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Month: July 2016

3 hospitalized after Kansas rollover crash

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photo Saline Co. Sheriff
photo Saline Co. Sheriff

SALINE COUNTY – Three people were injured in an accident just after 9:30a.m. on Thursday in Saline County.

A vehicle driven by Janice Gaeddert, 81, Newton, was northbound on Niles Road east of Salina, according to Saline County Undersheriff Roger Soldan.

The driver lost control of the vehicle at Stimmel Road when she swerved to avoid a puddle in the road. The vehicle traveled into a field and rolled.

Gaeddert suffered a cut to the head. Milton Gaeddert, 86, Newton, complained of back and shoulder pain. Luetta Enns, 82, Hillsboro, did not appear to have any injuries, according to Soldan.

All three were transported to the to the hospital in Salina.

Marshall Powers

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marshallphotoLifelong Gove county resident, Marshall Powers, died Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, as the result of a motor vehicle accident near Gove, Kansas. He was born May 13, 1970, in Quinter, Kansas to Franklin C. and Mona Ferol (Dawson) Powers.

Marshall was a graduate of Wheatland High School, with the class of 1990. He worked several jobs, part time, in Gove. Marshall delivered senior citizen meals several years, and helped his mother at the Senior Center. He loved his nieces and nephews, often surprising them with a gift. He was fond of his little dog, Chelsie. He was often seen carrying her around on his shoulder while riding a bicycle. Marshall loved the outdoors, and was known for smoking and grilling meat with his brother, Brian. He suffered the loss of a younger brother, Eric, 28 years ago. Marshall will be missed by the Gove and surrounding communities and his many friends and family.

He is survived by his parents of Gove; three brothers, (1)Jim (Judy) of Quinter, and their three children, Dustri (Lance) Brown, and their daughters, Evahri and Eiyah – Dayna (Brenton) Pennington, and their children, Miley, Carter, and Jordyn – Austin (Breanne) Powers and son, Riley, (2)Mike Powers of Oakley, and (3)Brian Powers of Gove. He was preceded in death by his brother, Eric Powers.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Monday, July 11, 2016, at Gove Community Bible Church, Gove.

Burial will be in the Gove Cemetery.

Visitation will be Sunday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 at the funeral home in Quinter.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Marshall Powers Memorial Fund.

Donations made to the fund may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 South Main, Quinter, KS 67752.

Condolences may be left online at www.schmittfuneral.com.

Dick R. Compton

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Dick Compton-Paper PictureDick R. Compton, 76, Hays, Kansas died July 6, 2016 at home in Hays. He was born January 31, 1940, to Gilbert “Gib” R. and Thelma Mary (Cain) Compton at Lake City, Kansas in Barber County.

He moved to Atwood in January of 1960 as manager of an oil field supply store. There he met and married Leora “Lefty” (Domsch) on April 23,1961 at Atwood, Kansas.  The two lived in Atwood until relocating to Hays in 1968. They had no children.

He moved to Atwood in January of 1960 as manager of an oil field supply store. There he met and married Leora “Lefty” (Domsch) on April 23,1961 at Atwood, Kansas.  The two lived in Atwood until relocating to Hays in 1968. They had no children.

Dick was baptized into the Lutheran faith December 25, 1960, and confirmed March 26, 1961, both at Grace Lutheran Church, Atwood.  He attended elementary schools in Lake City, and graduated from high school at Sun City, Kansas in 1958.

Following his employment by an oilfield supply firm Dick was later employed by Central Kansas Power (CKP) in Atwood. He began at CKP (now Midwest Energy) as a serviceman/lineman and later served in a number of executive capacities in Hays. These included New Business Representative, General Commercial Manager and Director of Governmental Affairs. He left Midwest Energy in late 1989. He then partnered in chartering a successful economic development tax consulting firm whose clients were many of Kansas’ major manufacturing and retail industries.

During Dick’s career he was a member of and participated in a number of business, community and civic activities. He served on the board of directors of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kansas Industrial Developers Association. He was an active member of and served as congregation Chairman of Messiah Lutheran Church. He served on the Board of Directors of Smoky Hill Country Club. He served on the Board of Directors of Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas and served as Fund Drive Chairman for the Ellis County United Way.

Dick was a member of and served terms as President of both the Hays Jaycees and the Hays Chamber of Commerce. He was one of five Hays business men that chartered Ellis County Economic Development, Inc. (now Heartland Development Corp.) He led the effort that culminated in establishing the Hays industrial park and constructing a speculative industrial building on city owned property at the Hays airport. He also led the Hays community effort that culminated in locating Yuasa-Exide Corporation (now Enersys) in the former Baxter Laboratories facility northwest of Hays.

