KDWPT

PRATT – Kansas Wildlife and Parks magazine staff invite you to enter your favorite outdoor photographs in the 4th annual Wild About Kansas photo contest beginning Monday, April 11. Participants can submit up to three photos in select categories including wildlife, other species, hunting and fishing, outdoor recreation, or landscapes. There is no fee to enter, and the contest is open to both residents and nonresidents.

CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

Wildlife: game and nongame animals, primarily mammals, migratory birds, furbearers, etc.

Other Species: insects, reptiles, and amphibians.

Hunting and Fishing: hunters and anglers; set-up shots following a hunt or fishing trip will be accepted. However, “action” shots, or photos taken during the activity will be given preference.

Outdoor Recreation: people participating in recreational activities outdoors, not hunting or fishing.

Landscapes: scenery; wildlife may be present, but should not be the sole focus of the image.

Photographers can submit up to three photos. Photos must be taken within the state of Kansas and must be the entrant’s original work.

Each photo will be judged on creativity, composition, subject matter, lighting, and the overall sharpness. Winners will be featured in the 2017 Special Photo Issue of Kansas Wildlife and Parks magazine.

Only electronic images will be accepted and must be e-mailed to Kansas Wildlife and Parks magazine managing editor, Nadia Marji, at nadia.marji@ksoutdoors no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 4, 2016. Photos must be in JPEG or TIFF format and file size should be not less than 1mb and not more than 5mb.

Additional information and entry forms will be available on the April 11 contest start date at

ksoutdoors.com/Services/Publications/Magazine/Wild-About-Kansas

Office of the Governor

TOPEKA–Governor Sam Brownback has signed a proclamation declaring the month of April as Financial Literacy Month in Kansas. The proclamation highlights the need to ensure that Kansans are well prepared to manage money, credit, investments, and debt. Attending the signing were members of the Money Smart Month Kansas committee, an annual community outreach initiative that promotes financial awareness for people of all ages.

In connection with Financial Literacy Month, several state agencies, including the Kansas Securities Commissioner’s office, have collaborated to launch a new consumer financial education website, KansasMoney.gov. The multi-agency website provides Kansans easy access to essential financial resources from the State of Kansas.

An interactive learning course is a key feature of the site. The Kansas Financial Learning Center provides a flexible financial learning platform for busy adults, and it is free for all Kansans.

The course consists of “bite-sized” educational content on topics from auto loans to identity protection to social security. Most modules within the course can be completed in 3-7 minutes. Throughout the month of April, the State Treasurer’s Office, a partner of KansasMoney.gov, is providing an incentive for those who sign up to participate in the program. At the end of the month, Kansans who have completed at least 5 modules will be eligible to win an iPad. To learn more about this opportunity, visit the Treasurer’s website at www.kansasstatetreasurer.com.

Other KansasMoney.gov agency partners are: the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the State Bank Commissioner of Kansas, Kansas Department of Credit Unions, Kansas Department of Revenue, and the Kansas Insurance Department.

Kansas’ celebration of Financial Literacy Month joins a national effort of businesses, agencies and non-profit organizations to promote personal finance education through a wide variety of programming. To learn more about these and other opportunities, visit kansasmoney.gov or www.moneysmartkansas.org.

KANSAS CITY–U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom has announced today he is launching an Elder Justice Task Force in Kansas. The task force in Kansas – one of 10 across the country — will bring federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies together with state and local agencies to target nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to residents.

“We already have one investigation open,” Grissom said. “We’re not wasting time.”

Grissom said the members of the task force at this time include the Department of Justice Civil Fraud Section, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Kansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Later, he said, he expects to invite state agencies that work with long term care, public health and aging to join.

Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge of the Kansas City Regional Office of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, stated, “Our office is excited to join forces with our federal, state, and local partners to identify nursing homes that are providing substandard quality of care to our elderly beneficiaries.”

In Washington, D.C., Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart F. Delery said, “Millions of seniors count on nursing homes to provide them with quality care and to treat them with dignity and respect when they are most vulnerable. Yet, all too often we have found nursing home owners or operators who put their own economic gain before the needs of their residents. These task forces will help ensure that we are working closely with all relevant parties to protect the elderly.”

Elder Justice Task Forces also are being launched by U.S. Attorneys in the following districts: Northern District of California, Northern District of Georgia, Western District of Kentucky, Northern District of Iowa, District of Maryland, Southern District of Ohio, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Tennessee and the Western District of Washington.

