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Author: Hays Post
Hays Knights Council works to ‘lift high the cross’
Submitted
Hays is a Christian community. That fact is obvious by the 20 Christian churches in a city with a population slightly over 21,000. Recently, however, the Christian faith is being displayed more publically.
The Saint Mary’s Knights of Columbus council has put up 200 crosses in the yards of Christians throughout Hays, and they will remain up until April 7, the Saturday after Easter.
Stan Staab, the Grand Knight of this Catholic fraternal organization, got the idea from his brother-in-law whose Knights council in Russell worked a similar project. The Russell Knights council gave their cross project plans to Staab who took the idea to the Saint Mary’s Council. The idea was accepted, a committee of eight men were formed, and thus, the “Lift High the Cross” project began.
Five months later, on February 17, 2018, crosses were placed in yards of Christians who desired to publically display their Christian faith during this Lenten Season. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, for Christians, mimicking Jesus’ 40 days in the desert before he began his public ministry.
“It fits into the pillars of what the Knights of Columbus is all about,” Staab said. “It started as a parish-oriented project that involved fraternity among brother Knights who took the crosses out into the community to evangelize.”
“This is what the Knights mission is all about,” Lester Robben, who co-chaired the “Lift High the Cross” project committee with Staab. “The mission of the Knights of Columbus is to evangelize, educate and spread the faith.”
Robben estimated that 30 Knights of Columbus members, ranging in age from 21 through 75 were involved in this project.
The Saturday before Lent the Saint Mary’s Knights had a work day where one group of men built the crosses, and another group of men cut metal posts, which were anonymously donated. The following Saturday, Father Donald Zimmerman, interim pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Hays, blessed the crosses and led the men in prayer before sending them off two by two with a post driver, addresses and a map telling them where to install the crosses.
People who wanted a cross in their yard paid a $20 fee. White flags were given to the purchaser to place where in their yard they wanted the cross located. The purchaser is allowed to string the cross with lights or cloth, but they are not allowed to paint them.
For Christians, the bare cross represents victory over death. “It’s a powerful statement,” Staab said. “It’s why our Lord became incarnate – to die for our sins.”
“All around the world, Christians are being persecuted, probably more so now than any time in history. We are fortunate in the United States that we can display our Christian faith by having a cross in our front yard.”
“We’re hoping the ‘Lift High the Cross’ project spreads,” Staab said. “We’re hoping to collaborate with other Knights councils in the area next year, and we’re hoping it spreads throughout Kansas and into other states.”
If anyone is wanting a cross in their yard, they can still obtain one by calling or texting Lester Robben at 785.625.9356.
FHSU College of STM faculty publishes reference book chapter
Dr. Hendratta Ali, an associate professor at Fort Hays State University in the Werth College of STM, has published a chapter in the Springer Handbook of Petroleum Technology.
Her chapter focuses on the Fundamentals of Petroleum Geology and covers topics on the petroleum cycle, the history of petroleum, how petroleum accumulates and concentrates in the earth, how to find and locate petroleum underground, and what the future holds for petroleum globally.
Dr. Ali is a faculty member in the department of Geosciences and coordinator of the petroleum geology program. She was a 2017 recipient of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Inspirational Geoscience Educator Award, the Oklahoma State University College of Arts and Sciences Rising Star Award, and the FHSU 2017 John Heinrichs Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award.
— Submitted
Illegal immigrant arrested for alleged Kansas rape
JACKSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for an alleged sex crime.
On Wednesday, deputies arrested Antonio Ramirez-Garcia, 38, of Oaxaca, Mexico in connection to a February rape, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.
The crime is alleged to have occurred in the early morning hours on February 10, in Holton.
Detectives with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office located Ramirez-Garcia in Topeka where he was taken into custody.
Ramirez-Garcia, in the U.S. illegally, is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail for rape with bond set at $50,000.00.
Bob Fisher to attempt free throw record tonight in Hays
By C.D. DESALVO
Hays Post
Bob Fisher was in junior high when he fell in love with the game of basketball.
