Hays Area Chamber of Commerce (HACC) Legislative Forums are a series of meetings with state legislators that provide area residents the opportunity to learn more about the legislative process and state issues.
Help us welcome our area Kansas legislators who will be present to meet you and answer questions Sat., Feb. 2, as they continue to work for you in Topeka.
Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist.
Rep. Barbara Wasinger, R-Hays, 111th Dist.
Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist.
Rep. Leonard Mastroni, R-La Crosse, 117th Dist.
Fort Hays State University Memorial Union Black and Gold Room – 2nd Floor
This is a free event open to the public. Doors open at 8:00 a.m. and the program will begin around 8:30 a.m. with light pastries and beverages provided. It is free to all attendees and no RSVPs are necessary for this event.
If you have questions about this event please call the Chamber at 785-628-8201.
Thanks to AT&T and Midwest Energy for their sponsorship of the Legislative Coffee series.
NORTON — The Norton Police Department has been named a recipient of a $48,000, Bryne Justice Administration Grant for updating and improving the department’s current records management system.
The money will be spent on a new server and migration of records from the old records system to the new system. Every officer will also receive a mobile data terminal, which will enable them to do reports in the field.
“More importantly, the new records system will allow the Norton Police Department to interface with numerous law enforcement agencies across the state of Kansas,” NPD Chief Gerry Cullumber said in a news release. “Having this inter-agency compatibility allows the tracking of real time criminal activity while aiding with the criminal apprehension of suspects. It will also allow for the exchange of criminal information between law enforcement agencies utilizing the same records system.”
The system is expected to be in place May 1.
“The citizens of Norton should be proud of their police department as no other agency in the region will possess the technology and information available with the adopted system,” Cullumber said. “Being able to provide this will aid the department with retention and recruitment of officers.”
SadikovThe Overland Park Orchestra’s Winter Concert will feature pianist Qi Qi performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto #1 on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf, Overland Park.
Music Director Shah Sadikov will lead the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony #6, “Pastoral,” as well. The free public concert is sponsored by the City of Overland Park.
Sadikov is currently Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at Fort Hays State University in Hays, where he is also Music Director of the Hays Symphony Orchestra.
Qi Qi was born in GuangZhou, China. Currently, she studies with Stanislav Ioudenitch at Young Artist Music Academy International and attends Barstow School in Kansas City. She began playing the piano at age five, and in 2014 was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music Middle School in Beijing, where she studied with Professor Dan Shao and Jin Zhang. She won the First Prize in the Hong Kong International Invitation Piano Competition, and the Open Piano Competition in Guangzhou.
Over the years, Qi has attended the Lake Como Summer Piano Academy, Minnesota International Piano Camp and Russian School Piano Academy in Shanghai. Through these programs, she took master classes with such artists as Dmitri Bashkirov, Andrzej Jasiński, Dang Thai Son, William Grant Naboré, Mira Marchenko, Alexander Braginsky and Hyoung Joon Chang.
Hays USD 489 candidate Keith Hall said he hopes to facilitate the board’s work on a bond and help bring unity to the school board.
Hall is one of four candidates that will interview for the Hays USD 489 superintendent position in the next two weeks. Hall interviewed with the board Wednesday night. The second candidate will be announced Thursday morning and will interview Thursday night. Two more candidates will interview Wednesday, Feb. 6 and Thursday, Feb. 7.
Each day the candidates will meet with parents and other members of the public from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Toepfer Room of Rockwell Administration Center.
Hall, 61, came to Hays USD 489 in December to serve as the interim director of finance and support services. He previously worked as the superintendent in Osborne. He graduated from high school in Connecticut. His farther is from Gorham and went to junior high in the Rockwell basement. He followed his family to Kansas after his father retired from the Navy. Hall graduated from Fort Hays State University.
He worked as a shop teacher in Sabetha and Stockton and later was named the principal at Stockton High School. He was honored with the Milken National Educator Award in 1997.
“I have always had great loyalty to the folks that I worked for, because I worked for kids and you love them,” Hall said. “I felt it immediately when I walked in the door here.”
