The Dane G. Hansen Museum is pleased to announce the now-open exhibit featuring Eckman Fine Arts’ collection of cast paper sculptures. Cast paper sculpture, (not to be confused with papier mâché), was invented as late as the 1950s.
The two Eckmans have developed a careful process that is now trademarked by them. Accordingly, Allen and Patty Eckman of Eckman Fine Art are internationally recognized as masters in this intricate, time-consuming medium.
Allen Eckman touching up “Sitting Bulls Vision.”
Sculpting from their home in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Marine veteran Allen Eckman’s Cherokee heritage originally spurred him to greatly broaden his knowledge of Native American history, especially beginning with the Westward Expansion in the early 1800’s.
This exhibit not only pays tribute to several aspects of Native American culture, but ties in another special focus, closely related – nature itself.
Complementing Allen’s attention to Native American history, Patty has a detailed awareness of natural beauty, especially wildlife and flowers, and has remarked that color is sometimes a distraction to the underlying intricate forms in nature. As Allen and Patty’s sculptures are typically unpainted, this purity lends itself wholly to the detail of these exquisite pieces.
Patty Eckman discussing the exhibition with Museum Director Shari Buss.
Eckman Fine Art – Cast Paper Sculptures will be on display through June 2, 2019, at the Dane G. Hansen Museum located at 110 W. Main Street, Logan, Kansas.
Museum hours are Monday through Friday 9-12 & 1-4; Saturdays 9-12 & 1-5; Sundays & holidays 1-5. We are handicapped accessible and thanks to the generosity of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, there is never an admission fee.
For more information, please contact us at 785-689-4846.
Crabgrass preventers are another name for pre-emergence herbicides that prevent crabgrass seeds from developing into mature plants. Many people have a somewhat foggy idea of how they work and assume they kill the weed seed.
Such is not the case. They do not kill the seed or even keep the seed from germinating but rather kill the young plant after it germinates. Therefore, they do not prevent germination but prevent emergence.
Crabgrass preventers are just that – preventers. With few exceptions they have no effect on existing crabgrass plants, so they must be applied before germination. Additionally, preventers do not last forever once applied to the soil. Microorganisms and natural processes begin to gradually break them down soon after they are applied. If some products are applied too early, they may have lost much of their strength by the time they are needed. Most crabgrass preventers are fairly ineffective after about 60 days, but there is considerable variation among products. (Dimension and Barricade last longer. See below.)
For most of Kansas, crabgrass typically begins to germinate around May 1 or a little later. April 15 is normally a good target date for applying preventer because it gives active ingredients time to evenly disperse in the soil before crabgrass germination starts. Even better, base timing on the bloom of ornamental plants. The Eastern Redbud tree is a good choice for this purpose. When the trees in your area approach full bloom, apply crabgrass preventer. A follow-up application will be needed about 8 weeks later unless you are using Dimension or Barricade. Products that do require a follow-up application include pendimethalin (Scotts Halts) and Team (Hi-Yield Crabgrass Control).
Dimension and Barricade are the only two products that give season-long control of crabgrass from a single application. In fact, they can be applied much earlier than April 15 and still have sufficient residual strength to last the season. Barricade can even be applied in the fall for crabgrass control the next season.
Dimension can be applied as early as March 1. Because of the added flexibility in timing, these products are favorites of lawn care companies who have many customers to service in the spring. Though Dimension is usually not applied as early as Barricade, it is the herbicide of choice if it must be applied later than recommended. It is the exception to the rule that pre-emergence herbicides do not kill existing weeds. Dimension can kill crabgrass as long as it is young (two- to three-leaf stage). Dimension is also the best choice if treating a lawn that was planted late last fall. Normally a pre-emergence herbicide is not recommended unless the lawn has been mowed two to four times.
But Dimension is kind to young tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and Kentucky bluegrass seedlings and some formulations can be applied as early as two weeks after the first sign of germination. However, read the label of the specific product you wish to use to ensure that this use is allowed. Lawns established in the fall can be safely treated with Dimension the following spring even if they have not been mowed.
Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910.
The clock is ticking for Kansas lawmakers to figure out a school funding solution. Briefs making the case for a plan are due to the state Supreme Court April 15.
