WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Sedgwick County authorities say a 23-year-old man has died after being hit by a car.
The sheriff’s department says the accident occurred early Saturday morning. Sheriff’s Sgt. Lanon Thompson told The Wichita Eagle that emergency crews treated the victim on the scene, but that he died.
He says the driver of the vehicle was cooperating with investigators.
The victim’s name wasn’t released.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Sprint Corp. says in state filings that it has given layoff notices to 829 employees at its suburban Kansas City campus in the past three months.
The telecommunications company provided the information late Friday in a filing with the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The Kansas City Star reports that the notice was filed with the state under a federal law designed to give workers more notice when there are mass layoffs.
Job cuts have been expected since October when Sprint announced a $2.5 billion cost-cutting plan. But Sprint hadn’t released any numbers until Friday. The number of Sprint layoffs outside the Kansas City area hasn’t yet been disclosed.
A company spokeswoman says about 6,000 employees would remain at the company’s Overland Park campus after the job cuts.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 30-year-old man has been convicted of fatally shooting a woman and wounding a man at a home in Kansas City, Kansas.
The Wyandotte County prosecutor’s office says jurors found Scottie Lindsay, of Kansas City, Kansas, guilty Friday of second-degree murder in the March 2015 shooting death of 37-year-old Melinda Bates Fuller. He also was convicted of attempted second-degree murder in the wounding of the man.
Sentencing is set for March 4.
KDWPT
PRATT–The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) is seeking public input on Kansas’ State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) through March 11. The action plan replaces the state’s existing Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy and is designed to identify the top priority species and habitats that need conservation efforts in the state. The plan also outlines potential conservation actions that can address the threats or issues these species and habitats face. The SWAP is necessary for Kansas to be eligible for State Wildlife Grants (SWG) and proactively conserve wildlife and habitats before they become rarer and more costly to protect.
“The SWAP is not just a conservation plan for KDWPT,” said state wildlife action plan coordinator, Megan Rohweder. “It’s a dynamic and adaptive document that can serve as a guide for other agencies, organizations, stakeholders, experts, and interested parties to ensure that Kansas’ wildlife and habitats are conserved for future generations.”
To date, KDWPT has worked with agency partners, conservation organizations, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to review and revise the plan to include information on climate change, as well as the development of geographically explicit areas in which to address conservation, called Ecological Focus Areas. The last piece of the puzzle is public input and now is the time for those voices to be heard.
To view the SWAP revision draft online, visit https://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Kansas-SWAP. Comments can be submitted via email through March 11 using the link available on the webpage.
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Fort Hays State University’s annual 13-city program of recognizing scholarship winners for the next academic year will kick off in Wichita on Sunday, Jan. 24, with a program at the Marriott, 9100 Corporate Hills Drive, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
The Hays SRP is scheduled for Mon., Feb. 8.
The highlight at each event is the recognition of scholarship winners.
High school juniors and seniors and transfer students in Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado have been invited to Student Recognition Program’s in their areas. The programs are held in communities across Kansas, in southern Nebraska and in Denver to accommodate area students and their parents and guardians.
Any student who lives outside the designated SRP areas is welcome to attend the nearest SRP but must RSVP by calling 1-800-628-FHSU (3478) or (785) 628-5673 or by signing up online at www.fhsu.edu/admissions/srp. The FHSU Alumni Association requests RSVPs for the receptions no later than a week in advance of the SRP date.
Receptions hosted by the FHSU Office of Admissions in each locale include dessert or pizza buffets provided by the FHSU Alumni Association. Students and their parents have the opportunity to mingle with FHSU faculty, staff and administrators and with area FHSU alumni before and after the scholarship presentations.
Many high school seniors and transfer students will receive certificates for a variety of scholarships awarded to them by FHSU.
FHSU alumni and other interested community members are also encouraged to attend.
Scholarships to be awarded at the SRPs include the $3,500 Presidential Award of Distinction, the $2,000 University Scholar Award, the $1,500 Hays City Scholar Award, and the $1,000 Traditions Scholar Award. All are awarded only to incoming freshmen enrolling in college for the first time, but each is renewable provided students maintain the minimum required academic standing.
