WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Marketing beef to consumers in the digital age and the cattle market outlook tops the educational program at this year’s Kansas Livestock Association conference in Wichita.
The annual event runs Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 and includes discussions about business issues as well as an industry trade show.
Also on tap is a review of the massive wildfire early this year in Clark, Comanche and Meade counties. KLA President David Clawson of Englewood will tell some of the stories from the fire and talk about how affected ranchers are recovering.
CattleFax Chief Executive Officer Randy Blach will deliver the data-driven cattle and beef market outlook on Friday.
Members are also expected to discuss policy issues ranging from taxes to acreage caps on the Conservation Reserve Program.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence officials don’t plan to add downtown security cameras even after this fall’s fatal shooting.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that city officials considered the idea about five years ago, but decided against it. Instead they only use cameras temporarily when big events are in the area.
Three people died after an Oct. 1 shooting that happened just as a large crowd of people were leaving bars, concerts and other events in the area.
Police Officer Derrick Smith says that there aren’t any plans to add more cameras for public surveillance in Lawrence at this time.
Lawrence’s new police chief, Gregory Burns Jr., was sworn in just after the shooting this fall. He says he generally supports public surveillance cameras, but doesn’t want to make major changes immediately.
Photos of Babe Ruth, greyhound Hazel and members of Hazel’s family.
RIPLEY AUCTIONS
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A group of never-before-seen photos of sports legends Babe Ruth and Jim Thorpe, plus one of former major league baseball catcher Wally Schang, will come up for bid on Saturday, December 2nd, at Ripley Auctions, online and in the firm’s gallery in Indianapolis.
The 1920s-era photographs were discovered hidden away, presumably for decades, in a storage locker from a prominent family in the Midwest. Found were several photographic albums containing the photos being sold as well as many others of the family’s travels and other subjects dating from 1908 thru the 1930s. Four photos are of Ruth, one is of Thorpe and one is of Schang.
PSA/DNA Authentication Services, the respected sports memorabilia authenticating firm, has deemed all five to be Type 1 original photos that are genuine and authentic and date to the 1920s. All six of the photos come with letters of authenticity from PSA/DNA Authentication Services.
Part of a photo showing Babe Ruth at bat, in full New York Yankees uniform.
The four Ruth photos are the expected stars of the collection. Only one shows him in an in-game situation. In it, the Bambino is at bat, in full uniform, in what looks to be an exhibition or spring training game. The 4 ¾ inch by 6 ¾ inch photo is expected to change hands for $1,000-$2,000.
In the other three photos, Ruth is pictured with a greyhound dog Hazel, who belonged to the very Midwestern family that compiled the photo albums. They were breeders of greyhounds. In all three photos, Ruth is in his New York Yankees uniform, on the field, with Hazel at his side. Two of the three photos are 4 ¾ inches by 6 ¾ inches and carry identical estimates of $1,000-$2,000.
The third photo, however, is torn in half and carries an estimate of $100-$300. There are several other photos of Hazel with her family that have been folded into the Ruth lots, too, interestingly.
Jim Thorpe, with an unidentified man, in full football uniform, circa 1920s.
Jim Thorpe (1887-1953) was a multi-sport American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation tribes, Thorpe became the first Native American to win a gold medal for his home country. The photo of him in the sale depicts him on the football field, in full uniform, circa 1920s. The 6 ¾ inch by 4 ½ inch photo has an estimate of $700-$900. Thorpe attended Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, as a student from 1898-1900 where he was introduced to the fundamentals of football by fellow student and mentor Chauncey Archiquette.
Walter Henry (Wally) Schang (1889-1965) hailed from South Wales, N.Y., and played for five major league baseball teams between 1913 and 1931, all as a catcher. He played for the New York Yankees from 1921-1925. Schang is shown in his 6 ¾ inch by 4 ¾ inch photograph on the playing field in his Yankee uniform, striking a pose, wearing his catcher’s mitt (est. $600-$900).
Part of a photo of Wally Schang, taken while he was a catcher for the New York Yankees, 1921-1925.
For those unable to attend in person, online bidding will be provided by Invaluable.com, eBay Live and Auctionzip.com.
To learn more about Ripley Auctions and the upcoming auction planned for Saturday, December 2nd, at 11 a.m. Central time, please visit www.RipleyAuctions.com.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new federal report says rural areas across the country are losing population at an unprecedented rate as both people and industries are concentrating in urban areas.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that “Rural America at a Glance” is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual report on employment, population and poverty trends in rural counties. The latest edition was released last week.
