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Month: April 2017

Weather extremes reported across Kansas

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NEOSHO COUNTY – A variety of weather arrived in Kansas on Tuesday.

Snow fell in southwest areas of the state. A tornado was reported in Neosho County in southeast Kansas, according to the National Weather Service.

Strong winds with gusts of 40-60 miles per hour were also blamed for damage in areas of southeast Kansas.

Just before 8 p.m., a 2016 Kenworth semi driven by Sheila Kay Alvey, 56, Mounds, OK., was eastbound on U.S. 400 at U.S. 75 in a thunderstorm. The semi was blown over by high winds.

Hail in Allen County Kansas on Tuesday- photo Allen Co. Sheriff

Alvey was transported to the Wilson County Hospital.
Authorities in the southwest Missouri community of Goodwin believe a tornado is responsible for severe damage to several buildings, including a fire station and elementary school. Goodman is approximately 60 miles south of Pittsburg, Kansas.

FHSU softball swept at Lindenwood

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ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Fort Hays State fell twice in conference play on Tuesday (Apr. 4) at Lindenwood. The Lions took the games by scores of 8-0 and 6-2. The Lions moved to 13-18 overall, 4-10 in the MIAA, while the Tigers moved to 9-29 overall, 2-10 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Lindenwood 8, Fort Hays State 0

Lindenwood benefitted from a Tiger error in the third inning, scoring four unearned runs, and ran away with an 8-0 run-rule win. The Lions led just 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third, but an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by the second batter of the inning led to the scoring outburst. The Lions picked up three unearned runs with two outs in the inning. They closed out the game with an RBI single in the fifth inning.

Collette West and Kylie Strand each collected two hits in the game. West had a pair of singles, while Strand had a single and a triple. Tess Gray also had a single.

Stormee Galka pitched a complete game for the Lions, allowing five hits and two walks with a strikeout. She moved to 8-8 overall. Carrie Clarke, who allowed seven runs (three earned), gave up seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts. She is now 4-9 on the year.

Game 2: Lindenwood 6, Fort Hays State 2

Just like in Game 1, Lindenwood took an early 1-0 lead. The Tigers had a golden opportunity with bases loaded and one out in the top of the fourth, but squandered it with a strikeout and flyout. In the bottom half of the inning, Lindenwood took advantage of escaping the jam with two runs, then tacked on three more in the fifth for a commanding 6-0 lead.

Fort Hays State’s only two runs of the day came on back-to-back-to-back doubles by Kylie Strand, Candace Bollig, and Tess Gray to lead off the sixth inning. Strand and Gray each had two hits in the game.

Hailey Chapman surrendered all six runs (five earned) in a complete game outing. She allowed eight hits, three walks, and struck out four.

Stormee Galka picked up a win in the second straight game, throwing the first 5.0 innings before yielding to Kimberly Fozzard. Galka allowed seven hits and a walk, while striking out three. Both runs were charged to Galka. Fozzard allowed one hit and struck out one.

An update on the time and location of the doubleheader at Lincoln will be posted once an official announcement has been made.

FHSU Sports Information

Kansas man charged with kidnapping, assault with his pickup

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Ford
Ford

RENO COUNTY— A Kansas man made an initial court appearance after an arrest Monday on a warrant. Charles David Ford, 46, Hutchinson, is charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

According to the criminal complaint, he is accused of taking or confining the victim by force, threat or deception to possibly inflict bodily harm or terrorize the victim. This alleged crime occurred on January 7.
The charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon occurred on Feb. 4 and involved the same victim. He apparently put her in fear of her safety when he attempted to hit her with his pickup.
With the charges filed, his case moves to a waiver status on May 3. He remains jailed on a $45,000 bond.

Kan. Dept. of Revenue keeps tax phone line open late April 6

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tax form 1040KDR

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Revenue is dedicating additional staff to answer phones and keeping the lines open later on Thursday April 6 to help Kansans with questions about their 2016 individual income tax returns.

As in prior years, the department will also have phone lines for its Electronic Services Unit open late on tax day, April 18, to help people with questions about KS WebFile, the state’s free online income tax filing program, or other electronic return questions.

Phone lines will be open until 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 6. For assistance people should call:
· For tax-related questions, contact the customer service line at 785-368-8222, option 4 then option 1
· For technical questions, contact Electronic Services Help at 785-296-6993

If customers simply need to check on the status of their refund, they can do so online any time at www.ksrevenue.org/RefundStatus or by calling 1-800-894-0318 to connect to the department’s automated refund status line.

