At 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Hays dispatch was notified of an aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and aggravated kidnapping that occurred in the 1300 block of Spring Hill Road in Ellis County.
Deputies identified the victim as a 20-year-old Hays man who was walking in the southwest area of Hays when a male acquaintance offered him a ride. After accepting the ride, the victim was intentionally driven into the county against his will. Another male emerged from the truck of the vehicle, through the back seat, and robbed the victim at gunpoint. After robbing the victim of $1,800 in cash, as well as personal belongings, the victim was forced to jump from the moving vehicle, causing him minor injury.
Ellis County Sheriff’s Office detectives have identified and arrested two Ellsworth County men in connection to the incident. The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
Check Hays Post for details as information becomes available.
The fifth-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team looks for its sixth-straight win Saturday (Feb. 9) when the Tigers take on Missouri Southern. First tip is set for 1:30 p.m. from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center in Joplin, Mo.
The Tigers (20-1, 11-1 MIAA) are coming off a 25-point win at Pittsburg State, while the Lions dropped their last contest to Nebraska-Kearney, 50-44.
Fort Hays State owns a 31-18 advantage in the all-time series with Missouri Southern, including wins in 10 of the last 12 matchups. The Lions have had the majority of their success in the series at home, as they hold a 14-8 edge in games played in Joplin. The Tigers are 12-6 against MSSU under Tony Hobson, including a 2-5 mark on the road.
Missouri Southern enters Saturday 12-11 overall and 4-9 in MIAA play, currently clinging to the 10th and final spot in the MIAA Championship Tournament. The Lions put up 66.5 points per contest, ranking 11th in the league, while they sit second to last in the conference with 68.1 points allowed each night. They are one of the top rebounding teams in the MIAA, ranking just behind FHSU in second with 40.7 boards per outing. Chelsey Henry paces the Lions and ranks second in the MIAA with an average of 16.9 points each game.
Madison Mittie averages 14.5 points in two career games against the Lions. Kacey Kennett puts up 10.7 ppg in three meetings with MSSU, including 18 points last year.
Project Manager John Braun shows Hays city commissioners a large vinyl map of the four proposed traffic roundabouts on north Vine Street.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Hays Mayor Henry Schwaller is “still a roundabout skeptic.” Vice-Mayor Shaun Musil is not a skeptic.
Commissioner Sandy Jacobs is encouraging the public to attend next Tuesday’s open house about the North Vine Street Corridor Improvement Project.
“It’s really exciting and that’s when some of the best stuff comes, when you bring people together and ask questions,” Jacobs said.
John Braun, city project manager, updated the city commission Thursday night about the plan, which includes three traffic roundabouts and one partial teardrop roundabout on Vine/U.S. 183 between 32nd and 41st streets.
The most recent addition to the plan is a partial roundabout called a “teardrop” at the eastbound exit ramp of Interstate 70.
The teardrop was added after consultant WSP Engineers asked for an independent review of the plan by Kittelson & Associates, a nationwide firm which specializes in transportation projects.
Traffic going eastbound will be able to pull off the interstate, go through the teardrop, and head directly north on Vine rather than having to drive further south to the 37th Street roundabout to then head north.
A teardrop partial roundabout has been added to the eastbound I-70 off ramp for the North Vine Street corridor traffic improvements. (Click to enlarge)
The median on Vine will be replaced by a roundabout at 41st and Mopar. Left turns and cross traffic are currently prohibited at the location. “The roundabout would provide excellent access to and from businesses in that area,” Braun said.
He noted the four roundabouts will accommodate semis with 53-foot trailers and oversized loads such as those carrying wind turbine blades and tower sections.
The 32nd and 37th Street roundabouts will disconnect the current frontage roads, which may cause increased traffic volume at 35th Street, where Arby’s and Hickok’s Steakhouse are located.