Kansas was chosen, Grissom said, because we have expertise in investigations and prosecutions of nursing homes and we made a commitment to working together with stand and local agencies.

The Elder Justice Task Forces reflect the Justice Department’s larger strategy and commitment to protecting our nation’s seniors, spearheaded by the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative. The Elder Justice Initiative coordinates and supports the Department’s law enforcement efforts and policy activities on elder justice issues. It plays an integral role in the Department’s investigative and enforcement efforts against nursing homes and other long-term care entities that deliver grossly substandard care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The Elder Justice Initiative will be providing litigation support and training to the Elder Justice Task Forces.

Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/.

KDA

MANHATTAN–Firefighters, aided by rain and snow in the region, have made significant headway in controlling the Anderson Creek Fire in Barber and Comanche counties. Farm, ranch and industry organizations including Kansas Farm Bureau and the Kansas Livestock Association are focusing their efforts on how to assist farmers and ranchers who have been affected by the largest wildfire in Kansas history.

The fire has burned approximately 300,000 acres in southcentral Kansas, taking numerous homes, outbuildings, many miles of fence and an unknown number of cattle. Most fences were destroyed in the fire, leaving wire lying on the ground where wooden posts were burned. Ranchers in the area continue tending to the feed and health needs of surviving cattle, many of whom are suffering from respiratory problems due to smoke inhalation, according to producers and veterinarians. Some were directly injured by fire.

Kansas Farm Bureau has created a fire relief site for those impacted and those willing to help. The site, www.kfb.org/firerelief, will connect those donating supplies like fencing, building materials and labor to those in need. This site will enable Farm Bureau to help ensure the resources can be implemented efficiently. Local contacts include Jennifer Theurer in Comanche County, who can be reached at 620-440-9059, and Zel Polf in Barber County, whose contact number is (620) 886-3316. Contacts at Kansas Farm Bureau include Nancy Brown, (785) 587-6111, and Serita Blankenship, (785( 587-6150.

Anyone wishing to make direct contributions to the Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation may send them to Kansas Farm Bureau, 2627 KFB Plaza, Manhattan, KS 66503, with “fire relief efforts” noted in the memo. All funds collected will be split between impacted counties as directed by county Farm Bureaus.

The Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) has also been working to assist in relief efforts. Donations to the Kansas Livestock Foundation (KLF) will help to meet the needs of ranchers affected by the wildfire. Funds generated will be used for fencing supplies, animal health efforts and other needs identified by KLA leadership in Barber and Comanche counties. Donations are tax deductible and can be sent to KLF at 6031 S.W. 37th, Topeka, KS 66614. Specify the check is for “disaster relief” in the memo line. Online contributions can be made at http://www.kla.org/donationform.aspx.

Several members are generously donating proceeds from the sale of animals to KLF for disaster relief. A heifer donated by KLA President Elect David Clawson and Clawson Ranch Partnership will be sold Thursday (3/31) at Pratt Livestock to generate funds for the relief effort through KLF. The heifer will be re-sold several times. In addition, KW Cattle Company will donate proceeds to KLF from the sale of lot 21, an Angus bull. The bull will sell Tuesday (3/29) at the KW sale near Fort Scott. For more information on the bull, go to www.kwcattle.com.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

TOPEKA–Governor Sam Brownback has issued a proclamation declaring the month of April as “Safe Digging Month” in Kansas. The proclamation, in concurrence with National Safe Digging Month, reminds Kansans to call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects.

The Kansas Corporation Commission, Kansas One-Call, the Kansas Pipeline Association, the Common Ground Alliance, and Governor Brownback are encouraging excavators and homeowners to call 811 before they begin digging projects to prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient outages. A utility line is damaged by digging once every eight minutes nationwide, and one-third of those incidents are caused by failure of the professional excavator or homeowner to call 811 before digging.

When dialing 811, callers are connected to Kansas One-Call, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. Calls are taken 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Requests can also be entered at www.kansasonecall.com. Excavators and homeowners are required to make a request at least two working days in advance of beginning a digging project. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags or spray paint. Once lines have been accurately marked, digging can begin.

Every digging project, no matter how large or small, requires a call to 811. The depth of utility lines varies, and there may be multiple lines in a common area. Some utility lines are buried only a few inches below the surface, making them easy to strike during shallow digging projects. Installing a mailbox, landscaping, putting in a fence, and building a deck are all examples of digging projects that necessitate a call to 811 before starting.

