Elizabeth WeinmanFormer Phillipsburg resident, Elizabeth M. Weinman, passed away February 16, 2016 at the Good Samaritan Society in Hays, Kansas at the age of 88. She was an Elementary Teacher.
She was born July 28, 1927 in Kirwin, KS the daughter of Harry F. & Bessa (Duncan) Weinman.
Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, Ehrhard; & son, David.
Survivors include 3 sons, Tom of Phillipsburg, Jim of Alliance, NE and Bob of Overland Park, KS; 1 daughter, Mary Shepker of Hays, KS; 6 grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren.
Family & friends are invited to a luncheon & time of fellowship at noon with the service to follow at 2:00 p.m. Friday, February 19, 2016 at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, 1115 2nd Street, Phillipsburg with Pastor Kenton Rohrberg officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery, Phillipsburg.
Mrs. Weinman will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg. The casket will remain closed.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Phillips County E.M.S. or the Phillipsburg City Library. Online condolences: www.olliffboeve.com.
USGS map of Saturday’s quake. It was felt across 7 states
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma oil-and-gas regulators are making their most far-reaching directive yet in response to the spike in earthquakes in the state by asking the operators of nearly 250 injection wells to reduce the amount of wastewater they inject underground.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission released a plan Tuesday that covers more than 5,200 square miles in northwest Oklahoma. It calls for a reduction of more than 500,000 barrels of wastewater daily, or about 40 percent less than previous levels.
The number of earthquakes with a magnitude 3.0 or greater has skyrocketed in Oklahoma, from a few dozen in 2012 to more than 900 last year. Scientists have linked the quakes to the underground disposal of wastewater from oil-and-gas production.
A 5.1-magnitude quake hit the area Saturday, the third largest in state history.
The USGS reported it was felt across Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Nebraska, Texas, Arkansas and Iowa.
A brief discussion about commissioning a survey to judge the public’s interest in a $94 million bond issue turned sour at the Hays USD 489 Board of Education meeting Monday as the Board discussed the possibility with Gary Brinker, director the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University.
“I’ve been working with the Board since early last year when they started talking about a bond,” Brinker said in an interview after the meeting.
“Even though the Docking Institute did a free strategic planning session for the Board completely pro-bono, I don’t understand why they have omitted us from the bond planning procedures.”
Brinker began talking during the meeting about unpopular aspects of bond elections and was interrupted by Board Member Sarah Rankin.
“This is why I worry about your bond and why I feel you definitely need to do one of these,” Brinker said. “You have a strong potential that those gyms that you have in your bond are going to cause it to fail.”
“With all due respect, sir, I don’t think we need a lecture on what we should or should not do, if we could just limit this to the presentation itself,” Rankin admonished Brinker.
After a few questions from Board members, tensions further escalated when Brinker suggested resources could be saved if the survey happened to show a sales tax petition had virtually no chance of passing.
“I don’t think it’s wasting resources when you’re trying hard to accomplish something that you feel strongly about. I don’t like the term wasting resources. That is definitely not what this Board is up here attempting to do,” interjected Josh Waddell, board member.
After informing the Board he is offering a tool that would allow them to judge bond support, Brinker abruptly left the meeting.
“If you’re not interested in doing that, I’ve lost interest in doing it, frankly,” Brinker said.
Board members then heckled Brinker as he left.
“Nice attitude,” Waddell said. “Real impressive.”
Brinker expressed his concern with the Board on Tuesday.
“They expressed no interest in doing this bond survey,” he said. “The whole purpose of the presentation was to show how the bond survey could help them pass that bond.”
Without specific knowledge of support by USD 489 voters, Brinker said, the Board has no expectation it will pass.
“They’re willing to gamble the tax payers’ money to float a bond they have absolutely no assurance will pass,” he said.
“That is the crux of my frustration.”
He also said the survey would help tailor specific marketing for areas that are less popular.
“Bonds frequently fail and I think, for a lot of them, it’s for this reason,” Brinker said. “I’m very concerned that this bond is not going to pass.
“It troubles me that they are going to spend many times what the survey would cost to run this bond election, that, in my opinion, has a less than a 50/50 percent chance of passing as is.”
Brinker also had concerns the Board wanted to use a survey as a part of a promotional tool.
