SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A central Kansas businessman says he is rebuilding what will be the deepest-diving submarine owned by a private individual once it’s done.
KSHB-TV reports Salina resident Scott Waters bought a Pisces VI submarine from storage and had it shipped to his hometown in middle of the country.
Waters, who owns several Kansas hardware stores, says he paid $30,000 for a sub that cost about $2.5 million to build in the 1970s.
He estimates it will take about four years and $130,000 to rebuild and fully test the submarine before it’s finished.
Waters takes a pragmatic approach to his love of submarines by saying he’s equally close to either ocean.
Several years ago he built himself a submarine that can dive to 300 feet.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate’s top Republican is pushing to override GOP Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto of a bill enmeshed in a multi-million dollar tax dispute involving a retired pizza magnate.
Senate President Susan Wagle said Brownback “turned his back on Kansas taxpayers” earlier this month when he rejected the bill over a provision dealing with how tax disputes are handled. Lawmakers expect to vote on overriding the veto Wednesday.
The provision would have ensured that any taxpayer losing a dispute before the Board of Tax Appeals could have another full trial in district court before a limited review by the state Court of Appeals.
Legislators are considering the issue as ex-pizza magnate Gene Bicknell is asking the state Supreme Court to order the state to refund $42.5 million in income taxes.
OTTAWA COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 2 p.m. on Sunday in Ottawa County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Harley Davidson driven by Stanley K. Britt, 62, Salina, was eastbound on Kansas18 eight miles east of Bennington.
The driver lost control of the motorcycle. It entered the south ditch and overturned.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture will host egg grading and poultry care workshops in Hays on June 7; Lawrence on June 14; and Wichita on June 21.
All workshops will be held at each county’s K-State County Extension Office and all workshops run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. They are free to attend, but participants are encouraged to RSVP to [email protected].
The goal is to train the state’s small poultry producers in egg grading and share other important poultry care information. Grading eggs provides additional market opportunities for poultry farmers.
In addition to the egg grading workshop a grant will make available for poultry producers an egg grading resource manual.
LAVERNE, Okla. (AP) — Two Kansans have died following a motorcycle crash in northwestern Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says 63-year-old Bill Meggenberg of Meade, Kansas, was dead at scene of the crash on Highway 64 north of Laverne.
The OHP says 70-year-old Susan Meggenberg of Meade died later at an Oklahoma City hospital where she was taken following the crash.
A police report says the two were westbound on the motorcycle Saturday afternoon when the rear tire apparently deflated and the motorcycle overturned several times.
The report says the weather was clear and the road was dry at the time of the crash.
It might only be a temporary location, but the Downtown Hays Development Corp. celebrated the move to its location at 109 E. 11th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon.
The DHDC moved from the Hays Welcome Center at 2700 Vine in February.
“We’re doing the ribbon cutting for a couple of reasons,” said Sara Bloom, DHDC executive director.
“DHDC is very excited to finally be downtown. As the Downtown Development Corp., we always knew there was a need for us to be downtown. We’re very happy to finally be here,” she said.
Liberty Group, a major developer in downtown Hays, suggested the building to the DHDC while the group was searching for a downtown location.
“Myself and my board really fell in love with the space, and we approved the move to go down here,” Bloom said.
Knowing the cost of moving to the new building would create a significant impact on the DHDC budget, Liberty Group helped facilitate the move by donating six months rent to DHDC.
But even going into the new location, Bloom knew it would not be permanent. Development plans for a proposed hotel and restaurant nearby would use the building location as a breezeway, but another opportunity arose that will move the DHDC to another location much sooner than expected.
“We knew this location was going to be temporary. We just didn’t know how temporary,” Bloom said, announcing the DHDC will move to a new location in the 100 block of West 12th on July 1.
“This is a great location for us, but 12th Street is just a lot better,” Bloom said. “It’s a little bit more visible. It’s got a lot of windows. It feels more like a welcome center.”
