Area groups are teaming for a Production/Transportation Job Fair this month in Hays.
The job fair will be 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, at Big Creek Crossing and is sposnored by the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development, KansasWorks, Big Creek Crossing and Hays Has Jobs.
Registered employers include Enersys, Skillet & Sons, Wilkens Manufacturing and La Crosse Furniture.
Employers interested in hosting a free booth, should fill out the form HERE.
Government gridlock. Democrats force through Obamacare without Republican votes. A small number of Senate Republicans design Trumpcare in closed meetings that even exclude the majority of Republicans. The majority Party alone controls which bills will be considered and who will be allowed to testify in hearings. Ask a Congressman or Senator about an issue they have not yet studied and their answer will likely be: “Whatever the opposing party is for, I’m a’gin it.”
About the only time open discussion and debate occurs is when a few Congressmen or Senators break rank. Independent-thinking mavericks who refuse to be whipped-into-line by the Party are about the only factor that forces some open discussion.
The two major parties currently control politics in this country—over 95 percent of state and federal political offices in the United States. While locally-known independent candidates can get elected in city and county elections, it has been very difficult for an independent candidate to win at the state and national level. Among the 100 U.S. Senators, there are only two independents.
So consider how American politics could be improved at the state and national level by having more independent candidates. If neither major Party had a majority, then they would have to talk to each other.
While hyper-partisanship has reached new heights, many Americans have been fed up with the threat of government shutdown and general inability to get anything done for these last decades.
In 2014, a new phenomena appeared on the political scene: the Independent with substantial support. Eleven major elections across the country had independent candidates who actually had a chance to win, unlike prior third-party candidates who only drew single-digit support. Kansas was one of those battlegrounds, with Independent Greg Orman opposing Senator Pat Roberts. While Orman lost, he did pull in 42.5 percent of the vote. Independent candidates could solve the “Party problem.”
Those problems of toe-the-Party-line politics are described by former Oklahoma Congressman Mickey Edwards in his book “The Parties versus The People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans” published in 2012. Edwards explains how continuing to work in a polarizing two-Party system will not solve the problems of a majority-centrist country.
As an insider, Edwards clearly knows and shows how our two-Party system limits our ballot choices, causes polarization, and prevents candidates from representing their local constituencies.
Edwards goes beyond listing the deficiencies to proposing solutions. In non-party-based primary elections, any candidate who can secure the required number of signatures gets to run on a single primary ballot. Then the top two run against each other, even if from the same party. This system, called a “jungle primary” by the Parties, is already in place in Louisiana, Washington State and California.
His second proposal is to take away Parties’ control over redistricting, the gerrymandering that allows the controlling Party to draw maps that minimize the effect of opposition voting at the state level. Wisconsin gerrymandering is currently being examined by the U.S. Supreme Court today.
A third revision is to reduce spending and increase competition. If candidates are to represent their constituents, then contributions should only come from their constituencies. Instead, huge amounts of money from outside entities pour into a local district to promote a candidate, making the winning candidate indebted to big-money outside his or her district. In an age of super-PACS and the Citizens United decision, this remains unsolvable. But this money stream poisons the democratic system.
Why would I address party politics in an education column? While Kansas was the second state to lose teacher tenure (due to the far right), California was the third (due to the far left, overturned by their court, but with similar efforts underway on the East Coast). And neither Party has worked to restore teacher professionalism. Simply, teachers often have no one to vote for.
There are more than two sides to many questions, but not when you only have two parties.
Perhaps it is time to send to Topeka and Washington those who can exercise independent political judgement. Perhaps in the model of Jimmy Stewart’s character in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”
City of Hays
Beginning Wednesday, eastbound traffic on West Eighth will be closed to through traffic from Rome Crossing to Park Street. Westbound traffic on West Eighth from Park Street to Rome Crossing will remain open. The concrete patching is in conjunction with the 2017 street maintenance projects. This section of the project is scheduled to be completed within two weeks, pending weather.
Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public. The traveling public should use caution and if at all possible avoid these areas.
By STEPHEN KORANDA
Lawmakers approved a $1.2 billion income tax increase to close a projected $900 million budget gap for the next two fiscal years.
The new law raises income tax rates and reinstates income taxes on thousands of business owners.
“We’re encouraging everybody to just think about it,” said Kansas Revenue Secretary Sam Williams.
Williams recommends that employees who are paid at an hourly rate check their paychecks in July to make sure the income tax withholding has been increased.
