SHAWNEE COUNTY – A Kansas sheriff’s deputy is recovering from injuries after being hit by a vehicle after a traffic stop.
Just after 4a.m. on Friday, a Shawnee County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a stop on a 1998 Chevy Malibu for a traffic violation in the 2100 block of SW Huntoon in Topeka, according to a media release.
The driver refused to cooperate with the deputy’s instructions. The Malibu hit the deputy as the suspect drove away from the scene. The deputy returned to the patrol vehicle and chased the Malibu west on SW 10th street, where the driver attempted to turn north on SW Summit Avenue and hit a stop sign.
The deputy stopped the patrol car behind the Malibu, exited the vehicle to attempt to initiate an arrest of the driver.
The driver again refused to cooperate with the deputy’s instructions and backed the Malibu into the deputy’s patrol car and left the scene.
The chase continued until the Malibu came to a stop in the 400 block of SW Franklin Avenue.
Police arrested driver, Socorro L. Ramirez, 31, of Topeka, and the passenger, Ashley N. Ogans, 28, of
Topeka, were arrested and transported to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning.
Ms. Ramirez is being charged with crimes that include:Aggravated Battery on a LEO X 2, Felony Fleeing and Eluding, Reckless Driving, DUI, Possession of Opiates/Stimulants, Possession of Marijuana
Ms. Ogans is being charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Opiates/Stimulants
The deputy that was struck by the Malibu was transported to a local hospital and released after treatment of minor injuries.
Ramirez has previous convictions for drugs and weapons in Shawnee County.
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Bryan Noone, Director of The Sleep and Neurodiagnostic Institute at HaysMed, with the topic of “Sleep Health” by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
PRATT – Getting started in hunting, fishing, or just about any outdoor activity, can be intimidating for most people, but especially for women.
Ladies today are faced with societal and familial pressures that often prevent them from pursuing outdoor quests, but the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism has a solution for that: Becoming An Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshops. BOW workshops – or rather really fun weekend rendezvous where women can take classes of their choosing – provide outdoor skills training in a fun, friendly, and laid-back atmosphere.
Interested women are encouraged to sign up for the next workshop, May 5-7 at Rock Springs 4-H Center in Junction City. With more than 25 different classes to choose from, attendees can craft the perfect outdoor weekend, tailored specifically to their interests.
Cost for the three-day workshop is $250, which includes lodging, meals and class supplies. Three $100 scholarships are available to first-time participants based on financial need.
Early registration will be open to first-time participants through February 10. If spots still remain, past participants may register thereafter. Registration closes April 25. Applicants are encouraged to apply early as spring workshops fill up fast. To register, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Education,” then “Becoming an Outdoor Woman.”
For questions, call or email Jami McCabe at (785) 845-5052 or [email protected].
Creekside Estates Addition final plat (Click to enlarge)
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
The Hays city commission added its stamp of approval Thursday night to the final plat of Creekside Estates Addition in northwest Hays.
The property, located south of 27th Street west of Hall Street, is already annexed into the city and zoned for residential development.
The 12.17 acre plat includes 12 lots ranging from 0.6 acres to just over 1 acre, as well as right-of-way dedication for the extension of Englewood Street. The property was originally platted as Arbor Valley Estates Addition, a portion of which is being vacated. It had already been reviewed and approved by the Hays Area Planning Commission and city staff in the utilities and water resources departments.
(Click to enlarge)
Although it was a unanimous vote approval by commissioners, Henry Schwaller wondered about the size of the lots. “In the past we’ve been concerned about lots this big and I know there’s been some background discussion with the Planning Commission. Are we okay with big lots again?” Schwaller asked City Manager Toby Dougherty.
Dougherty reminded the commission it “pretty well set that precedent when you authorized the combining of four lots into one up by the Smoky Hill Country Club to create 0.85 acres there.”
Still, Dougherty said the commission needs to have a discussion about maximum lot size.
“When you discussed the Blue Sky Acres addition (south of Hays), the commission said we don’t want the 2 to 3 acre lot subdivisions in our city or next to the city.
“Everybody can spot a very large hamlet-type lot but where do you draw that boundary? We do want to have a future discussion on whether or not to draw those boundaries,” Dougherty confirmed.
In the past, Schwaller recalled, “we had plats that had very large lots and the specials were onerous. I think there’s some economies of scale here (in Creekside Estates Addition) because half of the development is already done.”
Public Works Director Greg Sund explains the Creekside Estates Addition lots are deep with little frontage.
Public Works Director Greg Sund pointed out that Creekside is “starting to go along the way our discussions have been going where these lots are deep but they don’t have a lot of frontage, so it doesn’t take as much (city) water, sewer and street to service them.”
