HAYS, Kan. – The TMP-Marian golfers won their own invitational Monday at the Smoky Hill County Club. The Monarchs shot a 352, eight shots ahead of Goodland and 19 better than third place Plainville.
Cameron Rozean shot an 11-over-par 82 and finished second, two back of Ryan Lalicker of Goodland. Ryan Stoeklein fired an 85 and came third while Ethan Brummer was ninth with an 88.
GREAT BEND, Kan. – Tradgon McCrae shot a 3-over-par 74 to lead the Hays High boys golf team to a first place finish at the Great Bend Invitational Monday at the Stoneridge County Club. Jason Krannawitter fired a 77 to finish fourth and Josh Norris was sixth with an 81.
The Indians shot a 316 and finished two shots ahead of Garden City.
Team Finish
1. Hays High – 316
2. Garden City – 318
3. Great Bend – 343
4. Dodge City – 354
5. Liberal – 414
Top 10 Medalists
1. Sion Audrain – Garden City, 71
2. Tradgon McCrae – Hays High, 74
3. Cole Streck – Great Bend, 77
4. Jason Krannawitter – Hays High, 77
5. Davan Smith – Dodge City, 79
6. Josh Norris – Hays High, 81
7. Cayden Cundiff – Garden City, 81
8. Noah Ortiz – Garden City, 83
9. Theo Juhl – Garden City, 83
10. Reid Richmeier – Garden City, 83
PHOENIX (AP) — It’s not just Democratic-leaning states at risk of losing federal money and clout in Congress if the Supreme Court says the upcoming census can include a citizenship question.
Photo courtesy US Census Bureau
Fast-growing Arizona, Florida and Texas all have large groups of immigrants, especially Hispanics, who might choose to sit out the census, but are led by Republicans who seem unconcerned about the potential for an undercount and the resulting loss of representation in Congress.
The divide between blue and red states with large immigrant populations is stark as both prepare for a census that could ask about citizenship for the first time in 70 years.
Republican lawmakers in several states with large immigrant populations praised the Trump administration for fighting to include the question and wondered whether immigrants should even be included in the count.
Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters, who also is chairman of the state Republican Party, said he wasn’t worried about the potential consequences of an undercount.
“I don’t care,” he said. “It’s the right decision, and I fully support the president and what he’s trying to do.”
He expects Florida will still pick up at least one seat because of rapid growth.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide soon whether to uphold the Trump administration’s plan to ask about citizenship on census forms. There appeared to be a clear divide between the court’s liberal and conservative justices in arguments in the case this past week, with conservatives holding a 5-4 majority.
Federal law requires people to complete the census accurately and fully. But Ceridwen Cherry, a lawyer on the American Civil Liberties Union’s voting rights project, said including a citizenship question could contaminate the form for many people and result in an undercount.
“If a citizenship question is added, immigrants and those who live in households that contain noncitizens are going to be more likely to not respond to the census at all,” she said, “or respond and leave off noncitizens from the form.”
The concern among certain immigrant groups — particularly Hispanics and Muslims — is driven by the Trump administration’s oftentimes harsh rhetoric about immigration and fears that it will share the census data with immigration authorities. When an advisory committee asked the U.S. Census Bureau about that worry last year, officials responded by saying that breaking census confidentiality is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Opponents of the citizenship question point to a study by George Washington University political scientist Chris Warshaw, who found that two or three states are likely to end up with fewer congressional seats than they otherwise would have because of a citizenship question. The most likely in that category are Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.
On the other side, he said a citizenship question would make it more likely for Idaho or Montana to gain a seat and Minnesota or Ohio to avoid losing one. Nine states would have lost population since the last census if not for international immigration, according to an Associated Press analysis of a Census Bureau population estimate.
In Michigan, a political swing state, the concern is that it could discourage participation among the large Arab American community.
Hassan Jaber, a former census advisory board member, is critical of the administration’s citizenship question and of a decision against adding a Middle East-North Africa classification to the 2020 census.