Learn more about 811 and Safe Digging Month by visiting: www.call811.com. More information about Kansas One-Call is available at: www.kansasonecall.com.

KDWPT

PRATT – Now through the end of March, spring turkey hunters can save by buying their combination turkey permit/game tags before the start of the season. Discounts range from $2.50 to $20, depending on the combo purchased. Spring turkey permit/game tag combos are offered at the following rates through March 31:

Resident Youth Combo (2 birds): $12.50 – save $2.50

General Resident Combo (2 birds): $37.50 – save $7.50

Landowner/Tenant Combo (2 birds): $20.00 – save $12.50

Nonresident Youth Combo (2 birds): $22.50 – save $2.50

Nonresident Combo (2 birds): $87.50 – save $7.50

Nonresident Tenant Combo (2 birds): $45.00 – save $20.00

After March 31, hunters must purchase permits separately at the regular price. A turkey permit or game tag is valid for one bearded turkey

Any individual who has purchased a spring turkey permit is also eligible for one spring turkey game tag. Spring game tags are valid for Units 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. Youth permits are valid statewide, including Unit 4.

Hunters who drew a Unit 4 (southwest Kansas) spring turkey permit earlier this year may also use their Unit 4 permit in adjacent Units 1, 2 and 5.

The 2016 Kansas spring turkey season will kick off with the youth and disabled season April 1- 12, followed by the archery season April 4-12, and regular firearm season April 13-May 31.

During the youth/disabled/archery season, hunters 16 and younger and hunters with disabilities may hunt with any legal equipment, including shotguns, bows and crossbows. Youth hunters must be supervised by an adult during the youth season.

For more information, consult the 2016 Kansas Spring Turkey Hunting Atlas, or visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting,” then “Turkey.”

KDA

MANHATTAN–A large wildfire that started in Woods County, Okla., and spread to Comanche and Barber counties in Kansas burned an estimated 100,000 acres, hay reserves, fences and other personal property March 22-23. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback declared a State of Disaster Emergency for the affected area. This declaration authorizes state resources to assist communities impacted by the fires. The Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) is working with several organizations to assist with the relief effort.

An immediate need for area ranchers is hay.

The Farmers Cooperative (S. Central Ave.) in Coldwater and Farmers Cooperative Equity Company (1447 NW River Road) in Medicine Lodge have been identified as locations to receive hay donations. Tractors will be available to unload. Questions on delivery logistics can be directed to Sandra Levering at (620) 518-2247 for Coldwater or Chris Boyd at (620) 243-2584 for Medicine Lodge.

The Kansas Livestock Foundation (KLF), the charitable arm of KLA, is accepting cash donations to help those affected by the fire. Donors can make checks payable to the Kansas Livestock Foundation and put “Disaster Relief” in the memo line. Send to 6031 S.W. 37th St., Topeka, KS 66614.

Proceeds from the progressive sale of a heifer donated by KLA President Elect David Clawson and Clawson Ranch Partnership will be sent to KLF as part of the relief effort for wildfire victims. The heifer will be re-sold several times March 31 at Pratt Livestock to generate funds.

In addition, the Kansas Department of Agriculture wants to remind Kansans that counties designated under drought status, including those currently impacted by the wildfire, are exempt from oversize/overweight permits.

That means oversize permits are not required for motor carriers transporting hay into counties impacted by the wildfire. However, motor carriers must adhere to the following: Motor carriers shall not operate during the period beginning 30 minutes after sunset and ending 30 minutes before sunrise, shall comply with the flags, signs and lighting requirements applicable to over width vehicles; not operate under conditions where visibility is less than 1⁄2 mile or when highway surfaces have ice or snow pack or drifting snow.

WASHINGTON – A civil complaint was filed today, Monday, March 21, in the U.S. District Court for Kansas against Native American Enterprises LLC, of Wichita, Kansas; its Vice President and part-owner, William N. McGreevy and is production manager, Robert C. Conner, to stop the distribution of adulterated food, the Department of Justice announced today.

