Q: What did the candle say to the other candle?
A: I’m going out tonight.
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Year: 2019
Kansas dioceses tie Medicaid expansion to abortion changes
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The four Catholic dioceses in Kansas will not support expanding Medicaid to thousands more low-income adults and children unless the state passes a constitutional amendment and new laws restricting abortion, the head of the Kansas Catholic Conference said.
Chuck Weber, the group’s executive director, told a joint House and Senate committee on Wednesday that the dioceses in Dodge City, Salina, Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas, want an amendment to the state constitution to clarify that it does not include a right to abortion, in response to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling last year that the constitution protects that right. The dioceses also are seeking a law allowing medical professionals or health facilities to decline to perform certain procedures for religious reasons, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.
Hundreds of thousands of Kansans are members of the Catholic church and, on social issues, it is influential with conservative Republicans, who hold the top leadership positions in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
Weber’s statements came as the committee ended two days of hearings on expanding Medicaid to 130,000 low-income adults and children in Kansas. Medicaid currently covers about 342,000 low-income, elderly and disabled Kansas residents.
Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican who chairs the committee, said Wednesday that the panel won’t advance a bill on Medicaid expansion to this year’s Legislature and won’t recommend passage of a bill. The committee’s decision to not advance a bill is not binding and lawmakers are still expected to take up Medicaid expansion in this year’s session.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has made Medicaid expansion one of her top priorities for the upcoming session. Her Republican predecessors, Govs. Sam Brownback and Jeff Colyer, successfully blocked expansion by the GOP-led Legislature. During last year’s legislative session, the House passed an expansion bill that was not acted on by the Senate. A special Senate committee in October endorsed an alternative developed by Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning of Overland Park.
The committee did approve a motion by Rep. Will Carpenter, R-El Dorado, that would prohibit Medicaid expansion from broadening access to abortion and would allow health care providers to refuse to provide patient care, such as birth control, based on the providers’ personal beliefs.
“You don’t care about religious beliefs of patients?” said Sen. Barbara Bollier, a Mission Hills Democrat running for the U.S. Senate.
“I’m not concerned with that,” Carpenter said.
Lee Norman, a physician and secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said a religious exemption in Kansas could be “perilous” and that placing ethical boundaries on Medicaid could make it difficult to attract health care providers.
The joint committee also voted to add a requirement that Medicaid applicants who are able must work at least 20 hours per week or enroll in 12 credit hours of college courses to be eligible. The federal government has approved work mandates for other states but all have been blocked by the courts.
April Holman, executive director of the Alliance for a Health Kansas — the state’s largest coalition supporting Medicaid expansion — said the House bill and Senate committee proposal required low-wage people signing up under Kansas’ expanded Medicaid system to pay monthly insurance premiums that could be difficult to afford. She also questioned a provision in the House bill that permanently locks out of Medicaid any person who misses three premium payments and the Senate committee’s preference to lock people out for six months if a premium payment was missed.
NCK Tech named in Top 150, eligible to compete for $1M
NCK Tech in Hays and Beloit has been named one of the nation’s top 150 community/technical colleges by the Aspen Institute and is now eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
“NCK Tech is pleased to receive this recognition from the Aspen Institute for the fifth consecutive year,” said President Eric Burks. “It is a tribute to the wonderful people who work at NCK Tech. We are proud that our collective efforts have consistently helped students at such a high level.”
Based on strong and improving student outcomes – including in learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings, and equity – 15 percent of community/technical colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize. Data show that over the last two years, student retention, graduation rates, and degree completion have improved at the top tier of 150 Aspen Prize-eligible colleges.
“Community (and technical) colleges play a vital role in developing talent and enabling social mobility across the country and it’s critical for them to get better at what they do,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “We’re pleased to see evidence that these institutions are improving, that more are delivering on their promise.”
NCK Tech has campus locations in both Beloit and Hays. The college has 17 programs of study and offers both certificate and Associate of Applied Science degrees. To learn more about NCK Tech programs, certificate and degree options, visit www.ncktc.edu.
Colby’s Banguria named athlete of the year
COLBY — Wesley Banguria of Colby Community College capped his historic cross country season by earning the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Male Athlete of the Year award. Twice during the season, he was the USTFCCA national athlete of the week.
Banguria, a sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya, won the individual title at the NJCAA Division I Championships Nov. 9 in Albuquerque, N.M. He turned in his most dominant performance of the year, clocking 22:55 for the 8K course to win by more than a minute. His time made him just the fourth runner in NJCAA Division I history to finish under 23 minutes at the national championships.
