Ellis County Emergency Medical Services wins the 2011 American Red Cross Battle of the Badges blood drive in Hays.
A total of 251 units of whole blood were collected during the event Dec. 13 through Dec. 30.
EMS received 114 votes, and has won the local Battle of the Badges five times since it started in 2003.
Also participating were the Ellis County Sheriff’s office, Hays Police Department, Hays Fire Department and Ellis County Rural Fire.
PRATT — The number of cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) detected in Kansas deer continues to be low and is currently isolated to the northwest part of the state, according to the Shane Hesting, wildlife disease coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT).
Samples from three white-tailed bucks taken during this year’s hunting season were confirmed positive for CWD in tests completed last week. Counties where the deer were taken include Wallace (new county of detection), Decatur, and Rawlins.
KDWPT will continue testing some vehicle-killed and sick or suspect-looking deer, as well as deer taken with depredation permits, through July 31.
“This season’s testing results bring the total number of confirmed CWD cases in Kansas to 43 since testing began in 1996,” says Hesting. About 2,400 samples were collected during the 2011-2012 deer seasons with a third of the testing completed..
Annual testing has been a part of an ongoing effort by KDWPT to monitor the prevalence and spread of CWD. The disease, fatal in wild deer, was first detected in deer taken in Cheyenne County in 2005.
CWD is a member of the group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases in this group include scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow Disease) in cattle, and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease in people.
CWD is a progressive, fatal disease that results in small holes developing in the brain, giving it a sponge-like appearance under the microscope.
Topeka – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff Saturday h in honor of Judge Wesley Brown, who passed away January 23rd in Wichita at the age of 104. Judge Brown was the oldest active federal judge in U.S. history.
Judge Brown was born in 1907 in Hutchinson, and earned his law degree from Kansas City School of Law in 1933. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946, and was appointed to the federal bench by President Kennedy in 1962.
“Judge Brown was an exemplary American and an exemplary Kansan. His tireless work ethic was proof of his dedication to the country and to his duty. Judge Brown is a shining example to all Kansans. He will be sorely missed,” Governor Brownback said.
A celebration of his life is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday at College Hill United Methodist Church in Wichita.
Judge Brown is survived by a son and a daughter, four granddaughters and eight great-grandchildren.
Our nation has a long legacy of defending an individual’s religious freedoms. James Madison, the Father of our nation’s Constitution and the author of the Bill of Rights, once wrote that “conscience is the most sacred of all property.” Since our nation’s earliest days, the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently affirmed our First Amendment right to exercise our religious beliefs freely. But today, recent decisions by the Obama Administration are threatening Americans’ religious liberty.
This past summer, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) exercised its authority under the new health care reform law to require that most employee-provided health insurance plans cover contraception, sterilization, and abortion inducing drugs. This new mandate contains a “religious employer” exemption, but the exemption is so narrow that many religiously-affiliated hospitals, educational institutions, and charities do not meet the requirements. After releasing this rule, HHS heard from hundreds of thousands of Americans who were opposed to the regulation and the narrow scope of its exemption. However, despite the concerns of so many, HHS announced last month that it would not change the mandate for non-profit religious employers, but only extend to next year the deadline for compliance.
Extending the deadline does not change what is at stake. Faith-based groups who object to this requirement on moral grounds are now being forced to choose between offering services that violate their religious beliefs or eliminating their employees’ health coverage. If faith-based groups stop offering their employees health coverage to avoid violating their faith, many Americans will lose their current health care coverage simply because that coverage does not fall within the Administration’s preferred policy parameters. Targeting religious beliefs in this manner erodes the principle of religious liberty upon which our country was founded.
Last October, I joined many of my Senate colleagues in requesting that HHS Secretary Sebelius reconsider this regulation and instead follow our nation’s tradition of respecting religious liberty. Additionally, in September I sponsored S. 1467, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, legislation that would protect health care providers and employers from being forced to pay for products and services under the new health care law that violate their ethical values.
Our federal government should not force religious groups to betray their fundamental beliefs. Current conscience protections permit some religious groups to abstain from participating in war or working on religious holy days, and others to be exempt from the health care law’s individual mandate to purchase a certain level of health insurance as defined by the federal government. In the recently decided case Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church v. EEOC, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the government cannot interfere with “the internal governance of the church” in ministerial hiring decisions. Similarly, religious groups should not be forced to offer insurance plans to their employees that violate their fundamental beliefs.
The threat to religious liberty caused by this unprecedented overreach by the federal government should be of concern for all Americans – whether or not they ascribe to a particular faith. HHS’ new mandate could force religiously-affiliated organizations to close or drastically curtail services to those in need.
These organizations play a vital role in serving communities in Kansas and across our country. If this mandate stands, many non-profit hospitals, soup kitchens, family shelters, and schools in Kansas will be forced to choose between violating the law or going against their religious beliefs. These organizations will have to either pay for services they consider immoral, face an ongoing series of fines for not complying, or limit the services they provide in their communities. Individuals of all ages, beliefs, and backgrounds who depend on these institutions will have to seek care elsewhere.
