We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Wichita State holds off Southern Miss

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Markis McDuffie and Jaime Echenique each scored 17 points and Wichita State fought off Southern Mississippi for a 63-60 win on Saturday.

Dominic Magee’s layup with 53 seconds remaining put Southern Miss on top 61-60 before Echenique threw down a dunk 17 seconds later.

Magee missed a jump shot on the Golden Eagles’ next possession and Southern Miss was forced to foul. Morris Udeze made the first of two free throws before Erik Stevenson grabbed the offensive rebound off the miss. Magee fouled McDuffie and he made 1 of 2 and the Shockers led 63-60.

Wichita State’s Samajae Haynes-Jones fouled Leonard Harper-Baker with 2 seconds left and he missed all three foul shots to end the game.

Earlier, Wichita State (6-4) outscored Southern Mississippi 20-8 over the span of two halves. Rod Brown’s layup with 2:46 left before halftime made it 26-21 and the Shockers went to intermission with a 33-25 lead. McDuffie’s 3-pointer with 14:38 remaining extended the lead 44-29.

McDuffie’s 3-point play with 10:46 left made it 52-36, but the Golden Eagles woke up with a 17-3 run and trimmed the deficit to 55-53 on Magee’s 3 with 4:26 to go.

Cortez Edwards led Southern Miss (7-3) with 15 points.

Kan. business owner observes burglary suspects on security system

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on burglary charges.

Emitt -photo Shawnee Co.
Jacob Johnson -photo Shawnee Co.

Just before 5a.m. Friday, sheriff’s deputies responded to a burglary alarm in the 2700 block of NW Button Road, according to Shawnee County Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.

The business owner was able to view a suspicious vehicle on the property through a security surveillance system.

Deputies responded in the area and located a white four-door Buick with two male occupants.

Deputies arrested two suspects in connection with the burglary.

Jacob M Johnson, 32 years old, of Carbondale, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections with charges of Criminal Trespass and Theft.

James G Emitt, 44 years old, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges of Criminal Use of a Weapon, Theft, Criminal Trespass, and Driving While License Suspended.

 

 

 

Massive fire destroys 28,000 square-foot Kansas warehouse

PARK CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a massive fire has destroyed a 28,000 square-foot warehouse in a Wichita suburb.

Fire destroys Park City Warehouse-photo courtesy KWCH

The fire at the Park City warehouse was reported around 9 p.m. Friday. Arriving firefighters found the huge warehouse fully engulfed in flames.

No injuries were reported in the fire that saw five area fire departments respond to help battle the flames. It took more than two hours to get the blaze under control.

Sedgwick County Fire Capt. Bill Herold says the loss from the fire is estimated at $1.6 million.

The warehouse held two businesses — a maintenance facility for 18-wheelers and an electrical company.

No. 1 KU tops No. 17 Villanova in Final Four rematch

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Dedric Lawson had 28 points and 12 rebounds, Lagerald Vick scored 29, and top-ranked Kansas made enough free throws down the stretch to beat No. 17 Villanova 74-71 Saturday in a rematch of last season’s Final Four showdown won by the Wildcats.

Devon Dotson added 11 points for the Jayhawks (9-0), including four free throws in the final 1:10 to help Kansas end a three-game losing streak to Villanova — the last two in the NCAA Tournament.

Unlike the national semifinals in April, this one came down to the wire.

Collin Gillespie’s three-point play drew the Wildcats (8-4) within 69-65 with 31 seconds left, and Vick gave them an opening when he threw the ball away on the ensuing inbounds play. But Vick atoned for the mistake by pulling down a defensive rebound, and then calmly made a pair of free throws at the other end.

Phil Booth’s deep, line-drive 3 got Villanova within 71-68, and after Lawson made the second of two foul shots for a 72-68 lead, Booth added another driving layup to trim the deficit to two.

Lawson added two more free throws to restore a 72-68 lead with 7.5 seconds left, and Gillespie was fouled at the other end. He made the first but was forced to miss the second on purpose, and the ball squirted toward the Wildcats’ bench, where a scrum ultimately gave Kansas the ball with 0.4 seconds left.