Native American Enterprises LLC (NAE), manufactures and distributes food, namely ready-to-eat (RTE) refried beans and sauces. The complaint alleges that the company’s RTE refried beans and sauces are adulterated in that they have been prepared, packed and/or held under insanitary conditions whereby the food may have become contaminated with filth or have been rendered injurious to health. According to the complaint, the insanitary conditions include the presence of Listeria Monocytogene (L. mono) in NAE’s facility and insanitary employee practices. The department filed the complaint at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Insanitary conditions at food processing facilities can present significant risks to consumers and food manufacturers must take steps to minimize those risks,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work aggressively with the FDA to combat and deter conduct that leads to the distribution of adulterated food to consumers.”

According to the complaint, FDA inspected NAE’s facility, located at 230 N. West Street in Wichita, in August 2015 and collected environmental samples and observed numerous insanitary practices, including the defendants’ failure to manufacture and package food under conditions necessary to minimize microorganism growth, take necessary precautions to protect against contamination and maintain buildings in good repair. Specifically, according to the complaint, FDA observed rain water leaking through the roof in the packaging room, directly above where NAE employees packaged RTE refried beans. In addition, FDA observed cracks and holes in the walls and floor junctures that allow water and debris to collect, prohibit adequate cleaning and could harbor Listeria, according to the complaint.

FDA inspected NAE’s facility twice in 2014. As alleged in the complaint, FDA collected environmental samples during RTE refried bean production during each of the 2014 inspections and found Listeria in the facility. In addition, as alleged in the complaint, FDA also observed a failure to maintain equipment in an acceptable condition through appropriate cleaning and sanitizing.

As alleged in the complaint, L. mono thrives in moist environments, such as food-manufacturing environments. Unless proper precautions are taken, L. mono may become established and grow, and it is difficult to eliminate once it becomes established in a food-manufacturing environment. It is capable of surviving and growing at refrigerated temperatures and in high-salt environments. The complaint alleges that L. mono is a significant public health risk in RTE refried beans and sauces.

The government is represented by Trial Attorney Heide L. Herrmann of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Metzger of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Sonia W. Nath of the Food and Drug Division, Office of General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services.

A complaint is merely a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.

Read the complaint here: NAE Complaint

KDA

MANHATTAN–The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) is accepting applications for the 2016 Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Funds for the program are awarded to the agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 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. Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).” This opportunity supports the KDA’s mission of providing an environment that enhances and encourages economic growth of the agriculture industry in Kansas.

In 2015, Kansas received $319,420 for the grant program. Kansas is expected to receive approximately $284,000 in 2016.

Applications will be evaluated by a team of external reviewers. The team will rate proposals on their ability to successfully promote specialty crops in Kansas and to make a positive impact on the Kansas economy. Those recommendations will be submitted to the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, who will make the final awards.

Applications are due to KDA no later than 5 p.m. on May 16, 2016. For more information and to download the 2016 application, go to bit.ly/KDAspecialtycropgrant.

KDWPT

PRATT – Maintaining healthy fish populations across the state that meet the desires of today’s anglers and fit within budget restraints is no easy feat, but Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) Fisheries Division staff thrive in the face of this challenge. Walleye are popular with anglers, but few lakes in Kansas provide the necessary elements for adequate natural reproduction. The answer? Artificial spawning.

Every year about this time, fisheries biologists can be seen working tirelessly at select Kansas lakes, setting nets to capture spawning walleye. Eggs of ripe females are collected, and then taken to a station where they are fertilized with milt, or sperm, taken from male walleyes caught from the same body of water. After fertilization, the eggs are immediately delivered to the Pratt and Milford fish hatcheries where fish culturists work around the clock to ensure high hatch and survival rates of young walleye, which are then stocked into Kansas lakes as fry, or raised to a larger size for stocking. Sauger are also produced to ensure a supply of sauger males. Some walleye eggs are fertilized with sauger milt to create the saugeye, a popular hybrid.

Last year, the KDWPT Walleye Culture Program harvested nearly 100 million walleye eggs and produced the following for Kansas waters:

WALLEYE

-38 million walleye fry

-580,000 walleye fingerlings

-6,500 walleye intermediates

SAUGER

-2.7 million sauger fry

-More than 20,000 sauger fingerlings

SAUGEYE

-More than 6 million saugeye fry

-Approximately 310,000 fingerlings

This year, staff hope to harvest more than 100 million eggs and increase walleye production to stock 48 million walleye fry, and 1.2 million walleye fingerlings.

It’s hard to believe walleye would need any assistance in producing young of their own, especially since large females can produce upwards of 300,000 eggs, but research has shown less than 10 percent of naturally-spawned walleye eggs will successfully hatch. Thanks to the efforts of KDWPT’s hatchery staff, hatch rates can be as high as 70 percent in a controlled setting.