What is most concerning is this: if the government can compel an individual or group to violate one’s “sacred” conscience, then there is no limit to government power. All of our cherished constitutional rights would be subject to the whims of the federal government and those in power. One group’s beliefs are being trampled today; another’s might be tomorrow. Our nation’s constitutional rights and freedoms are essential to who we are as Americans, and our commitment to these precious rights must be protected at every turn.
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
February 8, 2012
TOPEKA, Kan.—The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Office of Vital Statistics has published the guidelines and the affidavit required for Kansas residents requesting a free birth certificate for the purposes of obtaining free photographic identification (ID) necessary to vote in government elections.
Starting this year, Kansans must present photo ID at the polls before voting in local and state government elections. A birth certificate is among the documents the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) Division of Vehicles will accept from Kansans applying for a free non-driver identification card.
To qualify for this type of free birth certificate, a person must (1) not possess any documents listed as valid photographic identification documents under Kansas law, (2) lack any of the documents necessary to prove identity; (3) sign an affidavit attesting to items #1 and #2 (4) be registered to vote in Kansas, and (5) have been born in Kansas.
Kansans requesting a birth certificate for the purpose of obtaining a free non-driver identification card:
• Will not be able to get a free driver’s license, just a non-driver identification card.
• Cannot simultaneously hold a Kansas driver’s license and a Kansas non-driver identification card.
• Will only be issued one birth certificate under this program
• Can share the forms submitted under this program with other agencies.
The State of Kansas guidelines and affidavit for obtaining a free birth certificate to be used in acquiring free voter identification can be found at: https://www.kdheks.gov/vital/birth_cert_voter_ID_guidance.htm
Former Fort Hays State University professor Howard B. Peters, 65, died Saturday at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Peters taught organizational communication from 1997 to 2010. He also taught in the FHSU Business Department.
Peters was the administrator, and coached for the Hays Federated Football League for more than 30 years.
Memorial services will be 4:00 P.M. Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church, Hays. Private family internment will be at a later date. The family will greet friends Friday 3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. at the church.
Memorial contributions are suggested to Hays Little League Football or the DeBakey Heart Institute.
Meet Bishop-elect Monsignor Edward J. Weisenburger of Oklahoma City, who will become the new bishop of the Salina Catholic Diocese, which includes Hays. Video Courtesy Salina Diocese
Fourteen area children now have a healthy mouth and a big smile, thanks to the “Give Kids a Smile” project offered by Lifetime Dental Care in Hays Friday.
Doctors Jeffrey Lowe and Steven Geist, with the help of their staff, provided more than 11-thousand dollars worth of free dental care to the youngsters from low-income families. “Give Kids a Smile” is a national program sponsored by Henry Schein Dental, and the American Dental Association.
The children Lowe saw ranged in age from 5 to 12. It was the youngest boy whom Lowe called his “a champ, my best kid ever.” “Of his 22 teeth, 10 needed dental attention, including two that I had to pull. And this was after he’d already been through a sealant procedure and lessons on caring for his teeth, ” said Lowe.
Lowe and his wife Jana, owners of Lifetime Dental Care, are firm believers in giving back to the community. Lowe says for many Kansas kids and their parents, there are no other options for dental care.
The Lowes have participated in other volunteer dental programs, including Kansas Mission of Mercy, and wanted to do something similar in Hays.
For more on the story tonight, watch Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.
A new bishop is named to the Salina Catholic Diocese, which includes Hays, and he has ties to Hays.
According to a news release, Monsignor Edward J. Weisenburger of Oklahoma City is the Bishop-elect. The 51-year-old Weisenburger presently serves as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the rector of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Oklahoma City.
His mother was born and raised in Ellis County, and Weisenburger spent two of his childhood years in Hays but grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Weisenburger is expected to be ordained as Salina bishop May 1 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Salina, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City says.
The diocese has been without since Bishop Paul S. Coakley was named archbishop of Oklahoma City in 2010.
Because of the prediction of snowfall for Hays by the National Weather Service, the Hays Police and Public Works Departments are requesting residents and business owners to move their vehicles from the Emergency Snow Routes prior to the storm.
Removal of vehicles from the snow routes greatly assists in the street clearing efforts by the city.
Police Chief Don Scheibler says residents should dispose of snow on their lawns. Piling snow on city streets creates a traffic hazard that lingers for several days.
HAYS, Kan. — A Hays business is among the 2011 Emerging and Existing Businesses of the Year announced Thursday by the Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSBDC).
The Kitchen and Closet Solution–Hays , owned by Dustin Rupke and Brent Seib, is one of 15 Kansas small businesses will be recognized at a ceremony in Topeka Tuesday, March 13. The businesses were selected from more than 2,500 entrepreneurs who received KSBDC services in 2011.
Greg Panichello, KSBDC state director says “The continuing difficult national economy has provided numerous opportunities for small businesses to adapt and prosper in response. Collectively, we feel these 16 small businesses are excellent examples of small business adaptation and success in challenging times.”