Once the Jayhawks inbounded the ball, they finally had a long-awaited win over the Wildcats.

Even if it came with far less on the line.

Booth finished with 29 points for the Wildcats. Eric Paschall scored 17 but was rendered ineffective down the stretch because of foul trouble, and Gillespie finished with 15 but was just 1 for 7 from 3-point range.

Kansas has now won 39 straight in Allen Fieldhouse as the nation’s top-ranked team.

The Jayhawks led 33-31 at halftime, despite playing most of the way without Dotson and fellow starter Quentin Grimes. Grimes picked up three early fouls and Dotson had two, relegating them to the bench.

Their teammates picked them up with the kind of defensive effort Kansas sorely needed in their lopsided Final Four loss, when Paschall and Co. made just about shot they took. The Jayhawks harried the senior forward into a couple of crucial turnovers while largely shutting down the paint.

Villanova found its offensive stride in the second half.

Then again, so did Kansas.

And what most had envisioned as an up-and-down, back-and-forth showdown between national powers turned into precisely that. The game was tied six times over the first 12 minutes of the second half.

It wasn’t until Paschall went to the bench with four fouls and 7:57 to go that the Jayhawks established some breathing room. Lawson scored inside to give Kansas a 57-56 lead, and after Vick knocked down a baseline jumper, Lawson added another bucket to force Wildcats coach Jay Wright into a timeout.

That set up the frantic finale.

NO QUINERLY

Villanova freshman Jahvon Quinerly watched from the bench after an Instagram post earlier in the week criticizing his own program. Wright said Quinerly had apologized and it would be used as a “teaching moment.” The five-star recruit has played in only eight games this season.

CELEB SIGHTINGS

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Hall of Fame Royals third baseman George Brett were in the crowd. So was a handful of former Kansas players, including Nick Collison, who is No. 2 on the school’s career scoring list.

BIG PICTURE

Villanova played much better than it did in a loss to Penn earlier in the week, putting a scare into the No. 1 team in the country. But the Wildcats were just 3 of 15 from beyond the arc in the second half, and they were dominated on the glass for the second consecutive game.

Kansas has certainly earned its ranking, beating a trio of ranked teams already this season. The one thing the Jayhawks haven’t done is win a true road game, and they’ll get that opportunity when they head to No. 20 Arizona State next weekend.

UP NEXT

Villanova plays UConn next Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Kansas hosts South Dakota on Tuesday night.

KU given $6.9 million gift to research early human life

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A $6.9 million gift from a late geologist and his wife will be used to help University of Kansas researchers better understand early human life in the Americas.

Photo Courtesy KU Endowment

Joseph and Maude Ruth Cramer established the Odyssey Archaeological Research Fund at the university in 2002 with a $1 million gift. The additional $6.9 million was recently received after their deaths.

The KU Endowment said in a news release that the gift will benefit research by the Kansas Geological Survey and the university’s archaeology program.

Cramer grew up in Wichita and graduated from the University of New Mexico. His was a petroleum geologist, but he had a lifetime interest in archaeology and a passion for searching for the earliest people in the Americas.

___

🎥 MARSHALL: Doctor’s Note: Dec. 15

Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.

Friends,

This week the House and Senate answered farmers and ranchers call to action and passed the 2018 Farm Bill. Having the opportunity to see this bill from start to finish has been a surreal experience. What we put forth is a great bill that looks at agriculture from all angles. The final bill strengthens our safety net, prioritizes trade promotion, fully protects crop insurance, improves the dairy program, invests in broadband and rural health, and so much more. I couldn’t be more proud of the hard work that has been done on this bill, and I hope that producers back at home know that we listened!

