Two graduate students from Fort Hays State University — Lauren Baird and Josh Novak, both of Omaha, Neb. — were accepted into this year’s America’s ClayFest III, a prestigious international ceramic competition and exhibition.
The jurors reviewed more than 557 ceramic entries and selected 80. Entries came from all over the world, including British Columbia, Ontario, Singapore, the Netherlands, Mexico, Ireland and England.
Baird’s “It’s Not All Black and White” and Novak’s “Time-Consciousness” were accepted. Both pieces morph the human head into abstract art and are viewable on America’s ClayFest website, www.americasclayfest.org, under “gallery” and “2015 open division.”
The art exhibition will take place April 17 through May 30 at Blue Line Arts in Rossville, Calif.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas are moving to shift city and local school board elections to the fall of even-numbered years and say they’re trying to boost voter turnout.
House and Senate negotiators have drafted a plan to scrap the traditional scheduling of local elections in the spring of odd-numbered years. Their agreement came ahead of this week’s voting in city and school board contests across the state.
Local elections would be on the same schedule as contests for county, state and congressional offices. Under the plan, city and school board races would be listed first on the ballot.
Supporters say the bill will increase turnout.
Critics say administrative problems would arise and believe city and local education issues would get lost in the din of other campaigns.
WASHINGTON (AP) — AT&T is paying $25 million in a settlement with federal regulators over data breaches at call centers in Mexico, Colombia and the Philippines that compromised customer data for some 280,000 U.S. customer accounts.
The Federal Communications Commission announced the action Wednesday. It was the agency’s largest privacy and data-security enforcement action to date.
The breaches occurred from November 2013 to April 2014 at a call center in Mexico and at other times in Colombia and the Philippines, the FCC said. Most customers were Spanish-speaking U.S. residents.
Call center employees were paid by third parties to obtain customer information such as names and full or partial Social Security numbers. The data were used to submit online requests for cellular unlock codes for stolen cellphones, the agency said.
Tickets are now available for Presidio Brass: “Sounds of the Cinema,” the next Encore Series offering. The performance will be at at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the Fort Hays State University campus.
Presidio Brass is five men from San Diego, Calif., performing with brass, piano and percussion instruments who have developed their own unique sound and original arrangements. Presidio Brass performs internationally and was recognized on National Public Radio, and members have performed with major symphonies.
Tickets are available through the Encore Series website or at the Student Service Center in the Memorial Union. Prices are $26 ($30 reserved) for the public, $24 ($28) for seniors and children ages 5 to 17 years old, and $17 ($21) for FHSU students.
This performance is sponsored by the FHSU Division of Student Affairs.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Garth Brooks was happy to open a space in an Indianapolis children’s hospital where kids can forget about their illnesses for a while. Brooks dedicated a new child play zone at Riley Hospital for Children, which was funded through his Teammates For Kids foundation. The space includes billiards, foosball, video games, an arts and crafts area and a recording studio. Brooks got teary-eyed when he pointed out the space is a “miracle” for kids. He called it “a place in a hospital where no doctor and no needles are allowed. It’s a place where a kid gets to be a kid.”
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A 33-year-old Kansas man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for killing a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader in a traffic crash while fleeing from police.
The Kansas City Star reports Roy Lee Maney was sentenced Wednesday in Johnson County District Court to 154 months for reckless second-degree murder and 34 months for leaving the scene of an accident.
Maney pleaded guilty to the charges in February stemming from an October 2013 incident that killed 30-year-old Tiffany Mogenson, a Blue Springs, Missouri, dance studio owner.
Maney was driving an estimated 90 mph when his car crashed into the rear of Mogenson’s car, which was stopped at a red light.
The sentence was the result of a plea deal between prosecutors and Maney’s attorney.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Burger King is paying the expenses and providing gifts for the wedding of an Illinois couple with an interesting connection to the fast food restaurant chain. Joel Burger and Ashley King accepted the company’s proposal Monday.
