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Tuesday’s high school basketball results

BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Abilene 52, Wamego 32
Andale 59, Circle 36
Andover 67, Goddard 47
Arkansas City 56, Goddard-Eisenhower 51
Atchison 57, KC Harmon 6
Augusta 69, Clearwater 37
Axtell 49, Onaga 37
Basehor-Linwood 75, KC Piper 68
Baxter Springs 75, Bronaugh, Mo. 22
Belle Plaine 74, Douglass 47
Beloit 70, Republic County 66, OT
Bennington 50, Ell-Saline 35
Berean Academy 47, Remington 30
Bishop Miege 64, BV North 44
Bonner Springs 73, KC Bishop Ward 41
Bucklin 52, Minneola 46
Burlingame 79, Northern Heights 30
Burlington 77, Anderson County 74
BV West 60, Blue Valley 46
Caldwell 63, Argonia 39
Caney Valley 85, Bluestem 24
Central Plains 72, Otis-Bison 37
Chapman 70, Clay Center 53
Cherryvale 59, Erie 40
Cheyenne Wells, Colo. 56, Wallace County 45
Clifton-Clyde 64, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 31
Concordia 83, Pike Valley 50
Derby 59, Great Bend 50
DeSoto 71, Baldwin 61
Ellis 60, Quinter 52
Ellsworth 46, Russell 42
Elyria Christian 58, Peabody-Burns 30
Eureka 63, Humboldt 33
Falls City, Neb. 45, Hiawatha 40
Fort Scott 70, Parsons 69, OT
Frankfort 53, Troy 46
Galena 61, Southeast 28
Garden City 64, Dodge City 61
Girard 71, Frontenac 55
Goodland 58, Burlington, Colo. 38
Halstead 64, Lyons 23
Hanover 55, Washington County 40
Hays 66, Salina South 56
Hesston 72, Haven 63
Hillsboro 64, Council Grove 39
Holcomb 69, Hugoton 54
Holly, Colo. 51, Syracuse 38
Holton 57, Royal Valley 47
Hutchinson Central Christian 64, Chase 35
Hutchinson Trinity 78, Sedgwick 56
Jackson Heights 61, Bishop Seabury Academy 48
Jayhawk Linn 54, Osawatomie 43
Jefferson West 38, Riverside 34
Kapaun Mount Carmel 66, Wichita West 43
KC Turner 69, Tonganoxie 57
Kingman 41, Pratt 33
Labette County 52, Independence 51
Larned 46, Nickerson 42
Lawrence Free State 69, Olathe East 48
Leavenworth 65, Gardner-Edgerton 64
Little River 59, Goessel 33
Lyndon 57, Wabaunsee 35
Macksville 67, La Crosse 47
Maize South 53, Valley Center 44
Marmaton Valley 58, Altoona-Midway 25
Marysville 64, Riley County 39
Maur Hill – Mount Academy 46, Horton 25
McLouth 44, Jefferson North 41
Meade 60, Kiowa County 38
Mission Valley 42, Madison/Hamilton 33
Moundridge 78, Marion 69
Nemaha Central 64, Atchison County 36
Neodesha 59, Fredonia 28
Ness City 62, Hill City 26
Newton 67, Salina Central 54
Northeast-Arma 76, Oswego 30
Olathe West 71, SM North 53
Olpe 62, Central Heights 34
Oxford 42, Udall 28
Paola 69, Louisburg 52
Perry-Lecompton 55, Sabetha 30
Phillipsburg 66, Southern Valley, Neb. 34
Pittsburg 59, Coffeyville 36
Plainville 58, Trego 38
Pleasant Ridge 55, Oskaloosa 42
Pretty Prairie 50, Burrton 46
Rawlins County 60, Hitchcock County, Neb. 44
Rock Creek 55, Centralia 48
Rock Hills 69, Sylvan-Lucas 44
Salina Sacred Heart 55, Southeast Saline 35
Santa Fe Trail 61, Iola 46
Scott City 60, Cimarron 53
Sedan 93, South Haven 41
SM East 48, Lawrence 43
SM Northwest 51, Olathe South 46
Smoky Valley 58, Hoisington 48
South Central 53, Kinsley 38
South Gray 67, Hodgeman County 38
Spearville 61, Pawnee Heights 48
St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 63, Thunder Ridge 21
St. Mary’s 67, Rossville 52
St. Thomas Aquinas 55, St. James Academy 53
St. Xavier 59, Tescott 40
Sterling 63, Inman 57
Sublette 62, Deerfield 60
Topeka 49, Manhattan 48
Uniontown 52, Chetopa 42
Valley Heights 56, Doniphan West 48
Victoria 49, Ellinwood 33
Wellsville 70, Prairie View 47
West Elk 56, Flinthills 19
Wetmore 48, Linn 47
Wichita Bishop Carroll 59, Wichita Heights 53
Wichita Campus 51, Hutchinson 43
Wichita Classical 62, St. John’s Military 40
Wichita Collegiate 62, Buhler 47
Wichita Independent 52, Garden Plain 46
Wichita North 61, Wichita East 52
Wichita Northwest 52, Wichita South 47
Wichita Trinity 57, Cheney 39
Winfield 75, Mulvane 61
Yates Center 56, Crest 35
Western Kansas Liberty League Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Cheylin 47, Palco 39
Weskan 60, Golden Plains 43
Semifinal
Logan 50, Triplains-Brewster 40