“I was getting the impression that they wanted to morph (a survey) into some sort of promotional thing, which I’m adamantly against,” he said. “I don’t want it to be a tool to promote a particular bond, I want it to be a tool to measure support.”
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A consulting firm being paid $2.6 million by the Kansas Legislature to review the state’s budget says taking money from school districts’ cash reserves could help pay for future education funding.
Alvarez & Marsal released a 292-page final report to lawmakers on Tuesday describing efficiencies the firm says could save the state $2 billion over the next five years.
One of the recommendations is to require school districts to have a minimum cash balance of 10 percent of their operating budget, with a maximum of 15 percent. The Wichita Eagle reports any reserves over 15 percent would be deducted from future funding.
Alvarez estimates the policy would save $193 million over five years and suggests lawmakers implement it for the next fiscal year, which begins in July.
Rep. Dennis Hedke, chairman of the House Energy and Environment Committee, says halting work on a state Clean Power Plan could save $1 million in each of the next two years. CREDIT ANDY MARSO / HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR
Republican legislators who control energy-related House and Senate committees want to halt work on a plan to comply with federal climate change regulations now that the U.S. Supreme Court has put a temporary stay on the requirements.
But some of their colleagues say it would be prudent to keep preparing the plan in case the court ultimately rules against the state. And environmentalists say the state should move to reduce carbon emissions regardless of federal law.
Rep. Dennis Hedke, a Republican from Wichita and the chairman of the House Energy and Environment Committee, said during a Monday committee meeting that halting work on a state plan could save $1 million in each of the next two years.
He also lauded Jeff Chanay, the state’s chief deputy attorney general, for his work on the litigation that led to the Supreme Court stay.
“Thank you for the effort undertaken on behalf of the state of Kansas,” Hedke said. “I think you did a fantastic job.”
The regulation imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seeks to reduce each state’s aggregate carbon emissions from power plants. Republican leaders in Kansas and other states have blasted the Clean Power Plan as unlawful federal overreach by President Barack Obama’s Democratic administration.
In October 2015, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office joined 26 other states in challenging the rule in federal court. Earlier that month, Kansas legislators grudgingly instructed the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to begin work on a state plan because if the state did not form one, the federal government would impose its own plan. They also instructed the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates the state’s utilities, to analyze the costs of any plan.
After the Supreme Court stayed the regulation on Feb. 9, Hedke said he and Sen. Rob Olson, a Republican from Olathe who chairs the Senate Utilities Committee, penned a joint letter to the state agencies requesting they stop their work.
Hedke said his committee also would soon take up Senate Bill 318, a bill Olson amended on the Senate floor to forbid work on a state plan while the stay is in effect.
Some legislators on both sides of the aisle asked whether the state needs to be better prepared if the stay is ended and the regulations are back in place.
Rep. Russ Jennings, a Republican from Lakin, asked Chanay if he thought legislators should include a “trigger mechanism” that would instruct agencies to resume their work if the stay is lifted while the Legislature is not in session.
Rep. John Carmichael, a Democrat from Wichita, said after the hearing that the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia just days after the stay was imposed could change the legal landscape. The court voted 5-4 to put the EPA rule on hold while it’s being litigated.
“Should the issue be passed to the Supreme Court again in the absence of Justice Scalia, one might expect a difference outcome,” Carmichael said.
Rep. Tom Moxley, a Republican from Council Grove, said utility companies that would be most affected have told him they would like the state to pursue parallel tracks: continue litigating while also preparing a state compliance plan in case the litigation fails.
“The utilities think we should stay engaged,” Moxley said.
Moxley also said something as consequential as the Obama climate plan should have been subject to a vote in Congress. Its imposition through regulation instead of law was a symptom of the standoff between the Obama administration and Congress that has been bad for the nation, he said.
Legislators on both sides of the issue asked pointed questions about the costs that KDHE and the KCC have incurred while forming a plan to comply with the regulation versus the resources the Kansas attorney general’s office has spent fighting it.
Zack Pistora, a lobbyist for the Kansas Sierra Club, said those costs are minimal compared to the environmental and public health costs of ignoring climate change, especially in an agriculture state with an economy sensitive to weather patterns and climate trends.
Pistora said 25 weather events have affected Kansas since 2010 that cost $1 billion or more in combined losses to states. The state should be seeking to curb carbon emissions regardless of federal regulation, he said.