Hall toured several schools Wednesday as well as met with staff. Teachers shared with Hall what they do for students and what some of their building needs are.
“[The district] has fulfilled its reputation that I anticipated when I got here,” he said. “It’s a great district. It has a great community supporting it, and it has teachers who really care about kids.
“I am really pleased with the experience since I have been here. I think people are striving for excellence. I am excited and delighted.”
Despite the larger enrollment, Hall said the processes here in Hays are very similar to what he experienced in Osborne.
“I just thought that maybe I could help this district move forward,” he said. “It really wasn’t on my radar when I came over here, but as I watched it and in my new position, I think I can help them, and I am excited to talk to them about that.”
The district is looking at a third bond attempt after bond issues failed in 2016 and 2017. Hall said he thought becuase he is serving in the finance position, he could provide I seamless transition for any bond work.
The district has worked on developing another bond question, but on a split vote tabled those plans in June. The board heard a $29.4 milli0n bond proposal from its architect and construction manager on Monday night.
“In my mind, we are restarting the conversation,” Hall said, “so what I would defer to is the board processing that again and deciding how they are going to move forward.”
He said he facilitate whatever the board maps out.
Getting building projects completed, Hall said would be among his goals if he was chosen as superintendent. Trying to build board unity is another.
Several major votes in recent months, most notably the purchase of the Oak Park Medical Complex, which will be renovated for Early Childhood Connections, have been split. Current Superintendent John Thissen said upon his resignation that he wished he could have better united the board during his tenure.
Hall said developing trust is not a simple nor a linear process.
“I think I have enough experience to understand what needs to be put in place to move that along,” Hall said of the board. “You don’t control all of that. Some of that has to do with personalities. Some of that has to do with what is on the table as far as what you are talking about, but I think I know what the components are. The first component is board unity.”
The board of education reached an impasse with teachers during negotiations last year.
Because resources are tighter, conversations with teachers are more difficult, Hall said. He said he would work through the processes that are in place to reach the best outcome for teachers and the community.
Supporting teachers in their accreditation and education redesign work would be yet another of Hall’s goals, he said.
Hall said he thought the move to the Hays district from Osborne was a positive one for his family.
“I love the Hays community,” he said. … “College towns are always the best. I knew whether it was my work life or my retired life, I would be in Hays for sure. There has never been any doubt in my mind.”
Hall said if he is not chosen as superintendent, he said he would like to continue working in the finance position.
BROOKFIELD, Ill. – Fort Hays State had four players named to the Don Hansen Football Committee All-America Team for the 2018 season. Dante Brown is the Special Teams Player of the Year for all of NCAA Division II, while earning first team honors as a kicker and an honorable mention nod as a punter. Linebacker Jose Delgado also earned a first-team selection, while Doyin Jibowu earned third-team honors and Wyatt Parker received an honorable mention selection.
Brown adds to his list of honors for the 2018 season. Already tabbed the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year and Don Hansen Football Committee Super Region 3 Special Teams Player of the Year, Brown adds Special Teams Player of the Year for all of Division II to his collection. Brown has already earned All-America status from the D2CCA and D2Football.com. Along with his kicking role, Brown was also one of the top punters nationally. He was an All-MIAA First Team selection at both kicker and punter this year. He led the nation in field goals made with 28 and averaged an NCAA-best 2.33 field goals per game, breaking the MIAA record for field goals in a season by three and coming just two shy of the NCAA Division II single-season record. He converted 84.8 percent of his field goal attempts, going 28-of-33 for the season, to rank fifth in NCAA Division II. Brown also shattered the Fort Hays State single-season record for points with 123. Brown had 67 punts for 2,772 yards, averaging 41.4 yards per attempt.
Delgado earns All-America status from a third organization after a tremendous senior season. He was the D2CCA Super Region 3 Defensive Player of the Year and MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. Like Brown, Delgado was an All-America selection by both the D2CCA and D2Football.com. He finished the year with 117 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fumble. He reached double figures in tackles eight times in the 12 games played in 2018, reaching 14 twice. Delgado reached double figures in a game 20 times throughout his 44-game career with the Tigers, earning All-MIAA honors three times and first-team honors the last two years. With 402 career tackles, he became the all-time tackles leader in Fort Hays State’s NCAA Division II era.
