By BOB GARDENER Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and GARY MUSSELMAN Executive Director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association
Many parents are trying to live the dream through their sons and daughters – the dream of landing a college athletic scholarship by specializing in a sport year-round. Unfortunately, most of these dreams are never realized. The odds of a sports scholarship paying for even a portion of a student’s college education are miniscule.
The College Board, a not-for-profit organization comprised of 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions, reports that a moderate cost for college students who attend a public university in their state of residence is $25,290 per year. The annual cost at a private college averages $50,900.
Meanwhile, the most recent data from the NCAA reveals that the average Division I athletic scholarship is worth only $10,400. More significantly, the same study shows that fewer than two percent of all high school athletes (1 in 54) ever wear the uniform of an NCAA Division I school.
Even if the dream is realized, parents likely will spend more money for club sports than they ever regain through college athletic scholarships. Thanks to the costs of club fees, equipment, summer camps, playing in out-of-state tournaments and private coaching, youth sports has become a $15 billion-per-year industry.
There is an option, and it’s a financially viable one: Encourage your sons and daughters to play sports at their high school.
In education-based high school sports, student-athletes are taught, as the term implies, that grades come first. The real-life lessons that students experientially learn offer insights into leadership, overcoming adversity and mutual respect that cannot be learned anywhere else. Unlike club sports, coaches in an education-based school setting are held accountable by the guiding principles and goals of their school district. And the cost of participating in high school sports is minimal in most cases.
While there is a belief that the only way to get noticed by college coaches is to play on non-school travel teams year-round, many Division I football and basketball coaches recently have stated that they are committed to recruiting students who have played multiple sports within the high school setting.
In addition, by focusing on academics while playing sports within the school setting, students can earn scholarships for academics and other talents—skill sets oftentimes nurtured while participating in high school activities. These scholarships are more accessible and worth more money than athletic scholarships. While $3 billion per year is available for athletic scholarships, more than $11 billion is awarded for academic scholarships and other financial assistance.
Without a doubt, your sons and daughters will have more fun, make more friends and be better prepared for life beyond sport by participating in multiple sports and activities offered by the high school in your community.
Martin HawverWhile K-12 finance, a budget and taxes are all consuming oxygen in the Statehouse, gun legislation is locked and loaded and ready for a House-Senate shootout in which just one major policy change is apparently ready to be approved. But there is another piece of gun legislation which might move to center stage.
The apparently agreed-to issue is to prevent people who have been convicted of misdemeanors for domestic violence within the past five years from having guns, along with those who are under court order to stop stalking, harassing or threatening an “intimate partner, child or child of an intimate partner.”
Now, that may be as far as legislators are ready to go this year. No prohibition of those bump stocks which turn a semi-automatic rifle into a machine gun that can fire off multiple bullets with just one trigger pull, no new limits on carrying concealed weapons on college campuses.
And…so far, no action in either chamber on what could become the center point of gun safety, the so-called “red flag” law, which some other states have enacted after a series of mass shootings. That red flag business is interesting, and there are versions of the bill in both the House and Senate which haven’t gotten hearings yet.
Key to the red flag is that if friends or relatives or other close acquaintances notice a dramatic change in the behavior of a gun owner—maybe a tragedy has happened or there has been an emotional or other significant change in behavior—they can make a complaint to a judge and the judge can order that the person’s guns and ammunition can be seized.
It’s just a temporary deal, with the subject of the complaint getting the chance for a quick evaluation to determine whether he/she does present a danger to himself or others, and if there is no problem, the person gets the guns and ammo back. That’s something that can happen within a couple weeks.
It’s a “prove you aren’t dangerous” standard that proponents believe will prevent suicides or other dangerous use of weapons. The red flag is just a way to improve the chances that a tragedy can be prevented. But it’s not making any progress yet and might not this year.
It’s not quite as simple as Kansas-made gun silencers or bump stocks or those throwing stars that some are OK with people carrying around as long as they don’t threaten anyone with them.
Pre-emptive gun bills are a little tougher to sell because, well, they’re pre-emptive, messing with the constitutional right to bear arms. If that crazy guy next door wants his guns, it’s OK as long as he/she doesn’t hurt anyone…until they do.
With a red flag law, that Second Amendment right to have guns gets interrupted, and that’s a tough choice for responsible gun owners who aren’t a danger to anything except targets and maybe a rabbit or deer or two. A major change in mental capacity or emotional stress probably means more than if, after an icky divorce, an ex-spouse with that major change just acts out by buying a red convertible or maybe those shirts designed to be worn untucked.
