Open on Wednesday (Apr. 22) in Emporia, Kan. Brady Tien broke the 34-year old outdoor pole vault record at FHSU with an automatic qualifying mark in a winning effort. The FHSU men won three other events and posted one provisional mark.

Tien became the first Tiger in history to reach the 17-foot mark in pole vault (indoor or outdoor), clearing exactly that height to win in a field of 12 competitors. It broke the old FHSU outdoor record of 16-feet, 10-inches cleared by Kim Stewart in 1981. Tien’s effort tied the second best in NCAA Division II this outdoor season and gained him an automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships. The mark also broke the meet record.

The Tigers were victorious in the 800 meters, 5,000 meters, and 4×100-meter relay, setting meet records in all three events. Michael Kinuthia topped a field of 20 athletes in the 800 with a time of 1:53.34. Seth Parres won the 5,000 in a time of 15:23.86. The 4×100-meter relay team of Nate Simpson, Dillando Allotey, CJ Wilson, and Rodrigo Alves won with a time of 41.68 seconds.

Brenner Wells gained a provisional mark in the men’s javelin. He finished third in the event, but threw 205-feet, 11.25-inches. That puts him 16th on the national performance list this year.

Alves and Allotey turned in top-three finishes in the sprints. Alves finished second in the 100 meters in 10.95 seconds, while Allotey was third in the 200 meters in 22.22 seconds. Ryan Hopkins finished third in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:02.59. Jacob Thomas finished second in the 5,000 meters in 15:30.13. Jordan Carroll was second in the triple jump with a distance of 47-feet, 0.75-inches.

FHSU women’s track wins two events at ESU Mid-Week

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FHSU Sports Information
Fort Hays State women’s track and field had several athletes compete in the Emporia State Mid-Week Open, held on Wednesday (Apr. 22) in Emporia, Kan. Carman Hill won the 800-meter run and Mindy Wilson won the 400-meter hurdles, while Danielle Berry improved her provisional mark in the high jump.

Hill topped a field of 25 competitors in the 800 meters, running a time of 2:22.80. Wilson won the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:04.81, topping 15 runners in the event.

Berry finished second among 17 athletes competing in the high jump. Her height of 5-feet, 7.25-inches bumped her up to 11th on the national performance list.

The FHSU women had five other second-place finishes respectfully, including Lexi Riedel in the 200 meters (25.80 seconds), Kelly Wycoff in the 400 meters (58.78 seconds), the 4×100-meter relay team (48.64 seconds), the 4×400-meter relay team (4:06.06), and Shannon Toll in the javelin (128-feet, 3.25-inches). Scout Wiebe finished third in the javelin (128-feet).

Proposed Kansas budget fixes touch hospitals, Medicaid firms

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — New budget-balancing proposals from Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback would require hospitals to pay higher fees and capture savings from companies managing the state’s Medicaid program.

The Republican governor outlined proposed budget adjustments Thursday before a meeting of the House Appropriations Committee.

One proposal would require hospitals to pay an additional $19 million in fees during the fiscal year beginning July 1. The fees help sustain the Medicaid program’s health coverage for 368,000 needy and disabled Kansas residents.

The state uses revenues from the fees to attract federal dollars that go back to the hospitals for caring for Medicaid participants.

Other proposals reduce projected Medicaid spending by almost $33 million between now and the end of June 2016 to reflect lower payments to the three health insurers managing the program.

Loretta Lynch wins confirmation as attorney general

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ERICA WERNER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Loretta Lynch has won confirmation to serve as the nation’s attorney general, ending months of delay.

The vote was 56-43 in the Senate Thursday.

Lynch will replace Eric Holder and become the first black woman in the nation’s top law enforcement post. She currently serves as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Her confirmation was delayed for months for a variety of reasons, most recently a lengthy dispute over abortion on an unrelated bill to address sex trafficking.

Lynch boasts strong credentials and a reputation as a no-nonsense prosecutor, but many Republicans opposed her because of her support for President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Prairie pragmatism and climate change

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The effects of climate change are a far greater problem than the state’s self-made fiscal crisis. That’s a temporary problem to be resolved by the voters. No election is likely to have a positive, immediate effect on climate change.