He said including the citizenship question could affect federal funding for programs and services related to food, health and education. But he’s more troubled by the message it sends to Arab Americans and others.
“The Trump administration’s effort to suppress this recognition of this community sends signals of being unwelcome and to politicize the census … and turn it against minority groups,” said Jaber, CEO of ACCESS, a Detroit-area social services organization. “It’s really something that becomes much bigger than just the data on Arab Americans.”
Matt Barreto, a UCLA professor who submitted testimony in court cases about the citizenship question, did polling that showed 7.1% to 9.7% of the population might skip the census if it’s added. He also found that nearly half of Californians don’t trust the Trump administration to keep the citizenship information out of the hands of other government agencies.
“The administration wanted a citizenship question to hurt California. In the end, they’re going to end up hurting conservative states and counties,” said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum.
Conservatives generally support adding the citizenship question, even if it might suppress the total population count in their state.
“If we would be entitled to another congressional seat, the question is, should we be entitled to it because we have more non-citizens living here that are not voters, or shouldn’t be voters?” said Arizona Senate President Karen Fann.
Arizona Republican lawmaker John Fillmore said he’s not concerned about the fallout. He said he believes the state’s explosive growth will ensure it doesn’t lose clout.
“I do not believe Arizona’s going to lose a House seat in any way shape or form,” he said.
In Texas, Republican state Rep. Phil King said there is bipartisan agreement that everyone should be counted. He said the state is likely to pick up seats in Congress because of its rapid population growth, but it will be a close call to determine how many.
“What we’ve got to do as a state is just make sure that we have programs in place that strongly encourage everybody to respond to the census and to know that it’s safe and OK to do that,” said King, who is chairman of the House redistricting committee.
Texas Civil Rights Project spokesman Zenen Jaimes Perez said the organization has not had any coordination with the state on making sure Hispanic communities are counted. Perez said the group has worked with city officials in Austin, Houston and San Antonio to host community forums about the census and the importance of filling it out.
Census data is used to divide the 435 U.S. House seats between 50 states and determine their clout in the Electoral College. It’s also used to draw state legislative district maps and divvy up federal funding to states, cities and counties.
About half the states have created “complete count” commissions to coordinate grassroots efforts designed to convince people to complete their census forms, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona, who supports the citizenship question on the census, this month created a complete count committee to work on outreach.
He said the state stands to lose an estimated $887 in federal funding each year for every person who skips the count.
Ducey said the group will include people with expertise in reaching out to rural areas, tribes, universities, apartment dwellers, faith organizations, veterans and community organizations. Lawmakers are considering spending $5 million on the effort, a proposal that cleared the Senate nearly unanimously.
Ducey told Capitol Media Services earlier this month that asking about citizenship is “a fair question” to “get a handle of who’s here, who’s a citizen and who’s not.”
His spokesman, Patrick Ptak, declined to comment on the prospect of not gaining a House seat but said the census is a priority for the governor’s office.
Persuading people to respond to the Census requires explaining how it’s linked to funding for schools, hospitals and other services — and making them know it would be illegal for the census to share individual information, said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
“An army of lawyers will be ready in the worst-case scenario that there is some kind of nefarious action taken around census confidentiality,” Gupta said.
Jake LaTurner, Kansas State TreasurerBy JAKE LATURNER Kansas State Treasurer
Last week, the Kansas Supreme Court issued an inhuman ruling declaring they had found a right to unrestricted abortion in the language of the original Kansas Constitution. I cannot imagine that Kansans would have ratified the 1859 Constitution if they had known it somehow contained a right to dismember a little boy or girl. It sickens me that these unelected, liberal judges could have the power to make such a sweeping change that violates the will of “We the People.”
This is one of the darkest days in our state’s history. What I can recall are the days when as a State Senator my fellow legislators and I passed bill after bill protecting both women and their unborn child’s right to life.
