As part of a legislative mandate last year that requires the state of Kansas to open a pre-rut firearm deer season, deer hunters may now hunt white-tailed antlerless deer Oct. 12-13, 2013.

This new two-day season has been designed as an effort to create additional opportunities for hunters wishing to take antlerless whitetails.

After careful consideration, several commission meetings, and input from the public, it was decided a two-day season over Oct.12-13 would provide a unique opportunity without infringing on established traditional seasons.

During the two-day season, any permit that allows the harvest of a white-tailed antlerless deer is valid during this season. Equipment and unit restrictions listed on permits will still be in effect, and all deer hunters are required to wear hunter orange.

For more information, consult the 2013 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulation Summary, or visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting / Hunting Regulations.”

Kansas First Lady Mary Brownback today announced that applications for Kansas Book Festival Grants can now be found online. Public libraries and school libraries located in Kansas are eligible to apply for the grants. Information and applications are available here: https://kansasbookfestival.com/get-involved/grants/

“These grants will help libraries with resources to stay ahead of the technology curve and to keep the materials on their shelves as relevant as possible to the young patrons of the library. I want all Kansas children to have a rich and fulfilling experience with libraries and books, and my hope is that these grants will help achieve that,” said First Lady Brownback

The two grants will pay for either technology improvements or to fund book purchases.

Applications must be postmarked by December 31, 2013 and grants will be awarded in March, 2014.

In conjunction with Governor Sam Brownback’s initiative to improve the percentage of fourth-grade students reading at or above grade level, the First Lady created an annual book festival for the state of Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Revenue has issued guidance, Notice13-18, instructing same-sex couples to continue filing state income tax returns next year as they always have in the state, using the single filing status.

For same-sex couples filing as married for the first time at the federal level, the department will provide a worksheet in the Kansas instruction booklet for calculating the income, deductions, and credit data to enter on each person’s Kansas return. The worksheet will use the federal adjusted gross income (FAGI) and provide an allocation method for Kansas adjusted gross income (KAGI) deductions, and credits for each taxpayer.

The approach is one recommended by Federation of Tax Administrators and adheres to the Kansas Constitution’s definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. It is supported by the recent U.S. Supreme Court case, Windsor, in which the Court upheld the rights of states to define and regulate marriage.

Link to the notice: https://www.ksrevenue.org/taxnotices/notice13-18.pdf

From the Kansas Health Institute News Service:

The Kansas Department for Children and Families has decided to drop its participation in a federal grant program designed to help poor people apply for food-stamp benefits.

“We simply do not believe taxpayer dollars should be used to recruit people to be on welfare,” Theresa Freed, a spokesperson for DCF, wrote in an email to KHI News Service.

The decision, she said, was unrelated to the federal government shutdown.

The five programs affected by the decision and their grant amounts:

• Rice County Communities That Serve, Lyons; $16,267.50
• Kansas Food Bank, Wichita; $13,818.61
• Harvesters, Kansas City; $14,314.50
• Community Access, Independence; $12,620.77
• Catholic Social Services, Dodge City; $14,506.50

DCF informed the programs of its decision on Sept. 30, a day before the grants were to be renewed.

“We’d filled out our application and had gotten everything accepted and approved to start on Tuesday (Oct. 1),” said Debby Snapp, who runs the Catholic Social Service office in Dodge City. “And then on Monday (Sept. 30), I got an email from DCF that said they’d decided not to accept any more outreach money.”

Nationally, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) outreach grants are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by state welfare departments.

In Kansas, the grants have been administered by DCF and its predecessor, the former Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

Today, nearly 320,000 Kansans — almost half of whom are children — receive SNAP benefits. The average per-person benefit is $122 per month.

Freed said South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming also have chosen not to participate in the program.

DCF’s decision, Freed said, was not meant to stop local charities from helping the poor to apply for SNAP benefits. Instead, she said, it only means their efforts will not be funded with state or federal dollars.

“DCF believes that encouraging people to sign up for welfare benefits is not consistent with our position that welfare should be used temporarily and serve as a bridge to employment and self-sufficiency,” Freed said.

Snapp said Catholic Social Service will look for alternate sources of funding.

“Our plan is not to do anything different from what we’re doing now because we think what we’re doing is the morally right thing to do — and that’s helping people who are really struggling,” she said. “I understand that there are people out there who think these are people who choose not to work because they can get food stamps. But I have to say that’s not been our experience at all.”

