By Andrea N. Hinton, Linda J. Sheppard, J.D.
KHI

TOPEKA–E-cigarettes were invented in China more than 10 years ago and nearly 500 brands exist today worldwide. The U.S. vaping industry alone is estimated to hit $10 billion in sales by 2017.

Many e-cigarette brands are owned by large tobacco companies that market them as glamorous, safer and healthier than traditional tobacco cigarettes. These claims, along with increased popularity, have caused many health-related organizations (i.e. American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association) to call for increased regulation and discouragement of use among youth.

The Kansas Health Institute has released the first of three issue briefs on the topic: E-Cigarettes and Their Use in the U.S. and Kansas.

Key points of the brief include:

• E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices used to inhale vapor—normally containing nicotine—and they are sold in many different styles, colors and flavors.
• The number of teens who have ever tried e-cigarettes has risen significantly across the U.S. between 2011 and 2014. However, Kansas data has not shown a similar increase for teens.
• Current tobacco smokers are most likely to have tried or currently use e-cigarettes.

The number of adults who have tried e-cigarettes has risen significantly in Kansas: 14.3 percent in 2013, up from 8.6 percent in 2012. E-cigarette users are more likely to be younger and less educated than non-users.

“The goal of this e-cigarette series is to inform policymakers about what e-cigarettes are and who is using them, to help explain the potential health effects of e-cigarette use, and to discuss local, state and federal regulation of e-cigarettes,” said Linda Sheppard, KHI senior analyst and strategy team leader.

The other briefs in this e-cigarette series are: Health Effects of E-Cigarettes (February 10, 2016) and E-Cigarette Policy, Regulation and Marketing (February 16, 2016).

Download the Issue Brief #1: E-Cigarettes and Their Use in the U.S. and Kansas

See more at: http://www.khi.org/policy/article/e-cigseries1#sthash.xSduoGbj.dpuf

WICHITA, KAN. – An Arizona man was sentenced Monday to 5 years in federal prison for driving 12 pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona to Kansas.

According to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom Jose Francisco Beltran, 39, Tucson, Ariz., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel in furtherance of drug trafficking.

In his plea, he admitted that on Aug. 27, 2015, the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped him on Interstate 70 in Lincoln County, Kan.

Troopers discovered approximately 12 pounds of methamphetamine and a half pound of powder cocaine. He told investigators he picked up the drugs in Arizona and was delivering them to Wichita, Kan.

KDADS

TOPEKA–The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) is urging state taxpayers to remember older adults in Kansas when they file their income tax returns.

The Senior Citizens’ Meals on Wheel Contribution is a check off found on Kansas income tax forms that allows taxpayers to donate to the Meals on Wheels program. All contributions are used solely for the purpose of providing Meals on Wheels to the elderly and disabled homebound in our communities.

“Meals on Wheels provides thousands of Kansans with a nutritious hot meal, a friendly visit and a safety check,” KDADS Interim Secretary Tim Keck said. “By donating, and by volunteering to deliver meals, you can ensure the seniors and the disabled in your neighborhood can live happy, healthy and independent lives at home, where they want to be.”

Under a federal program that is part of the Older Americans Act, the meals are prepared by a dietary staff and delivered by community volunteers. The purpose of this program is to provide healthful and tasty nourishment to elderly and handicapped individuals in our communities, helping them to continue to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. The friendly encounter with the volunteers is often the only social interaction these individuals have on a daily basis, and the daily visit is important in case an emergency situation arises.

On your tax form, please check this program and enter the amount you wish to contribute. Contributions of less than $1 cannot be credited to the program.

The tax checkoff is authorized by Kansas Statute 70-3221g, which says:

(a) For all tax years commencing after December 31, 2001, each Kansas state individual income tax return form shall contain a designation as follows:

Senior Citizen Meals on Wheels Contribution Program. Check if you wish to donate, in addition to your tax liability, or designate from your refund, ___$1, ___$5, ___$10, or $_____.

In 2014, this tax checkoff provided $80,631 to the Meals on Wheels program. More than 3 million meals were provided in Kansas in 2014. The total cost of the federally sponsored program is $18.3 million.

To volunteer to help with the Meals on Wheels program and for information in your community call 855-200-ADRC (2372).

KDWPT

PRATT – In lieu of conducting the Kansas Winter Bird Feeder Survey this year, bird watchers around the state are asked to participate in the national Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) taking place Friday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 15. The GBBC is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all skill levels in counting birds from any location for as little as 15 minutes on one or more days of the event. Bird watchers can then report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

It’s free, fun and participants can feel good about playing an important role in the management and conservation of numerous bird species. Each submitted checklist provides valuable data to researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, as well as experts in other conservation organizations, who interpret those results to learn more about how birds are doing and how we can better protect them and their habitats.