One-time awards recognized at the SRPs are the $1,000 Transfer Student Scholarship and the $900 or $500 Academic Opportunity Awards, given to scholars by individual academic departments.
Each SRP event features a multimedia presentation by FHSU President Mirta M. Martin and three drawings — a $400 FHSU Student Recognition Program Scholarship, a $500 textbook scholarships and another for an iPad. Four $400 SRP scholarships are awarded at the reception in Hays.
The SRP schedule includes the area served at each program site.
Wichita, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, at the Marriott, 9100 Corporate Hill Drive. Dessert will be served. The Wichita SRP serves students from 19 south-central and southeast Kansas counties: Barber, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Reno, Sedgwick, Sumner, Wilson and Woodson.
Salina, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, at Lakewood Middle School, 1135 Lakewood Circle. Pizza will be served. Students from eight counties are invited to Salina: Chase, Clay, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Marion, McPherson, Ottawa and Saline.
Beloit, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25, at Beloit High School, 1711 Walnut. Pizza will be served. The Beloit SRP is for students from the Kansas counties of Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic and Washington and from the cities of Osborne and Downs in Osborne County. Students from the Nebraska counties of Clay, Jefferson, Nuckolls and Thayer are also invited.
Phillipsburg, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Huck Boyd Community Center, 860 Park St. Pizza will be served. Students invited to this SRP are from Norton, Phillips, Smith and Graham counties and from the cities of Stockton and Palco in Rooks County.
Denver, 2 p.m. Mountain time Sunday, Jan. 31, at the Renaissance Denver Hotel, 3801 Quebec St. Dessert will be served. The Denver SRP serves students from all Colorado counties except for Bent, Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Kit Carson and Prowers counties, which are served by SRP programs in Colby and Garden City.
Hays, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, at FHSU’s Memorial Union, 700 College Drive. Dessert will be served. The Hays SRP serves students from Ellis and Trego counties and from the cities of La Crosse in Rush County; Natoma in Osborne County; Plainville in Rooks County; and Ransom in Ness County.
Holdrege, Neb., 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, at The Tassel, 1324 Tilden St. Pizza will be served. Students from 14 Nebraska counties are invited to the Holdrege SRP: Adams, Buffalo, Dawson, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hall, Harlan, Kearney, Lincoln, Phelps, Red Willow and Webster.
Great Bend, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, at Great Bend High School, 19th and Morton. Pizza will be served. Students invited to the Great Bend SRP are from Barton, Pawnee, Pratt, Rice, Russell and Stafford counties and from the cities of Bison and Otis in Rush County.
Overland Park, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, at the Doubletree Hotel, 10100 College Blvd. Dessert will be served. The Overland Park SRP serves students from 12 eastern Kansas counties: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and Wyandotte.
Topeka, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, at the Ramada Inn, 420 SE Sixth St. Dessert will be served. Topeka serves students from 14 counties: Brown, Coffey, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Lyon, Marshall, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee and Wabaunsee.
Colby, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, at Colby High School, 1890 S. Franklin. Pizza will be served. Students from nine Kansas counties, two Colorado counties and four Nebraska counties are invited to the Colby SRP: Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas and Wallace in Kansas; Cheyenne and Kit Carson in Colorado; and Chase, Dundy, Hayes and Hitchcock counties in Nebraska.
Garden City, 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at Garden City High School, 2720 Buffalo Way. Dessert will be served. Garden City serves students from 13 southwest Kansas counties and four southeast Colorado counties: Finney, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Morton, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens and Wichita in Kansas; and Baca, Bent, Kiowa and Prowers in Colorado.
Dodge City, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at Dodge City High School, 2201 W. Ross Road. Pizza will be served. The Dodge City SRP serves eight counties — Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman, Kiowa and Meade — and Ness City in Ness County.
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Dr. Babu Prasad, Radiation Oncologist at the Dreiling/Schmidt Cancer Institute at HaysMed, with the topic of “Radiation Treatment” by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
SALINE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a man and woman on drug charges.
The I-135/I-70 Drug Task Force arrested 26-year-old Sean Muchow and 30-year-old Stacy Humphrey, both of Salina, on drug charges after making several controlled buys between December 22nd and January 20th, according to a media release.