Fisher grew up on a farm just outside Vermillion, Kansas, and played basketball for Centralia High School about eight miles east of his home town. Fisher would turn to coaching a little later on in life and ended up coaching high school and youth basketball in Kansas for about 20 years.
Fisher always had a special interest in the shooting aspect of basketball, and in 2006 a book titled “The Physics of Basketball” by John Fontanella found its way into Fisher’s hands.
“In the book, he broke it down into the four factors that affect the flight of the ball. That would be gravity, drag force, Magnus force and buoyancy of the ball,” Fisher said. “I, like a lot of people, was searching for the answer to shooting. What Fontanella did was point me down a different path, and that is: ‘Is it possible to use physics to help make shots?'”
Fisher started studying physics, anatomy, biomechanics and started reading a number of books that brought him to determine all it really takes to become good in anything is knowledge, practice and time.
At 52, Fisher decided to test this theory himself.
“I went to the gym and started practicing shooting free throws. Four months later, I set my first record with 50 free throws in one minute. That got a little bit of publicity, so I started looking at the two-minute
record, and I broke that one a few months later,” Fisher said.
Fisher went on to break more free-throw records, teaching himself how to shoot left-handed and even blindfolded. To this day, Fisher has set 22 records in 14 different free-throw categories for Guinness World Records.
Fisher has been featured in a number of different TV shows, such as Inside Edition and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has also been in the New York Times. Fisher has made instructional videos and is close to finishing his first book.
Fisher will be at Gross Memorial Coliseum at Fort Hays State University tonight to attempt to break another free-throw record at halftime of the Tiger men’s game. The record he goes for will be determined right before the event.
General admission tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for kids and will be available at all gates at the coliseum.
Governor closes state offices due to winter storm
TOPEKA —Due to safety concerns regarding the winter storm forecast for the state Wednesday evening and continuing through late Thursday afternoon Feb. 22, Gov. Jeff Colyer has ordered the closing of state government for all state agencies.
#ksleg #kswx pic.twitter.com/rnpoemkIIc
— Governor Jeff Colyer (@GovJeffColyer) February 22, 2018
The closing is effect from midnight Thursday morning until 5 p.m. State employees are advised to tune to local television and radio stations or visit their websites for further information as the storm progresses.
Cloudy Thursday with chance for freezing rain
Today A slight chance of freezing drizzle before 1pm, then a slight chance of freezing rain between 1pm and 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 31. East wind 7 to 13 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming north northeast after midnight.
Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. North wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Friday Night A chance of freezing rain after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. East wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
SaturdayA chance of freezing rain before 10am, then a chance of rain between 10am and noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday NightMostly clear, with a low around 20.
Police investigating alleged school threat in Hill City
GRAHAM COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities and USD 281 officials are investigating an alleged school threat.
On Wednesday, the Hill City Police Department received information that a student may have made a threat of violence involving students at The Hill City Jr-Sr High School, according to the police department.
While investigating, all parents and students involved were contacted. The results of that investigation are inconclusive and there is no evidence that any threat occurred.
As a precaution, The Hill City Police Department, along with The Graham County Sheriff’s Office, will have officers present at The Hill City High School Thursday.
Kansas communities may apply now for designation as an Opportunity Zone
KDC
TOPEKA – On Tuesday, Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. announced that the Kansas Department of Commerce is now accepting proposals from communities to designate eligible low-income census tracts as Kansas Opportunity Zones under the new Federal Opportunity Zones program. Opportunity Zones are a new economic development tool enacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 designed to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities.
“One of the primary focuses of my administration is helping boost urban and rural communities that have been struggling with population decline, lack of jobs, and crumbling infrastructure,” said Gov. Colyer. “The Opportunity Zone program is a great opportunity for those who want to invest in their communities and be a proactive part of the solution.”