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Abilene 37, Wamego 24
Andover 49, Goddard 33
Argonia 51, Caldwell 41
Atchison 57, KC Harmon 6
Augusta 36, Clearwater 18
Baldwin 58, DeSoto 45
Barstow, Mo. 41, KC Christian 8
Beloit 61, Republic County 32
Bennington 48, Ell-Saline 26
Bluestem 57, Caney Valley 53
Bonner Springs 60, KC Bishop Ward 40
Bronaugh, Mo. 37, Baxter Springs 24
Bucklin 48, Minneola 43
Buhler 51, Wichita Collegiate 37
Burlington 43, Goodland 38
Burlington, Colo. 43, Goodland 38
Central Plains 75, Otis-Bison 46
Centralia 70, Rock Creek 43
Centre 44, Solomon 32
Cheney 61, Wichita Trinity 50
Chetopa 52, Uniontown 22
Cimarron 60, Scott City 52
Circle 45, Andale 44
Clay Center 50, Chapman 28
Clifton-Clyde 49, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 22
Columbus 57, Riverton 37
Concordia 50, Pike Valley 34
Cunningham 44, Fairfield 36
Derby 69, Great Bend 43
Dodge City 35, Garden City 27
Douglass 56, Belle Plaine 24
Elyria Christian 42, Peabody-Burns 17
Erie 48, Cherryvale 40
Eureka 44, Humboldt 43
Falls City, Neb. 40, Hiawatha 25
Fort Scott 47, Parsons 42
Frankfort 71, Troy 12
Fredonia 52, Neodesha 34
Galena 62, Southeast 25
Garden Plain 53, Wichita Independent 31
Gardner-Edgerton 43, Leavenworth 26
Girard 62, Frontenac 50
Goddard-Eisenhower 52, Arkansas City 36
Goessel 55, Little River 34
Halstead 56, Lyons 25
Hanover 49, Washington County 44
Hays 55, Salina South 50
Hesston 37, Haven 28
Hill City 67, Ness City 25
Hillsboro 49, Council Grove 44
Hitchcock County, Neb. 50, Rawlins County 39
Hodgeman County 43, South Gray 40
Holly, Colo. 36, Syracuse 29
Holton 68, Royal Valley 63
Hugoton 46, Holcomb 39
Hutchinson 42, Wichita Campus 26
Hutchinson Central Christian 53, Chase 25
Hutchinson Trinity 37, Sedgwick 21
Iola 44, Santa Fe Trail 36
Jackson Heights 58, Bishop Seabury Academy 4
Jayhawk Linn 40, Osawatomie 39
Jefferson North 59, McLouth 23
Jefferson West 71, Riverside 20
Kapaun Mount Carmel 62, Wichita West 25
KC Piper 49, Basehor-Linwood 41
KC Sumner 82, KC Washington 15
KC Turner 56, Tonganoxie 52
Kingman 54, Pratt 43
Kiowa County 50, Meade 44
La Crosse 36, Macksville 34
Labette County 46, Independence 33
Lawrence 50, SM East 38
Louisburg 69, Paola 57
Manhattan 65, Topeka 32
Marion 37, Moundridge 36
Marysville 61, Riley County 35
Maur Hill – Mount Academy 48, Horton 38
Mill Valley 53, BV Southwest 39
Nemaha Central 59, Atchison County 36
Nickerson 54, Larned 31
Northern Heights 43, Burlingame 28
Olathe East 64, Lawrence Free State 36
Olathe Northwest 44, SM South 42
Olpe 86, Central Heights 19
Oswego 53, Northeast-Arma 45, OT
Pittsburg 62, Coffeyville 39
Pleasant Ridge 55, Oskaloosa 50
Pratt Skyline 34, Stafford 20
Pretty Prairie 37, Burrton 22
Quinter 46, Ellis 44
Remington 34, Berean Academy 31
Rural Vista 58, Canton-Galva 35
Russell 60, Ellsworth 43
Sabetha 42, Perry-Lecompton 21
Salina Central 37, Newton 32
Salina Sacred Heart 28, Southeast Saline 24
Sherwood, Mo. 51, Maranatha Academy 37
Silver Lake 51, Osage City 35
SM North 60, Olathe West 51
South Barber 45, Attica 41
South Central 75, Kinsley 42
South Haven 42, Sedan 41
Southern Valley, Neb. 52, Phillipsburg 37
Spearville 41, Pawnee Heights 34
Spring Hill 54, Ottawa 30
St. Paul 38, Pleasanton 32
Sterling 53, Inman 29
Sublette 65, Deerfield 30
Sylvan-Lucas 46, Rock Hills 32
Thunder Ridge 36, St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 35
Trego 56, Plainville 46
Udall 60, Oxford 16
Valley Center 52, Maize South 44
Valley Heights 68, Doniphan West 29
Victoria 43, Ellinwood 34
Wabaunsee 62, Lyndon 43
Wallace County 38, Cheyenne Wells, Colo. 32
Wellsville 72, Prairie View 32
West Elk 58, Flinthills 47
Wetmore 38, Linn 20
Wichita Bishop Carroll 58, Wichita Heights 52
Wichita East 53, Wichita North 11
Wichita South 46, Wichita Northwest 22
Winfield 38, Mulvane 31
Yates Center 47, Crest 38
Western Kansas Liberty League Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Weskan 45, Palco 21
Wheatland-Grinnell 47, Logan 40
Semifinal
Northern Valley 62, Cheylin 44
Triplains-Brewster 60, Golden Plains 43

