August 2015 – Page 54 – Hays Post Archive

Despite opposition, Kan. county OKs permit for specialty meat shop

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

Location of the proposed Burning Barrel -google map click to enlarge

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Douglas County commissioners have approved a permit for a specialty meat shop despite opposition from Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and others.

Commissioners approved the conditional use permit Wednesday for Lawrence chef Brian Strecker, who says his new shop, called The Burning Barrel, would process locally raised livestock into hams, sausages and other cuts of meat.

Several residents said they worried the shop would pose fire, odor and health hazards. Kobach owns a structure near where Strecker’s shop would be, and said he didn’t want his children to grow up downwind from the shop.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that others who spoke in favor of the shop vouched for Strecker’s work ethic and professional skills.

Strecker says his shop would process no more than four hogs a week.

HAWVER: Outsiders will put fresh eyes on Kan. government

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

The Legislature is within weeks of approving a contract for up to $3 million with some probably out-of-state consulting firm to take a look at how we do government here and suggest ways to do it more economically, or even decide whether the state is doing stuff that it really doesn’t need to do.

That’s the “fresh eyes” concept that a nearly broke state approved with surprisingly little debate last legislative session and the governor signed into law.

It’s to bring in a consultant to see what the state does and whether it is doing it in the most efficient, economical way. Sounds good, of course. Less spending, fewer taxes: That’s what lawmakers are looking for as 2012’s massive income tax cuts/eliminations effects are finally becoming troublesome. The surpluses in the budget that allowed some to say “just a little more time for these tax cuts to spur the economy, and by the way increase tax revenues” are gone.

So far those cuts haven’t dramatically boosted the state’s economy and budget, and something has to be done.

This hiring outsiders to dissect state spending sounds like a fairly good idea.

There may just be things that Kansas does that other states don’t. We may have a 155-year tradition of doing thing the Kansas Way, partly because, well, that’s how we do it here, and partly because, well, that’s how we’ve always done it here.

Fresh eyes, especially those of accountants and efficiency experts, might just yield some ideas for saving money. Saving a few bucks by eliminating warning shots (do cops still do that?) or copying on both sides of the sheet of paper isn’t going to cut it. But centralizing state functions—say human resources and payroll departments, computer operations among state agencies—probably makes some sense, though it is likely to mean fewer state workers, and you can either say the state is becoming more efficient or just shedding jobs. That assessment depends on the location—government centers—and to some degree, the House and Senate members whose constituents are those laid-off workers.

And, if those consultants come up with a money-saver that has already been proposed, but not adopted, well, now “fresh-eyed” professionals have vetted those ideas, which will make them easier to get passed by the Legislature.

Oh, don’t forget that likely targets for efficiencies are the state’s more than 290 independent school districts. Look for an accountant to decide that they don’t all need their own business offices, payroll clerks or purchasing agents. That’s probably the quickest, simplest and potentially explainable to the Kansas Supreme Court as a reason to carve money out of already tight state appropriations for K-12 education.

The state probably spends money on people and things that it doesn’t need to spend our tax money on. Most state spending doesn’t affect us, but remember that all state spending impacts someone. It might come down to deciding who those “somebodys” are and whether they vote in Republican primary elections where most of the decisions are made on who gets into the Legislature.

Another key is that the contractor will be hired by Oct. 1, and by Jan. 1 will have some ideas for efficiencies—which is the Legislature’s term for cutting spending. Enough ideas bearing the seal of an independent, not-from-here consultant and it might be possible for lawmakers to quickly adopt something that will carve spending so that there is no need for an election-year tax increase that would certainly mean some legislators won’t be returning after next year’s elections.

Interesting possibilities for a Legislature that doesn’t want to raise taxes…

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com

INSIGHT KANSAS: Why mounting state debt matters

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.

Thanks to Gov. Sam Brownback and his legislative backers, your child or grandchild born this year will still be paying off a new $1 billion state debt in the year 2045. Of course, this assumes your children and grandchildren will choose to live in Kansas and take on the financial burden state lawmakers are placing on them.

