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Month: April 2018

Dane G. Hansen Foundation brings Children’s Theatre Tour to NW Kansas schools

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DHF

LOGAN – The Dane G. Hansen Foundation is happy to announce a new partnership with the Creede Repertory Theatre, Creede, Colorado, to bring an original children’s theatre production to elementary schools in Northwest Kansas this fall.

The performances are underwritten by the Hansen Foundation and offered at no cost to the participating schools.

ABOUT THE SHOW

Seeds of Change is inspired by myth, fairy tale and Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The musical fosters environmental literacy through the story of an ornery young girl who leaves the isolated Isle of Oro where she grew up and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. This story explores topics in environmental science, deforestation, ocean plastic, and habitat loss.

  • geared for students grades K-6
  • a musical that empowers and motivates action
  • emphasizes conservation, environment, science and math
  • incorporates Shakespearean language
  • encourages audience participation
  • reinforces themes with a study guide and illustrated book

The production lasts about an hour and can be performed in a multi-purpose room, a theatre or gym. The actors will interact directly with the students throughout the show. It is a highly energetic hour of learning and entertainment.

Books and lyrics for Seeds of Change are by Loio Simon. Music is by Ian LeRoy. The production is directed by Melissa Firlit.

The tour will be scheduling performances from September 4 – November 2, 2018. For information on how to schedule a performance, schools can visit the Hansen Foundation website at www.danehansenfoundation.org; click on the NW Kansas Arts logo.

ABOUT CREEDE REPERTORY THEATRE’S YOUNG AUDIENCE TOUR

Celebrating 35 years of bringing excellent bilingual musical theatre to schools across the Southwest, Creede Repertory Theatre’s Young Audience Outreach Tour (YAOT) is one of the largest providers of educational theatre to the rural Southwest, serving over 24,000 children, and for the first time, will be available to schools in Northwest Kansas!

YAOT’s mission is to bring high quality musical theatre to young audiences in rural and underserved communities by annually producing an original children’s show to tour in elementary schools. 

LITERACY MATTERS

Before the show arrives at a school, teachers will have access to a study guide to help introduce students to the themes Seeds of Change explores. After the performance, every student receives a free children’s book. These books reinforce the themes of the study guide and the performance. This important aspect of the tour ties directly to the Hansen Foundation’s efforts to promote reading in NW Kansas.

WHY THE HANSEN FOUNDATION IS OFFERING THIS

The Foundation has been working with communities in Northwest Kansas to identify programs, projects and initiatives that provide opportunities and improve the quality of life.  The process, Strategic Doing, is being conducted in each of the 26 counties we serve. Through Strategic Doing, the Hansen Foundation has identified issues that have been self-identified in multiple counties.  One such issue is a desire for increased arts and cultural opportunities.

Last year, representatives from the Hansen Foundation visited a rural community in Colorado and to see one of the school productions. The response from the students, the quality of the production, and the positive feedback from the community organizers were impressive. In addition, the long history of success with this touring program and the stability of Creed Repertory made the organization an excellent partner for our foundation and our schools.

Visit our website www.danehansenfoundation.org and click on Special Initiatives to learn more.

Hays Police Department schedules training next week

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The Hays Police Department will conduct training from 4 to 7 p.m. April 10 at 1705 Eisenhower.

Police officers will be training with special tactical equipment. This training is being done with great care and safety,” the HPD said in a media release.

As a homeowner, you may see law enforcement officers move through your area. There is no need to be alarmed. The officers are merely conducting a realistic training exercise and there is no danger to the community.

If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact the on-site supervisor (Team Commander Tim Greenwood or Team Leader Aaron Larson), or Chief Scheibler at 785-625-1030.

Learn how to leverage intellectual property for success

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Mark Radtke

SBDC 

The free presentation “Leveraging Intellectual Property for Success” will be held Wed., April 18th , 1:30-3 pm. in the Memorial Union Ballroom at Fort Hays State University.

Mark Radtke, Assistant Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will be discussing the importance of intellectual property for startups, small businesses, independent inventors, students and entrepreneurs.

Common questions will be addressed and answered such as: what resources are available, how to proceed with filing, what are the benefits of obtaining a patent, trademark or copyright, what fee reductions are available for individuals and small businesses, etc.

Immediately after the presentation Radtke will be available for one-on-one discussions.

You can sign up for the free event at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leveraging-intellectual-property-for-success-hays-ks-tickets-44379154245 or just show up!

Questions? Please contact the Kansas Small Business Development Center at FHSU at (785) 628-5615 or [email protected].

This event is presented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Kansas SBDC at FHSU.