Jibowu gives the Tigers three repeat All-America selections this year after receiving honorable mention status from the Don Hansen Football Committee last year. Brown and Delgado are also repeat All-America selections by the Don Hansen Football Committee. He finished the year with 57 tackles, including 6 for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 sack, and 11 pass breakups. Jibowu wrapped his impressive four-year career at FHSU with 276 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, 9 interceptions, and 26 pass breakups. He was an All-MIAA First Team selection at defensive back for the second straight year and three-time selection overall.
Parker earns the first All-America honor of his career. He finished fourth on the team in tackles with 71 from his defensive tackle position, while leading the Tigers in sacks (5.5) and forced fumbles (4). He also collected 11.5 tackles for loss and one interception for the season. Parker was a two-time All-MIAA selection for the Tigers.
Below is the Don Hansen All-America Team for 2018.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jayru Campbell, JR, QB, Ferris State
Defensive Player of the Year: Markus Jones, DE, Angelo State
Special Teams Player of the Year: Dante Brown, JR, PK/P, Fort Hays State
Freshman of the Year: Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Notre Dame (Ohio)
Co-Coaches of the Year: Kerwin Bell, Valdosta State & Mike Jacobs, Notre Dame (Ohio)
First Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Jayru Campbell 6-5 215 JR Ferris State Detroit, Mich.
FB Cole Chancey 5-10 200 SO Harding Commerce, Ga.
RB Jaleel McLaughlin 5-9 173 FR Notre Dame (Ohio) Marshville, N.C.
RB Gabriel Watson 6-1 221 JR Sioux Falls (S.D.) Piedmont, Calif.
WR Chad Hovasse 6-1 215 SR Adams State Colorado Springs, Colo.
WR Brody Oliver 6-3 210 SR Colorado Mines Elizabeth, Colo.
WR Craig Rucker 5-7 165 JR Mars Hill Orlando, Fla.
TE DeAndre Washington 6-2 185 JR Arkansas-Monticello Shreveport, La.
AP Tabyus Taylor 6-0 250 SO Virginia Union Hopewell, Va.
C Bryce Bray 6-0 260 SR Harding Rogers, Ark.
OG Tyler Drob 6-2 297 GR West Chester Cherry Hill, N.J.
OG Nic Sawyer 6-5 300 SR Ferris State Ann Arbor, Mich.
OT Evan Heim 6-4 305 JR Minnesota State DePere, Wis.
OT Deon Sheppard 6-4 295 SR Tarleton State San Antonio, Texas
PK Dante Brown 5-10 185 JR Fort Hays State Mississauga, Ontario
First Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Markus Jones 6-3 260 SR Angelo State Fort Worth, Texas
DE Cardell Rawlings 6-2 240 SR Wingate Smithfield, N.C.
DT Heath Williams 6-2 291 JR Saginaw Valley State East Lansing, Mich.
DT Sha’Haun Williams 6-3 260 JR Notre Dame (Ohio) Youngstown, Ohio
LB Jose Delgado 5-11 205 SR Fort Hays State Derby, Kan.
LB J.T. Hassell 6-0 199 SR Florida Tech Titusville, Fla.
LB Alex Helmer 6-2 220 SR Minnesota Duluth Prescott, Wis.
S Lamont McPhatter 5-11 190 JR California (Pa.) New Castle, Pa.
S Daryus Skinner 5-11 175 JR Winston-Salem State Rockingham, N.C.
CB Corey Ballentine 6-0 204 SR Washburn Topeka, Kan.
CB Marcus Haskins 6-0 180 FR Concordia-St. Paul Cottage Grove, Minn.
RS Lyrics Klugh 5-10 170 SR Fairmont State Lyman, S.C.
P Cody Mills 5-7 190 SR Delta State Oxford, Miss.
