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New Kansas revenue forecast expected to be more pessimistic

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials are preparing to issue a new fiscal forecast and it could leave the state with a projected deficit in its current budget again.

University officials, legislative researchers and officials in Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration were meeting Friday to draft revised projections for tax collections through June 2017.

The new forecast was coming the same day the Kansas Supreme Court was hearing arguments about whether a school funding law enacted earlier this year complies with the state constitution and whether the state immediately owes school districts another $54 million.

Since the current fiscal year began in July, tax collections have been short of expectations by about $78 million, or 4.1 percent.

The state boosted sales and cigarette taxes in July to close an earlier budget shortfall.

Black tops Gold 20-19 in evenly matched Black and Gold Scrimmage

FHSU Athletics

The Fort Hays State wrestling team held its first home event of the 2015-16 season on Thursday (Nov. 5) with its annual Black and Gold Scrimmage.

The Gold team took started off with a big victory when transfer from Labette Community College, Derrick Gates defeated Jace Nordyke by a major decision (13-2) in the 165-pound class.

The Black team came roaring back in the 285-pound weight class after Zach Keraney took advantage of a Dakota Gulley wrong turn and pinned him in 3:36.

Senior and two-year starter Adam Ludwin took on Cornell College transfer Vikash Hypio at 125 pounds. Ludwin won by decision, 7-3, having one take down per period, and gave the Gold an advantage once again at 7-6.

The 141-pound class was a battle between two experienced wrestlers, Tyler Dryden and Jacob Kay. Dryden fared better in the matchup pulling away by decision for the Gold team, 6-2, widening the lead to 10-6.

Noah Killip and Matt Ziegler battled at the 149 pounds. Killip, who was a national qualifier at 141 pounds last year, came out on top with a first period fall at the 2:47 mark. That extended the Gold lead to 16-6.

Joey Dozier and Bradley Little was the feature match of the night at 157 pounds. Both wrestlers are seniors and returning starters. After neither scored in the first period, Dozier earned two back points. Little was able to break free and get a reversal before the second period ended, tying the score at 2-2. After a Little take down in the third, Dozier was able to earn an escape to bring the score back to 4-3. Little was finally able to seal the deal with one more take down to earn the decision for Black, 6-4, as Dozier had a riding time point applied at the end.

Nathan Shipley and Ethan Dale battled it out in the 174 pound weight class. Like the match before it was scoreless after the first period. Shipley earned an escape in the second period, but Dale was able to get a reversal and a riding time bonus point to hold off Shipley for a 3-2 win for the Black team. That put the score at 16-12 in favor of Gold.

True freshman Jordan Davis showed he has plenty of upside as he took on one of the team’s top wrestlers, Jon Inman, in the 184-pound match. Davis held his own against the preseason No. 6 wrestler in the country, only down two points after the first period. Inman then hit the gas pedal by earning an escape to start the second period and three takedowns on the way to an 11-3 win. The win for Inman knotted the score at 16-16.

After defeating Nordyke earlier in the evening, Derrick Gates wrestled a second match against Kregg Clarke. It was a back and forth battle for the entire match but Gates proved victorious once more by 9-6 decision, putting Gold on top 19-16.

The final matchup of the evening was a heavyweight bout between Zach Kearney, who defeated Gulley earlier in the evening, and Justin Scott. Scott was in full control the entire match recording a take down and a two-point near fall in the first period and then an escape and take down in the second. Throw in a riding time point and he walked away with the major decision for the black team by the score of 8-0. The riding time point helped Black push over the top of Gold 20-19 and avoid a tie.

Results of exhibition matches:

Christian Lewis defeated Jake Schoenfeld by decision 9-4.

Rakim Dean defeated Christian Lanceby decision 3-2.

Several Tiger wrestlers will be heading to Lindsborg, Kan., on Saturday to officially open the season at the Bethany College Open.

No charges against US marshals in fatal Kan. shooting

police shooting smallKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerry Gorman will not file charges against two deputy U.S. marshals who shot and killed a man in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Kansas City Star reports the two deputy marshals shot Patrick Pippin, of Shawnee, July 16 after he led police on a chase along Interstate 35.

Gorman said his investigation indicated the officers were justified in using deadly force.

Deputies went to a home as part of an investigation into several armed robberies. When they attempted to stop a Jeep that that drove away from the home, the driver drove off. It eventually crashed.

The marshals reported that Pippin appeared to have a gun when he started running toward one marshal.

The two marshals shot him. Pippin died of four gunshots.

County signs agreement to cover costs of Kan. casino legal battle

casino gambleCOLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — Cherokee County commissioners have signed an agreement with a Missouri company that will pay legal bills the county amassed while fighting a proposed casino for nearby Crawford County.

