Hays Post and Eagle Communications seeking nominations for the next Teacher of the Month!
From October through April, Hays Post will solicit nominations from through the area from parents, students and colleagues. Fill out the form below to nominate your favorite educator!
The winning teacher will receive a gift certificate, courtesy of Hickok’s Steakhouse! Submissions will be accepted through 5 p.m. Monday.
[contact-form to=”[email protected]” subject=”Teacher of the Month”][contact-field label=”Your name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Your email” type=”email” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Teacher’s name” type=”text” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Teacher’s school and grade” type=”text” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Tell us why you are nominating this teacher” type=”text” required=”1″][/contact-form]
According to the IRS, the average tax refund in the United States in 2017 was $2763. But remember, a tax refund is not a gift or a windfall– it’s your own hard-earned money that Uncle Sam has used interest-free for a year. Before you go on a spending spree, think about ways you can use your tax refund to improve your financial situation.
Depending on your unique financial goals, that money could be put towards debt reduction, college savings, or growing your retirement fund. Here are ten ideas of what you could do with your tax refund this year.
1. Split it
Use IRS Form 8888 when you file your taxes to split your refund between up to three established financial accounts– for example, your checking account, savings account and retirement account. If you intend to save at least $50 or more of your tax refund, consider participating in SaveYourRefund. With $30,000 in prizes and 102 chances to win, SaveYourRefund provides big incentives to save. See the rules at https://saveyourrefund.com/home/
2. Pay off bills
First priority are regular monthly bills (rent, utilities, phone, etc.) and then those with the highest interest rate. Paying off high-interest debt can help reduce how much you’ll end up paying overall by decreasing or eliminating the interest that would otherwise accrue.
3. Prepare for the unexpected
Nearly six in 10 Americans don’t have enough savings to cover an unplanned expense of $500 or more. While experts recommend keeping three to nine months of take-home income in an emergency fund, even $500 can be helpful in the case of unexpected health care, housing, or auto expenses.
4. Contribute to your retirement savings
Consider setting aside some or all of your tax refund in a savings account, investment account or individual retirement account (IRA) for future retirement expenses.
5. Grow college savings
The sooner you start to save for education, the less debt you’re likely to have to take on when the tuition bill arrives. If your kids are already educated, think about setting up a college savings plan for your grandchildren.
6. Build an investment portfolio
If you’re already investing or looking to get started, use a portion of your tax refund to contribute to or start an investment portfolio. While investments can be a more reliable savings medium over the long-run, they do involve risk. Educate yourself before you jump into investing.
7. Donate to charity
Pay it forward by donating a portion of your tax refund to an organization or cause you believe in. Supporting local entities like your hospital, library, community service organizations or even the Extension Office can help to keep your community strong and vital into the future.
8. Remodel your home
You might be able to increase the value of your home, and therefore your net worth, by using your tax refund to pay for upgrades or repairs.
9. Invest in your career
If you’re looking for the next step in your professional life, consider using your tax refund for professional training or continuing education classes. Investing in yourself and your career can help increase your long-run financial stability.
10. Special purchases
After you have considered ideas 1 through 9, then consider spending a portion of your tax refund on high-priority special purchases or travel. Before you spend, shop around to make sure you have located and negotiated the best deal.
The bottom line- Use your tax refund to build financial security by paying off debt, planning for the future, and setting money aside to help you reach your goals.
Linda K. Beech is Cottonwood District Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.
JACKSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted Kansas woman believed to have been on the run from authorities for several months, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.
Finch-photo Jackson County
After serving a search warrant at a home in the 100 Block of W. 14th Street in the City of Horton, Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies found Chelsea JeanFinch, 25, of Hiawatha, hiding in the attic of the home, according to Morse.
Finch was placed into custody, and transported to the Jackson County Jail. She has a previous felony conviction for Aggravated Battery – Bodily Harm with a deadly weapon, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Horton police also arrested Dylan Lynard Thomas, 23, of Horton, at the home for felony interference with law enforcement.
While at the Jail, it was discovered that Finch allegedly trafficked methamphetamine into the facility.
Finch is currently being held on two no bond Jackson County warrants and for trafficking contraband into a correctional facility, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond on the drug charges was set at $50,000.00. The
McPHERSON, Kan. – The Hays High boys golf team finished second at the McPherson Invitational Thursday at the Turkey Creek Golf Course. The Indians shot a 313 and finished 13 shots back of Salina Sacred Heart.
Tradgon McCrae was top medalist with a two-over-par 72. Josh Norris finished fifth with a four-over-par 76 and Allen Zollinger came in sixth with a 77.