With this new debt Kansas taxpayers are now saddled with a total debt load of over $4 billion, by far the highest in state history and a jump of one-third over current borrowing. Debt recently authorized by lawmakers but not yet issued could bump these figures up even higher.

State decisions on taxing and spending draw public attention because of their immediate impact on our pocketbooks. Yet, bonded indebtedness represents fixed obligations that reorder state taxing and spending priorities for the long term and therefore requires careful public scrutiny.

Most Kansans may not be aware that state government has been aggressively using debt to meet its obligations for the past 25 years. As of last year the debt burden of Kansas taxpayers was more than twice that of surrounding states in terms of per capita debt and debt as a percentage of personal income. The new debt will boost those numbers further.

So, why are state lawmakers so hell bent to borrow another billion dollars? They are gambling that state officials can invest proceeds from the $1 billion bond issue in marketable securities that will earn better returns than the interest charged on the debt—at least over the long term. Their betting scheme may carry less risk than playing games in the state lottery or at a casino but could backfire on Kansas taxpayers.

The real story here is that the governor and his legislative coalition want to borrow a billion dollars in order to reduce state pension obligations this year and next and in doing so help pay for the revenue lost from state income tax cuts. But, their borrowing is projected to pay for less than $50 million of the tax cuts over these two years, well less than one-half of one percent state’s biennial budget. This speculative venture represents another act of financial desperation designed to rescue for two more years the risky, ill-advised tax cuts of 2012 and 2013.

Without question the state’s deteriorating financial condition has elevated the state’s risks. National rating agencies downgraded state credit last year, and last month Moody’s graded the planned pension debt down one step from a similar bond issue in 2004, citing “the structural imbalance in the state’s budget and reliance on interfund borrowing, as well as an underfunded pension plan.” These downgrades translate into higher interest costs that narrow the potential for any state benefit.

Earlier this week Moody’s took the additional step of warning that the new debt would do little or nothing to alleviate the state pension’s unfunded liability of $9 billion.

Further, state lawmakers have played fast and loose with highway debt in recent years. During the Brownback administration alone $450 million in new highway debt has been issued, but that amount plus another $750 million has been swept from the highway fund to help pay for current obligations, such as state income tax cuts for the wealthiest Kansans, rather than highway improvements.

Growing debt levels will skew state priorities and have long-term costs for Kansans. Repaying bonded debt immediately becomes the state’s highest spending priority, leaping past school and university funding, highways, and assistance to vulnerable Kansans. Further, repaying debt may foreclose taxing options such as reducing property taxes or eliminating the state income tax. Future state borrowing will be more constrained, and Moody’s recent warning may signal another credit downgrade for the state.

Finally, mounting debt will hasten the shift of state obligations and tax burdens onto future generations. So, while you are enjoying this year’s tax cuts, remember to thank your children and grandchildren, who will be paying for them for many years to come.

H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.

FHSU volleyball slotted eighth in MIAA preseason coaches poll

Posted on August 13, 2015

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State Volleyball was voted eighth in the 2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Thursday morning (Aug. 13). Eighth is where the Tigers finished last year in the standings, a season in which they saw great improvement in MIAA play.

In 2014, the Tigers saw their win percentage in MIAA play make a jump of .130 from the previous year and they finished three spots higher in the MIAA standings. The Tigers won seven MIAA matches in 2014, tying the most they have ever won in the conference since joining in 2006. However, with the improvement, the Tigers still finished at 13-18 overall with 15 of the losses occurring in MIAA play. Outside of the very tough MIAA schedule, the Tigers finished 6-3 against non-conference competition.

There is no doubt that the Tigers play in the toughest region in the country in NCAA Division II. The MIAA and the NSIC are two of the most powerful conferences in the nation in volleyball, and unfortunately the conferences play in the same region. Thus, only eight teams are selected into the Central Regional of the 64-team NCAA Tournament each year. To paint a picture of how good this region has been, it has had a team in the national title match eight straight years. Concordia-St. Paul won the national title an unprecedented seven times in a row from 2007 to 2013, but they were finally knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the Central Regional by Southwest Minnesota State last year. Southwest Minnesota went on to play in the national title match, but fell to Tampa.