Photo by CHRIS NEAL FOR THE KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
With only one week of the regular legislative session to go, there’s still significant division over how to satisfy the court that funding is adequate and end the nearly decade-old Gannon lawsuit.
The Senate is backing Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan to add $360 million for schools over four years. Republican leaders in the House think the solution is in targeting more money at struggling students, but they don’t want to promise funding hikes far into the future.
The House has not in fact debated a school funding bill. Instead, the chamber approved — by only the narrowest of margins — legislation making a host of changes to school finance policy. House and Senate negotiators will discuss that policy bill next week.
The changes would require more reports on test scores and spending by individual districts. Superintendents would have to certify that sufficient resources are being directed to core curriculum and kids who are at risk of falling behind.
Republican Rep. Kristey Williams said the policy changes will ensure state dollars are spent wisely.
“Accountability is the cornerstone of all good policy,” Williams said when explaining her vote in favor of the policy bill she helped draft.
But some provisions of the bill are causing heartburn for school districts.
The legislation wouldn’t just require more reporting of school spending. It would also limit state funding for bilingual education for students learning English. The Kansas State Board of Education would be asked to determine each year how money for special education is distributed, tossing out an existing target.
The state hasn’t hit that target for special education funding in recent years, but members of the Kansas Association of School Boards don’t want to see it eliminated.
“Many districts are disappointed that we just sort of give up on that,” said KASB lobbyist Mark Tallman.
The bill includes a mix of policies the KASB opposes and supports, but Tallman said policy issues should not be the focus of lawmakers right now.
“None of the policy is as important as resolving funding,” Tallman said. “That’s a major concern.”
Plus, the policy bill isn’t likely to get a warm reception from senators eager to move on from years of litigation.
The Senate signed off on the governor’s plan more than two weeks ago — a plan that adjusts for inflation funding levels that the court said last year were nearly enough.
“The Senate’s already established its position,” Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner said. “We established that pretty clearly.”
House Republicans do have a proposal to provide an initial infusion of cash for schools. But it doesn’t include long-term increases many believe the court will want to see.
Republican leaders called off debate on the proposal this week for lack of support, but they still believe their caucus can agree on something.
“It’s just part of the process,” House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins said. “We’ve got 84 members of our caucus and we probably have 10 or 15 different ideas out there.”
There are a few different paths legislators could take to reach a school funding solution next week.
If the House approves its own funding bill, that would spark bargaining with the Senate. Or the group of senators and House members slated to negotiate the education policy bill could decide to craft a funding agreement too.
Another option, one that House Democrats like, is to simply sign on to the governor’s proposal that passed the Senate with a bipartisan majority.
“The Senate did their job,” House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer said. “We ought to just pass what the Senate did. Get it done.”
Special Olympics Opening Ceremony 2019 (Courtesy Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau)
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Alysha Werth and Chloe Brown have belonged to the same church while attending college but weren’t all that acquainted with each other until recently. The two Fort Hays State University students got to know each other a little better last weekend.
They signed up to volunteer at the Special Olympics Kansas Basketball and Cheerleading Tournament in Hays, and they were assigned to work together at the scorers’ table in one of the Cunningham Hall gyms.
By the conclusion of the two-day tournament, Werth and Brown realized they had more in common than they might have thought, specifically their desire to give of their time.
Werth, a senior elementary education major from Ellis, and Brown, a senior organizational leadership major from Ottawa, both were drawn to the Special Olympics event after volunteering for two years at Night to Shine, a prom for people with special needs.
“The first year at Night to Shine, every time I saw a special needs person, they made me smile,” said Werth, who is adding a minor in special education to her resume. “So when I saw this opportunity to volunteer, I decided to sign up. I am so glad I did. This was so rewarding.”
Special Olympics Kansas is a volunteer-driven organization that features a year-round program of athletic training, health education and competition to more than 5,400 athletes.
The state basketball/cheerleading tournament is held at two different sites, in Hays and Topeka. The Hays tourney, which this year featured about 600 athletes and more than 200 coaches, relies on hundreds of volunteers to help facilitate.
“We know the volunteer base is there in Hays and that we can count on some college students for help,” said Tim Rehder, senior vice president of programs for Kansas Special Olympics, who is in charge of all the state competitions.
Hays has hosted the state basketball and cheerleading tournament for four decades, and about 250 people volunteer to help out each year, including 50 to 75 FHSU students.
