Two informational meetings are scheduled for an upcoming April 2 ballot issue for La Crosse USD 395.
The measure, to create a recreation system under the taxing entity of La Crosse USD 395 Board of Education, would allow the levying an annual tax not to exceed four mills.
Public meetings will be at 7 p.m. tonight at the McCracken Community Building and 7 p.m. Tuesday at La Crosse City Auditorium.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) will continue to accept applications for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) through Friday, March 29, 2013.
LIEAP is an annual benefit to help qualifying households pay winter heating bills. Individuals with disabilities, elderly persons and families with children are the primary groups assisted. The program will provide an average benefit of $386 to the 46,250 individuals whose applications have been received so far this season.
Taxpayer funding for the LIEAP program is provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Service’s Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
The level of benefit varies according to household income, number of persons living at the address and type of heating fuel and utility rates.
LIEAP applications are available at local DCF offices or by calling toll-free 1-800-432-0043. Visit www.dcf.ks.gov to apply online.
There will not be a supplemental LIEAP benefit issuance during 2013.
Officials at the Region 7 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Lenexa are urging Kansans to work with a Lead-Safe Certified contractor during home renovations.
Home repairs that create even a small amount of lead dust are enough to poison your child and put your family at risk.
If you live in a home or apartment that was built before 1978 and are planning a renovation or repair project, make sure you renovate right with a Lead-Safe Certified contractor in accordance with EPA guidelines.
Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to children and adults.
Increased awareness about lead-based paint hazards and lead-safe work practices for do-it-yourselfers will help reduce lead poisoning in children, pregnant women, other family members and workers.
Consumers with more questions can call EPA Region 7 at 1-800-223-0425 and ask to speak with a lead paint specialist.
Kansas First Lady Mary Brownback announced the winners of the 2013 Kansas Book Festival Grants during a news conference this week at the Statehouse in Topeka.
“The Kansas Book Festival works year round to promote literacy and encourage a life-long love of reading,” First Lady Brownback said. “These grants will help preserve and improve local and school libraries across the state.”
The 16 public and school libraries will share in receiving a portion of the $12,555 in grants.
2013 Technology Grants
Rossville Community Library; Rossville; $1,050
Blue Rapids Public Library; Blue Rapids; $1,030
Lebo School Library; Waverly; $1,600
Payne Elementary School Library; Wichita; $1,200
Jackson Heights Middle/High School Library; Holton; $1,000
2013 Book Grants
Central Elementary Library; Goodland; $500
Lawrence Gardner High School Library; Topeka; $500
Garfield Early Childhood Library; Garden City; $500
Tipton Community Grade School Library; Tipton; $500
Grainfield City Library; Grainfield; $1,000
Florence Public Library; Florence; $400
Clifton-Clyde Grade School Library; Clifton; $500
Norcatur Public Library; Norcatur; $1,000
St. Joseph School Library; Ellinwood; $500
Washington High School Library; Kansas City; $1,000
Central Heights Elementary School Library; Richmond’; $275
“These grants will help libraries to purchase new technology like computers, iPads and eBooks as well as a wide range of reading materials for a wide range of reading levels,” Mrs. Brownback said.
Kansas Book Festival Fund is a 501c3 organization through the Topeka Community Foundation. The grants themselves are funded through corporate sponsors and monies raised at the annual book festival.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced late Friday afternoon it will close 149 air traffic control towers April 7 due to budget constraints.
“It’s serious.”
That’s how Ellis Mayor Dave McDaniel describes the city council’s decision Wednesday to move to Stage 3 of the town’s Water Conservation Plan.
For the first time, all outdoor watering is banned.
“Right now our wells are low, but stabilizing,” explains McDaniel. “But summer will soon be here and that’s when our water usage is highest.”
According to McDaniel, the Kansas Water Office has issued a “Red Alert” for Ellis. It’s a warning that the town’s water supply, from a “finger” off the Ogallala Aquifer, has a good potential to dry up.
“We’ll be doing a big water conservation effort,” he says. “K-State Watershed Specialist Stacie Minson will be here and we’re looking into low-flow shower heads and toilets. People need to understand why we’ve taken this drastic action. We’re going to have to conserve water even more than we already are.”
Private well owners are not affected by the outdoor watering ban, yet. “They still draw water from the same sources and that will cause it to deplete even more,” McDaniel warns.
McDaniel says the city council will meet again Monday to hear concerns from residents and do some “tweaking” to the plan.
The outdoor watering ban is effective after publication in the Ellis newspaper next week.