Every time someone who even Second Amendment activists don’t think should have a gun shoots him/herself, or others, well, it just puts more anti-gun stories in the newspapers and on TV and threatens some wider gun restrictions.
See the problem here? It’s how to essentially mess around with a constitutional right that the writers of the Constitution didn’t think of more than 200 years ago. If they’d thought of adding the word “safe” or “competent” or something similar, well, things would be a lot different.
But they didn’t, and things aren’t.
So, let’s watch this one.
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com
Hello from Topeka and it was great to see moisture over much of the area the first of the week. Although we can use more, we thank the Good Lord for providing much needed precipitation.
At the end of last week, the much-anticipated report was received on funding from K-12 education. There were some numbers that were not correct in coming up with the total dollars the study said was needed, but by all indications it shows it could be as much as $2 billion dollars over the next several years. We will know more as the next few days progress on what the legislature will do in sending a response to the Kansas Supreme Court, I think it is going to be difficult to find the votes for a major tax increase this year. There continues to be speculation of additional income taxes or property taxes levied to provide additional money. As a member of the tax committee, there have been several proposals but not much support for anything currently.
One of the bills which has been given a lot of attention was SB 405, which is clarifying animal conversion units for poultry facilities with dry manure systems. The bill would establish the animal unit measurement calculation for chicken facilities that use a dry manure waste system as the number of laying hens or broilers, multiplied by 0.003. The bill would also require a confined chicken facility to obtain a federal permit if the facility uses a dry manure system and confines 125,000 or more broilers or 82,000 or more laying hens. It may not be a perfect bill, but it is a first step if communities want to pursue poultry operations. It passed by a vote of 84-37, I voted yes.
Also last week, the Agriculture Committee heard testimony on SB 263, which would allow the Kansas Department of Agriculture to cultivate and research the uses of industrial hemp. Principally, the research would be conducted in effort to analyze its required soils, growing conditions, harvest methods, and the potential for an industrial hemp market in Kansas. Additionally, a pilot program in Russell County would be established to study its effect on economic development and the development of industrial hemp products. Representatives Willie Dove, Steven Johnson, and Troy Waymaster expressed their support, as well as the Department of Agriculture, the Sierra Club, small businesses, and private citizens. Data was included that showed hemp uses 66% less water than corn, requires virtually no pesticides or fertilizers, and has great potential to improve agricultural and economic activity in rural Kansas. Opponents argued that the provisions of the bill would lead to the legalization of marijuana, while others asserted that this bill would not go far enough concerning hemp.
In March of 2017, the House passed HB 2182 on a vote of 103-18. HB 2182 differs from SB 263, in that SB 263 solely allows the Department of Agriculture, either alone or in coordination with a state institution of higher education to grow, cultivate, and research industrial hemp. Earlier in February, the Senate approved this bill with a final vote count of 36-3. The committee passed SB 263 this week and has yet to be considered by the full house.
The Kansas House recognized the Kansas Small Business Development Center’s 2018 Businesses of the Year with House Resolution 6051. The resolution was sponsored by 75 members of the House. The resolution noted that the mission of the Kansas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is to, “increase economic prosperity in Kansas by helping entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their businesses through professional consulting and training, and the identification of appropriate resources. The Kansas SBDC choose seven Emerging Businesses of the Year, seven Existing Businesses of the Year, and two Exporting Businesses of the Year award recipients.
The 2018 Kansas SBDC Emerging Businesses of the Year are: BellaRose Boutique and Tanning Salon, LLC in Burlington, owned by Lindsay Beyer; Lost Creek Supply in Kensington, owned by Kaid Baumann; Angel Competition Bikinis, LLC in Lenexa, owned by Karah and Lauren Beeves; HMC Performance Coatings in Tonganoxie, owned by Shawn and Amie Bristol; Root Coffeehouse in Pittsburg, owned by Lindsey and Trent King; Advantage Marketing in Wichita, owned by Cori Kohlmeier and Amy Hoefer; and Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Marys, owned by Dan Hohman.
The 2018 Kansas SBDC Existing Businesses of the Year are: Radius Brewing Company, LLC in Emporia, owned by Justin Bays, Jeremy Johns and Chad Swift; KYVZ Radio in Atwood, owned by Joe Vysourek; KC Restoration, LLC in Olathe, owned by Bill and LeAnn Luemmen; KEAdvisors in Lawrence, owned by Keith Ely; LaHarpe Telephone Company, Inc. in LaHarpe, owned by Harry Lee, Joyce Lee and Carol Higginbotham; T & B Towing, LLC in Liberal, owned by Ty Rader; Overstock Art, LLC in Wichita, owned by David Sasson; and Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise in Alma, owned by Lori Daniel.