He won all five races he started during the season, including the Region VI Championships, Fort Hays State Tiger Open, Emporia State Invitational and Colorado College Invitational.
— CCC
INSIGHT KANSAS: Democrats’ playbook wins in Wichita
Wichita’s mayoral election is supposed to be nonpartisan, but that virtually disappeared in this year’s campaign. Mayor-elect Brandon Whipple has served since 2012 as a Democratic member of the statehouse. Before that, he was vice-chair of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party. His winning strategy came straight from the Kansas Democrats’ playbook. Whipple downplayed his party affiliation and played up accountability and good government, while the city’s Republican establishment tried to throw their weight behind incumbent Jeff Longwell. Whipple’s upset looks remarkably similar to the gubernatorial campaigns of Governors Kathleen Sebelius and Laura Kelly, both Democrats who pulled off wins in deep-red Kansas.
Like Sebelius and Kelly, Whipple won his election by emphasizing themes that cross party lines, such as improving transportation and putting the city’s budget online. He also benefitted from the ham-fisted gaffes of his opponents. Controversy surrounding Longwell’s involvement in a last-minute, no-bid contract to upgrade a water treatment plant made the perfect foil for Whipple’s focus on efficient administration. At 37 years old, Whipple’s relative youth also reinforced his time-for-a-change message. Having been involved in political action since college, Whipple knew how to stick to his message. The same cannot be said for his opponents’ supporters, who miscalculated badly.
The Sedgwick County Republican Party tried to help Longwell. Unaccountable dark money funded a harsh attack ad against Whipple, making unfounded allegations about his sex life. Apparently that was not bad enough, so two area Republicans then got into a protracted, heavily publicized, and irresolvable you say-I say squabble about who was responsible for the ad. This mess probably helped Whipple—not to mention his libel lawsuit. Meanwhile, a write-in candidate backed by two former mayors helped to split the vote. Whipple won with 46%, a plurality but not a majority.
What does this mean for Kansas? First, it shows that the Sebelius-Kelly playbook works in this state’s largest city. To make this winning formula, downplay your party affiliation, stress public improvements and efficient administration, and run against an entrenched but divided Republican Party.
It also helps when the Republicans make embarrassing mistakes, such as Kris Kobach’s courtroom antics in 2018 and Wichita Republicans’ finger-pointing this time. Both Kelly and Whipple also faced a third candidate who played the potential spoiler. It is unclear whether wild cards Greg Orman and Lyndy Wells ultimately helped or hurt Kelly and Whipple, but they certainly did keep things interesting.
There is yet another similarity between the mayor and the governor. In this time of angry voters and hyper-partisan voting, governors continue to be one office for which voters will cross party lines. Currently, America’s most popular governors are blue state Republicans: Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Larry Hogan of Maryland, and Phil Scott of Vermont. Kelly cannot quite match their numbers, but her approval ratings are still well above those of Kansas’ last elected governor, Sam Brownback.
When it comes to state and local chief executives, many voters still value good administration over partisanship. These offices can serve as vestiges of bipartisanship and good government, in a time when these values would seem obsolete anywhere else.
Meanwhile, back in Wichita, Whipple is about to face his next test. Can he govern as well as he campaigned?
Michael A. Smith is a Professor of Political Science at Emporia State University.
Seven FHSU Tigers named to All-GAC soccer team, four earn special honors
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State Men’s Soccer had seven student-athletes named to the All-GAC Team for the 2019 season on Thursday evening (Nov. 14). Santiago Agudelo is the Offensive Player of the Year, Sergio Villalba is the Defender of the Year, Alec Bevis is the Freshman of the Year, and Gerry Cleary is the Coach of the Year. The Tigers received three first-team, two second-team, and two honorable mention selections.
First-team selections went to senior forward Santiago Agudelo, senior defender Sergio Villalba, and sophomore midfielder Rogelio Lopez.
Agudelo adds another conference player of the year honor to his impressive resume as a Tiger. The Frisco, Texas native was the MIAA Player of the Year in 2018 and adds the GAC Offensive Player of the Year honor this season. Agudelo has 34 points on the season, producing 14 goals and 6 assists to lead the GAC-Champion Tigers. Last year, he also received the D2CCA Central Region and National Player of the Year awards with 58 points (26 goals, 6 assists). He now has a total of 92 points in his two seasons on the field for the Tigers, which is a school record.
