TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Firefighters have rescued a cat from a Topeka tree along with its owner.
Topeka Fire Department Shift Commander Todd Williams says the woman and her cat were about 16 feet up in a large tree when they were plucked out Wednesday. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the owner had climbed the tree trying to get to her cat.
The woman’s identity wasn’t being released.
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Deanell Reece Tacha, attorney, former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals, professor and now a university administrator, will speak on “The Minerals, the Courts, and Me” at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 13, in Fort Hays State University’s Albertson Hall, room 169.
Her appearance is sponsored by the Department of Geosciences in FHSU’s Peter Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics.
Tacha, a Kansas native, has been a practicing attorney and a professor as well as a federal judge and university administrator. She is currently the Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean of the School of Law at Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif.
“Our students identified her as someone who could inspire them by talking about her personal successes as a woman, as a Kansan, and as someone who grew up in a small town,” said Dr. Grady Dixon, chair of the Department of Geosciences.
“She also has history of working in the legal areas of oil and gas, which relate to our department,” he said.
She was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in 1986, a position she held to 2011. From 2001 to 2007, she served the 10th Circuit as chief judge. The 10th Circuit oversees the federal court districts of Colorado and Kansas.
Tacha earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1968 and her juris doctorate from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1971.
For more information, contact Dixon at [email protected] or by phone at (785) 628-5389.
More information on Tacha is available at law.pepperdine.edu/faculty-research/deanell-reece-tacha/.
By C.D. DESALVO
Hays Post
The Fort Hays State University Student Government Association, in partnership with the American Democracy Project, hosted a Gun Policy Town Hall for the community of Hays on Wednesday at Memorial Union. The purpose of the town hall was for students and community members to get questions answered by the panel about the new firearm concealed carry policy for FHSU, which goes into effect on July 1.
Assistant Professor of Political Science Bryan Bennett explained the policy used guidelines the NRA and gun safety courses have outlined.
“We pulled these requirements, in large part, from NRA guidelines and hunter safety guidelines. So it is basic hunter safety about not having a loaded round in the chamber, having proper storage and having the safety on. These are not independent decisions we have made,” Bennett said.
General Counsel Kerry Wasinger opened the town hall meeting by going over the basic main points of the new policy.
“A concealed firearm in Kansas no longer requires a concealed carry permit,” Wasinger said. “There are limitations. You must be 21 years of age, you can not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you can not have a felony. If you can’t legally own a firearm, you can’t conceal and carry.”
Some other main points in the policy include being at least 21 years old, properly storing the firearm, proper concealment, required holsters, and unchambered rounds. Wasinger talked about what a violation of the gun policy would entail.
“For students, faculty and staff, violations of this policy are treated like any other violation of any other policy on campus. Students will go through the Student Code of Conduct, staff are going to go through the employment conduct procedures for violation of this policy just like they would any other violation of policies,” said Wasinger.
One thing that the panel hit on continuously throughout the meeting was limiting disruption of the academic atmosphere and student safety as No. 1 priorities.
After the counsel went over the main points of the new policy, they fielded questions from a crowd of about 40 people, which included mostly students.
A majority of the questions included inquiries on additional safety. University Police Chief Ed Howell informed participants of how the UPD would handle various “what-if” scenarios and explained that UPD is already taking steps to prepare for the policy to go into effect.
“Our officers within UPD train at least two, three times a year on responding to an active shooter event within our academic buildings. That gives my staff continual training on how to react and how to clear buildings when responding to those situations,” Howell said. “We have also put in a request for additional resources.”
Kansas passed legislation in 2013 allowing concealed carry on state university campuses. The six Kansas Board of Regents universities were given the option to exempt out of concealed carry, which they all did. That exemption expires July 1, and the FHSU concealed carry policy is in preparation for that.
The full FHSU concealed carry policy can be found here: gun-policy.
Darlene Marie Ficken, 84, Hays, died Thursday, April 13, 2017 at the Hays Medical Center.
Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced by Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
The heaviest rainfall in the state was focused squarely on Ellis County on Wednesday night, as a strong front stalled right over the county.
There were reports of as much as 3.76 inches of precipitation north of Ellis, and multiple reports of 3-plus inches of rain in Hays. To the east, Victoria reported just more than an inch of rain. Catharine had a report of 1.23 inches.
RELATED: Click HERE for images of the storm from Hays Post readers.
RELATED: Wild Wednesday weather in Ellis County.
While much of the state received at least some moisture, Ellis County was the big beneficiary. Just to the west, Trego County had a report of just 0.4 inches.
Parts of Russell County received just trace amount of precipitation.