The 2018 Kansas SBDC Exporting Businesses of the Year are: Double D Family Mat Shop, Inc. in Park, owned by Dale and Dena Goetz; and Northwind Technical Services, LLC in Sabetha, owned by Mike and Marlene Bosworth.
My office is now on the 5th floor at 512-N. The phone number stays the same. Please feel free to reach out with concerns and questions, I will do my best to respond it a timely manner. My phone number is (785) 296-7463 and email is: [email protected], my cell number is (785) 302-8416. You can also check out kenforkansas.com.
John Schlageck writes for the Kansas Farm Bureau.The personal letter may soon go the way of the dinosaur or the Edsel automobile – extinction.
Maybe because of the time it takes to write a hand-written letter, this type of communication isn’t as popular as it once was. That’s why people who receive such letters cherish them so.
The best letters are hand-written with a fountain pen. Sometimes the handwriting is smooth with the letters beautifully shaped and spaced.
My mother wrote letters filled with such penmanship. Legibility marked her every word.
As Mom grew older, her writing became a bit less beautiful. I used to become a little melancholy when I’d see the envelope she’s addressed to me arrive in the mail. But once I opened the envelope and began reading, my mood changed to joy.
My mother wrote a wonderful letter – filled with news about what Dad and she were doing. Whether they’d received rain. Father Walshe’s Sunday sermon or the condition of her garden.
It was jam-packed with details and provided me with updates about my family and their animals. I learned about my aunts and uncles, neighbors I grew up with, or how many quarts of tomatoes she’d finished canning for the upcoming winter.
Once upon a time, a letter was sent as a personal message from one person to another. It’s unfortunate more of us don’t communicate this way anymore.
I consider it a real gift to receive a letter written in conversational form intended just for me.
A couple weeks ago, I received such a letter from a friend in Sedgwick County, Kent Winter, who farms northwest of Wichita near Andale. The envelope was also penned in Winter’s hand.
The letter opened with (salutation), “Good morning John,” and continued in his easy, flowing style. The message of the letter focused on Kent’s oldest son, Alan, and news of his education in the seminary at St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, Calif. Alan continues in the preliminary phase of becoming a member of the Norbertine Order.
Consider the news about his son Kent related to me in just this one paragraph. Think about how much else I learned in his entire message to me.
Personal letters are special. I have a box of them tucked away in my birch- wood desk in the study of our home. Another bunch of contemporary letters clutter one of the kitchen drawers where our portable phone sometimes hides out.
A treasured letter will last a lifetime. Letters are a form of communication that allow the writer to reveal some of his/her most personal thoughts. These thoughts may be critiqued and scrutinized time and time again before some letters are even mailed.
In a letter the subject matter is specific. Individual topics may be addressed. The writer’s personal self surfaces in a hand-written letter.
Often, people write from their hearts, as well as their minds, in their letters. What may appear trite to a disinterested third party makes sense to the person who receives the personal message.
Personal letters may not make sense to anyone else, but the two parties involved usually understand every word, sentence, paragraph and page. And, oh, how wonderful it is to sit down in your favorite chair and read through a personal letter intended just for you.
If you are one of those people who enjoy receiving a hand-written letter, think of how one of your close friends or loved ones might enjoy hearing from you in the same form.
Write to someone you know and care about soon. Let’s keep this personal form of communication alive.
Better yet, lets revitalize a treasured tradition.
Doing laundry probably tops the list of the most frequent household tasks, so anything to make the chore easier is certainly welcome. While single-load liquid laundry packets offer lots of ease and convenience, these highly concentrated doses of detergent can be harmful if swallowed or splashed in the eyes of children.
This week is National Poison Prevention Week (March 18-24, 2018), a time when the American Cleaning Institute reminds parents and caregivers to store liquid laundry packets up and out of the reach of children.
The packets have been called “pretty poisons”– a term poison control centers use for look-alike products that look like something good to eat or drink to a child but which can be harmful if tasted, swallowed, or gotten on the skin or in the eyes. The packets often resemble candy or juice, and are the perfect size for a young child to grab and put in his mouth.
The health risks have been around nearly as long as the laundry packets themselves. Tide, for example, began selling its pods in February 2012. About a year later, federal consumer safety officials were compelled to warn families that children find such packets appealing.