Marian Poe, director at the Rice County Communities that Serve, said she doubted the program would be able to offset loss of the grant funding.

Poe said she laid herself off last week.  “As of right now, we have no paid employees. We’re all volunteers,” she said. “We’re having an emergency board meeting tonight to talk about this.”

Shannon Cotsoradis, executive director with the advocacy group Kansas Action for Children, blasted DCF’s action.

“I am deeply troubled by this decision,” she said. “Families with children that unexpectedly find themselves in difficult circumstances may not be aware that they are eligible for food assistance without outreach. This (decision) means more Kansas children will go hungry. Hungry kids not only suffer health-related consequences, but they are also less able to concentrate and learn in school. This policy decision will increase the likelihood that children living in poverty today will become tomorrow’s poor adults.”

A project to build an informational kiosk for the Western Vistas Historic Byway, located in western Kansas, is  underway.

The location of the kiosk is approximately 27 miles south of Oakley along the west side of U.S. 83 Highway.

Scott City artist Jerry Thomas will bring to life the rich history and beautiful scenery associated with the Western Vistas Historic Byway, which runs from Scott City north to Oakley on U.S. 83, and then west to Sharon Springs on U.S. 40 Highway.

The byway features seven National Historic sites and six museums that explore the various cultures and events that played a role in America’s western expansion. It also highlights Scott State Park.

The artwork will be depicted on six interpretive panels.

Total cost of the project, expected to be complete by mid-November, is $109,754.

Land for the kiosk has been donated by the family of Gerald Bean.  Native limestone from the Bean’s property of Gerald will be implemented into a seating area near the kiosk project.

The USD 291 Grinnell public schools are winners of  $10,000 from the Monsanto Fund.

The check will be presented Friday night during half-time of the Grinnell football game in Gove County.

Monsanto’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program offers farmers the chance to nominate a local public school district, which can then compete for a grant of up to $25,000 to enhance math or science education.  More than 1,150 nominated school districts submitted applications.

The Monsanto Fund will invest $2.3 million through America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grants this year.

The National Park Service is changing its visitor center hours at Nicodemus National Historic Site.

The visitor center will be closed on all Sundays and federal holidays beginning this Sunday, October 6. The visitor center will be open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and will continue to offer the park film, tours, and interpretive programs.

According to Phyllis Howard, National Park Service Ranger,  “this closure will maximize the use of our anticipated funding levels to reach a greater number of visitors and enhance visitor experience through special programs and events as well as educational programs.  The park hopes to expand its educational outreach in the coming fiscal year to get more local schools to the park, as well as virtually through distance education.”

The town of Nicodemus is symbolic of the pioneer spirit of African Americans.

They dared to leave the only region they had been familiar with to seek personal freedom and the opportunity to develop their talents and capabilities.

Nicodemus NHS represents the western expansion and settlement of the Great Plains, and includes five buildings: The First Baptist Church, St. Francis Hotel, Nicodemus School District Number One, African Episcopal Church, and Township Hall.

The State Library of Kansas Talking Books announced Monday the newly available Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) Mobile app.

The free app (available through the Apple App Store) allows readers to download and access nearly 50,000 books, magazines, and music scores in audio and braille formats, with new selections added daily.

“The State Library of Kansas is excited about the opportunity BARD Mobile brings to Kansas,” said State Librarian Jo Budler. “With BARD Mobile, patrons will be able to receive their reading materials faster than our digital playback equipment allows, however, Talking Books digital players and cartridges will remain available without cost to the reader.”

Kansas Talking Books provides personalized library support and materials in a specialized format to eligible Kansas residents to ensure that all may read. This library service is available to Kansas residents who are unable to read or use standard printed materials due to visual impairment, physical impairment or reading disabilities.

If you aren’t a registered Talking Books patron but think you qualify for this no-cost library service visit www.kslib.info/talking-books. Kansas Talking Books is coordinated through the State Library of Kansas and the Library of Congress, National Library Service.

More information on the App: https://tinyurl.com/bardios
Video introduction: https://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5955
Direct link to app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bard-mobile/id705229586?ls=1&mt=8

The fourth draft of a comprehensive conservation plan for the lesser prairie-chicken has been submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for endorsement, a plan offered by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) and state wildlife agencies in Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.

