Category: Local
LETTER: Thanks to you, 7,000 pounds of help sent to Nebraska flood victims
At the beginning of March the state of Nebraska was hit with severe weather, a bomb cyclone, extreme temperatures, and higher than usual amounts of precipitation all of which created a ”perfect storm” and caused widespread flooding.
During the middle of March we ran a donation drive to collect goods to be taken up to individuals in need up in Nebraska.
I began this donation drive on the morning of Monday, March 18th thinking I would get a van full of donations and make a quick trip to Nebraska to drop it off on that Friday, March 22nd. As the week went on we collected items and by Thursday afternoon it looked as if the large van I was borrowing would be full. Just a few hours later on Thursday evening I had tossed the idea of driving just one van but we were considering two vans. I went into work on Friday morning and instantly knew I was going to be needing a U-Haul.
As I drove around picking up donations in Hays on Friday, I was blown away by the community involvement and support shown to our neighbors to the north and even to us as we made the trip. The donation drop off in Nebraska was set up through a former FHSU Tiger and FHSU football standout, Connor Schedeed who is working with a local group helping to restore lives and homes to normalcy to Valley, Nebraska residents.
While we were driving around in Nebraska we saw that the flooding had been much worse than we had expected to see, neighborhoods completed destroyed, homes ruined, roads washed away, fields covered in sand and debris, and so much more. I know that the impact of the flooding will be for years on Nebraska but as fellow Midwesterners we will feel its impact as well.
Thank you to the Hays community, the Fort Hays State University campus community, local businesses, and those in the surrounding communities for your outpouring of donations, hundreds of you donated to the cause. We ended up taking around 7,000 pounds of donations up to Valley. Items donated included water, clothes, food, cleaning supplies, diapers, baby wipes, donations of money, gas money and much much more.
Once again thank you for your support for this donation drive, to Nebraskans, and to us as we made this journey! The amount of donations and support we received in just being willing to take donations up was unbelievable. Hays and the surrounding communities truly are giving people.
Drew Gannon
Fort Hays State University
Director of Tiger Wellness Center
Fire reported in downtown Hays building
By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Emergency responders were called to the scene of a fire late Monday afternoon in downtown Hays.
A report came in at 4:50 p.m. about a structure fire in Main Street Gym and Fitness, 806 Main.
Upon arrival, Hays firefighters found light smoke in the building. Staff members had evacuated adults who were working out and a class of children practicing Tae Kwon Do.
According to Shane Preston, assistant Hays Fire Chief, a capacitor in a tanning bed on the lower level overheated and started an electrical fire.
“Staff had already used a fire extinguisher on the fire. We provided ventilation and made sure the fire was completely out,” Preston said at the scene.
There were no reported injuries.
The scene was cleared in less than 30 minutes. Also responding were the Ellis Co. Rural Fire Department, Ellis Co. EMS, and the Hays Police Department.
Update: Norton woman killed; male suspect in jail
CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY, Mo. – With the assistance of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Norton County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest connected to the murder of Lori Shields.
At approximately 4:20 p.m. on Monday, he was released from the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., Damien L. Shields, 42, of Norton, was arrested for the first-degree murder of his wife, 38-year-old Lori Shields.
Shields was then booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail.
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NORTON COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Norton County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating a homicide that occurred in rural Norton, Kan. on Sunday.
According to a media release from the KBI, preliminary information indicates that the Norton County Sheriff’s Office received information Sunday afternoon that a female victim was deceased at 16353 U.S. Highway 36, in Norton. At approximately 3:40 p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to the residence where they discovered 38-year-old Lori Shields, of Norton, deceased inside.
A suspect connected to the case was identified, and KBI agents and sheriff’s deputies worked to try to locate him. On Monday, at approximately 2:40 a.m., the Cape Girardeau, Mo., Police Department responded to a report of person calling out for help from a hotel room. Once police arrived, they learned the man in the hotel room was being sought by Kansas authorities connected to this homicide case.
The man was taken to a hospital in Cape Girardeau to be treated for injuries that were likely self-inflicted. He remains hospitalized at this time.
According to a social media post by the Norton Telegram, Shields was the Eisenhower Elementary School secretary. USD Norton School District has canceled Monday classes and all activities.
The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.
BOWERS: Senate Scene Week 12
WEEKLY OVERVIEW
Last week was the final week of legislative activity before First Adjournment. Late Friday afternoon, the Senate gaveled out for adjournment and will reconvene on May 1st for Veto Session.
The Senate voted on numerous conference committee reports including a school finance bill sent to the Governor for her signature and then on to the Attorney General before the deadline for the court ruling.
