WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has blocked an effort to overturn an Obama-era regulation restricting harmful methane emissions that escape from oil and gas wells on federal land.
The measure failed on a vote of 51-to-49 in the Republican-led chamber.
Republican leaders were seeking to overturn the Interior Department rule under the Congressional Review Act.
President Barack Obama finalized a rule in November that would force energy companies to capture methane that’s burned off or “flared” at drilling sites because it earns less money than oil.
Democrats and environmental groups say the rule protects the public health and generates millions in revenue for state, local and tribal governments.
Republicans and industry groups call the rule an example of federal overreach under Obama and say it duplicates state rules in place throughout the West.
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Mike Briney, Sunflower Bank regional president, presented a check to USD 489 for the 2016-2017 ABC program at its meeting Monday.
The ABC program gives back to local schools and students. For every account dedicated to the program, the bank gives $50 to the school of the account holder’s choice. For every credit transaction on a debit card on a dedicated account, the bank also gives 5 cents.
The bank allows students to enter a drawing. If their name is drawn, the students receive $10 for each A on their report card, and their school receives a matching amount.
The local branch donated $8,229 to Ellis County schools this year, $4,721 of which went to USD 489 schools.
Over 16 years, Sunflower Bank has donated $1.1 million to schools in Kansas, Colorado and Missouri.
Location of Tuesday’s search for burglary suspect-google image
ELLSWORTH COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Ellsworth County are investigating a suspect following an alleged burglary and chase.
Just before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to reported of a burglary in progress at a rural home in the 800 Block of Kansas Highway 156 in Ellsworth County, according to a Sheriff Murray Marston.
The suspect fled the scene on foot before deputies arrived.
With the help of the Kansas Highway Patrol K-9 and aircraft along with wardens from the Kansas
Department of Wildlife and Parks, deputies found the suspect in a pasture north of the residence.
He is being held in the Ellsworth County Jail. Name of the suspect and possible charges were not released early Wednesday.
Hays High School 2017 Academic and Athletic Awards Night
HHS GUIDON
The Hays High School 2017 Academic and Athletic Awards Night was held May 8 and was held to honor students who showed excellence.
The evening started off with Principal Martin Straub giving the attendees a speech and the ceremony soon kicked into gear honoring students with a 4.0 GPA, 3.80-3.99 GPA, 3.50-3.79 GPA and 3.30-3.79 GPA. After the academic awards, the students who were involved in athletics and also achieved high academic standards received an award.
After the awards were given, several scholarships were also given. The results are as follows:
ACL/NJCL National Latin Exam Award-Megan Flavin Schuler Congress– Kaleigh Ashbaugh and Alexandria Hagerman 2017 3A-4A Journalist of the Year-Anniston Weber Ellis County 4-H Scholarships-Lane Pfannenstiel, Laura Montgomery, Conrad Vajnar, Ethan Jensen, Tanner Hunsick, Brandi Zimmerman and Breanna Park Golden Belt Bank Scholarships-Marissa Dinkel Nex-Tech Break the Rules Scholarship-Ethan Shippy Hays FFA Chapter Scholarships-Katie Fross, Alanna Hansen, Tanner Hunsicker, Laura Montgomery, Breanna Park, Lane Pfannenstiel, Marie Reveles, Conrad Vajnar and Brandi Zimmerman Cody Joseph Younger FFA Memorial Scholarships-Lane Pfannenstiel and Katie Fross Jordyn Claiborn Free Spirit Award-Katie Brungardt Ana Hertel Scholarship-Rachelle Lumpkins and Marie Reveles Coach Bob Kuhn Scholarship-Jonathan Springer Bob Kuhn Courage Award-Alex Tinkel and Talyn Kleweno United States Army Reserve Scholar/Athlete Award-Jace Armstrong