Dick is survived by his wife, Lefty, of the home; a brother Raymon Compton and wife, Vera,  Pratt, KS;  a brother-in-law, Rusty Lake, Lake City, KS; numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
Dick was the fourth of five children. Four were boys. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Dale Compton and Dalton Compton and a sister, Mary Dell Lake.
Services will be at 11:00 A.M. Monday, July 11, 2016 at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2000 Main, Hays, KS.  A graveside inurnment will be held at a later date in the Fairview Cemetery in Atwood, Kansas.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 to 11:00 A.M. Monday  at the Messiah Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to Messiah Lutheran Church or Ellis County United Way in care of Keithley Funeral Services/Cline’s Mortuary of Hays 19019 East 22nd Street Hays, Kansas 67601.

BEECH: Cool Tips for Hot Weather Cooking

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Linda Beech
       Linda Beech

In these hot summer temperatures, home cooking can seem like an unpleasant chore.  But before you head for your favorite restaurant to let someone else do the cooking, stop and reconsider.  Eating out too often can put a strain on both your wallet and your waistline.

Cool summer cooking may present a bit more of a challenge, but with a little planning and creativity, it can be bearable– or even enjoyable– to prepare healthy, low-cost family meals.

  • Rethink grocery purchases as the first step in keeping your cool.  Purchase ingredients for cool meals that can be prepared quickly and easily.  Choose meats that can be barbecued and fresh fruits and vegetables for cool salads and side dishes.

Individual portions are attractive for the “grab-and-go” summer crowd.  Stock up on boxes of 100 percent fruit juices, cartons of lowfat yogurt, string cheese, small fresh fruits and snack bags of mini-carrots.

Salad greens can be a summer staple, providing the basis for simple side dishes and cool, delicious main dish salads.

Summer cooks can benefit from “speed-scratch cooking”– a compromise between home cooking and meals prepared by others.  For example, combine cut vegetables from the produce section or grocery store salad bar with sliced or cubed cheese from the deli counter, home cooked pasta and bottled salad dressing to make a hearty pasta salad in a hurry.

  • Use alternatives to oven cooking. When temperatures soar, change cooking methods so both the kitchen and the cook can remain cool.  Fire up the backyard barbecue to keep the heat outside, or use the microwave oven for cool cooking.  When cooking on the stove top, choose cooking methods requiring the least amount of time, such as stir-frying or pan-broiling.
  • Dust off those small appliances. A slow cooker is an ideal way to cook all components of your meal at once.  In addition to keeping the kitchen cooler, these pots enable you to use less-costly cuts of meat. (You can even prepare baked potatoes in the slow cooker–check your recipe booklet for instructions or give me a call!)  Don’t be afraid to revive the pressure cooker.  This appliance can reduce cooking time by as much as one-half.  When cooking for one or two, try using smaller appliances such as a toaster oven or electric skillet to conserve heat.  Electric woks, rice steamers and bread machines are also helpful in accomplishing cooking tasks without adding heat to the kitchen.
  • Plan ahead to cook once, eat twice (or more!) Foods which can be prepared ahead or which refrigerate well are a warm-weather cook’s best friends.  Cooked rice and pasta can be refrigerated up to a week and can be a filling addition to cold vegetable salads or the basis for casseroles or main-dish meals.  For quick quesadillas, casseroles and salads, cook extra chicken breasts or crumbled ground beef and freeze in meal-size portions.  Even extra grilled steaks, pork chops or chicken breasts can become tomorrow’s wrap sandwiches, fajitas or gourmet salads.
  • If you must use the oven– fill it up! If you’ve got to turn the oven on, make the most of it!  Bake several foods at once to maximize cooking time and prevent heating the oven a second or third time.  Maybe your oven meal could include a meatloaf, baked potatoes, baked beans and cornbread. You could even throw in extra potatoes for potato salad or hash browns later.  Even if you’re just baking a frozen pizza, consider sliding in a pan of slice-and-bake cookies or a tray of biscuits so the extra oven space (and heat) isn’t wasted.

The good news about warm weather cooking is that appetites tend to dwindle at the same time the cook’s enthusiasm is lagging.  This time of year, everyone will appreciate and enjoy simple, light, healthy meals prepared with a minimum of fuss.

You’ll find more inspiration for summertime meals at the “Food in Season” page of the Rapid Response Center website from K-State Research and Extension.  Check it out at: https://www.rrc.ksu.edu/preparation/season.html.