AP Sources: Chiefs agree to trade Smith to Redskins

WASHINGTON (AP) – Two people with direct knowledge of the trade say the Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to deal quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday night on condition of anonymity because the move can’t be completed until the start of the new league year in March. One person tells the AP the Redskins have agreed to a four-year extension with Smith, who had one year left on his contract.

Smith, who turns 34 in May, spent the past five seasons with the Chiefs, leading them to the playoffs four times while throwing for 102 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. He carries a $17 million salary-cap hit for 2018.

The trade spells the end of Kirk Cousins’ tumultuous tenure with the Redskins after back-to-back seasons on the franchise tag.

Hays Area Chamber of Commerce announces annual award winners

HACC

On Tuesday evening, members of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce gathered on the campus of Fort Hays State University for their annual banquet.

The following awards were presented:

Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas
Helping Hands Award, Sponsored by Platinum Group

Awarded to a nonprofit organization or employee for outstanding work that improves the quality of life for residents in the Hays area. This person or entity must have demonstrated a commitment to caring and generosity of spirit, as well as openness and inclusion.

• 50 years of serving people with intellectual & developmental disabilities
• Serves more than 500 individuals in 18 counties

Sarah Cearley

Sarah Cearley
Rising Star Award, Sponsored by Eagle Communications

Awarded to a young professional in recognition for leadership and service within their profession and the community. Recipient must be 21-40 years of age; demonstrated excellence in leadership qualities business or community; history of community service and Chamber of Commerce participation.

• Owner of Simply Charmed and Bella Luna
• Board member for Downtown Hays Development Corporation

Paul Wertenberger Construction

Paul-Wertenberger Construction
Small Business Achievement Award, Sponsored by James Motor Company

Recognizes the success of small business. Recipient must demonstrate entrepreneurial success in the Hays area.

• Steve Paul and Bob Wertenberger, owners for 35 years
• Employs 54 people including students from FHSU and NCK Tech
• Received numerous community, state and industry awards and accolades

Shanna Dinkel

Shanna Dinkel
Business Woman of the Year Award, Sponsored by AFLAC – Jody Hipp

Awarded in recognition for accomplishments within the business community. Recipient must have strong business accomplishments; history of community service; and Chamber of Commerce participation. Assists others in reaching their full leadership potential.

• Assistant Superintendent for USD 489
• Named Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year
• Nominee for Kansas Teacher of the Year, HNEA Master Teacher

Don Scheibler

Don Scheibler
Citizen of the Year Award, Sponsored by Nex-Tech

Awarded in recognition for service to the people and city of Hays for the past year. This person has given of themselves for the betterment of our community. The recipient must have community involvement during the past year.

• Chief of Police for city of Hays
• Kiwanis Club member and past president
• Leadership Hays graduate

Dick Werth

Dick Werth
Hall of Fame Award, Sponsored by Golden Belt Bank

Awarded in recognition for years of unselfish service to the Hays area. Recipient must have demonstrated long-term community service; excellence in business or profession and a history of civic involvement.

• Owner of Auto World for 35 years
• Supporter of numerous activities and events within the community
• Current president and board member of the Hays Symphony Guild
• Past board chair of the Hays Area Chamber
• 2005 Harley L. Rhoads Award recipient

Hays basketball sweeps Salina South at home

Girls

Hays 55 – Salina South 50

Neither Hays or Salina South could find separation from each other in the first half.  Tied four times and two lead changes, it was the Lady Cougars who found their way to a lead by halftime 23-22.  Hays used a 11-3 run that gave the Lady Indians the first of three different six point leads.  The last came at 20-14 with 4:10 left in the half.  South though ended the half on a 9-2 run in the last three minutes of the half for their half time lead.

Highlights

Salina South pushed their lead to six on back to back three pointers two minutes into the third quarter.  Hays continued to trail by five when Isabel Robben scored eight straight the Lady Indians to take a 35-34 lead.  South hit a pair of free throws to regain the lead 36-35 heading to the fourth quarter.

The game featured eleven ties and five lead changes.  The final lead change game when Brooke Denning hit her second three pointer of the game for a 44-42 lead.  South tied the game one final time at 44 with 1:41 left.  Tasiah Nunnery scored four straight, two from the free throw line and two off a Kallie Leiker steal, to start a 11-4 run that secured the Hays victory.

Coach Kirk Maska

The Lady Indians shot 17 of 20 from the free throw line and made seven of their final eight in the last 1:11 of the game.  Hays moves to 9-5 on the year, snapping a four game skid.  South falls to 4-9.  Isabel Robben led the Lady Indians in scoring with 15.  Tasiah Nunnery put in 12 and three more players scored eight or nine points.

Boys

Hays 66 – Salina South 56

Salina South took an early 2-0 lead on an offensive rebound put back.  Hays answered with a three pointer twenty seconds later to take a lead they held for the remainder of the first half.  Tradgon McCrae scored 12 points in the first half to help Hays to a 31-24 lead.  Hays led 8-7 during first quarter play before the Indians went on a 12-3 run over a 8:50 span to build their biggest first half lead at 11.

Highlights

Hays opened the second half with two quick three pointers and then a third two minutes later to build their biggest lead of the game at 40-26.  Salina South though would never let the Indians get comfortable with the lead.  The Cougars closed the gap down to six in the third quarter, before Hays scored four points in the final minute of the third quarter to lead 47-37.

The Indians pushed their lead up to 12 early in the fourth quarter, but South continued to fight back.  After going up 52-40 with six minutes left in the game, the Indians had their lead trimmed down to four following at Cougar 10-2 run.  The Indians never let South get any closer outscoring the Cougars 12-6 over the final three minutes.

Coach Rick Keltner

Hays improves to 9-5 on the season behind a game high 20 points from Tradgon McCrae.  Cole Murphy scored 15 on five three pointers and Ethan Nunnery added 10.  South falls to 2-11.

The Hays High girls and boys head to Dodge City on Friday as the leaders in the Western Athletic Conference at 3-0.