Villalba receives the GAC Defender of the Year honor and the first all-conference first team honor of his career at FHSU. A native of Asuncion, Paraguay, Villalba is now a three-time all-conference recipient after earning All-MIAA Second Team honors in 2016 and 2018. Last year, he also earned D2CCA All-Central Region 2nd Team honors. Villalba has appeared in 78 matches throughout his career at FHSU playing 6,285 minutes, accmumulating 32 points (13 goals, 6 assists).
Lopez is now a two-time all-conference performer by earning first-team honors in the midfield. The Katy, Texas native was the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2018, while also garnering an all-conference second team selection. Has 10 points this season to rank fifth on the team and has a total of 24 points over 36 matches in two seasons at FHSU.
Second-team selections went to junior defender Moritz Walther and senior midfielder Mauricio Etcheverry.
Walther is now a two-time all-conference performer at Fort Hays State. The Wiesloch, Germany native earned All-MIAA First Team and D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team honors last year as a midfielder. Walther moved to the back line to strengthen the Tiger defense this year, but still ranks third on the team in scoring with 12 points (5 goals, 2 assists). Walther has 24 points over two seasons at FHSU. He was also named a GAC/MIAA Distinguished Scholar Student-Athlete for having more than 70 college credit hours and at least a grade point average of 3.7.
Etcheverry picks up the first all-conference honor of his career at FHSU. The Asuncion, Paraguay native has 12 points in his career over 60 matches at FHSU, producing 3 goals and 6 assists.
Earning honorable mention nods were freshman defender Alec Bevis and freshman midfielder Jacob Basden.
Bevis is the 2019 GAC Freshman of the Year. The Wichita, Kansas native leads FHSU in minutes played this year with 1,580. He has played entire matches in 14 of 18 contests so far this year, while helping FHSU allow an average of 1.3 goals per match. He also has two points this year, both on assists.
Basden has been a nice steady addition to the midfield for FHSU this year. The Dural, Australia native has logged 817 minutes and started 11 of the last 14 contests.
Cleary picks up conference coach of the year honors in his first season guiding Fort Hays State. By guiding FHSU to the conference regular season title, Cleary has now led collegiate programs he has coached to 16 conference titles. This is Cleary’s eighth conference coach of the year honor after earning the distinction seven times as a head coach at Martin Methodist College.
Below is the 2019 All-GAC Men’s Soccer Team.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – FORT HAYS STATE – Santiago Agudelo, F, Sr., Frisco, Texas
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – FORT HAYS STATE – Sergio Villalba, D, Sr., Asuncion, Paraguay
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – ROGERS STATE – Jaime Ponce, D, Jr., Enid, Oklahoma
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – FORT HAYS STATE – Alec Bevis, D, Wichita, Kansas
COACH OF THE YEAR – FORT HAYS STATE – Gerry Cleary
GAC/MIAA ELITE SCHOLAR STUDENT-ATHLETE
Joshua Tatarian, Northeastern State
GAC/MIAA DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR STUDENT-ATHLETES:
Moritz Walther, Fort Hays State
Andre Cunha, Harding
Jonathan Curnutt, Harding
Matheus Ribeiro, Harding
Erol Banuelos, Rogers State
Jarrod Cooper, Rogers State
Jake Simpson, Rogers State
All-GAC/MIAA First Team
* F FORT HAYS STATE – #9 Santiago Agudelo, Sr., Frisco, Texas
F NEWMAN – #14 Eddie Jabbari, Sr., Reading, England
F NORTHEASTERN STATE – #19 Flynn Semmerling, So., Hamburg, Germany
F ROGERS STATE – #7 Jake Simpson, Sr., Cambridge, England
* MF NEWMAN – #10 Victor Rubio Lopez, So., Madrid, Spain
MF FORT HAYS STATE – #6 Rogelio Lopez, So., Katy, Texas
MF HARDING – #14 Christian Ramos, Sr., Denton, Texas
MF ROGERS STATE – #8 Noah Robson, Sr., Liverpool, England
* D FORT HAYS STATE – #13 Sergio Villalba, Sr., Asuncion, Paraguay
D NORTHEASTERN STATE – #15 James Doyle, Jr., Merseyside, England