In early April, Washburn University hosted Dr. Dale Jamieson, a New York University climate change ethicist. His book, “Reason in a Dark Time,” addresses climate change’s current and future effects on our planet. He’s definite. There is no need to quarrel about climate change or its cause. The measurable reality is all around us and scientifically incontrovertible.

Peterson IK photo
Dr. Mark Peterson teaches political science at the college level in Topeka.

Here in mid-continent many seem unconcerned with the impacts of climate change. The biggest problems will be rising ocean levels, more severe tropical storms, deteriorating air quality and health in places like China and India, famine in the hot crowded regions of the globe – generally affecting people and places different and distant from the Sunflower state.

Here the air is comparatively clean. Highway signs about farmers feeding themselves, 128 other people and you are still true, while the water holds out. It’s warmer in the spring and hotter in the summer, but the AC works great, and its energy efficiency keeps improving. Fracking means more gasoline and natural gas. We can see part of Kansas’s 3,000 megawatts of wind powered energy being generated by those big turbines spinning on the prairie along I-70.

Wind energy has brought elements of turbine manufacturing and structural fabrication to Ottawa and Hutchinson. There’s substantial direct and indirect employment. Dorothy Barnett, of the Hutchinson-based Clean + Energy Project, noted at a panel discussion prior to Jamieson’s visit that when her group started talking about wind energy jobs and innovation, argument over climate change causation quieted. Kansans might care about philosophical debate, but wallet-oriented economics? That’s an attention-getter! But is prairie pragmatism really enough? Jamieson’s answer is, “No, it’s not.”

Federal climate policies will call for national CO2 emissions reductions of 30% from 2005 levels by 2030. Kansas is part of EPA Region 7 where production of CO2 from power generation is less than other parts of the country. In a region-wide plan we’d get half of a roughly 20% reduction adding some more wind and natural gas power along with maintaining existing nuclear power capabilities. The other half has to come from improved efficiency through economics. As Ms. Barnett suggested, get Kansans by their wallets and their hearts and minds will follow.

In the April 19th Topeka Capital Journal, Megan Hart reported a study done by the Southwest Power Pool that analyzed the EPA goals using a proposed ‘coal tax’ of $45 per ton of CO2 emitted to incentivize improved efficiencies. A megawatt hour of energy, with the current generating methods, produces 1,577 pounds of CO2. Imposition of the tax will provoke an initial rage response from the typical utility ratepayer. With time and honest discussion, collectively enabling the elimination of 2,200 coal-fired megawatts and many tons CO2 might prompt a more thoughtful result.

Even with such a plan, Jamieson’s central point remains unaltered. CO2 reductions of 30% will flatten the rate of increase, but the remainder plus CO2 emissions before and since the first Earth Day means continuing climate change. By the end of this century, Saskatchewan will be the breadbasket that Kansas is today; our climate will be the new south Texas; and coastal cities in the U.S. will have to be rebuilt, with millions of Americans relocated in planned or chaotic ways. These effects, while big enough, pale in comparison to those that will result from other planetary activities in Asia, South America, Africa and elsewhere. Kansas will be affected by global climate change. Rising utility bills will be just the tip of our melting iceberg.

Dr. Mark Peterson teaches political science at the college level in Topeka.

Chrysler recalling manual Jeeps and Dodge Vipers

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DETROIT (AP) — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling 58,833 older cars and SUVs with manual transmissions.

The recall covers 2006 Jeep Liberty and Wrangler SUVs and Dodge Viper cars produced between Feb. 15, 2005, and Sept. 14, 2006. Of those, 43,874 were sold in the U.S. The rest were sold in Canada, Mexico and overseas.

FCA says a switch wire can break and cause the vehicles not to start. The vehicles may also move unintentionally if drivers don’t follow the company’s recommended procedures for starting the car. Drivers are supposed to engage the parking brake, shift to neutral and depress the clutch before turning the key.