John Cromartie is a geographer with USDA’s Economic Research Service, which published the report. He says Great Plains and Corn Belt states like Kansas have seen rural population declines for decades. He says what’s new is rural population loss into the eastern U.S.
The report didn’t include data specific to counties or states. But it shows that population declines have become widespread throughout rural America since around 2010.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 71-year-old woman says a man punched her and took her money at a bus stop in Wichita.
The Wichita Police Department says in a news release that officers responding to the call at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday located a suspect in the front yard of a residence. The 61-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery.
The money was returned to the victim. She was not injured.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Plains farm aid nonprofit that’s grown steadily in size and scope since being launched in North Dakota about a dozen years ago is expanding its services again.
Farm Rescue is adding livestock feeding assistance to its list of services that include crop planting and harvesting, haying, and hay and grain hauling.
The new service will be offered throughout the organization’s territory, which has grown through the years to include North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Montana and Nebraska.
Farm Rescue doesn’t dole out cash. It provides free physical labor for farmers and ranchers dealing with an injury, illness or a natural disaster. It relies on volunteers from around the country, donations and corporate sponsors. It reached a milestone last summer, helping its 500th case.
MEDICINE LODGE, Kan. (AP) — A 19-year-old Kansas woman has died after a deer struck by another car on Thanksgiving Day became airborne and smashed into her car.
The Kansas Highway Patrol says the victim was Gracie Burenheide of Attica.
The accident happened about 6:15 p.m. Thursday in Barber County, near the Oklahoma border. The patrol says Burenheide was driving northbound on U.S. 281 when a southbound vehicle struck a deer that ran into its path.
The deer flew into the air and collided with Burenheide’s Chevrolet Malibu.
A passenger in Burenheide’s car was taken to a hospital, but details about her injuries were not known. Two people in the vehicle that hit the deer were not hurt.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A Texas woman is accused of sending homemade bombs to President Barack Obama and Texas Governor Greg Abbott in 2016 that prosecutors say could have maimed or killed the two leaders.
Court documents filed in district court in Houston last week show Julia Poff was indicted earlier this month on six counts, including mailing injurious articles and transporting explosives with the intent to kill and injure.
Records show the 46-year-old woman is being held at the Houston federal detention center.
Federal investigators traced the improvised explosive device sent to Obama to Poff because of some cat hair found under an address label. The device contained a cellphone, a cigarette package and a salad dressing cap.
Poff’s attorney, Ashley Kaper, declined to talk to an Associated Press reporter Friday.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a child has been found dead inside a Wichita home after a house fire.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the fire started early Friday in the northeast part of the city. Wichita Fire Department Chief Tammy Snow says officials are still confirming the child’s age and gender. The father was taken to the hospital in serious condition. He was the only other person in the home.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a man who was found lying in a Wichita yard as suspicious.
The Wichita Eagle reports that police Sgt. Ed Brower says 911 was called after the 26-year-old man was spotting in the yard Thursday morning. Brower says police and EMS tried to resuscitate the man, but he was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later.
Chief Gordon Ramsay said on Twitter that the cause of death was unknown. The man didn’t live on the street where he was found and it wasn’t immediately known what, if any, connection he had to the area.
TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2018 Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award, which is presented to a single Kansas business for excellence in international trade and marketing. The winner will be announced in June 2018 during Business Appreciation Month.
Nominated companies will be evaluated on the totality of their international efforts. Qualifications include:
Number and/or percentage increase in jobs due to international activities
Innovations in global marketing
Number of countries exported to
Effective use of international distributors
Long-range international strategies and prospects for future growth
Commitment to the state and local community
Foreign language promotional materials and general promotional activities
Trade shows and/or international expositions
“It’s a vast world out there, which provides enormous opportunities for Kansas businesses to grow their business through exporting,” said Interim Kansas Commerce Secretary Nick Jordan. “Through this award, we want to honor those businesses that are contributing to our growing Kansas economy by making it big in international markets.”
The Governor’s Exporter of the Year receives:
An invitation to attend the Team Kansas awards banquet in the Spring, where top businesses from across the state are recognized
Statewide recognition of your business excellence
Use of the award to market your products
Membership in the Kansas International Trade Coordinating Council (KITCC)
Increased networking opportunities
A site visit from the Governor to honor the company’s management team and employees
Kansas exporting is growing significantly.
Statistics from the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank’s October Kansas Databank states that Kansas exports grew 17.7% during the 2nd quarter of 2017 – compared to only 6.5% nationally. Kansas annual exports totaled $10.18 billion in 2016, which represents nearly 7% of Kansas GDP. Based on research recently conducted by Dr. Raffaele De Vito of Emporia State University, Kansas per capita exporting out-performed all surrounding states (by dividing total exports by state population), plus nearby states such as Arkansas, Nebraska and Wyoming. In fact, Dr. De Vito says, “When it comes to per capita export dollars, we out-performed 25 other states.”
