I have two questions for you, and I want you to seriously consider your answers.
If you wanted to make progress on one community challenge, what would it be? How could the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce help you make progress?
As the New Year stretches ahead for us all, so do many opportunities — opportunities such as applying for Leadership Hays, attending legislative coffees and forums, networking at the numerous Chamber events or simply engaging in healthy community conversations.
Along with New Year resolutions, a lot of planning takes place this time of year. All of this, mixed with the hope of new beginnings, creates exciting energy and ideas. However, since we all know more heads create more ideas we truly encourage you to share with us your thoughts. In other words, we believe the answers to your questions will aid us in preparing quality programming that helps you reach your goals.
Being able to target the Chamber’s products and services to best meet the needs of our Chamber members is always our goal. If we could sit down with all of you for a personal visit or even implement a survey to determine your greatest concerns and challenges, we know these would generate great dialogue. Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to launch this level of effort. But we do encourage you to contact us directly to share your answers.
The chamber is here to assist you in making progress, so that you experience the greatest success possible.
When you can, please email me the answers to these questions at [email protected]. If you would like to chat over a cup of coffee, that works also. I hope to hear from you and thank you for partnering with the Hays Area Chamber into the New Year.
Tammy Wellbrock is executive director of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Lawrence City Commission will decide whether to make land-use and zoning changes that would allow for a new 250,000-square-foot shopping development.
The Lawrence Journal-World reportsthat the commission will meet Tuesday to discuss the KTen Crossing project planned on the city’s south side.
Commissioners must agree to rezone about 60 acres at the project’s intersection from residential to commercial property before North Carolina-based development group Collett can move forward. The city’s comprehensive plan must also be altered to reflect commercial use.
The issue was originally scheduled to go before commissioners Dec. 8 but was pulled from the agenda because one commissioner could not attend.
Collett hopes to break ground on the project this summer. The shopping center could open as soon as fall 2017.
DENVER (AP) — Peyton Manning replaced Brock Osweiler in the third quarter Sunday and led the Broncos a 27-20 win over the San Diego Chargers that clinched the top seed in the AFC playoffs for Denver.
Combined with New England’s loss at Miami, the Broncos (12-4) secured the No. 1 seed even as they head into the playoffs with a quarterback quandary on their hands.
The Chargers (4-12) wrapped up what might have been their final season representing San Diego as ownership tries to move the team to L.A.
The Broncos were facing the possibility of tumbling into the wild-card round because of Kansas City’s 10th consecutive win, 23-17 over Oakland, when Manning came to the rescue.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes, Kansas City sacked Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr six times, and the Chiefs held on for a 23-17 victory Sunday to give them a franchise-best 10 straight wins entering the postseason.
The Chiefs were awaiting the result of the Denver-San Diego game to learn their playoff fate. If the Broncos win, they’ll head to Houston as the fifth seed. If the Chargers win, the Chiefs win the AFC West for the first time since 2010 and will host Pittsburgh in the first round.
Regardless, the Chiefs (11-5) are somehow in the dance after a 1-5 start.
The Raiders (7-9), who accounted for two of those victories, had the ball with 1:34 left. But Carr was sacked one last time, and the clock expired before they came close to a go-ahead touchdown.
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (AP) — A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next month for a man shot and wounded by police in southeastern Kansas after he allegedly fired at them.
The Parsons Sun reports that 24-year-old Kenneth J. Jones of Parsons remains jailed on $1 million bond in Montgomery County. That’s where he’s charged with attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault on a law officer.
Court papers show that the felony counts relate to a Nov. 5 confrontation between Jones and Coffeyville police, who were not injured.
Ellsworth Correctional Facility- photo Kan. Dpt. of Corrections
JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer
ELLSWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Unemployment is down and wages are up in Kansas — except for corrections officers.
They are leaving state prisons in droves because of low pay. It’s creating a public safety crisis that legislators will have to deal with on top of plugging a budget hole.
Their starting pay is about 33 percent less than the state’s average hourly wage of $20.20.
Their overall wages are about a quarter lower than the national average. The annual turnover rate is up to nearly 30 percent.