and Marie Reveles Hays High Student Council Leadership Scholarship-Jeanie Balzer and Tanner Callis Red Cross Blood Services Young Minds Change Lives Scholarship-Marissa Dinkel and Kambri Tomanek Sunflower Bank Community Ambassadors-Jeanie Balzer and Kohlton Meyers Hays High Alumni Association Scholarship-Rachelle Lumpkins American Legion Award-Conrad Vajnar and Breanna Park National Federation of High Schools Award of Excellence-Shane Berens and Angel Bryant Hays Wrestling Club Scholarship-Jonathan Springer, Conrad Vajnar and Isaac Zimmerman Hays High June Reynolds National Honor Society Scholarship-Sierra Eichman and Rachelle Lumpkins Hays High School Class of 1967 Scholarship-Karen Guzman and Maggie Housman United States Marine Corp Distinguished Athlete Award-Caden Cunningham and Madisyn Keller United States Marine Corp “Semper Fidelis” Award for Musical Excellence-Brent Koenigsman Kansas Lieutenant Governor’s Community Service Award-Alanna Hansen Daughters of the America Revolution Award-Alanna Hansen KSHSAA Citizenship Award-Brent Koenigsman and Marie Reveles Governors Scholars Award-Brianna Brin and Jeanie Balzer The Kansas State Department of Education Certificate for Exceptional Academic Performance-Brianna Brin, Keegan Chapman, Joslyn Dinkel, Anna Goodlet, Alex Feyerherm, Daniel Lopez, Hannah Norris and Jodi Veach Kansas Masonic Foundation Scholarships-Sierra Brown, Zachary Hopp and Jace Armstrong Hays Rotary Club Scholarship-Sierra Eichman Debbie Brungardt Fan of the Year Award-Preston Browning Mikey Steinert Award-Ethan Shippy and Alyssa Bryant Shelter Insurance Foundation Scholarship-Paolo Tinoco Ellis County Farm Bureau Association Scholarship-Katie Fross Fort Hays State University Presidential Award of Distinction-Peyton Augustine, Raina Basso, Emily Brinly, Madison Crees, Alexander Davis, Sierra Eichman and Cassandra Quinby Fort Hays State University Honors College Regents Scholarship– Keegan Chapman and Joslyn Dinkel University of Kansas Chancellor Scholarships– Brianna Brin, Joslyn Dinkel, Daniel Lopez, Hannah Norris and Jodi Veach Kansas State University Putnam Scholarship-Daniel Lopez Academic Booster Club Scholarships-Brianna Brin, Zachary Hopp, Kohlton Meyers, Tanner Callis, Sierra Eichman, Ethan Shippy, Sam Crowley, Jeanie Balzer, Payton Markley and Rachel Taykor Athletic Booster Club Scholarships-Marie Reveles, Madisyn Keller, Conrad Vajnar and Zachary Hopp Jack Roberts Outstanding Female Athlete-Talyn Kleweno Swim Carpenter Smith Outstanding Male Athlete-Shane Berens
Norelia Ordonez-Castillo with FHSU Interim President Andy Tompkins (L) and Dr. Roger Schieferecke, director of KAMS (R)
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN FHSU University Relations ad Marketing
Like most graduations, speakers at last weekend’s completion ceremony for the 2017 class of the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science talked about the students’ success.
While it would be too time consuming to enumerate each achievement, the families present at the completion ceremony in Fort Hays State University’s Memorial Union knew what their student had accomplished during their stay at FHSU.
KAMS is a premier academic high school program where juniors and seniors live on the Fort Hays State campus for two years and earn nearly 70 hours of college credit. The 2017 class of 31 is the largest to date in the seven-year history of the academy.
Following their completion ceremony, students also participate in their high school graduations back home, then move on to college the next fall.
This year, one family in particular had much to celebrate.
After just one year of studying at FHSU as a traditional college student, Norelia Ordonez-Castillo will graduate in May 2018 with a degree in pre-medicine biology, then enter medical school at the age of 19 that fall.
Ordonez-Castillo was one of only 19 applicants — and the only high school student — selected this year for early admission to the University of Kansas Medical School through the Scholars and Rural Health Program.