“While it’s important the Supreme Court carefully reviews the constitutional viability of the law, let’s not lose sight of the pressing need of why we ought to change our energy systems,” Pistora said. “It’s because burning fossils fuels are largely causing our carbon pollution, and it’s drastically changing our global climate.”
Olson and Hedke have both said publicly that they don’t believe human activity is affecting the earth’s climate.
Andy Marso is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team. You can reach him on Twitter @andymarso
NEWTON -Three children in North Newton were taken into police custody on Tuesday.
The two were 11-years-old and one was 14, and their adoptive parents have been arrested, according to a media release.
Police say there had been concerns about the treatment of these children who had been adopted from an orphanage in Peru.
After the children were examined at the Wesley Pediatric Malnourished Unit, it was discovered that the two 11-year-old’s, one boy and one girl, were severely malnourished and had multiple bruising, current broken bones and healing of past broken bones.
Jim and Paige Nachtigal of North Newton were arrested after a child in need of care hearing was held Tuesday at the Harvey County Courthouse.
Paige Nachtigal
Felony charges against the couple include abuse of a child, aggravated child endangerment and aggravated battery and will be filed through the Harvey County Attorney’s Office.
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Fort Hays State had five players named to the Don Hansen All-America Team for the 2015 season on Tuesday (Feb. 16). The five selections marks a new school record in the program’s NCAA Division II era for number of All-America selections in one season. Brock Long earned third-team honors at linebacker, while quarterback Treveon Albert, running back Shaquille Cooper, offensive lineman Matt Erbert and safey Daniel Lindsey were all named honorable mention.
Fort Hays State went 8-4 in 2015, tying the school record for wins in a season, and earned a bid to the Mineral Water Bowl, the program’s first postseason game since 1996.
Long is the only one of the group with multiple All-America selections in 2015, including first-team honors from two organizations. Long had one of the greatest all-around seasons at linebacker for FHSU. He set a new school record for tackles in a season with 171. It passed the former mark of 164 set by Alex Whitehill in 2011. Aside from the tackles, he finished with 21.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Albert was one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the nation with both his arm and legs. He finished the season with 1,752 passing yards and 1,228 rushing yards. He finished with the most rushing yards by a quarterback for a single season in FHSU history and fifth most rushing yards in a season overall. He finished his career with 8,111 yards of total offense, setting a new school record. He also set the FHSU career passing touchdowns mark at 55. With 2,399 career rushing yards, he finished seventh on the all-time chart at FHSU. He finished third on the career passing chart with 5,712 yards.
Joining Albert in one of the best rushing combinations nationally was sophomore Shaquille Cooper. He finished the year with 1,441 rushing yards, the third-most in a single season at FHSU. Cooper averaged 120.1 rushing yards per game and he also hauled in a team-high 37 passes for 309 receiving yards. He finished the year with 1,753 all-purpose yards, averaging 146.1 per game.
Erbert adds the All-America honor to a pair of all-region selections this year. Erbert anchored the offensive line at left tackle, helping the Tigers average 251.1 rushing yards per game.
Lindsey finished the 2015 season with 85 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and four blocked kicks. He also was a huge asset on kick returns, setting a new single-season record for kick return touchdowns at FHSU with two. He averaged 27.9 yards per kick return with a total of 390 yards.
The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team dropped five spots to No. 10 in the latest USA Today/WBCA Division II rankings. It matches their lowest ranking of the season when they were ranked 10th in the preseason poll.
The Tigers are one of four teams from the MIAA in this week’s poll. Missouri Western moves up a spot to No. 7, Pittsburg State jumps four to 19th and Emporia State falls one spot to No. 22.
Two other teams from the NCAA II Central Region are ranked. Winona State (Minn.) of the NSIC is 8th and Arkansas Tech of the GAC sits at 14th.
Complete poll below…
Rank
Institution – First Place Votes
Previous Rank
Record
Total Points
T1
Lubbock Christian University (Texas) – 12
2
22-0
580
T1
University of Alaska – Anchorage – 10
1
28-1
580
3
Limestone College (S.C.) – 2
3
23-0
551
4
California Baptist University
4
23-1
519
5
Ashland University (Ohio)
6
24-1
477
6
Lewis University (Ill.)
7
24-1
476
7
Missouri Western State
8
23-2
420
8
Winona State University (Minn.)