In addition to walleye, KDWPT hatcheries also produce bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, sauger, saugeye, smallmouth bass, striped bass, and wipers.

For more information on KDWPT hatcheries and the fish they produce, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Fishing/Hatcheries.”

EPA

LENEXA–Applications are now being accepted for the 2015-2016 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), administers this award to honor, support and encourage educators who incorporate environmental education in their classrooms and teaching methods.

Last year’s winner in the EPA Region 7 was Michael Hotz, of Wyandotte High School.

Applications for the 2015-2016 PIAEE program are due May 16, 2016. This program recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students.

Up to two teachers from each of EPA’s 10 regions, from different states, will be selected to receive this award. Applicants will be evaluated based on five primary factors: innovation, achievement, service to the community and underserved populations, leadership, and integration of environmental education.

Last year, Dr. Michael Hotz, of Smithville, Mo., a 31-year veteran science educator at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kan., was among 27 PIAEE honorees nationwide. Hotz was the sole winner for 2014-2015 from EPA Region 7, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and nine tribal nations.

For more information, and details on how to apply for the PIAEE awards, visit: https://www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators.

DCF

TOPEKA–Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Phyllis Gilmore is pleased to announce a new measure that will help cash, food and child care assistance clients when they discover their Kansas Benefits Card is lost or stolen. Currently, when a client’s card is missing, the card must be permanently deactivated and he/she has to wait for a replacement card to arrive in the mail. Beginning April 4, the client can simply suspend the card (temporarily deactivate it), while the individual searches for the card. If the card is found, the client can call the EBT Customer Service Center and unsuspend the card.

“We’re excited about this new feature available to our clients,” Secretary Gilmore said. “This option is expected to result in fewer card replacements, better card security and improved benefit access.”

During the current Administration, DCF has taken several steps to reduce fraudulent use of benefits cards. In 2013, the Kansas Benefits Card was redesigned with added language about prohibited uses. It also began to be issued through the mail, instead of provided at our DCF service centers.

In 2011, the card replacement rate was more than 3 percent (6,632 replacements). To date, we’ve experienced a nearly 40 percent reduction in the card replacement rate.

Employment-focused statutes enacted in the Kansas Hope, Opportunity and Prosperity for Everyone (HOPE) Act, that was signed into law on April 16, 2015, are being enhanced this legislative session. This year’s additions to the HOPE Act include a provision to monitor excessive benefits card replacements and a provision to refer clients to the agency’s fraud investigation unit after the fifth request for a replacement card in a 12-month period. The latest version of the HOPE Act has not yet passed.

DCF’s Anti-fraud Unit has investigated 1,421 cases this fiscal year, as of Feb. 29, 2016. The value of judgments obtained is $1.3 million, with programs savings of $421,599.

ABILENE – The first in a series of Kansas Town Hall programs focusing on election year issues, “We the People: Civic Education in Kansas,” will be held Tue., March 22, in the Visitors Center of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene.

The program begins at 7 p.m. with a keynote speech by Kansas Attorney General, Derek Schmidt, who will address the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

“I sometimes reflect on how much we demand of those who wish to become American citizens by their own choice,” Schmidt said. “In many ways, it is more than we demand of those of us fortunate to have been born to citizenship. The nature of citizenship is not always fully understood or appreciated by those to whom it came without effort.”

Schmidt was elected the 44th attorney general of Kansas in 2010 and reelected in 2014. In 2015, he was elected national Vice President for the National Association of Attorneys General.

A panel discussion will follow the keynote address, including four panel members. The panelists will discuss civic education programs, classes and activities in which they are involved. A question and answer session will follow their presentations.

Panel participants include:

Bob Beatty, Professor, Political Science, Washburn University. Beatty is also a
political analyst and consultant with KSNT/KTKA TV.

Nathan McAlister, History teacher, Royal Valley Middle School, Mayetta, Kan. In 2010 McAlister was named Kansas and National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History.

Pam Sanfilippo, Education Specialist, Eisenhower Presidential Library. Sanfilippo facilitates learning for groups of all ages using the primary sources in the holdings of the Eisenhower archives.

Tom Vontz, Professor and Director, Center for Social Studies Education, Kansas State University. Vontz’s interests include civic education research.

This Kansas Town Hall program is held in partnership with the Kansas Humanities Council, Kansas State University Library, and the Kansas State University Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy.