Travis Couture-Lovelady is the NRA Kansas Legislative Liaison and former 110th Dist. state representative.
Hunting and fishing are not only cherished Kansas traditions, but paired with science, they are an integral part of wildlife management and conservation. Unfortunately, misguided extremists have been trying for decades to ban hunting and fishing either outright or incrementally. That is why the National Rifle Association (NRA) is supporting HCR 5008, legislation that would lead to a statewide ballot initiative this fall that would allow the people of Kansas to amend the state Constitution to guarantee the sporting traditions you have enjoyed will still be around for future generations.
Our state’s unique culture and heritage are threatened by outside groups coming in with extreme political agendas. It has happened in other states and it will happen here. Animal rights advocates succeeding in banning dove hunting in Michigan ten years ago. A 1990 ballot initiative in California resulted in a ban on mountain lion hunting. Kansans should act now to protect our right to hunt and fish by passing a ballot initiative to amend our constitution to. The idea of a state constitutional amendment is nothing new. Vermont’s dates back to 1777. Today 19 states have an amendment protecting these basic rights.
Hunting is a part of Kansas’ cultural heritage, an important wildlife management tool, and an important part of our economy. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, about 1.2 million people hunt, fish or watch wildlife in Kansas in a given year. They spend about $906 million on their trips and equipment. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism sold more than $24.5 million in licenses and permits last year. The state turned around and put all that money into wildlife conservation programs throughout Kansas. The state gets additional money each year for these programs from a federal excise tax. Since 1937, hunters and outdoorsmen have contributed more than 7.2 billion dollars to a variety of wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation programs, through Pittman-Robertson Act revenues associated with the purchase of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. These conservation programs have led to dramatic increases in populations of various game species including deer, elk, antelope, turkeys and waterfowl.
Support for our state’s hunting heritage crosses party lines. As a former Republican State Representative, I cosponsored this legislation last year with my colleague, Representative Adam Lusker, a Democrat from Frontenac. I urge my former colleagues in Topeka to make HCR 5008 a priority this year. It’s time our state makes hunting, fishing, and trapping a right, not just a privilege.
Travis Couture-Lovelady is the NRA Kansas Legislative Liaison and former 110th Dist. state representative.
This Ford F-150 was totally destroyed by the fire.– Photos Saline Co. Sheriff
SALINE COUNTY- A grass fire in the 200 Block of Mound Road in Saline County just after 6 p.m. on Monday burned approximately 15 acres of land and other property, according to Saline County Sheriff’s Captain Roger Soldan
Scott Miller was working in an open field at the location in Southern Saline County when the trailer he was using possibly started the fire.
The fire also destroyed a 1997 Ford F-150 pickup and caused minor damage to a 1977 Chevrolet C-10 pickup.
Soldan said firefighters from McPherson County Rural Fire District #2 were called to the fire, which took about 3 hours to extinguish.
15 acres of land were damaged by the fire.
No damage estimate was available Tuesday morning. There were no injuries reported.
For the second year, the generosity of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation is allowing the Heartland Community Foundation to award over $150,000 in grants during 2016.
The gift from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation will allow Heartland to make grants in Ellis, Rooks and Trego Counties totaling $50,000.00 in each of the three counties. The competitive grant application period begins March 15, 2016 and runs through May 15, 2016. Applications can be found at www.heartlandcommunityfoundation.org.
“The generous grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation represents an opportunity for our communities to address a variety of projects. Though no maximum has been established for grant applications those of $5000.00 or less will receive priority attention in order to maximize the grant’s reach. Emphasis will be on programs or projects that include community involvement and volunteerism,” said Heartland Community Foundation Board Chairman, Brandon Prough.
Sandy Jacobs, Executive Director of the Heartland Community Foundation commented, “Heartland Community Foundation works to encourage philanthropic giving by donors in each of the 3 counties we serve. The fact the Dane G. Hansen Foundation recognizes the work of community foundations and chooses to partner with those foundations speaks to their overall mission of improving the quality of life for citizens of northwest Kansas. We believe we are in a unique position to find and fund projects that will have the most impact in local areas.”
