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Ellis Co. restaurant and lodging inspections, 7/04 – 7/10

agriculture kansas
Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:


Golden Griddle 230 W. Ninth, Hays – July 7

A follow-up inspection found no violations.


 

IHOP 4000 General Hays, Hays – July 7

A routine inspection found three violations.

  • On the Expo Line, there was a tub of ice with whipped topping being stored. The temperature of the whipped topping was 61 F.
  • Tomato slicer that was cleaned and put away had dried food particles present.
  • Plastic food container had a severe crack all the way through on the bottom edge of the container.

 

 

Pittsburg State adds full-time sex assault advocate

Smith- photo Pitt State University
Smith- photo Pitt State University

PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Pittsburg State University has added its first full-time, on-campus advocate for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

The Joplin Globe reports that Ali Smith, an employee of Safehouse Crisis Center, will be stationed at the university as the campus victims’ advocate. She will provide services such as crisis intervention, advocacy and support counseling to domestic violence victims and victims of sexual assault.

Smith says she’s appreciative that university officials have recognized the need for her position. She said it’s unfortunate that “sexual and domestic violence are widespread around the world, and especially around college campuses.”

Smith received the Outstanding Adviser Award for Excellence earlier this spring for her work as an adviser, trainer and mentor for PSU’s Students for Violence Prevention program.

2 Kansas men hospitalized after Smith Co. semi crash

Screen Shot 2014-07-03 at 5.13.15 AMSMITH COUNTY- Two Kansas men were injured in an accident just before 11:30 a.m. on Monday in Smith County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 International semi driven by Larry Dee Krouse, 49, Smith Center, was southbound on E Road four miles south of Kensington.

The semi struck a 2012 Nissan in the driver’s door.

The Nissan driven by Shane A. Russo, 45, Salina, was eastbound on 210 Road, rolled and came to rest on its wheels in a cornfield.

The semi rolled and came to rest on its passenger side.

Krouse and Russo were transported to the hospital in Smith Center.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Officials find lead in water at 2nd US House office building

MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Capitol officials have found elevated levels of lead in the water at a second House office building.

The office of the Architect of the Capitol said Monday that testing showed the elevated levels in two locations in the Rayburn House Office Building.

An email to staffers and lawmakers says that 99 percent of the water tested so far in that building is safe under Environmental Protection Agency standards.

Officials last week shut off the drinking water in the Cannon House Office Building after they received elevated lead test results, prompting widespread concern on Capitol Hill. The architect’s office said the levels were “slightly above” the EPA standard at the Cannon building.

Bottled water was provided and blood lead level testing was available for congressional staff.   Kansas Congressmen Mike Pompeo and Kevin Yoder are in the Cannon Building.  Representatives Tim Huelskamp and Lynn Jenkins are in the Longworth Building.

Fort Hays political science online degree program named top in the nation

By RANDY GONZALES
FHSU University Relations

The awards just keep coming for online learning in the Department of Political Science at Fort Hays State University. This time, FHSU has been named best in the country.

“Best Degree Programs” recently released the top 30 colleges in the nation for 2016 for best online Bachelor’s of Political Science degree programs. The ranking — with Fort Hays State No. 1 — was created by reviewing school rankings by Forbes Magazine, the Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report. An important component was undergraduate tuition cost.

“I was just thrilled,” said Dr. Shala Mills, chair of FHSU’s Department of Political Science. “We have been recognized before, but to be No.1 in the country, I was really delighted.”

Dr. Shala Mills
Dr. Shala Mills

Dennis King, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said the award reflected efforts in different areas of working together for the students.

“I think this ranking is a result of all the hard work from everybody across campus, focused on continuous improvement,” King said. “We strive to keep education affordable both online and on campus.”

Previously, the political science department was ranked No. 2 nationally in its Master of Liberal Studies (Public Administration concentration) online program by GetEducated.com. Also, the department was ranked No. 11 nationally by Social Science Careers for its online Bachelor of Arts in Political Science program.