Under current law, there are two income tax brackets with rates of 2.7 percent and 4.6 percent. The new law creates a third bracket, and has rates of 2.9 percent, 4.9 percent and 5.2 percent.
The new law also eliminates an income tax exemption created in 2012 for more than 300,000 businesses owners. That means many businesses will have to start making quarterly tax payments.
“Businesses that were created in that time, they haven’t been in the habit of making any estimated tax payments,” Williams said.
The tax changes are retroactive to the beginning of 2017.
Andy Phillips, with The Tax Institute at H&R Block, agreed that it’s a good idea for individuals to make sure their withholding amount has increased. For businesses, he said it’s important to see if tax payments need to be updated.
“Visit with your tax adviser, even on your own do an online tax calculator. Determine what this means to you,” he said.
Phillips said workers or business owners who don’t make changes could face a larger-than-expected tax bill next April.
“It’s extremely important to have that midyear checkup and determine if you need to take some proactive steps and not have a surprise waiting for you,” he said.
Kansans will not face late penalties or interest as long as all taxes due are paid by April 2018.
The new law also will reinstate some tax deductions and credits, but those won’t begin phasing back in until next year.
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for KPR a partner in the Kansas News Service.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House’s top legislative liaison insists the Senate is “getting close” to an agreement on a GOP health bill to repeal and replace the health care law.
Marc Short says President Donald Trump spent the weekend making calls to lawmakers to “get the Senate package across the finish line.”
Kansas Senator Pat Roberts has stated he favors the current bill while the Junior Senator from Kansas Jerry Moran does not.
Short says the Congressional Budget Office has two versions of the bill to score. Sen. Ted Cruz is pushing a conservative version that aims to aggressively reduce costs. The other could bolster health care subsidies for lower-income people.
Short told “Fox News Sunday” the White House’s hope is to pass a repeal-and-replace bill. But he reiterated that Trump believes Republicans should consider an option of immediately repealing “Obamacare” and replacing it later, if senators can’t reach agreement.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Federal officials say the Kansas City Zoo was not at fault when a chimp died.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture inspected the zoo’s chimpanzee program after a 31-year-old chimpanzee died June 21.
The chimp, Bahati, died after falling from a tree and being attacked by other chimpanzees.
Zoo officials say other chimps had chased Bahati up the tree and he fell. The chimpanzees beat Bahati and he died of internal injuries. A zoo spokeswoman said chimpanzees often skirmish to maintain social hierarchy.
The Kansas City Star reports the federal agency said it found the zoo was compliant with the Animal Welfare Act, which covers the treatment of zoo animals.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some state lawmakers want Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to explain his claim that corruption exists at the Statehouse.
Kobach said recently he is running for governor to end the “culture of corruption” in the Legislature. He suggested term limits for legislators.
House Speaker Pro Tem Scott Schwab, a Republican from Olathe, on Friday said Kobach’s comments insult the Legislature. He says he gets nervous when someone with prosecutorial power accuses others of violating the law without being specific.
Schwab suggested the Legislative Coordinating Council, a seven-member group of the top leaders from both parties in the House and Senate, write a letter to Kobach asking him to explain his remarks.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports Kobach’s office said he would respond when he sees the letter.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Wichita truck driving school and its owner will pay $6,000 back to students after admitting to making false claims about its credentials.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said Friday that Wichita Truck Driving School claimed to be approved by the Kansas Board of Regents and said it was a member of the Wichita Chamber of Commerce.
Neither claim was true. Making such false claims violates state law.
The $6,000 represents tuition to students. The company and its owner, Tandy McKenzie, also agreed to pay court costs related to the case.
SHAWNEE COUNTY – A small plane made an unexpected landing just after 11a.m. Saturday in Shawnee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported the 2001 MAC-145B Fixed Wing Single Engine
airplane piloted by Pierre S. Melcher, 57, Houston, was traveling from Kansas City to Denver.
The plane lost oil pressure and made an emergency landing in a corn field near the 2600 Block of U.S. 24 Highway.
Melcher and a passenger were not injured.
Day 2 of the Wild West Festival finished with better weather than the previous day, and wasn’t lacking in entertainment.
Haven Alexandra opened the evening up with her solo act, followed by a performance by Adam Capps Band, and at the end of the night, audiences were treated to Mark Chesnutt.
A selection of photos from the evening courtesy of Harrison Brent of Eagle Communications and HarrisonHale Photography. A full gallery of images are now up at www.harrisonhale.com
Tonight closes out the 2017 Wild West Festival concert series with performances by Blake Ruder at 6:30 pm, Grant Lambert & Red Line Velocity taking the stage at 8:00 pm, and Resurrection: A Journey Tribute closing the night out at 9:30 pm.
NEWTON COUNTY, MO – A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 2:30a.m. Saturday in Newton County Missouri.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford 500 driven by Summer D. Padilla, 35, Baxter Springs, was traveling on Highway 43 four miles south of Joplin. The vehicle left the road and hit a tree.
She was transported to Mercy Hospital in serious condition, according to the MSHP. She was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The figures don’t lie.
This is Wilfred Kreutzer’s favorite saying.
So here are the figures on Wilfred Kreutzer.
He is 86 years old, 87 in another month.
He started work at S&W Supply in Hays in 1954 at the age of 24 in the bookkeeping department. That is 63 years ago — more than 22,000 days of service.
Most people start thinking about retirement at about age 65, but Kreutzer said the time was just not right for him.
After his wife died, he said he needed something to keep him going, so he kept working.
Kreutzer thought bookkeeping might be in his future during high school. He took many math courses and enjoyed them.
Kreutzer served int he U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean War. He was stationed in Germany and worked doing office duties in a message center.
He still wears a red shirt every Friday, including his last day this Friday, to honor service men and women. Many of his co-workers joined him in wearing red on his last day in honor of his service.
When he was discharged from the Army, he returned to Hays where he was born and raised.
He attended an open house at S&W and was hired shortly after by the company’s president.
S&W Supply has its own long history.
Established during the “Dust Bowl” and “The Great Depression” by Claude Sutter and his wife Helen (Bickle) Sutter, the original company that would become S&W Supply started out small, selling a limited number of automotive parts, according to their website.
Even with the state of the economy, their business grew and Claude Sutter moved it to Hays.
The city offered them a more central location for sales within northwest Kansas.
He was then joined by Don Wells and his, wife Lyle (Bickle) Wells, and this new partnership (Sutter & Wells) is where the current company received its namesake of S&W Supply.
In 1954 S&W Supply moved to the current location at 300 E. Eighth St. in Hays.
Besides the Army and a brief stint in construction when he was young, Kreutzer has had no other job in his lifetime.
The people and the camaraderie he found at S&W Supply has been what has kept Kreutzer coming back all these years.
“I get to be amongst people in a good office. That is why I am still here,” he said.
Kreutzer also praised the great management and the good benefits for his longevity.
Management returned the compliment.
Don Bickle Sr., 89, one of the S &W owners and who is still an active employee, said of Kreutzer ’s character, “Wilfred is the most loyal, honest man I’ve ever known.”
Bookkeeping has changed much since Kreutzer began his job. When he started, he was doing the books long hand with adding machines, then calculators and then computers.
“I flowed right into it, one step at a time,” he said. “I came right on up to date that way.”
Kreutzer said he knows he will miss work and his friends and S&W Supply, but it is time to move on to other things.
He hopes to spend some time vacationing, fishing and working on the lawn and his home.
Kreutzer’s co-workers said he will be missed.
Kreutzer has two nieces and a nephew who are also all long-time employees of the same company.
Jay Weigel, nephew has worked at the company for 41 years. Nieces Debbie Casper and Coy Wasinger have worked with the company for 28 and 27 years respectively.
Jay, who works in IT, has sat next to his uncle for more than 40 years. Kreutzer is family, but the whole office is like family, Jay said, and that is why people tend to stay so long.
“It is a great place to work,” Jay said. “They have good benefits, and it is more like a family.”
Jan Stauth, office manager, said Kreutzer has been a great asset to the company.
“He has taught me a ton,” she said. “He still does things the old school way. He still does books by hand.”
Stauth continued, “It is so incredible. It is a major milestone. Not many people ever hit that.”
JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas law that allows concealed guns on state university and college campuses beginning Saturday has resulted in a flurry of new policies, fact sheets, online guides and videos about the handling of weapons.
Administrators say they can’t predict how many people will carry concealed weapons on campuses or how many complaints their police might receive about potential violations of the keep-weapons-hidden policies.
For example, administrators are telling students that if they keep a handgun in a backpack, the backpack has to stay with them if they’re called to the front of the class to answer a question.
The law allows people 21 or older to carry concealed weapons on campus and into buildings that don’t have adequate security such as metal detectors and armed guards.
