GARDEN CITY – Law enforcement authorities in Finney County are investigating a robbery at a bank.
Police officers in Garden City were called to Western State Bank, 409 W Kansas on Saturday night, according to a media release.
The victim was in the process of dropping a night deposit when an unknown man approached her from behind.
The assailant subsequently punched the victim and an undisclosed amount of money was taken.
The suspect is described as approximately 5’7” tall, slender build with a black or dark colored Carhart style heavy coat with a hood.
Witnesses described a dark colored Chevy S-10 style pickup that was in the area north of the bank when the attack happened.
The witness stated that a man ran from the area of the bank and got into the pickup and drove off prior to officers arriving in the area.
The Garden City Police Department is asking anyone with any information about this incident to contact them at 620-276-1300. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 620-275-7807, or text GCTIP and your tip information to 847411 (tip411).
Several bills introduced so far this session would limit the length of the legislative session, generally to 90 days one year and 60 days the next.
They sound great on the heels of a record 113-day session last year that left legislators frustrated and the public wondering why it took their elected legislators so long to do the state’s business and go back to their home districts.
This is, after all, a part-time Legislature and members sacrifice time with their families or working on their businesses or, well, probably planting flowers in their yards to do good things for their constituents and often the entire state.
Oh, and there are those who just like the Legislature, like strolling the halls and debating and hitting up lobbyists for lunch and dinner.
But insiders also know while a limit on the length of the session sounds good to many Kansans…there’s a bit of a downside, too.
Remember, it’s politics that they do here at the Statehouse, and the key to successful politics is being able to corner your opponent. Often it can be done just with a majority of the vote. Or a provision in a bill that you know a member needs—or would love to get approved—to take back to constituents as an example of their correct choice in electing that representative or senator.
While a 90-day session one year and a 60-day session another year sounds like ample time to accomplish the work of the state, this is the Statehouse, and it’s only the last couple days that really count.
Whether it is day 60 or 90, there are things like the budget that have to be passed before legislators can go home. No matter how productive the start or middle of the session, the political keys are worked out in the final day or two, and no matter what its number, those final few days represent a tool for legislative leaders.
Oh, it is a little short of, say, “stop or I’ll shoot,” but a hard deadline for adjournment means that canny scheduling—and those folks are canny when it comes to looking for political leverage—might just be another tool to push bills into law, or at least down to the second floor where the governor sits.
Wonder why last year took 113 days to wrap up the session? It was because, for good or ill, it took that long for the leadership of the Legislature to get the budget and the tax increases necessary to fund it where they wanted. Just how much spending could be cut, and once that figure was settled, how to raise the money to pay for it.
It was just that simple. If the state budget had been bulging it wouldn’t have taken that long. Lawmakers would have just passed a budget and gone home to enjoy the summer.
Now, that’s a pretty raw-boned way to look at what can happen with a hard lid on the length of the session. Count on any hard limit, whether on days or when lawmakers stop receiving legislative pay, to be a tool for the leaders. There will undoubtedly be a way to extend the session by probably a two-thirds vote in each chamber—which at this political point, leaders probably can summon up or not, depending on what works out best for them and their legislative agenda.
So while a cap on the length of the session sounds nice, it’s not the end of the story or the politicking.
Oh, and remember, that legislators can’t take campaign contributions from political action committees, unions and such, until final sine die adjournment of the Legislature. Which might be as much reason for lawmakers to complete their work quickly, at least in election years.
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com.
Sen. Bob Dole donated $20,000 to Camp Hope, a weeklong getaway for children with cancer held at Camp Aldrich. The funds are to be used for the benefit of Camp Hope. The Camp Aldrich Dining and Events Center burned down in April of 2014, which was Camp Hope’s preferred venue.
“We are so grateful to Senator Dole for his generous contribution,” said Nancy Wiebe, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement at the Barton Foundation. “This gift will allow Camp Hope to replace items at Camp Aldrich destroyed by the fire and to add new enhancements to serve the children.”
The Camp Aldrich Dining and Events Center is scheduled to be reopened to the public in April of 2016.
Some key features of the new and improved facility include the following:
25 percent larger indoor space upstairs.
Lower level is two times larger.
High efficiency heating, cooling and operation.
Elevator and other ADA compliance upgrades.
Restrooms on both levels.
Outdoor patio.
Medical facilities for Camp Hope participants.
Barton Foundation Clay Shoot to return in 2016
The annual Barton Foundation Sporting Clay Shoot fundraiser was rescheduled to April 17, 2016. Many sponsors who planned to be a part of the event in 2014 before the fire elected not to receive a refund in order to sponsor the event when it returns.
The clay shoot scheduled for April 2014 would have been the seventh annual lay shoot sponsored by the Foundation. In only seven years, the shoot had already become one of the premier clay shooting events in the state and also one of the largest, said Coleen Cape, Coordinator of Fundraising and Special Events at the Barton Foundation.
The 2014 event would have been the first held at Camp Aldrich. Cape said there were two reasons Camp Aldrich was chosen as the venue: the camp belongs to the college and the Foundation wanted the opportunity to show it off and promote its many uses to the public, and the layout and rustic wooded geography of the camp would make for a challenging and enjoyable shoot.
Following the fire, several other venues and locations were scouted and each one was found lacking in some way to meet the event’s needs.
“Instead of forging ahead and holding a sub-standard event, it was decided by the Foundation Board of Directors to hold off and plan the event at Camp Aldrich for April 17, 2016,” Cape said. “This event promises to be bigger and better than ever and we are thankful to all of our donors for hanging in there with us.”
The Kansas School Superintendents’ Association awarded Fort Hays State University graduate and Topeka Seaman High School Superintendent Mike Mathes with the Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contributions to the organization and profession.
Mathes began teaching in central Kansas and Nebraska before starting in the Seaman school district in 1993 as an assistant principal at SHS. He later moved to Logan Junior High as principal in 1995. In 2000, Mike moved to the district office as assistant superintendent and took the reins as superintendent in 2002.
In 2012, Mathes was named KSSA Superintendent of the Year. Mathes will be retiring from his post as superintendent at the conclusion of the 2015-2016 school year.
Mathes was nominated by a young superintendent who said, Mike “inspired and helped guide me through my first few years as a superintendent.”
MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) – A Northwest Missouri State football player has died in his dorm room, cutting short an event to celebrate the school’s fifth NCAA Division II championship.
The Maryville school says in a news release that junior Nicholas Turner was found dead Sunday. The release says no foul player is suspected but that authorities are investigating.
The St. Joseph News-Press reports that a celebration of the championship team was underway when head coach Adam Dorrell abruptly canceled it. Teammates were seen hugging around campus.
Turner recorded 22 tackles this season. He also had a sack in last month’s national title win against Shepherd.
The St. Louis junior was majoring in corporate recreation and wellness.
A service is planned for Monday at the school to remember him.
LARKINBURG, Kan. (AP) — Jackson County officials say a body found near the Nebo State Fishing Lake is believed to be that of a suspect in a Topeka kidnapping in December.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a hunter discovered the body Sunday afternoon about one-half mile south of the lake, which is 2 miles southwest of Larkinburg.
Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said that after further investigation, the deceased person is believed to be a 32-year-old man who was a suspect in the Dec. 23 kidnapping involving a stolen vehicle. Morse says the vehicle was found about three-fourths of a mile from where the body was discovered.
The Jackson County Deputy Coroner arrived on the scene and the body was transported to Kansas City for an autopsy.
Light snow will persist today in parts of central and western Kansas and gradually taper off this afternoon. Roads will be snow packed and hazardous. Winds will increase from the north at 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 mph today, resulting in blowing and drifting of snow. Farther south, only a flurry or two can be expected.
Today Snow, mainly before 1pm. Areas of blowing snow between 10am and 3pm. High near 33. Very windy, with a north northwest wind 17 to 22 mph increasing to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. Wind chill values as low as 1. Windy, with a north northwest wind 23 to 28 mph decreasing to 17 to 22 mph after midnight.
Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 30. Wind chill values as low as 1. Northwest wind 8 to 16 mph.
Wednesday NightMostly clear, with a low around 8. West northwest wind 8 to 10 mph.
ThursdaySunny, with a high near 35.
Thursday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 16.
UPDATED: US-36 is now closed at Phillipsburg west to the Colorado border as of 11:10 a.m. CST due to an accident and winter weather conditions.
I-70 from the Colorado border to Hays
K-25 from the Nebraska border to US-40
K-27 from the Nebraska border to Sharon Springs
K-161 from the Nebraska border to US-36
K-117 from the Nebraska border to US-36
US-83 from the Nebraska border to Scott City
US-283 from the Nebraska border to Wakeeney
K-383 from the Nebraska border to US-83
US-36 from the Colorado border to Norton
K-9 from US-283 to K-123
US-24 from Stockton to I-70
K-18 from Plainville to US-24
K-23 from Selden to Grainfield
For up-to-date information on road closures and road conditions, call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas, or check travel information online at www.kandrive.org or https://511mm.ksdot.org on your mobile device.
Spring River about to cross U.S. 166 East of Baxter Springs- photo Cherokee Co. Emergency Mgmt
COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — A Cherokee County official says the owners of 27 flood-prone homes in the southeast part of the county may be eligible for a federal buyout estimated to cost about $1.1 million.
Jason Allison, the emergency management director for Cherokee County, said the county has contacted the Kansas Division of Emergency Management to see if Cherokee County residents are eligible for federal help.
The Joplin Globe reports that according to the National Weather Service, the Spring River crested at 31.8 feet in Baxter Springs early Dec. 29, 2015, beating the previous record by about 10 feet. The county says about 50 homes were affected and about half of those were destroyed or received substantial damage.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency would provide 75 percent of the funds, but the buyout programs are administered by states and local communities.
Iowa voters celebrate on Monday night Courtesy image
12:05 p.m. Tuesday
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic caucuses in Iowa, beating back a strong challenge from Bernie Sanders to claim the first victory in the 2016 race for president.