“That’s a good feeling, knowing we can more or less run the tournament with students there,” Rehder said.
Werth said she empathized with the Special Olympians. It was quite an undertaking for some to score a basket, no matter how hard they tried.
After graduating from Ellis High School in 2014, Werth decided to stay close to home and attend Fort Hays State.
A first-generation college student, Werth said she was unfamiliar with the ins and outs of making college life a successful venture. She struggled to keep up with her classes, so she took a few semesters off.
“Being the first one in my family who went to college, I didn’t have anyone to help me figure it all out,” she said. “I realized I needed to reach out for help, and FHSU was there all the way. The instructors I have in my classes are amazing and want us to be excited to teach.”
Brown said watching so many Special Olympic games over the weekend “brought everything into perspective.”
“A person can take so many things for granted,” she said. “We always had the opportunity to play on basketball teams growing up. For the special needs people, it’s more difficult.”
“But,” she added, “they are so joyful just to be able to play. Whenever they made a shot, it was the best thing ever.”
Like Werth, Brown changed majors before she found the right fit.
“I had a passion for service and helping others,” Brown said, “so I went into social work at first. But I quickly realized that wasn’t for me.”
Brown found her niche in organizational leadership and plans to work for a non-profit organization that works with special needs citizens when she graduates in 2020.
However, unlike Werth, Brown had tradition on her side when it came to continuing her education after high school. Both Brown’s parents and an older brother all attended college, all in eastern Kansas.
She decided to break that tradition, however, when she decided to attend college on the other side of the state.
“My mom said, ‘You will know when you get there if that’s the right school for you,’ ” Brown said of her college visits her senior year in high school.
Brown visited two other state universities before coming to Hays.
“I remember sitting in the orientation here, and I was looking around, and I felt so comfortable,” she said. “Everywhere we went around the campus that day, I could see myself there the next few years.”
“My mom was right,” Brown continued. “I knew, I had that feeling that Fort Hays State was the right place for me.”
Brown said she is unsure of whether or not she will stay in western Kansas or go closer to home when she graduates in 2020, but wherever she ends up, she will take some valuable lessons with her.
“My professors are always talking about how we should apply what we are learning to what we do when we get out of college,” she said. “It’s basic career preparation, and it’s made a huge impact on me.”
FHSU students made a similar impact on the 2019 Special Olympics event in Hays.
“The fact that students will carve out time, the fact that they consider this important enough to help out, is flattering to us,” he said. “The support we get from Hays, especially the college, is phenomenal. They don’t charge us a dime to come in there and host this event.”
Sunny, with a high near 51. West northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 31. South southwest wind around 7 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 61. South southwest wind 6 to 14 mph.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. South southwest wind 8 to 10 mph becoming north northwest after midnight.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. North wind 7 to 11 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Wednesday
Scattered showers after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Justin Cook and Gary Ryan took home top team honors at the King Kat Tournament Trail event at Milford Lake Saturday with a total catch of 98.64 pounds. Cook, from New Franklin, Missouri and Ryan from Columbia, Missouri combined to win a total of $4,200 for their first place finish. They also had the second biggest catfish caught in the tournament at 53.42 pounds.
The winning team of Justin Cook and Gary Ryan. Among the fish they turned in were two big fish including the second biggest in the tournament.
.There were 45 two-man teams who braced the winter weather including snow, rain and a cold win to fish in the tournament. With their first place finish Cook and Ryan have qualified for the national championship event November 1st and 2nd in Decatur, Alabama.
The biggest fish was hauled in by Blake McPherren of Wakefield and Jamie Jackson of Clay Center, at 55.56 pounds.
Blake McPherren and Jamie Jackson caught the biggest fish in the tournament.
Cabela’s will host another King Kat Tournament Trail regional qualifier at Milford Lake on March 28th, 2020 and they will bring their national championship event to the lake October 30th and 31st, 2020.
Rhiannon Cummin, was nominated as the March’s student Best of the Best by teacher Sondra Hickert.
Rhiannon Cummin, Learning Center student, is pursuing a dream to be a registered nurse by the time she is 20.
She was nominated as the March’s student Best of the Best by teacher Sondra Hickert.
“I often stand before the board of education at Learning Center graduations to emphasize the things that students overcome to graduate,” Hickert said. “Whether it is illness, loss of a family member or some other life issue, we like to accentuate the challenges that the graduates had to overcome. But tonight I introduce you to Rhiannon Cummin who is a student who couldn’t overcome.
“She couldn’t overcome her passionate desire to become a nurse at the earliest age possible. Rhiannon came to us less than a year ago, telling me she wanted to be a nurse. She wanted the option of working at her own pace because she is determined to be a working RN by the age of 20.”
She drives into Hays each day to attend the Learning Center. She pays for her own gas, earned from a part-time job she works in between her studies.
Hickert said Cummin has applied herself like no other student, completing her core courses for both her junior and senior years since August.
“She is a friend to every student who walks in the lab,” Hickert said.
By May Cummin will have completed 17 hours of concurrent college credit.
“She has traded working the drive-thru for answering call lights at her hometown nursing facility as a certified nurse aide,” Hickert said.
Cummin is poised to enter nursing school three months after graduating with her class in May 2020.
“Society, not just the health care industry, is fortunate to have a citizen like Rhiannon Cummin who is forging her future industriously and compassionately,” she said.
Eva Junk, Lincoln and Roosevelt counselor, was nominated by peers at Roosevelt for the staff Best of the Best award.
Eva Junk, Lincoln and Roosevelt counselor, was nominated by peers at Roosevelt for the staff Best of the Best award. Roosevelt Principal Paula Rice spoke on her behalf at Monday’s school board meeting.
“Eva is just one of those who goes above and beyond,” Rice said.
“Too many times in education, staff members are asked to take on additional duties to help fill in the gaps to continue to provide the best for students,” Rice said. “Our fantastic staff steps up and does this because of our love for our students.
“One shining example of this is our school counselor Eva Junk, who every year is asked to take on more and more roles and responsibilities. These roles and responsibilities are accepted by Eva with a nod of the head and a smile on her face and a ‘yes’ all the while continuing to excel in every aspect of her core performance. This is what sets her head and shoulders above so many others.”
Junk is responsible for more than 650 students and families. Rice said having responsibilities between two buildings pulls her in many directions each day. She visits classrooms, teaches lessons, sponsors two student councils, checks in weekly and daily with students who need counseling, and eats lunch with students.
Junk also has taken an active role in building leadership at both schools.
“Despite being surrounded by daily stressors, enough to make most people want to give up,” Rice said, “Eva continues to be a compassionate, listening ear for all who are in need to help shape our building into the happy, comforting and joyful place that it is. Eva deserves more than a modest pat on the back. For indeed, she is the Best of the Best.”
DOUGLAS COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Saturday in Douglas County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Explorer drive by Telisa Sheree Walker, 41, Topeka, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of the east Lawrence exit.
The driver lost control of the vehicle. It left the road, traveled down the embankment impacting the ground four times before coming to rest on its top. Walker was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. She was properly restrained at the time of the accdident, according to the KHP.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Court of Appeals has ordered a new trial for a man whose conviction of two rape cases divided his small northeast Kansas town.
Ewing -photo KDOC
The court on Friday said mistakes by the prosecutor denied 24-year-old Jacob Ewing of Holton a fair trial. Ewing was convicted in June 2017 of two counts of rape and several other offenses.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Ewing argued in his appeal that special prosecutor Jacqie Spradling misstated evidence in her closing arguments that inflamed the “passions of the jury.” He also argued the court made other errors in allowing some evidence in his trial.
The appeals court ruled the cumulative effect of the errors required that Ewing get a new trial.
The allegations against Ewing, a member of a well-known family, divided Holton, a town of about 3,300 residents.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — No citations have been issued in a St. Patrick’s Day Parade accident in Lawrence in which a woman tripped and was run over by a float.
image courtesy The Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade
A police report issued this week says officers don’t believe alcohol or drug use played a role.
The injured 41-year-old woman was taken to the University of Kansas Hospital. Neither she nor the driver of the float showed signs of impairment.
The report says the woman tripped while stepping off the curb to get beads that some people on the float were handing out. The driver told police he was looking forward and going slowly when he “felt a bump.” He said he stopped the truck and heard onlookers screaming.
The report provided no details on the woman’s injuries.
On Tuesday, March 26, we had final action on the Kansas House of Representative’s position regarding the budget. The final vote on the budget was 99-25, and now we will go into conference committee with the Senate to negotiate those details that differ between each chamber’s budget bill.