In a study reported in Pediatrics, laundry detergent packets were identified as the biggest contributor to hospitalizations and serious medical issues among any other kind of detergent poisoning. Last year, poison control center received 10,585 reports of children 5 or younger being exposed to the packets. In the first two months of 2018, so far there have been reports of 1,194 exposures by young children, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. (Note: The term “exposure” means someone has had contact with the substance in some way; for example, ingested, inhaled, absorbed by the skin or eyes, etc. Not all exposures are poisonings or overdoses.)
While unintentional misuse by children five and under accounts for the majority of laundry packet cases, a recent trend among teenagers ingesting the packets— and uploading videos to social media— has caused significant concern among poison control centers.
In January and the first half of February 2018, poison control centers handled 191 cases in which teenagers were intentionally exposed to the detergent packets. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports there were 53 such cases in 2017 and 39 cases in 2016.
The companies that make the packets use different formulas, but one thing is clear: they contain more than just soap. Highly concentrated detergent and a variety of chemicals are inside, depending on the brand. A dissolvable covering holds it all together. The chemicals can cause severe burns to the mouth, esophagus or respiratory tract, and some very young and very old patients with cognitive issues have been rushed to emergency rooms or even died as a result of eating the packets.
Manufacturers of laundry packets have taken steps to improve the product’s safety such as making the packaging opaque so children cannot see inside the packets and adding a bitter taste to the packet’s film covering. In addition, the packets have been revamped to withstand the pressure of a child squeezing it and prominent warnings are now stamped on packaging along with contact information for the Poison Control Centers, in case of accidental exposure.
An American Cleaning Institute national survey revealed 61 percent of parents stored laundry packets in sight or in reach of young children. That is why they created the PACKETS UP safety initiative to help reduce accidents related to liquid laundry packets.
Families can prevent possible poisonings by following a few easy- but critical- safety measures. Laundry packets should be stored in their original packaging, with the label intact, and placed up high, out of reach and out of sight of toddlers and young children. It also is important to use laundry packets as directed and be sure to seal and put the package away immediately after use. Consumers can find more information at the ACI website: www.PACKETSUP.com.
Contact the Hays or Great Bend offices of the Cottonwood Extension District for a free PACKETS UP cling containing a safety reminder from the American Cleaning Institute.
Don’t let a “pretty poison” cause a tragedy for your children. Put packets up for accident prevention.
Linda K. Beech is Cottonwood District Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.
Three militia members accused of plotting to bomb a mosque and apartment complex in southwest Kansas go on trial Tuesday in Wichita.
Ambiyo Farah said Liberal, Kansas, “is not innocent anymore.” An alleged plot to bomb a mosque and an apartment where Somali refugees live has roots in the meatpacking town. FRANK MORRIS
Their alleged plot laid bare tiny pockets of the ugliest, potentially violent, racism in a region that’s seen immigrants drawn to tough meatpacking jobs for decades.
The raw hate exposed in the alleged plan shocked some of the refugees who were targeted, reminding them of violence they fled in Somalia and sparking an exodus from one of the prairie towns.
It also prompted more people to talk with admiration of the workforce that keeps the meatpacking industry, and the region’s economy, alive. They’ve reached out to the would-be targets of domestic terrorism.
“We all give each other a chance here,” says LeVita Rohlman, who directs the Catholic Agency for Migration and Refugee Services in Garden City. “Even when things go wrong. I believe that this community stands united.”
The plot took root near Dodge City, at the easternmost point of a the Kansas meatpacking triangle formed with Liberal and Dodge City. All three Great Plains cities have for generations drawn immigrants for the smelly, dangerous work of transforming cattle into steaks and hamburger. It’s work that few U.S.-born Americans take on.
Just outside Dodge City, Patrick Stein lived in an old trailer home in Wright, Kansas, next to a rusting Quonset and a grain elevator. Neighbors say that Stein came from a respected family in town, but that he kept strange hours.
When FBI agents raided his home October 14, 2016, they found a high-powered rifle on the couch, ammunition and what appeared to be methamphetamine pipes. They also found a piece of paper with the address of an apartment complex in Garden City that authorities say was target for an act of domestic terror.
Cultures mix in the meatpacking triangle
Prosecutors say a plot to kill Muslims was discussed with an informant in this Quonset hut in Wright, Kansas. CREDIT FRANK MORRIS
In Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal, people of European descent are now in the minority. Immigrants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, are a key part of workforce.
One of Stein’s old neighbors in Wright, Chelsea Bradville, lives in a home decorated with taxidermy and patriotic figurines. A pickup sporting a large black assault rifle decal sits out front. Bradville, like many in the meatpacking triangle, harbors an abiding respect for immigrants doing the hard work at area slaughterhouses.