Second Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Rogan Wells 6-3 220 SO Valdosta State Fort Mill, S.C.
FB Paul Terry 5-9 200 JR Eastern New Mexico Canyon, Texas
RB Walter Fletcher 5-10 192 JR Edinboro Columbia, Md.
RB Wes Hills 6-2 218 SR Slippery Rock Wildwood, N.J.
WR James Brania-Hopp 6-0 200 SR Washburn Montville, N.J.
WR Trey Brock 6-3 218 JR Hillsdale Missouri City, Texas
WR Juwan Johnson 5-10 175 SO Midwestern State Springfield, Mo.
TE Erik Henneman 6-3 228 SR Lindenwood Gretna, La.
AP Ashton Dulin 6-2 210 SR Malone Reynoldsburg, Ohio
C Jeremy King 6-1 315 SR Valdosta State Macon, Ga.
OG Jason Poe 6-2 250 SO Lenoir-Rhyne Fitzgerald, Ga.
OG Hunter Toppel 6-4 300 SO Minnesota State DeForest, Wis.
OT Devon Johnson 6-7 310 SR Ferris State Aurora, Ill.
OT Ben Walling 6-5 295 SR Grand Valley State Independence, Ky.
PK Kristov Martinez 5-6 135 SR Texas A&M-Commerce Edinburg, Texas
Second Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE James Prater, Jr. 6-0 244 SR Ashland Columbus, Ohio
DE T.J. Winslow 6-4 250 SR Harding Houston, Texas
DT Derek Dorr 6-3 297 SR Edinboro Blasdell, N.Y.
DT Simanu’a Thomas 6-0 278 JR Pittsburg State Independence, Mo.
LB Kailen Abrams 6-2 235 SO Central State (Ohio) Detroit, Mich.
LB Michael Alexander 6-0 235 SR Saginaw Valley State Midland, Mich.
LB Sam Heyboer 6-5 240 SO Ferris State Grand Rapids, Mich.
S Gunner Olszewski 5-10 180 SR Bemidji State Alvin, Texas
S Brian Williams 6-1 190 SR Davenport Detroit, Mich.
CB Antonio Clark 5-9 160 SR Colorado Mesa Denver, Colo.
CB Zuril Hendrick 6-1 188 SR Edinboro Rochester, N.Y.
RS Reggie Kincade 5-11 170 SR Texas A&M-Commerce Everman, Texas
P Josh Carlson 6-0 165 FR Dixie State Gilbert, Ariz.
Third Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Amir Hall 6-4 195 SR Bowie State Bowie, Md.
QB Chance Stewart 6-6 263 SR Hillsdale Sturgis, Mich.
FB Chris Eastburn 6-0 244 SR Arkansas Tech Pearcy, Ark.
RB Marcus Jones 5-11 225 SR Gannon Painesville, Ohio
RB Cameron Mayberry 5-11 215 JR Colorado Mines Stillwater, Okla.
WR Peter Anderson 5-10 155 JR Colorado Mesa Centennial, Colo.
WR Ardell Brown 5-11 180 JR Seton Hill Rochester, N.Y.
WR Daniel Davis 5-11 170 JR Southwest Minnesota Tarpon Springs, Fla.
TE Qua Boyd 6-5 245 SR West Alabama Lafayette, Ala.
AP Jake Wenzlick 5-9 183 JR Michigan Tech Meridian, Mich.
C A.J. Roland 6-1 280 SR Midwestern State Sachese, Texas
OG LaVonne Gauthney 6-3 315 SR Valdosta State Reynoldsburg, Ohio
OG Keith Pledger 6-1 270 SR Harding Lonoke, Ark.
OT Chris Coles 6-3 280 SR LIU-Post Hackensack, N.J.
OT Quentin Stanford 6-4 312 SR West Georgia Warner Robins, Ga.
PK Jefferson Souza 6-1 185 SO Virginia Union Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Third Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Austen Eskew 6-4 248 SR Northwest Missouri Lawson, Mo.
DE Chris Garrett 6-4 230 SO Concordia-St. Paul Milwaukee, Wis.
DT John Cominsky 6-5 275 SR Charleston (W.Va.) Barberton, Ohio
DT Tyrell Thompson 6-4 290 SR Tarleton State Copperas Cove, Texas
LB Chris Hoad 6-0 228 JR Texas-Permian Basin Leander, Texas
LB Austin Stephens 5-11 210 JR Miles Munford, Ala.
LB Tyler Thomsen 6-1 225 JR Wayne State (Neb.) Fremont, Neb.
S Doyin Jibowu 6-2 200 SR Fort Hays State Denver, Colo.
S Delon Stephenson 5-11 205 JR Ferris State Sayreville, N.J.
CB Roderick Chapman 5-9 175 SR Missouri S&T Los Angeles, Calif.
CB Aaron Watson 5-11 165 SO North Greenville (S.C.) Duncan, S.C.
RS LaPerion Perry 5-6 155 FR West Georgia LaGrange, Ga.
P Jacob Hall 6-2 195 SR Azusa Pacific Greenville, Ill.
Honorable Mention
ALPHABETICAL, BY SCHOOL — Adams State: Marquese Surrell, AP; Assumption: Deonte Harris, RS; Augustana: Joey Newman, DE; Azusa Pacific: Aaron Berry, LB; Benedict: Traviontae Brown, CB; Rickym Holmes, DT; Bentley: Pete Thorbahn, CB; Bowie State: Joshua Pryor, DT; Lansana Sesay, WR; California (Pa.): Nelson Brown, RB; Carson-Newman: Phil McDowell, OG; Antonio Wimbush, RB; Catawba: Jourdan Osinskie, TE; Quinzavious Sands, OG; Central Missouri: Kyrion Parker, WR; Derrick Puni, OT; Central Oklahoma: Noah Hammons, OG; O’Shay Harris, CB; Central State (Ohio): Kevin Greenhow, WR; Terraris Saffold, AP; Central Washington: Ryan Hennessey, QB; James Moore, OT; Chowan: Donald Boone, OT; Tyrell Freeman, RB; Clarion: Brandon Vocco, DT; Clark Atlanta: Kameron Rogers, DE; Colorado Mines: Grant Stewart, C; Colorado State-Pueblo: Mitchell Carter, PK; Preston Guerra, TE; Brayton Medina, OT; Darius Williams, CB: Michael Wristen, DE; Delta State: Darren Gardenhire, CB; Dixie State: Tevia Tolutau, OG; East Central (Okla.): Jack Preston, P; East Stroudsburg: Mike Fleming, OT; Edinboro: Brandon Anderson, S; Emporia State: Braxton Marstall, QB; Findlay: Brian Benson, RB; Fairmont State: Chandler Zavala, OG; Fayetteville State: Brandon Smith, RS; Florida Tech: Romell Guerrier, WR; Fort Hays State: Dante Brown, P; Wyatt Parker, DT; Harding: Sam Blankenship, LB; Hillsdale: Wyatt Batdorff, S; Drew Callahan, C; Indiana (Pa.): Jeff Arnold, C; Indianapolis: Dan McHale, C; Al McKeller, RB; Robert Williams, CB; Kentucky State: Marcus Campbell, Jr., OT; Kutztown: Craig Reynolds, AP; Lenoir-Rhyne: Kyle Dugger, RS; Dan Louba, DT; Limestone: Joshua Simmons, S; Lock Haven: Jalen Jackson, TE; LIU-Post: Jake Carlock, LB; Kevin Petit-Frere, DE; Nazir Streeter, CB; McKendree: Josh Larazo, PK; Mercyhurst: Theo Blackston, FB; Brendan Cole, P; Midwestern State: Kevin Fisher, Jr., OG; Sir’Vell Ford, S; Vincent Johnson, RB; Jayton Rabb, QB; Minnesota Duluth: Jason Anderson, C; Trapper Ward, OT; Minnesota State: Zach Dodge, DT; Minnesota State-Moorhead: Jake Richter, WR; Mississippi College: Tiberias Lampkin, FB; Detric Hawthorn, RB; Missouri S&T: Bo Brooks, LB; Braxton Graham, WR; Tershawn Wharton, DE; Missouri Western: Tyler Basch, PK; Brandin Dandridge, RS; Morehouse: Jean Cyriaque, OG; Newberry: Jamarcus Henderson, DE; Shea Rodgers, P; New Haven: Dan Iannone, OT; Ju’an Williams, WR; New Mexico