9
25-2
416
9
West Texas A&M University
10
22-2
396
10
Fort Hays State University (Kan.)
5
21-3
384
11
Union University (Tenn.)
11
23-2
362
12
Drury University (Mo.)
12
20-3
330
13
Virginia Union University
13
20-2
292
14
Arkansas Tech University
15
19-2
275
15
Benedict College (S.C.)
16
22-2
248
16
West Liberty University (W.Va.)
18
21-3
200
17
Nova Southeastern University (Fla.)
14
20-4
193
18
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
19
21-3
190
19
Pittsburg State University (Kan.)
23
21-4
158
20
University of California – San Diego
22
20-3
123
21
Anderson University (S.C.)
17
17-4
121
22
Emporia State University (Kan.)
21
19-5
109
23
Quincy University (Ill.)
20
20-4
94
24
Columbus State University (Ga.)
NR
19-4
58
25
Bellarmine University (Ky.)
NR
18-3
42
Dropped Out: University Of Sioux Falls (S.D.); Bentley University (Mass).
Others receiving votes: University Of Sioux Falls (S.D.) 40; Colorado State University – Pueblo 23; Kentucky State University 23; Clayton State University (Ga.) 20; Bentley University (Mass.) 19; California State University – Dominguez Hills 17; California State University – East Bay 11; Ursuline College (Ohio) 9; Lander University (S.C.) 7; Augusta University (Ga.) 6; Northern State University (S.D.) 5; Wheeling Jesuit University (W.Va.) 5.
Monday morning U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp spoke to constituents in Hays on a variety of topics at a town hall meeting, but before taking questions, Huelskamp spoke about his thoughts of the expanding national debt.
“If we get this wrong, our debt is going to eat us alive,” Huelskamp said. “When the current president was elected they have added about seven trillion dollars in new debt.”
“As of today it’s over $19 trillion,” he said. “That’s going to take away our sovereignty, eat up our futures and we won’t be able to fund anything we’d like, if we’re spending so much to service this debt,” he said.
Huelskamp also had harsh words about fellow congressmen on handling the debt.
“I’m very concerned about that, I will say most of my colleagues, they like to talk about it, but they generally don’t vote like they’re worried about it,” he said. “Currently they are adding about $1.5 billion every day.”
Following an audience question Huelskamp shared information about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement with Pacific Rim countries, that has been a part of the Obama Administration’s trade policy goals.
“My expectation is it has been finally signed, it will be submitted formally to congress, I think this month, but I don’t think Congress is going to take it up this year,” Huelskamp said.
“It’s probably the biggest trade deal in human history and it deserves our time and attention.”
“When Congress told the President to continue to negotiate that, because he had been negotiating this for about five or six years, we identified 100 different things we told the President these are priorities you must address,” Huelskamp said about currency manipulation in the TPP.
“For agriculture, for wheat for example, currently if you hit the quota, you have a 100 percent tariff on wheat,” he said.
“If you want to trade with us, Japan or any other country, you’ve got to do it on a level playing filed,” Huelskamp said, “That’s what TPP tries to do.”
Huelskamp also spoke about the appointment of a replacement for Antonin Scalia, associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court, who died over the weekend.
“The biggest backbone you would probability be looking for in the next few months would be in the U.S. Senate of what they are going to do if there’s a nominee to replace Justice Scalia,” he said. “That would be a real battle.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State’s Joe Mapes was named MIAA/AstroTurf Co-Hitter of the Week on Tuesday (Feb. 16) for his efforts in a three-game series with Regis University this past weekend in Hays. Mapes shares the honor this week with Joe Paulino of Missouri Southern. Payton Walker of Missouri Southern was named the Pitcher of the Week.
Mapes batted .538 over a three-game series against Regis University at home. As the designated hitter, he went 7-of-13 at the plate with two home runs and a double to produce a slugging percentage of 1.077. He scored four runs and drove in four. Three of his four RBI came in FHSUs only win in the series, a 9-4 result in the series finale.
Paulino had quite the opening weekend for the Lions in helping Missouri Southern to a four-game sweep of Bemidji State. In the second game of a DH against the Beavers, Paulino went 3-5 with three RBIs, a run and two doubles. In the game on Saturday, Paulino went 3-4 with a run, a double and two RBI’s. In the series finale on Sunday, Paulino went 1-3 with a home run and two RBIs. For the week, Paulino hit .583, slugged 1.083, had seven hits, three doubles a home run and three runs scored.