This latest version comes after extensive review and comment by stakeholders across the bird’s five-state range. Once the USFWS endorses the plan, the states can begin implementing it in hope of precluding the need to list the species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

“For years, biologists have well known that wildlife do not recognize state lines, which has presented management challenges for wildlife agencies,” says Bill Van Pelt, WAFWA Grassland Initiative Coordinator. “Often, population goals are set based on administrative boundaries. This plan not only sets biologically meaningful population objectives, it also allows for resources to be spent anywhere within the same habitat type, regardless of the state. This should give state wildlife agencies maximum management flexibility and, ideally, preclude the need to list it.”

The submittal of the range-wide plan comes at the same time the second annual statistically-valid, range-wide population estimate for the lesser prairie-chicken is being released. Analysis of the 2013 range-wide survey revealed population estimates of 17,616, down from the 34,440 birds estimated the previous year. This population decrease was predicted by biologists because of the persistent drought that has plagued the region in recent years.

WAFWA’s Grassland Initiative collaborated with the Lesser Prairie-chicken Interstate Working Group, which is composed of biologists from state fish and wildlife departments within the range of the species, the Bureau of Land Management, and Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. to conduct a large-scale, helicopter-based survey of lesser prairie-chicken leks across all five states. Leks are sites where the birds congregate every spring for breeding. These surveys occurred from March-May and encompassed more than 300,000 square miles.

The 2013 survey was funded by the five state fish and wildlife agencies and WAFWA with support from various partners, including oil and gas companies that support lesser prairie-chicken conservation, the Bureau of Land Management and a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Although drought has significant impacts on game bird populations, biologists are heartened by the fact that the lesser prairie-chicken has historically shown significant resiliency to periodic climatic events. When the birds were first proposed for listing in the 1990s, the region was experiencing a severe drought. In many areas, bird populations declined by more than 60 percent, but recovered to prior levels with a return to wetter years later in that decade.

The range-wide conservation plan will help increase and enhance critical lesser prairie-chicken habitat through partnerships with landowners that will incentivize beneficial land management practices. The plan has benefited from extensive public review and stakeholder input, including more than 70 public meetings throughout the five states in addition to online review and comment. This includes specific meetings and outreach for wind energy, oil and gas and agricultural interests.

“We don’t want to see the lesser prairie-chicken designated as a federally threatened or endangered species, however in the event it is listed, we want to have a plan in place to recover the bird and get it off the list as soon as possible,” said Bill Van Pelt, WAFWA grassland coordinator.

For more information, visit the team’s website at www.wafwa.org/html/prairie_chicken.shtml.

From Bankrate.com:

President Barack Obama recently announced a plan to develop a college ratings system to help students make informed decisions about where they can get the best college education deal. Coincidentally, Bankrate undertook the task of ranking two-year community colleges and technical centers around the country to see where students can get the best, affordable start in their college careers.

Community colleges serve nearly half of all U.S. undergraduate students and play a crucial role in both workforce development and as a springboard to a four-year education. But few are recognized for just how far they go to serve students.

Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, we ranked more than 900 public two-year institutions to determine the best and brightest schools. Our rankings were based on six criteria: graduation rate; student retention rate; the student-faculty ratio; the school’s in-state tuition and fees; the percentage of full-time first-time undergraduates receiving financial aid; and the average amount of grant aid they received from federal, state and private sources combined. The data cover full-time freshman students who entered college in fall 2008.

Our survey did not include private institutions, schools that did not report information on all six criteria to the National Center for Education Statistics or schools with fewer than 100 full-time students.

Following are the top 10 community colleges in the country based on Bankrate’s criteria.

10. Colby Community College

Sliding into No. 10 on our list, Colby Community College in Colby, Kan., wins our accolade as one of the top community colleges because of its 10-1 student-faculty ratio, low in-state tuition of $1,824 per year ($2,944 with fees), and the fact that 97 percent of full-time first-time students receive some grant or scholarship aid. In addition to getting a cost break, students also receive direct attention from their instructors. Besides maintaining a low student-faculty ratio, Colby makes an effort to accommodate students who may not be able to make it to the main campus by offering courses through 24 locations spread throughout 14 surrounding counties.

While Colby offers programs of study ranging from broadcasting to massage therapy to solar photovoltaic studies, the broad array of agriculture programs really make this institution shine. Colby’s 60-acre agricultural center acts as a living laboratory, provides students with real-world farming experience and offers the perfect place for the school’s agrocentric programs, including agronomy, farm and ranch management, and agriculture economics.

The school also maintains strong programs for students who want to work with four-legged friends, including programs in equine science, animal science, and a robust veterinary technology program that can be completed on campus or online.