Along with the Dane G. Hansen Grant Fund, Heartland Community Foundation administers the Heartland Area Action Fund and the Heartland Healthy Living Fund. The Heartland Area Action Fund is an unrestricted community grant fund. The Fund was created by the generosity of individuals who have contributed money to the Foundation for charitable use to address the present and future needs of Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties. From this endowed fund, the Foundation Board annually determines and designates the amount of available funding in the form of community grants. The Heartland Healthy Living Fund was established in response to the Kansas Health Foundation’s second chapter of the Giving Resources to our World (GROW II) match grant challenge. Grants from this fund support the public health of Ellis, Rooks and Trego Counties. Public health is defined as the protection and promotion of the health and well-being of individuals and their communities through encouragement of healthy lifestyles, behaviors and environments.
The Dane G. Hansen Foundation was established in 1965, with the primary goal of making the communities of northwest Kansas better places to live. The Foundation was established through a generous estate gift of Dane G. Hansen, an exceptional Kansas citizen who had a personal interest in promoting education and helping young people to succeed. In honor of Mr. Hansen’s memory, the Foundation awards grants and scholarships every year to qualified recipients who demonstrate a strong desire for community involvement. The Hansen Foundation serves 26 counties in northwest Kansas.
The Heartland Community Foundation was established in 2007 as an affiliate of the Great Salina Community Foundation. Heartland serves communities and their residents in Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties. For more information on our foundation, visit our website at www.heartlandcommunityfoundation.org.
For more information contact: Sandy Jacobs, executive director, Heartland Community Foundation. [email protected] or call (785) 621-4090.
TOPEKA – Legislators are considering a measure that would encourage education for state residents about human trafficking and slavery.
House Resolution 6038 seeks to create awareness that traffickers are abducting children in Kansas, aims to educate residents about the problem, and, ultimately, seeks to end such criminal activities.
Jennifer Rapp, deputy director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in the Kansas Attorney General’s office, told members of the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs last week that she receives regular phone calls from Kansans who have seen young adults selling products, such as magazines and cleaning products, across the state. Many times they are forced into this activity through “complex psychological manipulation,” and they live in substandard conditions with drugs and alcohol used by traffickers to keep them compliant, she said.
“It’s really sort of like a cult,” Rapp said. “They are usually older teens, young adults who perhaps don’t have the same opportunities as others to attend college, and this sounds like a lucrative or a good opportunity to them.”
Studies show that traffickers frequently prey on the poor, vulnerable, and those living in unsafe environments.
Rep. Tony Barton, R-Leavenworth, said that young people are lured through the Internet, via interactive video games, blogs and chatrooms that target children because they’re “vulnerable, gullible, and there is a market for young victims.”
“This is evil at its core,” Barton said. “These evil souls, cowards (traffickers) take away (the victims’) innocence and destroy their lives without conscience just for a dollar.”
Speaking in support of HR 6038, Barton told lawmakers he hopes the measure can bring freedom to the victims of human trafficking.
“To not consider this resolution is to say that their lives, the lives of these children, men and women do not matter,” Barton said.
Eight years ago, Barton’s daughter, who was about 5 years old at the time, wandered outside their church Sunday morning when a white van pulled up in front of her. When a member of the church hurried over, the van screeched out of the parking lot. Barton feared the worst for his daughter.
“What would’ve happened if this church member had not pulled in at the time he did. Would Rebecca be here today?” Barton said.
Rapp shared a similar personal story about her daughter. Three years ago, her daughter was walking on Massachusetts Street in Lawrence. It was around 7 on a Tuesday night in September, and Rapp’s 16-year-old daughter wanted to shop at the Urban Outfitters store. Not long after Rapp dropped off her daughter, the young woman called, urgently asking her mother to come back to the store. Panicked, Rapp drove back to see her daughter talking to a man neither she nor her daughter knew. Rapp’s daughter said the man had been watching her while she was in the store.