“To ease the congestion there, we’re changing to a 3/4 intersection which reduces the traffic conflict points from 66 to 28,” Braun explained. “It improves pedestrian safety north and south along the frontage roads.
“From Vine, you’ll still be able to make right and left turns onto the frontage roads, but you’ll only be able to make a right turn out to Vine. Therefore, motorists wanting to turn left will have to turn right, go to the nearest roundabout and make a U-turn.”
Discussion turned to the deteriorated west frontage road as Schwaller asked whether it should be repaved.
“It’s on our priority list,” said Toby Dougherty, city manager, “either the top year or the second year.”
Commissioner James Meier also asked if the city should add dedicated parking along the frontage road.
“Maybe parallel parking between Vine and the frontage road. Drivers have created it themselves. I don’t think it’s actually supposed to exist,” he said.
Commissioner Ron Mellick pointed out the plan calls for a sidewalk. It would run the full length of the west frontage road similar to what is on the east frontage road.
“The sidewalk is actually very important. I don’t want to take away from that,” Meier said. “If there’s a way we can accommodate some of those businesses with parking, such as Freddy’s, I think we should take a look at it. Maybe we could do it on both sides.”
“If you have off-street parking and a sidewalk, there’s going to have to be some sort of separation there,” Mellick said. He also wondered if the businesses would be assessed the additional cost of the parking.
Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood has been in meetings with all the affected Vine Street business owners.
“Not a single one has said anything about the parking through there,” he told the commission. “Nobody has said we’d like to have parking or we think it’s necessary. Nobody said that.”
“This is just me thinking out loud,” Meier said.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Jacobs said. “When we start these projects, I think sometimes we need to think outside of the box and outside of the project about what we can do because we’re doing work at that time. It doesn’t make sense to finish something and then say why didn’t we do that?
“What’s extra bad about those streets is when it rains, people don’t stay on that street. So you have these big gullies right off on the side. Not only are they unattractive, they’re dangerous.
Vice-Mayor Shaun Musil looks at printouts of informational posters that will be at the Vine Street project open house Feb. 12.
“I think we should look in to possibly doing it,” she concluded. Musil agreed with Jacobs, noting there are often vehicles pulling trailers parked in the grass and gravel.
“We’ll take a look at it,” promised Dougherty. “People are obviously parking there now and we’ve struggled with that.”
The “peanut” roundabout at 32nd and 33rd Streets allows the two intersections to operate as one.
“The hourglass shape has a smaller footprint to minimize the amount of additional right of way required and slows the travel speed as compared to an oval,” explained Braun. “Disconnecting the north and south frontage streets at 32nd reduces conflict points by two-thirds of what they are now.”
With the addition of the teardrop roundabout, the overall project cost estimate has increased from $7.6 million to $9.3 million, plus the expense of acquiring right of way. The city has been awarded a federal BUILD grant of $6,057.827 to cover construction costs. The remaining amount will be paid with a dedicated 20-year two percent increase in the transient guest tax.
Preliminary design is expected to be completed in March, with a final design in November. Bid opening would begin in April 2020 with construction planned to start in June 2020. The project is scheduled to be finished in November 2021.
An extra-large map of the traffic corridor between 32nd and 41st streets will feature the proposed four roundabouts. Numerous poster boards will suggest topics for discussion.
City staff, engineers and KDOT representatives will be on hand to answer questions.
“We don’t know what’ll come out of it. But please take the time to come and attend,” urged Jacobs.
The updated information about the traffic corridor plan is available on the city’s website, www.haysusa.com.
LONDON — Albert Finney, one of the most respected and versatile actors of his generation and the star of films as diverse as “Tom Jones” and “Skyfall,” has died. He was 82.
From his early days as a strikingly handsome and magnetic screen presence to his closing acts as a brilliant character actor, Finney was a British treasure known for charismatic work on both stage and screen.
Finney’s family said Friday that he “passed away peacefully after a short illness with those closest to him by his side.” He died Thursday from a chest infection at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, a cancer treatment center.
