RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a reported aggravated battery in Manhattan.
Just after 11p.m. Saturday, police reported 24-year-0ld Drew McDowell of Manhattan was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of injuries, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. A known male suspect injured him during an incident in the 400 block of Laramie in Manhattan, according to police.
Police have not reported an update on McDowell’s condition and, on Monday, had no details on an arrest as the investigation continues, according RCPD spokesperson Rachel Pate.
— Senator Pat Roberts (@SenPatRoberts) March 6, 2019
Sen. Pat Roberts and Sen. Jerry Moran and Rep. Roger Marshall are promoting the honor in Congress.
Dole said he was humbled that the Kansas delegation is trying to honor him. He says the legislation is an honor he shares with many others who fought in the Army, especially those who died in World War II.
Dole was an infantry lieutenant in 1945 when he was wounded by German machine gun fire, which left him with limited mobility in his right arm.
Lida (Warrick) Black, 71, of Topeka, Kansas, passed away March 6, 2019. She was born May 12, 1947, in Norton, Kansas, to John and Mae Warrick.
Lida graduated with a degree in nursing from Marymount College in 1967. She spent many years working as a registered nurse at Stormont-Vail hospital in Topeka.
Lida is survived by her husband, Phillip Paul Hutt; sister, Francis Lytle; brother, John Warrick; and her sons, Rex Norman Black II, Renton, Washington, and Russell William Black, Denton, Texas.
A private burial ceremony will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in the Clayton Cemetery, Clayton, Kansas.
Donna Maxine Roberts passed away at the Andbe Home in Norton, Kansas, on March 7, 2019. Donna was born to George and Elva Madden on May 23, 1928, in Norton County. Her paternal grandparents, John and Nancy Madden, homesteaded in Norton County in 1873.
Donna attended schools in Norton and Phillips counties and graduated from Norton County High School in 1941. She worked as an addressograph operator in Kansas City, Missouri, and a money transfer clerk in banks in Denver, Colorado.
Donna married Vernon D. Roberts on August 17, 1963, and they made their home in Norton, where she worked for Ideal Truck Lines and New York Life Insurance Company. Donna was admitted to the Andbe Home in Norton in July 2018. Donna and Vernon celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2013, at an open house at the Norton Senior Center.
Donna attended and was a member of the Norton Christian Church and was also a member and active in the Norton Study Club.
Survivors include: her husband of nearly 56 years, Vernon, her sister-in-law, Beverley Roberts, Ogallala, Nebraska; her niece, Patricia Miller, and her husband, Overland Park, Kansas; nine nieces, nephews and spouses.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Evalyn Butts Stevens, and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
FUNERAL SERVICE – Tuesday, March 12, 2019—10:30 a.m.
PLACE – Enfield Funeral Home – 215 W. Main – Norton, KS
INTERMENT – Norton Cemetery – Norton, KS
MEMORIAL – Donna Roberts Memorial Fund
Ten years ago, Chelsea Clanton had everything going for her. After numerous athletic accomplishments at Great Bend High School including WAC Championships for cross country and track events, she was running for the Varsity team in college and pursuing her dreams. After graduating from Wichita State University, she grew a successful career in Human Resources and continued to run and train in her spare time.
But that all came to a crashing halt last fall when Chelsea was in a tragic car accident that eventually resulted in the amputation of her left leg above the knee.
“After the accident, Chelsea fought for weeks in and out of surgeries with both knees dislocated, a broken right ankle, and so much pain. It was so hard to watch,” says Kayla Benedick, Chelsea’s mother.
“She couldn’t walk at all. It was so hard watching my baby girl go through this, but we are all so happy and thankful she is still here with us. She is a strong and determined person, and she is going to do big things. This won’t keep her down.”
Since getting out of the hospital in mid-December, she has been working with a physical therapist and has been fitted for a new prosthetic device. But all of that comes at a cost. To help offset the mounting expenses, some of Chelsea’s high school classmates have organized a fundraiser known as the “Still Standing 5K” to generate funds and emotional support for Chelsea and her family.
