The Kansas Senate last week confirmed Kansas native and former business executive Jim Clark as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration.

The Senate voted 40-0 to approve Governor Sam Brownback’s pick to lead the agency that oversees many of state government’s administrative activities, including payroll, purchasing, printing, facilities management and personnel services.

Clark was born in Ness City, raised in Wichita and has worked in Kansas his entire life.

A practicing Certified Public Accountant, Clark participated in the audits, review of filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission and other client services for clients including, Beech Aircraft, Learjet, the Coleman Company and Pizza Hut, Inc.

Much of Clark’s experience is in the utilities industry.  Clark was responsible for all accounting functions for Kansas Gas and Electric, including cost control functions during the construction of the Wolf Creek Nuclear Plant.

In the early 1990’s, as vice president of Westar, he was responsible for integrating the internal audit departments of Kansas Gas & Electric and Kansas Power and Light following the merger of the two companies. He later managed the information systems and telecommunications department for Westar and its subsidiaries from 1995 to 1997.

In 1997, Clark moved to Oneok as vice president of Kansas Gas Service, where he managed the accounting, legal and management information systems of the company as well as their interface with Oneok’s systems. He retired from Oneok in 2001.

Upon retirement from Oneok, Clark has consulted and remained active with the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants.

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has closed the restroom facilities at the westbound I-70 rest area located east of Russell.

The facilities are temporarily closed today in order to make repairs to a broken water line.

Although the restroom facilities are closed to the public, the parking lot and dump station are open.

 

City of WaKeeney

408 Russell Ave., WaKeeney KS 67672

Regular Meeting MONDAY 9/9/13 at 7:00 PM

    I.          Roll Call

1. Approval of minutes of last meeting

1. Petitions, requests, complaints, guests, etc.

1. Report of City Officers / Department Heads

1. City Administrator

1. Access road for Triplett 24/7 Truck Plaza bid

1. 700 Block of N. 7^th Street curb and gutter

1. GAAP waiver for 2013

1. Mapes & Miller audit quote for 2013

1. Review of August 2013 warrants

1. Mayor

1. Old / New Business

1. Environmental Code abatements

1. Executive Session (if needed)

1. Adjournment

State Treasurer Ron Estes announced today that individuals who attend this year’s Kansas State Fair may come across hidden treasure by finding their names listed among thousands of unclaimed property listings.

The State Treasurer’s Office will host a booth fully equipped with computers and staff ready to assist Kansans with their unclaimed property searches at the fair, Sept. 6 – 15.

Currently, there is more than $251 million in unclaimed assets held by the State Treasurer’s Office.  Everyone is encouraged to stop by and check to see if their name or those of friends and family is listed.

This money comes from forgotten bank accounts, stocks, bonds, insurance premium overpayments, refunds, abandoned safe deposit boxes and other property. It is the Treasurer’s goal to locate the rightful owners and heirs of unclaimed assets currently being held by the State of Kansas.

“We had tremendous success at last year’s Kansas State Fair where we matched $331, 532 to rightful owners,” said State Treasurer Ron Estes. “We hope to achieve even better results this year.”

Visit the Unclaimed Property booth at the Kansas State Fair Sept. 6 – 15 or visit www.kansascash.com  to see if you have treasure to claim.

A Barton County woman has been named the EMS Administrator of the Year by the Kansas Emergency Medical Services Association.

Ellinwood EMS Director Debbie Glenn was recognized during the group’s annual summer conference August 7-11 in Wichita.

Glenn has worked for the Ellinwood EMS Department for nearly 20 years. During that time, the department has been recognized for their excellence at the state and national levels.

 

Abilene Products Co., Inc., has agreed to pay a $15,290 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at its fertilizer facility in Abilene.

As part of its settlement agreement with EPA Region 7 released today, the company will spend an additional $75,370 to complete a supplemental environmental project.

The settlement stems from an inspection that revealed Abilene Products failed to develop and implement a Risk Management Program for its fertilizer facility that complied with the requirements of the chemical accident prevention regulations.

Following community complaints, EPA inspected the facility in November 2011.

At that time, the facility was storing more than nine times the threshold quantity of anhydrous ammonia. Anhydrous ammonia is a toxic chemical and short-term exposure to high concentrations can cause death. The potential for emergency personnel and the community to be exposed to an accidental release was increased due to the facility’s failures to comply with numerous risk management program requirements.

Abilene Products chose to remove a total of 99,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia from the facility.

Abilene Products will complete a supplemental environmental project valued at $75,370 as a part of the settlement. The company will install a weather station system and an automated safety system at the facility to increase the safety of chemicals stored on site.

By agreeing to the settlement, Abilene Products has certified that it is in compliance with the CAA and all of its requirements.

Grainfield will soon have a much-needed addition to their fire station, thanks to a $167,020 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Loan and Grant (REDLG) Program.

The new addition will include dedicated bays for fire department vehicles, and includes an equipped training area. Improved training is key for the Grainfield volunteer department, which answers calls in Gove County ranging from structural and field fires, to auto accidents on Interstate 70.

The $238,600 project has other funding in addition to the USDA grant. An estimated $38,176 will come from the City’s general funds, and $33,404 from Midwest Energy funds.

When paid back, the REDLG loan and Midwest Energy funds will go into the Midwest Energy Revolving Loan Fund to support further projects of this type.