Finney burst to international fame in 1963 in the title role of “Tom Jones,” playing a lusty, humorous rogue who captivated audience with his charming, devil-may-care antics.
He excelled in many other roles, including “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning”, a 1960 drama that was part of the “angry young man” film trend.
Finney was a rare star who managed to avoid the Hollywood limelight despite more than five decades of worldwide fame. He was known for skipping awards ceremonies, even when he was nominated for an Oscar.
“Tom Jones” gained him the first of five Oscar nominations. Other nominations followed for “Murder on the Orient Express,” ”The Dresser,” ”Under the Volcano” and “Erin Brockovich.” Each time he fell short.
In later years he brought authority to bid-budget and high-grossing action movies, including the James Bond thriller “Skyfall” and two of the Bourne films. He also won hearts as Daddy Warbucks in “Annie.”
He played an array of roles, including Winston Churchill, Pope John Paul II, a southern American lawyer, and an Irish gangster. There was no “Albert Finney”-type character that he returned to again and again.
In one of his final roles, as the gruff Scotsman, Kincade, in “Skyfall,” he shared significant screen time with Daniel Craig as Bond and Judi Dench as M, turning the film’s final scenes into a master class of character acting.
“The world has lost a giant,” Craig said.
Although Finney rarely discussed his personal life, he said in 2012 that he had been treated for kidney cancer for five years.
He also explained why he had not attended the Academy Awards in Los Angeles even when he was nominated for the film world’s top prize.
“It seems silly to go over there and beg for an award,” he said.
The son of a bookmaker, Finney was born May 9, 1936, and grew up in northern England on the outskirts of Manchester. He took to the stage at an early age, doing a number of school plays and — despite his lack of connections and his working-class roots — earning a place at London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
He credited the headmaster of his local school, Eric Simms, for recommending that he attend the renowned drama school.
“He’s the reason I am an actor,” Finney said in 2012.
Finney made his first professional turn at 19 and appeared in several TV movies.
Soon, some critics were hailing him as “the next Laurence Olivier” — a commanding presence who would light up the British stage. In London, Finney excelled both in Shakespeare’s plays and in more contemporary offerings.
Still, the young man seemed determined not to pursue conventional Hollywood stardom. After an extensive screen test, he turned down the chance to play the title role in director David Lean’s epic “Lawrence of Arabia,” clearing the way for fellow RADA graduate Peter O’Toole to take what became a career-defining role.
But stardom came to Finney anyway in “Tom Jones”.
That was the role that introduced Finney to American audiences, and few would forget the sensual, blue-eyed leading man who helped the film win a Best Picture Oscar. Finney also earned his first Best Actor nomination for his efforts and the smash hit turned him into a Hollywood leading man.
Finney had the good fortune to receive a healthy percentage of the profits from the surprise hit, giving him financial security while he was still in his 20s.
“This is a man from very humble origins who became rich when he was very young,” said Quentin Falk, author of an unauthorized biography of Finney. “It brought him a lot of side benefits. He’s a man who likes to live as well as to act. He enjoys his fine wine and cigars. He’s his own man. I find that rather admirable.”
The actor maintained a healthy skepticism about the British establishment and turned down a knighthood when it was offered, declining to become Sir Albert.
“Maybe people in America think being a ‘Sir’ is a big deal,” he said. “But I think we should all be misters together. I think the ‘Sir’ thing slightly perpetuates one of our diseases in England, which is snobbery.”
He told The Associated Press in 2000 that he would rather be a “mister” than a “Sir.”
Instead of cashing in by taking lucrative film roles after “Tom Jones,” Finney took a long sabbatical, traveling slowly through the United States, Mexico and the Pacific islands, then returned to the London stage to act in Shakespeare productions and other plays. He won wide acclaim before returning to film in 1967 to co-star with Audrey Hepburn in “Two for the Road.”