Businesses can nominate themselves or be nominated by any other organization or individual. Visit KansasCommerce.gov/Exporter to learn more about the Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award and to download nomination forms. The nomination deadline is 5:00 p.m. on January 26, 2018.
Nominations can be emailed to April Chiang at [email protected] or mailed or faxed to:
Kansas International Trade Coordinating Council
c/o Kansas Department of Commerce, April Chiang
1000 S.W. Jackson St., Suite 100
Topeka, KS 66612-1354
Fax: (785) 296-3490
Governor Sam Brownback signs a proclamation designating October as Disability Employment Awareness Month. Those in attendance from left to right: Shayla Benton, Vocational Rehabilitation Program Specialist; Monty Herbert, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; Felicia Green, Pre-ETS Specialist; Heather Koffman, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; Evelyn McBride, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; Governor Brownback, State of Kansas; Martha Gabehart, KCDC Executive Director; Eleanor Hurst, State Rehabilitation Council Member; John Havel, Rehabilitation Manager; Kelly Milner, Rehabilitation Services Program Administrator; and Peg Spencer, Rehabilitation Services Deputy Director.
DCF
TOPEKA – Across the nation, low rates of participation in the work force are a significant issue for people with disabilities. Nationally, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities is 33.1 percent, compared to a 77.6 percent participation rate of those without disabilities.
In the last 10 years, the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) has assisted more than 14,500 Kansans with disabilities become successfully employed through the agency’s Rehabilitation Services (RS) programs.
As a result of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, DCF recently launched a new program, Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), to further its efforts to help Kansans with disabilities gain meaningful employment. Pre-ETS was first launched in FY 2017, and its services are designed to help youth with disabilities get an early start at job exploration, assist students with disabilities in making the transition from secondary to post-secondary education/training and to empower them to realize their full potential.
While many services are offered within Pre-ETS, Rehabilitation Services Director Michael Donnelly says that the program emphasizes the paid, work-based learning experiences. “Through Pre-ETS, paid, work-based experiences allow for youth to learn the basic skills necessary to succeed in the workplace and experience the benefits of earning an income,” said Donnelly. “Research shows that youth employment is a strong predictor of successful employment as adults, and therefore these work-based experiences serve as an important milestone toward self-reliance.”
In order to implement paid work-based learning experiences, RS has established a partnership with the KANSASWORKS workforce centers, a program under the Kansas Department of Commerce and Local Workforce Developmental Boards. This innovative partnership, which leverages the expertise of workforce center expertise and the Pre-ETS program services, has garnered national attention, as it was recently featured at a U.S. Department of Labor meeting in Omaha, Neb.
“By reaching individuals with disabilities at a young age with the Pre-ETS program, we are setting them up to succeed,” said DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore. To raise awareness of disability employment issues, DCF staff joined Governor Sam Brownback as he signed a proclamation on Sept. 22, in Topeka, to designate October as Disability Employment
Awareness Month. Kansas Commission of Disability Concerns (KCDC) Executive Director Martha Gabehart, along with Elinor Hurst, State Rehabilitation Council member, also attended the proclamation signing.
Hurst, a former Vocational Rehabilitation client is now employed with Bert Nash, a mental health facility, in Lawrence. She said that she was grateful that Governor Brownback and DCF were highlighting disability employment, as it is such an important issue.
“My experience in Vocational Rehabilitation was an extremely positive one. My social worker was amazing at helping me job search and tailoring the job search to my specific abilities,” said Hurst. “It was just a really supportive environment. I went from not believing in my own ability to return to work successfully, to having someone tell me, ‘yes you can, look at all of these jobs you can do.’ It made a huge difference in my life.”
To learn more about Rehabilitation Services, visit www.dcf.ks.gov.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer is taking the lead on writing a state budget proposal to submit to legislators when they return to Topeka in January as Gov. Sam Brownback prepares to leave office for a diplomatic post.
A U.S. Senate committee has approved President Donald Trump’s nomination of Brownback as an ambassador at large for international religious freedom, but a full Senate vote has been delayed. Brownback told reporters Tuesday that Colyer is leading the budget process, according to media reports.
Colyer on Wednesday made a significant cabinet announcement, naming Gina Meier-Hummel commissioner for the Department for Children and Families.
Brownback is expected to resign after he is confirmed and Colyer will become governor. Colyer, like Brownback a Republican, is among several candidates for governor in 2018.
