TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has seen its number of incomplete voter registrations decline by nearly 6,700 in less than two weeks as counties follow a directive from Secretary of State Kris Kobach to cull their records.
Kobach’s office said Tuesday that the state had about 31,000 incomplete registrations as of Tuesday, compared to about 37,700 when the Republican secretary of state’s directive took effect on Oct. 2. The decline is nearly 18 percent.
Most incomplete registrations are for people who’ve failed to comply with a 2013 law requiring new voters to provide proof of their U.S. citizenship when registering.
Kobach imposed a new rule requiring county election officials to cancel registrations that are incomplete for more than 90 days.
He contends the proof-of-citizenship requirement prevents election fraud. Critics say it suppresses turnout.
Fort Hays State University’s Honors College will host Honors for a Day, open to all high school students who want to learn more about the Honors College, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16.
Attendees will spend a day meeting professors, connecting with other high-achieving students, taking a campus tour and sitting in on an honors class.
The Honors College aims to provide an enhanced college experience both inside and out of the classroom for students who enjoy a challenge.
“The Honors College offers more than just a superior educational experience,” said Jordan M. Glynn, Ellis junior, who is marketing, publicity and outreach director. “It provides a familial environment for students.”
Honors College students are guaranteed their own floor, “with plans for new dorms in progress, continuing to foster a family-like bond,” said Glynn.
BOSTON (AP) — With younger generations using cellphones less for actual conversation and more for text messaging, suicide prevention organizations are setting up ways that let distraught youths seek help that way.
The Massachusetts suicide prevention organization Samaritans is now accepting text messages. Executive Director Steve Mongeau says the new option started this month and is specifically aimed at young people who may feel more comfortable communicating via text.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens and college age young adults.
NEW YORK (AP) — Responding to a furor over undercover videos, Planned Parenthood says it will maintain programs at some of its clinics that make fetal tissue available for research, but will no longer accept any sort of payment to cover the costs of those programs.
Anti-abortion activists who recently released a series of covertly filmed videos have contended that Planned Parenthood officials sought profits from their programs providing post-abortion fetal tissue to researchers. Planned Parenthood said the videos were deceptively edited and denied seeking any payments beyond legally permitted reimbursement of costs.
The new policy — forgoing even permissible reimbursement — was outlined in a letter sent Tuesday by Planned Parenthood’s president, Cecile Richards, to Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health.
Grace Memorial Chapel-photo Wichita State University
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The former campus minister at Wichita State University says renovations that included removing pews from Grace Memorial chapel were sought by Christians, not by Muslims.
The university received criticism recently for the chapel renovations, which included replacing pews with folding chairs. Some said they felt the changes marginalized Christians while accommodating Muslims.
The Rev. Christopher Eshelman, a United Methodist minister who served as campus minister at Wichita State in 2011 and 2012, told The Wichita Eagle that several people — including him — had the idea to make the chapel a more flexible worship space.
The family that made the chapel possible in 1964 specified that it remain open to all creeds and races.
Eshelman says Muslim students made no demands on how the space would be changed.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs placed Jamaal Charles on injured reserve Tuesday after the star running back tore the ACL in his right knee while making a cut against the Chicago Bears.
Charles had an MRI on Monday that confirmed the extent of the injury.
The Chiefs filled his roster spot by promoting running back Spencer Ware from the practice squad. Ware is a former sixth-round pick out of LSU who spent the offseason with Kansas City.
The Chiefs also released linebacker Tyrell Adams, cornerback Jeremy Harris and offensive lineman Daniel Munyer from the practice squad Tuesday.
Running back Darrin Reaves, offensive lineman Michael Liedtke, cornerback Saalim Hakim and linebacker Jayson DiManche were signed to replace them.
FIre crews in Harvey County on Tuesday. photos Harvey Co. Sheriff
HARVEY COUNTY- Fire crews in Harvey County are being credited with saving a life and a home, according to a media release.
Upon arrival at 4300 SE 24th, the Newton fire and first responders found a shed fully engulfed in flames. The fire was so intense it melted the siding on the house and was about to catch the house on fire as well.
Harvey County Sheriff Deputies were able to enter the home, wake up the resident and get him out.