During the last two months, business owners participated in video interviews, which will be presented at the awards ceremony. In addition, the award recipients will be presented with a plaque by their state legislators. The award recipients will also be recognized by the Kansas House and Kansas Senate.
The Kansas Small Business Development Center Network is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Kansas Department of Commerce. KSBDC is nationally accredited through the Association of Small Business Development Centers by congressional mandate.
KSBDC receives funding from and partners with higher education and economic development organizations to provide Kansas entrepreneurs with no-cost business consulting and resources for starting, maintaining and growing their businesses. The statewide host for the KSBDC is Fort Hays State University.
HAYS, Kan. — The Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) has announced the 2011 Emerging and Existing Businesses of the Year. Each of the eight KSBDC selected one emerging and one existing business for the award.
In total, 16 Kansas small businesses will be recognized at a ceremony in Topeka on Tuesday, March 13. The businesses were selected from more than 2,500 entrepreneurs who received KSBDC services in 2011.
“The businesses were selected after careful consideration by our regional directors and consultants,” said Greg Panichello, KSBDC state director. “The continuing difficult national economy has provided numerous opportunities for small businesses to adapt and prosper in response. Collectively, we feel these 16 small businesses are excellent examples of small business adaptation and success in challenging times.”
During the last two months, business owners participated in video interviews, which will be presented at the awards ceremony. In addition, the award recipients will be presented with a plaque by their state legislators. The award recipients will also be recognized by the Kansas House and Kansas Senate. Resolutions recognizing the business owners will be presented by Sen. Tom Holland D-Baldwin City and Rep. Don Hill R-Emporia. Both are KSBDC Advisory Board members.
The keynote speaker for the event is Martha Bartlett Piland, president and chief executive officer of MB Piland Advertising & Marketing, Topeka. In 1998, she started the company with an innovative new philosophy — Fat Free Advertising™. Her goal was to provide small- and medium-sized clients with “big agency” strategic planning and creative experience. She utilized the expertise of KSBDC consultants when she was starting her business.
“The professionals from the KSBDC provide a depth of expertise to anyone thinking about starting a business. I think they’ve seen it all, so they have great perspective,” she said. “I appreciated their sound advice in MB Piland’s startup phase, and as an established business owner, I find the KSBDC a good resource for objective feedback and opportunities for continued learning.”
Emerging and Existing Businesses of the Year:
Studio K Photography
Kelli Higgins, owner
Burlington
AT-HOME Health Care Inc.
David and Teresa Hurlocker, owners
Emporia
The Kitchen and Closet Solution
Dustin Rupke and Brent Seib, owners
Hays
A blizzard warning is in effect beginning late tonight for northwest Kansas and the Kansas Department of Transportation road crews are prepared for the storm.
Road crews have been assigned to cover areas targeted to be hit by the severe storm expected by late tonight or tomorrow. Heavy snow accumulations and blizzard conditions are expected all day tomorrow, with conditions diminishing on Saturday.
“We are ready for the storm,” said Joe Finley, KDOT Northwest District Maintenance Engineer. “We have prepared our trucks and road supplies and road crews are scheduled for around the clock. Due to the predicted rain first, crews will not be pre-treating roads.”
The National Weather Service expects the storm to be severe, with widespread blizzard conditions creating dangerous if not impossible travel conditions along I-70 and in the northwest region of the State on Friday and Saturday. Winds gusting to 50 mph are expected to produce white-out conditions.
A winter storm watch is also in effect for Norton, Sheridan, Graham and Gove counties from Friday evening through Saturday afternoon, with severe weather expected in this area also.
Heavy rain is expected in east central, north central and northeast Kansas on Friday, changing to sleet and snow by late Friday or early Saturday, with accumulating snow possible from Friday night to Saturday night and ending by Sunday morning.
The Kansas Department of Transportation is advising motorists who must travel to monitor weather and road conditions before traveling by taking advantage of KDOT’s free traveler information services:
Visit KanDrive, www.kandrive.org, KDOT’s traveler information gateway for Kansas and surrounding states, to get enhanced camera views.
BETA – SKY CAM
Hays resident Sue Boldra filed Tuesday in Topeka for election to the 36th Senate District.
Boldra, a Republican, is a former longtime Hays High School government teacher, now an instructor of Teacher Education at Fort Hays State University, and also sells real estate.
Boldra was unsuccessful in her bid in 2010 for the First District Congressional seat that was vacated by Jerry Moran.
The 36th District covers the counties of Ellis, Rush, Russell, Mitchell, Osborne, Phillips, Smith, Hodgeman, Pawnee, and portions of Jewell county.
The 36th is 4,055 residents short of the ideal population for a Senate district and is vulnerable to redistricting this legislative session.
Rural Hays resident Allen Schmidt, a Democrat, currently holds the seat.
Boldra is the second Republican to file in the 36th race. Smith Center resident Kyle Abbott filed last year.