She tried to stay inside as long as she could, but when she stepped outside, he approached her and started asking questions about where she was from and where she went to high school. Rapp’s daughter did not give him the information. The man asked the young woman to look at his Facebook page on her phone and to add him as a friend, which she didn’t. Rapp said this was a wake-up call: This was exactly how traffickers prey on a young person’s vulnerabilities, she told the committee.
“If this can happen to my daughter, it can happen to anyone of yours,” Rapp said. “This is happening in our communities.”
The U.S. Department of Justice calls Kansas an “originating” state for human trafficking, which means that traffickers abduct children, men and women to be treated as slaves, to be forced into prostitution, or to work with little or no pay. Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and the International Labor Organization estimates that 20.9 million people are victims of human trafficking globally.
Last summer the Kansas attorney general’s office partnered with Clear Channel Outdoors and Lamar Advertising to launch a statewide anti-trafficking effort. The campaign featured billboards that read: “Human trafficking is happening in Kansas. If you see something, report it.” The billboard gives a number for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. The campaign was aimed at reaching trafficking victims to let them know that resources exist to help them and to encourage community members to recognize trafficking.
Rapp said the media have not done a good job differentiating between human trafficking and human smuggling. Human trafficking is a crime against a person; human smuggling is a crime in which a person crosses a border illegally
Trafficking affects all kinds of businesses across Kansas, especially in the southwestern part of our state in the agricultural industry, Rapp said.
“A lot of what we hear in the media is about foreign-born victims being brought into our country and trafficked,” Rapp said. “But the truth of the matter is more than 80 percent of human trafficking involves domestic victims, and the majority of these are children.”
Rapp advised Kansans to get as much information as possible if they encounter someone they suspect is a trafficking victim. Asking where they are from and who they work for is a good start. Obtaining that kind of information will help law enforcement, she said. However, she cautioned that when asking questions, individuals should not be intrusive or put themselves in danger, she said. Since human trafficking generates an estimated $150 billion globally, it is a dangerous criminal enterprise and getting involved can be risky, she warned.
No opponents to the bill testified during the hearing.
If approved, the bill would recommend, but not require, education. It now goes to the full House for consideration.
Sheila Lynee Sizemore, 44, LaCrosse, died Monday, March 14, 2016 at her home.
She was born December 16, 1971 in Denver, CO the daughter of Leonard A. and Linda D. (Johnson) Mastroni. In 1989 she graduated from LaCrosse High School and attended Manhattan Christian College. On September 6, 1997 she married Mark A. Sizemore in LaCrosse. She was a member of the First Christian Church, LaCrosse. Sheila was a mother to her two children and an ambassador for the Lord.
Survivors include her husband, Pastor Mark A. Sizemore of the home in LaCrosse, her parents, Leonard and Linda Mastroni , LaCrosse, a son Mark Alan Sizemore and a daughter Amanda Fae Sizemore, both of LaCrosse, a brother James L. Mastroni of Hays, and a sister Sarah Pfannenstiel and husband Adam of Overland Park.
She was preceded in death by her brother Shawn A. Mastroni on August 5, 2012.
Funeral services will be at 1:00 pm on Friday, March 18, 2016 at the First Christian Church, 619 Oak Street, LaCrosse, KS. Burial will be in the LaCrosse City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 on Thursday at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street and from 12:00 pm until service time on Friday, at the church. Memorials are suggested to the family in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.
Julius L. “Julie” Koerner, Jr., 73, Munjor, died Monday, March 14, 2016 at his home.
He was born August 19, 1942 in Hays the son of Julius P. Koerner, Sr. and Florence M. (Basgall) Koerner. On May 26, 1962 he married Mary Jane Buttman in Munjor. He was a graduate of Hays High School and a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Munjor and the Knights of Columbus 3rd Degree Council #11492, Munjor.