This Bill Delivers! 
Ahead of the 2018 Farm Bill vote, I addressed the members of the House to advocate for its passage. Kansans sent me to Congress to get a Farm Bill done. And I’m proud to say we’ve delivered for Kansans. Our bill delivers a stronger safety net for all of rural America – preserves crop insurance to help producers manage risk, makes research investments to fuel the ag economy of tomorrow, includes tele-health coordination at USDA and refinancing for rural hospitals to ensure we have healthcare available, $350 billion in a broadband loan and grant program to expand the reach of high-speed internet that is so critical to doing business in the world today, reprioritizes conservation programs so that our working lands will be productive for generations to come, and we’ve made new investments in our overseas marketing programs to ensure our producers can take advantage of every market available to them.

Plugging In
On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to provide appropriate support to recipients of the Universal Service Fund’s high-cost program. The USF high-cost program is a critical part of closing the digital divide in rural America, as it helps providers expand broadband service in areas where the cost of deployment is high. Access to broadband helps create jobs; increases opportunities for education, healthcare, and agriculture; and boosts local economies. As our country becomes increasingly connected, we must continue to work to establish the same internet capabilities in rural communities that are readily available in urban centers. Every Kansan should have access to a reliable high-speed Internet connection, and the FCC’s action yesterday will ensure that our broadband providers are better able to meet the needs of communities across the district.

ReConnecting
On Thursday, I was honored to join Agriculture Secretary Perdue as he launched a new broadband pilot program called ReConnect. The program will offer a combination of loans and grants to assist with broadband expansion in the most underserved rural areas, and looks at factors such as population density and network speeds when considering applications. Telecommunications companies along with rural electric companies, utilities, municipalities, and non-profits will be able to apply for funding, and the application process will open in February 2019. I think this is another great tool to help connect rural America, and applaud Secretary Perdue for his commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to reliable broadband no matter where they live.

Responsibility.org Leadership Award

I was honored to accept Responsibility.org’s Leadership Award. Every year, the award is bestowed upon legislators who show leadership in the fight to eliminate impaired driving and underage drinking. Impaired driving claims the lives of far too many Americans each year, and must continue to be addressed.

Bill of Rights Day
On December 15th we celebrate one of the most important documents ever created in human history, the Bill of Rights.

It not only laid the foundations for the essential rights and civil liberties we enjoy today, but it also set a shining example for the rest of the world to follow. Freedom of speech, press, and religion is the fundamental bedrock of our Constitutional Republic, and it should never be taken for granted.

I pledged when I joined the Army to support and defend these values from enemies foreign and domestic, and I will uphold that pledge to the best of my ability while serving Kansas’ 1st District in Congress.

I am so proud to report that this new Farm Bill strengthens our safety net, prioritizes trade promotion, fully protects crop insurance, improves the dairy program, and expands rural broadband and health coverage. The battle to pass this bill was fierce, but, thanks to the confidence and trust of our farmers, agricultural markets will now enjoy more stability for the next five years.

Friday, I joined Bloomberg to discuss the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, trade with China, and border security. Providing farmers and our agriculture community with a strong five-year bill was not just a goal of ours, it was a responsibility we took on when Kansans elected us to be their voice in D.C.

Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.

 

Arrests made for widespread deer poaching in Kansas, 2 other states

OZARKS, Mo. (AP) — Members of a southwest Missouri family have been caught after a lengthy investigation into the illegal killing of hundreds of deer, in what state conservation agents called one of the largest poaching cases in state history.

David Berry remains in custody after his December 3 arrest-photo Lawrence Co. Sheriff

David Berry Sr. of Springfield and two of his adult sons, David Berry Jr. of Brookline and Kyle Berry of Everton, were arrested in August after an 8½- month investigation by state, federal and international agencies that also involved cases in Kansas, Nebraska and Canada.

The Missouri Department of Conservation said in a news release Thursday that information gained from the investigation led to 14 Missouri residents facing more than 230 charges in 11 counties.

“The deer were trophy bucks taken illegally, mostly at night, for their heads, leaving the bodies of the deer to waste,” said Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Don Trotter. He said investigators believe some of the heads were stuffed and mounted for sale.

David Berry Jr. was sentenced Thursday to 120 days in jail in Barton County for a felony firearms probation violation. On Dec. 6, he was given a one-year jail sentence in Lawrence County after pleading guilty to taking wildlife illegally in that county.