In 2013 we passed a bill banning the practice of sex-selective abortion. In 2016 we passed a common sense measure that required abortionists to provide women with information about the procedure that Planned Parenthood seeks to hide. And on April 7, 2015 we celebrated with Kansans across the state over the signing of the bill successfully outlawing the barbaric practice of tearing apart a child in utero, commonly referred to as dismemberment abortion.
These laws successfully saved the lives of countless babies in Kansas, and I shudder to think of what will happen to so many innocent lives who will no longer have protection under the law. The Kansas Supreme Court has abandoned these unborn children, leaving them vulnerable to the unregulated abortion industry and those who would take away their chance to live.
I truly believe a society should be judged by how it treats the most vulnerable amongst it. Women in crisis and their innocent, unborn children truly are among our most vulnerable. I will never stop fighting for them. I encourage all Kansans to join with me first in praying for the innocent victims of this cruel court ruling, and then in getting back to work taking our state back from these liberalists who do not represent the will of Kansans.
Baker Hughes reported a steep drop in its weekly active rotary rig count on Friday to 991 active rigs. That’s down 20 oil rigs and one seeking natural gas. The count in Texas was down nine rigs, North Dakota was down three. Canada was down three to just 63 active rigs.
Independent Oil & Gas Service reported an increase of five active rigs in western Kansas last week, to 27. East of Wichita there were four active rigs, down two.
In mid-morning trading Monday, the benchmark Nymex crude futures contract was down 19 cents to $63.11 per barrel. London Brent was down 20 cents to $71.95.
Regulators approved 21 new permits to drill across the last week, 11 in eastern Kansas and ten west of Wichita, including one in Barton County. So far this year, operators have received 28 permits for drilling at new locations in The Sunflower State.
Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 46 newly-completed wells in Kansas last week, 517 so far this year. There were 18 in the eastern half of the state and 28 in Western Kansas, with one new completion reported in Barton County.
The Energy Information Administration last week reported an increase in U.S. crude-oil inventories, up five and a half million barrels to 460.6 million barrels. U.S. stockpiles are at their highest level since October of last year. Inventories are still about equal to the five-year seasonal average.
EIA said imports were up more than a million barrels to 7.1 million barrels per day for the week. Imports have averaged about 6.6 million barrels per day over the last four weeks, or nearly 20% less than the same four-week period a year ago.
The government reported domestic crude-oil production of 12.17 million barrels per day for the week ending April 19. That’s up about half a million barrels per day from the week before.
EIA predicts domestic production will average 12.4 million barrels per day for the year 2019 and 13.1 million barrels per day next year. The government estimates production in March was 12.1 million barrels per day.
The government is predicting slightly lower gasoline prices this summer driving season than we had last year. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short Term Energy Outlook, pump prices will average $2.76 a gallon from April through September, compared the $2.85 a gallon in 2018.
Oil by rail traffic continues to spike in U.S., due mainly to the inadequate pipeline capacity in the large producing basins in Texas and North Dakota. The American Association of Railroads reports a nearly 38% increase in such traffic for the week ending April 20 compared to the same week last year. About 12,900 rail cars conveyed petroleum and petroleum products. The year-to-date total was up 23.6% compared to the same period in 2018. Canada’s oil-by-rail traffic also continues to rise, up more than 26% compared to the same week last year.
Exxon Mobil is the latest company to raise concerns that a stockpile of U.S. government crude is tainted with poisonous gas. Bloomberg reports the energy giant is the fourth buyer to complain to the government about “extremely high levels” of hydrogen sulfide in a cargo purchased last year from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Emails obtained under the Freedom of Information Act note that in some cases, the gas levels were 250 times higher than U.S. safety standards.
The government said it is working with Exxon to resolve concerns. An Energy Department spokesman disputes come of the claims, claiming the high levels were the result of contamination during shipping. But officials acknowledge spending about one million dollars to clean up a contaminated cargo sold to PetroChina. The prospect of tainted crude in the reserve complicates future sales of U.S. oil, a key tool for funding government programs. The government plans to sell 226 million barrels from the reserve over the next eight years.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Fort Hays State senior golfer Hannah Perkins has been selected to play as an individual at the 2019 NCAA Division II Central Regional, announced Monday (April 29) by the NCAA. This year’s regional will take place at Muskogee Country Club, a 5,892-yard par-71 course in Muskogee, Okla. The 54-hole tournament is slated for May 6-8. Last season marked the first time a women’s golfer qualified for multiple regional competitions. She is now the first Tiger to make three appearances at regionals. Perkins played at the same course in the fall where she finished in a tie for 16th individually after firing identical rounds of 76.
Perkins qualified as the third individual for the NCAA Central Regional after posting a stroke average of 77.95 over 19 rounds this season. The top 12 teams and the top six individuals not on those teams qualify to participate in each of the four regional tournaments. The top four teams along with the top four individuals not with a team from each region will advance to the NCAA Championships, played at the PGA National Resort and Spa in West Palm Beach, Florida (May 16-19).
She will tee off at 8:30 a.m. in the first round, 10:10 a.m. in the second round and 9:20 a.m. in the third round.
The Wichita, Kan. native makes her third-consecutive trip to the regional tournament. Perkins was the top Tiger finisher in eight of the nine tournaments this season. She posted four top-10 finishes on the year as well as three top-5 finishes, including winning the Rockhurst Invitational (March 26-27).
Perkins was named MIAA Women’s Co-Golfer of the Week once when she shared the honor with Shi Qing Ong of Missouri Western for her effort at the Rockhurst Invitational.
The Hays USD 489 school board will discuss infrastructure improvements at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Rockwell Administration Center.
At its meeting April 8, the board rejected bids for replacement of a clock system at Hays High School. The clock system controls part of the HVAC system. A failure in the system recently resulted in the HVAC shutting down.
The $129,337 project also included pulling cable for a new phone system and security cameras that would be purchased at a later date.
Board members said they did not think the project was the most important need for the district at this time and asked the director of building and grounds to bring back cost estimates for replacing the phone system at HHS as well as a list of facility needs throughout the district.
The five-year cost of replacement of the HHS phone system was estimated at between $150,000 and $214,000.
Rusty Lindsay, director of building and grounds, also submitted a facility needs list in the board’s packet that graded each building.
Lincoln Elementary School and Rockwell received D’s. Wilson and O’Loughlin elementary schools received C’s. HHS, HMS and Roosevelt Elementary School received B’s.
Lindsay rated the special systems project, which included the clocks at HHS on a list of critical needs because it has already failed. The Roosevelt roof repair, which has already been approved by the board, was on the list. Tuck point and caulking at Rockwell also was listed as critical.
Twenty-one projects listed infrastructure that is in poor shape and an addition 51 infrastructure areas were ranked in fair shape, but had potential for failure. Lindsay hopes to fix about 10 of the critical to fair projects by the end of this summer and additional six in the next school year. However, that still leaves 59 projects or 79 percent unfinished.
The district will have a first look at two more infrastructure project at its meeting tonight, including work on the HHS parking lot and door lock replacements throughout the district.
In other business, the board will:
Consider board policy revisions
Review administrative and classified handbook revision
Review curriculum updates
Review student fees
Review the Kansas Association of School Board membership renewal
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend shooting and asking the public for help with information.
Just before 6:30p.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of a shooting near 8th and Pershing in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz. At the scene, police found an unoccupied Chevrolet Camaro that had been shot multiple times. They also found shell casings in the street. A residence on Pershing had also been struck by the gunfire, according to Cruz.
Four individuals were in or near the home at the time including a 42-year-old man, a 4-year-old girl and a 3-year-old girl.
A short time later, police learned a private vehicle had taken a 39-year-old man to a local hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Cruz.
“This was not a random incident and the lack of cooperation by the victim has had an impact on the investigation.” Cruz said. Officers know the victim is a gang member.
