TOPEKA – When we stop at our favorite travel destinations in Kansas we may not think about how our visit supports our state. Our attractions, restaurants, hotels and historical sites are the backbone of Kansas and an important part of the state’s economy. They help define our state, provide our families with jobs and have given us and 35.5 million visitors a lifetime of memories. It’s so important to keep welcoming visitors to Kansas that Governor Laura Kelly has proclaimed May 5-11 National Travel and Tourism Week in Kansas.
Travelers in Kansas have a wide-reaching impact. Travel supports over 96,000 jobs in Kansas and it has an impact that we do not always see: travel can strengthen families, foster hometown pride, and build bridges that connect us with one another. Travel is a powerful economic driver and Kansas is no exception. In 2017, the total economic impact of travel on our state was $11 billion. Traveler spending generated $616 million in state and local government revenues. Without these travel-generated tax revenues, each household in Kansas would pay an additional $545 every year to maintain the same level of services.
Take time this week to plan your summer and fall travels in the Sunflower State. There’s no better place to start than by going online to TravelKS.com where you’ll discover a treasure trove of ideas and information to chart your journeys. In addition –
Get social and engage with the #NTTW19 and #NoPlaceLikeKS hashtags on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Share with friends and family how travel matters in your community.
Contact your legislator and member of Congress and tell them why travel is important to Kansas.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Gordon homered twice to drive in three runs, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Friday night.
Homer Bailey (4-3) gave up one run and four hits in five-plus innings, and Scott Barlow struck out a career-high six in two innings of relief for the Royals. Jorge Soler added his team-leading 10th home run of the season.
Gordon’s second homer, a solo shot in the fifth inning, was the 1,500th hit of his career. It was also his fifth career multihomer game and first since August 20, 2016, when he hit two against Minnesota. He also homered in the bottom of the first inning, sending a two-run shot over the home bullpen in right field.
Bailey left after giving up back-to-back singles to lead off the sixth. Barlow came in and pitched around a one-out walk to strike out the side and leave the bases loaded, then struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning.
After giving up 10 runs in 10 innings over his first two starts, Bailey has allowed just 12 runs in his last six outings with a 3.48 ERA over 31 innings.
Jake Diekman worked his eighth consecutive scoreless outing, striking out two batters in the eighth inning and Ian Kennedy pitched a perfect ninth. The Royals’ bullpen threw four hitless innings and struck out eight.
Soler homered in the bottom of the sixth.
Phillies starter Jake Arrieta (4-3) also went five-plus innings, giving up four runs and seven hits. He allowed three home runs in a start for the first time since May 29, 2015, against the Royals. Gordon also went deep in that game.
Bryce Harper walked three times and scored Philadelphia’s only run of the game, coming home on Odubel Herrera’s RBI grounder in the fourth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Gabe Kapler said infielder Scott Kingery (right hamstring strain) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Monday. … Pitchers RHP David Robertson (right elbow soreness) and RHP Tommy Hunter (right forearm strain) played catch for first time Friday, but neither is close to a return to game action.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Brad Keller (2-3, 3.99 ERA) will make his first career start against the Phillies on Saturday. Keller pitched 5 1/3 innings Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits and taking a no-decision in a 5-2 loss to Detroit.
Phillies: RHP Zach Eflin (4-3, 3.00 ERA) will face the Royals for the first time.
HAYS, Kan. – The Hays High Indian baseball team hit five home runs including a couple of grand slams as they closed out their regular season with a pair of wins over Russell/Victoria Friday at the Hays High Field. The Indians pulled away late to win the opener 10-2 then scored 10 in the first inning and won the second contest 16-0 in four innings.
The Indians broke open a two-run game with two in the fifth inning then five in the sixth in game one. Palmer Hutchison’s two-out single in the third broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Indians the lead for good. Brock Lummus pushed the lead to 3-1 with a solo homer in the fourth.
Trey Riggs allowed one unearned run on two hits over four innings with five strikeouts and no walks for the win. Dylan Dreiling allowed a run on a hit with six strikeouts over the final three innings.
Cody Peterson, Palmer Hutchison, Trey Riggs and Dylan Dreiling all homered in game two. Peterson and Riggs both hit grand slams. Peterson’s highlighted the Indians 10-run first inning while Riggs came in a five-run fourth. Hutchison and Dreiling both hit solo shots.
Hutchison pitched two scoreless innings with four strikeouts for the win.