The State Journal-Register reports the couple has been known as Burger-King since they were in the fifth grade together, in New Berlin near Springfield.
The couple announced their engagement this spring with a photo next to the sign at a local Burger King restaurant. Although a woman’s name usually comes first in an engagement announcement, they decided to flip their names.
A Burger King spokesman says the company felt an overwhelming urge to help the happy couple celebrate their upcoming marriage.
The Burger-King nuptials will be held July 17 in nearby Jacksonville.
BUNKER HILL — Artists from across Kansas, including Jack Flagor, Erik Warren, Jan Schwab, Dr. John Cody, Mark Herbig, Michael Jilg, Terry Bottorf, Bruce Burkholder, Jayson Schwaller, Kathleen Kuchar, Glenda King, Joel Thomas Dugan, Michael Knutson, Stephen Tramel, Gordon Sherman and Leland Powers of Hays; Norrine Buchholz and Mary Ladd Dague of Victoria; and Jeff Lawler of Ellis have contributed their work to the 2015 Smoky Hills Public Television Signature Auction.
The auction is SHPTV’s largest and most popular fundraiser. The funds raised help support the programming and services provided to central and western Kansas through local public television.
The items, which include paintings, sculptures and mixed media, are on display at Deines Cultural Center in Russell through April 15.
The auction will air live on Smoky Hills Public Television on April 18 and 19 from 7 to 10 p.m. Visit the station’s website, www.smokyhillstv.org, to view all of the pieces and vote for your favorite. The People’s Choice Award is one of two awards the artists are eligible to win. Voting for People’s Choice will end at midnight April 16.
Kansas Supreme Court Seated left to right: Hon. Marla J. Luckert, Hon. Lawton R. Nuss, Chief Justice; Hon. Carol A. Beier. Standing left to right: Hon. Dan Biles, Hon. Eric S. Rosen, Hon. Lee A. Johnson, and Hon. Caleb Stegall.
FHSU University Relations
The Kansas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on three cases when it convenes in a special session on Monday, April 13, at Fort Hays State University.
Dr. Mirta M. Martin, FHSU president, noted that the session in Hays from 6:30 p.m. to about 8:30 p.m. Monday in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center in Sheridan Hall, would provide a rare firsthand opportunity to learn about the high court, its work and the overall role of the Kansas judiciary.
“I encourage members of the Tiger family and the general public to participate in this historic event,” she said. It will be the Supreme Court’s first visit to Hays in its 154-year history. It is also believed to be the first time the court will hear cases in the evening.
The docket includes:
· Appeal No. 102,256 and 102,257: State of Kansas v. Heather Page Hilton, on a petition for review of a case that originated in Ellis County.
· Appeal No. 109,796: City of Atwood v. Richard David Pianalto, on a petition for review of a case that originated in Rawlins County.
· Appeal No. 105,183: State of Kansas v. Steve Kelly Moyer, on a criminal appeal of a case that originated in Sherman County.
Summaries of the cases and briefs filed by the attorneys involved are available online by following the Hays Supreme Court Docket link under “What’s New” on the Kansas Judicial Branch website at www.kscourts.org.
Sheridan Hall will open at 5:30 p.m. Entrance will be available only through the doors at the front of the building, facing Park Street. Those who attend the special session should plan to arrive at Sheridan Hall before 6 p.m. to allow time to get through security screening.
Court security officials offer these guidelines to ease the process:
· Do not bring large bags, large purses, backpacks, computer cases or briefcases.
· Do not bring knives, pepper spray, firearms or weapons.
· Do not bring electronic devices such as laptop computers, handheld games, personal digital assistants or tablets. If you have to carry a cell phone, it must be turned off or its ringer silenced, and it must be stored out of sight while court is in session.
· Do not bring food or drink.