Walker pitched a stellar game in the opener for the Lions against Bemidji State this weekend. He teamed up and earned a shutout, throwing eight innings in the process. He struck out five and walked just one, allowing just three hits in the game. He allowed just one batter past first base and retired 14 in a row at one point, including 18 of the final 20 he faced (one reached by way of error). The 5-11 senior left handed pitcher is a native of Carl Junction, Mo. where he competed at Carl Junction High School.
SALINA – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a suspect accused of stealing a handgun.
Mikal Terrell, 22, is alleged to have taken the gun between February 8th and February 9th from a home in the 2500 block of South Ohio Street in Salina, according to Police Captain Mike Sweeney.
When confronted about taking the gun, Terrell allegedly threatened the owner if he told police.
Police arrested Terrell on February 11th for possession of a gun as a convicted felon.
The gun’s owner reported it stolen to police on Monday.
Terrell is in jail on requested charges of burglary, theft, intimidation of a witness, and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. He has previous a conviction in 2013 for Criminal possess firearm in Saline County.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director says the state will not lose existing sales tax revenues if it pursues a project aimed at luring the annual American Royal horse and livestock exhibition to Kansas from Kansas City, Missouri.
Budget Director Shawn Sullivan said Tuesday that any development for the American Royal in Wyandotte County will be a “stand alone” project that won’t tap sales tax revenues generated in a nearby shopping and entertainment district featuring Kansas Speedway.
Some legislators are trying to prevent the project from being financed with bonds backed by state sales tax revenues.
The development could include a new hotel, children’s museum and 5,000-seat hockey arena.
The American Royal issued a statement Tuesday saying that it has been exploring options for a future location.
——————
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A project aimed at luring the American Royal horse and livestock exhibition to the Kansas side of the Kansas City metropolitan area could include a new hotel, children’s museum and 5,000-seat arena for hockey.
A Kansas Department of Commerce report obtained Monday by The Associated Press says the proposed development “is assumed” to include those projects and 12 other elements.
The American Royal is a 2½-month exhibition each fall in Kansas City, Missouri.
But the proposal’s future is uncertain.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration wants to use a special economic development program to fund it. But Kansas legislators have included a provision in budget legislation to prevent the state from doing so.
They say Kansas is too cash-strapped to give up sales tax revenue as part of the program.
Daniel J. Basgall, 62, rural McCracken, Kansas, died Monday, February 15, 2016, at his home.
Mr. Basgall was born April 13, 1953, in La Crosse, Kansas, the son of Everett and Euphrosena (Hartman) Basgall. He was a lifelong resident of Rush County, Kansas. He attended La Crosse High School, La Crosse, Kansas.
He was a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, La Crosse, Kansas.
He enjoyed working on cars, hunting, fishing, and especially hanging out with his children and grandchildren.
On December 18, 1976, he married Janice J. North at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, La Crosse, Kansas.
Survivors include: his wife, Janice J. Basgall, rural McCracken, Kansas; two sons, Dane J. Basgall, Antonino, Kansas, and Dylan J. Basgall (Rachel), La Crosse, Kansas; one daughter, Danae J. Younger (Christopher) Hays, Kansas; four grandchildren, Taylan Younger, Jadyn Younger, Katlyn Younger, and Urijah James; six brothers, Ralph Basgall, Wichita, Kansas, Leroy Basgall, Russell, Kansas, Virgil Basgall, Carson City, Nevada, Ronnie Basgall, Kansas City, Raymond Basgall, La Crosse, Kansas, and Tony Basgall, Brownell, Kansas; and one sister, Kathy Hoffman, Wichita, Kansas.
He was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Melvin Basgall, Harry Basgall, Gerald Basgall, and Bobby Basgall; and one sister, Mary Jane Pittman.
Visitation will be Thursday, February 18, 2016, from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Janousek Funeral Home, La Crosse, Kansas, with the family receiving friends from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. A vigil service and rosary will be at 7:00 P.M. Church visitation will be Friday, February 19, 2016, from 9:30 A.M. to 10:20 A.M. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, La Crosse, Kansas.
Funeral service will be Friday, February 19, 2016, at 10:30 A.M. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, La Crosse, Kansas, with Father Matthew Kumi officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Central Rush County EMT’s.