After making the drug buys, a search warrant was obtained for a home in the 1900 block of Dover Drive in Salina.
Methamphetamine, marijuana, and simulated methamphetamine were found in the home along with a small methamphetamine lab, according to the task force.
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Fort Hays State University Swimming Tigers swim lessons will be offered during the spring semester of 2016. Classes offered: parent-child, Feb. 1-11; preschool, Feb. 15-25; and level 1, Feb. 29-March 10.
The lessons will be from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. The first six students who sign up at IMLeagues.com will be taken. Lessons cost $35.
For more information, contact Kerry Shannon at the Intramural office at (785) 628-4749.
By Rep. Troy L. Waymaster, Kansas House District 109
January 22, 2016
Kansas State Efficiency Study
In last week’s newsletter, I mentioned some of the recommendations that were made by the consulting firm that conducted the financial audit for the state of Kansas. This week, I felt compelled to extensively explain in more detail some of those recommendations. Also, the committee I am chairman of will most likely be reviewing, discussing, and deciding whether or not these recommendations are plausible.
The auditing firm that conducted the audit recommends that the state create a newly formed Governor’s Grants Office to enable a coordinated, prioritized, and compliance driven approach to maximizing the amount and effective use of federal funds in the state’s agency budgets and expenditures. This newly formed office would provide the needed support to identify grant opportunities, prioritizing the state’s strategic goals, sharing best practices, and developing a compliance function to ensure proper execution of grant dollars received.
Another recommendation is that the Kansas Department of Children and Family would coordinate with the Kansas Department of Labor to take further steps to increase the number of employers self-reporting new hires so that additional Employment Withholding Orders can be established to collect court-ordered child support payments. They have also suggested that KDCF also partner with the Kansas Department of Revenue to deny issuances or renewal of car, boat, or recreational vehicle registration until an Employment Withholding Order or child support payment is in place.
In regards to the Department of Administration, which has received the majority of the recommendations, the auditing firm suggests liquidating surplus buildings and land inventory within the state’s portfolio, which has an estimated value of $9 million. They did indicate that the state agencies might be reluctant to sell any excess property.
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, there are a proposed 105 recommendations that have been made by the auditing firm with a state savings of over $2 billion over the next five years. In subsequent newsletters, there will be more discussion on the other recommendations.
HCR 5010: The Call of a Constitutional Convention
Many bills and resolutions that have carried over from the 2015 legislative session, one of those resolutions is House Concurrent Resolution 5010 which I have cosponsored. HCR 5010 would serve as Kansas’ application to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the U.S. Constitution, for the calling of a convention of states. The convention would be limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution that impose fiscal restraints and limit the power and jurisdiction of the Federal Government. The Convention can also limit the terms of office for members of Congress and officials. The concurrent resolution would be a continuing application to Congress for the convention of States until two-thirds of state legislatures have made application to Congress on the same subject. At this point, there is no indication whether or not this concurrent resolution will be debated and voted upon.
Special Committee on K-12 Student Success
During the interim, a special committee was formed from both the House and Senate, and the Special Committee on Education was created. I had hoped that the main focus and driver of this committee would have been a deliberation and creation of a new school finance formula, however, that did not materialize.
This week the Special Committee on Education released their report on K-12 Student Success to the Kansas Legislature. The committee was challenged with studying the following; however, they were not just limited to these items: the Rose Standards (a set of standards to determine student development); best funding mechanism, definition of “suitable” education; outcomes to ensure that students are well-prepared for their future endeavors; and uniform accounting across all districts.
The special committee structured their conclusions and recommendations based on those items. They recommend that the new school funding formula should be focused on each individual student, include accountability and reporting measures to ensure aid is being distributed according to the needs of each individual student, and to provide for a multi-year funding to provide budget stability to the state and local school districts.
The K-12 Student Success report commissioned the Education committee to form special subcommittees to examine and report back on some of the following topics: teacher pay; at risk funding; special education; bond and interest state aid eligibility; the cost-benefit ratio of the receipt of federal funds; the relationship between school districts and interlocals, cooperatives, and service centers; the current and future implications of school district staffing levels on KPERS; establishing the Rose capacities as the definition of “suitable” education; and investigating all extracurricular and co-curricular activities on the basis of efficiency and efficacy for a suitable education to students.