He worked as a carpenter, tile setter, oil field roustabout, and retired as a labor supervisor at Gross Memorial Coliseum, on the campus of Fort Hays State University, where he had worked since it opened in 1974. He coordinated many big events in the Coliseum, including concerts, farm shows, and graduations. He was on the volunteer fire department for 17 years and was fire chief for several years. He volunteered his time and talent in the St. Francis church yard and the St. Francis Cemetery. He enjoyed woodworking, making toys for his grandchildren, painting pictures, gardening, and fishing. He was an avid Kansas City Royals and Denver Broncos fan.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Jane of the home, a son Steven L. Koerner, Hays, a daughter Brenda Windholz and husband Mark, Hays, a brother Kevin Koerner and wife Geri, Hays, five sisters; Ida Mae Gottschalk, Galesville, WI, Rose Anne Jacobs, Hays, Nora Koelsch and husband Jim, Clearwater, KS, Karen Bieker, Hays, and Colleen Camarata and husband Dr. Joseph, Overland Park, KS, a sister in law Judy (Koerner) Smith, Hays, eight grandchildren, three step grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, and six step great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter Nancy Faye Austin, a granddaughter Julie Windholz, a brother Richard M. Koerner, and three brothers in law; Tom Bieker, Glenn Philleps, and James Jacobs.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 am on Thursday, March 17, 2016 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Munjor. Inurnment will be at a later date in the St. Francis Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 until 8:00 pm on Wednesday and from 9:00 until 10:00 am on Thursday all at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street. A parish vigil service will be at 6:30 pm followed by a Knights of Columbus rosary at 7:00, all on Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Cancer Council of Ellis County, Hospice of Hays Medical Center, or to the church furnace fund, in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.
Police use pepper spray during weekend rally Image Courtesy YouTube
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police say four people who were arrested at a weekend rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have been issued disorderly conduct citations.
The Kansas City Star reports that the ticketed protesters were 22-year-old Kendrick Washington, of Chicago; 20-year-old Alexander Fisher, of Overland Park, Kansas; 28-year-old Shane Stange, of Kansas City; and 37-year-old Megan Gallant, of Kansas City.
Protests erupted Saturday night during the Trump rally in downtown Kansas City. Capt. Tye Grant says police are pleased no one was injured. He says officers used pepper spray twice, both times when protesters tried to step into the street.
Gallant’s lawyer, Rick Johnson, says his client was misidentified by police and wasn’t participating in the protest. It wasn’t immediately clear if the other three had attorneys.
SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County continue to investigating a fatality accident involving 6 vehicles.
Just before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to report of a collision involving a Capital City Cab and a Nissan Altima at 5322 Southwest 22nd Place in Topeka, according to a media release from police.
The Nissan driven by Darrell Blackwell, 24, Topeka and a passenger Alicia Quigley, 23, Topeka, drove away before officers arrived.
As they drove away, the Nissan hit two parked vehicles, according to police. The driver of the cab was transported to a local hospital.
Just before 10:40 p.m. officer received another report that the Nissan had been involved in another collision on Southwest 6th between Fairlawn and Gage.
The driver of the other vehicle followed the Nissan and relayed information on the direction of travel to police.
The Nissan hit a fourth vehicle at 6th Street and MacVicar and a 5th vehicle, a Chevy Trailblazer, at 29th and Topeka Boulevard.
Blackwell was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Quigley was pronounced dead at the scene.
The woman driver of the Trailblazer was also transported for treatment.
Additional details on Blackwell’s condition have not been released.
The City of Hays Fire Department will be inspecting fire hydrants and flushing water mains on Tue., March 15, in the area South of 8th Street to 1st Street between Hwy 183 Bypass and Allen Street. This is part of a coordinated effort by the City of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.
This is part of a coordinated effort by the City of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.