Wendy’s: Kansas restaurants included in credit card data breach

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Google image
Google image

NEW YORK (AP) — Wendy’s says hackers were able to steal customer’s credit and debit card information at 1,025 of its U.S. restaurants, far more than it originally thought.

 See more on the Kansas locations possibly included in the  breech here.

The hamburger chain says hackers were able to access card numbers, names, expiration dates and codes on the cards. Some customer’s cards were used to make fraudulent purchases at other stores.

In May, it said malware was found in fewer than 300 restaurants starting in the fall of 2015. About a month later, it said two types of malware were found and the number of restaurants affected was “considerably higher.”

There are more than 5,700 U.S. Wendy’s restaurants.

Wendy’s said Thursday it would post a list of affected restaurants on its website. As of Thursday morning, the list wasn’t posted because of “technical difficulties.”

Tornado leaves widespread damage; Brownback signs emergency declaration

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Building flipped by tornado in Greenwood County -photo courtesy KAKE
Building flipped by tornado in Greenwood County -photo courtesy KAKE

EUREKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a state of disaster emergency declaration for Greenwood County after a tornado demolished homes in a small town.

Brownback’s office said in a release Friday that the emergency declaration allows the state to use its resources and personnel in response to the tornado that hit the small town of Eureka late Thursday night. No serious injuries were reported.

The governor’s office says the tornado damaged about 50 homes and businesses and left scores without power throughout the county.

The office says the state Division of Emergency Management will coordinate assistance to assess the damage from the tornado and manage debris removal.

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EUREKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials say the southeastern Kansas town of Eureka has been hit by a tornado that has caused significant widespread damage.

The National Weather Service says a tornado warning for Greenwood County was issued just after 9:00 p.m. The tornado hit Eureka around 9:45 p.m.

Greenwood County Emergency Management Director Levi Vinson confirmed at 12:30 a.m. that there were no reports of injuries or deaths.

Vinson says there was a lot of structural damage, including to a local nursing home, mobile homes and a barn. People have been displaced from their homes and have been asked to take shelter at the Eureka United Methodist Church.

Vinson said the American Red Cross was on its way to the scene. Firefighters were going home to home to check on residents.

Victory for farmers; Senate backs bill to label genetically modified food

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U.S. Senate on Thursday
U.S. Senate on Thursday

DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press
MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has approved legislation that for the first time would require food packages nationwide to carry labels listing genetically modified ingredients.

Thursday’s vote was 63-30 for the bipartisan measure. The measure’s fate is uncertain in the House, which has voted to make the labeling voluntary.

The Senate bill would require foods with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, to carry any of three types of labeling: words, a symbol or an electronic code readable by smartphone.

Watch Senator Roberts’ comments on the vote here

Advocates for labeling and the food industry have wanted to find a national solution to avoid a state-by-state patchwork of laws.

 


The food industry supports the Senate bill. Many labeling proponents say the labels should be easily readable by consumers without a smartphone and complain that the measure lacks penalties for not complying.

This weekend’s Hays-area garage sales

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BullCityBlack500x125 (1)

Hays-area garage sales

Scroll to the bottom for a map of garage sale locations. Hays Post offers FREE garage sale listings weekly. Having a sale next weekend? Click HERE for details.

Address: 2907 Hillcrest Drive, Hays
Friday, July 8th, 3:00pm-6:00pm & Saturday, July 9th, 8:30am-10:30am

Items for sale: Household and home decor items, girls bed set and matching accessories for bedroom, desk, desk chair, night stand, kids misc. items
Girls/childs clothes size 7-10, Women’s size xs, small, large and XL
Men’s sizes medium and XL
Lots of kids and adult shoes various sizes/ Name brand purses
Lots of name brand stuff for super cheap prices!!

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Address: 1406 W 45th, Hays
Friday 12-7 & Saturday 9-12

Items for sale: Combining 2 houses into 1. Lots of Household items, Home Décor, Freezer, TV
Cabinet, Green Mountain Grill, Clothes and many numerous other items. Cash Only, No Early Sales! Something for Everyone!

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Address: 2230 South View Drive, Hays
Friday, July 8th: 4-7 p.m. and Saturday, July 9th: 8 a.m.-noon

Three-Family Garage Sale: The 3-car garage is full! All items are from pet-free/non-smoking homes. Cash only, please.