The company says it is unaware of any injuries or accidents related to the defect.

Customers will be notified and dealers will repair the vehicles for free.

Russell woman appointed to Governor’s Council on Fitness

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joyce ellis
Dr. Joyce Ellis, FHSU Department of Health and Human Performance Associate Professor

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

A Russell woman is among six new members appointed by Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Susan Mosier to the Governor’s Council on Fitness.

The new members are Joyce Ellis, Russell; Jeffrey Koeing, Manhattan; Margie Miller, Topeka; Erik Sartorius, Topeka; Wyatt Thompson, Manhattan; and David Toland, Iola.

Ellis earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in health and human performance from Fort Hays State University. She earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Kansas State University. Dr. Ellis currently serves as an Associate Professor at Fort Hays State University in the Department of Health and Human Performance. She taught in public schools for 21 years prior to earning her Ph.D. and moving to the university level.

ks-gov-council-on fitness logo squareThe Governor’s Council on ‪#‎Fitness‬ (GCOF) advises the Governor and others on ways to enhance the health of all Kansans through promotion of physical activity, good dietary choices and prevention of tobacco use.

The ‪#‎GCOF‬ hosts the annual Kansas Obesity Summit in the fall and manages the ‪#‎GetActiveKansas‬ campaign with a network of more than 100 Physical Activity Champions across the state.

Victoria’s citywide garage sale will be this weekend

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VICTORIA — Approximately 20 sites will highlight the annual Victoria citywide garage sale, which will begin between 7 and 8 a.m. Saturday throughout town.

Sites include:

2400 NORMA DRIVE – Tread mill, teen clothing, misc. household items.
1105 6TH ST. –   Lift chair, kid’s recliner, bunk beds, barber chair.
805 CATHEDRAL – Multiple family sale. Household & Christmas décor, clothing (plus, misses & men’s), R/C airplane items, LCD monitors, Sam’s manuals, tools, etc.
1206 CATHEDRAL – Fundraiser garage sale, bake sale & lemonade stand.
806 CEDAR – Baby & kids’ clothes, toys, books, adult clothes & more.
903 CEDAR – Furniture, girls’ clothes (10-14), iron wheels. Cash only, 8:00 -1:00.
606 SKYLINE – Furniture, tools, toys, fishing equipment, misc. kitchen items, air compressor, tires, misc.
603 SKYLINE – Thirty-One bags, kids’ stuff, furniture & clothing.
103 WEST MAIN – Lots of clothes (adult, boys’, girls’), baby items, cleats, dishes, older, antique items, bake sale.
407 MAIN -. Specials: glassware ½ price, clothes $5 per bag, coats, $1.00 each, shoes, 50 cents a pair, purses $1.00
414 MAIN – Brand new handmade jewelry (.50 – $5.00) & rosaries ($5.00 each).
5TH & MAIN – (OLD POST OFFICE)  bunk bed, lots of kids’ clothes and other items.
502 MAIN – Furniture, beds, kids’ toys, clothing (adult & kids’), decorative & kitchen items.
1204 DOLOROSA – Wheels & tires, men’s/women’s clothes, many household items something for everyone.
705 GRANT ST. – Mid-century modern furniture, art glass, small appliances, children’s books, wheat dish set, guitars.
1109 GRANT ST. – Aero Pilates machine, microwave, dish washer, electric cook stove, adult & junior name brand clothing, household items, cookbooks.
908 HICKORY – Wooden work bench, furniture, odds & ends.
1004 HICKORY – Trash containers on rollers, kids’ toys, pole lamp, jewelry, home interior décor, clothes (girls, boys, women’s),
1215 HICKORY – Girls’ clothes (4 – 6X), small bikes, boys’ sports bedding (full set), toys & games, outdoor wooden chairs, meat grinder.
502 JEFFERSON – Lots of miscellaneous.
629 JEFFERSON – Two- family Little Tikes , toys, patio furniture, oak high chair, 2 jogging strollers, antiques,misc.

Ethics commission questioning some PACs’ names

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state ethics commission is determining whether some political action committees connected to leading Kansas politicians are properly named.