The Indians end the regular season on an eight-game win streak and 19-1 record. They will be the No. 2 seed in the west and host a 5A Regional on Tuesday where they will take on the winner of Monday’s play-in game between McPherson and Newton.
PHILLIPSBURG, Kan. – The TMP-Marian boys finished first and the girls second at the Mid-Continent League Track and Field Championships Friday in Phiilipsburg.
The Monarch boys won five events and had a couple of multi-event winners. Jace Wentling brought home the gold medal in both the triple jump and long jump. Ethan Lang won the 400 meters and was a part of the winning 4×800 relay along with Lucas Lang, Blayne Riedel and Sheldon Weber. Jared Mayers took the high jump.
Plainville claimed the top-three spots in the shut put which was won by Jared Casey. Brennan Staab finished second and Ryan Junkermeier third. Casey also won the discus and the Cardinals finished first in the 4×100 relay.
Trego’s Hunter Price won the 110 hurdles.
The TMP-Marian girls won two events. Paris Wolf the triple jump and the 4×800 relay with Emilee Lane, Julia Werth, Emily Schippers and Adell Riedel. Wolf finished second in the long jump.
Ellis had two champions. Cassie Waldschmidt in the 400 and Grace Eck in the 800.
Trego’s Helen Giefer won both the 1600 and 3200 while Plainville’s Jersey Kaiser won the 100 hurdles
and Aubree Dewey the 200.
LIBERAL, Kan. – Tradgon McCrae shot a 3-under-par 69 and finished in second place at the Liberal Invitational Friday at the Liberal Golf Course. Josh Norris and Jason Krannawitter both fired rounds of 76. Norris placed fourth and Krannawitter fifth.
The Indians finished runner-up as a team with a 305, nine strokes behind Garden City.
The Buffs Sion Audrain was the individual champ with an 8-under-par 64.
Hays High finished second in the final Western Athletic Conference standings. The Indians Tradgon McCrae, Josh Norris and Jason Krannawitter were all named to the All-WAC First Team.
Garden City won the team title with the Buffs Sion Audrain the Player of the Year and their coach Trenton Specht the WAC Coach of the Year.
Hays High will host a 5A Regional Tournament on Monday at the Smoky Hill Country Club.
DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug and weapons charges.
Photo courtesy Douglas County Sheriff
Just after 2 a.m. Friday, deputies responded to reports of shots being fired into the air from a vehicle near the intersection of U.S. 24-59 and U.S. 24-40 intersection, according to Sgt. Kristen Channel. Deputies were unable to locate the suspects.
A short time later, Lawrence Police officers spotted a suspect vehicle in the 900 block of Pennsylvania Street and questioned the two occupants and discovered a large amount of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana as well as a stolen handgun and more than $11,000 in cash.
They arrested 31-year-old Antonio Brown and 28-year-old Bounsouay Khanya on requested charges of possession with the intent to distribute narcotics/methamphetamine/marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Brown also faces counts of felon in possession of a firearm and criminal discharge of a firearm.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Supreme Court decision will force the state Senate into voting to reject a judicial nominee over political tweets that lawmakers found offensive.
Kelly nominated Jeffrey Jack March 15-photo office of Kansas Governor
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly did not have the authority under a 2013 state law to withdraw her nomination of Labette County District Judge Jeffry Jack for the Kansas Court of Appeals, the state’s second-highest court. And, under the law, if the Senate fails take a vote by next week, Jack would be considered confirmed.
Kelly’s withdrawal of Jack’s nomination in March touched off an unprecedented and bizarre legal dispute with Senate President Susan Wagle over whether the governor could name a second nominee — as Kelly eventually did. The Supreme Court’s decision means that Kelly will get that chance if the Senate, as expected, rejects Jack’s nomination.
“I encourage the Senate to act swiftly to vote down the Jack appointment next week,” Kelly said in a statement after the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The nomination was doomed after political tweets from Jack in 2017 came to light. They included vulgar language and criticism of President Donald Trump and other Republicans, with one post calling the president “Fruit Loops.”
Wagle, a Wichita Republican, has called Jack “absolutely unacceptable.” Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, predicted no senator would vote for him.
Wagle and other Senate leaders already anticipated the possibility of such a Supreme Court ruling, and the Senate is scheduled to convene Tuesday. Lawmakers wrapped up most of their business for the year early Sunday.
The Senate president contends Kelly failed to properly vet Jack and said Friday that the legal dispute resulted from a “display of her incompetence.”