*Girls’ Clothing (sizes 6-10, summer and winter) in excellent condition (Gymboree, Children’s Place, Crazy 8, Justice, Arizona). Many items are new or gently worn in excellent condition.
*Girls’ Shoes sizes 13-3 (Kenneth Cole, Reef, Born)

*Teaching materials, classroom supplies, manipulatives, puzzles, and educational games for Preschool through Grade 6 in excellent condition.
*John Deere collector’s toys and tractors (new in the boxes, never displayed)
*Home décor and household items
*New and gently worn women’s shoes and women’s clothing
*100’s of children’s picture books and young adult chapter books in excellent condition for Preschool through 6th grade. Most 50 cents. Also, like new book sets with multiple copies.
*Sony portable CD players with headphones ($1 each)

*Sony DCR-DVD 308 1MP DVD Handycam Camcorder ($50): Includes camcorder (Only used a few times), battery charger, car charger, 2 batteries, remote control, manual, heavy-duty Samsung case, all necessary cords and 7 new 1.4 GB disks.
*Toys, arts/crafts
*Miscellaneous guy stuff (e.g., car parts- old Mazda lamps for headlights, shocks, mirrors, hubcaps)

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Address: 2200 Marjorie Drive, Hays
Thurs 4-9, Fri 8-6, Sat 8-12.

Items for sale: Home interior/Celebrating home. New, in the boxes. Thursday 4-9. Friday 8-6. Sat 8-12. Cash only

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Address: 316 East 15th, Hays
Saturday, 8 am to 1 pm

Items for sale: Adult clothing
Children’s clothing
Children’s Toy
Shoes
Furniture
Books
Movies
And a lot more!

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Address: 211 W 38th Street, Hays
Saturday, July 9, 8:00am to noon

Items for sale: Tools, ladder, golf clubs, golf items, Boyds collectables, household items, dorm fridges, lawn mower, set of china, purses, jewelry, home décor and pack-n-play. Lots of misc items.

INSIGHT KANSAS: The hollow state

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When considering “failed states,” we often think of Syria or Libya, where civic breakdowns, violence, and the lack of a viable government lead to chaos. So it’s pushing things more than a bit to think of Kansas as a failed state. But it’s certainly a weakened one.

Drawing upon substantial scholarly work, there is little question that Kansas 2016 reflects a “hollow” state, where basic functions of government have been farmed out, cut back, and diminished, to the point that in many policy domains the state will not or cannot govern.

Burdett Loomis
Burdett Loomis

For many decades, Kansas and its government did govern effectively and prudently, often harking back to Governor Robert Docking’s standard of “austere, but adequate.” To be sure, penny-pinching austerity went by the board in the 1970s and 1980s, in part because the state benefited from federal programs like aid to education and Medicaid, which raised the standard of living for the poorest Kansans, to say nothing of agricultural subsidies.

In 2011, Governor Sam Brownback and a far-right Kansas House of Representatives began to hollow out state government, all in the name of smaller, more efficient, more private administration. It all started almost immediately in 2011, when the governor unilaterally cut funding for the Kansas Arts Commission.

As the Kansas City Pitch presciently noted, “Arts funding is an inexpensive trial balloon for Brownback, but it’s a financial nightmare for groups that depend on state and federal funding.” Most notably, it was smaller communities that suffered the most, a theme that has been repeated consistently over the past five years.

To be sure, there are many legitimate arguments over the size of government, and Kansas politicians vigorously engaged in these discussions over the years. Maybe arts funding, even a tiny amount, is just a frill, and perhaps any number of state regulations may hinder entrepreneurial activity. These are debates worth having.

But the value of a stable, reliable state government, which delivers core programs in education, transportation, health, and social services remains a bedrock element of most successful American states.

But since 2011, and especially in the wake of 2012 income tax cuts, the reality in Kansas has changed overwhelmingly. The state – per the wishes of the far-right faction that governs – serves fewer and fewer Kansans. Moreover, the alleged benefits of smaller government brought about by tax reductions have consistently advantaged the wealthy and the privileged.

So, how has Kansas been hollowed out during the Brownback era? Let me count the ways.

KanCare: eligibility, declining numbers served, rising case backlogs, and declining physicians’ reimbursements, along with $57.4 million in cutbacks leading to less federal matching funding ($72 million). Two and a half billion less in overall highway spending. Raiding the Children’s’ Initiative Fund. Cutting the Parents as Teachers program. Reduced assistance to rural communities, in direct and indirect reduction. Several rounds of cuts to higher education. Recent reductions in aid to needy senior citizens. Declining mental health spending, due to reduced Medicaid spending.