Team Results
1. Salina Sacred Heart 300
2. Hays High 313
3. Salina South 335
4. Sterling 344
5. Ark City 353
6. Newton 356
7. Great Bend 365
8. Buhler 367
9. Hutchinson 367
10. McPherson 374
11. Haysville Campus 397
12. St. John-Hudson 313 (3 players)
13. Winfield 220 (2 players)
Top 15 Medalists
1. Tradgon McCrae, Hays High 72
2. Tate Heerrenbruck, Sacred Heart 73
3. Grant Herrenbruck, Sacred Heart 73
4. Kamerson Shaw, Sacred Heart 75
5. Josh Norris, Hays High 76
6. Allen Zollinger, Hays High 77
7. Cole Streck, Great Bend 77
8. Zach Schissler, Sterling 77
9. Trevor Mullen, Salina South 78
10. Quentin Shaw, Sacred Heart 79
11. Parker Norton, Salina South 80
12. Caleb Gilliland, Sacred Heart 81
13. Max Ontjes, Hutchinson 82
14. Lucas Weigel, Sterling 82
15. Cole Stein, Salina South 84
DODGE CITY, Kan. – The TMP-Marian girls’ soccer team is off to a 3-0 start after a 2-1 win in Dodge City Thursday. Kayla Vitztum scored both goals for the Monarchs.
Gracie Schmidt was in goal the entire match and held the Red Demons to one goal.
The Monarchs are in Wichita Saturday to play Independent.
The accident scene in Topeka-photo courtesy WIBW TV
TOPEKA— A Kansas man was injured in an accident Wednesday in Shawnee County,
Just before 9:30p.m., first responders were dispatched to the 5300 Block of S. Topeka Boulevard in reference to a vehicle, pedestrian accident, according to Sheriff Herman Jones.
Investigators determined that 33-year-old Nathan P. Hughes from Manhattan, Kansas was hit by two southbound vehicles while he was in the southbound lanes.
Hughes sustained life threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
The initial investigation leads sheriff’s deputies to believe Hughes was attempting to cross Topeka Boulevard. He was struck by the driver’s side mirror of a southbound UHaul moving van. They believe this caused him to fall to the ground and the he was subsequently run over by a southbound Buick passenger vehicle.
There were no signs of impairment of the drivers of either vehicle, nor is there any suspicion that the drivers were in any way culpable of creating this accident. Deputies believe the motorists were lawfully driving on the roadway.
Authorities did not release an update on Hughes condition.
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TOPEKA— One person was injured in an accident Wednesday in Shawnee County,
Just before 9:30p.m., first responders were dispatched to the 5300 Block of S. Topeka Boulevard in reference to a vehicle, pedestrian accident, according to Sheriff Herman Jones.
Investigators determined that a 33-year-old man from Manhattan, Kansas was hit by two southbound vehicles while he was in the southbound lanes.
The man sustained life threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
The initial investigation leads sheriff’s deputies to believe the pedestrian was attempting to cross Topeka Boulevard. He was struck by the driver’s side mirror of a southbound UHaul moving van. We believe this caused him to fall to the ground and the he was subsequently run over by a southbound Buick passenger vehicle.
There were no signs of impairment of the drivers of either vehicle, nor is there any suspicion that the drivers were in any way culpable of creating this accident. We believe the motorists were lawfully driving on the roadway.
Deputies did not release the identity of the pedestrian due to the severity of his injuries and the lack of family notification, according to the sheriff’s department.
The Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development will host the annual Hays Area Job Fair at Big Creek Crossing on April 11 from 3 to 6 p.m. The job fair has been in place since 2011.
“It is a good time of the year to host this event because there will be college students graduating looking for jobs and even some possible summer employment,” said Ernee Sly, office manager for the Ellis County Coalition of Economic Development.
There will be a wide variety of job opportunities from several business sectors. Employers are hoping for a pool of applicants, while prospects are hoping to find something they are interested in or haven’t even thought of before.
The sponsors of the job fair are Hess Services, Rebel Staffing, Wilken’s Manufacturing, KANSASWORKS and Big Creek Crossing.
PRATT – White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that affects hibernating bats, has recently been confirmed in Kansas – the 32nd state to confirm the presence of the disease.
Several dead bats, collected during cave surveys in Cherokee County in southeast Kansas and Barber County in southcentral Kansas, tested positive for the disease. Surveys were conducted between February 14 and March 1, and samples were tested by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis.
WNS is not known to pose a threat to humans, pets, livestock, or other wildlife and fish. The fungus that causes WNS is spread through bat-to-bat contact, but not all bat species are affected equally.