A conference committee is a small, bipartisan, and bicameral committee that works to smooth out the differences between the House and Senate’s version of a similar bill. Once the conference committee reaches a compromise, the negotiated bill is sent to both the House and Senate for a final vote before advancing to the governor’s desk.
When the Senate gavels in on May 1st at 10:00 a.m., we will begin Veto Session and wrap up any legislative loose ends for the year.
SENATE FLOOR ACTION – Conference Committee Reports
ADVANCE BALLOT SIGNATURES – Substitute for Senate Bill 130 would amend law concerning advance ballots, associated signature requirements, and polling places. Sub SB 130 requires county election officers to try to contact each voter who submitted an advance ballot without a signature or with a signature that does not match the signature on file and allow the voter to correct the deficiency before the commencement of the final county canvass. The bill also allows voters in a county to vote at any polling place on Election Day at the discretion of the county election official.
TURNPIKE PROJECTS – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2007 would amend requirements for tolled projects of the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) and the Secretary of Transportation.
The bill would authorize the KTA to issue revenue bonds payable partly from revenues to finance turnpike projects. The bill would require the KTA, before undertaking a toll road project, to find construction of a toll expressway that can be financed partly through the investment of private funds in toll road revenue bonds and that such project and any indebtedness incurred for could be financed partly through tolls and other project related income. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Transportation to study the feasibility of constructing new toll or turnpike projects and remove authority to designate existing highways or any portion of such highways as a toll or turnpike project. The bill would require a study by the Secretary of a project for its feasibility as a toll or turnpike project to determine, after consulting with local officials, that traffic volume; local contribution. The bill would require any toll or turnpike project be constructed only to add capacity to existing highways or bridges or as a new facility where such did not exist.
AMENDING THE DEFINITION OF SERVICE-CONNECTED IN THE KP&F RETIREMENT SYSTEM – House Bill 2031 would make several revisions to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) pertaining to the Kansas Police and Firemen’s Plan (KP&F), provisions relating to working after retirement, membership eligibility, and the administration of the Retirement System. The bill would allow agents of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to participate in the Kansas Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) of the KP&F which is currently authorized for troopers, examiners, and officers of the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP). The bill also would revise the definition for “service-connected,” as that term is used to determine death and disability benefits in KP&F. The bill would add bloodborne pathogens.
AMENDING THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND SOLICITATIONS ACT – House Bill 2039 would amend the Charitable Organizations and Solicitations Act (COSA) to exempt from its’ registration requirement any charitable organization that is an animal shelter licensed pursuant to the Kansas Pet Animal Act. The bill also would create and amend law related to limited liability companies (LLCs) in the Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act (RLLCA) and Business Entity Standard Treatment (BEST) Act.
AMENDING DEFINITION OF SCHOOL BUS IN MOTOR-FUEL TAX LAW – House Bill 2087 would amend the definition of “school bus” in the Motor-Fuel Tax Law to remove a requirement that the vehicle be designed for carrying more than ten passengers and to remove use for the transportation of school personnel.
ACCESS TO MOTOR VEHICLE RECORDS – House Bill 2126 would amend law restricting access to motor vehicle records. It would allow release for any purpose not listed in Kansas law that is permissible under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act as it existed on January 1, 2018.
ACCOUNTING TREATMENT OF CERTAIN DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS OF FIXED INDEX ANNUITIES – House Bill 2127 would create law and make several amendments to the Insurance Code.
ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS – House Bill 2209 allows the Kansas Farm Bureau to establish a health care benefit that offers coverage specifically for Farm Bureau members in Kansas. The bill aims to reduce the number of uninsured Kansans by creating competition and free-market options for health care. Senate Bill 32 is the Farm Bureau’s solution to addressing the critical need for KFB members to find affordable health care coverage. A recent study pointed out that 65 percent of agriculture producers view health care as the number one threat to the future of their operation. The bill would create new law and make several amendments to the Insurance Code.
PERMIT FEES FOR OVERSIZED VEHICLES – House Bill 2225 would increase fees for certain permits authorizing oversize or overweight vehicles to operate on designated routes and would require registration of escort vehicle companies.
SCHOOL FUNDING PLAN – House Substitute for Senate Bill 16 is the school finance plan that appropriates funds to the K-12 base aid for FY 2020 and FY 2021. The legislation supplements the state’s $525 million, five-year investment that passed last year, with a series of an additional $90 million over the next four years. The legislation was crafted to comply with the Kansas Supreme Court’s instructions to add an inflation adjustment and was supported by the Senate, the Board of Education, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. H Sub SB 16 did include some policy placed in by the House, including the Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program which provides a policy fix to allow for early intervention for at-risk elementary aged students.