“Our friend Chelsea is one of the best runners we know, and her fighting spirit is an inspiration to a lot of people. What better way to raise money and show our support for an all-star track and cross country athlete than to organize a 5K event?” says high school classmate Valerie McAtee, organizer of the Still Standing 5K.
“But this 5K is a little different. It’s a virtual event, meaning there isn’t an actual race in a specific town on a specific day. Anyone from anywhere can give online and get signed up for the virtual race before March 30th, and their race t-shirt will ship directly to their house. Then they can put in their 3.1 miles any time after that (or not) and post a photo with our hashtag so Chelsea can see their support from around the country.”
McAtee and the other volunteers hope to see an outpouring of registrations for the virtual 5K event from all over the state, since Chelsea and her family have connections in Great Bend, Emporia where Chelsea ran in college, and in Wichita where she now lives and built her career.
“We’ve already seen a huge response, but are hoping to keep the traction going until the cut-off date for online registrations and donations closes on March 30,” McAtee says. “Chelsea has a lot of medical bills piling up, plus
modifications that need to be made to her home and an expensive prosthetic leg to pay for. Our goal is to help cover a significant portion of that to take the burden off of her shoulders.”
Chelsea’s family reports that she is hopeful about getting back to her passion of running at some point in the future.
“Chelsea’s starting all over, learning to stand and walk and balance. Just taking a shower and getting ready for a doctor’s appointment is a lot of work at this point,” says Benedick. “But down the road she hopes to learn how to run with a prosthesis and inspire others who have gone through traumatic events to keep pursuing their passions. It’s one step at a time right now, but all of this support has meant the world to her and to our family.”
With traction building around the region, volunteers for the fundraiser are asking for the public’s support leading up to the donation deadline at the end of this month. Anyone interested in registering for the virtual 5K event, or in donating through the event webpage, can visit the Facebook page listed under Still Standing 5K for Chelsea Clanton, or search for the virtual 5K event on RunSignUp.com.
JACKSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects after a traffic traffic stop in Jackson County.
Martin -photo Jackson Co.Fortune -photo Jackson Co.
Just after midnight Friday, deputies stopped a passenger car on U.S. 75 near 94th Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.
Deputies arrested the driver, Arron Dale Martin, 29, Topeka on a Jackson County District Court warrant for failure to appear on drug charges.
Deputies also arrested two of Martin’s passengers including Austin Healey Tonniges, 36, and Gretchen Merissa Fortune, 40, both of Topeka for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Tonniges photo Jackson Co
Martin and Fortune were held without bond, according to Morse.
On Monday, Martin was still being held in the Jackson County without bond. Fortune had been released, according to online jail records.
Preliminary estimates reported by the Kansas Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.4 percent in January. This was up from 3.3 percent in December and down from 3.5 percent in January 2018.
While still extremely low, the jobless rate in Ellis County jumped from 2.1 percent in Deceember to 2.8 percent in January.
Rush, Rooks, Trego and Russell counties all posted unemployment rates higher than 3.4 percent.
“The revised 2018 annual data for the state is included in today’s Labor Market Report,” said Secretary Delía Garcia. “In that data, of note is that the number of Kansans participating in the labor force has increased for the first time since 2014, and with increased employment and fewer Kansans unemployed, the 2018 unemployment rate fell to 3.4 percent.”
Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 500 from December. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, increased by 1,100 from the previous month.
“Establishment survey data shows Kansas employers have been raising wages at an increasing rate,” said Senior Labor Economist, Tyler Tenbrink. “The labor market is historically tight right now and many employers are struggling to fill open positions. This, in turn, has put upward pressure on wages.”
Since January 2018, Kansas gained 14,300 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs and 13,700 private sector jobs.
Brenda Myers, 78, died Friday, March 8, 2019 at the Ranch House Home and Rehabilitation in Garden City. She was born December 29, 1940 in Crawfordsville, Indiana the daughter of Cleo Houston & Anna Katherine (Free) Zachary.