House Substitute for Senate Bill 25, which is the House Budget Bill, contains numerous provisions in it. It includes the annual bill that we pass regarding claims against the state, many of the recommendations from various state agencies, departments, and boards across the state, and some recommendations made by Governor Kelly.
Following are some of the highlights in the budget bill for the remaining months of fiscal year 2019 and for 2020.
We are not going to payoff the Pooled Money Investment Board loan in full, as suggested by the Governor. Instead, we will accelerate the payment schedule so it is paid off more quickly.
We will appropriate dollars for the hiring of 26 social workers in 2019 and an additional 26 social workers in 2020.
We did provide funding in 2020 through the Department of Agriculture for the Cattle Traceability Program, money for the State Water Fund, additional funds for mental health, reestablishing funding for the Kansas Main Street program for rural development, and a 2.5% pay increase for all state employees, excluding legislators and the Judicial Branch. We have another provision for pay increases for the Judicial Branch in the budget bill.
Commercial Hemp
Also on Tuesday, final action was taken on House Bill 2173, the commercial hemp bill, which passed 119-5. I voted “yes.” Due to the federal government making provisions in the Federal Farm Bill that passed in December of 2018, the state of Kansas needs to update our statutes regarding hemp that we passed last year for the industrial research program. House Bill 2173 establishes procedures to be used by the Kansas Department of Agriculture in submitting a plan to the US Department of Agriculture under which the KDA would monitor and regulate the commercial production of hemp. This bill also stipulates that industrial hemp authorized by the Alternative Crop Act would be excluded from the definition of marijuana and the list of Schedule 1 controlled substances.
Senate Bill 16 – House Education Finance Bill
Among the 33 bills debated in the House of Representatives on Monday was House Substitute for Senate Bill 16. The bill, which is the House’s position for addressing the Supreme Court’s demands regarding K-12 Education, received lengthy deliberation and was passed in the House, 63-61, on Tuesday morning. While there was little to no funding provisions in the bill it does address how funding should be spent.
The bill provides for performance and longitudinal achievement reports, goals in meeting the Rose standards, accessibility for ACT testing, adding computer science and financial literacy courses, a bullying prevention hotline, changes the bilingual weighting to seven years, and adds the dyslexia task force for another two years, among other changes.
Although the bill provides only policy provisions, and has some flaws which I disagree with, it does create a House position from where we can negotiate with the Senate and start a discussion, which was why I voted in favor of the bill. Then we will see the final version to address education finance.
Contact Information
As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me (785) 296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, visit www.troywaymaster.com or email me at [email protected]. Also, if you happen to visit the statehouse, please let my office know.
It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.
Troy Waymaster (R-Bunker Hill) is the 109th Dist. state representative and chairman of the House Appropriations committee. The 109th District includes Osborne, Russell, and Smith counties and portions of Barton, Jewell, Lincoln and Rush counties.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated assault and have three suspects in custody.
Horner -photo Sedgwick Co.
Just after 3:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to report of suspicious character with shots fired call near the 4200 Block of Regents in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.
When officers arrived, they circulated the area and located 18-year-old Otis Horner and a teen girl in the area of 16th and Fairmount. They matched a description given during the original call, according to Wheeler. Horner and the girl fled from police and were eventually taken into custody in the 1900 Block of Holyoke. Officers recovered a handgun during the foot-pursuit.
At the time of the original call, police also responded to a walk-in shooting call at Wesley Medical Center. A 19-year-old male had arrived with a single gunshot wound to his leg. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Wheeler. The victim remains hospitalized.
Investigators have learned that the victim was in a vehicle with an 18-year-old woman and a 20-month-old child near the intersection of Shocker and Regents. There was an argument between the occupants and Horner who was outside of the vehicle with another teen girl. Horner and the victim exchanged gunfire and the victim was wounded.
Horner is being held on requested charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault, attempt to flee and elude, criminal discharge of a firearm and several drug charges, according to Wheeler. Police also arrested the two teen women on outstanding warrants.
The Dane G. Hansen Museum is pleased to announce the now-open exhibit featuring Eckman Fine Arts’ collection of cast paper sculptures. Cast paper sculpture, (not to be confused with papier mâché), was invented as late as the 1950s.
Today
