The certified public accounting firm of Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chartered (ABBB) is pleased to announce the addition of Brittany Brock to their professional team.
Brock is already familiar with the firm, having served as an intern in the fall of 2017 and a student worker for the previous year. She now steps into the role of staff accountant.
“Throughout the course of her time with us as an intern and a student worker, she has gone above and beyond for our clients,” said Brian Staats, CPA, CGMA, managing partner of ABBB. “We look forward to watching her continued growth as a full-time member of the ABBB team.”
A recent graduate of Fort Hays State University, Brock earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 2018. Prior to that, she attended Barton Community College, earning an associate degree. Brock currently resides in Hays.
He’ll cringe when he reads this but, Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran is part of “the resistance.”
Not always in obvious ways. Moreover, not in ways that come close to comforting those who view President Donald Trump as a clear and present danger to the nation.
But in his own quiet, Kansas way, Moran resists the chaos of Trump’s Washington by advocating for a return to “regular order” in the U.S. Senate and the nation.
Different in style but still much like his late colleague, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
An institutionalist, Moran says there is no excuse for the federal shutdown. For the failure of Congress and the White House to negotiate compromises and fund the government.
Just before Christmas, Moran voted against a stopgap measure that would have averted a shutdown — but only for a few weeks. He said congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle had grown used to cutting corners, taking the easy way out. “Punting” instead of staying at the negotiating table and resolving differences.
“We’ve done this too many times,” he said.
Indeed, they have. Congress managed to pass all of its required appropriations bills only four times since the mid-1970s.
To resolve the current stalemate, Moran is urging his colleagues and the White House to agree to a compromise. One that would give the president some of the border security funding he wants in exchange for reinstating protections for undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children.
There are other examples of Moran breaking ranks.
Just the other day, despite pressure from the White House and GOP leaders, Moran voted with Senate Democrats to stop the administration from lifting some of the sanctions imposed on Russia for its attack on our democracy. His vote backed penalties on three companies controlled by oligarch closely tied to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Paul Manafort, the one-time manager of Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Moran was one of only 11 Republican senators to support the resolution, which fell three votes short of the number needed to advance it to a final vote.
He also was quick to speak out when the New York Times reported recently that Trump was once again on the verge of pulling the U.S. out of NATO. Moran made his opposition clear, saying a “unified NATO alliance is essential to sustaining American security and prosperity.”
A few weeks earlier, Moran criticized the president’s abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. That decision triggered the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis, whom Moran praised as a leader who provided needed “stability” during a time of “transition and uncertainty.”
Perhaps Moran’s most celebrated maverick moment came in July 2017 when he voted against an Obamacare repeal bill that Trump and Republican leaders desperately wanted. He cast his “no” vote on a procedural motion that temporarily stopped the repeal effort in its tracks.
Characteristically, Moran didn’t oppose replacing Obamacare with something else. He just didn’t like the closed-door process used to write the bill or that it was little more than a Republican power play.
“Trying to do something with one party alone is a mistake,” Moran told me at the time. “I’ve called for all 100 senators to be involved in the process by which we repeal and replace or we fix the Affordable Care Act.”
Moran the institutionalist. Imagine every member of the Senate — Republican and Democrat alike — participating in an open process of give-and-take resulting in something that resembles consensus on an important piece of legislation.
Naïve perhaps. Nevertheless, an ideal worth shooting for.
So there’s no misunderstanding, I’m not making the case that Jerry Moran is a one-man bulwark against the chaos and disorder of the Trump presidency.
He carefully picks his battles. And when he does speak up, his criticism of the president is often muted.
But that’s understandable. He’s a right-center Republican from a state that Trump carried by a wide margin. Plus, he’s cautious by nature. Just ask his congressional colleagues or those he served with in the Kansas Legislature.
But he’s also a Kansan. As such, he understands that much of what is under attack these days belongs to the legacy of fellow Kansan Dwight Eisenhower. The post-World War II order built by the U.S. and its European allies to defend democracy and keep the peace.
Jim McLean is the chief political reporter for the Kansas News Service. He’s covered politics and state government for more than 35 years. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks.
Around 20,000 state employees in Kansas now qualify for paid parental leave.
Baby steps, say groups that advocate for families and women. They’re celebrating, but they really want Kansas to join the six states and Washington D.C. that make private-sector companies give paid leave, too.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Women’s Foundation and Kansas Action for Children want paid family leave that Kansans can use for everything from bonding with babies to taking an elderly mom or dad to a doctor’s appointment.
“Even a few weeks’ flexibility,” lobbyist Adrienne Olejnik says, can help parents in line for coveted slots at infant daycares. “It can then allow parents greater choice in where they end up putting their infant.”
Her organization, Kansas Action, is revving up for a concerted push in the Statehouse in 2020. This year, staff will crisscross the state, talking to families and businesses in search of a sweet-spot proposal that could win broad support.
Critics will likely fight back.
In an email, Kansas Chamber spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag said the group’s members “oppose any efforts to put Kansas employers at a disadvantage by placing costly mandates which go above and beyond what is required by federal law.”
“Government should not,” she added, “set personnel policies for (the) private sector.”
Here’s what Kansas does now, and what other states are doing:
On his way out the door, then-Gov. Jeff Colyer — quietly, some would argue — signed off on parental leave for more than 17,000 executive branch jobs. Up to six weeks of full pay. The judiciary followed suit.
Expect word from public universities as early as next month on whether they’ll jump on the bandwagon. That would more than double the number of public employees in Kansas with access to paid leave.
Colyer’s move puts Kansas in the company of six states with similar rules: Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri and Virginia. Arkansas and Ohio offer their state employees a more limited version. That’s according to the Women’s Foundation, which lobbied for Kansas to come on board.
Six states and D.C. have extended paid leave to the private sector:
Rhode Island requires four weeks.
California and New Jersey, six weeks.
New York and D.C., eight weeks.
Washington and Massachusetts, 12 weeks.
Of course, there’s fine print. Not everyone qualifies, and the amount of reimbursable pay varies.
Nationally, most jobs come with unpaid family leave, though many families say they can’t afford to use it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 15 percent of private-sector jobs come with a paid version.
The Cato Institute warns workers could end up with lower wages, employers might lean toward hiring men, and families could redistribute more household work onto women. Women, employers might assume, are more likely to use the paid leave.
Cato also suggests far more companies may already offer paid parental leave than the federal government realizes.
No word yet from newly minted Gov. Laura Kelly on whether she would support a law on private-sector paid leave. Nor from the heads of the Kansas House and Senate.
But the Legislature could extend paid parental leave during this legislative session to its year-round employees (of which there are fewer than 100).
“This is important to us,” House Speaker Ron Ryckman said at a recent legislative meeting on the logistics. “We’re ready to take action when all of our i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed.”
WHEREAS, all children in Hay should have access to the highest-quality education possible; and
WHEREAS, Hays recognizes the important role that an effective education plays in preparing all students in Hays to be successful adults; and
WHEREAS, quality education is critically important to the economic vitality of Hays; and
WHEREAS, Hays is home to a multitude of high-quality public and nonpublic schools from which parents can choose for their children, in addition to families who educate their children in the home; and
WHEREAS, educational variety not only helps to diversify our economy, but also enhances the vibrancy of our community; and
WHEREAS, Hays has many high-quality teaching professionals in all types of school settings who are committed to educating our children; and
WHEREAS, School Choice Week is celebrated across the country by millions of students, parents, educators, schools and organizations to raise awareness of the need for effective educational options;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JAMES MEIER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HAYS, KANSAS, do hereby recognize January 20-26, 2019 as Hays School Choice Week and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the City of Hays this 10th day of January, 2019.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Wind chill values as low as 4 early. South southwest wind 6 to 8 mph becoming north northeast in the afternoon.
Tonight
Areas of fog after 9pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 22. East wind 8 to 14 mph.
M.L.King Day
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Monday Night
A slight chance of rain before 1am, then a slight chance of rain and snow between 1am and 2am, then a slight chance of snow after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Blustery, with a southeast wind 9 to 14 mph becoming north northwest 17 to 22 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday
A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly between 7am and noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. Very windy, with a north northwest wind 24 to 33 mph, with gusts as high as 48 mph.
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly has named Brad Loveless to be Secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT). His appointment was effective January 14, 2019.
Loveless is familiar to many Kansans and to KDWPT staff as a leader in conservation and environmental programs. He comes to the department from a 34-year career with Westar Energy where he was most recently the senior director of environmental conservation and sustainability. Prior to that position, he was director of biology and conservation programs and earlier held environmental management positions at Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation. He is perhaps most well-known as one of the leaders of Westar’s Green Team, an active volunteer group of employees and retirees that has been helping with habitat improvement, environmental access and education, and enhancement of sensitive species for 30 years.
“During my career, I have had the pleasure of working closely with KDWPT staff on many occasions,” Loveless said. “They are dedicated and hard-working, and I look forward to helping them manage the state’s natural resources and promote all the wonderful outdoor and travel experiences that Kansas offers.”
In 2013, Loveless was awarded the Kansas State Forester’s Award for Community Forestry. In 2009, he was recognized by the Kansas Wildlife Federation as Wildlife Conservationist of the Year and by the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education as their Strickler Award winner for Environmental Education. He is an avid hunter, angler and beekeeper.
WaKeeney – For the second straight year the TMP Monarchs and the Phillipsburg Panthers faced off in the Mid-Continent League Tournament Championship game and for the second straight year Phillipsburg was able to pick up the victory.
After the Monarchs took an early 4-3 lead Phillipsburg answered with a 16-2 run to build a 19-6 lead after the first quarter, a lead they would never relinquish on their way to a 60-46 win Saturday in WaKeeney.