Trump warns of immigration peril, touts economy in address

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech (all times local):  Watch a replay of the address here.

 

Addressing a deeply divided nation, President Donald Trump summoned the country to a “new American moment” of unity in his first State of the Union, challenging Congress to make good on long-standing promises to fix a fractured immigration system and warning darkly of evil forces seeking to undermine America’s way of life.

Trump’s address Tuesday night blended self-congratulation and calls for optimism amid a growing economy with ominous warnings about deadly gangs, the scourge of drugs and violent immigrants living in the United States illegally. He cast the debate over immigration — an issue that has long animated his most ardent supporters — as a battle between heroes and villains, leaning heavily on the personal stories of White House guests in the crowd. He praised a law enforcement agent who arrested more than 100 gang members, and he recognized the families of two alleged gang victims.

He also spoke forebodingly of catastrophic dangers from abroad, warning that North Korea would “very soon” threaten the United States with nuclear-tipped missiles.

“The United States is a compassionate nation. We are proud that we do more than any other country to help the needy, the struggling and the underprivileged all over the world,” Trump said. “But as president of the United States, my highest loyalty, my greatest compassion, and my constant concern is for America’s children, America’s struggling workers and America’s forgotten communities.”

Trump addressed the nation with tensions running high on Capitol Hill. An impasse over immigration prompted a three-day government shutdown earlier this year, and lawmakers appear no closer to resolving the status of the “Dreamers” — young people living in the U.S. illegally ahead of a new Feb. 8 deadline for funding operations. The parties have also clashed this week over the plans of Republicans on the House intelligence committee to release a classified memo on the Russia investigation involving Trump’s presidential campaign — a decision the White House backs but the Justice Department is fighting.

The controversies that have dogged Trump — and the ones he has created— have overshadowed strong economic gains during his first year in office. His approval ratings have hovered in the 30s for much of his presidency, and just 3 in 10 Americans said the United States was heading in the right direction, according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In the same survey, 67 percent of Americans said the country was more divided because of Trump.

At times, Trump’s address appeared to be aimed more at validating his first year in office than setting the course for his second. He devoted significant time to touting the tax overhaul he signed at the end of last year, promising the plan will “provide tremendous relief for the middle class and small businesses.” He also highlighted the decision made early in his first year to withdraw the U.S. from a sweeping Asia-Pacific trade pact, declaring: “The era of economic surrender is totally over.”

He spoke about potential agenda items for 2018 in broad terms, including a call for $1.5 trillion in new infrastructure spending and partnerships with states and the private sector. He touched only briefly on issues like health care that have been at the center of the Republican Party’s policy agenda for years.

Tackling the sensitive immigration debate that has roiled Washington, Trump redoubled his recent pledge to offer a path to citizenship for 1.8 million young immigrants — but only as part of a package that would also require increased funding for border security, including a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, ending the nation’s visa lottery method and revamping the current legal immigration system. Some Republicans are wary of the hardline elements of Trump’s plan and it’s unclear whether his blueprint could pass Congress.

“Americans are dreamers too,” Trump said, in an apparent effort to reclaim the term used to describe the young immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

A former New York Democrat, the president also played to the culture wars that have long illuminated American politics, alluding to his public spat with professional athletes who led protests against racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem, declaring that paying tribute to the flag is a “civic duty.”

Republicans led multiple rounds of enthusiastic applause during the speech, but for the opposition party it was a more somber affair. Democrats provided a short spurt of polite applause for Trump as he entered the chamber, but offered muted reactions throughout the speech. A cluster of about two dozen Democrats, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, remained planted firmly in their seats, staring sternly at the president and withholding applause.

After devastating defeats in 2016, Democrats are hopeful that Trump’s sagging popularity can help the party rebound in November’s midterm elections. In a post-speech rebuttal, Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, was seeking to undercut Trump’s optimistic tone and remind voters of the personal insults and attacks often leveled by the president.

“Bullies may land a punch,” Kennedy said. “They might leave a mark. But they have never, not once, in the history of our United States, managed to match the strength and spirit of a people united in defense of their future.”

The arc of Trump’s 80-minute speech featured the personal stories of men and women who joined first lady Melania Trump in the audience. The guests included a New Mexico policeman and his wife who adopted a baby from parents who suffered from opioid addiction, and Ji Seong-ho, a defector from North Korea and outspoken critic of the Kim Jong-un government.