“It’s very intensive labor, and there’s a lot of the community that doesn’t want to do that, you know, and they do,” says Bradville. “They’ll do the hard work, and make it.”
That thinking is pretty widespread. Old West towns like Dodge City lay claim to authentic gunslinger credibility and a history of destitute farmers toughing it out through the Dust Bowl years.
The modern story of the region speaks to a place where just about anyone, from anywhere, can make a living and gain a toehold on the American dream. Earl Watt publishes The High Plains Daily Leader and the Southwest Daily Times in Liberal.
“Opportunity may take you elsewhere, but this is a place where you get a chance to get started,” promises Watt. “If life bottoms you out, come on out, get restarted here. You’ll get that chance. We’ll get you back on your feet. That’s what defines us more than anything else.”
Southwest Kansas might have been defined something more sinister, domestic terrorism. Instead, authorities contend, a deadly scheme was foiled through the work of someone Stein believed to be a natural compatriot in an anti-Muslim crusade.
‘Only good Muslim, is a dead Muslim’
Early in 2016, an acquaintance of Stein’s contacted the FBI and became a paid confidential informant. That led him to record conversations with Stein and during meetings with two other men — Curtis Allen and Gavin Wright — who had allegedly joined his makeshift, anti-government, anti-Muslim militia.
They called themselves the Crusaders. According to the indictment, Stein seemed to relish mass murder.
“The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim,” Stein allegedly said in one recorded conversation. “If you’re a Muslim, I’m going to enjoy shooting you in the head.”
That, according to court records, included 1-year-olds. Stein regularly referred to Somalis as “cockroaches,” prosecutors contend, and compared himself to an exterminator.
The recordings allegedly chronicle the Crusaders discussing bomb types, and ordering supplies to make explosives, some of which were shipped to Gavin Wright’s modular home dealership in Liberal.
Curtis Allen was allegedly put in charge of writing a manifesto to be released after the group launched its bombing campaign. That document would fame the terror attacks as patriotic defense of the U.S. Constitution and, the three supposedly hoped, inspire other groups to wage war on Muslim immigrants. They allegedly decided to time the attack for just after the November 2016 election, so as not to hurt Donald Trump’s chances.
Their lawyers had sought to make sure juror were drawn not from more urban Wichita, but from more reliably conservative voters in the state’s southwestern corner. A judge rejected that request.
Allen had been convicted of domestic battery, and wasn’t supposed to have guns. But court documents say that when agents searched his home they found almost two dozen firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
‘Why are you trying to kill me?’
The men eventually settled on 312 West Mary Street in Garden City, a closely spaced cluster of eight one-story apartment buildings. More than 100 people, primarily east African immigrants, live there. One apartment serves as a mosque.
According to court documents, the Crusaders discussed parking trucks loaded with explosives at the corners of the complex, placing bombs disguised as trash receptacles, and laying explosives in the duct work.
They spoke of shooting survivors, after leveling the buildings.
Ifrah Farah, a Somali immigrant who proudly states that she’s been in the United States four years, lives in a sparsely decorated apartment at the edge of the complex.
“I would like to ask the bad guys, ‘Why? What am I doing? Why are you trying to kill me? Am I Somali? Or, am I Muslim? What?’” she said.
The Plot Unravels
On October 11, 2016, police in Liberal arrested Allen, not long after his girlfriend called 911 to report that he had beaten her.
The next day, Stein had a meeting with an undercover FBI agent. The agent had been introduced by the FBI’s confidential source within the Crusaders group, as some kind of underworld figure, who could get him explosives. Stein had a long wish list: C-4 high explosives, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades.
Ifrah Farah wonders why Muslims in the region would be targeted by terrorists, as federal prosecutors allege. CREDIT FRANK MORRIS
“If I could get ahold of a warthog (an A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft) or an Apache helicopter I would be after that, too,” said Stein, according to court records.
Stein and the agent discussed trading cash and methamphetamine for explosives and machine guns.
At the meeting, the FBI employee let Stein fire fully automatic weapons. Then the agent and Stein drove to 312 West Mary Street, to scope the place out.
Garden City gets it right
Two days later, FBI agents arrested Stein when he delivered them 300 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, the same raw material Timothy McVeigh used to bomb the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.
In the Oklahoma City bombing, McVeigh was inspired by “The Turner Diaries,” a novel that glorified the idea of a race war. McVeigh had hoped his act would inspire others to take up arms against the federal government.
After Stein’s arrest, the FBI called Garden City Police Chief Michael Utz. He, in turn, called local immigrants.
“When the terrorist plot was uncovered, I reached out to the president of the African Community Center, and I said, ‘I need your help,’” Utz recalled. “He said, ‘What do you need, chief?’”