Brenda grew up in Crawfordsville, Indiana where she attended school and graduated from high school in 1959. On July 5, 1959, she married James C. Myers in Crawfordsville, Indiana. They lived in Seattle, Washington, Indianapolis, Indiana, Hatteras, North Carolina, Garden City, Kansas, and Goodland, Kansas before moving to Holcomb, Kansas. A homemaker, Brenda also worked as a guide and gift shop manager at High Plains Museum while living in Goodland. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Holcomb, RSVP, and NARFE. Brenda enjoyed her volunteer work with RSVP, reading, sewing, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family especially attending her grandchildren’s activities.
Survivors include a daughter Cindy Crain of Holcomb, Ks; three grandsons Matt Hill of Hays, Ks, Brad Hill of Holcomb, Ks, & Steven Crain of Holcomb, Ks; four great-grandchildren Sloane Hill, Ruxin Hill, Jocelyn Hill, & Jaylee Hill; and a good friend Larry Burnett of Ladoga, Indiana. Brenda is preceded in death by her parents and a son Carl Myers.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at the First Baptist Church in Holcomb with Pastor Jon Sanders officiating. A private family interment will take place at a later date. There will be no calling hours. The family suggests memorials given to Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo in care of Garnand Funeral Home of Garden City.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.
Friends,
March 1 is my mother’s birthday, and very fitting for her special day, it is also International Women’s Day. I admire my mom, and the many life lessons she has taught me and still teaches me to this very today. From an early age, she showed me the value of hard work, she worked a full-time job while also raising a family and caring for us around the clock.
From teaching me the importance of having the entire family sit down for dinner, to her endless advice and support, she will always amaze me! Happy birthday, mom!
Discussing Trade and Health Care with President Trump
Last past week leaders of the Republican Study Committee had the opportunity to sit down with President Trump and talk about conservative agenda for this Congress.
As the Chairman of the Health Care Task Force, I talked to the president about our plans to drive down health care costs and other market-based reforms that would give patients choice, access, and protect those with preexisting conditions. Fixing our broken health care system has been a top priority for my office since day one- As a physician for nearly 30 years, I saw many of the problems with our current system firsthand!
But before the President and I discussed health care, he singled me out to deliver one clear message to Kansas farmers- he told me to tell the folks back home that he would not sign a bad trade deal for Kansas producers. The president confidently said that they are making significant progress with China and will prioritize the approval of USMCA by Congress.
It was great to sit down and discuss both the need of our farmers and ranchers, as well as our common vision to fix our broken health care system.
International Women’s Day
March is Women’s History Month, and March 1 is International Women’s Day, so please, I challenge you to thank those women that have positively influenced your life, improved your community and contributed to the success of our great nation.
Supporting our Veterans- Addressing Suicide and Addiction
At our legislative coffee in Junction City many of you talked with me about your time serving our nation and resources available to veterans. Supporting our men and women in uniform and our nation’s veterans is a top priority for me. Last week I wrote an op-ed discussing the common issues that many veterans are facing and what we must do to help.
One of my top concerns today is veteran suicide rates. Last week the president signed the PREVENTS (President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End A National Tragedy of Suicide) executive order to help put a stop to the 20 veterans who commit suicide each day in the United States. This new task force will be tasked with encouraging private-public partnerships to make mental healthcare more readily accessible to each and every veteran in the U.S.
In Kansas, we just opened a brand-new state of the art medical center, the Robert J. Dole Veterans Medical Center, that focuses on Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment. This center honors the 220,000 veterans across Kansas and the 20 million veterans across the United States. It’s dedicated to helping veterans who have contemplated, or attempted suicide, veterans struggling with addiction, and those in recovery.
Substance abuse and addiction is a terrible problem in our nation and often for our veterans. I fully support the work being done by this administration and in our clinics around Kansas. For as long as I am in office I will continue to fight for the men and women who have fought for us.
Read my latest op-ed on the new veterans treatment facility in Wichita HERE.
Raising Awareness for PCOS- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
During my time as an OB-GYN, I helped numerous women that struggled with PCOS through their pregnancies and their deliveries. Now on the Hill, I serve as the Co-Chair of the PCOS Caucus, where I am able to be the voice for millions of women across the country suffering from PCOS.