On international affairs, Trump warned of the dangers from “rogue regimes,” like Iran and North Korea, terrorist groups, like the Islamic State, and “rivals” like China and Russia “that challenge our interests, our economy and our values.” Calling on Congress to lift budgetary caps and boost spending on the military, Trump said that “unmatched power is the surest means of our defense.”

Trump’s biggest foreign policy announcement of the night concerned the Guantanamo Bay detention center, which former President Barack Obama tried but failed to close. Reversing Obama’s policy, Trump said he’d signed an executive order Tuesday directing the Pentagon to keep the prison open while re-examining the military’s policy on detention.

Trump said he was also asking Congress to ensure the U.S. had needed powers to detain Islamic State group members and other “terrorists wherever we chase them down,” though it was unclear whether he was referring to a new war powers authorization or some other mechanism. Trump also said he wanted Congress to pass a law ensuring U.S. foreign aid goes only “to America’s friends” — a reference to his frustration at U.S. aid recipients that voted at the U.N. to rebuke his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Mrs. Trump arrived at the Capitol ahead of her husband to attend a reception with guests of the White House, but she rode back to the White House with him. It was the first time she was seen publicly with the president following a report that his lawyer arranged a payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, to prevent her from talking about an alleged affair. Daniels denied the affair in a new statement released hours before the speech.

Wounded Kan. 9-year-old was directly in cop’s line of fire, lawyer says

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An attorney for the family of a 9-year-old girl injured when a Wichita police officer shot at her dog described the situation as “extremely dangerous.”

Charley O’Hara viewed body camera video Monday. He says the girl was so directly in the line of fire that the flashlight shining from above the officer’s gun barrel illuminated her face before he fired. O’Hara says the girl “thought the officer was shooting directly at her.”

She was wounded by a bullet fragment. The shooting happened in late December after officers responded to a report that her father was threatening to hurt himself. The officer said the dog charged him while inside the house with the girl and her three siblings. The officer has since been fired.

Suspect bound over for trial in north-central Kansas shooting death

MINNEAPOLIS, Kan. (AP) — A Maine man will be tried for murder in the shooting death of a Kansas man in August.

Robert Colson, of Bucksport, Maine, was bound over for trial Monday after a preliminary hearing into the death of Matthew Schoshke at his home in Tescott, about 25 miles northwest of Salina.

Colson faces charges of second-degree murder, theft and burglary. The trial is scheduled to start June 11.

Prosecutors say Colson took Schoshke’s dog and drove his truck to California. He was arrested about two weeks after Schoshke’s truck was found in California. Colson was injured while trying to escape from an Amtrak train after a person on the train was stabbed.

The dog was returned to Schoshke’s family.

NW Kansas man pleads guilty to a child sex crime

Cross-photo KDOC

HILL CITY – A Hill City man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a child sex crime, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Kevin Michael Cross, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sodomy with a child. Judge Preston A. Pratt accepted the plea in Graham County District Court. The crime occurred between October and December of 2016.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 27 at 3 p.m.

The case was investigated by the Hill City Police Department with assistance from the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant Attorney General Lyndzie Carter of Schmidt’s office is prosecuting the case.

USDA, FDA Announce Formal Agreement at White House

WASHINGTON —U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. announced at the White House today a formal agreement aimed at making the oversight of food more efficient and effective by bolstering coordination between the two agencies. The formal agreement outlines efforts to increase interagency collaboration, efficiency and effectiveness on produce safety and biotechnology activities, while providing clarity to manufacturers, according to a media release.

“Today, Commissioner Gottlieb and I signed a formal agreement to promote coordination and the streamlining of capacities and obligations on shared concerns and jurisdiction,” said Secretary Perdue. “Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act and assigned responsibilities to the USDA and the FDA. The USDA has the knowledge and expertise to support the FDA’s work related to farming. We at the USDA have a motto: Do Right, and Feed Everyone. We believe this joint effort will help us move one step closer to that goal.”

The FDA and the USDA have worked closely over the years to oversee the nation’s food supply. The USDA oversees the safety of most meat, poultry, catfish and certain egg products while the FDA has authority over all other foods such as dairy, seafood, produce and packaged foods. The USDA and the FDA are partnering in many key areas, including the implementation of produce safety measures and biotechnology efforts.