In Case You Missed It: Eagle Morning Show 4/2-4/6

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It was another busy week on the KAYS Eagle Morning Show. Here’s what you missed!

Monday

Cheryl Glassman – Hays Community Theatre Director

Cortney Dale – Bob Schwarz Financial

  • Cortney stopped by for her now weekly visit on the Eagle Morning Show:

Roger Bixenman – Hays Recreation Commission Superintendent

  • Roger stopped by for this monthly visit to let us know what’s going on this month at the Hays Rec:
    • Youth baseball/softball (ages 6-14) sign up deadlines coming up at the end of April
    • K-18 baseball (ages 13-15) traveling league sign up deadline is April 11th
    • New rec cheerleading program on Monday nights
    • Hunters education class on Thursday, April 12th and Saturday, April 14th (ages 11 and up)
    • National pickle ball month and how you can learn how to play:
    • Aquatic Park still looking for lifeguards. To pick up an application, visit the Hays Rec at 1105 Canterbury in Hays
    • For more information on sports and events associated with the Hays Rec, visit their website.

 

Tuesday

Tammy Wellbrock – Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director

  • Tammy joined the Eagle Morning Show on the phone to let us know what’s going on this week at the Chamber!
    • Apr 2nd Golf team registrations due
      Apr 3rd-5th Kansas Leadership Center
      Apr 4th HAYP Lunch with Leaders
      Apr 4th HAYP Civic/Volunteer Committee
      Apr 5th HAYP Social/Networking Committee
      Apr 6th Chamber Chat – Heartland Community Foundation
      Apr 6th Ambassador Team Captain Lunch
      Apr 6th Ribbon Cutting – Popt! Gourmet Popcorn
      Apr 7th Legislative Coffee

Ellis County Commission Report: Eagle Radio’s Jonathan Zweygardt, County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes & County Commissioner Marcy McClelland

 

Wednesday 

Protect & Serve: Ellis County Undersheriff Scott Braun

Kansas Civil Rights Icon Remembered As Humble

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By CARLA ECKELS

Funeral services were held in Topeka on Thursday for civil rights icon Linda Brown, the schoolgirl at the center of the landmark Supreme Court case that declared school segregation unconstitutional.

The Rev. Shirley Heermance of St. Mark’s AME Church in Topeka looks over an array of photos of Linda Brown. Funeral services for Brown were held Thursday in Topeka.
Photo credit CARLA ECKELS

Family and friends listened intently to acknowledgments and words of encouragement during the service. Some fanned their faces with fans emblazoned with images of Linda Brown Thompson – her married name – as they listened. She was 75 when she died last month.

Brown was described as humble, creative and an accomplished pianist; she played Sundays at her church, St. Mark’s African Methodist Episcopal in Topeka, for nearly 40 years.

Her pastor, the Rev. Shirley Heermance, said visitors from all over the country would ask to meet the civil rights figure after church.

They would ask you, ‘Is that Linda Brown?’ Everybody recognized her of course,” Heermance said. “ ‘Do you think she will give me an autograph?’

“And it would be really fun to watch them be really nervous going to meet her.”

She said Brown always was polite and would oblige the visitors with an autograph.

Mourners greet each other outside St. John AME Church in Topeka after the funeral of civil rights icon Linda Brown.
CREDIT CARLA ECKELS

Terry Crowder, who attended church and sang with Brown as his accompanist, said she was humble about her role in the famous civil rights case. He said she praised the other people involved in the case.

The 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, involved several families trying to end decades of federal law that condoned segregated schools for black and white students.

It began with Brown’s father, Oliver, who tried to enroll her at the Sumner School, an all-white elementary school in Topeka just a few blocks from their home.

The school board prohibited her from enrolling and Brown, a pastor at St. Mark’s AME Church, was angry that his daughter had to be shuttled miles away to go to school. He partnered with the NAACP and a dozen other plaintiffs to file a lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education.

Two years later the court struck down the doctrine of “separate but equal.” The justices agreed that it denied 14th Amendment guarantees of equal protection under the law.

Carla Eckels is director of cultural diversity and the host of Soulsations. Her story courtesy the Kansas News Service.  Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.

Sunny, cold Saturday

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Today
Sunny, with a high near 40. Wind chill values as low as 5. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable.

Tonight
A chance of snow before 2am, then a chance of snow and sleet between 2am and 3am, then a chance of sleet after 3am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 27. South southeast wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday
A chance of snow, freezing rain, and sleet before 11am, then a chance of rain between 11am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. South wind 10 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. East southeast wind 6 to 8 mph becoming west after midnight.

Monday
A 20 percent chance of rain before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 55. West wind 7 to 11 mph becoming north in the afternoon.

Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 67.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

Kansas man, woman dead after pickup overturns

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SHAWNEE COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Friday in Shawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 1991 Chevy pickup driven by Heath D. Wilson,34,  attempted to get onto Interstate 70 from Interstate 470. The driver lost control on the on ramp. The pickup left the roadway to the left and overturned.

A passenger Mardine L. Wilson. 63, Topeka, was pronounced dead at the scene. Wilson was transported to Stormont Vail where he died. They were not wearing seat belts, according the KHP.

TMP to present mystery/comedy ‘A Family Reunion to Die For’

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Hays Post

Thomas More Prep-Marian will present the murder mystery/comedy “A Family Reunion to Die For” as its spring play  7 p.m. April 13, and 14 and 2 p.m. April 15 in the TMP Dreiling Theater, 1701 Hall St.

Travis Grizzell, director, said on the KAYS Morning Show Friday after the complex musical “Into the Woods” in the fall and Shakespeare last year, he and the students were ready for something a little goofy.

The play is set in a country western bed and breakfast in the Virgin Islands.

“We got a troupe of mimes, we’ve got a comic-con guy who shows up in a different costume in every scene. We have a few characters from all walks there,” Grizzell said.

Christine Franklin intends to show off her new husband, Freddie, at the Knotting Family Reunion. She hasn’t seen her relatives in years. However, the reunion turns tragic when Aunt Gretchen, Cousin Rachel and Cousin Stefan are murdered. Christine fears for her life.

Freddie, a mall security guard, tries to solve the case. Possible suspects include squirrel-hunting hillbilly sisters, a knitting former Vegas showgirl, a inept maid, a grouchy cook, a bitter journalist and a troupe of mimes.

The three dead relatives return and enlist the audience’s help to assist Freddie to find the real killer.

About 40 students are involved in this production, Grizzell said.

“You see the kids bloom in every show,” he said, “—the young ones or the ones who are finally coming around to fit into their own. It is a great process to see.”

Tickets are $8. Book tickets online by clicking here.

Tickets can also be reserved by leaving a message at the Fine Arts Ticket Line: 785-621-5478 or purchased at the door.

Kansas license plates to undergo makeover

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The new Kansas licence plate is flat rather than embossed.

KDOR

TOPEKA—License plates for newly registered cars in Kansas are undergoing a makeover.

The new plates will carry the same designs currently offered, but will be flat instead of embossed. Additionally, new plates will be delivered directly to the vehicle owner in the updated process.

“This project completely modernizes the way the state of Kansas produces and delivers license plates,” Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. said. “The old process has been in place since the first license plate was created by the state in 1913, so it is long overdue for streamlining. My administration is prioritizing providing more effective service for Kansans at the best price.”

The transition to the new process will be complete on August 1. To prepare for that date, the Department of Revenue will stop accepting new orders for personalized plates effective April 27. Personalized plate service will resume under the new process on August 1 with faster, on-site approval of the requested personalized combination.

Under the new process, any customer purchasing a new plate will place an order at the county motor vehicle office. The customer will leave the office with a 30 day temporary license tag and their registration sticker. Meanwhile, the permanent plate will be “printed” on demand by KDOR’s vendor, Center Industries. The permanent plate will arrive at the customer’s home in 10-14 business days, at which time the customer will affix the registration sticker received at the office to the new plate and attach it to the car.

“This new process will eliminate the millions of dollars’ worth of license plate inventory that sits in county offices across the state and often goes unused,” Revenue Secretary Sam Williams said. “Plus, personalized plate customers will no longer have to go back in to the office to pick up their new plate when it’s produced. The new system offers more convenience for customers.”

Customers will have the chance to provide an email address or mobile phone to receive alerts when their plate is ordered and shipped. The shipment notice will include a link to track the status of the package to know when to expect it at home.

The process will only apply to new orders for plates. There is no need for current plate holders to order a replacement because of the updated system. Typically, new plates are ordered after a car is purchased and there is no plate to transfer, when a plate is lost, damaged, or stolen, or if the customer orders a personalized combination.

Other states with flat plates include Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas.