It’s death by a thousand cuts.

The hollowing out occurs in a host of ways – the privatization of core services, like welfare; the loss of many veteran governmental professionals, who simply will not participate in gross programmatic reductions; more stringent eligibility requirements, to make qualifying for services, like welfare, increasingly difficult, even as benefits decline.

Over the past few years much of the political discourse has focused on shrinking revenues from tax cuts and threats to K-12 education. These remain extremely important issues, but emphasizing them obscures the profound, continual hollowing out of state government, and its negative implications for most Kansans, especially the most vulnerable.

Burdett Loomis is a professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

Maskus: Voter registration deadline is July 12 for Aug. 2 primary election

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donna maskus
Ellis Co. Clerk Donna Maskus talks to the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce about the 2016 elections in Kansas.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The books close next Tuesday, July 12, to register to vote in the Aug. 2, 2016, primary election and Ellis County Clerk Donna Maskus is spreading the word.

Kansans can register in person at their local county clerk’s office, other designated sites, or online at www.voteks.org.

There are 18 locations in Ellis County where residents can register to vote.  They include the city offices in each incorporated town, the city libraries, and in Hays — Fort Hays State University Memorial Union, Kansas driver’s license office, Ellis Co. Health Dept., Ellis Co. Clerk’s office and other governmental offices.

The only time you need to re-register is if you change your name, move, or you want to change your political party affiliation.

For the last election in Ellis County — the bond issue for Hays USD 489 — only two polling places were opened in “order to save costs for the school district,” Maskus explained. For the Aug. 2 primary election, all 10 polling locations will be used.

“I give high praise to the Ellis County Public Works Department,” Maskus said. “They do an outstanding job in setting up  all of our polling sites each election.”

She also thanked the 40-plus election board workers, whose day extends well beyond the hours the polls are open — 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There are currently 17,743 qualified voters registered in Ellis County, according to Maskus — 8,213 Republicans, 4,360 Democrats, 171 Libertarians and 4,999 Unaffiliated. The numbers “change often until the voter books are closed,” she noted.

Advance voting in the county clerk’s office, 718 Main, starts Wednesday, July 13, and must be returned to the county clerk’s office by 7 p.m. election day. Maska’s office has already sent out ballots to federal service workers — 45 days in advance of the election — who can vote via the internet.

Ellis County will use some new equipment at the voting sites beginning with the Aug. 2 election. County commissioners approved the purchase of “election tablets” for poll workers, which Maskus says will “make it so much more efficient as the voters come in and getting that ballot ticket out to them, showing what that voter is qualified to vote on.”

election day allan park
The electronic voting booths used by Ellis County are tested regularly.

Voters may use a paper ballot booth or one of 69 touch-screen electronic voting booths.

“We go through a lot of logic and accuracy testing of those machines every five months,” Maskus said. “It’s an intense process they go through before each election so we know they can tally each vote they are given.”

Every vote is tallied, “including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. You can come in our office and look at those abstract books — the different votes are quite interesting.  You might even find that somebody put your name down,” she said with a grin. Results are unofficial until canvassed by the Ellis County Commission.

There’s still time to file with the county clerk as an Independent candidate for a local or county race in the Nov. 8 general election. Deadline to file, which must be by petition, is noon, Monday, Aug. 1.

Voter registration books close Oct. 18 for the Nov. 8 general election. Maskus encouraged residents with any questions to call her office  at (785) 628-9413.

Weekend activities planned as the Larks kick off long homestand

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The Hays Larks begin their longest homestand of the summer Friday night when they host the defending Jayhawk League champion Haysville Aviators in the first of a three-game series and Larks Park. It begins a nine-game homestand that is packed full of activities.

Friday is Old Timers Night along with the 70th year of the Larks celebration. All former Larks players in attendance will receive a commemorative hat courtesy of M&D Incorporated and introduced before the game. There will also be 70 year celebration cookies for the first 500 people Friday night along with a social at the ballpark after the game. Admission is free courtesy M&D Incorporated and Eagle Communications.

Saturday is the annual Pink the Park Night. There will be a pink bat autographed by the Larks and two authentic MLB baseball that were used on there pink days that will be autographed by the team and raffled off. Admission is free courtesy of A&A Coors and Horizon Appliance & Electronics.

The Larks, who won the Jayhawk League first half, are 22-5 overall and 2-1 in the second half of Jayhawk League second half, a game back of Liberal and Wellington. Haysville, who finished seven games back of the Larks  in the first half, are 1-2 in the second half.

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