In 2016, David Berry Sr. and another son, Eric Berry of Everton, were convicted of taking gamefish by hand in Dade County. While awaiting his court appearance in that case, Eric Berry and another person were caught in 2017 spotlighting deer in Lawrence County. David Berry Sr. is awaiting a probation revocation hearing for the poaching violations in Lawrence County.

David Berry Sr. and David Berry Jr. have had their hunting, fishing and trapping privileges revoked for life. Eric Berry and Kyle Berry had hunting and fishing privileges revoked for 18 years and eight years, respectively. Jerimiah Cline of Republic, who took wildlife illegally and assisted the Berrys, had hunting privileges revoked for five years, the conservation department said.

The investigation into the Berrys began in late 2015 when the conservation agency received an anonymous tip about deer poaching in Lawrence County through Operation Game Thief, a toll-free enforcement hotline.

Listen to the Holthus Hotline with ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus

Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps Thursday night’s loss to the Chargers and takes a look at next Sunday’s prime time matchup with the Seahawks in Seattle.

The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX (96.9-FM), at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.

Moran introduces bipartisan bill to make oral cancer meds more affordable

Chronic myelogenous leukemia oral treatment

OFFICE OF SEN. MORAN

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) Wednesday introduced the Cancer Drug Parity Act to make certain oral cancer drugs are covered in the same way as traditional (IV) chemotherapy to bring down costs for Americans battling cancer. The Cancer Drug Parity Act, which is co-sponsored by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), is needed to make certain the way health care covers cancer treatment catches up to the advances in oral cancer medications.

Currently, over 40 states – including Kansas – have passed “oral parity” laws that stop insurers from charging more for prescribed oral cancer medicine than IV chemotherapy. The Cancer Drug Parity Act would build on this work by expanding these protections at the federal level.

“Individuals suffering from cancer deserve the best treatment options available through their insurance,” said Sen. Moran. “As the number of oral cancer drugs increase each year, patients ought to be able to immediately benefit from these medical advancements. This sensible legislation would keep health insurance on pace with the latest cancer treatments, build on laws already implemented in 43 states and expand cancer coverage for oral drugs for 100 million individuals covered through group and individual health plans. I am a strong supporter of medical research to find new treatments, therapies and cures, and I am working to make certain these exciting new treatments can reach cancer patients and ultimately save lives.”

The Cancer Drug Parity Act is supported by more than 30 organizations, including The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“Many patients face obstacles when accessing oral chemotherapy drugs,” said Director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center and President of the Association of American Cancer Institutes Dr. Roy Jensen, which represents 98 academic cancer centers across North America. “At a time when developments in cancer care are advancing rapidly, it is essential for cancer centers like ours to provide patients with access to the best treatment. For some patients, there are no viable alternatives to oral chemotherapy drugs, which often come with high out-of-pocket costs. Oral chemotherapy is a priority for KU Cancer Center and for AACI, and we are delighted that Senators Moran and Smith are introducing this much-needed legislation.”

“Science is dramatically changing the way cancer is treated. Even with these breakthroughs, too many cancer patients can’t access their treatments because insurance rules have not kept pace with innovation,” said President and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D. “The Cancer Drug Parity Act will eliminate the financial barriers that stand between many cancer patients and the breakthrough treatments that could save their lives. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society applauds Senator Smith and Senator Moran for their leadership on behalf of cancer patients and stands ready to work with Congress to move this important bill forward.”

The Cancer Drug Parity Act would:
• Prevent insurers from covering oral and self-administered medicines at different cost-sharing rates than IV chemotherapy;
• Not mandate that healthcare plans provide chemotherapy coverage, but rather only apply to plans already covering chemotherapy.

Read a summary of the bill here and full bill text here.

Teacher Kristy Oborny earns National Board Certification

USD 489

Kristy Oborny

Kristy Oborny, O’Loughlin Elementary School fourth-grade teacher and media specialist, recently earned her National Board Certification this December.