I am working with my fellow Co-Chair, Rep. David Scott, this Congress in introducing H.Res 146. H. Res 146 will designate September 2019 as PCOS Awareness Month. Furthermore, I am actively working with Scott on a letter that would have HHS do an inter-agency study on their work on PCOS and increase much-needed research. By advocating for both more awareness and research, I am hopeful we can help gather more information on this disease that impacts so many families. We want them to improve inter-agency collaboration, develop an awareness campaign, improve research output that will someday lead to better patient outcomes.
Last week I had the pleasure to speak with people who traveled from all over the country to D.C. for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Advocacy Day. It is so great to see so many people getting involved and advocating to their lawmakers for more awareness of this disease.
Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition is so important
I had the honor of speaking at the annual WIC Leadership Conference lst week. I’ve always supported WIC and am again working on a letter to my colleagues urging them to keep the WIC program fully funded in 2019.
As an OB-GYN, I know firsthand the importance of nutrition, and I want to assure the people of Kansas that I will always work to support mothers and children. As a physician I could not stress enough to my patients the importance of their Infants and children receiving proper nutrition at an early age. I look forward to continuing my work with WIC!
Rep. Omar- Hate has no home here
Last week I voted to stand against hatred and Anti-Semitism. This Congress must make it clear to Rep. Omar that we will not tolerate her continuous anti-Semitic rhetoric and beliefs. During this time it is important to ask ourselves why an anti-Semite is still on the Foreign Affairs Committee. We can only hope that Nancy Pelosi will see how wrong it is to allow it. It’s mind-boggling to me that Democrat Leadership keeps turning a blind eye and not taking action to remove this type of hatred from this important committee.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the Kansas First District Congressman.
Thursday, Feb. 28 marked a critical deadline known as “turnaround,” marking the official halfway point for the 2019 Legislative session. It was a busy week for the Senate, as we spent two full days debating and voting on bills ahead of the Turnaround deadline. After being on the floor all day Tuesday and Wednesday, the Legislature was on break until March 6th to give clerical staff time to process the significant amount of paperwork resulting from this week. By “turnaround,” a bill, with few exceptions, must have passed its Chamber of origin in order to be considered by the other Chamber before session is over for the year. When the Senate returned on Wednesday, the focus was to consider bills passed by the House Chamber and bills exempt from the Turnaround deadline.
FLOOR ACTION LAST WEEK
REGISTERING FLEET VEHICLES – SB 97: Senate Bill 97 authorizes the registration of certain rental vehicles in fleets and the issuance of permanent license plates to reflect that registration – must be 250 motor vehicles submitted electronically.
COMPANY SIGNS IN VEHICLES – SB 63: Senate Bill 63 authorizes the governing body of a city to adopt an ordinance to allow a driver for a transportation network company (Uber, Lyft and others), when the driver is logged on to the transportation network company’s digital network, to equip the vehicle with a device capable of displaying a light visible from directly in front of the center of the vehicle. The lighting device can display steady light and can be any color except red.
REMEDIATION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM – HB 2001: House Bill 2001 extends the sunset on the Kansas Remediation Linked Deposit Loan Program, the Kansas Remediation Reimbursement Program, and the Kansas Agricultural Remediation Fund from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2030.
UNCLAIMED LIFE INSURANCE BENEFITS ACT – SB 67: Senate Bill 67 establishes the Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits Act (Act). The bill would require an insurer to compare its insureds’ in-force policies, contracts, and retained asset accounts against a DMF, on at least a semi-annual basis. The bill would require insurers, for group life insurance, to confirm the possible death of an insured when the insurers maintain at least the Social Security number or name and date of birth, beneficiary designation information, coverage eligibility, benefit amount, and premium payment status of those covered under a policy or certificate.
SERVICE-CONNECTED DEFINITION IN POLICE AND FIREMEN’S RETIREMENT SYSTEM – SB 15: Senate Bill 15 revises the definition for “service-connected” as that term is used to determine death and disability benefits in the Kansas Police and Firemen’s Retirement System. Under current law, service-connected causes for death and disability benefits include heart disease, lung or respiratory disease, and cancer. The bill would add bloodborne pathogens.