“Secretary Perdue and I share a deep commitment to further strengthening our nation’s food safety system in the most effective and transparent way,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “Over the last several months, the Secretary and I have worked closely and identified several areas where we can strengthen our collaboration to make our processes more efficient, predictable, and potentially lower cost to industry; while also strengthening our efforts to ensure food safety. This agreement not only formalizes this ongoing coordination, but presents a great opportunity to expand those efforts through better integration and increased clarity to the agriculture and food processing sectors. Our coordination with these sectors plays an integral role in helping to keep our nation’s food supply safe and secure.”

This agreement is the agencies’ newest initiative to expand those efforts and take new steps to streamline regulatory responsibilities and use government resources more efficiently to protect public health. It aims to increase clarity, efficiency and potentially reduce the number of establishments subject to the dual regulatory requirements of the USDA and the FDA. For example, when a facility, such as a canned soup facility, produces both chicken noodle soup and tomato soup, it is currently subject to regulation by both agencies. The agreement tasks both government organizations with identifying ways to streamline regulation and reduce inspection inefficiencies, while steadfastly upholding safety standards for dual-jurisdiction facilities. This can reduce costs on industry and free government resources to better target efforts to areas of risk.

The agreement also commits the USDA and the FDA to identify ways the agencies can better align and enhance their efforts to develop regulatory approaches to biotechnology, as each agency works to fulfill commitments outlined in the September 2016 National Strategy for Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products and the more recent Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Report. These initiatives established a vision for increasing transparency, predictability and efficiency of the regulatory processes for biotechnology products.

The agreement also calls for the FDA and the USDA to enhance their collaboration and cooperation on produce safety activities. The FDA is implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which shifts the food safety paradigm from one of reaction to prevention of foodborne illness. Under FSMA, the FDA coordinates with state and/or territorial government agencies, which will conduct most farm inspections under FSMA’s Produce Safety rule.

Pair facing prison after Thomas County arrests yield 12 pounds of heroin

Acosta-Zavala-photo Thomas Co.
Rios-photo Thomas Co.

WICHITA — Danny Acosta-Zavala, 32, and Cecilia Ann Rios, 36, have been charged with one count of possession of more than 12 pounds of heroin. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 1, in Thomas County, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

If convicted, they face not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney

Kimberly Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

Hays school board debates district’s one-to-one tech policy

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

What was supposed to be a discussion at Monday’s Hays school board meeting about the purchase schedule for student computers morphed into a larger debate about the necessity of the district’s one-to-one technology initiative.

To avoid a large budget spike to replace all the devices at once, the district’s Technology Committee was charged with creating a schedule for the replacement of those computers over a four-year period. That schedule would cost an average of about $225,000 per year, starting with the high school computers in 2018-19.

This makes the per-student cost of the program about $75 per year, or 43 cents per day, Superintendent John Thissen said.

However, board member Greg Schwartz raised concerns about the validity of the one-to-one program. Schwartz asked Thissen what the goal of the one-to-one program was.

Thissen said the technology is a tool that provides information to the students. Students also learn to use the technology and are better prepared to harness that technology when they enter the workforce or go on to higher education,” he said.

“From what we can gather, it does appear that just about any job requires some kind of need of utilizing a tablet or some sort of computer. That necessity is there in just about any job at this time,” Thissen said.

Schwartz questioned the purchase of iPads for students, arguing the district should look at less expensive options.

“I think sometimes we get in a cycle where we say this is the latest, greatest thing. We all want that. It is human nature to want the cool, new thing, but the question is what are we trying to accomplish with it?” Schwartz said. “If we can accomplish it with something that is cheaper, then shouldn’t we do that?”

Thissen said, “Curriculum is the most important. You pick the best curriculum for your students and then you find tools. If we end up picking the best curriculum for students, and we end up picking a tool that is unable to work with that, that is wrong. You don’t pick a tool and end up utilizing a curriculum that is tied to it just because of the better deal. You need to have the best with the curriculum. The tool is what you can end up making the deals with.”

The Technology Committee did not recommend a device or brand at the meeting Monday night.

Marie Henderson, instructional technology specialist, said she has not seen another device that allows the communication the iPads allows. 

