LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas will use a $1 million gift to provide scholarships to LGBTQ students.
Leaf-photo University of Kansas
The university announced Thursday that 60-year-old Chad Leat donated the gift this week to his alma mater. Leat, of New York City, is retired vice chairman of global banking at Citigroup.
Leat, a native of Tonganoxie, had already established a scholarship fund through the KU Endowment in 2006, with a goal of promoting a multicultural, inclusive environment at the university.
The university says the new scholarship is one of the largest gifts in support of LGBTQ’s students in the school’s history.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Carly Heim scored a game-high 15 points and hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds to lead the Fort Hays State women to a 52-46 win over Pittsburg State in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament. The Tigers (25-5) have won five straight and 12 of their last 14 and advance to their second championship game in four years. They will play Lindenwood who advanced with a 59-41 win over Missouri Western. Tipoff is at 1 pm Sunday at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
FHSU Postgame Press Conference
Talia Kahrs Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Emma Stroyan scored the Tigers first seven points helping them build a 19-6 first quarter lead. Pitt State (23-7) answered with a 12-2 run to pull within five with 3:24 left in the second and closed the gap to seven at the half.
After the Gorillas got within six early in the third, the Tigers closed the quarter with a 15-4 run to go up 17.
Just like they did in the quarterfinals against Washburn, Pitt State mounted a late rally, outscoring the Tigers 16-4 to pull within five with 2:23 to play.
After missing two free throws with 31 seconds to play, Carly Heim got her own offensive rebound and was fouled. She hit the next two free throws to push the lead to seven.
In addition to Heim’s 15 points, Emma Stroyan hit two threes and added 12.
Brenlee McPherson led the Gorillas with 13. Mikaela Burgess and Paige Imhoff were held to 3-of-28 shooting beyond the arc and combined to score nine as the Gorillas were held to their lowest scoring output of the season.
Lori Hertel, local therapist, recently donated $500, as well as a collection of hundreds of books for elementary school students to Hays USD 489.
The donation was given in memory of Ana Hertel, Lori’s daughter, who unexpectedly passed away on Feb. 11, 2010 at the age of 17.
“We are proud to accept these generous donations in Ana’s honor,” the district said.
The Hays Optimist Club has been purchasing dictionaries for sixth graders in Ellis County for the past 30 plus years.
This year, the Hays Optimist Club contributed $800 to the “Library Reading 2018.” This donation will be used to purchase books for the Hays Middle School library.
“USD 489 wishes to extend its gratitude to the Hays Optimist Club for its continued support of students in Ellis County,” the district said.
HMS Principal Craig Pallister said the Optimists have wonderful to work with during his many years at the school.
TOPEKA — A bill that will help to clarify the public availability of information on police and law enforcement officers was under consideration Thursday in a House Corrections and Juvenile Justice committee hearing.
House Bill 2625 would change the confidentiality of police officer records to remain confidential. They could not be disclosed to an open records request.
These records, which are currently maintained by the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (CPOST), can be requested by any agency that elects or appoints police, the subject of the records, the director of police training, an enforcement agency, or requested during a proceeding conducted by the commission.
The records include training and demographic reports, employment forms, and personal and personnel information.
Certain records also must be disclosed discretionarily, including records with the officer’s name, current employer, and written orders or documents regarding reprimand.
Michelle Meier, commission counsel for CPOST, said the registry currently contains information of more than 29,000 former and current officers.
“The original legislative intent behind this statute was to prevent the gypsy cop from freely moving from department to department, leaving behind various degrees of misconduct,” Meier said.
While the system works for CPOST, Meier said one of the problems with the original legislation was it didn’t define what information could be released and who it should be released to. She said she hopes this bill clarifies that, not only for agencies requesting the information but for CPOST as well.
Meier said this bill doesn’t necessarily change the transparency of the records, it just makes it easier for everyone to understand what can be released.
“House Bill 2625 balances the importance of public information about officer misconduct while upholding long established open records law for an agency’s records, and it does so in a way that provides direction and clarifies expectations to all those involved,” Meier said.
Max Kautsch, legal hotline attorney for the Kansas Press Association, is opposed to the bill and said that his concern is that the bill doesn’t make the information transparent enough to Kansas citizens.
“I think there is a way to balance all interests, making sure CPOST has all the info they need but there must be a way to balance it, especially when officers are engaged in misdeeds but don’t result in decertification proceedings, then the public can be aware of that,” Kautsch said.