To ensure taxpayer confidentiality and accuracy, people should have their most current tax information available when they call.

Lawmakers negotiate with Brownback over tax proposals

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Republican legislators are negotiating with Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback over raising taxes as they consider proposals for a flat personal income tax.

The Republican governor met Tuesday evening with GOP leaders. House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. said they didn’t settle on any tax proposals.

The meeting came after a Senate committee approved a bill for moving the state to a single personal income tax rate of 4.6 percent while raising new revenue to fix budget problems.

The House has its own bill to abandon separate tax rates for higher and lower-income earners in favor of a single, 5 percent rate.

Supporters see a flat tax as fairer. Critics contend middle-class families would be hit the hardest.
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Kansas faces projected budget shortfalls totaling more than $1 billion through June 2019.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate committee has approved a bill for moving the state to a single personal income tax rate while raising new revenue to fix budget problems.

It wasn’t clear whether a flat tax proposal can pass as the Assessment and Taxation Committee voted Tuesday to send its bill to the Senate.

The House has its own bill to abandon separate tax rates for higher and lower-income earners. But GOP leaders could drop the idea for lack of support.

Kansas faces projected budget shortfalls totaling more than $1 billion through June 2019.

Many Republican see a flat income tax as fairer. Critics said middle-class families would be hit the hardest.

The Senate committee’s plan adopts the current top rate of 4.6 percent for all. The House plan is 5 percent.

Illegal alien sentenced; brought meth to Kansas in a spare tire

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Herrera-Zamora-photo Wyandotte Co.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man in the United States illegally has been sentenced after bringing a shipment of methamphetamine into Kansas inside a car’s spare tire.

Prosecutors say 33-year-old Juan Antonio Herrera-Zamora was sentenced Monday to 35 years in prison for drug trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm.

The Kansas City Star reports that Herrera-Zamora is a citizen of Mexico. He was found guilty last year.

Prosecutors say Herrera-Zamora brought 26 pounds of the drug into the Kansas City area by using the tire.

He was arrested at a Kansas City, Kansas, tire shop where the drugs were unloaded.

Law enforcement officers found a gun hidden in a baby’s diaper bag when he was arrested.

Deadline: Trump’s Border wall contractors expect hostile environment

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — One potential bidder on President Donald Trump’s border wall with Mexico wanted to know if authorities would rush to help if workers came under “hostile attack.”

Another asked if employees can carry firearms in states with strict gun control laws and if the government would indemnify them for using deadly force.

With bids due Tuesday on the first design contracts, interested companies are preparing for the worst if they get the potentially lucrative job.

A U.S. official with knowledge of the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the details haven’t been made public said four to 10 bidders are expected to be chosen to build prototypes.

They will be constructed on a roughly quarter-mile (400-meter) strip of federally-owned land in San Diego

Police: 2 suspects jailed on drug charges after I-70 traffic stop

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Leach-photo Geary Co.

GEARY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are investigating two suspects on drug charges after an arrest on Interstate 70.

On Monday evening, officers made a traffic stop for speeding and an unsafe lane change on a vehicle driven by William Robert Leach, 37, Illinois, on Interstate 70 just east of McDowell Creek Road, according to the Junction City Police Department.

Officers arrested Leach on suspicion of Drug Possession With Intent to Distribute, No Tax Stamp, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Speeding, Unsafe Lane Change and an Obstructed Tag.
Police also arrested a passenger Ivan James Kochopolous, 41, Illinois

Kochopolous-photo Geary Co.

on suspicion of Possession With Intent to Distribute, No Tax Stamp and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Trego Co. man sentenced to two life sentences for child sex crimes

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TREGO COUNTY -A Kansas man was sentenced Tuesday to two consecutive sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole for 50 years for sex crimes against a child, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said.

David Wayne Tidball, 54, Wakeeney, was sentenced in Trego County District Court by Chief Judge Glenn R. Braun. In addition to the two consecutive life sentences, Tidball was also sentenced to a third life sentence and 52 additional months for other charges to be served concurrently with the life sentences in the Kansas Department of Corrections. Tidball was convicted by a Trego County jury last month of three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, three counts of child abuse, one count of aggravated intimidation of a victim, one count of lewd and lascivious behavior and two counts of promoting obscenity to a minor. Three of the convictions fall under Jessica’s Law because the victims were under 14 years of age. The convictions stemmed from crimes occurring between July 2013 and July 2015.