Becoming a National Board Certified Teacher is an extensive process that requires countless hours of preparation. National Board Certified Teachers focus on five core propositions for teaching:

• Teachers are committed to students and their learning

• Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students

• Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning

• Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience

• Teachers are members of learning communities

The district has four National Board Certified teachers, including: Kristy Oborny, Monica Dreiling, Amy Wasinger and Kathy Wagoner.

HHS students collect shoes in Calista Isbell’s memory

By Rebekah Porter

HHS Guidon Staff Reporter

There+are+two+boxes+around+the+school+for+students+to+leave+shoes+in.+One+is+in+the+gym+commons+and+the+other+is+by+the+main+office.
There are two boxes at HHS for students to leave shoes in. One is in the gym commons and the other is by the main office. Rebekah Porter

In memory of Calista Isbell, the Isbell family and friends decided to help collect pairs of shoes to donate to Nashville-based Soles4Souls, by setting up boxes around town, including two at Hays High School.

Sophomore Alexis White said they plan to have the boxes out for a full calendar year, leaving them until next November.

Isbell’s family and members of Calista’s Crew met with Principal Martin Straub in late October to ask him if they could set the boxes up at school, and he approved it.

The students involved check the boxes regularly for any donations, and then they have to inspect the shoes. The shoes are supposed to be gently used or new, none with holes in them.

“We plan to put posters up around the school,” White said. “We also plan to make an announcement in the near future, like how StuCo has been doing the Dodge for a Cause.”

 

Report: Kansas election officials reject voter fraud claims

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Election officials in Kansas counties don’t believe voter fraud is a problem in the state, according to a survey of local election officials released Friday that counters Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s unsupported claims that voter fraud is widespread.

The finding came in a wide-ranging survey conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union that examined whether county election policies reduced voter turnout and hurt democracy in Kansas. The survey was at least partially completed by election officials in 85 of the state’s 105 counties.

Of the 77 counties whose officials addressed the survey’s question about voter fraud, 66 who responded it was “not a problem at all.” None deemed voter fraud a “significant problem.”

Sherman County Clerk Ashley Mannis, the sole official who said voter fraud was “somewhat of a problem,” noted that Kobach’s office prosecuted two people in her county for duplicate voting. She conceded it was not a widespread problem, adding: “It’s not like we had tons of cases, but it’s not like we had tons of voters, either.”

Kobach’s office, which oversees Kansas elections, did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment on the report. Kobach, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in November, has repeatedly claimed without evidence that voter fraud is a problem in Kansas.

The ACLU survey also found that voter turnout was higher in counties offering more days of early voting, and that in general, the higher the average number of voters assigned to a polling place, the lower the voter turnout.

Overall, Kansas doesn’t fare well when it comes to voter participation. In the 2016 election, voter turnout was 59.2 percent in Kansas, putting the state in 34th place among U.S. states. The 2018 midterm election turnout was slightly more than 50 percent, which still left Kansas in the bottom half of voter turnout nationwide, according to the United States Election Project at the University of Florida.

The ACLU suggested that Kansas election officials could expand early in-person voting, including later and weekend hours; increase the number of polling places to reduce wait times; and advocate for expanding outreach efforts to young voters and minorities.

In its report, the ACLU also examined what it called the “wildly divergent policies and practices” used by local election officials. In Kansas, such officials are the decision makers when it comes to polling sites, in-person voting days and other details that can affect voter turnout.

For example, state guidelines for determining the validity of provisional ballots are vague, so local election officials use their own discretion about which ballots are counted. That became an issue in the state’s close Republican primary for governor, in which Kobach cinched the GOP nomination by just 343 votes. Kobach lost in the general election to Democrat Laura Kelly.

Sedgwick County, the state’s second most populous county, counted provisional ballots even though voters incorrectly filled out forms to switch from no-party affiliation to a party affiliation so they could vote in that party’s primary. But election officials in Johnson County, the state’s most populous, decided not to count provisional ballots with the same issue. Johnson County was much stricter than the other counties with its “signature match” policy.

The ACLU noted that “the job of county elections officials is much more than just counting votes — it is to foster a culture where democracy thrives.”

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File