Utz wanted help convening a quick meeting with African immigrant leaders to tell them about the bomb plot before it hit the news. The next day, he was back to reassure other refugees.
“We made it a point to let the community know, that the three individuals involved in this conspiracy, were in custody, that the community was safe.”
More meetings, along with public demonstrations, supporting the immigrants followed. By most accounts, they worked.
Sitting in on his couch, in that Mary Street apartment complex, Abdulkadir Mohamed said Garden City has grown closer since government exposed the alleged the bomb plot.
“The FBI, CIA, and law enforcement work together. That’s what I believe. That’s why I’m really happy. And I appreciate what they do here. Because, I’m still alive,” said Mohamed.
Mohamed is optimistic about the future of Garden City.
Abdulkadir Mohamed says Garden City has responded positively to news that authorities believe a bomb plot was aimed at Somalis. CREDIT FRANK MORRIS
But 60 miles south of Garden City, in Liberal, the disclosure of the bomb plot had the opposite effect.
“Liberal is not innocent, anymore,” said Ambiyo Farah, an 18-year-old college student in Liberal whose family fled civil war in Somalia over a decade ago. “It’s like Somalia now, you know, there’s a threat on you.”
Farah says that she’s one of the few from her native country still living in Liberal. Nearly 200 Somalis have fled the small city. That’s clear at what used to be a thriving African grocery store.
“This is the place, or it used to be the place, but now it’s a ghost town. There’s no one here,” Farah said while standing at a corner storefront in downtown Liberal. A, where a sign over the locked door reads International African Grocery.
“It used to be really beautiful,” recalls Farah, looking at the building. “Someone standing here, dressed their African clothing, just to welcome you, say hi. Give you something if you had a kid with you, but there’s no one here now.”
Down the block, ripped up carpet and insulation litter what used to be a storefront mosque.
Farah said many Somalis from Liberal moved to Garden City, joining a larger, and more secure Somali community there.
“A lot of people … have a misperception about what my religion is,” says Farah “If you don’t believe what they believe in, you’re an automatic threat. You’re here to take something, or you’re here to hurt somebody.”
GEARY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a pair of armed robberies and have a suspect in custody.
Carwell- photo Geary Co.
Just before 10p.m. March 12, a person reported being approached by two black men in the alley behind El Tapatio restaurant, 300 West 6th Street, according to a media release.
The victim advised one of the men had a gun and demanded money. The victim ran several blocks to his home after giving the suspects his cell phone.
At approximately the same time, dispatch received a 911 call from a second victim that had been walking in the same area being approached by two black men, one with a gun and both wearing dark clothing. The subjects demanded money and took the second victim’s wallet and cell phone. The suspects ran west through the alley after the incident. It’s believed these incidents happened within several minutes of one another.
On March 14, police arrested James Tyshawn Carwell at a residence in the 500 Block of West 18th Street on suspicion of two counts of Aggravated Robbery stemming from those robberies.
He is being held at the Geary County Detention Center on $100,000 bond.
Detectives continue to work this case to identify the other subject involved. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police department TIPS line at 785-762-8477 or leave a webtip at Gearycrimestoppers.com. You can remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.
Friend,
Last week, Governor Jeff Colyer declared a drought for all 105 counties in Kansas. With his declaration the state will deploy their disaster relief efforts for our farmers and ranchers.
Currently, there are 66 counties experiencing severe or extreme drought levels. These dry temperatures devastate our crops, and affect our livestock. And when our lands get this dry, we know far too well the other consequence, wildfires. I want to thank all of those that have worked to provide aid to our communities. During these tough times we must stick together.
STOP School Violence Act
The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution states that we as a nation need to “Provide for the Common Defense.” This past Wednesday, the House of Representatives is holding true to this principle by unanimously passing the STOP School Violence Act.
This bill provides funding for prevention training that will help students and staff recognize and respond quickly to warning signs of a possible attack.
The STOP School Violence Act goes beyond keeping our schools safe, this bill will help our communities work together to identify threats in all public spaces, like airports, stadiums, malls etc. Our children, educators, and officers will now have the resources to report and better understand the warning signs. We as a nation, will be much safer with this law.
It also provides funds for technology and equipment to drastically improve school security and would create an anonymous reporting system via mobile apps, a hot-line, and a website where people can report or provide tips about individuals they believe may commit an act of violence.
We must identify threats and prevent violence with training, coordination, and intervention. I think regardless of party affiliation we all share the same goal of a safer America, and this is a great step towards that.
