Before the formal opening of its 2019-20 season, the Hays Symphony at Fort Hays State University is inviting youths to help conduct the orchestra during its Movie Music Pops Concert on Friday, Aug. 23, at the Downtown Pavilion during the annual Fall Gallery Walk.
Dr. Jeff Jordan, director of FHSU bands, will give a short conducting lesson for kids at 6:30 p.m., before the concert begins at 7 p.m. Participants will then be invited to conduct the concert’s final piece.
“We wanted to take advantage of being outdoors, out of the auditorium,” said Hays Symphony publicity chair Cathy Drabkin.
“And we wanted to capitalize on the family focus of the Gallery Walk, so we decided to invite area children to help conduct,” she said.
The concert will feature music from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Star Wars,” “Jurassic Park,” “E.T.,” “The Wizard of Oz” and other popular movies.
“I think kids will recognize the music they’ll get to conduct,” said Drabkin. “It will be a blast for the kids, and definitely a video-worthy moment for mom and dad.”
In keeping with the movie theme, the Downtown Hays Development Corporation, which is hosting the Symphony’s performance, will provide popcorn and drinks for concertgoers. Guests are welcome to stay for a single piece or the entire show.
Dr. Brian Buckstead
The concert will also be an introduction to the orchestra’s new conductor, Dr. Brian Buckstead, who comes to FHSU from Duluth, Minn. Buckstead is also the new violin and viola professor on the FHSU Department of Music faculty. He will be joined by Jordan and Dr. Peter Lillpop, assistant director of FHSU bands, as conductors for the pops concert.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Four Midwestern farmers who cheated organic food customers are scheduled to be sentenced for the largest fraud scheme of its kind in U.S. history.
Federal prosecutors say the farmers are responsible for a seven-year scheme that tricked thousands of customers into paying premium prices for products that were marketed as organic but were not.
Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences for the alleged leader of the scheme, Missouri farmer Randy Constant, and three Nebraska farmers who worked with Constant. All four have pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
They admitted that they grew non-organic corn and soybeans, and a small amount of certified organic grains, and falsely marketed them all as organic. Most of the grains were sold as animal feed to companies that marketed organic meat and meat products.
TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today terminated the agreement with Hysell & Wagner, LLC, which administers the Kansas Reading Roadmap (KRR) program. In addition, Howard also announced the agency will directly fund schools that made plans to offer the KRR program during the 2019-20 school year at the same level Hysell & Wagner was contractually obligated under the terminated grant.
“The Department for Children and Families is committed to ensuring that recipients of federal and state funds are spending those funds efficiently,” Howard said. “After reviewing the results of a DCF audit and despite heightened oversight during the first six months of 2019, it’s clear that Hysell & Wagner is falling short of this basic standard.”
The audit, initiated during the Brownback administration but never finalized or released, uncovered problems with internal controls required to achieve compliance with grant terms and conditions and applicable state regulations. All totaled, DCF auditors determined nearly $2.3 million were incorrectly claimed and paid to Hysell & Wagner during the time period from February 2014 to December 2015.
Since January, DCF Economic and Employment Services leadership uncovered additional concerns with Hysell & Wagner’s FY 2019 Kansas Reading Roadmap grant, including:
– TANF funds, categorized as indirect costs, used for excessive payments to company executives surpassing federal salary limits
– $216,000 was paid to owners as direct expenses and more than $607,000 has been charged to the grant in “guaranteed payments” as indirect expenses which would also go to the owners
– TANF funds, categorized as indirect costs, were used for 38 trips between Kansas and the CEO’s and CFO’s residences in Washington, DC, and San Diego, CA
– Administrative expenses charged to the Kansas Reading Roadmap grant exceeded federal and grant-specific limits of 15% of grant costs.
DCF has, in good faith, worked with Hysell & Wagner to educate and correct the identified issues. Despite these efforts, Hysell & Wagner continues to struggle with the heightened monitoring requirements and has rejected revisions in their FY 2020 contract addressing indirect costs.