An honors student with a perfect 4.0 grade point average since grade school, Ordonez-Castillo has received numerous scholarships to continue her education at FHSU. She also was selected to participate in the prestigious K-INBRE research project at Fort Hays State. K-INBRE (Kansas Institutional Development Awards Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) is an initiative led by the KU Medical Center to identify and recruit promising university students into careers in biomedical research in Kansas.
“The opportunities at Fort Hays State have been enormous,” Ordonez-Castillo said. “The rigorous coursework, being challenged with the harder courses, gave me the opportunity to evermore expand my education. I am so thankful that I chose KAMS, that I came to Fort Hays State.”
The feeling is mutual.
“This is a remarkable achievement from a remarkable young woman,” said Dr. Greg Farley, dean of the College of Science, Technology and Mathematics. “Speaking on behalf of her instructors and advisors, we wish her all the success in the world as she furthers her professional development.”
Ordonez-Castillo said knew from the time she was a young girl that she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up. She pointed to two incidents in the past five years that “strengthened my drive to become a doctor.”
Ordonez-Castillo watched her cousin go through extensive rehabilitation following surgery after she was kicked in the head by a horse. And Ordonez-Castillo’s mother, Norelia Ordonez, has been dealing with a connective tissue disorder the past three years.
In both cases, Ordonez-Castillo was impressed with the doctors, not only with their medical expertise but also with how much they cared about their patients.
“I wanted to make that same kind of impact on people’s lives, to help save lives,” she said.
Ordonez-Castillo also learned about KAMS at a young age — her freshman year in high school — and immediately became interested in pursuing the opportunity.
“I told my parents about it, and they weren’t so ready for me to come to college yet, so I dropped the notion,” she said.
However, as she began taking general education college classes at Northwest Tech in Goodland, Ordonez-Castillo realized “that my opportunities were going to be exhausted for college classes very quickly. So the best thing to advance my education was to go to KAMS.”
Her father, Daniel Ordonez, still wasn’t so excited about the idea of his daughter spending her final two years of high school away from home — until he visited the FHSU campus.
“There was some concern about our daughter going to a university campus at 16 years old,” Ordonez said. “But she was really interested in it, so we decided to at least check it out.”
Ordonez said he was pleasantly surprised at what he found when they visited Fort Hays State.
“It seemed that, No. 1, they were concerned about the safety of their students,” Ordonez said. “After we saw how the whole program was laid out and after we visited the campus, my wife and I felt things were being done the right way.”
There was one more stipulation Ordonez gave his daughter.
“We made a deal that if she went to KAMS, she would come home every single weekend, to stay connected with the family and the community,” he said. “We’re a traditional, close-knit family, and we wanted her to connect with her three younger brothers.”
“And,” Ordonez added, “we wanted to make sure the emotional support was there.”
So come Friday afternoons after class, Ordonez-Castillo would head home to Goodland her first year at KAMS, then to Garden City this past school year after her family moved there last summer. She also stayed involved with activities at Goodland High School.
The arrangement was exactly what her parents had hoped for.
“Going home to be with my family so often helped me stay centered,” said Ordonez-Castillo, who missed making the trip home only a handful of times in two years. “I didn’t feel so disconnected from them, and my support system was still in place.”
Now, she said her transition to the traditional college setting will be seamless.
And Daniel Ordonez would be the first to promote the KAMS program. In fact, his oldest son, Daniel Jr., a freshman at Garden City High School, is considering following in his sister’s footsteps.
“Fort Hays State gave Norelia the opportunity to become a doctor,” said Daniel Ordonez, the father.
Ordonez-Castillo will spend the summer either doing research on campus or working back home. First, she will attend her high school graduation on May 20 in Goodland, where she is in the running to be named her class valedictorian.
“For a kid so bright, so motivated, who has exceeded our curriculum in high school, this is a great thing,” said Bill Biermann, superintendent of Goodland USD 352. “For someone like that to have another option to further their education is outstanding. I know she’s blossomed because of it.”
Nearly half of this year’s KAMS class is staying at Fort Hays State to continue their education.
“The quality of the students staying here (at FHSU) to continue their education is amazing,” said Dr. Roger Schieferecke, KAMS director. “They are near 4.0s, average 34 ACTs. What makes this entire class so special is the unbelievable quality of the that individuals that make up the class.”