(Photos courtesy James Miller)
The state’s four veterans’ cemeteries in Fort Dodge, WaKeeney, Winfield, and Fort Riley received the “Excellence of Appearance Award” today from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Cemetery Grants Service (VCGS), and National Cemetery Administration (NCA).
“This is a great honor. The state of Kansas has four great veterans’ cemeteries that provide excellent options for the veterans and their eligible dependents,” Gregg Burden, Executive Director of the Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs (KCVA).
The state received $19.3 million dollars from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Cemetery Grants Service and National Cemetery Administration, for the construction of the four State Veterans’ Cemeteries.
In 2002, the Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery at Fort Dodge was dedicated and opened, and in 2004, the Kansas Veterans’ Cemeteries at WaKeeney and Winfield were dedicated and opened. In 2009, the Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery at Fort Riley was dedicated and opened.
Trego County voters overwhelmingly approved a one percent sales tax to help the Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital with expenses by a 950-430 vote, nearly 68 percent of the ballots returned by Tuesday.
Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital Administrator Harold Courtois told Hays Post “We are not only happy but also relieved that the voters recognized the importance of the hospital.”
Courtois said that while the sales tax meetings held earlier this year were poorly attended they believed that the voters would approve the sales tax. Turnout was much higher for the no-fund warrant meetings.
The sales tax will go into effect on July 1st.
A new effort to roll back green energy rules for utilities in Kansas has stalled in the state Legislature.
The House Energy and Environment Committee on Tuesday tabled a bill to back off a requirement for utilities to have wind and other renewable resources account for 20 percent of their capacity for generating electricity by 2020.
Chairman and Wichita Republican Dennis Hedke said the panel’s 10-9 vote likely ends this year’s debate on the renewable energy standard.
The House bill set the standard at 15 percent.
The bill cleared Hedke’s committee last month, but the House sent it back.
Hedke believes the standard increases electricity costs and hoped to revive it. Environmentalists, wind companies and farmers said the standard benefits the state and lobbied against the bill.
As early as March 25, two bridge replacement jobs in Rooks County will begin, depending on weather conditions.
Both bridges are located on U.S. 24 Highway in Rooks County. The first structure is 1.8 miles east of the U.S. 24/U.S. 183 Junction. The second bridge is 5.2 miles west of Stockton.
The scope includes grading, bridge reconstruction and resurfacing at both locations.
“These two projects will be constructed at the same time with approximately the same starting and completion dates, explains KDOT Construction Engineer Jim Riener, of the Phillipsburg construction office.
Traffic signals will be used on each bridge project. Minor delays should be expected through the construction time frame.
KDOT awarded both construction contracts – totaling $695,184 and $964,140 – to Bridges Inc. of Newton.
The bridge projects should be complete by October.
The dramatically cooler temperatures couldn’t keep away the crowd at Saturday’s 24th annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Rush Center.
Organizers estimated it was a slightly smaller gathering than the usual 2,000 or so visitors to the tiny Rush County community.
Committee member Nancy Meitl thought the overcast day helped drive more people inside to the Community Center where they enjoyed her homemade Irish Stew.
“Traditionally, the recipe calls for lamb, with potatoes and other vegetables. Here in Kansas, we figure we better go with beef,” she laughed.
And, as typical in Kansas, the wind was blowing. It wasn’t enough to change any scheduled events but many people wearing green had to cover it up with a jacket.
The afternoon parade, which goes right down Highway 183, featured many of the vehicles from the morning antique tractor and classic car show, a band, the Shriners zipping around on their tiny motorcycles, several politicians, including U-S Senator Jerry Moran, and a float with all 50 state flags.
Other events included bed races, a craft show, cake walk, games for the kids and live entertainment.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2013 Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Funds for the program are awarded to the agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. The funds are in turn granted to projects and organizations that promote the competitiveness of specialty crops.
The purpose of the specialty crop program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, which are defined by USDA as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.”
Each state that submits an application that is reviewed and approved by the Agricultural Marketing Service is to receive at least an amount that is equal to the higher of $100,000 or one-third of 1 percent of the total amount of funding made available for that fiscal year. In addition, the Agricultural Marketing Service will allocate the remainder of the grant funds based on the value of specialty crop production in each state in relation to the national value of specialty crop production using the latest available cash receipt data.
In 2012, Kansas received $258,363 for the grant program.
Applications will be evaluated by a team of external reviewers. The team will rate proposals on the ability to successfully promote specialty crops in Kansas and make a positive impact on the Kansas economy. The team will submit those recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture, who will make the final awards.
Applications are due to KDA no later than May 17, 2013.
A man has been charged with selling goods with counterfeit trademarks from Ralph Lauren, Nike and other well known names at his store in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