Highlands: Israel Farfan, PK; North Carolina-Pembroke: Tyler Hinton, DE; Northern Michigan: Jake Mayon, RB; Northern State: Jacob Streit, TE; Northwest Missouri: Zach Flott, OT; Anthony Lane, S; Sam Roberts, DT; Notre Dame (Ohio): Jimmy Burchett, OG; Brandon Nicholson, OT; Marvelle Ross, WR; Ohio Dominican: Cory Contini, WR; Logen Neidhardt, P; Ouachita Baptist: Keandre Evans, CB; Kris Oliver, RB; Pittsburg State: Ryan Dodd, OT; Morgan Selemaea, S; Quincy: Cody Leonard, LB; Saginaw Valley State: Chad Gailliard, WR; St. Cloud State: Sam Hartman, TE; Shepherd (W.Va.): Jaime Colon, C; D.J. Cornish, TE; Shippensburg: Luke Durkin, FB; Josh Gontarek, WR; Dakota Thompson, DE; Sioux Falls (S.D.): Hakeem Johnson, CB; Slippery Rock: Jake Chapla, PK; Steve Gaviglia, OT; Colten Raabe, OG; Brad Zaffram, LB; South Dakota Mines: Isaiah Manley, AP; Jake Sullivan, QB; Southern Arkansas: KaRonce Higgins, WR; Davondrick Lison, DE; Barrett Renner, QB; Tarleton State: Jai Edwards, S; Devin Hafford, CB; Jovan Pruitt, OG; Xavier Turner, RB; Texas A&M-Commerce: Michael Onuoha, DE; Amon Simon, OT; Texas A&M-Kingsville: Brent Hertel, FB; Tiffin: Daijohn Isbell, S; Truman: Lawrence Woods, RS; Valdosta State: Jamar Thompkins, RB; Virginia State: Frank Ball, OT; Wayne State (Mich.): Tommy Richardson, OG; West Alabama: Brandon Anderson, OT; West Chester: Jerry Elder, S; Diquan Gilbert, DE; Tyler Morrissey, LB; West Florida: Marvin Conley, S; West Georgia: Omar Cervantes, PK; Devontae Jackson, RB; Montrell Pardue, S; West Liberty: Josh Ojo, CB; West Texas A&M: John Cummings, P; Wingate: Chris Birozes, P; Davion Washington, CB; Winona State: Isaiah Hall, RS.
HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, has announced that Dr. Niranjan Seshadri, cardiologist, has joined the staff at the DeBakey Heart Clinic.
Seshadri completed medical school at Mysore Medical College, University of Mysore, Mysore, India. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland and interventional cardiology at Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess medical Center in Boston. Dr. Seshadri is board certified in interventional cardiology.
“We are excited to have Dr. Seshadri join the cardiology team,” said Dr. Jeffery Curtis, cardiologist and administrative director of cardiology. “His skills and expertise will allow us to build upon the specialized services we currently offer patients.”
In addition to general cardiology services, Dr. Seshadri will be providing procedures including pacemaker implants, radial heart catheterizations done through the wrist, will be active in the vein clinic as well as the evaluation and treatment of peripheral artery blockage disease.
“Dr. Seshadri has worked with us at HaysMed for the past year,” Curtis said. “He is an excellent and experienced interventional cardiologist, and we are excited to have him join us on a more permanent basis.”
TOPEKA – Kansas State Treasurer Jake LaTurner Tuesday released the statewide indebtedness report in a new, more transparent, user-friendly web format for Kansans to access.