UPDATING THE STATE BANKING CODE (SB 82): Senate Bill 82 amends provisions of the State Banking Code relating to certificate of existence, voting rights for conversion to a state charter, and the method of delivery for certain notices. The bill includes certificates of existence, conversion to a State Charter and delivery methods for certain notices.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACT – SB 90: Senate Bill 90 would allow financial institutions to claim the Center for Entrepreneurship tax credit beginning in tax year 2019, which would be applied to the privilege tax owed. The maximum amount of tax credits that any taxpayer could claim would be increased from $50,000 to $100,000. The total amount of tax credits that could be claimed for all taxpayers would remain capped at $2.0 million per fiscal year.
KANSAS REAL ESTATE COMMISSION LICENSING –SB 60: Senate Bill 60 modifies statutes related to licensing of real-estate brokers and the Kansas Real Estate Commission. The bill reduces real estate broker’s licenses time from five years to three years preceding the date of application for the license for which an applicant for a broker’s license may satisfy the requirement of two years’ experience as a resident salesperson or a licensee in another state. It also increases the pre-license education course from 24 hours to 30 hours, and no more than 45 hours, and renames the course the “Kansas Real Estate Fundamentals Course.” It also creates a new course titled “Kansas Real Estate Management Course,” which would be 30 to 45 hours in length and would be required for original broker’s license applicants beginning January 1, 2020.
REGULATING ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHT OR BENEFITS TO A RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTOR – SB 78: Senate Bill 78 creates law within the Kansas Consumer Protection Act regarding a post-loss assignment of rights or benefits to a residential contractor under a property and casualty insurance policy insuring residential real estate. The residential contractor would be required to provide the assignment to the insurer of the residential real estate within three days of the signing of the assignment, and the assignment would have to provide that, in addition to any other right to revoke, the named insured has the right to cancel the assignment within five business days after execution.
AT-RISK PROGRAMS – SB 16: Senate Bill 16 requires, on and after July 1, 2019, the best practices identified and approved by KSBE for at-risk programs and instruction of students receiving at-risk program services. The bill would also specify Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) and Boys and Girls Club as programs eligible to receive state appropriations for providing individualized support to students enrolled in unified school districts and assisting with student achievement goals.
MINIMUM SCHOOL SAFETY DRILLS EACH YEAR – SB 128: Senate Bill 128 requires the State Fire Marshal to adopt rules and regulations requiring administrators of public and private schools and educational institutions, except community colleges, colleges, and universities, to conduct at least four fire drills, two tornado drills (one in September and one in March), and three crisis drills each school year. The bill would require the three crisis drills to be conducted at some time during school hours, aside from the regular dismissal at the close of the day’s session.
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT PREVENTION COURSE –SB 94: Senate Bill 94 would require a motor vehicle accident avoidance course associated with required reduction in motor vehicle insurance premium charges to be at least four hours in duration. The bill would require the course utilize a nationally recognized driver training curriculum or a curriculum approved by a state or federal agency.
POLICE AUDIBLE AND VISUAL SIGNALS – SB 62: Senate Bill 62 authorizes the violation of certain rules of the road in the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways by the driver of a police vehicle who has reason to believe vehicle operation while using lights and audible signals could impede a law enforcement action under circumstances specified by the bill.
WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES – SB 68: Senate Bill 68 make changes to law relating to valid contract franchise ordinances and their application to wireless service providers and wireless infrastructure providers. The bill would allow a city to govern a wireless services provider’s or wireless infrastructure provider’s use of the public right-of-way using any combination of a master license agreement, permitting requirement, or municipal ordinance or code. The bill also would allow a city to assess a wireless services provider or a wireless infrastructure provider a fixed right-of-way access fee for each small cell facility that a provider deploys that requires the use of the city’s right-of-way. The fee could not be based on such a provider’s gross receipts derived from services provided within a city’s corporate limits.