Some may say Concordia-St. Paul has just been that good, but take a look at the final national rankings at the end of the 2014 season. The Central Region finished with five of the top six teams in the nation – Southwest Minnesota State at No. 2, Minnesota-Duluth at No. 3, Concordia-St. Paul at No. 4, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 5, and Wayne State (Neb.) at No. 6. Four of those teams went home in the NCAA Tournament before the Elite Eight, as only one can advance from the regional. The 2013 season was just as brutal as six of the top 10 teams in the final poll were from the Central Region – Concordia-St. Paul at No. 1 (earning their seventh-straight national title), Minnesota-Duluth at No. 4, Central Missouri at No. 6, Southwest Minnesota State at No. 7, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 8, and Washburn at No. 10.

With the great balance of the conference and region in volleyball, the Tigers have continued a quest to compete and finish among the top teams in the MIAA. The road block has been MIAA play. The Tigers have finished well above .500 in non-conference play each of the last four years, going 12-3 in 2011, 16-4 in 2012, 11-6 in 2013, and 6-3 last year. A 22-game conference schedule in 2014 kept the Tigers from playing very many non-conference matches.

The MIAA schedule consists of just 18 games this year with the return of the MIAA Tournament at the end of the season. There was no conference tournament in 2014, so the three MIAA teams qualifying for the NCAA Tournament were at-large selections. Two teams from the MIAA with great resumes were left home. That included Central Oklahoma, which finished third in the conference and had an overall record of 26-5, and Missouri Western, which finished fifth in the conference and had an overall record of 22-8. Both teams finished 10 or more games over .500 in conference play, but still could not make the cut for the eight-team regional.

The Tigers have four players returning from last year’s squad with Mallory Flagor as the lone senior. She was one of the conference’s top hitters in 2014, garnering an All-MIAA Second Team selection with 348 kills for the season. The Tigers have strength at middle hitter with the return of Rebekah Spainhour and Callie Christensen. Spainhour finished with 234 kills in her sophomore campaign and Christensen had 133 as a true freshman. The duo combined for 179 blocks, nearly tying each other for the team lead (Spainhour with 90, Christensen with 89). The fourth returner is Crystal Whitten, who redshirted last year after transferring from Pittsburg State, where she was one of the team’s top offensive threats at outside hitter. The Tigers have 13 newcomers that will compete to fill in the rotation, especially the void at the setter and libero positions.

FHSU opens up the 2015 season in Marquette, Mich. on the first weekend of September with four non-conference matches against NCAA Division II opponents.

Below is the 2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll…

2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (9)        119
2. Washburn (2)            108
3. Nebraska-Kearney (1)       98
4. Central Oklahoma           95
5. Missouri Western           84
6. Northwest Missouri           66
7. Emporia State               64
8. Fort Hays State               46
9. Pittsburg State               39
10. Southwest Baptist           27
11. Missouri Southern           25
12. Lindenwood               21

Kan. teen hospitalized after I-70 rollover crash in Gove Co.

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

QUINTER — A Kansas teen was injured in an accident just after 11 a.m. Thursday in Gove County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1988 Toyota Corolla driven by Kenton Eric Parrett, 19, Prairie Village, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just west of Quinter.

The vehicle left the roadway and entered the median. The vehicle then got back on the interstate and the driver overcorrected.

The vehicle entered the median again and overturned an unknown number of times.

Parrett was flown to Wesley Medical Center for treatment.

He was wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Coalition seeks community input on Hays area’s retail marketplace

Posted on August 13, 2015

The Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development is again seeking the public’s input on the retail market in Hays and Ellis County.

Click HERE for the survey, which ranges from most-shopped existing stores to stores and restaurants on the community’s “wish list.”