There were no injuries. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
Former U.S. HHS Secretary and Kansas governor, Kathleen Sebelius, spoke at the FHSU Keith G. Sebelius Lecture Series Monday evening.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Former U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Human Services Secretary, Democrat Kathleen Sebelius, believes “politics is denying health care and coverage” for about 150,000 low-income Kansans who would be covered by the expansion of Medicaid as part of the federal Affordable Care Act. Sebelius oversaw the rollout of “Obamacare” starting in 2010. She served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet from April 2009 through June 2014.
Republican governors of several states, including Kansas, have refused to participate in the Medicaid expansion program.
Sebelius, who also served as Kansas governor from 2003 to 2009 and Kansas Insurance Commissioner prior to that, spoke at Fort Hays State University Monday night. She kicked off this season’s Keith G. Sebelius Lecture Series, named after her father-in-law, former U.S. Rep. Keith Sebelius, R-Norton, who graduated from FHSU in 1941.
Her one-hour discussion with moderator Dr. Chapman Rackaway, acting chairman of the FHSU Political Science Department and Director of Liberal Education, drew laughter, numerous rounds of applause and a final standing ovation from the audience in Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
Sebelius met briefly with the local media prior to her public appearance.
She was asked about the ACA, the legacy and public service of Keith Sebelius, the law that will allow most people to carry concealed firearms without a permit on the campuses of Kansas universities, and her transition from longtime public servant to working as an adviser in the private sector.
Gary Sebelius, son of Keith and husband of Kathleen, was in the audience. He is a federal magistrate judge.
JEWELL COUNTY- A man from Gove County was injured in an accident just after 10a.m. on Tuesday in Jewell County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Peterbilt semi driven by Robert C. Briglio, 57, Grinnell, was northbound on Kansas 14 nine miles northeast of Mankato.
The truck entered the east ditch and overturned.
Briglio was transported to Jewell County Hospital.
He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
HESSTON – Law enforcement authorities in Harvey County have increased a police presence near schools in Hesston and are investigating two separate incidents.
Police reported in a media release, that in both instances, an adult in a vehicle approached and asked a USD 460 student if they wanted to get into the vehicle.
Both times the students knew what to do and ran away or rode away on a bicycle. One incident was shortly after school hours, the other was in the early evening.
The Hesston Police Department has increased patrol presence in the area of schools during those times. While there was no actual crime committed in these incidents, the behavior is suspicious enough that police there would like to locate the vehicle and driver for further investigation.
The vehicle and occupant have been described very similarly in both reported incidents as a small black, faded and rusty colored passenger car.
The driver is an older Caucasian male with brownish/gray hair, perhaps salt and pepper colored, has some gray facial hair, and was the only occupant of the vehicle.
The driver never attempted to exit the vehicle after verbally contacting the students and did not pursue the child in any way.
The Hesston Police Department also asked parents to take the time to talk to their school-aged children about stranger danger and reinforce to them to never approach a car or individual they don’t know.
If you or your child may have seen a vehicle and driver as described in these incidents, either before or after school, or after school activities, please contact the Hesston Police Department at 620-327-2020.
We are one of Fort Hays State University’s 310 Leadership Team, Bags of Love. Our mission is to help the Salvation Army with Project Suitcase.
Project Suitcase provides assistance for the children in the Ellis County Foster Care system. Each child that enters the system is only given two trash bags to transfer their personal belongings from home to home.
Ages of the children in foster care range from the day they are born to the age of 21. Our ultimate goal is to obtain 350 suitcases, filled with a few toiletries and a personal item. We are asking the Ellis County Community to kindly donate any type of suitcase, toys and stuffed animals.
The following items are being collected: heavy-duty luggage bags, duffel bags, totes, drawstring bags, backpacks, rolling luggage suitcases, teddy bears, books, toys, etc.
The team Bags of Love is going to have a bag drive on from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 24 at Big Creek Crossing. Save the dates!
We would gladly appreciate any type of these listed items as donations to be able to help out the foster kids in Ellis County!
For any questions, feel free to contact any of these numbers below:
MANHATTAN – Johnathon Elliott, 20, of Manhattan, appeared in Riley County Court on Tuesday afternoon for a status check under Judge Malcolm.
Elliott was arrested on September 11, in connection with a series of robberies and a theft that were reported in the central portion of Manhattan on September 4, that prompted the campus lockdown at Kansas State University.
He is charged with three counts of felony-aggravated robbery and one count of felony conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and two misdemeanor theft charges.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for November 10.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has seen its number of incomplete voter registrations decline by nearly 6,700 in less than two weeks as counties follow a directive from Secretary of State Kris Kobach to cull their records.