KANSAS STATE GRAPE – SB 53: Senate Bill 53 designates the official Kansas red Winegrape as Chambourcy, and the official Kansas white Winegrape as Vignola’s.
POSTSECONDARY TECHNICAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY – SB 71: Senate Bill 71 reauthorizes the Postsecondary Technical Education Authority (TEA) by repealing the statute specifying sunset date of June 30, 2019. The bill would also require the TEA to make an annual report to the Legislature on the performance of its functions and duties.
DATE FOR TAKING OFFICE – SB 105: Senate Bill 105 authorizes a city to determine the start date of a regular term of office for a city officer by resolution of the city. In law regarding city elections, the bill would require the start date be on or after December 1 following certification of the election and no later than the second Monday in January following certification of the election. If the city does not establish an alternative date, the bill would specify such term would begin on the second Monday in January.
EMPLOYMENT FOR BLIND OR DISABLED INDIVIDUALS – HB 2044: House Bill 2044 authorizes a new income tax credit for tax years 2019 through 2023 equivalent to 15.0 percent of expenditures on goods and services purchased from qualified vendors or non-profit certified businesses, as those terms would be defined by the bill, that provide a certain level of health insurance benefits and have at least 30.0 percent of their employees be resident Kansans with disabilities. The amount of the credit would be capped at $500,000 per each qualified vendor each tax year, and the total amount of cumulative credits allowed for the life of the program would be capped at $5.0 million. The tax credits would be nonrefundable, but unused credits could be carried forward for up to four years and applied against the liability of future tax years.
AO-K TO WORK PROGRAM – SB 199: Senate Bill 199 creates the AO-K to work program that allows certain adults to earn high school equivalency credentials through the participation of career pathway oriented postsecondary classes.
SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH PROBLEM SEXUAL BEHAVIOR – SB 77: Senate Bill 77 requires the Department for Children and Families (DCF) to offer services to children with problem sexual behavior and their families.
REQUIRING THE NOTIFICATION OF MISSING FOSTER CARE CHILDREN – SB 162: Senate Bill 162 requires the notification to the governor and legislature whenever a child goes missing in foster care. The Department for Children and Families (DCF) would be required to notify the governor and legislature as well as the newspaper of the county wherever the child went missing. The bill also requires DCF to issue a fine of $500 to the contractor for each day the contractor fails to report the missing child.
STATE CABIN RENTAL FEES – SB 49: Senate Bill 49 authorizes the Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism to establish fees for the public use of cabins owned or operated by the department and for camping permits at state parks. SB 49 eliminates current law that requires the department to obtain approval from the Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism Commission to establish fees for the use of cabins by the public.
KANSAS CEREAL MALT BEVERAGE ACT – HB 2035: House Bill 2035 provides uniformity in the issuance of citations for violations of the Kansas Cereal Malt Beverage Act by ABC.
ALLOWING CERTAIN PODIATRISTS TO PERFORM SURGERY – SB 61: Senate Bill 61 adds podiatrists who completed a two-year post-doctoral surgical residency program prior to July 1, 2007, in reconstructive rearfoot/ankle surgery to the podiatrists who may perform surgery on the ankle, as long as they are board-certified or in the process of being certified.
AMENDING THE CRIME OF COUNTERFEITING –SB 134: Senate Bill 134 amends the crime of counterfeiting currency.
REMOVING A RESTRICTION IN UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE –SB 27: Senate Bill 27 repeals the provision in Kansas Employment Security Law that prohibits professional employer organizations from including a client company’s owners and officers in the same quarterly report as that company’s employees.
LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS – SB 193: Senate Bill 193 provides for licensure by reciprocity for social workers at baccalaureate, master’s, and specialist clinical levels and amends the requirement for licensure by reciprocity for other professions regulated by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. SB 193 allows applicants who are deficient in the qualifications or in the quality of educational experience required for licensure, to obtain provisional licenses to allow the applicant’s time to fulfill remedial or other requirements prescribed by the Board. The bill also amends the licensure requirements for a specialist clinical social worker by reducing the number of hours of postgraduate supervised professional experience required.