Coalition Executive Director Aaron White said results from this survey will be compared to a similar 2012 survey and used to assist in recruiting new businesses. There were 1,120 responses in 2012.

Edward Jones to pay $20M to settle federal bond sales probe

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

JIM SUHR, AP Business Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Federal regulators say brokerage firm Edward Jones has agreed to pay more than $20 million to settle claims it overcharged customers in new municipal bond sales.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday that $5.2 million of the settlement amount will be distributed to customers whom St. Louis-based Edward Jones overcharged. Edward Jones spokesman John Boul says 13,000 current and past customers will be compensated.

The SEC says the ex-chief of Edward Jones’ municipal bond underwriting desk, Stina Wishman, will pay $15,000 and be barred from working in securities for at least two years.

It’s the SEC’s first case against an underwriter for pricing-related fraud in the primary market for municipal securities.

Boul says Edward Jones cooperated with the SEC probe, and “we are pleased to have this matter resolved.”

Hutchinson Comm. College and Friends announce degree partnership

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

HUTCHINSON – Hutchinson Community College and Friends University have announced that they’re offering the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree from Friends from the Hutchinson Community College campus, according to a media release.

Students who complete an associate’s degree from Hutchinson Community College will be accepted with junior standing to Friends University’s College of Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS) with classes held on Hutchinson Community College’s campus.

Friends University offers the following in-demand bachelor’s degrees, including accounting, business management, computer information systems and human resource management

Students who transfer from Hutchinson Community College can be admitted to Friends University, take advantage of a new lower tuition rate at Friends, transfer up to 78 credits (this is typically more hours than many other universities allow, thus saving you even more) and receive academic success coaching from Friends University staff.

Classes start October 19 and are offered in the evenings with classes starting every eight weeks, allowing students to complete their degree while maintaining their work, family and other responsibilities.

The schools will hold an information session on the program at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 31 in the Shears Technology Center Justice Theater on the Hutch CC campus.

Governor to speak at Guard’s Officer Candidate School Graduation

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

SALINA -The Kansas National Guard 235th Regiment will host a graduation and commissioning ceremony Saturday, August 15 for 17 students of Officer Candidate School Class 59, according to a media release.

The 1 p.m. ceremony will take place at the Kansas Highway Patrol Academy, 2025 E. Iron Ave., Salina.

Guest speaker for the event will be Gov. Sam Brownback.

The graduating officer candidates who will be commissioned as second lieutenants are Serini Betacourt, William Burwell, Aaron Clopton, Eric Cooley, Thomas Denn, Jacquelyn Haneyballew, Douglas Herbert, Cody Johnson, Khoa Luong, Trey Maevers, Charles Manarang, Abdulkarim Nkrumbih, Ty Roberts, Patrick Short, Adam Taylor, Travis Thurau and James West.

The OCS traditional program consisted of a two-week Phase I and 13-month Phase II conducted one weekend a month at the Kansas Regional Training Institute in Salina. Phase III training consisted of a two-week tactical leadership course at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington. It includes more than 900 hours of classroom instruction, field training exercises and physical training.

Michael Joseph Kraus

Posted on August 13, 2015

Michael Joseph Kraus, age 72, died Wednesday, August 12, 2015, at Grisell Memorial Hospital, Ransom, Kansas.

He was born on April 20, 1943, in Arnold, KS, the son of Hugo and Alice (Hilmes) Kraus.

He was a crude oil truck driver for many years. After retiring from truck driving, he worked for Simpson Farm Enterprises.

On June 3, 1989 he married Mary (Moeder) Frusher.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Kraus, Ransom; son, Sean (Emilee) Kraus, Russell; daughter, Monica Kraus, Las Vegas, NV; step-daughters, Teresa (Jarad) Allen, Hays, Sarah Frusher, Salina; grandchildren, Jacob, Andrew, and Sydney Kraus; brothers John (Susan) Kraus, Ransom, Patrick (Kay) Kraus, Ransom, Mark Kraus, Arnold; sisters, Nancy Foust, Victoria, Jeanette (Fred) Flax, Ransom, Annette (Brian) Lang, Solomon; and brother-in-law, Marvin Kramer, Cimarron.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Father David Kraus; and sister, Julie Kramer.