Police are asking the public for help with information on the shooting.
Mary Margaret Edell passed away at the age of 97 in Milwaukee, WI, on April 10th, 2019. There will be a Rosary at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on May 3rd at 7:30 pm. The Memorial Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on May 4th at 10:30 am followed by the burial at Fairview Cemetery.
Mary Margaret was born February 28th, 1922 in Baltimore, MD to Ethel (nee Ochiltree) and Earl Stephen Bishop, PhD. Mary Margaret grew up in Haddam, KS with her mother and older sister, Blanche Harlan. She graduated from Haddam High School, Class of 1940.
Mary Margaret attended Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, earning her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology in 1943. Following college, she ventured to Detroit for a year to work in the laboratory at Henry Ford Hospital. In 1944 she returned to Manhattan to wed James Green. Tragically, she was widowed in late June 1945 and gave birth to her first child in March 1946. Later that year Mary Margaret returned to Kansas State, earning her Masters of Science in Bacteriology in 1948. She continued her research activities and teaching responsibilities in the Department of Microbiology as she worked toward her PhD. It was during this time that she instructed a young US Army Air Corps veteran from Smith Center, KS, Cornelius Clyde “Casey” Edell. Mary Margaret and Casey were married on May 27th, 1950 in Manhattan, KS.
Mary Margaret was involved in many social groups and volunteer activities in Smith Center, including PEO. She was instrumental in the establishment of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. In 1970 Mary Margaret returned to college to obtain her teaching certificate; she was a highly respected faculty member and a much beloved science teacher in Kensington, KS until her retirement over 10 years later. Mary Margaret prepared taxes from her main street office for the next 20 years, finally retiring at the age of 90. Casey, the love of Mary Margaret’s life for over 67 years, passed away on March 2nd, 2018. She wanted to live her remaining days at home in Smith Center, and, with the help and support of so many in that community, she was able to remain until winter.
Mary Margaret was a remarkable woman, strong and independent, self-sacrificing, and tireless in her commitment to family, community and church. She epitomized the Greatest Generation and will continue to inspire those who loved her so dearly through their living memories.
Mary Margaret is survived by her children: Michaele “Mickey” Edell (Edward Polce) of Canton, MI; Julie Edell-Berlin of Milwaukee, WI; Eric Edell (Rosemary) of Rochester, MN; Thomas Edell (Joana) of San Antonio, TX; and David Edell of Houston, TX. Mary Margaret is also survived by six grandchildren: Jesse (Fernanda) Edell-Berlin of New York, NY; Katherine Edell of Denver, CO; Anna (Ryan) Cooksey of Salt Lake City, UT; Logan Edell of San Antonio, TX; Monica Edell of New York, NY; and Lewis Edell of Paris, France.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.
Kansas Supreme Court Fails Those Most Vulnerable
Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court made a horrific ruling and decided that the state constitution guarantees women the right to an abortion, blocking a law that bans second-trimester abortions. This ruling protects abortions under the Kansas Constitution, and completely violates the sanctity of life.
I am shocked and deeply saddened by this verdict. This anti-life decision goes directly against what I believe in and what I know Kansans across the Big First believe in.
As someone who spent decades helping bring life into this world, I honestly cannot grasp how Kansans came to a decision that does not value life and leaves zero protections for those that are most vulnerable. The fight ahead of us just got a lot tougher, and we must work harder than ever. I am committed to doing so and beg you all to lend me your support in the effort.
This year more than ever we have had to unite as one community and fight like never before. Recently, in addition to the Kansas Supreme Court ruling, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is rumored to veto a bill that would require doctors to tell their patients that the abortion pills are reversible. This bill will let their patient still know that they have abortion reversible options even if she takes the first round of Mifepristone, the leading pill used to terminate a pregnancy. It is outrageous that even letting patients know their options is considered controversial. As I stated above, we must protect life and fight like never before. Now more than ever, we need to stand up and protect these innocent lives.