Following is a complete list of the 2017 class, including their high school and parents’ names.
HAYS (67601): Myungsoo Rogan Go, Hays High School, Okler Go and Jeonghee Park, Bundang, South Korea. Ana Goodlett, Hays High School, David and Milka Goodlett. Kwanghyun Kay Kim, Hays High School, Kichun Kim and Youngmi Lee, Seoul, South Korea. Hyunsoo Lee, Hays High School, Ji MinPark and Jongwon Lee, Seoul, South Korea. Yanshuo Li, Hays High School, Xu Yan and Jinquan Li, Beijing, China. Rujia Qiu, Hays High School, Qinghua Li, Hubei, China. Mingyang Sun, Hays High School, Wenlin Sun and Quiju Xu, Beijing, China. Wanyue Xu, Hays High School, Lili Liu and Zhiyuan Xu, Beijing, China. Juntao Zhang, Hays High School, Tong Tian, Beijing, China.
BASEHOR (66007): Jacob Lutgen, Basehor-Linwood High School, David and Shannon Lutgen.
EMPORIA: (66801): Tessa Kriss, Emporia High School, Thomas and Michelle Kriss.
GARDNER (66030): Rahasya Bharaniah, Gardner-Edgerton High School, Elizabeth Demas.
GOODLAND (67735): Norelia Ordonez-Castillo, Goodland High School, Daniel and Norelia Ordonez.
HIAWATHA (66434): Sadie Miller, Hiawatha High School, Craig Miller and Teresa Yearns.
HOLTON (66436): Jacob Andrews, Jackson Heights High School, Vern and Cari Andrews.
Breck Emert, Holton High School, Jennifer Emert.
HOYT (66440): Graham Straley, Jefferson West High School, Kemper and Viola Straley.
JUNCTION CITY (66441): Cadin Sanner, Junction City High School, Troy and Judy Sanner.
LAWRENCE (66049): Luke Longren, Lawrence Free State High School, Matthew and Amy Longren.
MANHATTAN (66502): Rounak Bastola, Manhattan High School, Krishna and Sital Bastola.
MENLO (67753): Jacob Munk, Hoxie High School, Anthony and Christie McLain, Andrew and Chanda Munk.
MULVANE (67110): Samantha Schmitz, Mulvane High School, Thomas and Tracy Schmitz.
OSKALOOSA (66066): Garrison Baker-Vernon, Oskaloosa High School, Kirk Vernon and Duanette Baker.
OTTAWA (66067): Lia Boese, Ottawa High School, Steven and Jan Boese.
SALINA (67401): Jaimisen Deegan, Salina South High School, Paul and Manda Deegan.
SCOTT CITY (67871): Elaine Parkinson, Scott Community High School, Dan and Jamie Parkinson.
TOPEKA (66605): MacKinzie Foster, Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail High School, Mark and Theresa Foster.
VICTORIA (67671): Alexyss Lambert, Victoria High School, Robert and Angela Lambert.
WELLSVILLE (66092): Marisa Carman, Wellsville High School, Doug and Peggy Carman.
WHITEWATER (67154): Braden Allmond, Frederic Remington High School, Neal Allmond and Lisa Allmond.
WICHITA (67214): Ginger Garcia, Wichita North High School, Felipe Sr. and Maria Garcia.
Fire at the motel during gun battle -photo courtesy WIBW -TV
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man has pleaded guilty to lying about the whereabouts of a robbery suspect who later killed himself during a shootout that injured three federal agents at a Kansas motel.
The U.S. attorney’s office says 37-year-old Quentin Kirk Lawton, of Topeka, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of making a false statement to a federal officer.
He admitted that he denied having seen 28-year-old fugitive Orlando Collins last year at the Country Club Motel in Topeka. However, surveillance cameras showed Lawton left the motel shortly before fugitive task force members tried to contact Collins at the hotel.