Things are so bad that the state is hiring 18-year-olds to manage hardened criminals, despite some prison leaders’ misgivings.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback says he favors higher wages for corrections officers but state spending will be pinched by at least $160 million in the next fiscal year.
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Markis McDuffie scored 14 points, Fred Van Vleet added 13 and Wichita State used a balanced attack to roll over Bradley 85-58 on Sunday.
Wichita State (8-5, 2-0 Missouri Valley) had seven players score between six and 14 points and the Shockers shot over 55 percent (27 of 49) as a team.
Bradley (2-13, 0-2) was led by Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye with nine points. The Braves committed 23 turnovers and made 6 of 22 beyond the arc.
The Shockers made a 12-0 run over 5:04 in the first half to build a 48-24 lead at intermission.
Bradley didn’t score for nearly four minutes to start the second half, turning it over four times in the span, and Wichita State’s lead hit the 30-point mark with 9:47 left on a layup by Eric Hamilton.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka, Kansas, couple has been ordered to stand trial on charges that they sexually assaulted a child since 2008.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 37-year-old Kenneth Seel and 34-year-old Tiffany Seel are to stand trial on felony counts of rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, sodomy and endangering a child.
Kenneth Seel was ordered on Thursday to stand trial on 12 counts. His wife was bound over in October for trial on 11 felony counts and a misdemeanor battery count.
Both Seels have pleaded not guilty.
Tiffany Seel’s trial tentatively is scheduled to begin on Jan. 25, while her husband’s trial is set for May 23.
Technology is always changing and hopefully improving our lives. But, could some new technology in your car actually be putting your life at risk?
Keyless ignition cars have been on the market since 2003 but it appears the dangers associated with them are now overtaking the benefits. This new design can cause serious illness or even death from carbon monoxide poisoning. Without a traditional key to turn and remove, some people forget to shut off their car engine.
KidsAndCars.org has been documenting the hazards associated with this new technology and is calling for change to make keyless ignition vehicles safer. KidsAndCars.org has documented 18 fatalities specifically attributed to keyless ignition vehicles and even more close calls. The organization has also documented an additional 80 adult fatalities and 35 child fatalities (age 14 and under) due to carbon monoxide poisoning involving vehicles that do not have keyless ignitions.
Keyless ignition systems (push-button) work by allowing drivers to start their vehicles with the push of a button when the car senses that the key fob is nearby instead of a traditional key. Many new vehicles equipped with keyless ignition systems run so quietly it’s easy to forget the vehicle is still running as drivers put the vehicle into park and leave the vehicle. Furthermore, hybrid vehicles many times make no noise at all when stopped. When a car engine is left running, it spews out carbon monoxide in an attached enclosed garage and the colorless and odorless carbon monoxide fumes seep into the home.
“As more keyless ignition vehicles are sold, we are going to see these predictable and preventable injuries and deaths increase,” said Janette Fennell, president of KidsAndCars.org.
Some manufacturers do have automatic shutoffs and the vehicle will shut down automatically if the key is not present. Some have audible noises that sound when you open the vehicle door if you have not shut off the engine, which can easily be muffled by the sound of a closing garage door. But, the real problem is that many vehicles do not have any audible warning systems and do not shut off automatically.
Standardization is needed so drivers will receive a distinct warning if they forget to turn off their vehicle just like they currently receive a warning if their car key is left in the ignition. All keyless ignition vehicles should also automatically shut off if left running for a period of time. Drivers need to know what to expect when they are behind the wheel of any keyless ignition vehicle. If you know there’s a safety risk and you have an easy way to fix the problem, then why wouldn’t you do it in all cars?” Fennell continued.
In 2011, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed a new rule and asked for comments about keyless ignition vehicle dangers. NHTSA says costs to solve the problem are ‘minimal,’ yet four years later there is still no action. Injuries and deaths continue to rise.
In August 2015, 10 big automakers including Ford, GM, Hyundai, Nissan, Volkswagen, BMW, Chrysler Fiat, Daimler, Honda and Toyota had lawsuits filed against them in carbon monoxide poisoning cases. Lawsuits may get the attention of the industry.