This was to be a familiar pattern, with Finney alternating between film work and stage productions in London and New York.
Finney tackled Charles Dickens in “Scrooge” in 1970, then played Agatha Christie’s sophisticated sleuth Hercule Poirot in “Murder on the Orient Express” — earning his second Best Actor nomination— and even played a werewolf hunter in the cult film “Wolfen” in 1981.
In 1983, he was reunited with his peer from the “angry young man” movement, Tom Courtenay, in “The Dresser,” a film that garnered both Academy Award nominations.
Finney was nominated again for his role as a self-destructive aloholic in director John Huston’s 1984 film “Under the Volcano.”
Even during this extraordinary run of great roles, Finney’s life was not chronicled in People or other magazines, although the British press was fascinated with his marriage to the sultry French film star Anouk Aimee.
He played in a series of smaller, independent films for a number of years before returning to prominence in 2000 as a southern lawyer in the film “Erin Brockovich,” which starred Julia Roberts. The film helped introduce Finney to a new generation of moviegoers, and the chemistry between the aging lawyer and his young, aggressive assistant earned him yet another Oscar nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actor.
His work also helped propel Roberts to her first Best Actress Oscar. Still, Finney declined to attend the Academy Awards ceremony — possibly damaging his chances at future wins by snubbing Hollywood’s elite.
Finney also tried his hand at directing and producing and played a vital role in sustaining British theater.
The Old Vic theater said his “performances in plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov and other iconic playwrights throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s stand apart as some of the greatest in our 200-year history.”
Finney is survived by his third wife, Pene Delmage, son Simon and two grandchildren. Funeral arrangements weren’t immediately known.
Fort Hays State passed its first difficult test on the road this week Thursday night with a 77-75 win at Pittsburg State. The Tigers now prepare for another big conference matchup with Missouri Southern on Saturday (Feb. 9) at 3:30 pm in Joplin. FHSU enters at 14-7 overall, 8-4 in the MIAA, while MSSU is 18-5 overall, 9-4 in the MIAA.
This will be a battle between fourth and fifth place teams in the conference standings, but both are breathing down the necks of Washburn and Lincoln, which sit in a tie for second. Washburn and Lincoln are both 9-3 entering Saturday, while MSSU is a half game back at 9-4, and FHSU is one game back at 8-4. This will be the first meeting between FHSU and MSSU this year. The teams will meet again in Hays on February 28.
Brady Werth gave FHSU his third double-double performance of the season on Thursday night in the win at Pittsburg State, finishing with 25 points and 13 rebounds. He dominated in the post, scoring 24 of his 25 points on a career-high 12 field goals. Trey O’Neil added 12 points, all on three-point field goals, and Aaron Nicholson provided the game-winning shot to finish with 11 points.
Missouri Southern is coming off a 72-67 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night in Joplin. Sophomore Cam Martin averages 21.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game to lead the Lions.
Fort Hays State won the last two meetings with Missouri Southern, both occurring last season with a win in Hays and a win at the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City. In 2016-17, Missouri Southern won both meetings with FHSU, claiming a win in Joplin and then a win at the MIAA Tournament. The Tigers have won six of the last eight meetings overall in the series.
ES&S Sales Rep. Angie Frison shows a group of Ellis Co. residents the DS200 Tuesday in Hays
By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post
Ellis County election officials, workers and voters all got a chance this week to look at the possible future equipment of elections within the county.
Sales representatives from Election Systems & Software (ES&S) of Omaha, Neb., were in Hays on Tuesday to demonstrate new voting equipment as the county and County Clerk and Election Officer Donna Maskus prepares to purchase new equipment.
The representatives showed off a paper ballot scanner and tabulator, the DS200 and the ExpressVote voting system, a touch screen voting machine, to a large group of interested parties at the County Administrative Center.