Viewing will be at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City, KS, Thursday, August, 13, 11:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. and Friday, August 14, 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

Vigil will be at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Ransom, Friday, August 14, 7:00 P.M.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Saturday, August 15, 2015, 10:00 A.M.

Burial in St. Aloysius Cemetery, Ransom.

Memorial contributions may be given to Father William Kraus, OFM Cap (for Father Bill’s work with seminarians, future priests and brothers).

Company specializing in sleep apnea testing eyes Hays for expansion

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

A Wichita businessman has found a health care niche that has turned into a profitable venture — one that he expects to land in Hays in the coming months.

Kevin Kunz is co-owner of Sleeptopia Inc., which specializes in in-home sleep apnea testing.

“Home sleep testing’s been around for a while,” he said. “However, people just weren’t aware of it.”

Kunz said the home testing is a benefit for a variety of reasons. Compared to a laboratory test, the cost is a third to a fifth of the price, depending upon insurance coverage.

But taking the test at home rather than a lab setting simply makes more sense to Kunz.

“If you’ve been married for 30 years … now you’re in a foreign setting, your spouse can’t sleep with you, all the wires. … How do you get an accurate study?” he said. “Why would we want to change the routine.”

Kunz, who has locations in Wichita and Independence, said a future Hays location would serve the entire region.

“We deliver to the patient’s home,” he said. “Even though we’ll be in Hays, we’ll be all around that area.”

While he has yet to decide upon a specific site for a Hays storefront, he said he expects to eventually hire two or three people, including a nurse.

Kunz said the Hays location is projected to be open within four to six months.

Hays Police urge extra caution as new school year begins

Posted on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The streets of many Kansas communities will once again be buzzing this week with buses and kids on their way to back to school — and the Hays Police Department is reminding people to slow down, have patience and be on the lookout in school zones.

School Resource Officer Tim Dreiling with the Hays Police Department said during traffic times before and after school, police are encouraging motorists to pay extra attention for children getting on and off the bus and riding or walking to school.

“We have a lot of traffic that wasn’t on the road all summer,” Dreiling said “Now between 7:30 in the morning and 9, they’re delivering kids to school. Afternoon hours, it gets busy after 2:30 p.m.”

Dreiling added there will be many kids walking and biking to school early in the school year. And with the newly painted bike lanes, he anticpates more bicycle traffic on the roadways.

The bike path between 24th and 27th on Fort Street is one to pay particular attention to, according to Dreiling. The path is marked to allow bike traffic to travel in both directions.

“Be aware there could be a bicycle along that east curb coming in the other direction,” Dreiling said.

It is also illegal to pass a school bus that has the stop sign extended and its lights flashing.

Dreiling said school bus drivers will report motorists who break the law to the police.

For people dropping off their children at school, Dreiling said it’s important to drop them off at the curb so they do not have to walk across traffic.

FHSU massage therapy program receives several accreditations

Posted on August 13, 2015

FHSU University Relations

Though starting only its second semester, Fort Hays State University’s massage therapy program is reaching major milestones.

The program recently became a member of two national massage therapy associations, the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals and the American Massage Therapy Association. FHSU’s program also met the requirements to be awarded the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

“These accreditations allow students to better prepare for their board exams,” said Ceena Owens, instructor of health and human performance. “They support the instructors and help us build new programs for our students.”

“The associations also provide resources to ensure that both instructors and students use safe and therapeutic massage techniques,” she said.

The growing program now has 30 on-campus students participating in hands-on training.

“Massage therapy is a lucrative trade for people who want to help others,” said Owens.

Clinical practice begins in October. The public is welcome to sign up for a $25, one-hour massage appointment offered by the massage therapy students.

A two-day introductory, hands-on class in massages will be offered Oct. 17 and Oct. 18. No textbook is required.