“All three of these awards are recognized in online programming, and all three of them are recognizing programming for its quality and affordability,” Mills said. “To me, when I see these three awards, I’m personally just really proud of Fort Hays State University and also of our department.”

Mills praised both the full time and adjunct faculty as well as Micki Armstrong, the department’s online degree program advisor.

“Just very proud of our institution and all the people who helped make that ranking possible,” Mills said.

King said another notable online achievement for FHSU should take place this fall with the launching of online degree programs in accounting and computer science.

“The accounting program is going to be priced like our other undergraduate programs, which should make it hundreds of dollars less per credit hour,” King said. “It makes it an amazing deal for any student who wants to study online.”

Demolition underway on Great Mall of the Great Plains

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Crews are tearing down a suburban Kansas City mall nearly 20 years after the $110 million, 812,000-square-foot structure opened.

The Kansas City Star  reports that demolition of the Great Mall of the Great Plains began Monday in Olathe. The “value center” offered a mix of stores selling merchandise at bargain prices. But it quickly went downhill after drawing nearly 1 million visitors during its first month of operations in August 1997.

It closed in September 2015 after many national brands pulled out, and smaller retailers closed or relocated. Demolition is expected to take about six months.

The owners are the Great Olathe Center LLC, an entity of the Van Tuyl Group. They haven’t determined the next use for the site. Burlington Coat Factory will remain open during the demolition.

Jerry J. Crenshaw

Screen Shot 2016-07-11 at 3.49.26 PMJerry J. Crenshaw, 80, of Russell, Kansas died Sunday June 26, 2016 at the Salina Regional Hospital in Salina, Kansas. 

Jerry was born June 13, 1936, in Arkansas City, Kansas, the son of Willis Alexander and Tilly Elizabeth (Leatherman) Crenshaw.  He grew up in Alva, Oklahoma and graduated from Alva High School in 1954.  He received his Bachelors’ Degree in Education from Northwestern State University at Alva and attended the University of Oklahoma where he received his Masters Degree in speech and did graduate work toward his PhD. 

He was united in marriage to Terry Sue Brand on August 07, 1959, in Woodward, Oklahoma. To this union one child was born, their daughter, Sally. Jerry taught at Helena, Oklahoma, Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina and at Fairfield Unified School District in Langdon, Kansas. In 1967, the family moved to Russell, Kansas where Jerry taught speech, debate, English and directed plays and musicals at Russell High School until his retirement in 1996.

He was most proud of his debate teams’ accomplishments and their numerous winning seasons. He also took great pride in the musicals Oklahoma, Cinderella and the Sound of Music he directed. He pursued many hobbies, but was best known locally for his cheesecakes. He was a devoted Royals fan and enjoyed watching and attending Royals games with his family.

Surviving family include his wife Terry of the home, daughter Sally O’Dell and husband Mike of Topeka, Kansas, brothers Neil Crenshaw and wife Nancy of McIntosh, Florida and Jeff Crenshaw of Gatlinburg, Tennessee; sister Panhachet Joachims and husband Greg of Enid, Oklahoma and grandchildren Jeremiah O’Dell and Kelsey Reed and husband Corbin all of Topeka, Kansas and his dog Winthorpe.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial service to celebrate Jerry’s life will be held at 3 PM on Friday, July 15, 2016, at the Deines Cultural Center in Russell, Kansas with Pastor Roger Dennis officiating.  Cremation has preceded the service.  Memorials may be given to the High Plains Humane Society of Hays, Kansas or Rebecca A. Morrison House of Salina, Kansas, and sent in care of the mortuary.  Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Affidavit: Denied phone call prompted Randle’s Kan. jail threat

Randle- photo Irving, TX police
Randle- photo Irving, TX police

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A court filing says a refused phone call precipitated former Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle’s threatening to kill a deputy while jailed on other charges in Kansas.