An internationally renowned memory and brain expert, Dr. David Diamond, professor at the University of South Florida departments of psychology, molecular pharmacology and physiology, and research career scientist at Tampa Veterans Hospital, has been studying memory-related fatalities in vehicles for the past decade. Dr. Diamond’s research examines how our brain memory systems break down when we’re stressed or distracted by important events. “Our brain is constantly multi-tasking, which involves synchronizing different brain structures to work together in harmony,” states Diamond. When life gets hectic we depend heavily on a primitive brain habit memory system, which gets us out of the car and onto the next task. But in the process, we fail to activate a different brain region which has the job of reminding us to push the ignition button. Each time we drive a car, warns Diamond, we challenge our brain memory systems to work together to function properly. But depending solely on our memory is a human factors failure which is destined to happen. When brain memory systems fail, as they do when we forget to push the ignition button upon exiting the car, we need technology to protect us, with a warning signal or an auto-shutdown process.
KidsAndCars.org suggests that drivers be particularly careful to turn off their keyless ignition vehicle. This is a serious change to our normal driving behavior after decades of being assured that our vehicles are turned off because we have the key in our hand. Please pass on our safety tips to anyone who drives a keyless ignition vehicle; it may save a life.
Based in Olathe, KidsAndCars.org (KAC) is a nonprofit child safety organization dedicated to preventing injuries and death to children in or around motor vehicles.
KAC has been pioneering a prevention movement since 1996 by promoting the highest level of awareness among parents, caregivers, legislators and the public at-large about the dangers inherent to children when in or around motor vehicles.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The National Weather Service says its preliminary data shows Kansas had 124 confirmed tornadoes in 2015 — 83 more than in 2014.
The Hutchinson News reports (https://bit.ly/1PA2Ftl ) the number of tornadoes last year tied for the fourth highest number since 1990.
Eric Metzger, a meteorologist in Wichita, Kansas, says moisture from a strong El Nino was a possible factor in 2015’s higher number of tornadoes.
Metzger said that while 124 tornadoes are above normal, Kansas experiences between 70 and 110 tornadoes every year.
The 2015 preliminary data is subject to changes, and official statistics will be released in six or eight months.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas congressman Tim Huelskamp believes his political fortunes shifted when the U.S. House named a new speaker.
He’s picked up some clout among fellow Republicans but doesn’t plan to tone down the firebrand conservatism that has made him a tea party favorite.
But his combative style still irritates enough Republicans back in his 1st District of western and central Kansas that two opponents are running against him in this year’s GOP primary.
Roger Marshall is a Great Bend obstetrician and hospital CEO. Alan LaPolice is a Clyde educator and farmer who ran against Huelskamp in the 2014 primary.
They said the problem isn’t Huelskamp’s stances on issues such as the budget, health care and agriculture but his style. They argue that he simply can’t work well with others.
Topeka – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) can help those who are ready to quit tobacco in 2016. KDHE’s Kansas Tobacco Quitline offers free cessation support and information online at www.ksquit.org or toll-free at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669). Tobacco users can also quit with the help of the Kansas Tobacco Quitline’s texting service.
“The free services of the Kansas Tobacco Quitline provide Kansans with effective tools to help them quit smoking or using smokeless tobacco,” said Brandon Skidmore, Director, Bureau of Health Promotion. “Quitting isn’t easy, but working with a Quit Coach can make quitting tobacco easier.”
With the release of the latest Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, it is clear that despite the progress made in the last 50 years, tobacco use is still an on-going epidemic in the country. According to the latest report,
One out of three cancer deaths in the U.S. could be prevented if every smoker quit smoking.
Thirteen different cancers have been identified and causally linked to smoking, up from one cancer identified in the first report published in 1964.
Eight new diseases have been identified and causally linked to smoking, including diabetes, erectile dysfunction, arthritis, macular degeneration, tuberculosis and ectopic pregnancy. These diseases are in addition to the 14 other chronic diseases identified as causally linked to smoking.
Secondhand smoke has now been identified as causing stroke in adults. This is in addition to the eight other diseases found in children and adults caused by exposure to secondhand smoke.
KDHE’s Tobacco Use Prevention Program provides resources and assistance to Kansas communities to implement local tobacco prevention initiatives. The program also manages the Kansas Tobacco Quitline. For additional information on the program, visit www.kdheks.gov/tobacco.