There is another chance for thunderstorms Thursday. Click HERE for the complete extended forecast.
Thanks to our readers for sharing their pictures and videos!
Cover photo courtesy David Koshiol
Darlene Marie Ficken, 84, Hays, died Thursday, April 13, 2017 at the Hays Medical Center.
Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced by Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Mike Cooper visits with Ed Howell of the Fort Hays State University police.
BATON ROUGE, La. — The following local residents recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.
Ashley Lockwood of Hays was initiated at Fort Hays State University
Xiaojia Qu of Hays was initiated at Fort Hays State University
Brendon Shroyer of Hays was initiated at Fort Hays State University
Karrie Simpson Voth of Hays was initiated at Fort Hays State University
Christina Wyatt of Hays was initiated at Fort Hays State University
Ziyu Yang of Hays was initiated at Fort Hays State University
Jiadan Zang of Hays was initiated at Fort Hays State University
These residents are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”
MANHATTAN – Kansas State University beat 12 other schools to win the national championship at the 2017 Collegiate Meat Animal Evaluation Contest.
The three-day competition concluded April 4 with the champion teams and individuals being recognized at the Stanley Stout Center in Manhattan. Kansas State won its’ first-ever national title in this contest last year, and now has successfully defended that win.
The team won several categories, including market animal, breeding, swine and communications. Chase Gleason (Uniontown, Kan.) won the overall individual title, while Shelby Teague (Fort Morgan, Colo.) placed third and Brooke Jensen (Courtland, Kan.) was fourth.
“We are proud of our students and coaches for their hard work and accomplishments,” said Ken Odde, department head for animal sciences and industry. “This is a challenging contest that not only tests a student’s ability in meat and livestock evaluation, but also requires that they understand pricing, which is particularly important in today’s value-based marketing system.”
The event rotates between host institutions across the country. The competition includes live market animal carcass predictions and pricing, breeding animal evaluation and meat judging competition and serves as a capstone judging experience for students because it incorporates many concepts that are applicable to the meat industry.
The team is coached by Travis O’Quinn and Chris Mullinix and assisted by graduate students Austin Langemeier and Lauren Prill.
In addition to Gleason, Teague and Jensen, team members include Trevor Birky (Strang, Neb.); Dakota Ferguson (Williamsburg, Kan.); Callahan Grund (Wallace, Kan.); Lauren Ivey (Montpelier, Va.); Matt Marion (Terre Haute, Ind.); Austin Matheny (Mayslick, Ky.); Cole Renner (Norton, Kan.); Leah Scholz, (Lancaster, Kan.); Maggie Smith (Lewistown, Ill.); Jessie Vallejo (Gridley, Cal.); Emily Voris (Atwater, Cal.); and Jake Wagner (Erie, Colo.).
Today A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Light south wind becoming south southeast 10 to 15 mph in the morning.
Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. South southeast wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon.
Friday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 59. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
SaturdayA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. South southwest wind 10 to 14 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Saturday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 48.
SundayMostly sunny, with a high near 69.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Andrew Triggs pitched six shutout innings, Jed Lowrie drove in three runs and the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 8-3 Wednesday night.
Triggs (2-0) scattered four hits and a walk, striking out three. It was the former Royals farmhand’s second solid start this season, having allowed one unearned run over 5 1/3 innings against the Angels.
Triggs combined with Ryan Dull to extend the Royals’ scoreless-inning streak to 19 before Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer drove in runs off reliever Liam Hendricks in the eighth. Raul Mondesi homered in the ninth.
Jason Hammel (0-1) gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks before getting yanked with two outs in the fifth.
The A’s have won eight in a row over the Royals, six of those coming at Kauffman Stadium – and most of them in romps. Oakland has outscored the Royals 53-15 in the games played in Kansas City.
GODDARD, Kan. It was a long day for the Hays High softball team as they commit 13 errors and get outscored 31-1 in losses to Goddard and Maize at the Goddard Triangular Wednesday. The games were a makeup from March 31.
Goddard took advantage of three first inning errors to score six runs then added nine in the third for a 16-1 win in a game called after three innings by run-rule. Jaysa Wichers drove in the only run for Hays with a first inning single. She also took the loss, allowing six unearned runs on one hit over 2/3 of an inning.
Maize struck for seven runs in the first and won 15-0 in four innings. Macee Altman allowed all seven first inning runs and suffered the loss as the Indians drop to 2-4.
Hays is back in action Thursday at home against Great Bend. Both games will be broadcast on KFIX (96.9-FM) beginning with the Hertz Rent-A-Car Pregame at 3:45 pm.