“I’ve always been concerned about the use of no-bid contracts and lack of accountability under the previous administration,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “It’s clear that the State of Kansas cannot continue to support Hysell & Wagner’s administration of the Kansas Reading Roadmap program.
I am pleased that the Department for Children and Families is providing direct funding to schools for the coming year to ensure they receive the funds they’re counting on.”
Hysell & Wagner has until September 15 to complete their work with the program including providing notice of termination to sub-recipients of the award. DCF issued the draft audit to Hysell & Wagner August 15. The company has up to 30 days to respond. Once the agency receives their response the audit report will be finalized and made public.
See below for a complete list of schools which will receive funding directly from DCF for the 2019-20 school year.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), has issued public health advisories for Kansas lakes.
Warnings:
Big Eleven Lake, Wyandotte County (unchanged)
Camp Hawk Lake, Harvey County (unchanged)
Gathering Pond near Milford (Hatchery Supply Pond), Geary County (unchanged)
Jerry Ivey Pond, Saline County (unchanged)
Lake Afton, Sedgwick County (unchanged)
Lakewood Park Lake, Saline County (unchanged)
Lebo Kids’ Pond, Coffee County (unchanged))
Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area (unchanged)
Marion County Lake, Marion County (unchanged)
Melvern Outlet Pond, Osage County (unchanged))
Melvern Swim Pond, Osage County (unchanged))
Neosho State Fishing Lake, Neosho (unchanged)
South Lake, Johnson County (unchanged)
Westlake in Gage Park, Shawnee County (unchanged)
When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:
Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.
Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.
Water contact should be avoided.
Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.
Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.
If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.
Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.
Watches:
Carousel Lake (Gage Park), Shawnee County (unchanged)
Hiawatha City Lake, Brown County (unchanged)
Hodgeman County State Fishing Lake, Hodgeman County (unchanged)
Lake Shawnee, Shawnee County (unchanged)
Lovewell Reservoir, Jewell County (unchanged)
Rock Garden Pond (Gage Park), Shawnee County (unchanged)
Meadowbrook Park Lake, Johnson County (new)
The following watches have been lifted effective August 15:
Keith Sebelius Reservoir, Norton County
Marion Reservoir, Marion County
A watch means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.
During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:
Signage will be posted at all public access locations
Water may be unsafe for humans/animals
Avoid areas of algae accumulation and do not let people/pets eat dried algae or drink contaminated water.
Swimming, wading, skiing, and jet skiing are discouraged near visible blooms
Boating and fishing are safe. However, inhalation of the spray may affect some individuals. Avoid direct contact with water, and wash with clean water after any contact.
Clean fish well with potable water and eat fillet portion only.
KDHE samples publicly-accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.
Kansans should be aware that blooms are unpredictable. They can develop rapidly and may float around the lake, requiring visitors to exercise their best judgment. If there is scum, a paint-like surface or the water is bright green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A 10-year run has come to an end and whether the Kansas City Chiefs continue to hold their training camp in St. Joseph is up in the air.
Chiefs President Mark Donovan tells reporters other communities are interested in hosting the training camp.
“We’ve had a great relationship,” Donovan says of Missouri Western State University and St. Joseph. “We expect a great relationship going forward. Just to manage expectations, as we have grown there has been more and more interest from other venues. Some of them are not realistic, but know that we really enjoy St. Joe. There is a lot of efficiency here. There is a lot of comfort here.”
The Chiefs wrapped up training camp at Missouri Western Thursday.
The state of Missouri gave the Chiefs $10 million in tax credits 10 years ago to lure them from Wisconsin back to Missouri. The money went to constructing the training camp complex behind Spratt Stadium and the indoor training complex beside the stadium.
Missouri Western reached a five-year agreement with the Chiefs to host the camp in St. Joseph. The two extended the deal in a second, three-year agreement, followed by another extension, this time, two years.
“So, now we’re kind of in that new era,” Missouri Western Athletic Director Josh Looney tells St. Joseph Post. “That 10-year clock has expired and we knew on the two-year piece that it lined up with year 10 and that was purposeful I think for the Chiefs and for Missouri Western in knowing that, hey, 10 years, let’s evaluate what the last decade has looked like for both parties and go from there.”