Rep. Russ Jennings (R-Lakin) said he supports the bill but that it needs some more clarification as to what information can be disclosed.
“It’s a question of trying to balance the right of the public and the need to know by law enforcement employers, and the rights of individuals,” Jennings said. “That’s what complicates it; you have an odd array of elements that are not easily put into one bucket.”
Brianna Childers is a senior at the University of Kansas majoring in journalism, from Sedalia, Missouri.
Over the Feb. 23 weekend, the Hays Pride girls basketball team won the Kansas Kids Sports State Championship Tournament for the second-consecutive year. The tournament was Feb. 24 and 25 in McPherson.
The team is coached by Frank Werth and Brandi Zimmerman.
FAYETTE, Iowa – The Fort Hays State wrestling team dropped six spots to No. 22 in the latest Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Top 25 Poll on Friday (Mar. 2). In the individual rankings, the Tigers have three wrestlers ranked. Efe Osaghae (149 pounds) sits at No. 4, Brandon Ball (141) slipped to No. 12 and Rakim Dean (197) entered the rankings at No. 12.
Efe Osaghae held steady as the fourth-ranked wrestler in the nation at 149 pounds. Osaghae earned a runner-up finish at the West Super Regional in Las Vegas, N.M. on Saturday (Feb. 24). The redshirt-freshman is making his first trip to the NCAA Division II Championships next weekend (Mar. 9-10).
Brandon Ball slipped to No. 12 in the latest individual rankings after dropping two matches at the Super Regional. Ball earned a fourth-place finish to earn a trip to his second-consecutive NCAA Championships. The sophomore currently holds a 34-5 overall record to lead the Tigers.
Rakim Dean enters the individual rankings for the first time as a Tiger at 197 pounds. Dean earned a hard-fought fourth-place finish at the super regional, qualifying for his first trip to the NCAA Championships. Dean enters nationals with a 32-10 overall record, including a 28-5 clip against Division II opponents.
FHSU is one of five MIAA schools in the Top 25 as Nebraska-Kearney (No. 7), Central Oklahoma (T-10), Lindenwood (T-19) and Newman (No. 25).
The Tigers are preparing for the NCAA Division II Championships next weekend (Mar. 9-10) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team fell to Northwest Missouri State in the first game of a three-game slate this weekend on Friday (Mar. 2), 13-1 in seven innings. The Tigers dipped to 8-7 overall and 0-4 in MIAA play whereas the Bearcats improved to 7-6 on the season and 4-0 in conference play.
The Tigers fell victim to 13 strikeouts on the afternoon, with Joseph Hietpas going the distance for the Bearcats. FHSU was only able to plate one run in the game, an RBI double from Dayton Pomeroy that scored Alex Weiss in the home half of the first inning. The Tigers collected seven hits across seven innings, but were shut down the rest of the contest.
Pomeroy finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI. Addison Kaasch, Alex Weiss, Jordan Wilkerson, Marcus Altman and Jason Nicholson combined for the remaining five hits in the ballgame.
Hietpas earned the victory for Northwest Missouri State, improving to 3-1 on the season. Ben Ramberg suffered the loss after surrendering five runs, all in the second frame. Ramberg fell to 2-2 on the year. Kruse came on in relief, but allowed three Bearcats to cross home plate in one inning of work. In all, the Tiger bullpen was consumed in using four more pitchers in the game.
The Tigers and Bearcats will get set for the second game of the series on Saturday (Mar. 3) inside Larks Park.
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Dr. Ernesto Lopez-Corona, MD; from Western Kansas Urological Associates at HaysMed by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
Many Girl Scout cookies are shipped overseas to military members.
GSKH
WICHITA – If you haven’t purchased your Girl Scout cookies yet, here’s your chance.
Local Girl Scouts will be selling cookies Sat., March 3, at Big Creek Crossing, 2918 Vine, Hays, 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Before the annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale ends Sunday, March 18, there is still time for customers to support not only Kansas Girl Scouts, but soldiers and local charities, too.
Through Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland’s Cookie Share Program, customers can purchase cookies at the same $4 per package and donate their purchase to members of the military and their families, or local charities like the Kansas Food Bank.
Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland has distributed more than 139,650 packages of Girl Scout Cookies through its Cookie Share Program since the program started in 2010, with more than half going to military members and their families, including those stationed overseas. Last year, Kansas Girl Scouts sold more than 22,000 Cookie Shares – equating to more than $88,000 worth of Girl Scout Cookies customers bought and donated. This year, girls are aiming to break the 150,000 package threshold to continue providing sweet treats to charities and service members.
