Two candidates have filed for the office of Ellis mayor.
They are Dave McDaniel, who’s served as mayor of Ellis for 15 years, and Lyle Johnston, who’s served as an Ellis City Council member since June 2010.
Filing deadline is January 22.
Category: State
Western KS Woman Named to Kansas Sampler Foundation
Christy Hopkins, Tribune, has been named to the Kansas Sampler Foundation board of directors. She currently serves as the community development director for Unified Greeley County.
Hopkins is a Class X graduate of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership (KARL) program and a Kansas Health Foundation Fellow. She is also a core-team member of the PowerUps, a Kansas Sampler Foundation initiative dedicated to the empowerment and connection of Kansans aged 21-39 who are rural by choice.
Hopkins also serves on the boards of the Western Kansas Rural Economic Development Association and Wild West Country (southwest Kansas tourism region).
In Tribune, Hopkins serves as secretary for Growing the Vision: A Foundation for the Future of Greeley County and treasurer of The Star Theater of Tribune, a community-owned movie theater.
One in Three Kansas Homes Has High Radon Levels
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) have proclaimed January “Kansas Radon Action Month” to help educate Kansans about the dangers of radon exposure and encourage actions to identify and address radon problems in the home.
“Radon is one of the leading environmental causes of cancer mortality,” said Robert Moser, M.D., KDHE Secretary and State Health Officer.
About one out of every three radon measurements performed in Kansas are elevated, being above 4 pCi/l (picoCuries per liter). Some areas have higher levels than others, though elevated levels of radon have been detected in every county in the state.
Topeka, Manhattan and Lawrence building codes require new homes to be built using radon-resistant techniques, and additional cities in Kansas are considering this modification to their building codes.
Inexpensive radon test kits, available at local hardware and builder’s supply stores and at your Kansas county extension office, can reveal the amount of radon in any building. Those with high levels can usually be fixed with simple and affordable venting techniques. Homeowners should talk with a certified radon contractor if levels above 4 pCi/l are detected.
A list of certified radon contractors is available by calling the Kansas Radon Hotline at 800-693-KDHE (800-693-5343). Additional information about radon can be obtained at www.kansasradonprogram.org and at www.epa.gov/radon.
Governor unveils $10M mental health program
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is proposing a $10 million initiative to boost mental health services to targeted populations.
The initiative would direct funding to what Brownback called the most at-risk and challenging mental health patients to meet their specific treatment requirements. The program will not target residents who are receiving services through Medicaid.
The Republican governor announced the proposal Thursday in Kansas City, Kan., with Sean Sullivan, secretary of the Department for Aging and Disability Services. Brownback also announced creation of a task force to evaluate the state’s current mental health system and recommend improvements.
Brownback said in a recent interview with The Associated Press the state should examine whether it’s providing sufficient mental health services.
Road Improvements to Start in Western Kansas
The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects in western Kansas. The letting took place Dec. 19 in Topeka.
Rooks County: U.S. Highway 24 South Fork Solomon River Bridge, 1.8 miles east of U.S. 24/U.S. Highway 183, bridge replacement, Bridges Inc., Newton, $695,183.50; U.S. 24 Ash Creek Bridge approximately 5 miles west of Stockton, bridge replacement, Bridges Inc., $964,139.75.
Thomas County: U.S. Highway 83 from the west U.S. 83/U.S. 40 junction in Logan County north to U.S. 83/U.S. 24 in Thomas County, milling and overlay, 19 miles. APAC Kansas Inc. Shears Division, Hutchinson, $5,787,113.06.
Graham County: U.S. 24 from 0.2 miles west of U.S. 24/Kansas Highway 18 east to the Graham/Rooks county line, milling and overlay, 5 miles, APAC Kansas Inc. Shears Division, $1,605,837.80.
Ness County: Kansas Highway 96, from Ness City east to the Ness/Rush county line, milling and overlay, 16.9 miles, APAC Kansas Inc. Shears Division, $1,944,581.09; KDOT mix-strip 0.2 miles east of Ness City, stockpile bituminous material, APAC Kansas Inc. Shears Division, $83,560.
Kansas ranks 37th in Education
Kansas’ public schools are 37th in the country in Education Week’s annual rankings.
The publication released its 2013 “Quality Counts” rankings Thursday. Kansas’ overall grade was a C.
Kansas received a B minus for its standards, assessments and accountability. It also got a B minus for a category called chance for success. The index looks at 13 indicators, such as high school graduation, family income and preschool and kindergarten enrollment.
But Kansas got a D plus for kindergarten through 12th grade achievement. It also got a D plus for the teaching profession category.
Maryland received the highest score in the survey, followed by Massachusetts, New York and Virginia.
Russell Couple Injured in I-70 Accident
A Russell couple was hospitalized following a vehicle collision Tuesday afternoon on I-70 in Ellis County.
According to the sheriff’s department, Ronald J. Waldschmidt and Diana M. Waldschmidt were transported to Hays Medical Center for apparent minor injuries.
The accident happened at the intersection of I-70 and Toulon Avenue about 3:20 p.m.
A truck, driven by Brent N. Norris of Glade, was exiting the Interstate ramp and pulled out in front of a car driven by Waldschmidt.
Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths, Accidents Drop in Kansas
For the second straight year, the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Kansas has dropped, according to preliminary data from the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Such deaths were nearly cut in half between 2011, when the state recorded 102 deaths, and 2012, which recorded just 57.
Alcohol-related traffic accidents also declined in 2012 to 2,184, the lowest number in more than a decade.
The decreasing trend comes after years of increases in alcohol-related traffic fatalities and accidents in the state, while the rest of the nation has seen a steady decline.
Pete Bodyk, traffic safety manager for KDOT, said it’s encouraging news in an area lawmakers and public safety officials have emphasized in recent years.
Though it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact cause and effect, Bodyk points to the DUI ignition interlock law, effective July 2011, that requires even first-time DUI offenders to use an ignition interlock device.
Bodyk also said increasing efforts by police have most likely helped curb the numbers.
Kansas Ag Producers Eligible for Disaster Assistance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated 88 Kansas counties as primary disaster areas and 16 Kansas counties and contiguous disaster areas, making qualified farmers and ranchers in designated counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans through the USDA Farm Service Agency.
Doniphan County in far Northeast Kansas is the only Kansas county that did not receive a federal disaster declaration.
“We are entering the third consecutive year of a severe drought,” Governor Sam Brownback said.
In order to receive a federal disaster declaration, a county must show a drought intensity value of at least D2 (Drought Severe) for eight consecutive weeks based on measurements by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Nationwide, USDA declared 597 counties in 14 states as primary disaster areas.
Brownback will meet with the Kansas Drought Response Team Friday to receive updates from key state and federal leaders on the increasing toll the drought is taking on Kansas.
Bringing Housing to Western Kansas Farm Workers
USDA Rural Development and Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) are joining forces to bring much-needed housing to farm workers in western Kansas. The two entities today announced nearly $2 million in funding to build ten quality, affordable rental units in Rexford.
The five duplex homes will help provide housing for new employees at McCarty Farms, a local dairy company, as well as other farm workers.
To help with construction costs, USDA Rural Development will provide a $500,000 loan and a $965,223 grant to Northwest Kansas Housing, Inc. (NWKHI), a non-profit community housing development organization serving 24 counties in Northwest Kansas. KHRC awarded the City of Rexford a $400,000 grant from the Corporation’s Moderate Income Housing Program (MIH), a new initiative designed to help cities and counties develop moderate income housing and infrastructure in rural areas.
Located in a Rural Opportunity Zone, Rexford is home to McCarty Family Farms, a large dairy planning to double in size over the next two years to fulfill a new contract with Dannon Company, Inc. Dannon, which produces approximately 100 different types of flavors, styles and sizes of cultured fresh dairy products, is the top-selling brand of yogurt products worldwide.
NWKHI will serve as developer for the new housing in Rexford. The City of Rexford will donate in-kind labor to build the necessary sewer and water infrastructure to the housing development. The Thomas County Economic Development Alliance will administer KHRC’s MIH grant.
Construction is anticipated to begin within two months.
McConnell AFB and Forbes Field Finalists for KC-46A Tankers
U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) announced Wednesday the United States Air Force has selected both McConnell Air Force Base (AFB) in Wichita and Forbes Airfield in Topeka as finalists for the basing of the KC-46A tanker program.
“Strategically positioned in the heart of the United States, the location, capacity and mission of McConnell and Forbes make both bases exceptionally equipped to provide air mobility globally at a moment’s notice, ” Sen. Moran said.
With rising maintenance and support costs, the transition from the 50-year-old KC-135 tankers to KC-46A tankers is the U.S. Air Force’s top acquisition and recapitalization priority.
McConnell AFB is a finalist for the Main Operating Base (MOB#1) and the Formal Training Unit (FTU). Forbes Airfield is a finalist for the Main Operating Base (MOB#2).
Man Tries to Stop Freight Train
Authorities in southeastern Kansas are investigating a case of a man allegedly trying to stop a freight train as it rolled through Pittsburg.
The Morning Sun reports the 27-year-old suspect was booked into the Cherokee County Jail after Friday afternoon’s incident.
Pittsburg police say callers reported a motorist with a bandanna obscuring his face driving erratically and trying to stop a northbound freight train at a city crossing.
The train kept going, but halted at another crossing a few blocks away after the man parked his van on the tracks. Witnesses reported the man pointed some type of weapon at the train.
Officers then chased the van through rural Crawford and Cherokee counties, where the man was finally stopped.
Officials to ride Western Kansas Amtrak route
Government and railroad officials will take a special train ride this week along the deteriorating track that Amtrak’s Southwest Chief uses in western Kansas.
An Amtrak engine will pull BNSF Railway cars from Topeka to La Junta, Colo., on Thursday to highlight the condition of the tracks.
Vice presidents for Amtrak and BNSF, Kansas transportation leaders and officials from cities along the route will be on board. Representatives from Colorado and New Mexico also have been invited.
Amtrak has to slow its trains in western Kansas because of conditions on the tracks, which are owned by BNSF.
Amtrak and the railroad have asked the three states to pay a total of $100 million in the next decade to improve the tracks.