Inspecting fire hydrants ensures that the valves operate properly and that there is no damage or obstructions that will prevent or interfere with the prompt use of fire hydrants in an emergency. Firefighters are also checking the pressure and volume of water mains in each neighborhood for firefighting purposes. The associated flushing of water mains allows chlorine to be distributed throughout the system to eliminate bio-filming in the water mains.
Slight discoloration of the water supply may be encountered although there will be no health risks to the consumer. All reasonable efforts will be taken to minimize the inconvenience to the public. Drivers are asked to avoid driving through water discharging from a fire hydrant during the short flushing period.
For more information contact the Hays Fire Department at (785) 628-7330.
Debra Lee Murray was born July 16, 1957 at Clay Center, Kansas to James Craig and Maxine Veda (Kopfer) Horsfall. She died suddenly Thursday morning, March 10, 2016 at the Mitchell County Hospital in Beloit, Kansas, ending a life of 58 years, 7 months, and 23 days.
Deb as she was known, moved around with her family a lot during her childhood years. The family eventually remained in Kensington, Kansas where she graduated from high school.
After high school, she worked for several years as a nurse’s aide. She then enrolled at North Central Kansas Area Vocational Technical School and took business administration courses.
For twenty-nine years, Deb was the office manager at Hilltop Lodge. This was a perfect fit for her as she loved people, understood the art and science of patient care while utilizing her business management skills. She loved her job, the residents, and her colleagues and was always there for them.
On December 21, 1991, she married Kenneth Lynn Murray at Zion Lutheran Church and they made their home in Simpson, Kansas. For a time, they both worked at Hilltop Lodge until an accident forced him to quit. Kenneth died on September 30, 2012.
Besides her work, Deb loved life to the fullest. She was a person of genuine kindness and generosity. Her family was of paramount importance to her as she deeply loved her grandson Jerry Murray and was proud of her late stepson Joel who died in the Iraq War. Deb had many other passions which were the KC Royals, Denver Broncos, NASCAR and drag racing. She was an accomplished bowler and had many online friends with whom she played computer games. All who knew her treasured her sense of humor and unforgettable, infectious laugh.
Deb was a faithful and devoted member of Zion Lutheran Church and served in many capacities.
Her parents, husband Kenneth, and stepson Joel Murray preceded her in death.
Left to mourn her untimely death are her stepchildren Kelly Caballero and husband Luis of Fort Collins, Colorado, Erin MacKenzie and husband David of Indiana, a daughter-in-law Maricel Murray of Junction City, Kansas; two brothers Scott Horsfall and wife Jana (Williamson) of Hays, Phil Horsfall and wife Kerrie (Doris) of Great Bend; seven grandchildren including Jerry Murray of Junction City; nephews and nieces: Kellen (Angela) Horsfall, Kyle (Caitlin) Horsfall, Laura Horsfall and Kristin Horsfall along with many relatives and countless friends.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, March 17, 2016 at Zion Lutheran Church burial following in Elmwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family kindly asks that memorials be given to Zion Lutheran Church or the Wounded Warrior Project. Visitation will be from 9:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. Wednesday at the McDonald Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 6:30 P.M.until 7:30 P.M.
HUTCHINSON — In September of 2015, a Kansas man charged with alleged distribution of drugs was bound over for trial, but that trial will be delayed even longer.
Brian Green, 29, Hutchinson, faces trial for possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, personal use drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement and aggravated false impersonation. But, the state added a charge of identity theft after testimony in the case was complete.
The defense has filed a motion to suppress and that will delay the trial, which was scheduled to begin Tuesday.
The state alleges at the time of his arrest by Hutchinson Police, Green was in possession of between 3.5 and 100 grams of methamphetamine as well as the paraphernalia, which the state alleges was used to distribute drugs.
He also allegedly had a small amount of marijuana and gave police the name of Shawn Green, which they later learned was not his name.
Green has previous convictions involving the manufacturing of methamphetamine and associated charges in Reno, Rice and
Harvey counties.
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