Cookie Shares, which are tax-deductible, are also a great option for those who cannot consume cookies but still want to support local Girl Scouts. Agencies across the state benefit from Cookie Shares, including the Kansas Food Bank, Catholic Charities, Kansas National Guard, McConnell Air Force Base, and many others.
To participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Share Program, ask a local Girl Scout or enter your zip code at kansasgirlscouts.org to find the nearest cookie booth before the annual sale ends March 18. Customers can also call the Cookie Hotline at 888-686-MINT (6468).
Thursday afternoon, Mark Sandbo was announced as the Mustangs next head football coach, pending board approval.
Sandbo is a graduate of Fort Hays State University. He has been an assistant coach at Dodge City for the last seven seasons. Mark’s father, Gary Sandbo, was a coaching staple at Smoky Valley High School where Mark Sandbo played in high school.
Mike Hall resigned from the Central Head Coach position after 12 years on the job in the off-season.
Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
The young man was feeling homesick. He was browsing through a used bookstore in Georgia when he came across a book about his home area in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The book gave him a lift. Years later, he would create his own tour company to share the beauty of the Flint Hills with others.
Casey Cagle is the founder and owner of Prairie Earth Tours in Emporia. He grew up on a farm near the rural community of Oswego, population 1,829 people. Now, that’s rural.
Casey went to Emporia State and got involved in the community, helping with the restoration work on the Granada Theatre. He did similar work at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City.
But what Casey really wanted to do was travel. In 2009, he set out to travel across the country in his camper. After lots of sight-seeing, he became a tour guide in California. “That’s the one type of business where this kind of experience looks good on a resume,” Casey said with a smile.
He led lots of tours, in settings ranging from wilderness camping to luxury lodging across the U.S. and Canada. One day, while browsing through a used bookstore in Georgia, he came across the book PrairyErth by William Least-Heat Moon. This lengthy tome is about Chase County in the heart of the Kansas Flint Hills. Such a reminder of home lifted Casey’s spirits. He was already a fan of another of Least-Heat Moon’s books, Blue Highways, which celebrates travel around the back roads of America.
Casey then went to Australia where he guided tours in the outback. In the back of his mind, he was thinking about his home state.
“Emporia was becoming a community that supports entrepreneurs,” Casey said. “I decided to take the leap and move back to Kansas.” His goal was to create his own tour business in the Flint Hills.
He enrolled in a Start Your Own Business class at Flint Hills Technical College. “I met with the Small Business Development Center which was extremely beneficial,” Casey said. By being in the class, he qualified for Emporia State University’s Entrepreneurship Challenge. Some 40 business ideas were part of that challenge, where entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to outside evaluators.
Casey won first place. He later won third in the statewide competition at K-State. These awards encouraged him and provided some capital to advance his business idea. He also received a zero-interest loan from Emporia Main Street.
In 2016, he launched his new business. Fittingly, he named it Prairie Earth Tours. His goal is to provide a closer and deeper look at the Flint Hills rather than a mass market model. “I’m not just doing a tour, I try to provide an experience,” Casey said. “The small group model enables me to do that, while protecting the integrity of the places we visit.”
Instead of a mega-tour coach, he uses a 15-passenger shuttle bus. “This lets us have access to little cafes and get permission to visit private property and see the hidden gems of Kansas,” Casey said. “We have something really special here. What Kansas has to offer is authenticity.”
Tours include wildflower tours or photography clinics in the spring, sunset horseback rides in summer, or a craft brewer’s tour in the winter. Every Tuesday, he hosts lunch tours to special locations. “My regulars know where to find the best pie, the best salad bar, and the best chicken fried steak anywhere,” he said.
He can provide custom private tours or simply provide transportation. “One time I took a bunch of girls wedding dress shopping in Wichita and El Dorado,” Casey said. “I want to help people explore and enjoy Kansas while benefitting the local economy.”
Perhaps that book PrairyErth inspired this homesick young man to celebrate Kansas with his own kind of tours. We commend Casey Cagle of Prairie Earth Tours for making a difference by providing his guests a deeper look at the Flint Hills. I’m glad this young man found his way back home.
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Dr. Ernesto Lopez-Corona, MD; from Western Kansas Urological Associates at HaysMed by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