D ROGERS STATE – #5 Jaimie Ponce, Jr., Enid, Oklahoma
D ROGERS STATE – #6 Micheal Turner, Jr., Ramford, England
G ROGERS STATE – #1 Dillon Dean, Jr., Mustang, Oklahoma
All-GAC/MIAA Second Team
F HARDING – #7 Jeremy Nwonumah, Sr., Chicago, Illinois
F NEWMAN – #9 Ignacio Lerech, Jr., Tucuman, Argentina
F NORTHEASTERN STATE – #11 Aaron Ugbah, Sr., Tulsa, Oklahoma
F ROGERS STATE – #10 Jordan Watson, Jr., London, England
MF NORTHEASTERN STATE – #14 Scott Adams, Sr., Jenks, Oklahoma
MF OKLAHOMA BAPTIST – #8 Alejandro Castillo, Sr., Peralta, Spain
MF FORT HAYS STATE – #17 Mauricio Etcheverry, Sr., Asuncion, Paraguay
MF SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #18 Angel Lopez, So., Dallas, Texas
D OUACHITA – #12 Kobe Coleman, So., Georgetown, Texas
D HARDING – #15 Adrian Renteria, Fr., Grand Prairie, Texas
D FORT HAYS STATE – #20 Moritz Walther, Jr., Wiesloch, Germany
D NORTHEASTERN STATE – #7 Ben Watson, Sr., Sherman, Texas
G NEWMAN – #1 Jean Claude Console, So., Aosta, Italy
G NORTHEASTERN STATE – #0 Justin Hinman, So., Little Rock, Arkansas
All-GAC/MIAA Honorable Mention
MF FORT HAYS STATE – #8 Jacob Basden, Fr., Dural, Australia
MF OUACHITA – #11 Noa Cuellar, Sr., Frisco, Texas
MF ROGERS STATE – #9 Callum Hubble, Jr., Chelmsford, England
MF OUACHITA – #10 Abraham Lazo, Sr., Irving, Texas
MF HARDING – #10 Matheus Ribeiro, Sr., Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MF NORTHEASTERN STATE – #4 Sam Scarth, Fr., Liverpool, England
MF NEWMAN – #7 Santiago Martinez Zuviria, Jr., Buenos Aires, Argentina
D FORT HAYS STATE – #5 Alec Bevis, Fr., Wichita, Kansas
D OUACHITA – #5 Jakob Cuellar, Sr., Frisco, Texas
D NEWMAN – #12 Enzo Nalis, Jr., Bastia, France
D SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #25 Eric Romero, Fr., Dallas, Texas
D NEWMAN – #4 Fernando Rubio Garcia, Sr., Sevilla, Spain
D NORTHEASTERN STATE – #5 Sadaam Yousufzai, Jr., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
G HARDING – #00 Carlos Calderon, Sr., Santander, Spain
G OUACHITA – #1 Matt Day, So., Texarkana, Texas
Three-day weather outlook
Hays churches are drop-off sites for international Christmas project
Two churches in Ellis County will be among 5,000 U.S. drop-off locations collecting shoebox gifts for needy children overseas during Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week, Nov. 18 to 25.
Drop-off times and dates at the two Hays churches, Messiah Lutheran and CrossPoint church, are listed below.
Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, a disaster relief organization headquartered in Boone, N.C. Each year thousands of individuals pack shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and personal hygiene items to distribute to needy children around the world.
For many of the children, this shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.
The Samaritan’s Purse project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need. In 2018 more than 10.6 million shoeboxes were collected worldwide, with more than 6,800 of those collected in Northwest Kansas.
This year’s drop-off days and hours are listed below:
Messiah Lutheran Church
2000 Main St., Hays
Operating Hours:
Monday, Nov. 18, [4-6 p.m.]
Tuesday, Nov. 19, [11 a.m.-1 p.m.]
Wednesday, Nov. 20, [11 a.m.-1 p.m.]
Thursday, Nov. 21, [11 a.m.-1 p.m.]
Friday, Nov. 22, [4-6 p.m.]
Saturday, Nov. 23, [Noon-2 p.m.]
Sunday, Nov. 24, [Noon-2 p.m.]
Monday, Nov. 25, [9-11 a.m.]
CrossPoint Church
1300 Harvest Road, Hays
Operating Hours:
Monday, Nov. 18, [11 a.m.-1 p.m.]
Tuesday, Nov. 19, [3-5 p.m.]
Wednesday, Nov. 20, [4-6 p.m.]
Thursday, Nov. 21, [3-5 p.m.]
Friday, Nov. 22, [11 a.m.-1 p.m.]
Saturday, Nov. 23, [4-6 p.m.]
Sunday, Nov. 24, [4-6 p.m.]
Monday, Nov. 25, [9-11 a.m.]
Participants can find gift ideas at www.samaritanspurse/occ. Those packing boxes are asked to donate $9 to pay the box’s shipping fee overseas. Participants may do this in one of two ways:
They may place the $9 inside their shoebox gift before taking it to the drop-off site. Or, they can donate the $9 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.
Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.