The Joplin Globe reports the commissioners and Penfield’s Business Centers signed an agreement on Oct. 26. The company will pay the county’s legal fees, which total close to $150,000. The agreement says the county has two years to repay the money if the state-owned casino is shifted to Cherokee County.

If no casino is built, the county does not have to reimburse the money.

The funds to cover legal fees will come from company managing partner Gary Hall, who owns land that would have been purchased if Cherokee County won the contract.

Cherokee County has filed a lawsuit, saying state regulators arbitrarily awarded the casino contract to Crawford County.

Study: Nearly half of US pregnant women gain too much weight

Weight ScaleMIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials say nearly half of U.S. moms gain too much weight during pregnancy.

Experts say putting on too many extra pounds during pregnancy can harm the mom, and may cause a range of problems for the child.

The study found only about a third of women gain the recommended amount of weight, and about a fifth gained too little. Overweight and obese women most commonly exceeded the guidelines.

Gaining too little weight increases the risk that the baby will be born very small. Too much weight can lead to obesity and other health problems for the mom and baby, and to dangerous complications during labor and delivery.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the study Thursday.

3 hospitalized after BMW hydroplanes in 3-vehicle head-on crash

KHPDOUGLAS COUNTY- Three people were injured in an accident just before 3p.m. on Thursday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 BMW driven by Robert C. Zabel, 69, Overland Park, was northbound on Kansas 10 just north of U.S. 40 during heavy rain.

The vehicle hydroplaned, crossed the centerline and struck a 2013 Dodge Avenger head on in the southbound lane.

The Dodge then rotated and struck a 2012 Toyota Prius driven by Myrna MCornett-Devito, 65, Lawrence.

Zabel was transported to Stormont Vail.

A passenger in the BMW Allen Wehmeyer, 71, Kansas City, and the driver of the Dodge April Dawn Ponton, 28, Topeka, were transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

Cornett-Devito was not injured.

All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

New report: Services to cost Kansas $47M more than expected

MoneyTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new report says Medicaid and other services will cost Kansas about $47 million more than expected during the next two budget years.

The new estimates Thursday complicate the budget picture for Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and the GOP-dominated Legislature. The report was issued by legislative researchers and Brownback’s budget staff.

State officials and university economists were expected Friday to issue more pessimistic projections for state tax collections through June 2017 that are likely to leave a projected deficit in the state’s current budget.

The report covers cash assistance, foster care and Medicaid’s health coverage for the poor and disabled, which cost the state $1.1 billion annually.

The new estimates are $16.6 million higher for the current budget and $30.8 million higher for the fiscal year beginning in July 2017.

New raptor found in South Dakota by team with Kansas ties

University of Kansas photo
University of Kansas photo

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A dinosaur fossil found in South Dakota’s Hell Creek Formation has led to the discovery of a new giant raptor.

The Lawrence Journal World reports that a research team that includes University of Kansas paleontologists named the estimated 17-foot-long feathered creature a Dakotaraptor.

According to a news release from the university, the raptor hails from the Cretaceous period and would have been lightly built and probably as agile as the vicious Velociraptor.

The fossil was discovered on Monday. It’s being researched and curated in Florida by a research team led by Robert DePalma of the Palm Beach Museum of Natural History.

Wichita’s Newman university get $1M gift

Dwane Wallace, former chairman of Cessna Aircraft Company - courtesy photo
Dwane Wallace, former chairman of Cessna Aircraft Company – courtesy photo

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Newman University in Wichita has received a $1 million grant for the university’s science and health science programs.

The Wichita Eagle reports the gift is from the Dwane L. and Velma Lunt Wallace Charitable Foundation.

Newman President Noreen Carrocci says the donation will go toward helping students in the science, nursing and allied health fields.

Dwane Wallace led the Cessna Aircraft Co. from 1934 through 1975. The Wallaces established their foundation in 1989 to support programs and organizations in Wichita.

Newman, a Catholic University founded in 1933, has an enrollment of about 2,700 students.

Former Kan. man, 1 of 4 charged with providing support to Al Qaeda

FBIWASHINGTON – A four-count indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Ohio charging four men with conspiring to travel to Yemen to provide thousands of dollars to Anwar Al-Alwaki in an effort to support violent jihad against U.S. military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world. One of the men used to live in Kansas.

The indictment was announced in a media release by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio, U.S. Attorney Barry R. Grissom of the District of Kansas and Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Division.

Yahya Farooq Mohammad, 37; Ibrahim Zubair Mohammad, 36; Asif Ahmed Salim, 35; and Sultane Room Salim, 40, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists, one count of providing material support and resources to terrorists and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Farooq Mohammad and Ibrahim Mohammad both face an additional count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

“According to the allegations in the indictment, Farooq Mohammad, Ibrahim Mohammad, Asif Salim and Sultane Salim conspired to provide and did provide material support to Anwar Al-Awlaki in response to his calls to support violent jihad,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “The National Security Division’s highest priority is counterterrorism and we will continue to pursue justice against those who seek to provide material support to terrorists.”

