WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has declared that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States.
Gay and lesbian couples already can marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The court’s ruling on Friday means the remaining 14 states, in the South and Midwest, will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage.
The outcome is the culmination of two decades of Supreme Court litigation over marriage, and gay rights generally.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, just as he did in the court’s previous three major gay rights cases dating back to 1996.
Gov. Sam Brownback today issued the following statement following the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v Hodges.
“Activist courts should not overrule the people of this state, who have clearly supported the Kansas Constitution’s definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman,” he said. “We will review the ruling carefully to understand its effects on the people of Kansas.”
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Interest in unmanned aircraft, often called drones, is taking off.
In response to the growing demand, the Kansas State University-Salina plans to add a major and two minors focusing on the aircraft. The new courses are scheduled to start in the fall.
The Salina Journal reports the school will offer a new bachelor in engineering technology with an emphasis on unmanned aircraft. That course will emphasize design and implementation of unmanned systems. It will include studies in computer science and electronic and mechanical engineering.
The two minors will focus on flying unmanned aircraft. Students pursing the minors can choose an emphasis in either flight or data acquisition and management.
Dear Dave,
I’m currently a senior in college. I’m completely debt-free right now, and I am wondering what I should do to stay this way after graduation. Cary
Dave Ramsey
Dear Cary,
You’re already primed for a great start. Doesn’t it feel great to know you won’t have a bunch of payments hanging over your head when you walk out into the world? I’m really proud of you!
There are three major traps I tell all new graduates to avoid. One, don’t buy or lease a new car. Save up and pay cash for your cars for the rest of your life. If you saved the amount of an average car payment — about $485 a month — and put it into a good mutual fund from age 25 to 65, you could easily retire a millionaire. Now that’s something to look forward to!
The second trap to avoid is rushing in to buy a house. The first few years after college will be some of the most volatile in your life in terms of career and relationships. Save up a big pile of cash and be patient. Too many young people today go crazy and buy houses they can’t afford just because their friends bought one, or everyone is telling them it’s what they should do.
Last, don’t ever get caught up in the credit card trap. Your income is your greatest wealth-building tool, so why would you want to take a chance on wrecking your future by sending everything you make to some bank? Live on less than you make, and live by a written, monthly budget.
I think you’ve got a really bright future ahead, Cary. Just remember to have a plan, pile up some cash and stay away from debt! —Dave
Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 8.5 million listeners each week on more than 550 radio stations. Dave’s latest project, EveryDollar, provides a free online budget tool. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.
PRATT–The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) will be participating in the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators “Operation Dry Water” (ODW) event, June 26-28. ODW is a nationally-coordinated effort to reduce the number of accidents and deaths related to boating under the influence (BUI). During this three-day period, KDWPT officers will be conducting increased patrols, breathalyzer tests, and checkpoints, as well as providing boater education and outreach.
“Studies have found that people become impaired faster when boating as opposed to driving due to additional factors such as heat, dehydration, wind and wave action,” said KDWPT assistant director of law enforcement, Major Dan Hesket. “Our goal is to promote awareness of the hazards relating to boat operations while intoxicated and to prevent any accidents, injuries, or deaths due to operating while impaired.”
Hesket encourages anyone who suspects a boater to be intoxicated to dial 911 and provide the operator with the location, the suspect boat’s registration numbers, and a complete description of the operator and passengers.
Boaters whose blood alcohol content (BAC) level exceeds the state limit of .08 percent can expect to be arrested for BUI and face other serious penalties including fines, jail time and loss of boating or even driving privileges.
According to Hesket, the KDWPT Law Enforcement Division averages approximately 11 special enforcement efforts over the ODW weekend, resulting in four to eight BUI arrests each year.
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — Dodge City voters easily approved an $85.6 million bond issue to expand the city’s schools.
Preliminary results show the issue passed with about 67 percent of the vote. The mailed ballots were due back to the county clerk’s office on Thursday.
The Dodge City Daily Globe reports projects tentatively approved include 24 new classrooms and more learning spaces in some elementary schools. The middle school could get a new gym and a sixth grade wing, while the high school plans include a new academic wing with 27 classrooms and four career and technical education classrooms.
Enhanced storm safety and security also are planned.
The growing school district currently uses more than 15 modular buildings and the high school exceeded capacity by nearly 400 students this fall.
James Meier, Hays city commissioner, indicates the thickness of 40 years of water studies papers he’s reading.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
“It was a great meeting. I can’t imagine that meeting going any better than the way it did.”
One of the two newest Hays city commissioners, James Meier, is very pleased with Tuesday night’s joint meeting of the Hays and Russell governing bodies about the R9 Ranch development project.
The cities jointly own the property in Edwards County which will be developed as a long-term water source for both towns.
Meier made his comments at the end of Thursday night’s Hays city commission meeting.
“In Hays, I think that we’re going to be hearing more about the ‘magic well’ in Trego County, the ‘magic well’ in Rush County, or wherever the ‘magic well’ might be at. I’m halfway through a stack of about like that (Meier held up his fingers to indicate the stack thickness-about five inches) of summaries from the past 40 years of water studies in the area. I can tell you–and assure you–R9 is the best option for the city of Hays moving forward. If I find the ‘magic well’ in that stack, I’ll be happy to bring it back to the commission. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Meier said.
“The discussion of where we go for water is over, and it should be over. The decision has been made. The discussion from here forward should be about how, and how much it’s going to cost, to bring the water to Hays and to Russell. I just want to say publicly that it is my resolve we move forward with the R9 project. It’s in the best interest of Hays.”