9. Mayland Community College

A 9-1 student-faculty ratio, low tuition and high retention rate landed Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine, N.C., a spot on our list of top community colleges, but the school also gets high marks for its emphasis on teaching soft skills in addition to providing technical and academic education.

“(We treat education) like a job. At a job, you just don’t say, ‘Well I don’t feel like going today’ or ‘I’m going to be late,'” says Mayland President John Boyd, adding that the school maintains attendance and tardiness policies. “Students need to understand that there’s no less expectation of their behavior at school as there would be in the workforce.”

With more than 10,000 credit and noncredit students, the school is robust enough to support 27 academic and technical programs spread across the main Spruce Pine campus and two satellite learning centers. Nursing, electronics engineering, cosmetology, welding and horticulture are the most popular programs, says Boyd. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the average Mayland student receives more than $4,600 in federal, state, local and institutional grant aid.

8. Charlotte Technical Center

While some four-year institutions struggle to offer students any financial aid, the average student at Charlotte Technical Center in Port Charlotte, Fla., receives nearly $1,000 more in scholarship or grant aid per year than the cost of tuition. The school boasts one faculty member for every seven students and prides itself on offering real-world experiences to supplement in-class learning.

Charlotte Tech’s carpentry program, for example, partners with Habitat for Humanity to give students the opportunity to work on construction projects. The dental assisting program works in tandem with the American Dental Association to open a pop-up dental facility that provides services for more than 200 neighborhood children every February, and the school’s culinary program serves an all-you-can-eat community meal to approximately 300 area residents every Thursday throughout the school year.

“We work very hard in getting our students intern experiences or even jobs while they’re going to school,” says Charlotte Technical Center Director Barney Duffy. About 85 percent of Charlotte Tech students find work within a year of graduation, Duffy adds, and if you can’t find a job while in school, the school still has your back. Alumni are welcome to use the school’s career placement services after graduation.

7. North Central Kansas Technical College

Nationwide, only about 20 percent of students graduate from two-year institutions within three years of enrolling. At North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit, Kan., 81 percent of full-time students leave campus with their credentials in that time frame, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

North Central Kansas only offers technical programs — 24 between two campuses — and students may be required to collaborate with those outside of their degree program. Every year, students from the school’s various programs — carpentry, bricklaying, residential electricity, telecommunications, electronics engineering technology, and plumbing, heating and air conditioning — work together to build a house from the foundation up.

“It really has been a great culmination and a great collaboration between a lot of different programs,” says North Central Kansas Tech President Eric Burks. Proceeds from selling the house help fund the school’s career technical programs.

North Central Kansas’ technology studies program also works in tandem with the local four-year institution Fort Hays State University and provides transferrable credits students can apply toward a two-year degree program at North Central Kansas Tech or toward a four-year degree at Fort Hays State. All North Central students, regardless of program of study, receive direct attention from their teachers thanks to the school’s sweet 10-1 student-faculty ratio.

6. Linn State Technical College in Linn, Mo.

Practical experience is the focus of Linn State Technical College in Linn, Mo. The reason this school boasts a 95 percent job-placement rate is because it goes to significant lengths to develop close ties with area businesses and industry leaders. Linn State boasts one of 11 Caterpillar dealer service technician programs in the country, and its commercial turf and grounds program was recognized as one of the top six in the U.S. by the National FFA Organization, also known as Future Farmers of America.

Even if students are applying for jobs outside of Linn State’s area, the school still looks good to employers. In addition to receiving an academic grade, students also receive a grade on job readiness and classroom attendance for each and every course they take. Upon graduation, the school also provides a list of competencies grads can show an employer to prove their skills.

“If a company should find that a graduate cannot do what we say that that graduate can do … the student can come back free of charge to retake a class or a portion of a class,” says President Donald Claycomb. “We have not had anyone take advantage of that opportunity, but it does exist.”

5. White Mountains Community College

As tuition prices skyrocket across the nation, community colleges in New Hampshire have frozen theirs for the fourth time since 2006. About 9 out of every 10 first-time full-time undergrads at White Mountains Community College in Berlin, N.H., receive financial aid, and once tuition is paid, students get access to a wide range of programs that aren’t available at many other two-year institutions.

The school’s environmental science program is one of seven research partners alongside schools such as Dartmouth and the University of New Hampshire that participate in the state’s National Science Foundation-funded Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR.