For more information, visit www.birdcount.org.

KDWPT

PRATT– It’s hard to beat hunting turkeys during the spring season in Kansas. Weather has warmed up, birds are active and on the move, and it’s the start of a new hunting season.

But what if there was a way to top this? There is.

Try adding special access to quality lands not normally open to hunting, and it wouldn’t cost you a penny.

If you think this sounds like a pipe dream, chances are, you aren’t familiar with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Special Hunts Program. Special Hunts provide access to public and private lands that are not open to unrestricted public access. There’s no fee to apply, the draw is open to residents and nonresidents, and opportunities abound, with 160 individual permits and 79 special hunts available for spring turkey this year. Applications are being accepted through 9 a.m. on Feb. 29. To apply, and to obtain detailed information on all available hunts, visit ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Special-Hunts-Information.

Out of the 79 hunts available, 29 are open hunts (open to all), 19 are mentor hunts (both beginner and mentor may hunt), and 31 are youth hunts (youth hunt only). These hunts will occur on nine separate land parcels spanning five counties, five wildlife areas, two city and county properties, one state park, and one national wildlife refuge.

Successful applicants will be notified shortly after the random drawing has occurred. Special Hunts only provides access, so hunters must still purchase all licenses and permits required by law.

For information on other spring turkey hunting opportunities, visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting” and “Turkey Information.”

KS Dept. of Commerce

TOPEKA–The Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission has released the final deadline to submit applications for its two main grant categories. The final application deadline for 2016 is Feb. 19, 2016. This round will allow for a grant activity period for projects that begin Mar. 29, 2016 and conclude by Dec. 31, 2016. Approved projects that end June 30, 2016 may be given priority based on available funds. The programs and their sub-categories are as follows:

STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PROGRAM

The Strategic Investment Program recognizes the important role creative organizations play in building and sustaining cultural and economic vibrancy in Kansas. By funding a variety of professional and organizational development opportunities that impact cultural programming, these grants support initiatives that use the arts to enhance community vitality, revitalize neighborhoods, generate local business, create and preserve job opportunities and impact tourism. Applicants must make a compelling case as to why this particular self-identified activity or opportunity was selected, how it will have a substantial impact on their work and community, and how it will enhance the national reputation of Kansas.

Strategic Investment Program grants are awarded in three categories:

· Organizational Development: This category provides funding for professional development opportunities for Kansas based arts organizations that help strengthen business practices, increase organizational viability and promote long term sustainability.

· New and Expanded Works: This program provides funding for new or significantly expanded productions, exhibitions, programs or events by Kansas-based nonprofit arts organizations. Projects should either be an entirely new type of program for the organization designed to diversify its services or an expansion of an existing program designed to significantly enhance the quality of current offerings.

· Equipment and Technology: This program provides funding to purchase equipment, materials, and/or technology upgrades to expand or improve an applicant’s organization.

ARTS INTEGRATION PROGRAM

Arts Integration Programs support the role the arts play in all levels of education, community service, and workforce development. This program provides funding for educational institutions, arts organizations, and community service non-profits to use the arts to increase student success, foster creative thinking, develop critical job skills, and enhance community development.

Arts Integration Programs are awarded in three categories:

· Visiting Artists: This category provides funding for eligible organizations to engage and deepen the impact of arts programming on local and underserved audiences through exposure to and interaction with professional visiting arts. Presenters may book artists in any discipline, not just in performing arts. Projects should strive to integrate an arts discipline into non-arts content areas; help interpret an exhibition, performance, or presentation; and support community development goals and objectives.

· Integrated Arts Education: This category supports new or expanded educational programming that integrates arts learning into non-arts curriculum and content areas to address emerging technologies, areas of skills shortages, STEM curricula, workforce readiness, and increase student performance.

· Innovative Partnerships: This category supports innovative programming between arts organizations and non-arts organizations to impact a variety of community and/or economic development goals. Arts organizations are encouraged to partner with other community entities (hospitals, prisons, etc.) to develop arts-centered programs that address community needs such as public health, transportation, tourism, unemployment, aging, corrections, etc.

To review the application process, as well as program and category specific policies and guidelines visit KansasCommerce.com/CAIC. Applications can be submitted online at https://kansascaic.submittable.com.

