TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas agency that nurtures biosciences companies would be abolished under a bill being considered by a legislative panel.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee had a hearing Monday on a bill to transfer the Kansas Bioscience Authority’s functions to the state Department of Commerce.
The authority distributes research grants and invests in Kansas-based life startup companies.
The governor has recommended providing $13 million for the bioscience agency and other related research initiatives for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Former state Budget Director Steve Anderson testified in favor of the bill and said the state should not compete with private investors.
The executives of several companies that have received funding from the authority testified against the bill. They said it would force some tech startups to leave the state.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in favor of participants in employee retirement plans who object to companies’ investment decisions that eat into retirement savings.
The justices on Monday revived claims by current and former employees of energy company Edison International. The employees argued that the company chose mutual funds with excessive fees.
Edison offers employees roughly 40 mutual funds to choose from in deciding how to invest. The case involved a few funds in which the company had chosen higher-cost ones open to the general public instead of identical investments with lower costs that are open only to institutional investors. The Edison employees contend that the company did not act in their best interests by choosing the higher-cost funds.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has set a hearing over a proposed $90 million settlement in the lawsuit by former Boeing workers over retirement plan benefits after the sale of the company’s Wichita operations.
U.S. District Judge Monti Belot on Monday scheduled the fairness hearing for Aug. 19 in federal court in Wichita.
The class-action lawsuit covers former Boeing workers who Swere participants in the company’s retirement plan in June 2005. The settlement covers Boeing workers who had at least 10 years of vesting service and were between the ages of 49 and 55 at the time they went to work at Spirit AeroSystems or its predecessor Mid-Western Aircraft systems.
Belot preliminarily approved the settlement last week. The hearing in August will help determine whether the court gives it final approval.
TOPEKA– The State Finance Council today reviewed five “exceptional needs” requests for a total of $877,478 in requests. Funding for three districts was approved for a total of $301,551.
The exceptional needs fund was established as part of SB 7, the historic K-12 education block grant passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor. With the block grant, state aid appropriations for all 286 Kansas school districts has increased for 2014-2015.
The fund allows school districts to request additional funds to meet specific needs resulting from the following specific circumstances:
· Extraordinary increase in enrollment
· Extraordinary reduction in assessed valuation
· Extraordinary reduction in revenue to the school district
· Unforeseen circumstances which substantially impact the school district’s general fund budget.
“Even though every school district in the state has received more state aid funding for 2014-2015, we understand that remnants of the old funding formula continue to create challenges,” said Governor Brownback. “As we go forward, the block grant will allow schools more flexibility in determining priorities in spending their money.”
Requests were received from the following school districts:
· USD 457 – Garden City requested $134,048. Request approved.
· USD 240 – Twin Valley (Bennington/Tescott) requested $75,000. Funding in the amount of $28,183 to cover changes in funding to capital outlay was approved.
· USD 263 – Mulvane requested $447,772. Funding in the amount of $139,320 was approved.
Funding requests from USD 237 Smith Center requesting $108,000 and USD 252 South Lyon County requesting $112,658 were not approved.
This was the second time the council met to review funding requests. On May 5, five school districts received $478,016 in additional funding. For the first time ever, the State of Kansas will spend more than $4 billion to support K-12 education.
The Governor looks forward to working with the Legislature to craft a new formula that provides sustainable, stable, predictable funding for public schools.
Trinity Lutheran Church will have a benefit barbecue to help raise funds for the Western Plains Animal Refuge.
The event will be from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. May 31 at the church, 2703 Fort.
The meal will feature a choice of first-rate smoked meats, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad and a variety of desserts. A freewill offering will be collected, with proceeds benefiting the animal refuge. There will be some furry friends on-hand also, if you are looking to adopt. Crossroads also will perform during the event.
The funds raised will help Western Plains Animal Refuge build a new building and shelter area.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Farmers and ranchers in the West’s worst-hit drought regions will receive an additional $21 million to help them save water and soil despite the long dry spell.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the aid Monday. The assistance will go to areas of the West that are rated in the highest categories of drought. That includes parts of California, Kansas, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Utah.
The aid is meant to help farms and grazing pastures cope with drought through better irrigation, cover crops and other measures.
The money comes from the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service. The conservation agency says it has spent more than $1.5 billion on water-conservation measures for agriculture since 2012.
If you are tired of the adult beverage you normally pick, there is good news for you: Hays-based Defiance Brewery now has a taproom.
“It was a necessity. It was always in the planning,” said co-founder Dylan Sultzer. “We just had to get the beer right first.”
After two months of construction the taproom has finally opened at the brewery, located at 2050 E. Old U.S. 40. The public is welcome to stop by and try several different beverages offered.
Some of the old favorites including Thrasher, Willy Nilly and Gutch will be available. The public will also have a chance to sample newbies such as Happy Feet and Monkey Hoedown.
Head brewer Travis Reynolds described Happy Feet as a “German-style wheat beer with a tart finish.”
Sultzer said you can get beer on the run, with growlers to go also for sale. When you purchase a growler and bring it back, you get it filled at a discounted price.
To check out the different styles and beers offered by the brewery, visit their Facebook page or website. Defiance will have a calendar on the site to let the public know when the next beer will be tapped and what it is.
The brewery also will soon offer tours on Saturday. According to the website, Defiance will not serve food at the taproom, but will occasionally have food trucks on hand. Craft sodas also will be available for those younger than 21.