“The charges in this case outline a plan to send thousands of dollars to a known terrorist, a plan which came to fruition shortly before one of the most notorious attempted attacks in recent memory – an attack claimed by that same terrorist,” said U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “This indictment is a testament to the perseverance of those who stand watch over our nation and is a clear message to those who support terrorism – we will not forget and you will face justice.”

“In today’s world, Kansas is not far removed from the battlefields of the war on terror,” said U.S. Attorney Grissom. “We will do everything in our power to prevent funding and material support from finding its way from the heart of America to terrorists in foreign lands.”

“These individuals conspired and then acted on their radical beliefs by providing support to a known terrorist organization,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “The identification of their conspiracy and the subsequent investigation demonstrate how members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force continue to work with our international law enforcement partners to mitigate terrorist’s threats in order to protect our citizens.”

Farooq Mohammad was an Indian citizen who was an engineering student at Ohio State University between 2002 and 2004. In or around March 2008, he married a U.S. citizen. His brother, Ibrahim Mohammad, was also an Indian citizen who studied engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from 2001 through 2005. In or around 2006, he moved to Toledo, Ohio, and married a U.S. citizen. He became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in or around 2007.

Asif Salim was a U.S. citizen who studied at Ohio State University between 2000 and 2005. He became a resident of Overland Park, Kansas, in 2007. His brother, Sultane Salim, is also a U.S. citizen who resided in the Chicago-area from 2006 through 2012, until he moved to the Columbus-area.

According to the indictment, from January 2005 through January 2012, the four defendants conspired to provide money, equipment and other assistance to Anwar Al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki, a key leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, was designated a global terrorist in 2010. The indictment also alleges that the defendants’ support was to be used in furtherance of violent jihad against the U.S. and U.S. military in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world.

The defendants made various financial transactions in 2008 and 2009, and communicated about raising funds for a trip to the Middle East. Allegations in the indictment charge that Farooq Mohammad and Ibrahim Mohammad obtained money by opening credit cards and withdrawing money with no intention of repaying the amounts obtained from the financial institutions.

The indictment further alleges that on July 22, 2009, Farooq Mohammad travelled with two other people to Yemen to meet Awlaki. They were unable to meet with Awlaki, so instead travelled to Sana’a, Yemen, to meet with one of his associates. Farooq Mohammad and his two fellow travelers gave the associate approximately $22,000 to be given to Awlaki.

An indictment is only a charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, and the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The case is being investigated by the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Christos Georgalis of the Northern District of Ohio, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Smith of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Gregory Gonzalez of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Roberts on Obama’s Refusal to Rule Out Executive Action On Guantanamo Bay

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) today hosted a press conference responding to the White House’s refusal to rule out executive action to close Guantanamo Bay and transfer prisoners to the United States.

The White House announced in August that it would survey facilities at Fort Leavenworth, KS, the Naval Brig in Charleston, SC, and two prisons in Colorado as potential sites to transfer the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

United Way campaign at half-way mark

uwec 50percentBy BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“We have officially bumped the thermometers up to 50 percent,” Sherry Dryden reported Thursday with a broad smile. Dryden is the new executive director of the United Way of Ellis County.

“We got a generous donation from our partner Fort Hays State University of over $42,000. In addition to the faculty, the staff and the students, the Student Government Association was involved this year. They did three fundraisers for us. It was so exciting to have all of them supporting the United Way,” Dryden said.

FHSU SGA members get "pied" for a donation to the United Way of Ellis County.
FHSU SGA members get “pied” for a donation to the United Way of Ellis County.

FHSU President Mirta Martin served as the Heritage Society Chair for UWEC this year.

“President Martin was very gracious in volunteering her time for the United Way and sending letters of support encouraging donations. I was intrigued by her story of her first experience with the United Way and appreciate her current support.”

UWEC Executive Assistant Erica Berges and Executive Director Sherry Dryden at a recent Hays Chamber Chat.
UWEC Executive Assistant Erica Berges and Executive Director Sherry Dryden at a recent Hays Chamber Chat.

According to figures computed by UWEC Executive Assistant Erica Berges, the campaign fundraiser is 10 days ahead of schedule compared to a year ago.

This year’s fundraising goal is $490,000. The campaign continues until the end of November.

The United Way online auction, with 106 items from local donors, is underway through November 17.

uwec online auction

Disclosure: Becky Kiser of Eagle Communications is chairwoman of the 2015 United Way of Ellis County campaign.

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