Grants will be reviewed by peer panel and awarded at the quarterly commission meeting on Mar. 10, 2016.

KS Dept. of Agriculture

CONCORDIA–Alsop Sand Co. Inc. of Concordia, has been awarded the 2015 Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award for their reclamation work at their Salina quarry. This award is presented to a company that demonstrated excellence in implementing mined land reclamation and conveying a positive image of mining in Kansas. The award was presented at the Kansas Aggregate Producers Association meeting in Overland Park on Jan. 15, 2016.

The reclaimed area covers 160 acres on the southeast edge of Salina. A 34-acre lake is the centerpiece for the reclaimed sand dredge operation. Alsop Sand sloped and seeded the contoured shoreline to prepare it for housing development. The Stone Lake development will include a total of 134 lots, with many having a lake view.

“The greatest value is the pleasure felt by generations of people living on or near the lake,” said Dane Barkley, owner of Alsop Sand Co. Inc.

Alsop Sand Co. Inc. operates sand quarry locations in Scandia, Concordia, Abilene, Salina and several other locations in central Kansas. The extraction of aggregate material from the earth is processed and then sold to the local construction industry, and city and county municipalities.

For more information about this award, contact Scott Carlson with the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Conservation at (785) 564-6618 or [email protected].

KS Securities Commissioner

TOPEKA–Kansas Securities Commissioner Josh Ney and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) have teamed up for a series of public service announcements about investment fraud surrounding the release of a new ABC miniseries profiling Bernie Madoff, America’s most notorious fraud artist.

ABC’s television miniseries, titled “Madoff,” airs Wednesday, Feb. 3 and Thursday, Feb. 4 from 7-9 p.m. on local ABC providers. “There is much to be learned from this real-world story of a complex fraud that stole billions of dollars out of the pockets of real investors,” said Ney.

Alongside Commissioner Ney, Senator Moran feels this is an opportune time to help educate Kansans about the dangers of financial crimes. Serving on the U.S. Senate Banking Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investments, Senator Moran is involved in Congressional oversight of federal efforts to protect investors. “Financial education is an important aspect of consumer protection. I am committed to making certain Kansans have the resources necessary to be financially informed,” Senator Moran said.

The Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner (KSC) exists to protect and inform Kansas investors. Financial crimes can be devastating, and unfortunately, they have one of the highest rates of being unreported and undetected. This is often due to the fact that it can be very embarrassing to victims to be duped by con men. Ney encourages Kansans to be on the lookout for signs that an investment may be fraudulent. Here are five red flags to watch out for when citizens are considering investing:

1. If an investment sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Be wary of investments with incredibly high returns.

2. Who is offering the investment? Is the individual registered with the KSC? If not, that could be cause for concern. Investors can check the registration status and conduct a background check on financial professionals by going to the KSC’s website: www.ksc.ks.gov/BackgroundCheck.

3. Is what is being offered exclusive, rare, or scarce? Don’t be pressured to act quickly. Take time to check out investments. As the Madoff character says in the movie trailer, “You want to know how to get people to trust you with their money? You present it as an exclusive thing.”

4. Are you really interested in the investment or are you feeling pressured that “everyone else is doing it?” A widely used persuasion tactic is social consensus, which is when one feels peer pressured into making a decision because others are doing it and not that it is necessarily in their best interest.

5. Is there a gift involved? As they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Be aware of situations where something is being offered for free. Don’t feel pressure to invest just because the pitch involves receiving a gift that does not come close to equaling the amount being asked to commit to.

“See how many of the above tactics Madoff uses as you watch the movie,” said Ney. “Then try and recognize these red flags when seeking out your own investment opportunities.”

State and federal authorities need your help detecting financial crimes. If you run into an investment that you believe might be a fraud, contact the KSC at 1-800-232-9580 or by email at [email protected].

KDWPT

PRATT – You don’t have to be a waterfowl hunter, or a hunter at all, to be welcomed at the 2016 Kansas Ducks Unlimited State Convention in Hutchinson, Feb. 19-20. If you have a passion for conserving waterfowl and believe in the magic of a marsh, there’s a seat for you at this fun event. The convention will take place at the Atrium Hotel and Conference Center, 1400 North Lorraine, and rooms can be reserved at a discounted rate by calling (620) 669-9311.

Event activities include a kick-off party Friday evening, followed by a Kansas Conservation Update Saturday morning and an awards ceremony and banquet Saturday night. Optional wine tasting will be available for ladies only on Saturday with prior registration, and vendor merchandise will be on sale throughout the two-day event.