This is only a report and not pending legislation, we will see if these proposals proceed through the legislative process.
Visitors and Contact Information
This past week I had many visitors to either my office or to Topeka. On Tuesday, the Kansas Hospital Association had meetings in Topeka and I visited with Allen Van Driel with Smith County Memorial Hospital and Kiley Floyd with Osborne County Memorial Hospital.
I also had the pleasure of visiting with Angela Lawrence, USD 407 Superintendent, and Char Sohm, USD 407 Board Member, on Thursday afternoon. Also on Thursday, Mendi Alexander with Nex-Tech stopped by to converse. During the morning on Thursday, Andrew Sigle, with the Kansas Agriculture & Rural Leadership, served as a legislative shadow in the House during the morning and in the Senate during the afternoon.
If you have any concerns, feel free to contact my office at (785) 296-7672, visit www.troywaymaster.com or email me at [email protected]
The honor to serve you in the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas is one I do not take lightly. Do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns and questions. I appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas.
Troy L. Waymaster,
State Representative
109th Kansas House
300 SW 10th
Topeka, KS 66612
By Rep. Troy L. Waymaster, Kansas House District 109
January 22, 2016
Kansas State Efficiency Study
In last week’s newsletter, I mentioned some of the recommendations that were made by the consulting firm that conducted the financial audit for the state of Kansas. This week, I felt compelled to extensively explain in more detail some of those recommendations. Also, the committee I am chairman of will most likely be reviewing, discussing, and deciding whether or not these recommendations are plausible.
The auditing firm that conducted the audit recommends that the state create a newly formed Governor’s Grants Office to enable a coordinated, prioritized, and compliance driven approach to maximizing the amount and effective use of federal funds in the state’s agency budgets and expenditures. This newly formed office would provide the needed support to identify grant opportunities, prioritizing the state’s strategic goals, sharing best practices, and developing a compliance function to ensure proper execution of grant dollars received.
Another recommendation is that the Kansas Department of Children and Family would coordinate with the Kansas Department of Labor to take further steps to increase the number of employers self-reporting new hires so that additional Employment Withholding Orders can be established to collect court-ordered child support payments. They have also suggested that KDCF also partner with the Kansas Department of Revenue to deny issuances or renewal of car, boat, or recreational vehicle registration until an Employment Withholding Order or child support payment is in place.
In regards to the Department of Administration, which has received the majority of the recommendations, the auditing firm suggests liquidating surplus buildings and land inventory within the state’s portfolio, which has an estimated value of $9 million. They did indicate that the state agencies might be reluctant to sell any excess property.
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, there are a proposed 105 recommendations that have been made by the auditing firm with a state savings of over $2 billion over the next five years. In subsequent newsletters, there will be more discussion on the other recommendations.
HCR 5010: The Call of a Constitutional Convention
Many bills and resolutions that have carried over from the 2015 legislative session, one of those resolutions is House Concurrent Resolution 5010 which I have cosponsored. HCR 5010 would serve as Kansas’ application to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the U.S. Constitution, for the calling of a convention of states. The convention would be limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution that impose fiscal restraints and limit the power and jurisdiction of the Federal Government. The Convention can also limit the terms of office for members of Congress and officials. The concurrent resolution would be a continuing application to Congress for the convention of States until two-thirds of state legislatures have made application to Congress on the same subject. At this point, there is no indication whether or not this concurrent resolution will be debated and voted upon.
Special Committee on K-12 Student Success
During the interim, a special committee was formed from both the House and Senate, and the Special Committee on Education was created. I had hoped that the main focus and driver of this committee would have been a deliberation and creation of a new school finance formula, however, that did not materialize.
This week the Special Committee on Education released their report on K-12 Student Success to the Kansas Legislature. The committee was challenged with studying the following; however, they were not just limited to these items: the Rose Standards (a set of standards to determine student development); best funding mechanism, definition of “suitable” education; outcomes to ensure that students are well-prepared for their future endeavors; and uniform accounting across all districts.