(Click to enlarge)
Small Businesses Flourish
According to the National Federation of Independent Business, the small business optimism index rose to one of the highest levels we’ve seen in nearly 50 years. Small business owners are more confident than ever in today’s economy, and we want to continue to reduce the regulatory and financial burdens that startups and entrepreneurs in the Big First face as they start and grow a business.
The Small Business Committee held a markup of six bills on Wednesday of this week, which would amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act. As a cosponsor of two of these bills, H.R. 4743, the Small Business 7(a) Lending Oversight Reform Act, and H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act, I was pleased to see that all six of the bills passed unanimously out of Committee. The two bills that I cosponsored aim to help small businesses more easily access capital, and enable entrepreneurs to gain training needed to protect their sensitive information from cyberattacks. More information on all 6 bills can be found here.
Section 199a Tax Glitch Fix
I am pleased to see the National Grain and Feed Association and the National Council for Farmer Cooperatives announce a technical fix to the tax code that inadvertently provided incentives for farmers and ranchers to do business with certain business structures and not others. I’m hopeful the fix will be included in the omnibus appropriations bill the House is set to vote on this week. The fix will ensure that the benefits of the December tax reform package are positive for all business types and that the federal government doesn’t pick winners and losers through the tax code. You can read more about that item here: :https://www.ngfa.org/press-releases/ncfc-ngfa-joint-statement-legislation-resolve-section-199a-tax-cuts-jobs-act/
Mike Pompeo
Kansan in the State Department
Mr. Mike Pompeo, who has very close ties to our state, was just appointed last week as our new Secretary of State. I am proud and excited to see Mr. Pompeo represent our values and interests overseas. His more than qualified track record and experience will make him an excellent Secretary of State, and I will fully support him in his challenging but utmost important task of heading our country’s foreign policy, diplomacy and national security.
Back in Kansas
I had the pleasure this past week to visit some outstanding Kansas innovators, energy producers, state leaders and others working hard every day to help Kansas lead in new ideas, advanced research, the economy, and job growth.
Kansas Ethanol LLC facility
I also met with ethanol producers and agriculture industry leaders at the Kansas Ethanol LLC facility to discuss the preservation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and current Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) structure.
In the discussion, producers made it clear that a cap on RINs would have serious implications on the Big First District. Ethanol not only benefits Kansas farmers but provides a higher-octane, cleaner-burning fuel alternative for drivers across the country. These discussions between ethanol producers and refiners must lead to a win-win solution for both industries.
TOPEKA— On March 8, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment were notified of a case of measles in a daycare in Johnson County.
CDC photo-skin of a patient after 3 days of measles infection
According to a KDHE media release, ten cases have now been identified – eight Johnson County residents, one Linn County resident associated with the daycare and one Miami County resident not associated with the daycare.
To date, KDHE along with the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, Linn County Department of Health, and the Miami County Department of Health have been able to identify where and when each case became infected including a new location.
*AMC Dine-In Studio 28; 12075 S. Strang Line Rd, Olathe, KS; March 9th from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Aldi’s; 15290 W. 119th St Olathe, KS 66062; on March 2nd from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Payless Discount Foods; 2101 E. Santa Fe St, Olathe, KS; on March 6th from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
El Potro Mexican Café; 602 N Pearl St, Paola, KS on March 7th from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas Emergency Department; 5808 W 110th St, Overland Park, KSon March 8th and March 10th in the morning
Budget Coin Laundry; 798 E Main St, Gardner, KS; on March 9th from 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Olathe YMCA swimming pool and locker room; 21400 W. 153rd St, Olathe, KS; on March 10th from9:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Bath and Body Works at Legends Outlets; 1803 Village W Pkwy, Kansas City, KS; on March 10th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Crazy 8 at Legends Outlets; 1843 Village W Pkwy, Kansas City, KS; on March 10th after 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Orange Leaf; 11524 W 135th St Overland Park, KS; on March 10th from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PMMeasles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus. Measles is spread through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing. Measles can be spread to others from four days before to four days after the rash appears. Measles cannot be spread to others by people who do not have the disease.
Symptoms of measles typically begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red watery eyes. Three to five days after symptoms begin a rash develops and usually starts on the face at the hairline and spreads down to the neck, trunk, arms, and legs.
The best way to prevent measles is to get the MMR vaccine. Currently, KDHE is not recommending any changes to the routine vaccination schedule. If you have had measles or have been vaccinated, your risk of contracting the disease is extremely low.