“I was a little concerned about the lot sizes,” Commissioner Lance Jones said, “but where the flood plain runs through there, I understand why. Plus, this addition does align that street up (Englewood) which is another discussion we’ve been having, so I think you give a little, you take a little.”
The proposed plat aligns the new street with the existing Englewood St. located north of 27th St. and eliminates the dead-end on West. 26th St.
The city doesn’t necessarily “hate large lots,” said Vice-Mayor James Meier. “I think the concern originated out of taxes generated by those large lots are not paying for the (city) infrastructure that has to go in to service them. In this instance, I think that is not really a concern,” he added.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Revenue has increased the convenience and security of the state’s free online filing system KS WebFile with a new verification system.
KS WebFile – a partnership between the department and the Kansas.gov website– allows Kansans to file their income tax and Homestead claims for free online.
Starting this year, filers will be required to confirm their identity with the filing application directly by providing personal information. In previous years, users had to obtain an access code by calling the department’s electronic services staff or using a prior year’s refund or balance due amount to link to their account.
By eliminating the access codes and the need to contact the department for that information the system will be more convenient for users to file.
The Kansas Territory was admitted to the Union as its 34th state 156 years ago. We emerged from a period of violence and political struggle – Bleeding Kansas. Within months, the Civil War erupted, pitching the nation against itself and testing the mettle of the Kansas Free-Staters fresh off their battle for individual liberty. Conflicts again broke out as Kansans took up arms to defend our state and the Union.
Today, some claim our nation has never been more divided. I will be the first to admit: America faces many serious problems and there is significant disagreement about the solutions. But I’m hopeful, because our current problems are not inherently more polarizing than those we have faced in the past – and our solutions shouldn’t be either. As we reflect on our state’s beginning, we Kansans should seize the opportunity to lead the way and refuse to let divisiveness overwhelm our vision for a better future.
Kansans have historically carried on the pioneering tradition of our state’s founders. We value community-mindedness, hard work and self-determination. It is the outlook that guided the millions of homesteaders and railroad workers who came from different regions to join together and build up a new place to call home. These traits and that desire to be independent live on today and empower us to set an example for the rest of the country that, despite our disagreements, we can work together to rise above disputes and come together to make positive improvements to our communities. In our pursuit of a better tomorrow, we must not allow ourselves to grow pessimistic about setbacks. This idea is underscored by our state’s motto, “To the Stars through difficulty.” We set our sights high and work doggedly to meet the challenge. It is the Kansas way.
Even the highest of aspirations, though, take root at the local level when people forge relationships and develop friendships person-to-person centered on a common interest. Understanding the value of friendship with our neighbors is the kind of thing I believe Kansans are best at. And it is not something we can afford to let fall by the wayside. As we seek to serve one another, a good first step is to redouble our commitments to our communities. We can get involved with a local service organization or nonprofit; cook for those in need; volunteer at church, an after-school program or a senior center; and engage with folks whose paths we might not routinely cross.
One of the most essential aspects of my job is traveling around the state and building relationships with the people I represent. Those conversations help keep me grounded, give me a better understanding of the specific issues facing our state, and help me focus my efforts in Washington. The time I spend listening to Kansans also adds weight to my perspective in Congress because my colleagues know that I am giving voice to the Kansas point of view and its many facets. My aim is to bring your perspective directly to the halls of the Senate based on what I hear from Johnson County to Johnson City and all the communities in between. This is how we make certain the people’s government answers to you, the people. Despite the fractures in Washington, there still is common ground to be found, but not without open dialogue and mutual understanding. The same is true for our communities in Kansas.
Let’s guide the way of our nation. Let’s be the example and always look for the best in each other. Our state’s 157th year holds tremendous promise, and I hope we realize that promise by carrying on our founders’ values and working together for the good of the state and nation. I’m grateful to again have the opportunity to serve in the United States Senate on your behalf. I take the blessing of being a Kansan to heart – each day, I hope to bring our home state’s sense of hard work, dedication to service and innate respect for our neighbors to my work in Washington, D.C.
May God continue to bless the great state of Kansas.
FINNEY COUNTY – A Kansas teen was injured in an accident during a pursuit with law enforcement just before 1a.m. on Saturday in Finney County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Toyota Camry driven by Kevin Antonio Garcia, 19, Dodge City, was southbound on Towns Boulevard fleeing Law Enforcement.
The driver missed the curve at the intersections with Old Post Road. The Camry traveled straight into a field and overturned.
Garcia was transported to St. Catherine’s Hospital.
Details on what prompted the chase and possible charges were not available early Saturday.
By RANDY GONZALES FHSU University Relations and Marketing
CNN Money lists mobile app development as the best job in its list of 100 best jobs in America. One need look no further than Fort Hays State University to earn a degree in the field.
FHSU’s Department of Informatics is for those students interested in a career in computing and technology. The department offers several undergraduate and graduate concentrations, as well as minors and certificate programs. Among the undergraduate programs offered is Web and mobile application development.
According to CNN, mobile app development has a median pay of $97,100, with top pay at $133,000 and 10-year job growth at 19 percent. In quality-of-life ratings, CNN ranks mobile app developer as an “A” in personal satisfaction, telecommuting and low stress.
Erin McIntyre, a Virtual College student at FHSU, is on track to graduate in May with a Master of Professional Studies degree in Web development. McIntyre, who lives in Montpelier, Vt., received her undergraduate degree in musical theatre performance from a school in New York City.
“It’s one of the worst things you can do if you want to make a living,” McIntyre said with a laugh. “I have no regrets about it. It was wonderful. I’m glad I did it.”
McIntyre was interested in Web development and did a Google search for universities that offered graduate programs online in that area. Fort Hays State was the only one she could find. When she first started taking classes, McIntyre didn’t focus on mobile Web development.
“I was looking more general Web development,” she said. “Then I had the opportunity to take mobile Web development last semester, and I’m taking mobile development for IOS systems (this semester).”
McIntyre is involved in freelance Web development projects while pursuing her degree.
“I really hope to continue to do that,” she said. “There’s a lot of opportunity out there to do websites in general, and I’m finding there are opportunities to make money with mobile app development, too.”
Melissa Hunsicker Walburn, chair of the Department of Informatics at FHSU, said she was excited when she learned of the CNN ranking. It was an affirmation of what the department is hoping to accomplish.
“With the increasing proliferation of the Internet and being able to do more things through mobile devices, I think we’re going to see the demand increase in ways that don’t even exist,” she said, adding that FHSU’s efforts in the field are being recognized.
“Employers seem to very much appreciate the blend that we have with applied computing science and entrepreneurship,” she said. “Those are two corner posts of our curriculum. We’re less about the theory, and we’re more about how do we take the technology that exists and push it to see what we can make it do. Those are skills that continue to be in high demand.”
Sierra Powers, a 2015 FHSU graduate in Informatics with a concentration in web development, said the hands-on training she received in classes was beneficial.
“I feel like my education at Fort Hays State really helped me figure out how to solve problems and how to teach myself,” she said. “We had a lot of practical learning. My professors really allowed us to focus on our projects in areas that we were most interested in.”
Powers is a content specialist with Invista, a Wichita subsidiary of Koch Industries. She works on company websites as well as assisting developers and marketers.
“Fort Hays State gave me a lot of the background information that gave me an introduction to a lot of the technologies I’ve been working with,” she said. “We do have a focus on making sure our websites are responsive, work well on mobile devices.”
Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration recently sent what amounts to a wish list to President Donald Trump for inclusion in his planned infrastructure initiative. The list includes $240 million in highway and bridge projects. FILE PHOTO / KPR
By JIM MCLEAN & SAM ZEFF
Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is hoping the federal government can rescue several critical infrastructure projects that the state can no longer afford.
The Brownback administration recently sent what amounts to a wish list to President Donald Trump for inclusion in his planned infrastructure initiative. It includes the following $240 million in highway and bridge projects delayed or abandoned because of the state’s ongoing budget problems:
$50 million to replace a section of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct that carries Interstate 70 across the Kansas River between Kansas and Missouri.
$91 million to build an I-235 interchange in Wichita.
$45 million to reconstruct nine miles of I-70 in Gove County.
$54 million to reconstruct 10 miles of I-70 in Thomas County.
The list — which Melika Willoughby, Brownback’s communications director, says the Trump administration requested — also includes the second phase of the John Redmond Reservoir dredging project and some streambank stabilization projects.
Several media outlets recently reported that the National Governors Association was helping to compile a list of “priority projects” for an infrastructure package of about $150 billion. According to those reports, the Trump administration will prioritize projects based on their potential to create jobs, improve public safety or enhance national security.
Willoughby says the I-235 project “will bolster the aviation manufacturing industry in Wichita.” And, she says, replacing the aging Lewis and Clark Viaduct is necessary to restore a “crucial corridor” in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The Trump team also wants projects that are shovel ready, or close to it.
The Kansas road and bridge projects are. They were on this year’s construction schedule until cash-flow problems forced the Kansas Department of Transportation to delay them along with dozens of others.
Bob Totten, executive vice president of the Kansas Contractors Association, says while he welcomes any effort to bring additional federal construction dollars to the state, what Brownback is requesting wouldn’t make up for “all the money he’s taken from the highway program over the last six years.”
Brownback and lawmakers, Totten says, have swept $2.7 billion from KDOT, crippling the agency’s ability to complete T-Works, a 10-year, $8 billion transportation program approved in 2010.
Brownback is proposing to take another $600 million from the agency over the next two budget years to help cover a projected shortfall of nearly $1 billion.
Jim McLean is managing director of kcur.org‘s Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics in Kansas. Sam Zeff Education for the Kansas News Service.
GRAHAM COUNTY – A Graham County teen was injured in an accident at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday in Hill City.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Ford Expedition driven by Dajuen Troivan Chapman, 17, was southbound in the 600 Block south 2nd Avenue in Hill City.
The SUV skidded off the roadway into the east ditch. It struck the ditch bank, rolled, Vehicle #1 broke 2 power poles and the driver was ejected.
Chapman was transported to Graham County Hospital and then flown to Hays Medical Center.
He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
It was time to elect a new president. No, I’m not talking about the Electoral College. In this case, I’m referring to a national professional association which was electing new officers. When the voting was done, the new president of this national organization is a woman from rural Kansas.
Trudy Rice is the incoming president of this organization known as the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, or NACDEP. That name is quite a mouthful, but it represents lots of important community development educational programming which is being carried out across the country.
Trudy grew up in western Kansas and graduated from Norton. She went to K-State and got a degree in education. She also met and married Ron Rice and returned with him to his family farm in Douglas County south of Lawrence.
Trudy began her career in extension as a 4-H agent in Douglas County and then took time off to stay home as she and Ron had children. She also owned and operated her own small business. When the kids were older, she returned to extension as a family and consumer sciences agent in Douglas County. Son Brad is now back on the farm and daughter Brandie is a faculty member at K-State.
In 1999, Trudy was promoted to county extension director. This role required her to engage with a broader range of citizens, including civic, non-profit, and governmental leaders across the community. “When I became county director, I saw how important community development work really was,” Trudy said.
K-State Research and Extension carries out educational work in four areas: Agriculture, family and consumer sciences, 4-H and youth, and community development. The first three have a longer history within extension work, but community development is growing.
“Community development is the process of convening community people to identify critical issues and then matching those issues with resources of the university which can address them,” Trudy said.
In 2009, she was promoted to become a state community development specialist with responsibilities for the PRIDE program. In 2010, she was selected as the Extension Fellow to work at the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C. In 2015, she was selected to be K-State Research and Extension’s state program leader for community vitality.
“Lots of exciting things are happening in community vitality,” Trudy said. “We now have programming around leadership, entrepreneurship, First Impressions, and the PRIDE program. Our staff has expanded, thanks to partnerships and financial support from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and the Masonic Foundation of Kansas.”
Trudy also has responsibility to network with fellow extension professionals in other states. A few years ago, she participated in a meeting of the national professional association for extension staff who are working in the community development arena. This is the previously mentioned organization known as NACDEP – the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals.
At her first meeting, the officers asked for volunteers to work on a particular project. Trudy stepped up and she ended up chairing the initiative. Two things happened: One, it went so well that others recognized her leadership skills, and two, she observed first-hand the value and effectiveness of the organization.
She got more involved in NACDEP. In 2016 when it was time to elect a new president-elect, the winner was Trudy Rice from rural Kansas. Her term as president officially begins in June 2017.
“Our purpose is to promote the profession of community development within extension programming,” Trudy said. “I want to establish more state chapters and encourage those chapters to provide professional development opportunities to benefit our members.”
Her state and national duties keep her busy, but she continues to live on the family farm in Douglas County. It’s located south of Lawrence on the route to the rural community of Baldwin City, population 3,503 people. Now, that’s rural.
It’s time to pick a new President. No, the Electoral College is not involved. In this case, the members of NACDEP elected a rural Kansas woman to be their national president. We commend Trudy Rice for making a difference with service to her profession, her state, and her nation.
On Monday, Jan. 23, the USD 489 Board of Education approved Feb. 8 as an all-day inservice. Due to inclement weather, a snow day was called on the original inservice day on Jan. 16. There will be no school for students in grades K-12 on Feb. 8.
The district chose Feb. 8, previously scheduled as an early release day, as a replacement date for an all-day inservice due to a scheduled guest speaker being in the district that day.
In order to assist families with activities for students on that day, the district has worked with the Hays Recreation Commission to organize events for this day. The Hays Recreation Commission will have various activities available for students from 1 pm to 5 pm that day. To enroll your student in the HRC afternoon session, call 785-623-2650.
An updated district calendar is attached and available on the district website. The district apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause parents and appreciates everyone’s flexibility. Call (785) 623-2400 if you have any questions.
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Bryan Noone, Director of The Sleep and Neurodiagnostic Institute at HaysMed, with the topic of “Sleep Health” by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