The case was investigated by the WaKeeney Police Department. The Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center conducted forensic interviews of child witnesses and provided victim support throughout the prosecution. Assistant Attorney General Lee Davidson of Schmidt’s office prosecuted the case.

 

Ellis & Russell counties, others approved for emergency CRP grazing after wildfires

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Fire near Codell in northeast Ellis Co. March 8

OFFICE OF SEN. MORAN

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands located in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas to help ranchers impacted by the wildfires.

“Ranchers need every available acre of grass to feed the surviving cattle,” said Sen. Moran. “Allowing emergency grazing of CRP acres will give producers additional options as they search for grassland for their livestock. I appreciate USDA’s continued attention on relief efforts and will continue to urge them to utilize every tool available to assist families devastated by the fires.”

USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael L. Young issued a memorandum authorizing the emergency grazing of cattle by ranchers. Click here to read the details of the authorization.

Sen. Moran recently met with Acting USDA Secretary Michael Young to discuss the challenges facing farmers and ranchers impacted by the wildfires.

According to USDA, estimated damages thus far for Kansas:

Counties affected include Clark, Comanche, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Hodgeman, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Meade, Ness, Russell and Seward;
An estimated 630,000 acres burned, primarily pasturelands;
Estimated livestock loss: between 3,000 and 9,000 head of cattle;
Large volumes of hay and feed destroyed; and
Estimated cost of fencing destroyed exceeds $36 million.

Kansas man hospitalized after high-speed saw accident

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SALINE COUNTY –  A Kansas man was injured in a work place accident on Monday in Salina.

Just before 4 p.m., first responders were sent to cabinet factory Crestwood, Inc., 601 East Water Well Road.

A 41-year-old male employee was attempting to clean one of the machines. He shut down the machine, removed the guard and then stuck his hand in the machine but the blade had not come to a complete stop, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

The man was transported to Salina Regional Medical Center.

Mike Junk, Crestwood president, said that the blade on this particular machine can spin for 1.5 minutes after being shut down.

“We have safety protocol and training all the time,” Junk said. “It is a part of our culture here. And when you have any accident, you try to redesign it and make it even more bulletproof.”

According to Junk, this employee did have training on this piece of equipment.

Initial reports from deputies indicated the employee lost at least one finger.

Crestwood creates custom cabinetry and related wood products.

FHSU men’s golf places at Midwest Spring Fling

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team finished ninth at the Midwest Spring Fling this week (April 3-4) at Cottonwood Hills Country Club. The Tigers shot two identical rounds of 325 on Monday before rain washed out the third and final round Tuesday.

The tournament was hosted by Sterling College at the par-72, 6,890 yard course on the rolling plains just outside Hutchinson. Cloudy conditions gave way to bountiful sunshine Monday afternoon, but the stormy skies returned Tuesday morning. The teams started play in the third round, but tournament officials deemed the course unplayable after the groups completed between eight and 10 holes.

Skyler Tebo led the Tigers with two rounds in the 70s, finishing at 13-over and tying for 17th (78-79-157). Dalton Ayres fired rounds of 81 and 84 to tie for 36th (165). Isaiah Grover improved seven strokes between rounds (87-80-167), tying with Marcus Willey for 41st (85-82-167). Colton Bobek rounded out the FHSU lineup in 49th (81-89-170).

The team will have two weeks to prepare to host the 2017 Tiger Classic, their lone home tournament of the year, April 18-19. The tournament is the third designated MIAA event of the season, with all 11 conference schools competing.

Coach Bill Snyder completes cancer treatment, returns to work

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Snyder on the big screen monitor during last month’s Big 12 Basketball tournament-photo courtesy Sprint Center

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Bill Snyder doesn’t spend as much time in the office these days, and it gnaws at him just as much as an overthrown pass, missed tackle or blown blocking assignment.

The longtime Kansas State coach with the infamous work ethic has been limited the past few weeks by treatments for throat cancer — or more specifically, the side effects from the treatment. The diagnosis came shortly before the Wildcats’ bowl game and the chemotherapy regimen began earlier this year. Snyder recently went through the final round of treatment.

Still, it hasn’t kept the 77-year-old away from the Wildcats as they begin preparing for the season. He’s been on the field the first four spring practices, meticulously dissecting each of them, just as he has been for nearly three decades.

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