Among those in attendance were commissioners Butch Schlyer and Dustin Roths, Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes, Hays Mayor and Chair of the Ellis County Democratic Party Henry Schwaller, and several poll and election workers.
The one major difference between the machines presented Tuesday and the current iVotronic machines owned by the county is that the ES&S machines use of paper ballots.
Legislation approved in 2018 requires that all Kansas counties be able to perform a post-election audit. The audit will require a hand recount of paper ballots. The iVotronic machines do not produce a paper ballot.
“The whole nation is focused on paper,” Angie Frison, Kansas Sales Manager for ES&S said. “Real soon, our whole company thinks that it’s going to be mandated that any touchscreen, or any DRE, is what they call the touch screens without paper, are going to be banned from the nation entirely.”
ES&S Account Manager Chris Kurland shows County Commissioner Dustin Roths, former Commissioner Marcy McClleland and Clerk Donna Maskus the DS200
When using the voting machines demonstrated Tuesday, the voter is given a paper ballot. If the voter choses a regular ballot, they would fill it out like normal and then insert it into the DS200.
The Express voting machine, which also meets all Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, also uses paper. The voter is given a blank sheet that is inserted into the machine and the voters selections are then transferred to the ballot through a thermal process. That ballot is also inserted it into the DS200.
The DS200 scans the ballots and then results are saved on an encrypted USB flash drive while the paper ballots are stored in a locked bin located in the bottom half of the machine.
The USB drive and the paper ballots are all the election workers have to collect at the end of the day and return to election headquarters.
The USB is then inserted into a secure computer that contains ES&S election software that helps to tally the votes. It also has the ability to gather write-in votes that will be counted.
The machines are not connected to the internet, so they cannot be accessed by hackers through the web, and the computer that contains the software that produces the results does not have internet access and the user can only access the ES&S voting software.
Currently the county has 69 iVotronic machines that are deployed at 10 polling sites throughout the county.
Frison said because they estimate it takes about the same time to vote on the current iVotronic machine as it does to vote on a paper ballot, they believe the county would need to have a similar number of paper ballot voting booths.
Frisen and Kurkland demonstrate the ExpressVoting machine
She also said they recommend one DS200 for 3,500 voters.
Clerk Maskus said they do not plan on changing the number of polling locations and expect they could have one of each machine at each polling site.
According to the ES&S sales representatives the DS200 costs approximately $5,700 and the ExpressVote will cost $3,700 — money that both Clerk Maskus and Commissioner Roths said the county has set aside to purchase new voting equipment.
“I like the idea of paper ballots, it gives the voters that reassurance that there is a paper trail,” Roths said.
He also added that he liked the ES&S was from the Midwest and that they are the company that has been selected by states such as Utah to handle all of their voting equipment.
Maskus said the county plans on having one more vendor demonstrate equipment before making a purchase later this year.
Dolores M. Lapka, 88, passed away on January 26, 2019, at Stormont Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kansas. She was born January 6, 1931, in Great Bend, Kansas to Vincente and Alejandra Gutierrez.
Dolores graduated from high school in 1950. She loved to polka dance, sew, make crafts, collect butterflies, and play Mexican train dominoes. She was also an avid bowler. She was a cub den mother, member of the Sunflower Polka Club and president of her class reunions. She also was a huge KU fan and enjoyed watching tennis.
She was united in marriage to Joseph Lapka, Sr., with this marriage came four children, Joseph Lapka, Jr. of Dodge City, Patricia Logan of Topeka, Marcia Peterson of Las Vegas and Dina Heier and husband Dennis of Quinter; 14 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; one brother, Daniel Gutierrez and his wife Janet. She was preceded in death by her parents, Vincente and Alejandra Gutierrez; one daughter, Marcia Peterson; four sisters, Norma Mounkes, Lucille Zero, Alberta Delgado and Katie Vesta; and one brothers, Ishmael Gutierrez.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, February 16, 2019, at 3:00 p.m., at the Stone Ridge Country Club in Great Bend.