The estimated cost to develop the R9 is $70 million. The city of Hays, which owns 82% of the ranch, enacted a sales tax in the mid-1990s to help fund the project. The city of Russell owns 18% of the R9 Ranch.
Meier acknowledged “while there are a lot of issues facing Hays and the region, water is the number one issue and will be the number one issue for years to come.”
He also stressed that Hays and Russell are not taking water away from Edwards County residents.
“We are discussing taking our water that we own in Edwards County and bringing it to Hays. It ceased being Edwards County’s water in 1994 when we bought the ranch. It is not their water; the water belongs to Hays and Russell, it does not belong to Edwards County.
“They (Edwards County) had the opportunity to buy the ranch in 1994 and they chose not to. They’ve had the opportunity to try and buy the ranch from us the past 20-plus years and they chose not to.
“Now, it’s our water and we’re going to move forward, and I’m a strong supporter of moving forward,” Meier added.
Mayor Eber Phelps offered “kudos” to the Russell city staff and council members. “They’ve been doing their homework…and are up to speed on this issue.”
Phelps also served on the Hays city commission 20 years ago. “We did have more than one member on the Water Study Panel (back then) that actually identified the ranch and Edwards County (as a new water source).”
Arlyn Unrein, Russell Utilities Director (center bottom) and Russell city council member Frank Peirano (blue shirt) listen to an update of the R9 Ranch development Tuesday evening in Russell City Hall. Both served on the regional water study panel 20 years ago.
Current Russell city council member Frank Peirano as well as the current Russell Utilities Director Arlyn Unrein were also on that panel, according to Phelps.
“Frank can be one to provide a lot of inside information…and Arlyn was also very involved in those discussions.
“From the very start, Russell had a start in the process. I’m glad to see that after 20-some years, their city council has been listening…and I appreciate their invitation to us (to host Tuesday’s meeting.) I hope we can continue to get regular updates and have them over here as well,” Phelps added.
The first steps to request changing the use of the water from agricultural to municipal are planned to be filed within the next few days with the Kansas Division of Water Resources.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are extending their longest-ever annual session with an extra 114th day to fix a problem that arose after they inadvertently enacted two conflicting versions of a law aimed at holding down local property taxes.
House and Senate negotiators were meeting Friday morning to review the language for the correction, just before their chambers convened.
Legislators initially planned only a brief adjournment ceremony.
But they discovered a problem with a law limiting the authority of cities and counties to spend increases in property tax revenues without voters’ approval. The limits were supposed to take effect in 2018.
The limits were included in two bills raising sales and cigarette taxes to balance the budget. One said the property tax limits would start in July and the other, in 2018.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Officials of a Wichita nature center say Bobbie the bobcat is back home after vandals cut a hole into in his cage.
According to Great Plains Nature Center director Jim Mason, someone took wire cutters and sliced a gap into Bobbie’s cage at Central Riverside Park’s Kansas Wildlife Exhibit early Thursday. A park visitor contacted authorities after seeing the bobcat out of his cage.
Mason said the 18-year-old Bobbie, who has lived at the exhibit for his entire life, was eventually found in some shrubbery within feet of his cage Thursday. According to Mason, the exhibit’s alarms did not operate properly during the vandalism and have since been fixed.
The Wichita Animal Shelter is asking for help from anyone who may have seen the vandalism.
EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Rural Center is hosting a “Women in Farming’ workshop geared for women interested in sustainable farming and food production.
The all-day event begins at 9 a.m. on July 11 at the Flint Hills Technical College in Emporia.
It includes a presentation on the importance of building soil health and the value of cover crops. One session deals with livestock and grazing management practices. Another session covers specialty crop production.
Also on the agenda is a farm tour at Gail Fuller’s farm near Emporia where there will be a presentation on carbon farming. The farm recently adopted a no-till cover crop system, crop rotations and small livestock enterprises.
Closing out the day is a native prairie and grass tour.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Kansas guard Kelly Oubre, Jr., was the overall No. 15 choice of the Atlanta Hawks in the 2015 NBA Draft at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn Thursday.
This marks the sixth-straight season a Jayhawk has been selected in the first round. Historically, Oubre becomes the 77th player to be drafted in Kansas men’s basketball history and the 19th in the Bill Self-era.
“Whoever winds up getting me, I’m definitely going to give them 110 percent effort,” Oubre told the ESPN audience after hearing he could be traded to the Washington Wizards. “I want to show everybody what I can do and be great someday.”
An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, Oubre averaged 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Jayhawks in 2014-15. A member of the 2015 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team, the New Orleans native with a 71-inch wingspan, was second on the KU squad with 41 steals and led the Jayhawks in steals 11 times during the season.
Oubre started 27 games for KU including the last 26 contests, missing only Senior Night as Jayhawk senior Christian Garrett replaced him against West Virginia (3/3).
Named one of 10 finalists for the USBWA Wayman Tisdale Award honoring the top freshman in the country, Oubre was a two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in 2014-15. He recorded three games of 20 or more points, including a career-high 25 points against TCU in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship, March 12, at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He also recorded three double-doubles on the season.
Kansas posted a 27-9 overall record in 2014-15 and won its 11th-straight, 15th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 58th overall conference regular-season championship with a 13-5 league record. The Jayhawks had the toughest schedule in the nation and its 10 victories against Associated Press nationally-ranked teams at tip were the most for KU in a season. Kansas faced 16 ranked teams at tip which were four more than the previous high for a season set three times (1994-95, 2002-03 and 2011-12). Included were 2015 Final Four teams Kentucky and Michigan State.