Because measles is a highly infectious disease, it is very important, if a person has been exposed and is starting to experience symptoms, that they STAY HOME except to see a healthcare provider and limit their contact with people
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on trial challenging a law in Kansas that requires people to show documentation when registering to vote. (all times local):
7:30 p.m.
After seven often contentious days, testimony has ended in a federal bench trial challenging a Kansas voter registration law.
During closing arguments Monday, Dale Ho, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, argued that the thousands of noncitizens who Secretary of State Kris Kobach contends are stealing elections “are not real.” But he said the law has stopped thousands of U.S. citizens from voting. And he says there has been real damage to the electoral process in Kansas. He asked U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson to find that the law should not be imposed on Kansas.
In his closing, Kobach argued the law hasn’t prevented anyone but noncitizens from voting. He says people put on a list of suspended voters have several ways to provide the required documentation and register to vote. He urged Robinson to uphold the will of the Kansas Legislature, which enacted the law in 2013.
Robinson didn’t say when she would issue a ruling but said she is mindful that elections are approaching. Attorneys have until April 16 for any more legal filings in the case.
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1:30 p.m.:
A pollster hired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has testified that he conducted a survey of 500 adults and found just one person who couldn’t produce a document proving U.S. citizenship.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Monday his testimony came on the seventh day of a bench trial challenging the Kansas proof-of-citizenship requirement.
Pollster Pat McFerron also acknowledged possible bias in his survey under questioning by an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union.
U.S. District judge Julie Robinson allowed McFerron to testify, even though he was not identified as an expert witness before the deadline that had been set by the judge.
McFerron is president of Cole Hargrave Snodgrass, a firm which primary caters to Republican candidates. He was paid $9,000 for his survey.
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — The number of lawsuits accusing a former physician assistant at a Veteran’s Administration hospital in Kansas of sexual abuse is approaching 100.
Wisner-photo KDOC
Kansas City attorneys Dan Curry and Sarah Brown filed three more lawsuits last week on behalf of former patients of Mark Wisner. He was sentenced last year to more than 15 years in prison for sex crimes involving patients at the Eisenhower Veterans Administration Medical Center in Leavenworth.
Curry said he expects to file a few more lawsuits in the near future, bringing the total number to around 100. Some seek $2 million or more in damages.
Prosecutors said Wisner performed improper and medically unnecessary genital examinations on patients from 2012 to 2014. He resigned and had his license to practice revoked in 2015.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Multiple chances were missed to save a 3-year-old Wichita boy before he was found encased in concrete, a former Kansas welfare official said.
Evan Brewer- courtesy photo
Dianne Keech, the Department of Children and Families deputy director from 2013 to 2015, said the “point of no return” was when the agency failed to call 911 last April after receiving a report that Evan Brewer had hit his head while taking a bath and “had no pulse” before being revived.
The person making the report said Evan and his mother, Miranda Miller, were domestic violence victims and that someone would “take life from them” before “bringing them back.” His mother’s live-in boyfriend, Stephen Bodine, allegedly bragged about choking Evan and his mother and strangling the boy until he became unconscious, according to records that Keech reviewed after they were released earlier this month.
Keech said that instead of calling 911 and flagging the report to administrators as a “critical incident,” it was placed on hold for six days. The case was closed April 28, records show. Evan’s body was found in September, and Miller and Bodine are charged with murder.
“If they don’t do the right thing there,” Keech said, “it seals his doom. They never recovered from that point on.”
Evan is the paternal grandson of former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, a Democratic candidate for governor this year. Evan had been the subject of a custody battle for months between his mother and father, Carlo Brewer, who had contacted state officials and local police over the welfare of his son. Too often, DCF took the word of the 3-year-old’s mother that he was OK, said Keech, who served on the state Child Death Review Board during part of her DCF tenure and now works as a child-protection consultant.
Keech counted six separate reports of abuse that the agency received from July 21, 2016, to May 14, 2017, before Evan’s death. Her analysis shows the agency failed to adequately address all safety and risk concerns with five of the six reports. She also found that DCF failed to collect all relevant information in at least four of the six reports.
“This is not Monday-morning quarterbacking,” Keech said. “This is how cases should be handled in the moment. I am reviewing this case based on investigative procedures that used to be standard for the agency.”
Shayla Johnston, a Brewer family spokeswoman and attorney, agrees with Keech that DCF failed. With anyone who looks at Evan’s case, Johnston said, “you can agree that bureaucracy killed Evan.”
DCF spokeswoman Theresa Freed said the agency could not comment on the case.
“Given the Brewer family’s stated desire to pursue litigation against the Kansas Department for Children and Families, we are not in a position to address each point alleged,” she said in an email.
By BOB GARDENER