Randle was charged last month in Sedgwick County with one count of criminal threat. The Wichita Eagle reports that an arrest affidavit released Monday alleges Randle was upset that he had been refused a phone call May 14 and repeatedly told the deputy he would kill him when he gets released.

Twenty-four-year-old Randle has had a string of run-ins with the law. He’s also been charged in Kansas with a casino disturbance and with backing his car into three people.

A message left Monday with Randle’s public defender, James Crawford, was not immediately returned.

The Cowboys released Randle last year.

Little public notice given on rule throwing out Kansas votes

Vote

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials plan to take up a proposed temporary rule that will allow election officials to throw out votes in local and state races cast by tens of thousands of people who register at motor vehicle offices without proving U.S. citizenship.

The State Rules and Regulations Board is meeting Tuesday to consider a proposed temporary rule sought by Secretary of State Kris Kobach that counts only the votes cast for federal offices. Those voters would be given a provisional ballot.

The move comes after a federal appeals court upheld U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson’s preliminary injunction ordering Kansas to allow qualified voters who registered while getting their driver’s licenses to vote in the upcoming races for president, U.S. Senate and House.

———-

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — As many as 50,000 Kansas voters who registered at motor vehicle offices would be given provisional ballots in the upcoming elections only to see their votes thrown out in state and local races under a proposed temporary rule.

The State Rules and Regulations Board is meeting Tuesday to consider the temporary rule sought by the Secretary of State Kris Kobach. The rule calls for counting only the votes cast for federal offices unless the voters provide documents proving their U.S. citizenship.

Notice of that meeting went out late Monday for a temporary rule that would be in effect for upcoming elections. The temporary rule comes in the wake of ongoing court challenges to the state law requiring documentary proof of citizenship to vote.

 

Kansas woman dies after van rollover crash

fatalJACKSON COUNTY- A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 7:30 a.m. on Monday in Jackson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Kia Sedona driven by Janita Jordan, 44, Holton, was northbound on U.S.75 one mile south of Holton.

The van drifted to the left and rolled several times.

Jordan was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics.

She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Police: $20K worth of designer sunglasses stolen

business+burglary2SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a weekend burglary.

Just before 6 a.m. on Saturday, police were sent to Eyecare Associates, 900 Westchester Drive in Salina, according to Police Captain Mike Sweeney.

An alarm indicated glass was broken in a door to gain access to the business.

The thief escaped with 50 pair of Oakley sunglasses, 20 pair of Caviari frames and sunglasses and $150 in cash.

Damage to glass in door and display case was listed at $2,000.

Total loss is places at $22,150.

2 Kansas women hospitalized after pickup, car collision

KHPSALINE COUNTY –Two people were injured in an accident just after 11a.m. on Monday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Suzuki passenger car driven by Shirley Sparks, 77, Salina, was westbound on North Street at Santa Fe.

The driver failed to yield and the Suzuki was struck by 2011 Chevy pickup driven by Ashley Valdez Collins, 28, Newton, that was southbound on Santa Fe.

Valdez Collins and a passenger Emily Swank, 28, Salina, were transported to Salina Regional Medical Center.

Sparks was not transported for treatment.

Swank was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

First flight of restored B-29 bomber scheduled for Kansas skies

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A discarded World War II bomber is preparing to return to the skies after undergoing an extensive renovation.

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress named Doc is expected to take off Sunday from McConnell Air Force Base in southeast Wichita unless weather conditions force the flight to be rescheduled. The Wichita Eagle reports that the plane was certified as airworthy this spring.

 

 

 

Doc’s Friends restoration program manager Jim Murphy said in a news release that the planned flight follows 16 years of “hard work, sweat, tears and tireless attention to detail.”

The Wichita-built plane was finished too late to fly bombing missions during World War II, though it eventually served as a radar trainer during the Korean War. It was discovered at a bombing range in California’s Mojave desert in 1987.

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