The special committee structured their conclusions and recommendations based on those items. They recommend that the new school funding formula should be focused on each individual student, include accountability and reporting measures to ensure aid is being distributed according to the needs of each individual student, and to provide for a multi-year funding to provide budget stability to the state and local school districts.
The K-12 Student Success report commissioned the Education committee to form special subcommittees to examine and report back on some of the following topics: teacher pay; at risk funding; special education; bond and interest state aid eligibility; the cost-benefit ratio of the receipt of federal funds; the relationship between school districts and interlocals, cooperatives, and service centers; the current and future implications of school district staffing levels on KPERS; establishing the Rose capacities as the definition of “suitable” education; and investigating all extracurricular and co-curricular activities on the basis of efficiency and efficacy for a suitable education to students.
This is only a report and not pending legislation, we will see if these proposals proceed through the legislative process.
Visitors and Contact Information
This past week I had many visitors to either my office or to Topeka. On Tuesday, the Kansas Hospital Association had meetings in Topeka and I visited with Allen Van Driel with Smith County Memorial Hospital and Kiley Floyd with Osborne County Memorial Hospital.
I also had the pleasure of visiting with Angela Lawrence, USD 407 Superintendent, and Char Sohm, USD 407 Board Member, on Thursday afternoon. Also on Thursday, Mendi Alexander with Nex-Tech stopped by to converse. During the morning on Thursday, Andrew Sigle, with the Kansas Agriculture & Rural Leadership, served as a legislative shadow in the House during the morning and in the Senate during the afternoon.
If you have any concerns, feel free to contact my office at (785) 296-7672, visit www.troywaymaster.com or email me at [email protected]
The honor to serve you in the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas is one I do not take lightly. Do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns and questions. I appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas.
Troy L. Waymaster,
State Representative
109th Kansas House
300 SW 10th
Topeka, KS 66612
By STEVE WEBSTER
Great Bend Post
BARTON COUNTY -Last month, the federal government sided with Colorado in a lawsuit filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by Oklahoma and Nebraska, which claim that Colorado marijuana laws should be dismantled due to residual harm being caused across state lines. Kansas hasn’t joined the suit, but Attorney General Derek Schmidt, appears to be gathering evidence that would bolster the case being made by these states. Earlier this month, his office announced that it was sending surveys to prosecutors and law-enforcement officials in an effort to determine how much Colorado cannabis is negatively impacting the state of Kansas.
“It used to be we thought all of our marijuana was coming from Mexico,” said Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.
“I’m convinced it’s all coming from Colorado and I don’t have any proof of that. It’s a much higher grade, more potent product than we saw coming from Mexico and the people we bust tell us it’s coming from Colorado.”
Bellendir has his opinion on what impact Colorado pot is having on the state.
Great Bend Police Chief Cliff Couch knows all about Colorado pot moving through Kansas. Before coming to Great Bend he was the Chief of Police in Goodland on Interstate 70.
“Highway Patrol Officers would tell me they’d pull someone over and the driver would tell them I’ve got marijuana in my car I bought in Colorado, it’s okay. No it’s not you’re in Kansas so you’re going to jail, explained Couch.
“It’s an issue and I think even before they legalized it we tended to think most of it was coming from Colorado because they already had medicinal use of it.”
As for that survey, Schmidt’s staffers have distributed more than 500 surveys, with one version tailored to sheriffs and police chiefs and the other created with county and district attorneys in mind.
HUTCHINSON – Officials in Hutchinson are investigating the cause of a Saturday morning fire at a home in Hutchinson.
Just after 2 a.m. on Saturday the Hutchinson Fire Department under direction of Battalion Chief R. Albright responded to the 900 block of East 5th Ave for a reported structure fire, according to a media release.
When fire crews arrived, they found light smoke within the structure due to an exterior fire found on the backside of the home.
The fire was extinguished rapidly and contained to the exterior of the home.
Residents were home at the time and reported the fire. Damage is estimated at $500.00 and the cause remains undetermined.
Residents were able to return to the home after the incident.
Hutchinson Fire Department responded 6 units with no injuries reported.