EPA announces new funding for water infrastructure projects

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EPA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the availability of funding that could provide as much as $5.5 billion in loans, which could leverage over $11 billion in water infrastructure projects through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Prospective borrowers seeking WIFIA credit assistance must submit a letter of interest (LOI) by July 6, 2018.
“Thanks to the President’s leadership, this WIFIA funding will spark new investments to repair our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “EPA will play a key role in the President’s infrastructure efforts by incentivizing states, municipalities, and public-private partnerships to protect public health, fix local infrastructure problems, create jobs, and provide clean water to communities.”
The WIFIA program received $63 million in funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018. This more than doubles the program’s funding from 2017. Leveraging private capital and other funding sources, these projects could support $11 billion in water infrastructure investment and create more than 170,000 jobs. This year’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) highlights the importance of protecting public health including reducing exposure to lead and other contaminants in drinking water systems and updating the nation’s aging infrastructure.
“An investment in water infrastructure is an investment in our communities,” said Dr. Andrew Sawyers, director of the Office of Wastewater Management. “The WIFIA program helps improve water quality and protect public health while supporting the local economy.”
The WIFIA program will play an important part in making vital improvements to the nation’s water infrastructure and implementing the President’s Infrastructure Plan, which calls for increasing the program’s funding authorization and expanding project eligibility.
“It’s clear in Region 7 that additional infrastructure financing is needed by states and local governments,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford. “By helping communities modernize the nation’s aging water infrastructure, we support the safe drinking water systems upon which our public health depends.”
Background
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program at EPA that aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.
WIFIA credit assistance can be used for a wide range of projects, including:
  • drinking water treatment and distribution projects
  • wastewater conveyance and treatment projects
  • enhanced energy efficiency projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities
  • desalination, aquifer recharge, alternative water supply, and water recycling project
  • drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects
EPA will evaluate proposed projects described in the LOIs using WIFIA’s statutory and regulatory criteria as described in the NOFA. Through this competitive process, EPA will select projects that it intends to fund and invite them to continue to the application process.
In 2017, for WIFIA’s inaugural round, EPA invited 12 projects in nine states to apply for more than $2 billion in WIFIA loans.
For more information about WIFIA and this funding announcement, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia.

Designer of waterslide where boy died moved to Kan. jail

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The designer of a waterslide at a Kansas waterpark where a 10-year-old boy was decapitated has been booked into a Kansas jail.

Schooley -photo Wyandotte Co.

John Schooley, who designed the Verruckt slide for the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with second-degree murder in the 2016 death of Caleb Schwab.

Schooley was released from a Texas jail and was booked into the Wyandotte County jail Friday afternoon.

His attorney, J. Justin Johnston, says in a bond motion that Schooley’s design for the waterslide and the raft involved in the boy’s death were modified after the ride was commissioned, meaning his design is not responsible for the fatality.

The motion seeking to reduce Schooley’s bond says he wasn’t affiliated with the Kansas park after April 2015.

Hays Public Library announces new director

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Hays Public Library

Brandon Hines, new director of the Hays Public Library

Katherine Wolfe, chairperson for the Hays Public Library Board of Directors, announced today Brandon Hines, a native of Spearville, Kansas and former Hays resident, has been named the new director of the Hays Public Library.

The board conducted a national search for the new director and had a number of qualified applications to consider.

“Brandon’s knowledge, experience, personality and commitment to the Hays Public Library and the Hays community made him our top choice” Wolfe said.

Hines previously worked at the library and is a graduate of Fort Hays State University. He received his Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Since leaving Hays, Hines has served as the administrator for the Coffey County Library System and the executive director for the Dodge City Public Library.

Hines said, “It’s a real honor to get the chance to lead the Hays Public Library. The organization has been a leader in the library world for a long time, and I look forward to building on that reputation. Personally, my wife and I are excited to get back to the area and look forward to bringing our family into the community.”

Wolfe added, “We are thrilled to be welcoming Brandon and his family to the Hays community and to the Hays Public Library in his new role. Brandon will begin his duties on July 2. Please join the board in providing Brandon and his family with a warm welcome.”

The Hays Public Library serves the cultural, informational and recreational needs of the residents of the community and contributes to Hays’ quality of life. The library is funded primarily by a tax levy on property within the city limits of Hays. It is governed by a Board of Directors. The Hays Public Library Board of Directors consists of seven members appointed by the mayor with the approval of the city commission.

Police arrest Kansas felon after injury car crash

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SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on felony charges following a car crash.

Just after 3:30 a.m.Friday, Police responded to the 2200 block of SE California in Topeka in reference an injury vehicle accident, according to Police Lieutenant Andrew Beightel.

Upon arrival they found an unoccupied red passenger car that had struck a pole. The officers searched the area but, did not find any of the occupants. They did however; locate a firearm in the vehicle that was confirmed to be stolen.

Baker-photo KDOC

Shortly after the initial report of the crash, 42-year-old Derrick Lamar Baker arrived at an area hospital with injuries consistent with a car crash. Information was develop through the investigation and  Baker was arrested and booked into Shawnee Co jail on charges of a felon in possession of a firearm, theft and numerous traffic charges.

Baker has previous convictions of drugs and aggravated assault, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 

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