Eight community colleges that have partnership agreements with the Department of Teacher Education at Fort Hays State University sent representatives to Hays recently to celebrate the partnership with the university and to sign updated agreements.
Colleges attending were from across the state: Butler Community College, El Dorado; Colby Community College; Cloud County Community College, Concordia; Cowley County Community College, Arkansas City; Dodge City Community College; Highland Community College; Pratt Community College; and Seward County Community College, Liberal.
The agreements, each of which is called a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, were signed for participating community colleges of the area. The agreements help smooth the transition from a two-year program to a four-year institution by agreeing to such considerations as course transferability.
The outlines of future partnerships were also discussed.
The event included presentations by FHSU faculty and administrators and a roundtable discussion at lunch before the representatives signed their agreements.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shoe chain Payless ShoeSource is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, becoming the latest retailer to succumb to increasing competition from online rivals like Amazon.
The Topeka, Kansas-based retailer said Tuesday that it will be closing nearly 400 stores as part of the reorganization. It has over 4,400 stores in more than 30 countries and was founded in 1956.
Payless plans to reduce its debt by almost 50 percent, lower how much it pays in interest and line up funds. The company says some of its lenders have agreed make available up to $385 million to keep the stores running.
Kansas stores that will close include Great Bend, Emporia, Hutchinson and Liberal. Click HERE for a complete list of store closings.
The FHSU Herndon Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association will be hosting the fifth annual Run/Walk to Help Children Talk. Proceeds from the event will go toward children scholarships for services at the Herndon Clinic and much-needed clinic materials. For those who aren’t interested in lacing up their athletic shoes, registration includes a Post-Race Celebration that includes lunch and games for children.
The race will begin and end at FHSU, between Picken Hall and Martin Allen Hall. Early registration (April 18) is $20 for an adult, $15 for an FHSU Student, and $10 for a child. Costs will increase $5 after the early registration date on April 18. Registration includes a T-shirt and lunch.
There are many ways individuals can help support children in need of speech-language services.
1. Sign up for the event! Don’t forget to ask friends and family!
2. Like FHSU Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and share the Run/Walk To Help Children Talk 2017 on Facebook.
3. Sponsor the event with a cash or gift donation.
4. Check out our website: www.fhsu.edu/csd — News/Events for registration forms and more details.
You hear a lot about estate planning and the need for it. Generally, most planners talk about what will happen when you die. I try to help my clients focus on what happens if they live a long time, or if they are dealing with or developing a chronic illness – what is the plan?
Let me talk about another type of planning – setting up a plan to pass on a business – a plan that needs to be implemented now.
Seven years ago, I brought a young attorney (Jenny Walters) into my law practice who specialized in long term and elder care planning. I had been my own boss for the better part of 30 years. With Jenny’s assistance, we were able to help more families. Yet, I still liked being the boss.
I spoke in another article about a repelling incident last year in Costa Rica in which I had a ten minute near death experience. That incident caused me to reexamine my priorities and look at what type of plan I had in place.
As a result of that, I knew that I needed to have a plan in place, should something happen to me. I have too many staff members and clients dependent on me and my office.
Recently, I spoke to a group in Colby. I told of my near death experience and how we need to be prepared. I really spoke of it in terms of a business. What is going to happen with the business? Afterwards, a person (I am going to call him “Fred”) came up to me and said, “Well, this really did not apply to me. I have a lot of money and a lot of land. I do not need to plan yet.”
I wondered if Fred and I had been in the same room together; I also wondered whether I had communicated well enough to make Fred understand what was wrong with his approach.
When you have a business (and yes, a farm is a business), or you have a significant amount of property, you need to plan for a succession of that business or property. Is it to be liquidated? Is someone supposed to run it? What about those who depend on that business for a livelihood? What about your customers? Who gets what? Do you need to equalize distributions? Is the person that is going to obtain your property prepared to manage/run it?
I have been in meetings in post-death situations, reviewing the will or trust with a family. I hear things like:
“Daddy would want us too…”
“Mom would want us to liquidate the business and divide it equally.”
“Our parents gave you more, so now you need to get less or pay back what they gave you.”
It can really turn ugly.
Nothing can turn a family or friend against each other like the passing of a business or a farm, without instructions and without some type of transition plan.
That type of planning really involves coordination with not only your attorney, but with other professionals such as your accountant, your insurance agent, and your investment advisor. The transition of a business or a farm may call for some intricate planning and preparation.
I am trying to imagine what will happen if Fred dies unexpectedly, or just never gets a plan in place. I can certainly see a severely fractured family.
Recently, Jenny (the young associate I hired seven years ago) and I sat down together with the help of our accountant and other professionals. We created a plan. Jenny will become a stockholder in Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, P.A. It addresses what would happen if something unfortunate happens to me (or even Jenny), and it lays out a plan so her future and mine are more defined. More importantly, Jenny will be involved in some of the day to day operations – to get her prepared.