LICENSING FOR SOCIAL WORKERS – Senate Bill 15 would provide for licensure by reciprocity for social workers at baccalaureate, master’s, and specialist clinical levels; amend requirements for licensure by reciprocity for other professions regulated by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board and amend the licensure requirements for a specialist clinical social worker. The bill would also amend the Adult Care Home Licensure Act regarding the application for licensure, financial solvency, and receivership of adult care homes. Further, the bill would revise the Naturopathic Doctor Licensure Act and the Radiologic Technologists Practice Act.
AMENDING THE PHARMACY ACT OF THE STATE OF KANSAS – House Bill 2119 would amend the Pharmacy Act of the State of Kansas to require certain prescription orders be transmitted electronically and to permit a licensed pharmacist to administer a drug by injection in certain situations. The bill also would allow a business entity issued a certificate of authorization by the Board of Healing Arts (BOHA) to employ or contract with one or more licensees of BOHA for the purpose of providing professional services for which such licensees hold a valid license issued by BOHA.
VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2214 would add vehicle registration fees of $100 for all-electric vehicles and $50 for motor vehicles that are electric hybrid or plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. The new fees would be effective on and after January 1, 2020.
INSURANCE POLICY ON RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE – Senate Bill 78 would create law regarding assignment of certain rights or benefits under an insurance policy on residential real estate and protections related to housing for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking. Specifically, the bill would state an assignment may authorize a residential contractor to be named as a co-payee for the payment of benefits under a property and casualty insurance policy insuring residential real estate.
ESTABLISHING A COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL HEMP PROGRAM – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2167 would require the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) in consultation with the governor and attorney general, to submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding how the KDA will monitor and regulate the commercial production of industrial hemp within the state, in accordance with federal law. In addition, the bill would establish the Commercial Industrial Hemp Program; make changes to the Industrial Hemp Research Program; and establish hemp processing registrations, prohibitions on specific products, sentencing guidelines, and waste disposal requirements.
ALLOWING FOR TEMPORARY PERMITS FOR SELLING AND SERVING ALCOHOL – Senate Bill 70 would amend law concerning temporary permits to serve liquor for consumption on premises; amend law concerning common consumption areas; amend law related to the issuance of licenses by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), Department of Revenue; create law related to delivery of alcoholic liquors within the state and required reporting of such deliveries; amend the Liquor Control Act to allow for producers of certain fermentative products to sell wine made at a farm winery; and designate the official Kansas red and white wine grapes.
REQUIRING REPORTING AND ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS – House Bill 2223 would require analyses and reporting of economic development incentive programs which would be done by the Legislative Division of Post Audit and the Department of Commerce, and extend the maximum maturity on bonds issued to finance projects under the Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District Act. The bill would amend the Legislative Post Audit Act to authorize the Legislative Post Audit Committee to conduct a systematic and comprehensive review analysis every three years.
ABORTION PILL REVERSAL – Senate Bill 67 would require certain notifications be posted in facilities where medication abortions that use mifepristone are provided and be given by physicians providing such abortions. The bill would provide relevant definitions and create civil and criminal penalties for violating the notification requirements.
CABINET SECRETARIES CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE
Department for Aging and Disability Services and Department for Children and Families – Laura Howard, Department of Commerce – David Toland, Department of Wildlife & Parks – Brad Loveless, Department of Agriculture – Mike Beam, Kansas Racing and Gaming – Donald Brownlee and Office of the State Securities Commission – Jeffery Wagaman.
Visitors from Senate District #36
Lincoln Jr. High Students toured Topeka Tuesday and met Rep. Susan Concannon and myself in the Visitor Center before their tour of the State Capitol and the climb of 296 steps to the top of the dome.
Thank You for Engaging
Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at www.kslegislature.org. You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website or watch live at YouTube Streaming: https://bit.ly/2CZj9O0 . Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. An email is the best at this point in the session.
Thank you for the honor of serving you!
Senator Elaine Bowers
Kansas State Capitol Building
Room 223-E
300 SW 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612
[email protected]
785-296-7389
Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is the 36th Dist. state senator and serves as the Senate Majority Whip. The 36th Senate District includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington counties and portions of Marshall and Phillips counties.
Hays school board to hear report on Oak Park progress
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board will hear an update on the Oak Park Medical Complex project Monday.
The board will also discuss renaming the facility.
The complex is being renovated for use by Early Childhood Connections.
Representatives from Nabholz Construction and Paul-Wertenberger Construction will provide an update to the board on the progress on the $1.76 million renovation project.