Donovan says no decision has been made, yet. He says the Chiefs will review offers from other communities to move camp away from St. Joseph, yet.
“Our relationship with St. Joe and with Missouri Western specifically is really good,” Donovan says. “And, we’ve had our stumbles, we’ve had our obstacles we’ve had to overcome and we just find ways. So, that’s how we’ll do this. We’ll just take a step back after the camp. We’ll sit down. We’ll talk about what’s out there. We’ll talk about what they want to do and then we’ll make a decision.”
The Chiefs wrapped up training camp on Thursday. As the players left the field and the fans made their way to the parking lot and on their way home, workers began the task of disassembling the camp.
Looney says an NFL training camp breaks down into two areas: the public side which the fans see and the football side which the Chiefs value. Looney says he’s proud of the product the university provides the Chiefs.
“Our goal is to give them a competitive training environment that prepares them to win a championship, because at the end of the day they wouldn’t keep coming back to Missouri Western if they felt it didn’t offer them a competitive advantage,” Looney says. “I tell you, this year, our 10th camp, it was obviously record setting on the fan side, but was as smooth of an operation that we’ve had on the football operation side.”
Huge crowds turned out for the training camp this year, record breaking crowds with one weekend setting a record only to be surpassed by the next week. A record weekday crowd of 6,500 attended a Wednesday morning practice, in the rain. But, of course, that was the day quarterbacks, including NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, was scheduled to sign autographs.
Looney says the 10-year run at Missouri Western ended strong and he feels good about the chances the Chiefs will return.
“From a Missouri Western perspective, we feel we’re in a great, strong position and obviously the Chiefs are going to do their due diligence in seeing what’s out there, but will other communities bid, well, sure. Why wouldn’t they? This is a franchise that is in a Super Bowl window right now.”
Erma Maxine John, age 91, passed away on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at Clara Barton Hospital In Hoisington, Kansas. Erma was born August 27, 1927 in Webb City, Missouri, the daughter of James Monroe & Della (Williams) Patterson. A resident of Hoisington for a short time, she had been a resident of Tribune, Kansas since 1947 moving from Webb City, Missouri. Following retirement, Erma and her husband Bob moved to Bushton, Kansas for sixteen years to be near grandchildren, returning to Tribune in 2006 She was a homemaker and was a retired bank teller.
Erma was always active in the Tribune/ Greeley County community, serving for over 60 years in the Greeley County EHU (Now FCE) where she held several state board offices including serving as State President from 1983 through 1985. In the 1970’s, she was one of the first women elected to the Tribune City Council and was elected President of the Kuder Senior Center last year.
On November 3, 1946 she married Robert Leon John at Webb City, Missouri. Robert passed away on January 14, 2012 in Tribune, Kansas.
Erma’s surviving family includes-
Two children-
Janice Fahrenholtz Andover, Kansas (recently of Tribune, Kansas)
Robert & Margie John- Bushton, Kansas
Six grandchildren-
Cameron & David Jeter- Houston, Texas
Ashley & Trevor Angell- Andover, Kansas
Samuel & Monica Fahrenholtz- Phoenix, Arizona
Jessica & Jesse Sullivan- Colorado Springs, Colorado
Matthew & Emily John- Lexington, Kentucky
Jennifer & Liam Stringham- Hays, Kansas
Her parents, two brothers and a son-in-law, Dr. Randall Fahrenholtz precede her in death.
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm (MDT) Saturday, August 24, 2019 at the First Presbyterian Church in Tribune, Kansas with Terry Woodbury officiating.
Private burial will be in Greeley County Cemetery in Tribune, Kansas.
There will be no calling times.
A short memorial service will be held at 3:30 pm (CST) Thursday, August 29, 2019 at the Bushton Community Center.
Memorials may be given to First Presbyterian Church, Greeley/Wallace Counties Health Care Foundation or Clara Barton Hospital Foundation of Hoisington, Kansas.