The Hays City Commission is finalizing plans for north Vine Street improvements, which include roundabouts to ease traffic congestion. What do you think of the plan?
Tony Wolf ( Photo courtesy of Geary County Sheriff’s Department ).
Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf appeared in Geary County District Court Friday for an arraignment hearing on a charge of felony theft and a misdemeanor count of misuse of public funds.
According to Defense Attorney Barry Clark, Wolf entered a not guilty plea to the charges. A trial has been scheduled in the case on May 8 and 9.
Wolf was arrested Oct. 18 at the Geary County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested on the felony theft count for allegedly giving a county-owned firearm as a gift, and in a separate matter for the alleged misuse of public funds.
JACKSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent attack on a family member.
Christopher Wlson photo Jackson Co.
On Wednesday evening, police were called to a residence on Gregory Lane in Raytown, according to court records reported in a media release from police.
Callers had informed police dispatch that 29-year-old Christopher J. Wilson had stabbed his father with a sword.
The first officer on scene encountered a man leaving the residence. He had a knife in his hand. The officer also observed a sword on the front porch.
A woman inside yelled, “He stabbed him.” Police took Wilson into custody, and an older man was found in the kitchen on the floor in a pool of blood. Responding officers provided immediate care to the victim and applied tourniquets to try to stop the bleeding.
The victim told police that his son pushed him to the floor and stabbed him. The victim’s wife also described the attack.
Responding officers provided immediate care to the victim and applied tourniquets to try to stop the bleeding.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced Thursday that Wilson faces Assault 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges, according to the release. He remains jailed on a $50,000 bond.
Anna Martha (Scholz) Klema, 102, of Russell, Kansas, died on Wednesday, February 06, 2019, at the Homestead Assisted Living Center in Russell, Kansas.
Anna was born on April 19, 1916, in Huron, Kansas, the daughter of George F. and Anna Dorathea (Buttron) Scholz. She grew up in Huron, Kansas, and graduated from Huron High School in 1933. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics from Kansas State University in 1940. After college she worked as a extension agent for 2 years. She met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Dell Klema on February 14, 1943. From this union they were blessed with 4 children Georganna, Dell, Jr., Karleen and Kaye. She joined the United States Navy WAVES for a year as a supervisor of enlisted women.
On June 13, 1965, Anna and Dell received word that Dell’s brother and wife were killed in a tragic plane crash leaving behind 5 sons Frank, Martin, Steven, Michael and Brian. Anna and Dell without hesitation decided to raise the boys as their own and welcomed them into the family. Anna’s primary job was wife, mother and homemaker for her rapidly growing family. She was a longtime member of St. John Lutheran Church of Russell and was a member of the Lutheran Church Women. She was also a member of the American Legion Post #99, Russell Rotary, Elks, Tops, 4-H, Kansas State Campus Ministry, Deines Cultural Center, Russell Historical Society, Russell Hospital Auxiliary, church quilting group, Girl and Boy Scouts. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Surviving family include daughter Georganna McCrary (Dick), son D. J. Klema, Jr., daughter Karleen J. Wolf (Richard), and daughter Kaye Schlessman (Bill) all of Russell, and sons Martin (Becky) Klema of Ellisville, Missouri, Michael Klema (Kathy) of Lenexa, Kansas and Brian Klema (Mit) of Overland Park, Kansas; grandchildren Kim Birky, Marc McCrary and Christopher Wolf, Valerie, Courtney, Kelsey and Ian Klema; great grandchildren Jacob McCrary, Ryan and Cole Birky, Azrael, Jordan and Danica Wolf.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dell, sister Pauline Confer, and brothers Gilbert and Karl Scholz; nephews Frank and Steven Klema and a grandson James Wolf.