WNS is named for the white fungal growth often observed around the nose of infected bats. The fungus can invade the skin of hibernating bats and cause damage to the wings. It also induces unusual behaviors, such as bats prematurely leaving hibernation, using up fat reserves necessary to survive winter – when conditions are harsh and food (insects) scarce – resulting in death.
WNS was first detected in New York in 2007 and has since killed millions of bats in states and Canadian provinces where it has been found. States surrounding Kansas, including Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, have also detected either the fungus that causes WNS or the disease itself.
“Detection of white-nose syndrome in a new state underscores the critical importance of work to develop tools for early detection and rapid response to this devastating wildlife disease,” said USGS scientist Anne Ballmann. “The USGS will continue working with resource managers to help conserve imperiled bat species.”
In 2014, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) began working with private landowners to enter caves, survey bats and check for the fungus. No positive test results were found until this year. Biologists with KDWPT’s Ecological Services Section, alongside other scientific groups, will continue survey efforts, but they’ll need the help of willing landowners to locate and enter bat caves.
Of the more than 1,000 species of bats around the world, 15 have been found in Kansas. Big brown bats are the most common and widespread species in the state and live here year-round. WNS has not been documented in big brown bats in Kansas. Big brown bats can eat about one-third of their weight each night while feeding on insects. Collectively, bats play a vital role in the Kansas ecosystem by consuming millions of insects each year, including agricultural pests and mosquitoes. Studies indicate bats have saved U.S. farmers billions of dollars in pest control services.
Today A 40 percent chance of snow, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 28 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northeast wind 17 to 21 mph.
A winter weather advisory for 1 to 2 inches of snow is in effect. Very light ice accumulations may be possible as well. #kswxpic.twitter.com/FXEBxFd8Ns
Tonight A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before 10pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 11. North northeast wind 12 to 17 mph decreasing to 6 to 11 mph after midnight.
Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. Wind chill values as low as zero. North northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night A chance of sleet after 1am, mixing with freezing rain after 5am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 28. South southeast wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunday A chance of freezing rain and sleet before 9am, then a slight chance of rain between 9am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. South southeast wind 10 to 14 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
LIBERAL, Kan.-100 minutes of soccer was not enough to decide a winner on Thursday evening in Liberal as Hays High and Liberal squared off in a physical Western Athletic Conference match-up. The Lady Indians controlled the ball for most of the match on enemy turf but it wasn’t sufficient to pick up the victory. Hays out shot Liberal 10-1 but could not find the back of the net in the 0-0 tie.
Both teams would not back down from each other. Liberal had one player ejected after receiving her second yellow card for what was a second extremely hard foul. Hays moves to 3-2-1 after the tie. The Lady Indians will travel to Junction City on Monday to face the Lady Jays.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man who shot and killed three people inside a Kansas City, Kansas, home was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Tucker-photo Wyandotte Co.
Jason Tucker pleaded was sentenced Thursday for capital murder in the May 2017 deaths of Vincent Rocha; his wife, Bernadette Gosserand, and his adult son, Jeremy Rocha.
Wyandotte County authorities agreed not to seek the death penalty in exchange for Tucker’s guilty plea.
The shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute between Tucker and Gosserand’s son, Bryan Balza, who had sought an order of protection from Tucker.
Prosecutors say Tucker confronted and shot Balza on the front porch of the family’s home, then went inside and killed the three victims. Balza survived.
DODGE CITY, Kan. – The Hays High softball team dropped both ends of their Western Athletic Conference opener to Dodge City Thursday. The Red Demons used a five-run fifth to break open a one-run game and won 12-4. They scored three in the bottom of the seventh capped with a two-run walkoff homer from Madeline Kalscheur and took the second game 6-5.
Kaitlyn Brown had two of the Indians (3-5, 0-2 WAC) seven hits and scored two runs. She allowed nine runs, seven earned, on seven hits and suffered the loss.
Jaysa Wichers took the loss in game two, surrendering six runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. She went 3-fof-3 at the plate.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State fell twice on Thursday (Apr. 5) to MIAA-leading Washburn in extra innings. The Tigers rallied for two runs in the seventh inning of Game 1 to force extras, but eventually fell in 10 innings 4-3. They rallied back from a 6-0 deficit in Game 2 with five runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, but fell in eight innings 7-6. FHSU moved to 11-31 overall, 7-13 in the MIAA, while Washburn moved to 31-8 overall, 15-1 in the MIAA. It was the second straight day both games of a doubleheader were decided by one run, but this time the Tigers were on the short end in each game.