Glen Nelson “Moon” Mullens, 90, previously of Duncan, Oklahoma, passed away on August 13, 2019 at the Hays Good Samaritan Society.
He was born April 14, 1929 at home in Foster, OK to JR and Edna (Smith) Mullens, the first of four children. Glen was a graduate of Elmore City High School. On December 24, 1949 he married Inetta Burgin in Duncan, OK. They celebrated 66 years of marriage and were blessed with two children.
While Glen was working in a grocery store in Duncan, he met Earl P. Halliburton, who extended an invitation to join Halliburton Services. Glen worked for Halliburton in many different positions for the next 42 years. His Halliburton years included stops in Duncan, OK, El Dorado, Hays, Russell, Atwood and Hill City, KS as well as McCook, NE. He ended his career with Halliburton in Dumas, TX as their District Manager.
During Glen’s life he was always known as “the boss”. During WWII, at the age of 14 Glen was a school bus driver for Garvin County. While driving the bus one day a teacher riding on the bus was smacking her chewing gum. Politely, Glen told the teacher to stop smacking her gum. She continued. Glen told the teacher that “she had better quit smacking her gum or she will need to get off the bus”, the teacher continued. Glen slammed on the brakes stopping the bus, opened the door and asked the teacher to get off the bus or he would help her off. The teacher exited the bus and Glen left her in the dust!
Glen has touched more lives than his family and friends will ever know. While living in Hill City, KS Glen had taken his company car to the service station to get detailed. When Glen later arrived to pick up the car he went inside the station and asked for the young man who had worked on his car. The young man came walking outside with Glen, he told the young man, “You see all the dirty spots on this car? I will be back in one hour”. In one hour, Glen returned, and the car was sitting out spotless. Glen found the young man and said, “A person that picks up a spotless car like this will come back a second time. A person that comes to pick up a car like it was an hour ago may never come back”. Glen pushed this type of work ethic on everyone he met (whether you liked it or not).
His greatest love in life was his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A close second was the Pecan Farm in Foster near where he grew up. Some of his hobbies included mowing at the farm, golfing where he proudly achieved 3 holes in one, and later in life having coffee with guys. Glen was a devout Christian and loved reading the bible and sharing his thoughts with others. Glen recorded himself reading the bible to share with his family, which they will treasure forever! In his younger years he would often lead singing at church services. Glen’s children said they never listened to radio in the car growing up, they would sing wherever they drove.
Survivors include two children Glenna Alm (Thomas) Hays, KS and Ralph Mullens, Spring, TX. Four grandchildren; Stacie (Alm) Zimmerman (Eric) Hays KS, Jason Alm (Raina) Hays, KS, Meredith (Mullens) Muerer (Chris) San Marcos, TX, Kristen (Mullens) Khazzoum (Nick) Houston, TX; Six great-grandchildren; Benjamin, Brady & Boston Zimmerman, Reed and Kennedy Alm, and Reid Khazzoum. One sister; Juanice Romine of Altus, OK, and one brother in law; Roundy Layton of Lindsay, OK.
Glen was preceded in death by his wife Inetta, his parents; JR and Edna Mullens, one brother; Manson Mullens and one sister; Arletha Layton.
Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 24th, at the Foster Church of Christ in Foster, Oklahoma. Burial will follow in the Foster Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 pm until 8:00 on Friday at the Wooster Funeral Home in Elmore City, OK and from 9:00 am until service time on Saturday at the church. Refreshments will be served at the Mullens Pecan Farm after the graveside services.
Memorials are suggested to Foster Cemetery Fund
Foster Cemetery
P.O. Box 4753
Foster, OK 73434
Condolences and memories of Glen may be shared with the family at www.haysmemorial.com
Before the formal opening of its 2019-20 season, the Hays Symphony at Fort Hays State University is inviting youths to help conduct the orchestra during its Movie Music Pops Concert on Friday, Aug. 23, at the Downtown Pavilion during the annual Fall Gallery Walk.