During the event, Bloom said another reason for the sudden move was the another business expressing interest in the location.
“We were approached about the location on 12th Street, and we were really torn because we just moved in here and we were really contemplating whether we should make another move,” she said. “But there is very likely a new business coming in right after us and, when we found out there was interest from this new business to move in here, we felt it was our duty to go ahead and move to 12th Street.”
LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — A Lenexa-based jewelry company that was one of the Kansas City area’s more successful startups has announced plans to close.
Silpada Designs Inc. says its business model that involved jewelry-sales parties hosted at home has become outdated. The company said women increasingly work outside the home, making sales parties more difficult to host than when Silpada formed in 1997.
Andrea Carroll, the company’s vice president of design, product development and marketing, told The Kansas City Star no particular event triggered the board’s decision Tuesday to halt its business.
The retailer grew to become one of the largest party-planning sellers of sterling silver jewelry in North America. It was acquired by Avon Products in 2010 for $650 million but was reacquired by the founding families in 2013.
ELLSWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A 17-year-old boy has drowned while swimming at a central Kansas lake.
Ellsworth County Sheriff Tracy Ploutz says Trevor Blair of Ellinwood was not breathing when he was pulled from Kanopolis Lake about 4:15 p.m. Saturday.
The sheriff’s office received a call around 3 p.m. about someone whose body had been underwater at the lake for close to 10 minutes.
Emergency responders performed CPR as Blair was taken by ambulance to Ellsworth County Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — As the National Park Service kicks off a centennial summer expected to draw record crowds, the agency is seriously considering caps on how many people pass through some of the country’s most iconic landscapes and historical sites each day.
Park managers have begun looking at whether, when and how best to manage the impact of more people on the parks, their features and the visitors’ experience.
Denali and Yellowstone plan to survey visitors about their experiences this summer, hoping the responses will provide insight on what limitations visitors might accept.
Arches and Canyonlands national parks in Utah have been taking public comment on their plans for tighter rules about how many people can be in the park at the same time.
RUSSELL – During the Russell Community Garage Sale on June 4, over 35 individuals, nonprofit organizations and businesses will be offering a great opportunity for shoppers to enjoy a day of bargain hunting and treasure seeking.
The Russell Community Garage Sale will feature traditional and multi-family garage sales, baked goods and refreshments, in-store sales and more. Registered participants may have additional days or hours, but all participants will be open from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on June 4. Garage Sale Guides, including a detailed map of all registered participants, were available starting Friday, May 27.
Each participant’s sale dates and hours will be listed, as well as a general description of their items. Guides may be picked up at Encore Antiques & Collectables, 590 S. Fossil, or Advantage Realty, 811 N. Kansas.
All proceeds from registrations directly benefit Russell Community Theater. RCT and Advantage Realty have partnered to sponsor the Russell Community Garage Sale. Printing and outreach support were provided by Russell County Economic Development & CVB, Russell County GIS & Mapping and Office Products Inc.
Find the latest news on facebook at www.facebook.com/RussellGarageSale. For additional information, contact Russell Community Theater at 785-483-4057 or stop by 590 S. Fossil, Russell.
Partly sunny today, with south winds between 10 and 15 mph. High temperatures this afternoon are forecast to range from the lower to mid 80s with a chance of scattered thunderstorms into early evening.
Looking ahead to Memorial Day, thunderstorm chances remain in the forecast as a stronger upper level system moves through the Rockies. The best chances for thunderstorms will pick up during the late afternoon, and especially into the evening and overnight.
Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. West southwest wind 6 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. South southeast wind 6 to 16 mph.
Memorial Day: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 6 to 15 mph.
Monday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between midnight and 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South southeast wind 7 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. South southeast wind 9 to 11 mph becoming north northeast in the afternoon.
Partly sunny today, with south winds between 10 and 15 mph. High temperatures this afternoon are forecast to range from the lower to mid 80s with a chance of scattered thunderstorms into early evening.