A celebration of Anna’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, February 09, 2019, at St. John Lutheran Church in Russell, Kansas with Pastor Roger Dennis officiating. Visitation will be from Noon to 8 P.M. on Friday, February 08, 2019, at the mortuary with family greeting guests from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. Friday evening. Memorials may be given to the St. John Lutheran Church or Kansas 4-H Foundation and sent in care of Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.
KPERS Funding
The budget that was submitted by Governor Laura Kelly is contingent on the reamortization of the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System’s (KPERS) unfunded liability. This proposal has not been well received by the legislature since the cost of reamortization over thirty years would be an additional cost to the Kansas taxpayers of approximately $7.4 billion.
There was some movement this week regarding KPERS when the Kansas Senate passed Senate Bill 9, which will transfer $115 million from the state general fund to the Kansas Employees Retirement Fund to alleviate some of the reduced contributions from past years.
During the 2015 legislative session, a total of $97.4 million in KPERS contributions were not made into the retirement system. When that decision was made, it originally required the state to repay this contribution in fiscal year 2018, plus interest. However, at the time we were experiencing financial difficulties and that contribution was never made and added to the KPERS unfunded liability.
Senate Bill 9 passed out of the Senate with a vote of 40-0. This bill has now been sent to the House and the House Appropriations committee will have a hearing and work this bill.
Kansas Sports Betting
Last Wednesday, the House Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony on House Bill 2032, which would require that any sports gambling authorized by the Kansas Lottery be conducted exclusively at racetrack facilities. Essentially, this would legalize sports betting through the Kansas Lottery which would be able to conduct and operate sports betting. The lottery would also be allowed to enter into contracts with lottery vendors and the racetrack facilities. The language of the bill states that 0.25% of the total amount wagered is paid to the appropriate sport governing body, for example the NFL, MLB, or NBA. The amount of 6.75% of the wagered amount is deposited into either the Sports Wagering Receipts Fund or the Lottery Operating Fund.
Safe and Secure Schools Update
Last session, House Republicans, in an initiative to keep the children of Kansas safe and secure at school, drafted the Safe and Secure Schools Act. This act requires the State Board of Education to work with other agencies to develop statewide standards for safety and to craft security plans for each school district in the state. The contents were signed into law in May, 2018. Since that time, the Kansas State Department of Education and the State Board of Education have worked on creating, refining, and adopting standards. A total of $5 million was allocated in fiscal year 2019 to help schools make their buildings more secure. The districts requested a total of $13 million in improvements, unfortunately, the Governor recommended defunding this program entirely in her proposed budget for fiscal year 2020.
The federal government has also been looking into the School Safety issue, having recently published the final report of the Federal Commission on School Safety. The Commission focused on three broad categories: preventing school violence; mitigating the effects of violence on students and faculty; and responding to and recovering from attacks.
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.
Barbara Ann Doonan, 72, went to be with her savior on Feb. 7, 2019, passing away at Diversicare of Larned, Larned. She was born Nov. 22, 1946, in Great Bend to Louie & Claudia (Slaton) Doonan.
Barbara was raised for a short time in a small town west of Great Bend called Timken. The family moved to Great Bend in 1959. Barbara graduated with the Great Bend High School Class of 1964. She attended Fort Hays State University and Salt Lake City Business College.
For several years, Barbara was a fill-in secretary for Kelly Girls, however, she could step into any office and fill a position they had. After her divorce when the children were young, Barbara got a job doing waitress jobs, working day and night to support herself and her two kids. Barbara suffered from different illnesses and was force to retire early in life.
Survivors include, one son James Michael Sanders of Fort Worth, Texas; one daughter, Jannea Wright and husband Chris of Arlington, Texas; one brother, David Doonan and wife Becky of Great Bend; one granddaughter, Katie Wright; and two nieces, Amanda Doonan and Angela Doonan. She was preceded in death by her parents.
There will be no viewing as cremation has taken place. A Graveside inurnment will take place at a later date at the Great Bend Cemetery.