—————–
THOMAS BEAUMONT, Associated Press
CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The opening contest of the 2016 presidential election delivered an Iowa victory to hard-charging conservative Ted Cruz, humble pie to Donald Trump and a night of bristling suspense in a too-close-to-call contest between Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Soon it will be on to New Hampshire, where the calculus is different. But first there’s a Democratic race to sort out.
Developments in the presidential scramble as all eyes turn east:
PATH TO VICTORY
—Neither party’s race in the Iowa caucuses produced a quick winner, but it was immediately apparent that the flamboyant Trump, a magnet for excitement from his massive crowds and derision from his rivals, had a terrific fight on his hands — from Marco Rubio as well as from Cruz.
Cruz went into the caucuses with a ground organization that was the envy of his rivals. He scored heavily with conservatives and won the day, leaving Trump and Rubio in a close struggle for second. Late preference polls had suggested a tight finish between Cruz and Trump — with the New York billionaire having a clearer advantage heading into the Feb. 9 New Hampshire primary.
—Clinton’s team spent nearly a year building a massive get-out-the-vote operation in Iowa, trying to power her to an Iowa victory that eluded her eight years ago against Barack Obama on his way to the presidency. But she was confronted by surging enthusiasm for Sanders.
Their Iowa race remains up in the air; Sanders, a senator from Vermont, has the advantage in bordering New Hampshire.
Whatever the outcome, Clinton and Sanders will emerge from Iowa with a similar number of delegates. The Associated Press has awarded 43 of the 44 pledged delegates at stake. Clinton currently leads Bernie Sanders, 22 to 21. If she’s declared the Iowa winner, she’ll have 23. If he is, their delegate allotment will be tied.
___
END OF THE ROAD
After a negligible Iowa performance, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley dropped out of the Democratic race, leaving only Clinton and Sanders to duke it out. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, winner of the 2008 GOP caucuses, also exited.
___
BEATING EXPECTATIONS
Even though Rubio’s team had made clear he was fighting for third place — and that’s where he finished — Rubio outperformed expectations. That’s because he shrank a gap in preference polls to finish just behind Trump.
With Iowa (and New Hampshire) offering only a small contingent of delegates needed to win the party nominations, the national campaign at this point is very much about who does better and worse than people think they will.
That changes when the rush of big-state primaries begins and the delegate math becomes decisive.
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GOP DISAFFECTION
Voters at Republican caucuses indicated they were deeply unhappy with the way the federal government is working. Half said they were dissatisfied and 4 in 10 said they were angry, according to surveys by Edison Research for The Associated Press and the television networks.
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YOUNG & OLD
Democrats under 45 favored Sanders; those older tended to back Clinton, the surveys found. That trend was even more pronounced among the youngest and oldest Democrats interviewed.
___
THE DEMOCRATS
The bracing Sanders-Clinton contest came down to a struggle between practicality and passion, with both candidates from the left but Sanders farther to the left. That continues in New Hampshire and beyond.
Clinton went hard after Sanders for “magic wand” ideas, like substituting government-paid health care for the hard-won and landmark health law everyone knows as Obamacare.
She called herself a “progressive who wants to make progress and actually produce real results in people’s lives.”
Said Sanders, “You don’t make progress unless you have the courage to look reality in the eye.”
___
THE REPUBLICANS
From one provocative comment to the next, Trump was the man to beat in Iowa, just as he will be in New Hampshire next week despite his defeat Monday. He flouted convention at every turn and capped his iconoclastic ways by blowing off the final Iowa debate in a snit with Fox News.
Cruz, who campaigned and organized exhaustively in Iowa, put into motion a strong ground game to get Iowans to the caucuses.
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IOWA VOTERS SAY…
— “Hillary goes out and works with what we have to work with. She works across the aisle and gets things accomplished.” — John Grause, 54, of Nevada, Iowa, served as a precinct captain for Clinton.
— “He’s the one true conservative in the race. I don’t think he’s the wolf in sheep’s clothing.” — Brad Sorensen, 46, of Waukee, who works for the Iowa Farm Bureau, on why he came out for Cruz.
— “I think he’s got leadership written all over him.” — Wayne Wagemann, 35, who was among more than 2,000 people at a concert hall in Clive, a Des Moines suburb, on why he backed Rubio.
___
Woodward reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Scott Bauer, Jill Colvin, Thomas Beaumont and Ken Thomas in Iowa and Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are discussing two House bills that that would create new penalties for transmitting and possessing nude photos of children between the ages of 12 and 19 years old.
Republican Rep. Ramon Gonzales of Perry introduced the bill last year in the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice. He called the measure an alternative to current laws that make first-time sexual exploitation of a child under 18 years old a felony.
Those laws apply only to adults over the age of 18 and do not address the practice of sending to others sexually suggestive messages or photos, commonly known as sexting.
Lawmakers heard testimony Monday about how the measure deals with transmitting and possessing nude images of children.
GARDEN CITY – Law enforcement authorities in Finney County are investigating a robbery at a bank.