The Wichita Eagle reports the issue arose when a PAC called “It’s Time to Fix Stupid,” was notified that the name had to be changed.

State law requires PACs affiliated with a larger corporation or organization to note that in their name. Unaffiliated PACs must indicate who’s involved or the cause it is advocating.

The Eagle then found that PACs linked to Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Gov. Sam Brownback, former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and a group of Pittsburg Democrats might not be properly named.

Carol Williams, executive director of the commission, said Brownback’s PAC met the requirements because it’s incorporated and includes the corporation name.

Opinion poll shows Kansans at odds with Legislature

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FHSU University Relations

docking institute logoA new survey by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University shows discrepancies between what Kansans want and what the state Legislature is doing on some key public issues.

For several years, the Docking Institute has conducted a comprehensive statewide public opinion telephone survey each fall to measure Kansans’ opinions on a wide range of public issues and their evaluations of elected officials. It just completed a smaller Kansas Speaks survey for spring 2015.kansasspeaks

The Institute surveyed 519 random Kansas adults in March and asked their opinions on a variety of public policy issues. The results, with a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent, showed that Kansans are concerned about the state economy, with 40 percent saying they were “very concerned” that the Kansas economy will seriously threaten their family’s welfare, up from 32 percent in fall 2013. The results suggest that, in many ways, the legislative policies emerging from the Kansas Legislature are not in line with the preferences of most Kansans.

For example, although the Legislature voted in 2014 to decrease taxes on the highest earners and corporations, 65 percent of respondents said they preferred to increase taxes on top earners, and 74 percent wanted to increase taxes on corporations. Ninety-three percent preferred to lower or keep the current tax rates for small businesses.

Forty-nine percent of respondents indicated they opposed the recently approved block grant method of funding public schools in Kansas, while 30 percent favored and 22 percent provided a “Don’t Know” response. Interestingly, more than half of respondents said they believed the Legislature (51 percent), as opposed to the courts (35 percent), should determine what a “suitable” level of funding for Kansas public schools should be, which aligns with the Legislature’s preferences.

Sixty percent favor expanding Medicaid in Kansas under the Affordable Care Act, something the Legislature has considered but has been reluctant to approve.

More than 65 percent of respondents favored increasing the tax on cigarettes to $2.29 per pack. When asked about policies regarding the use of marijuana, 68 percent said they favored allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana to their patients, while 63 percent favored decriminalizing recreational marijuana so that the penalty would be a fine with no jail time.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, was supported by 44 percent, while 55 percent expressed opposition to fracking in Kansas.

With regard to concealed carrying of firearms, 74 percent of respondents said they opposed allowing Kansans to carry concealed firearms if they were not certified to have had formal training in their use.

To access the full report, go to http://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/ and click on “Kansas Speaks Spring 2015.”

Kansas man hospitalized after rollover crash

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photo Saline County Sheriff
photo Saline County Sheriff

SALINA – A Kansas man was injured in an accident on Thursday morning in Saline County.

Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan reported a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Caden Staatz, 20, Herrington, was westbound on Kansas 4 and Holmes Road.

The driver served to avoid a deer. The vehicle traveled off the south side of the road and rolled.

Emergency medical staff transported Staatz to Salina Regional Medical Center for treatment of head pain, according to Soldan.

The car is a total loss.

Ride-hailing firm Uber expands service to 4 Kansas cities

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Ride-hailing company Uber says it is bringing its service to four additional cities in Kansas only days after Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed legislation opposed by the firm.

Uber spokeswoman Lauren Altmin said in an email that riders in Lawrence, Leavenworth, Manhattan and Topeka could begin hailing Uber drivers Wednesday afternoon. The company already offers service in Wichita, Kansas City, Kansas, and Johnson County.

Uber connects drivers to riders through a mobile app and entered the state in 2014.

Legislators approved a bill this month to require state background checks and broader insurance coverage for drivers for ride-hailing companies.

Uber called the measure overly burdensome and said its enactment would force the company out of Kansas. Brownback vetoed the measure Monday

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