“Sadly, this avoidable situation by the Kelly administration has turned into a waste of taxpayer dollars,” Wagle said in a statement.
The Supreme Court ruled only a day after hearing arguments from attorneys. It was also less than three weeks after Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, filed a lawsuit against Kelly, Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss and the Senate to resolve the dispute.
The Supreme Court appointed a substitute for Nuss, who removed himself. His attorneys told his colleagues that he had no position on how the case should be resolved.
The vacancy on the Court of Appeals was created by the retirement of longtime Judge Patrick McAnany on the day that Kelly took office in January.
The 2013 law says that if governor fails to make an appeals-court nomination within 60 days of a vacancy, Nuss makes the appointment. The deadline was March 15, the day Jack was nominated, and Wagle argued that Jack’s withdrawal meant Kelly failed to make a proper nomination in time.
Under the law, the Senate has 60 days to act on a nominee if the Legislature is in session, as it was when Kelly named Jack, or the nomination is deemed confirmed. The law says that if the Senate rejects a nominee, the governor appoints another.
Kelly cited that section of the law in arguing that she could name a new nominee, and she chose Sarah Warner, a 39-year-old Kansas City-area attorney.
It’s time to move forward and fill this vacancy,” Kelly said in her statement.
The 2013 law applies only to Court of Appeals appointments and doesn’t specifically say what happens if a nomination is withdrawn. A broader law applying to other appointments allows nominations to be withdrawn.
Justice Dan Biles wrote in the Supreme Court’s opinion that the Court of Appeals is “the obvious outlier” and the justices would be “adding words” to the 2013 law if they concluded that it allows an appeals court nomination to be withdrawn.
“We conclude the Governor is powerless to withdraw a Court of Appeals nominee once it is made,” Biles wrote.
If a nominee withdraws, Biles wrote, the only “practical purpose” is “clearing the path” for a quick vote against his or her confirmation. The court also concluded that Kelly’s nomination of Warner must be treated “as if it never happened.”
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A government report forecasts a bountiful Kansas winter wheat harvest.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Friday that this year’s wheat crop is expected to be up 17 percent from a year ago. It predicted Kansas growers would bring in 323 million bushels.
The agency forecast the state’s average yield at 49 bushels per acre, up 11 bushels from last year.
It also anticipated that grain would be harvested from 6.6 million acres in Kansas, down 700,000 acres from a year ago.
The government’s estimate is a bit more optimistic than the one put out by participants in last week’s winter wheat tour who estimated the size of the Kansas crop at 306.5 million bushels.
The Uptown Fox, 1202 Main St., has reopened, bringing with it something new to Hays while restoring the classic feel to the historic downtown building.
During the next two weekends, the establishment will be open for dinner reservations only, giving a taste of what is to come when the restaurant will open for regular hours later this month.
“We do an inspired menu,” said David Proffitt, owner. “We decided instead of trying to create a menu we just took all the best restaurants we had ever eaten at or ever heard of and we would bring them all into Hays.”
A Hofbräuhaus Pork Knuckle sandwich will also be served along with a selection of beer from the Munich, Germany, tourist spot.
“We’ll have that great German beer on tap,” Proffitt said.
The menu will continually change, bringing something new to repeat customers.
“You’ll be able to come here and have some of the best dishes and drinks from around the country, and we will be constantly be changing it,” he said.
Along with the re-creations, the restaurant will feature steak and seafood unique to the area.
“They are easily the greatest steaks you will ever have,” Proffitt said.
Fish served in the Fox will come from a market where the restaurant can look at what was caught and have them shipped in the next day.
“We will be able to bring in a lot of great fish dishes to the middle of Kansas,” he said.
But great food is only part of the appeal of the new location.
They offer memberships that include a personal locker with an included humidor, a $100 restaurant credit every month, first right to show tickets and access to the cigar and private lounge.
“We have a $50,000 in-house cigar inventory,” Proffitt said, along with extremely high-end liquors.
Service is also a part of Fox’s appeal.
“We want to provide a level of service that you would get a steak house in Chicago, Dallas or New York,” Proffitt said.
Proffitt said he plans to schedule acoustic musical sets in the location and hopes to bring in notable comedians.
While the old theater has been restored to its original look, the technology in the space is cutting edge, including integrated phone app door locks, new lighting and enhanced sound dampening.
The Fox also has the largest movie theater screen in Hays, Proffitt said, with access to first-run movies.