The report shows Kansas carrying a debt of $1,554 per capita, placing it 18th in the nation for highest debt per capita compared to all fifty states and higher than the debt per capita of Missouri ($532), Oklahoma ($303), Iowa ($219), and Nebraska ($20) combined.
The data is compiled as part of the 2018 Moody’s Investor Service’s Public Finance Report, published annually.
The website, which can be found at https://kansasstatetreasurer.com/indebtedness.html, includes a series of interactive graphs that detail the sources and amounts of debt carried by the state as well as individual counties.
Ellis County reports a total county indebtedness of $26,421,026.57, with cities having the biggest portion at $19,181,658.
Three of the top five indebted counties per capita are in western Kansas – Greeley, Clark and Scott counties.
Dr. Tisa MasonEvery time I return from meeting with other presidents, I feel renewed and reaffirmed in the mission, vision, and effectiveness of Fort Hays State University.
Our team is making great progress on many important initiatives. One area in which we continue to make progress is in student persistence – continuing on from one semester, or one year, to the next. Over the past five years, FHSU has improved the freshman first-year-to-second-year rate by 5 percent and, over the same time period, online student retention has improved by 27 percent! This unusually rapid rate of improvement puts us on par with the national average.
But FHSU is not about being average. We aim higher and work harder, especially when it comes to our students. Most importantly, we recognize that behind every number is a student, a real person to whom we have an obligation to guide and encourage.
And sure, not every student who leaves FHSU early is a failure. Some may be enrolled in our pre-engineering 2+2 program specifically designed to allow our students to take the first semesters of pre-engineering classes, required by all engineering schools, and then transfer to an engineering program to finish the degree. This approach provides two years to work closely with our outstanding faculty members, in small classes, receiving personal attention and gaining a strong knowledge base.
Others may complete general education requirements and then transfer to a more expensive college with different majors as a cost-saving strategy.
But there are indeed students who are not graduating and for whom we need to find more effective ways to help. That is why we continue to adopt new strategies and evaluate and refine current practices. I am so grateful for the time and energy our faculty and staff devote to getting better at supporting our students.
An aspect I admire about FHSU is that we have the courage to be introspective and innovative. I once heard a national expert on student success call on universities to think deeply and differentiate between where students fail and where the university fails students – to adopt an “It’s on us” posture rather than simply blame students for not putting forth the effort to succeed.
Researcher Robert Pace has long demonstrated that what the institution does can profoundly shape student effort and positively impact success. Even newer research by Robert Putnam indicates that students who are not as well prepared for college often do not lack in intelligence but in savvy. Our outreach and support is more critical than we sometimes realize.
I was most intrigued by new research from Gallup indicating that hope is critical to student success. This makes sense when you think about it. Ever tried to lose weight and get negative feedback from the scale? Were you motivated to eat more fruits and vegetables? Did you feel like weighing in the next day? Discouragement steals hope. Encouragement fuels hope, which results in success.
When I work with my personal trainer – who gives me information, shows me what to do, monitors my progress, and continues to encourage me – I am hopeful, focused, excited, and successful. Each week I get stronger and can do more. My trainer reminds me not of what I cannot yet do but of the progress I have made and how much closer I am to accomplishing my fitness goals.
I am constantly thinking about how important it is to tell our students every day how great they are, to encourage their hopes and dreams, to instill in them the importance of persevering and refusing to accept failure. It is important to love them to success. It is a message I attempt to convey in my speeches and, more importantly, my daily interactions with students. This is how we create world-class athletes and how we should be creating world-class students.
And the best news – this quality of hope and student support – is already a characteristic alive and well at Fort Hays State University.
WICHITA — A California man has been indicted on federal drug charges after his arrest earlier this month in Thomas County.
According to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister, Allan Bryan DeJesus, 39, Bakersfield, Calif., has been charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (count one), one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin (count two) and one count of interstate travel in furtherance of drug trafficking (count 3).
The crimes are alleged to have occurred Jan. 5 in Thomas County.
If convicted, he faces the following penalties:
• Count one: Not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million.
• Count two: Not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $5 million.
• Count three: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
HACC