Opportunity Zones provide a tax incentive for the re-investment of unrealized capital gains into Opportunity Funds. The purpose of these funds is to invest in economically distressed areas designated by the Governor. The program provides deferral and reduction of capital gains taxes when the gain is invested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund and maintained for at least five years. Additional tax incentives are available for investments held for periods of seven and 10 years.
Based upon the number of low-income communities identified by the Federal Census, the Governor can designate 70 census tracts in Kansas as Opportunity Zones. Census tract eligibility is based upon population and income. Information about census tract eligibility for this program may be found at https://kansascommerce.gov/opportunityzones.
In addition to the federal eligibility criteria, the State will consider several other factors in determining which census tracts will be designated as Kansas Opportunity Zones. These factors include an indication of community interest and support for additional investment, the potential of at least one “ready to go” or otherwise identifiable project, and whether the identified project addresses one of the following target uses: industrial/business development, housing or agriculture. While these factors will be considered during the designation process, eligible communities that do not meet one or more of these criteria may still be considered for Opportunity Zone designation.
“We encourage Kansans to take advantage of this special opportunity to invest in their communities and stimulate economic growth in our state’s rural and economically disadvantaged areas. I am excited to see the impact this will have on our state,” said Robert North, Interim Secretary for the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Communities interested in submitting proposals to be considered as a Kansas Opportunity Zone should submit a letter of interest by March 1, 2018. Letters of interest should be on official local government or economic development organization letterhead and must include:
- The eligible census tract number;
- A statement of community interest and support for additional investment;
- A brief description of the tract and note whether it is predominantly commercial, industrial, residential or a mix;
- A description of any recent development activity, such as business or housing developments or other investments in the area, or any anticipated new developments or investments;
- The proposed targeted use of the area; and
- At least one identified or potential project.
Letters of Interest should be addressed to the Kansas Department of Commerce, Attn: Business Development, 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66612. Letters may also be submitted by email to [email protected].
Kansas has until March 21, 2018 to submit the Opportunity Zone recommendations to the U.S. Department of Treasury
Court: Kansas can’t cut Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas can’t cut Medicaid funds to a Planned Parenthood affiliate over videos anti-abortion activists secretly recorded in 2015, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision leaves in place a lower court’s preliminary injunction that blocked Kansas from ending the contract. It is the fifth of six circuits to uphold the right of patients to receive health care from their preferred qualified provider.
The decision applies to Kansas’ Medicaid contract with Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which has two health centers in Kansas and three in Missouri. However, the appeals panel sent back to the lower court a related injunction involving the state’s effort to terminate its contract with Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, which serves some Kansas patients at its clinic in Joplin, Missouri.
Planned Parenthood Great Plains in an emailed statement called the appeals court’s decision a “huge win” for Kansas Medicaid patients who know and trust it as their health care provider, saying the state’s termination of its contract was “baseless and politically motivated.”
“The 10th Circuit’s decision sends a strong message that state officials should not play politics with Medicaid — or the health care and wellbeing of Kansans,” said Dr. Brandon Hill, the group’s president and CEO.
Gov. Jeff Colyer’s spokesman, Kendall Marr, said in an email that the state is studying the 10th Circuit decision and considering further legal options.
“We will continue the fight for life,” Marr said.
Planned Parenthood provides health exams, contraception services, cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases, the court said, adding that while some of its clinics offer abortions, Medicaid seldom pays for those.
U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson in Kansas City, Kansas, issued the temporary ruling in July 2016 in a lawsuit filed by what was then called Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri and the organization’s St. Louis regional affiliate. Robinson wrote that Medicaid patients have “the explicit right to seek family planning services from the qualified provider of their choice.”
In July 2015, the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress released a series of edited videos purportedly depicting Planned Parenthood of America executives talking about the sale of fetal tissue.
Based on that, Kansas began investigating the affiliates in Kansas. The Kansas Board of Healing Arts determined in 2016 that after review of the investigative materials no further action would be taken. The Missouri attorney general investigated the affiliate in his state and also announced it found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Kansas already has blocked Planned Parenthood from receiving federal family planning dollars for non-abortion services in the state. The affiliate provides both surgical and medication abortions at its clinic in Overland Park, in far eastern Kansas near Kansas City, Missouri. It provides medication abortions at its Wichita clinic.