“We will be able to give some cool experiences,” he said. “That’s what it is really about.”
Restoration work to create the original look in an old building was a challenge, but important to Proffitt.
“We really wanted to keep that ’50’s vibe,” he said, calling the people that worked on the building “artists.”
Proffitt hopes this is just the first project that will help to establish downtown Hays as a regional destination.
“There is no reason Hays is not a shopping capital and restaurant capital of the area,” he said. “We have monster visions with what we want to do with downtown.”
“There is not any place to go nearby that can offer more than Hays can in such a safe, great community.”
If things go well Proffitt hopes the Fox will be a launching point to demonstrate the value of Hays to the area.
“It’s a place you can bring people from out of town and show them Hays can do it as well as anybody,” he said.
Following the limited dinner weekends, the Fox will be open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. with hours extended until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Run for the Wall support will be Sunday the 19th of May. We will be at the Commerce Parkway I-70 overpass. We will be there at 12:45 p.m. and set up flags. The Hays American Legion Riders Chpt. 173 will be holding the big flags and if there are any more big flags they will be given out on a first come first serve basis.
This event is open to public to show support for this great mission.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state report says that safety doors in a Sumatran tiger’s enclosure at a Kansas zoo were left unlocked before the animal attacked and injured a veteran zookeeper.
Kristyn Hayden-Ortega-photo courtesy Topeka zooSanjiv photo Topeka Zoo
The report released Friday by the Kansas Department of Labor agreed with the Topeka Zoo’s assessment that no equipment failure or other problem with the enclosure led to the April 20 attack.
Zookeeper Kristyn Hayden-Ortega was hospitalized after suffering puncture wounds and lacerations to her head, neck and back.
Hayden-Ortega had gone into the outdoor area of the tiger’s enclosure to clean it. The animal was supposed to be in an indoor area, behind two doors. The report says the doors “had been locked in the open position.”
The report said the zoo is now requiring that two employees check the doors.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.
Friends,
As many of you are aware, the negotiations with China have soured recently. Last weekend, we saw the trade talks get complicated when the Chinese began to waffle on previously-agreed-to terms, walking back their commitments on a new agreement. In response, the trade war escalated with President Donald Trump announcing today raising tariffs on China from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.
I have been assured that this does not mean that discussions for a trade deal have broken down completely. To the contrary, negotiations are continuing, and the President is making his stance clear. I am hopeful that a great deal will be result of this back and forth with China.
We need a deal; our farmers cannot withstand another round of tariffs.
Talking Trade With Ambassador Doud
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to visit with U.S. Trade Ambassador, Gregg Doud, a native of the Big First from Mankato, Kansas and KSU graduate. As the Country’s Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Ambassador Doud is well positioned to help advance trade agreements and policies that directly benefit our farmers and ranchers back home in Kansas. We discussed the work that is being done by the administration to secure agreements on the pending trade deals with China, Japan, Mexico and Canada, as well as ways Members of Congress from ag districts can help educate our colleagues about the benefits of finding new export markets around the world. Gregg is a true patriot and I am proud to call him a friend. EMAW!
Kansas Aviation Manufacturers- Flying in!
I had a wonderful meeting with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) this week. In our meeting, we discussed the important role that the aviation industry plays and the ways it impacts our economy. It was great to meet with some of the manufacturers from Kansas.
We also had the opportunity to talk about the funding concerns for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA’s mission focuses on making sure that air travel is as safe and efficient as possible. America is a global leader in airline manufacturing, and we need to do what we can to keep it that way!
Ending Sticker Shock at the Doctor’s Office
The GOP Doctors Caucus held a special round-table discussion this week, inviting their medical colleagues from across the aisle to discuss the importance of addressing surprise medical bills. Surprise medical bills occur when you receive a bill from an out-of-network provider during an in-network hospital visit. This has rightly received a lot of attention and is a priority issue for many Americans facing sky-rocketing medical bills.
To address this, we went straight to the source at the state level to a see what can be done at the federal level. Some proposals brought to us included ‘baseball arbitration’ where the provider and insurer would submit a proposed amount to an independent arbitrator that would the set the final amount. This would eliminate patients from being stuck in the middle. We also discussed limiting patient cost-sharing to the amount they would owe to an in-network provider and setting a payment standard regarding what insurers owe providers in these situations.
This remains a complicated issue, and one that my colleagues and I will continue to work on.