While I am a long way from giving up my practice, I know that I have a plan in place with Jenny. I am sure more people will become involved in the plan in the future, but for right now, I sleep much better knowing that there is a succession plan for my practice. That plan is not only for my practice, it is for my family, my staff, and the clients we serve.
I hope that you will consider creating a plan for the transition and succession of your business. It does not mean you have to die. In fact, it may include a way for you to retire. Do not wait until the last minute to do this. Be willing to pass the torch.
Given the success of the process that Jenny and I went through, I may go repelling again!
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
Fern Nadine Keller, age 88, of Ellis, passed away Monday, April 3, 2017 at Trego Lemke Memorial Hospital in WaKeeney, Kansas. She was born July 23, 1928 in Hays, Kansas to William and Frieda (Hagen) Zerfas. She graduated from Ellis High School in 1947. On October 16, 1947, she married Wilbert Keller at Christ Lutheran Church in Ellis.
Fern was a homemaker. She was a past member of St. John Lutheran Church and a current member of Christ Lutheran Church where she was part of the ladies sewing circle. She was also a member of the Ellis VFW Ladies Auxiliary post 9139 and the Sunflower Polka Club. Fern and Wilbert led many wedding marches for family and friends. She was a wonderful cook and she enjoyed gardening, embroidery and quilting. She enjoyed babysitting her grandchildren as well.
She is survived by her husband of nearly 70 years, Wilbert Keller of Ellis; her daughter Twila Large of Ellis; two sons, Tim Keller and wife Aleta and Danny Keller all of Ellis; two sisters, Irene Loflin of Ogallah, Kansas and Florence Armbruster of Houston, Texas; seven grandchildren, Christine Large, Heidi Fawcett and husband Matt all of Phoenix, Arizona, Meredith Keller of Ellis, Rachel Keller of Ellis, Laycie Haas and husband Todd of Antonino, Kansas, Emily Burd and husband Shaun of Ellis and Katelyn Steffens and husband Erik of Dighton, Kansas as well as 11 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter, Faye Jean Keller; two brothers, Willard and Lawrence Zerfas and a sister, Ruth Nutsch.
Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Friday, April 7, 2017 at Christ Lutheran Church in Ellis. Burial will follow services in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Ellis.
Visitation will be Thursday 5 PM – 8 PM with a prayer service at 7 PM and Friday 10 AM until service time all at Christ Lutheran Church.
Arrangements in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, KS 67637.
Memorial contributions are suggested to Christ Lutheran Church or the VFW Ladies Auxiliary post 9139, Ellis.
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or emailed to [email protected]
With so much going on in our own country, sometimes it is easy to forget about the harsh realities that others around our world are facing. For citizens of Syria, the past six years have been devastating. Caught in the middle of an all-out war between opposing alliances, Syria has become the battleground in the Middle East, forcing Syrians to face the difficult and often fatal choice of either choosing sides or fleeing the country.
As millions of Syrians escape to southern Europe, the rest of the world has taken notice of the conflicts going on in Syria, including Tigers In Service, which is a student-operated program created by the Fort Hays State University Center for Civic Leadership.
TIS decided to participate in an Emergency Hygiene Kit Drive program to help send hygiene kits to Syrian refugees who have very little in their new and unfamiliar environments.
“Nearly 15 million people have been displaced from their homes, especially in Syria, because of civil unrest in their country. There is a lot of violence and the Syrians can only flee their homes with what they can carry on their backs,” said Alyssa Steppe, TIS student coordinator and primary leader of the project. “They are having to make these long, difficult journeys to their next home, so we thought this could be one small way that we can help them. A lot of times they have injuries and anything, even Band-Aids out of one of these hygiene kits could save someone from getting an infection or spreading diseases.”
The hygiene kits are being compiled with simple bathroom items that people might have extra of and if not, the items being asked for are inexpensive everyday hygiene tools.
“The kits are assembled with hand towels, washcloths, combs, nail files and nail clippers, bars of soap, toothbrushes, and band-aids. We are also accepting monetary donations that we can purchase supplies with and use to pay for the shipping of the items as well,” said Steppe.
So far TIS has close to 60 kits and counting and are continuing to take donations every day.
The Emergency Kits program is administered by the Church World Service and will be distributed to various locations in Southern Europe. The deadline to donate is April 8.
For anyone looking to donate, drop off locations for the items are: The Fort Hays State Memorial Union Starbucks and FHSU Custer Hall Room 202.
Checks should be made out to “FHSU” and any monetary donations can be sent to:
Tigers in Service
600 Park St.
Hays, KS 6761
If you have questions, you can contact Tigers In Service at [email protected] or call 785-628-5537.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old boy has died in an apparently accidental shooting at a Wichita home.
The shooting was reported around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Wichita police Sgt. Nikki Woodrow says it appears that the boy died after accidentally shooting himself.
HaysMed Sports Medicine is hosting their 16th Annual Athletic Testing Combine on Saturday, April 22 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am at The Center for Health Improvement, Hays, Kansas. Registration fee is $20 per person. This testing is for male or female, grades 6 through 12. A make up combine session will be held on Saturday, May 6 at 3:00 pm at The Center for Health Improvement.