Authorities say Collins shot two U.S. Marshals and an FBI agent. He started a fire that caused $350,000 in damage and his body was found when the fire was extinguished.
USD 489 students participate in the 12th-annual Western Kansas Lego Robotics Competition April 28 at Fort Hays State University.
USD 489
Fort Hays State University hosted its 12th-annual Western Kansas Lego Robotics Competition on April 28 in the Memorial Union Ballroom.
Eighty-one teams from Western Kansas brought 245 students for the competition.
Lincoln’s Principal Elaine Rohleder said it has been a goal at Lincoln to encourage students to be more involved in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Fifth grade teacher Monica Dreiling and technology assistant Regina Hammerschmidt each wrote grants to help pay
Hays Middle School students placed first overall and received a traveling trophy to display at HMS until next year’s competition.
For the Dash and Dot robots, Dreiling received a $1,500 grant from the Heartland Community Foundation, and Hammerschmidt received a $1,750 grant through the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.
Lincoln students programmed their robots in their regular classrooms, as well as the computer lab.
Hays Middle School exploratory and industrial technology teacher Brad Moritz sponsors the Robotics Club for the middle school.
Hays Middle School students placed first overall and received a traveling trophy to display at HMS until next year’s competition. Hays Middle School also earned the most overall points out of all of the participating teams with 18.
Examples of the students’ robots along with the trophy the HMS students won.
HMS students competed against 15 other schools, which included 34 teams. HMS took one team with five robots.
Programs offered online through Fort Hays State University’s Virtual College received a No. 1 recognition and other rankings from various agencies as among the best and most affordable online programs offered by U.S. colleges and universities.
Distance education at Fort Hays State began in 1911 when faculty voted to offer correspondence courses free so that one-room school teachers across western Kansas could afford to gain the education required to teach. The Correspondence Department was created then evolved continuously with changing technology and culture until, in 1997, the Department of Continuing Education and Instructional Technology became the FHSU Virtual College.
HumanResourcesMBA.net No. 1, Top 50 Best Online Master’s in HR Degree Programs (MSHR) 2017
HumanResourcesMBA named FHSU as the No. 1 school in the nation for students pursuing a Master of Professional studies in human resource management.
The 30 credit-hour program is available entirely online and consists of 9 credit hours of core class, 15 major-specific credit hours, one elective course and a culmination research project. The program does not require a master’s thesis.
BestMastersInPsychology.com No. 2, Top 50 Best Online Masters in Psychology Degree Programs
FHSU’s online Master of Science in school psychology earned the No. 2 spot on BestMastersInPsychology’s list based on its program quality and accreditation.
The program requires 30 credit hours and five days of on-campus workshops. Courses include behavioral therapy, professional ethics in psychology, appraisal of children, experimental methods, inferential statistics and methods in school psychology.
“The graduate program in school psychology at Fort Hays State University has a long history of preparing students for entry into the profession of school psychology,” says the FHSU website.
CollegeChoice.net No. 14, 30 Best Online Bachelor’s in Elementary Education Degrees for 2017
CollegeChoice recognized the Bachelor of Science in elementary education for its accreditation, quality and affordability.
The degree qualifies students for licensure in elementary education from kindergarten to sixth grade. The program requires internships and student teaching as well as general education, professional studies and major-specific courses.
CollegeValuesOnline.com No. 2, Top 15 Accelerated Online Master’s in School Counseling Programs 2017
CollegeValuesOnline named the FHSU’s online Master of Science in school counseling the No. 2 accelerated program in the nation based on its affordability, accessibility and ability to be completed at an accelerated pace.
The 45-credit-hour program includes three on-campus courses lasting four days each. Required courses include counseling skills development, appraisal in counseling, social and cultural foundations and professional counseling in elementary schools.
GraduatePrograms.com No. 19, 2017 Top Colleges for an Online Master’s in Education
The Master of Science in education earned a spot on GraduatePrograms list based on its affordability, accessibility and positive student feedback.
Students seeking a master’s in education can choose from concentrations in English for speakers of other languages, library media specialist, reading specialist, transition to teaching, higher education student affairs and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor preparation. All candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive exam in their areas of concentration.