Adrian Pilkington Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Game 1: Washburn 4, Fort Hays State 3 (10 inn.) Washburn jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three innings in the first game of the doubleheader. A throwing error to open the game led to a two-run first inning for Washburn. A triple in the third led to another run in the third.
The Tigers went hitless through the first 3.2 innings against Washburn starting pitcher Megan Deiter, who entered the contest with a record of 13-0 and a sub-2.00 ERA. Grace Philop picked up the first hit for the Tigers in the fourth on a lined shot to the right center gap for a double. An inning later, Sara Breckbill put the first run on the board for FHSU with a solo home run to left center field.
Down 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers finally broke through against Deiter. Bailey Boxberger led off the inning with a single then Veronica Knittig put down a sacrifice bunt. After Breckbill flied out to left field, Tess Gray drew an important walk to put runners at second and first.
Bailey Kennedy, who joined the team in the middle of the game due to an academic obligation, came off the bench and got her timing down after a couple of strikes. She fouled off three pitches before finally lining a single to left center. Jeni Mohr came around to score from second after pinch running for Boxberger to make it 3-2. Washburn coach Brenda Holaday opted to turn the ball over to Lexi Crabtree in relief of Deiter. It did not pay off as Lily Sale dumped a single over the head of the second baseman and tied the game 3-3.
Neither team scored in the first two extra innings, but Washburn benefitted from a dropped throw at first base in the 10th. As the ball dribbled away, a runner came in to score from third base. It was the second unearned run of the game for Washburn. It proved to be the game-winner as the Tigers could not get a runner across in the bottom half of the inning. Kennedy wound up going 2-for-2 in the game, getting another base hit in the 10th. She reached second base, but the game ended on a ground out.
Hailey Chapman danced out of danger in the pitching circle throughout the game, stranding 14 Washburn runners in the game. That helped limit the damage by an Ichabod squad that finished the game with 18 hits. She threw all 10 innings for FHSU, striking out five.
Crabtree picked up the win in 3.1 innings of relief for Washburn. She allowed just two hits and struck out one. Deiter, getting no decision, remained undefeated on the year. She threw 6.2 innings and struck out 10, while allowing five hits.
Game 2: Washburn 7, Fort Hays State 6 (8 inn.) Washburn looked to be running away with game two of the doubleheader, but like in Game 1, the Tigers started a comeback in the fifth inning once again. This time the rally was twice as big in terms of runs. Washburn led 6-0 through 4.5 innings, but the Tigers rallied for five in the fifth and one in the sixth to force extra innings for the second straight game.
Washburn jumped out of the gates fast with three runs in the first inning on five hits. A solo home run in the fourth made it 4-0, then a sacrifice fly and an RBI-double added two more runs in the fifth.
Washburn pitcher Kelsee Henry was cruising along through four innings, but ran into a parade of four straight hits by the Tigers in the fifth to chase her from the game. Tess Gray put the Tigers on the board with an RBI double to left field. Lily Sale singled to put runners at first and third and then she stole second. Candace Bollig drove in two runs with a single up the middle, cutting the Washburn lead in half to 6-3. Terran Caldwell followed with a double to the left center gap to plate another run and make Washburn go to Lexi Crabtree in the pitching circle once again. With two outs, Bailey Boxberger kept the Tiger rally going with an RBI single up the middle.
The Tigers continued to apply the pressure in the sixth as Veronica Knittig led off with a single. Tess Gray picked up her second straight double and drove in Knittig all the way from first. Knittig was ruled safe at the plate on an overturned call by the umpire. Though she was tagged out initially, obstruction of the plate was called on the catcher, not allowing Knittig a legal path to home plate. The Tigers nearly had the go-ahead run score on a pinch hit single up the middle by Sarah Kay, but pinch runner Sydney Harsh was thrown out at the plate by the center fielder. Again, the catcher blocked off the plate as Harsh slid into her leg in front of the plate, but this time the umpires did not rule obstruction.
Neither team scored in the seventh, forcing extras once again, but Washburn prevailed once again thanks to a solo home run in the eighth by Taylor Kirk. It was her second solo homer of the game after doing the same back in the fourth inning. The Tigers got a pair of one-out singles in the bottom of the eighth, but Crabtree got a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
Sierra Rodriguez pitched all eight innings for FHSU, allowing 13 hits. She struck out one. Crabtree earned her second straight win in relief for the day, moving to 5-5 on the season. She allowed one run on six hits, with three strikeouts over 3.2 innings of work. Henry pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on six hits.
The Tigers go on the road for very important MIAA games at Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State next weekend. They need to make a charge in the MIAA standings as the top eight qualify for the MIAA Tournament.