Every athlete strives to do his or her best in whatever sport they participate in. In order to achieve that goal, it is important to know at what level you are performing and how that performance can be improved. The Athletic Testing Combine is designed to assess athlete’s individual strengths and weaknesses in order to help them reach their highest athletic potential.
Tests performed during this event include: Height, Weight, Seated Shot Put, Pro Agility, Vertical Jump, Standing Long Jump, Bench Press and 10 Yard and 40 yard dashes which are electronically timed. High Plains Sports Medicine provides highly qualified staff and professional testing equipment including the use of electronic timing equipment accurate to the 1/100th of a second. This ensures accurate and reliable results.
Each athlete in attendance will receive an individual athletic profile. This includes test results, percentile rankings, and an overall athletic rating allowing athletes to identify specific strengths and weaknesses. In addition, athletic directors and coaches from each school will be provided similar reports. The results are also sent to Midwest colleges for their review of athletes interested in playing college sports. Participants also receive a tee shirt.
Registration can be mailed to Shawn Landers, PO BOX 8100, Hays, KS 67601, dropped off at The Center for Health Improvement, or participants can bring the registration the day of the event and pay the fee then. For more information contact Shawn Landers, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS at 785.623.6369, https://www.haysmed.com/the-center/athletic-testing-combine/ or email at [email protected].
John Schlageck writes for the Kansas Farm Bureau.With the unseasonably mild winter, it isn’t any wonder that daffodils, scilla and crocus plants have been shooting out of the cool Kansas soil. While a cold snap could severely damage these plants, their emergence has many people thinking about spring gardening and the joys that accompany the blooming of future flowers.
Although mishaps are seldom equated with simple gardening tasks, injuries are never far away whenever man, materials and tools combine. While it usually results in no more than a simple scratch, painful or disabling injuries are possible.
By combining common sense and a few basic safety rules, many of these accidents can be prevented. Consider the following tips when using hand tools in your garden this spring.
While you might find it a bit uncomfortable, wearing safety goggles is a good idea. Goggles will prevent dirt, sand rock chips or other flying debris from entering or hitting your eyes. They will also prevent insects like an unhappy wasp or bee from heading for your eyes.
Steel-toed shoes or other protective footwear is another must for gardening success. This will allow you to safeguard toes and feet by wearing sturdy shoes that will withstand an errant swing or stab of your favorite hoe or spade.
Remember to choose the correct tool for the job. This means selecting the tool for the function intended. Pick a tool for its length and weight; make sure it fits your body size. If you don’t know, ask a professional. This may mean going to a specialty shop or garden store rather than a discount store.
Today, there are special tools available for smaller garden spaces.
When buying tools, select ergonomic features that reduce strain and fatigue. They will also provide safety and may be easier to use.
Maintenance, maintenance and more maintenance. Keep your tools in tip-top condition. Make sure handles fit tight. Replace any that are cracked or split. Replace tools that are chipped, bent or have battered heads. Sharpen spades, hoes and trowels. Clean them after each use.
Examine your yard. Avoid hitting hard objects with your tools. Doing so could cause damage to them, but more importantly to you. Scout out areas that may contain thorns or dreaded poison ivy. Beware and stay clear.
Take breaks when you become tired. While it’s almost impossible to do, cut down on long stretches of repetitive motions. Vary tasks.
Like anything else, use proper technique. Grasp the tool for maximum leverage with minimum strain. Use the “garden” rule – not to be confused with the golden rule – with hammer-swing tools, shake hands when gripping the tool. Let the weight of the tool head do the work. Don’t force the action. It’s much easier and safer too.
Above all, get out and enjoy the beauty of nature. But remember, stay safe so you can enjoy working in the garden for many years to come.
John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.
PAWNEE COUNTY – Deputies in Pawnee County made an unusual arrest on Tuesday that “added humor to their rainy, dreary day.”
An individual came to the sheriff’s department for help with a vehicle title and with a substantial amount of marijuana in a pocket, according to the sheriff’s department’s social media account.
A deputy smelled the marijuana in the lobby and asked the individual about it. The individual denied having marijuana but agreed to a search.
The deputy found the marijuana and booked the individual into jail for drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. The sheriff set a bond and the individual posted bond.
The sheriff’s department reminded residents to avoid coming to the sheriff’s department for help while carrying marijuana. However, “if you want to come and let us arrest you, we are open 24/7.”
Today Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 58. Windy, with a north northwest wind 20 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.
Tonight Clear, with a low around 34. North northwest wind 13 to 18 mph becoming light. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
ThursdaySunny, with a high near 62. North wind around 6 mph becoming east northeast in the morning.
Thursday NightMostly clear, with a low around 38. East wind around 7 mph.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 69. South wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
Tonight Clear, with a low around 34. North northwest wind 13 to 18 mph becoming light. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.