SALINA -The Saline County Attorney’s Office is reviewing information to determine if any charges will be filed in an incident at the Interstate 70 and Niles Road overpass just after 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Saline County Sheriff Glen Kochanowski said 68-year-old John Neil Jednoralski joined a group of American Legion Riders on the overpass.
They were flying American flags showing support to participants of the “Run for the Wall” who were traveling east on Interstate 70.
Jednoralski had his flag displayed upside down. He was asked to take his flag down. He refused and several people began to take the flag from him.
Jednoralski is reported to have pulled a handgun and received a cut to one of his hands while the gun was being taken away from him.
He did not receive any medical treatment according to the sheriff.
Charges that could be considered by the County Attorney’s Office include disorderly conduct.
EUREKA – Two people were injured in an accident just after 12:15 p.m. on Sunday in Greenwood County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Olds Alero driven by Tiffany M. Burns, 16, Wichita, was eastbound U.S. 400 a mile east of W Road and was passing an unknown vehicle on a slight curve.
A westbound 2010 Chevy Silverado driven by Richard Boelter, 69, Larmie, WY., struck the Olds as it was moving back into the eastbound lane.
Burns was transported to Wesley Medical Center.
Boelter and a passenger in the Olds were not injured.
A passenger in the Chevy Ann L. Boelter, 65, Larame, WY., was transported to Eureka Hospital. She was not wearing a seat belt according to the KHP.
Two Fort Hays State University students have been awarded the Dr. Edward H. Hammond Leadership Scholarship from the Half Century Club for the 2015-16 academic year.
Edward Hammond
The Half Century Club started the award in 2012 with an endowed $10,000 scholarship fund recognizing his then 25 years at the helm of FHSU. The fund has grown to more than $100,000, enabling the HCC to award two $2,500 scholarships.
Michaela Sasse, Gaylord senior, is majoring in biology with a minor in leadership studies. She is on the Deans Honor Roll and is a member of the Fort Hays Honor Society, the Distinguished Scholars Program and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
She was also a 2014-15 recipient of this same award.
Sasse has been a Peer Mentor for the L3 (Live. Learn. Lead.) Learning Community, is a VIP Ambassador and has completed a leadership studies certificate curriculum.
Sasse plans to become an optometrist and practice in a rural area.
Arianne Fisher, Plainville senior, is majoring in psychology with a minor in English literature. She is on the Deans Honor Roll and is a member of the Fort Hays Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and Psi Chi: National Honor Society in Psychology.
She was selected Outstanding Psychology Junior in 2013 by her department. She has served as president of the FHSU Psychology Club and of the National Alliance on Mental Illness On Campus group in addition to serving as a peer mentor in the Psych Investigates L3 Learning Community.
Fisher plans to become a clinical psychologist with an emphasis in psychological research and practice. At present, she intends to apply to the Astronaut Training Program at NASA after obtaining her doctoral degree.
The Half Century Club is an FHSU Alumni Association organization of alumni who graduated from the university 50 and more years ago.
Established in 1916, the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association serves the population of FHSU graduates by identifying needs and providing solutions. More than 56,000 graduates live throughout the United States and approximately 74 foreign countries.
New to the Taco Shop menu are three $1,000 annual scholarships awarded to Fort Hays State University students starting in fall 2015.
The Taco Shop Employee Scholarship is open to its employees who are full-time students. The application period will run from June 1 to July 1, which at that time the scholarship committee will announce the recipients.
Taco Shop owner, Jon Schmitt, and store manager, Bob Long, founded the scholarship fund with the desire to be supportive neighbors of FHSU. They hope the scholarship will provide opportunities for both its employees and FHSU students.
“We view this as a chance to both give back to the university and to our employees, and also a benefit for Taco Shop, as we feel it will help improve employee recruitment and retention,” said Long.
Students can apply manually through Taco Shop or the FHSU Foundation.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is setting a new cap on benefits for unemployed workers and overhauling the collection of taxes from businesses to finance the aid.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill making the changes during a Statehouse ceremony Monday. Lawmakers approved the measure late last month, and the new law will take effect July 1.
The maximum weekly benefit for workers will be 55 percent of the state’s average wage. The cap was 60 percent, but the new law says the new cap couldn’t drop below the current figure of $474.
The new law also is designed to make the taxes paid by businesses more predictable by setting fixed rates. The state previously set rates annually based on what it thought was needed to finance benefits.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A woman is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder after the hostess died when she was hit by a vehicle after an argument.
Wichita police say 31-year-old Lydia Treto was killed Sunday evening after she was struck by a vehicle in the backyard of her home in south Wichita.
Lt. Todd Ojile says the death appeared to be deliberate.
Police say the suspect and victim argued and the suspect was asked to leave. The Wichita Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/1IHPUfv ) witnesses told police when Treto and a man came into the backyard, the suspect drove her vehicle, with her two young children inside, through the fence into the backyard and struck Treto, killing her.
The 31-year-old suspect fled but was arrested later and is being held in the Sedgwick County jail.
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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a 31-year-old woman was killed when she was hit by a vehicle during a party at a home in south Wichita.
KFDI reports police Lt. Scott Brunow said police responded to the party Sunday night, after receiving reports that someone had been critically injured during a disturbance at a small gathering at the home.
He says a 31-year-old woman in the home’s back yard was hit by a vehicle that was leaving the gathering. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police are searching for an early 2000s maroon Ford Explorer with heavy damage to the front end.