Looking Out For Our Local Pharmacies
Yesterday, my colleagues and I joined together for a Special Order on the House floor in support of pharmacists and seniors across America. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have proposed a rule that would reform the use of pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees, or pharmacy price concessions, in the Medicare Part D program.
DIR fees by plan sponsors and their pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have increased by more than 45,000 percent over the past seven years. The increase of DIR fees over the last several years has raised out-of-pocket costs for our seniors and put our local pharmacies at financial risk, often operating in negative margins. Far too regularly PBMs collect DIR fees from pharmacies months and months after the claim. It’s completely unpredictable and unfair… while the benefit all goes to the pocket of the PBM. The proposed rule would end this issue by requiring that all DIR Fees are done at the point of sale.
Earlier this year I led a letter from proposing to have this rule finalized and implemented by 2020. There are 506 chain drug stores and 253 independent community pharmacies across Kansas and we need to make sure that they are being treated fairly!
Video of my speech can be found here!
Celebrating Kansas Small Businesses!
This week is national Small Business Week! We honor the millions of people across the country that take risks, invest in their communities and create jobs!
In Kansas, more than 80% of all businesses are considered to be small businesses, in industries ranging from manufacturing to retail, construction to health care. Each year, small businesses bring more than 15,000 new jobs to the state, according to the Small Business Administration, boosting both the rural and overall state economy.
Over the past two years I’ve had the privilege of touring many small businesses across my district, companies like Vortex in Salina, which designs and manufactures components for handling and processing dry bulk solids, such as cement, grain, or rubber. Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Mary’s is a family owned specialty grocery store and deli that was also awarded the 2018 Emerging Business of the Year by Kansas Small Business Development Centers. In Atwood, Carlson Choke Tubes has been manufacturing a variety of chokes for a wide range of shotgun models, and was recently named a top pick for turkey gear by Outdoor Life Magazine.
Of course, these are only a handful of the amazing small businesses found in the Big First, working to grow our local economies and bring jobs to rural America. I have loved getting to know many of the wonderful and creative entrepreneurs across the district, and it’s been a priority of mine to ensure that we continue to roll back regulatory burdens, increase access to capital, and provide training and support to small businesses so that these startups can continue to grow and contribute to the vibrant business landscape found in Kansas.
Kansas is home to hundreds of small, innovative agribusinesses, retailers, restaurants and more that play an integral part in keeping our Kansas economy strong.
US Army War College: “Congress Must Work Together”
A group from the United States Army War College (USAWC) stopped by my office this week. The USAWC was founded in 1901 and for well over 100 years now has educated and produced leaders invaluable to the United States military. They were on the Hill to discuss a wide range of issues important to our armed forces.
Diplomacy plays a huge role in our national defense and the team from USAWC stressed the importance of strengthening our alliances around the world. These partnerships allow the United States to promote our values and share information as we work with foreign leaders and military personal to keep our nation safe and prosperous.
We also touched on how important it is that Congress bridge the partisan divide. We must move past polarizing politics and get to working for the American people; this is particularly true when it comes to our national defense and our military. I am ready to work across the aisle and make sure that the brave souls responsible for protecting America have all of the support their government can offer. I want to thank those from the Army War College for coming to the office and assure you all that our troops have my full support.
Discussing the Road to Recovery For Substance Use Disorder
This week I met with the leadership team at Valley Hope, an organization that helps Kansans with substance use disorder (SUD). I had toured their facility in Atchison a few weeks ago and was so happy to have the opportunity to follow up with them to learn more about their what they do and the issues they face.
Last year, the Republican led 115th Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, together appropriating nearly $10 billion to help the help against substance use disorder and mental health issues – the largest investment to date. This funding goes to enhancing state grants, public prevention programs, and law enforcement activities related to SUD and mental health programs.
I was happy to share with them available funding opportunities through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that would help provide additional grant funding for medication assisted treatment. I look forward to working with Valley Hope or any organization in the district that seeks to help patients suffering from substance use disorder get on the road to recovery.
Railroads – Vital to Our Ag Producers
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) were in Washington for their “Railroad Day on Capitol Hill”.
I am fully aware of how important short line railroads are to the agricultural industries in Kansas. The farmers and ranchers of Kansas work incredibly hard, and it is vital that they have the infrastructure necessary to get those commodities, such as wheat, corn, sorghum, and beef to market. I appreciated these operators coming to D.C. to share their thoughts with me about the upcoming infrastructure package, as well as the importance of things like trade and workforce development.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.
KDWPT