ADDRESSING ISSUES WITH SIGNATURES ON ADVANCE BALLOTS – Sub SB 130: Substitute for Senate Bill 130 amends law concerning advance ballots and associated signature requirements. The bill requires county election officers to try to contact each voter who submitted an advance voting ballot without a signature or with a signature that does not match the signature on file and allow the voter to correct the deficiency before the final county canvass.
CHANGES TO MUNICIPAL OFFICE ELECTIONS – SB 131: Senate Bill 131 amends law concerning the filing date for municipal offices and the date certain newly elected township officers take the oath of office. SB 131 changes the filing deadline for a candidate in a municipal election where a primary election is not authorized or required by law from September 1 prior to the general election in odd-numbered years to the day before the primary election date in both odd- and even-numbered years. The bill also changes the date a newly elected trustee, clerk, or treasurer of any township must take the oath of office, from within 20 days after being notified of such election to on or before the second Monday in January when the term of office begins.
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS – SB 7: Senate Bill 7 amends current law regarding the timing of appointing a replacement school board member, timing of elections of officers of a local board of education, the date local school district board officials take office, and the timing of an election to change the method of election or voting plan for school board members. SB 7 also requires the first meeting of the Board of Education to be on or after the second Monday in January or at a later meeting if so determined by the Board at the first meeting, rather than in July.
EUDORA COMMUNITY LIBRARY DISTRICT ACT – SB 59: Senate Bill 59 allows the city of Eudora to continue to be part of a library district previously established by the City of Eudora and Eudora Township.
You can find a wealth of information at this well-designed website which focuses on Kansas with topics of business, education, government, residents and services with links to agencies and staff to help answer any question you might have. Webfile will take you directly to the Department of Revenue to file your taxes; Form finder will take you to the Secretary of States office for all types of forms for businesses; Learning Quest will direct you to the State Treasurer’s Office; the three branches of Government; and Plan your Trip to Kansas will open to the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY IN KANSAS
The State of Kansas has over $350 million dollars in unclaimed property waiting for the rightful owner to find and claim. Unclaimed property stats from July 1, 2018 to March 2, 2019 include 825,558 searches, $19,702,309.57 returned with the average claim paid at $250.16. These holdings at the Treasurer’s office include bank accounts, cash, stocks, bonds, refunds (utilities), royalties, insurance proceeds and even safe deposit box contents. To search for your name, visit www.kansasastatetreasurer.com and enter your name or business name to see if your name is on this list. Senate District #36 has over 4000 entries in the thirteen counties it covers. If you would like more personal assistance, call 800-432-0386 or 785-296-4165.
Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters this week. Constituent correspondence helps inform my decision-making process and is taken into great consideration when I cast my vote in the Kansas Senate. I hope you’ll continue to engage with me on the issues that matter most to you, your family, and our community.
If you are on Twitter or Facebook, I encourage you to follow along with the #ksleg hashtag for real-time updates on legislative happenings in Topeka.
It is easy to “get into the weed” on pieces of legislation that seem on the surface to have universal appeal, but for those who want to pursue a more in-depth analysis of the ones which did not have such agreement, go to www.kslegislature.org and pull up “Bills & Laws,” then “Senate Bills,” before scrolling to the desired number and hitting “SN” (Supplemental Notes) for a general explanation which is written by the Legislative research & reviser staff.
Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is the 36th Dist. state senator and serves as the Senate Majority Whip. The 36th Senate District includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington counties and portions of Marshall and Phillips counties.
From left: Lieutenant Tim Greenwood, Officer Lane Hoffman, Officer Nick Kleiber and Lieutenant Brandon Wright.The Hays Police Department has welcomed two new officers to its ranks.
Officers Lane Hoffman and Nick Kleiber graduated last week from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center as part of the 254th Class.
Just after 11p.m. Saturday, police reported 24-year-0ld Drew McDowell of Manhattan was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of injuries, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. A known male suspect injured him during an incident in the 400 block of Laramie in Manhattan, according to police.