Bill Meagher postgame interview
Leading 19-6 after one the Panthers turned the 16-2 run into a 23-4 run and led TMP 26-8 with 6:40 to play in the second quarter.
Phillipsburg pushed their lead to 15 on two separate occasions in the second quarter, the final time at 30-15. The Panthers led 41-25 at the break.
TMP cut the deficit to 10 at 47-37 on a Jack Johnson field goal with 1:35 to play in the third quarter but they would get no closer as they fall 60-46.
Jared Mayers was one-of-two players to score in double-figures with 16. Jackson Schulte chipped in 13.
Phillipsburg’s Trey Sides finished with a game-high 22. Austin Miller added 16.
Game highlights
TMP drops to 8-5 on the season while the Panthers improved to 10-2.
SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have a suspect in custody.
Wilson -photo Sedgwick Co.
Just before 10:30 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to a robbery-in-progress call at the Dog-N-Shake, 8800 W. Maple in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Upon arrival, a 38-year-old employee said a suspect later identified as Clarence Wilson, 26, Wichita, entered the business, pointed a handgun at him and demanded money. Wilson took money from the business and fled on foot.
Officers began circulating the area and with the help of witnesses, Wilson was seen getting into a vehicle in the 200 block of south Robin Street.
Officers took Wilson into custody without incident and booked him into jail on one count of aggravated robbery. They also recovered money and a handgun.
WaKeeney – Adell Riedel hit two of her game-high five three pointers in the second half, the Lady Monarchs had two score in double-figures and they collected 14 steals as a team as TMP downed Smith Center 45-39 to claim third place at the MCL tournament in WaKeeney Saturday.
The Monarchs opened the game on a 12-2 run highlighted by back-to-back Riedel three-pointers but it was a lead that they were unable to maintain as the game went down to the wire.
Down 10 Smith Center answered with a 16-3 run to end the first quarter and begin the second quarter to take an 18-15 lead early.
TMP retook the lead in the second quarter out scoring Smith Center 9-3, with seven points coming from the free throw line, to end the first-half to build a 24-21 lead at the break.
Smith Center out scored the Monarchs 10-2 to begin the third quarter and led 31-30 after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, with the game tied at 33, Emily Schippers scored just her second field goal of the game to put the Monarchs up 35-33. Riedel hit her fifth three of the game on the next possession to put the Monarchs up 38-33 and they would never trail again on their way to the 45-39 win.
Adell Riedel finished with a season-high 19 points and Jillian Lowe finished with 11 on 9-of-12 free three attempts.
Game highlights
The Monarchs improve to 8-4 with the win while Smith Center falls to 6-5.
TMP will return to action on Jan. 25 against Abilene.
JOHNSON COUNTY — A Kansas Department of Transportation employee died in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Saturday in Johnson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Freightliner truck driven by Stephen N Windler, 25, Paola, was southbound on U.S. 69 Highway in the outside lane just south of 207th Street.
My heart is breaking for the family of this dedicated employee. Our KDOT personnel work very hard, at all hours, in dangerous conditions to make our roads safe for their fellow Kansans. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire KDOT family. https://t.co/DpjUn65d6s
The vehicle traveled to the right traversing the shoulder, traveled into the grass, rotated counter-clockwise and became broadside as it started to tip.
Traffic diverted near the Saturday morning just north of the accident investigation- photo KC Scout
The truck overturned, emptied its salt load, ejected the driver and rolled on top of the driver.
Windler was pronounced dead at the scene and he was transported to Frontier Forensics, according to the KHP.
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JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a fatal crash in Johnson County that took the life of a Kansas Department of Transportation snow plow driver just after 6a.m. Saturday on southbound U.S. 69 south of 207th Street in Johnson County.
On their twitter account, Kansas Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz said, “our thoughts and prayers go out to the family members and the co-workers of our driver. KDOT is one big family, and we know there are many people impacted by this.”
No other vehicles were involved in the crash. The KHP has not released the driver’s name.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the partial government shutdown (all times local):
President Trump makes comments from the White House Saturday-image courtesy the White House
President Donald Trump is offering to extend temporary protection for people brought to U.S. illegally as children in a bid to secure border wall funding.
Trump has struggled to find a way out of a four-week partial government shutdown over his demand to construct a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
Trump promoted his plan Saturday as a way to “break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown.”
Trump is also offering to extend protections for immigrants who came to the U.S. as a result of war or natural disasters in their home countries.
Trump says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will bring the proposal for a vote in the Senate this week. But Democrats, who control the House, are already saying they find the president’s offer unacceptable.
SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas police officer was injured in an accident Saturday morning in Sedgwick County.
photo courtesy Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay
The officer suffered minor injuries when a vehicle struck the Wichita Police Department SUV at an accident scene in the southbound lanes on Interstate 135, according to a social media report from Chief Gordon Ramsay.
The officer is at home recovering for the next couple of days. The chief reminded drivers to “slow down when you see emergency vehicles and keep our first responders safe.”
Police released no additional details early Saturday.
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