Members of the audience are prohibited from talking during oral arguments because it interferes with the attorneys’ remarks and questions asked by the justices. If someone arrives after proceedings start, or must leave the auditorium before it ends, he or she should be as quiet as possible entering and exiting the auditorium. Talking in the hallway outside the auditorium is also discouraged.
After the hearing concludes, the justices will greet the public in an informal reception in the Dreiling Lobby at the front of Sheridan Hall.
A live stream of the special session will be available on the Internet by selecting the “Watch Supreme Court Live!” link on the judicial branch home page at www.kscourts.org.
A jury has convicted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev of all 30 counts he faced stemming from the 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon.
Tsarnaev was found guilty Wednesday on charges that included conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction. Of the 30 charges, 17 are punishable by death.
Tsarnaev’s lawyers admitted he participated in the bombings, but said his now-dead older brother was the driving force behind the deadly attack.
In the next phase of the trial, the jury will hear evidence on whether Tsarnaev should get the death penalty or spend the rest of his life in prison.
Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when twin pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.
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DENISE LAVOIE, AP Legal Affairs Writer
BOSTON (AP) — Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been convicted in the 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon.
A federal jury found Tsarnaev guilty Wednesday in the 2013 terror attack that killed three people and wounded more than 260. He kept his hands folded in front of him and looked down at the defense table as the guilty verdicts were read.
The jury will now decide whether the 21-year-old former college student should be sentenced to death or receive life in prison.
Tsarnaev’s conviction was widely expected, given his lawyer’s startling admission during opening statements that he took part in the bombing. But the lawyer also argued that Tsarnaev’s older brother, Tamerlan, masterminded the attack and enlisted his then-19-year-old brother to help.
Prosecutors portrayed the brothers as full partners in a plan to retaliate against the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries.
OTAWA -Two people were injured in an accident just before 9 a.m. on Wednesday in Franklin County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Toyota Prius driven by Maralee Marie Bauman, 25, Garnett, was southbound on U.S. 59 at Kingman Road.
The driver fell asleep and rear-ended a 2014 Chevy van driven by Ronald L. Lister, 56, Carbondale, that was attempting to make a left turn onto Kingman Road from U.S. 59.
Bauman was transported to Overland Park Regional Hospital.
Lister was transported to Ransom Memorial Hospital
Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident according to the KHP.
WASHINGTON — Eagle Communications, Inc. has been selected by the ESOP Association for two national awards, the 2015 Special Events – Series of Events Award and the 2015 Printed Materials Award. The Annual Award for Communications Excellence (AACE) honors are sponsored each year by the Association to recognize the outstanding communications and educational programs of its members. The awards are presented each May at the Association’s Annual Conference in Washington to companies who have excelled in communicating the ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) and its meaning to the company’s employees.
This is the second year in a row Eagle has been recognized by the national ESOP Association in the Printed Materials category. This award recognizes excellence in the use of original, printed informational materials that are used to promote the company’s ESOP to the employee-owners, customers and community. The Special Event – Series of Events category recognizes excellence in the organization and creativity involved in a series of ownership events. The awards are split into two Divisions. Division A: 250 or Fewer Employees and Division B: Over 250 Employees. With 290 employee-owners, Eagle was among the smallest companies competing in the larger division.
“We are pleased to have been selected in two categories as 2015 AACE award winners by The ESOP Association,” said Eagle President and CEO, Gary Shorman. “We are proud to be an ESOP company and strongly believe in the power of employee-ownership and share that belief with all our employees.”
AACE Award winners are chosen by a panel of five judges made up of both management and non-management employee-owners, each of whom has demonstrated active experience and interest in the field of ESOPs and employee ownership communications. Awards are based on: overall quality and quantity of employee owner education, contributions of employee owners, integration of the ESOP into company culture, frequency of ownership communications, involvement and response of employee owners, encouragement of ownership attitudes, clear explanations, creative ideas, graphic design, and technical quality.