“Apple is by far superior with giving a student the ability to analyze and synthesize the information that is available on a learning objective — the data and topic of your curriculum — and then allowing the student in a powerful way to communicate what they have learned in way that we never did with poster board when I was a kid,” she said. “They are now able to incorporate multimedia in really, truly amazing ways and communicate and show their voice in a wide variety of choices with this device we have currently given them.”

Thissen said the iPads are reliable and have high resale values.

Board president Lance Bickle asked if there is enough data to determine if the one-to-one program has benefited students.

Schwartz said he would like to see an objective measure, such as an increase in test scores or a test that would measure computer skills.

Anita Scheve, Wilson principal and member of the Technology Committee, said technology is so interwoven into the curriculum, discipline, student engagement, classroom participation and student emotional health that it is impossible to separate it out as a single variable that might affect test scores.

Schwartz said the technology purchases become huge expenditures and need to be justified.

“If they say we were going to buy a new school bus, we could measure the effectiveness of that and whether to buy one at 10 years versus 15 years. You could measure the breakdowns between 10 and 15,” Schwartz said. “I understand that technology is a little different. If you want to say that we need these kids to have (technology) to master these set of skills, then, to me, the easy thing would be to create a grade-level or school-level test.”

Board member Paul Adams provided to the board a study, which indicated students with access to one-to-one technology increased their writing, project-based learning, student ownership of their learning and student/teacher communication.

Schwartz suggested a bring-your-device policy at the high school.

Hays High Principal Marty Straub said he did not think that was practical with more than 40 percent of the students at HHS now qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches. He said he is seeing many households with multiple cell phones, but fewer and fewer homes with computers.

Schwartz asked what sacrifices has the board made to take care of its deferred maintenance, adding it is difficult to ask voters to sacrifice for a bond without the board and the district also making sacrifices.

“But you can’t sacrifice the students for the buildings,” Board member Luke Oborny said. “That scares me a lot.”

The technology schedule will come back before the board at a subsequent meeting. Thissen said he would include the schedule for the replacement of teacher computers with the next board report on the issue.

Tougher penalties for hoax emergency calls under new Kan. bill

Police body camera images of the December 28, fatal incident that started with a hoax 911 call-photo courtesy Wichita Police

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Stiffer penalties would be possible for calling in hoax emergency calls under a bill introduced in the Kansas House in response to a deadly police shooting in Wichita.

The bill introduced Tuesday would allow for a murder prosecution if someone dies during a future “swatting” prank. Twenty-eight-year-old Andrew Finch was unarmed when he was killed last month as officers responded to a fake story about a shooting and kidnapping at his home.

Twenty-five-year-old Tyler Barriss, of Los Angeles, is accused of making the false call. Court documents say it stemmed from a small wager in a “Call of Duty” online video game tournament.

Barriss has been criminally charged with involuntary manslaughter, giving false alarm and interference with a law enforcement officer.

Hays crews respond to Tuesday afternoon fire at Via Christi

HFD

At 1:16 p.m. Tuesday, City of Hays emergency dispatchers were alerted to an automatic fire alarm at Via Christi Village, 2225 Canterbury Drive. The City of Hays Fire Department, assisted by the Hays Police Department, was immediately dispatched to investigate.

First-arriving police officers found Via Christi staff evacuating residents from one wing of the assisted-living facility and reporting smoke in that wing. Additional reinforcements were dispatched, including Ellis County Fire Department Company 5, Ellis County EMS and the recall of Hays Fire Department off-duty members.

Firefighters found significant smoke and a fire burning above the ceiling in a resident’s room. The fire was quickly extinguished with a fire extinguisher by firefighters. Firefighters then worked to remove smoke from the building. EMS paramedics checked all affected residents and staff but found no one to be injured.

The most probable cause of the fire was a malfunction in heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment located in the void space above the ceiling.

Six fire trucks and 25 firefighters responded. The last fire crew left the scene at 2:41 p.m.

“The members of the City of Hays Fire Department would like to commend the staff of Via Christi Village for their calm, organized and professional response,” the HFD said in a news release. “All of the residents in the wing where the fire was located were quickly evacuated. All of the building fire protection systems operated as designed to detect the fire, sound the alarm and limit the spread of smoke into other building areas.”

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