The school district purchased the complex for $2 million, which will be paid for through a lease agreement out of capital outlay funds. The district received a $1.47 million federal grant and a $500,000 donation from HaysMed, the primary owner of the complex before it was sold, for the renovations.
The district hopes to have the facility open sometime this fall.
The board will also consider two other capital projects during its meeting Monday.
It is set to vote on a plan to add secure entrances at Hays High School and HMS. The district has received more than $86,000 in grants for the project. The district’s portion of these projects is $16,693. The district hopes to have the entrance projects completed this summer.
The projects will funnel visitors through the schools’ offices after the start of the school day.
The board will consider bids for a project to pull wiring for new clock, phone and security camera systems at the high school. The low bid was from Nex-Tech for $129,337.
The board also will:
• Hear a report on HHS Pathways and Career Technical Education
• Hear a report on Kansas Education Systems Accreditation
• Hear a report from the HHS site council
• Hear a report from Tribe Broadcasting students
🎥 Eagle TV Forum: Eric Burks, NCK Tech
More controlled burns at HaysMed Monday
HFD
HaysMed will be conducting a series of small controlled burns on its hospital grounds, 2220 Canterbury, Mon., April 8, beginning at 8 a.m.
These burns are a natural weed and vegetation control to care for the prairie grasses.
The Hays Fire Department will be staffing a fire truck and be on standby for this burn.
Sewer repairs begin Monday
CITY OF HAYS
Beginning Monday, M & D Excavating, Inc. will be conducting multiple sanitary sewer point repairs in Hays.
The first four repair locations are located:
- In the alley at Mission Mount between 17th and Elm
- In the alley between Walnut and Ash from 15th to 16th
- In the alley between Allen and Milner from 19th to 20th
- Behind the houses on Ash between Pershing and 17th.
The project is scheduled to be completed by June 1.
Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public.The traveling public should use caution and if possible avoid areas of construction.
The city of Hays regrets any inconvenience this may cause to the public. If there are any questions, please call the Office of Project Management at 628-7350 or the contractor, M & D Excavating at 628-3169 or 650-3802.
Emergency Livestock Management workshop scheduled in Goodland
KDA
MANHATTAN — Livestock owners face numerous challenges, including natural disasters like flooding and wildfire and the threat of foreign animal diseases like African Swine Fever and food-and-mouth disease, which have impacted other countries. The Kansas Department of Agriculture works to help Kansas livestock owners, from large feedyards to families with show animals, in preparing for the impact any of these disasters could have on their lives. This spring, KDA will host eight regional workshops to assist Kansans throughout the livestock industry with emergency preparedness.
The workshops will help livestock owners understand which foreign animal diseases are a possible threat to their animals and how an outbreak could impact them as well as the industry as a whole. Attendees will learn what precautions they can take to protect their herds, and how to respond if they do suffer losses due to natural disaster or disease. The workshops are geared toward all livestock owners, regardless of species or size of their herd.
The Emergency Livestock Management Workshops will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the following dates in the following cities:
Tuesday, April 30 — Great Bend: Great Bend Convention Center
Wednesday, May 1 — Montezuma: Hy-Plains Feedyard
Monday, May 6 — Olathe: Johnson County Research and Extension
Tuesday, May 7 — Mankato: Mankato Livestock Inc.
Wednesday, May 8 — Goodland: Emergency Management Training Facility
Monday, May 13 — El Dorado: Butler County 4-H Building
Thursday, May 16 — Iola: Allen County Courthouse
Monday, May 20 — Manhattan: Kansas Department of Agriculture
All of the workshops are free, and registration is now open for all of the locations at www.agriculture.ks.gov/EmergencyManagement. Registration includes lunch; however, lunch will only be guaranteed to those participants who pre-register. Space is limited to 50 participants.
For more information about the Emergency Livestock Management workshops, contact Kelly Oliver, KDA’s assistant emergency management coordinator, at 785-564-6608 or [email protected].
Symposium to address fostering good mental health among students of all ages
FHSU University Relations
Anyone who is interested in the mental health and well-being of students, pre-kindergarten through college, is invited to a day-long symposium on Friday, April 12, in Fort Hays State University’s Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
The featured speaker is Dr. Bernard Franklin, vice president for student life at Mount St. Mary University in Emmitsburg, Md., who will address how to create “trauma informed environments” that support the mental health of Kansas’ students.
“Trauma informed environments are environments in which all students feel safe and welcome,” said Dr. Brooke Moore, assistant professor and interim chair of the Department of Advanced Education Programs at Fort Hays State. “This is particularly important for students who have experienced or are currently experiencing traumatic events in their lives,” she said.
Franklin’s appearance is part of the Olliff Family Educational Symposium. He has been featured before in the symposium, said Moore, and is back “by popular request.”
The event is free for all FHSU faculty, staff, and students. The event is open to the public, but registration and a fee apply. The cost is $15 in advance, $20 at the door and includes breakfast pastries, coffee, and lunch. Online registration is at https://bit.ly/2JX7OCL.
Franklin is regarded as a leader in articulating the issues of men, youth, and families. He serves on a number of healthcare and community-centered boards and has consulted on a wide range of topics, including leadership, diversity, urban education, urban father and family issues on a local, national, and international level.
As an undergraduate at Kansas State University, Franklin became the first black student ever elected president of the Student Government Association. At the age of 24, he made Kansas history by becoming the youngest person ever appointed to the Kansas State Board of Regents and the youngest chair of the board at age 28.
He has been a fellow for the Study of the United States Presidency and has served on an advisory commission to President Jimmy Carter’s administration with Martin Luther King III and other prominent African Americans.
Franklin received his master’s in counseling and behavioral studies from the University of South Alabama and a PhD in counseling and higher education administration, with an outside emphasis in family studies, from Kansas State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas State University.
Franklin recently published a chapter in the book, “The Faith Factor in Fatherhood: Renewing the Sacred Vocation of Fathering.” The Morehouse College Research Institute presented him with the Vision Award for his “pioneering work in the area of educating men on the importance of fatherhood.”
The Olliff Family Symposium is sponsored by the university’s College of Education.
105th annual Roundup at Ag Research Center is April 18
The 105th annual Roundup will be Thursday, April 18 in the Auditorium at the KSU Agricultural Research Center, Hays. The Trade Show and registration will open at 9 a.m. with the program beginning at 10 a.m. Lunch will be provided and there is no cost to attend.
Topics include Variability of weather and climate in the Great Plains, Bovine anaplasmosis, Limit feeding in current production systems, Rangeland Recovery after wildfire, and Modified intensive early stocking for cow/calf production.
The following presentations will begin at 10 a.m.
- New Insights into Subseasonal, Seasonal, and Interanual Variability of Weather and Climate Extremes in the Great Plains – Jeffrey Basara, School of Meterology, University of Oklahoma
- Bovine Anaplasmosis – What We Know/ What We Want to Know – Dr. Kathryn Reif, Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, KSU School of Veterinary Medicine
- A Review of Limit Feeding: An Old Time Feeding Method that Deserves Attention in Today’s Feeding and Environment Conditions – Dr. Dale Blasi, Beef Cattle Nutrition and Management Extension Specialist, KSU Dept. of Animal Science and Industry
- Rangeland Wildfire: The Road to Recovery – Keith Harmoney, Range Scientist, KSU ARCH
- Effect of Intensive Early Stocking Cow/Calf Pairs on Cow Performance – John Jaeger, Beef Cattle Scientist, KSU ARCH
For more information, contact John Jaeger, [email protected], 785-625-3425, Ext. 211
- Early registration is available by contracting Milissa at 785-625-3425, Ext. 200 or [email protected].
KRUG: Volunteers are crucial to a successful Extension program
This week is designated as National Volunteer Week. What better time of year than this to say a big “Thank You” to the many volunteers who support our Extension programming efforts?
I don’t have to look far to see the volunteers who give freely of their time to help others. Our 4-H and Youth program relies heavily on volunteers to share their expertise with our youth. Recently we hosted a Fiber Arts Fun Day in Great Bend and I solicited help from some friends who could encourage children who were learning to crochet.
Volunteers are an important part of any active and growing community. Volunteers demonstrate to others that by working together, we have the fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals. National Volunteer Week is about taking action and encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change – discovering and actively demonstrating their collective power to make a difference.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of National Volunteer Week, demonstrating the enduring importance of recognizing our country’s volunteers for their vital contributions. Each year, it has grown exponentially, with thousands of volunteer projects and special events scheduled across the country. I hope you are thinking of ways you can become a volunteer; a mentor or a friend through an organization that you are active in. Churches and civic organizations have similar needs related to volunteerism.
Today, as people strive to lead lives that reflect their values, the expression of civic life has evolved. Whether online, at the office, or the local food bank; whether with a vote, a voice, or a wallet — doing good comes in many forms, and we recognize and celebrate them all.
For more information about volunteering and leadership opportunities feel free to give me a call at the Cottonwood District Extension office in Great Bend.
Donna Krug, is the District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at (620)793-1910 or [email protected]