GeriatricNursing.org No. 7, 30 Most Affordable Nursing Degree Programs
GeriatricNursing named FHSU’s online nursing programs as among the most affordable in the nation. FHSU was also praised for its accessibility, innovation and positive student-faculty interaction.
Through its Virtual College, FHSU offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing for registered nurses. A Master of Nursing Education, Master of Nursing Administration and Doctorate of Nursing Practice are also available completely or mostly online.
“The learning environment of the university provides a great opportunity for students to be well-equipped with all concepts of the nursing profession,” said GeriatricNursing.org.
SUMNER COUNTY –Another earthquake rattled portions of Kansas on Wednesday morning.
The 2.7 magnitude quake hit just before 6 a.m. and was centered approximately 10 miles northwest of Conway Springs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
This is the second quake in Kansas this month.
The agency reported a 3.5 magnitude quake in Harper County on May 5.
The USGS recorded nearly a dozen Kansas earthquakes in April, seven in March and six in February. They measured from 2.5. to 3.3.
There are no reports of damage or injury from Wednesday’s earthquake, according to the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department.
Please be advised that beginning Wednesday, May 10, 2017 the reconstruction of 8th Street from Milner to Vine is scheduled to move into Phase 2 which will allow west-bound traffic only.
This phase is to construct the southern 2/3rds of 8th Street from Milner to Vine including curb, pavement, drives, and sidewalks. This phase is scheduled to last for the next several months (pending weather conditions).
Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public. The traveling public should use caution in these areas.
The city of Hays regrets any inconvenience this may cause to the public. If there are any questions, please call the Public Works Department at z(785) 628-7350 or the contractor, Morgan Brothers Construction, at (785) 432-3104 or (785) 394-1777.
The 20-year-old city of Hays Service Division dump truck #837 is budgeted to be replaced in 2017.
During their Thursday meeting city commissioners will consider accepting the low bid of $139,151 from Summit Truck Group of Salina. The new truck will be paid for from the New Equipment Reserve Fund.
The truck is one of six Service Division dump trucks equipped with snow plows to clear streets of snow and ice and perform general construction and maintenance operations throughout the year.
Existing #837, 1997 Chevy truck
Water Resources Maintenance has a 1992 dump truck #839 used exclusively for waterline breaks. It’s worn out and would be replaced by #837, allowing #839 to be sold at auction. The existing dump truck #837 will be transferred from Service Division to Water Resources – Utility Maintenance.
“In the winter, if we’ve got our plows and salt spreaders on, and there’s a waterline break, it can take 30 to 45 minutes to get that equipment off that truck and then be able to use it for waterline repair. So #839 just sits there, waiting for a waterline break,” John Braun, assistant public works director explained to commissioners.
The New Equipment Reserve Fund was created a few years ago, according to Braun.
“We’ve got this fund to replace vehicles and that way the city doesn’t have to lease-purchase, or borrow money in advance or try to budget large sums in various places,” Braun explained. “So every year, we’re transferring money from various accounts–General Fund, Utilities, Airport, Police and Fire–into the New Equipment Reserve Fund to purchase vehicles scheduled for replacement.”
The Solid Waste Division has its own account.
There are some city vehicles, when replaced and money is no longer being saved for replacement, they are kept in the city fleet.
“A good example of that is seasonal vehicles,” Braun pointed out. “We have a pickup the guys are using every day for 15 years and it’s looking pretty ratty but it still runs. Jeff Boyle, director of parks, hires a whole bunch of seasonal employees during the summer and they need that beater truck to run around and empty trash cans in the parks.
“We keep that pickup an extra year, two, or three, and when we replace another vehicle in the fleet, the worst vehicle goes away and another truck goes down to replace it,” he said.
Other agenda items for the May 11 city commission meeting include a bid award for an airport paint sprayer and a building abatement of Discount Liquor, 3310 Vine, Suite 30.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has blocked an effort to overturn an Obama-era regulation restricting harmful methane emissions that escape from oil and gas wells on federal land.