Federal courts have blocked attempts by other states to cut off Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, including Arkansas, Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana and Utah.
Kan. bank sues after ATM gave out $100s instead of $5s
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita bank is trying to get money back from a woman it accuses of making more than 50 withdrawals from an ATM that was spitting out $100 bills in place of $5s.
Central National Bank sued last month in Sedgwick County District. It’s demanding that Christina Ochoa return about $11,600 plus interest.
The bank contends the withdrawals stretched over a five-day period from Jan. 13 to Jan. 17. Most were made in the middle of the night.
Ochoa’s mother, Christy Ochoa, is also named because she drove her daughter to the ATM. The Ochoas have denied any wrongdoing. Christy Ochoa said her daughter wanted $5 bills to craft a “money cake” as a gift for an acquaintance who’d just had a baby.
Area high school basketball sub-state brackets
The Hoxie boys and girls have earned the top seeds and the 2A Trego sub-state.
The Hoxie girls are 18-1 and will take on eight-seed Decatur Community Monday in Hoxie. The winner will get the winner of St. Francis, the four-seed and five seed Plainville.
On the other side of the bracket the Hill City girls are the number two seed and will play seven-seed Oakley in the first-round Monday.
The winner will take on the winner of No. 3 Trego and No. 6 Ellis.
Trego 2A girls sub-state bracket
The Hoxie boys will also open with Decatur Community in the one versus eight matchup Monday in Hoxie.
The winner of that game will take on the winner of No. 4 Ellis and No. 5 Hill City.
On the bottom side of the bracket St. Francis is the two-seed and will take on Trego Tuesday in St. Francis. The winner will play the winner of No. 3 Plainville and No. 6 Oakley.
Trego 2A boys sub-state bracket
1A-D1 Dighton Sub-state
At the 1A-D1 Dighton sub-state the Victoria boys are the No. 5 seed and will take on No. 4 Stockton in the first-round Tuesday in Dighton.
The winner of the game will get Rawlins County in the second-round of the top seed Buffaloes get a first-round bye.
Boys bracket
In the girls sub-state Victoria is the fourth-seed and will take on the host and fifth-seed Dighton Tuesday. The winner will play the top-seed Stockton Friday in Dighton.
1A-D2 Western Plains sub-state at Ransom
The Otis-Bison boys are the No. 2 seed and will get a first-round bye. They will take on the winner of Western Plains/Healy and Ingalls Thursday in Ransom.
The Quinter boys are the number four seed and will take on five-seed Deerfield in the first-round with the winner facing Pawnee Heights in the second-round Thursday.
Quinter earned the girls top seed and will get a first-round bye. The will play the winner of Pawnee Heights and Western Plains/Healy in the second-round.
Otis-Bison is the No. 2 seed and they also get a first-round bye. The will take on the winner of Ingalls and Deerfield in the semifinals on Friday in Ransom.
TMP boys and girls earn top seed at sub-state
Both the TMP-Marian boys and girls basketball teams will be the No. 1 seed at the 3A Minneapolis sub-state next week.
The Monarch girls are 17-2 and will open with eight-seed Southeast of Saline who is 5-14. That game will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. at TMP.
The winner of that game will play the winner of the four versus five matchup between Ellsworth and Riley County.
On the bottom side of the bracket two seed Beloit will take on Minneapolis with the winner taking on the winner of No. 3 Russell and No. 6 Hoisington.
3A Minneapolis girls sub-state
The TMP boys are also the No. 1 seed and will take on No. 8 Russell on Monday at 7 p.m. in Hays. TMP is 14-5 and Russell is 4-15.
The winner of the game gets the winner of No. 4 Southeast of Saline and No. 5 Minneapolis.
On the other side of the bracket Ellsworth is the No. 2 seed and they will take on Hoisington. The winner of that matchup gets the winner of Beloit and Riley County in the second round.