EMS/Fire Recruitment and Retention
I had a great meeting recently with many members of the Kansas EMS Association. We focused on the outstanding work they are doing within their communities and on H.R. 1241 the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act. This legislation would bolster EMS/Fire recruitment and retention by allowing volunteers to receive nominal benefits. These include property tax deductions, up to $600 per year, or other types of benefits tax free. Providing these much deserved incentives would be great for our district’s safety, and I am happy to be a co-sponsor of this legislation.
Touring Kansas Military Installments
Our team’s Military Legislative Aid (MLA), Zach Lowry (from Stockton, Kansas) led a Congressional Staff trip to Kansas this week. On the trip, he and other Congressional MLA’s had an incredible experience learning from and working with DOD leadership in the area. They traveled to Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Riley, Smoky Hill Air Force Base, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters, and Forbes Airfield.
Throughout the week, in addition to spending time at multiple military installations, they observed numerous defense equities and discussed FY20 budget priorities. He was joined by, Greg Baker- MLA for Rep. Estes, Bri Mikeska- Legislative Assistant for Michael McCaul, Dillon Johnson- Legislative Assistant for Rep Frank Lucas and Tarik Jones- Army Legislative Liaison.
I am proud of Zach’s work on leading this trip and highlighting the great work our service men and women throughout Kansas are doing to keep our country safe.
Happy To See HHS Reconsidering Organ Donation Guidelines That Overlook Patients In Rural America
I am proud to see that the HHS announced they’ll be delaying and reviewing their new organ donation guidelines. Last week we sent a bipartisan letter from Rep. Blumenauer, Rep. Dingell, Rep. Bucshon, M.D, and myself, urging the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to stop a misguided liver transplant allocation change from going into effect on April 30th.
Back in December of 2018, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), released a new national liver distribution policy that would remove the priority to keep organ transplants local and regional.
Essentially, this new rule would redistribute organs that Kansans donated to big cities and states, which in result, would leave Kansans in need of a liver transplant to deal with costly, and long waiting period putting our rural communities patients at risk.
Kansas would lose up to 45 percent of liver donations because of this policy. In the past, Kansas has been extremely successful in reducing the waiting list through proactive organ procurement and innovative transplant techniques. However, this new policy will make it difficult to keep that up. This letter outlines how we are fighting for the states and communities that are being overlooked.
Iranian Oil Sanctions
On April 22nd the Trump Administration announced that they would not renew waivers on the sanctions against Iran for countries importing Iranian oil. This strong move by President Trump will effectively bring Iran’s oil exports to zero. Iran has long been a sponsor of terrorism and I am proud that the President is taking steps to cut off their main source of income.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is doing fantastic work on behalf of the American people and this move also stands to help producers in Kansas as the world market moves to fill the demand previously supplied by Iran. Secretary Pompeo is made it clear that they have worked closely with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as other major producers, to ensure that the transition does not lead to any potential global shortages.
The potential economic benefits from this decision, combined with the clear victory on the national security front make this another slam dunk for the American people from the Trump Administration.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.
Sunday night’s thunderstorm contained many lightning strikes.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Sunday night’s spring thunderstorm lit the sky with lots of lightning.
It also dropped the first moisture during the month of April for the city of Hays.
The official amount of rainfall recorded April 28 at the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town was 0.89 inches. The Hays Regional Airport measured 0.84 inches of rain along with a peak northerly wind gust of 35 mph just before 10 p.m.
The Eagle Communications Media Center, 2300 Hall, had 1.09 inches of rain.
So far for 2019, Hays has received 3.63 inches of moisture.
KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged sex crime after a toddler tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease.
Kanas City Kansas police chief Terry Ziegler reported on social media over the weekend that the 2-year-old girl and other siblings were left at the home of a family friend. The following morning, the mother discovered injuries to the child.
Children’s Mercy Hospital confirmed evidence of rape. The child also tested positive for the STD. Police released no additional details Monday.