“Our students are out in the field doing the work and then sending the data back to the University of New Hampshire for data input,” says White Mountains President Katharine Eneguess.

The school also offers an innovative program that allows future teachers to start their studies in high school, transition to White Mountains for an associate degree in teaching, then complete work for a four-year degree by taking courses under Plymouth State University instructors on White Mountains’ campus. White Mountains has also added a cybersecurity and health care IT certificate program.

4. Flint Hills Technical College

Located in east-central Emporia, Kan., Flint Hills Technical College is dedicated to hands-on education and partnering with local businesses. Seventy percent of learning time is spent in labs or in practical training. The Flint Hills construction technologies program, for instance, recently partnered with Kansas State University to build an office and classroom space on Flint Hills’ campus.

The building is partially powered by solar and wind power. The construction technology program also worked with Habitat for Humanity last year to build a new house, while Flint Hills’ multimedia program partners with local manufacturers to design marketing materials.

“We pride ourselves in every one of our programs to have cutting-edge technology,” says Flint Hills President Dean Hollenbeck. “It’s a challenge for us to make sure that our students, when they come into any of our programs, that the equipment they’re using is exactly the equipment, exactly the software” that they’ll be using in the real world, he says.

Nearly all — 94 percent — of graduates find work or continue their education after leaving Flint Hills.

3. Altamaha Technical College

This Georgia peach of a school lands on our list thanks to its low 12-1 student-faculty ratio, rock-bottom tuition of $2,100 per year and the fact that 97 percent of first-time full-time students receive financial aid. The price at Altamaha Technical College in Jesup, Ga., is even more affordable in light of how much scholarship and grant funding full-time students receive. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, full-time beginning undergrads receive average scholarship and grant packages of nearly $5,500 to help cover educational expenses.

The school also wins big points for offering a wide array of degrees, diplomas and certificates, ranging from crime scene fundamentals to paramedicine. Altamaha is also committed to helping students succeed. The school offers tutoring, personal counseling, academic advising and job placement services, which includes help connecting with local employers and interview workshops.

2. Erwin Technical Center

This technical school offers more than 20 post-secondary training programs, but James Rich, principal of Erwin Technical Center in Tampa, Fla., says practical nursing is Erwin’s secret weapon. Fully 92 percent of Erwin nursing students pass their licensure exam, and across all programs of study, the school maintains a job placement rate of more than 80 percent.

The school also does a fantastic job of keeping students enrolled in their programs year after year. Nearly 90 percent of full-time students return to campus after completing their first year, and 85 percent make it to graduation. Students also leave campus with a boatload of practical training. Many of the school’s industrial programs run working shops that give students a chance to test their skills with actual customers before getting unleashed into the real world.

“Every program that we have has to have an advisory committee (with) the majority of those members (being) industry people,” says Rich. “They have to review our curriculum every year to make sure things are current … but many of those are employers that hire our graduates. It’s a real unique situation to have that tie to industry.”

1. East San Gabriel Regional Occupational Program

East San Gabriel in West Covina, Calif., claims the No. 1 spot on our list because 100 percent of first-time full-time students receive financial aid, the average student receives a grant package topping $3,500, and at 87 percent, the graduation rate for full-time students is more than four times the national average.

East San Gabriel also has an 80 percent to 90 percent job placement rate, in part because internships or practical experience are required for all students, and many of the school’s programs are designed to emulate small businesses, says Superintendent Laurel Adler. For example, East San Gabriel’s microcomputer repair and maintenance program operates a computer repair shop that serves the local community.

If running your own company is the ultimate goal, this is the place to be. In addition to teaching the basics of starting a company, the school’s small-business management program also helps students get off the ground.

“Once they get that degree, the school … will actually pay for the student’s business license and assist them in getting started,” says Adler. “In other words, get their cards printed, help them set up their website and literally pay for the business license.”

Bankrate, Inc. is the Web’s leading aggregator of financial rate information.

FROM THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION at 5p.m.:

K-27 Closed From Sharon Springs to Goodland

KDOT is closing K-27 from Sharon Springs to Goodland due to an accident.

K-27 was closed earlier today from Tribune to Sharon Springs and remains closed.

The National Weather Service in Goodland says ” we received a report from Sherman (County) Dispatch earlier that an officer could “barely see across the road.”

For up to date road closures and road conditions, please call 511 in Kansas
(1-866-511-KDOT (5368) outside the state), or check travel information online at: www.kandrive.org or visit https://511mm.ksdot.org/.