More information about Operation Christmas Child is available from Rachel Albin, Northwest Kansas coordinator, at (785) 639-1325 or [email protected].
— Submitted
BOOR: Watering tips as 2019 winds down
Though this summer was exceptionally wet, recently we have had dry weather for much of Kansas. Watering now is important if soils are dry to help alleviate moisture stress.
A good, deep watering with moisture reaching at least a foot down into the soil is much better than several light sprinklings that just wet the top portions of the soil. A deep watering will help ensure that the majority of roots have access to water. Regardless of the watering method used, soil should be wet at least 12 inches deep. Use a metal rod, wooden dowel, electric fence post or something similar to check depth. Dry soil is much harder to push through than wet.
Although all perennial plants benefit from moist soils before winter, it is especially important for newly planted trees and shrubs due to limited root systems. Even trees and shrubs planted within the last 2 to 3 years are more sensitive to drought than a well-established plant. Evergreens are also more at risk because moisture is lost from the foliage.
Trees or shrubs planted within the last year can be watered inexpensively with a 5-gallon bucket. Drill a small hole (1/8″) in the side of the bucket near the bottom. Fill the bucket and let the water dribble out slowly next to the tree. Refill the bucket once more, and you have applied 10 gallons. Very large transplanted trees and trees that were transplanted two to three years ago will require more water.
A perforated soaker hose is a good way to water a newly established bed or foundation plantings. However, soaker hoses are notorious for non-uniform watering. In other words, you often receive too much water from one part of the hose and not enough from another. Hooking both the beginning and the end of the soaker hose to a Y-adapter helps equalize the pressure and therefore provide a more uniform watering. The specific parts you need are shown in the photo above and include the soaker hose, Y-adapter and female to female connector. It is also helpful if the Y-adapter has shut off valves so the volume of flow can be controlled. Too high a flow rate can allow water to run off rather than soak in.
On larger trees, the soaker hose can circle the trunk at a distance within the dripline of the tree but at least ½ the distance to the dripline. The dripline of the tree is outermost reach of the branches. On smaller trees, you may circle the tree several times so that only soil which has tree roots will be watered.
If using a soaker hose, note the time watering was started. Check frequently to determine the amount of time it takes for water to reach 12 inches. From then on, you can water “by the clock.” Use a kitchen oven timer so you remember to move the hose or shut off the faucet. If you are seeing surface runoff, reduce the flow, or build a berm with at least a 4-foot diameter around the base of the tree to allow the water to percolate down through the soil, instead of spreading out.
If you have any questions, or would like more information, you can contact me by calling 620-793-1910, by email at [email protected] or just drop by the office located at 1800 12th street in Great Bend. This is Alicia Boor, one of the Agriculture and Natural Resources agents for the Cottonwood District which includes Barton and Ellis counties. Have a good week!
Police: Kansas rape suspect arrested in Texas
RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating an alleged sex crime and have a suspect in custody.
On Thursday, the Riley County Police Department reported deputies in Texas arrested 41-year-old Sean Morgan in New Braunfels, Texas on a Riley County District Court Warrant for rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, attempted rape, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual battery. He remains jailed on a $200,000 bond in Guadalupe County, Texas awaiting extradition, according to the RCPD and online jail records.
Kansas man dies after Cadillac crash into embankment
LINN COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Thursday in Linn County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Cadillac CTS driven by Shawn Teagarden, 43, La Cygne, was northbound on County Road 1095 two miles west of La Cygne.
The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the Kansas 152 junction and struck an embankment.
Teagarden was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
Kan. assault suspect found hiding in basement crawl space
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are instigating an aggravated assault and have made an arrest.
Just after 3p.m. Wednesday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrant Unit attempted to locate a suspect for an arrest warrant at a residence in the 500 block of NE Emmett in Topeka, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer. The suspect identified as Luis Munoz-Yepez, 43, Topeka, crawled into a basement crawl space in the residence.
Three hours later, deputies arrested Munoz-Yepez without further incident.
He is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on an arrest warrant for aggravated assault, according to Stallbaumer.
Kansas man sentenced for attempted rape of 4-year-old
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A 77-year-old northeast Kansas man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for the attempted rape of a 4-year-old girl.
Galen Hurt, of Linwood, was sentenced Wednesday to 5.5 years in prison. He pleaded guilty in September in Leavenworth County to attempted rape and aggravated child endangerment.
Hurt was originally charged in 2018 with rape of a child after the girl told her mother that he had touched her inappropriately while she was at Hurt’s house.
Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said he offered a plea deal to Hurt in part to prevent the girl, who is now 6, from having to testify in court.