For more information, and to purchase admission tickets, contact Lynne Rozine at (913) 909-0622.

Kansas Historical Society

TOPEKA–Four Notable Kansans will join the list of 11 other prominent citizens in the Kansas Walk of Honor this spring. The bronze plaques of Arthur Capper, Fred Harvey, Joseph McCoy, and Karl Menninger will be installed in the spring along the walkways of the Kansas State Capitol.

These four new plaques will join those of Clyde Cessna, Walter Chrysler, Samuel Crumbine, John Steuart Curry, Charles Curtis, Bob Dole, Amelia Earhart, Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Kilby, Gordon Parks, and William Allen White. The walk was established in 2011 and highlights people who contributed on a state and national level and have significant connections to Kansas.

The four honorees were pioneers in their chosen careers.

· Arthur Capper (1865-1951) born in Garnett, moved from typesetter to editor at the Topeka Daily Capital. He purchased several newspapers and eventually added a radio station to his properties. Capper served two terms as 20th governor of Kansas, then five terms as U. S. senator. He formed a foundation to benefit children with disabilities that continues today.

· Fred Harvey (1835-1901) was a railroad clerk who convinced his employers to test an idea. He established the first fine dining for railway travelers. The Santa Fe Topeka dining room proved so popular that Harvey eventually operated 15 locations. The fast, quality dining experience with the iconic Harvey girls encouraged travelers to explore the Southwest.

· Joseph McCoy (1837-1915) came to Kansas to create a shipping route for the cattle industry. He established one of the first cow towns, Abilene, at a junction of the Union Pacific railroad and the Chisholm Trail. He convinced Texans to drive their herds to his pens to be shipped by rail to markets in the east, eventually shipping more than 3 million head. He referred to himself as “The Real McCoy.”

· Karl Menninger (1893-1990) born in Topeka, became fascinated with the new science of psychology while in college. With the philosophy that mental health was as important as physical health, he established a clinic in Topeka that became the largest psychiatric training center in the world. Through his work and books he built an international reputation and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Kansas Historical Foundation, a 501(c) (3), serves as the caretakers of funds for the Kansas Walk of Honor. People can donate to this fund. The Historical Foundation, which supports the Kansas Historical Society, a state agency, established the walk fund so people can offer donations to cover the cost of plaques.

Office of the Governor

TOPEKA–Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed the first bill of the legislative session into law on Jan. 25, 2016.

· Senate Bill 278 – this bill declares Cowley County the official Stone Bridge Capital of Kansas.

This is the first bill of the legislative session signed into law. By law, the Kansas governor has 10 calendar days to sign the bill

into law, veto the bill or allow the bill to become law without his or her signature.

Happy Kansas Day from the Kansas Sampler Foundation which takes you on a picture journey to all 105 counties to celebrate.

KDA

MANHATTAN–The From the Land of Kansas Annual Conference and Trade Show will be held Feb. 25-26, 2016, in Manhattan, Kan. The conference includes the annual meeting for members, partners and farmers’ markets. It will feature general sessions, specialized workshops and a wholesale trade show for all attendees. This year’s theme, “Sharing the Vision,” embraces how members from the trademark program and farmers’ market groups can learn to make their companies and programs more successful.

“The annual meeting is an opportunity to network with other Kansas entrepreneurs in the ag industry,” said Jackie McClaskey, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture. “In addition, sessions will cover a diversity of topics and presentations by experts in the industry for continued learning and growth.”

The keynote speaker will be Doug Worgul from Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, whose presentation, “Finding Your Brand,” will share his business experiences. Participants in the conference and trade show also will be able to hear from other experts in the agriculture, marketing and food industries. Topics which will be featured in sessions and workshops include:

· Business management, employee relations, succession planning
· Food industry updates
· Marketing tools for soliciting and reacting to reviews and managing social media
· Partnership organizations and resources

The From the Land of Kansas trade show is designed to give buyers and retail stores the opportunity to have a multitude of Kansas companies in one location. The trade show will feature high-quality products including bakery, soup and dip mixes, dairy products, granola and snack mixes, sauces, marinades, rubs, seasonings, proteins and more. If you are interested in registering as a buyer, exhibiting in the trade show or becoming a sponsor of the conference, visit FromtheLandofKansas.com/tradeshow for more information. Registration information is on the website at FromtheLandofKansas.com/AMeeting.

From the Land of Kansas is the state’s agriculture trademark program in the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA). The program works to promote and support Kansas farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses that grow, raise or manufacture agriculture products or products for agriculture use.The KDA is committed to its mission to help make Kansas businesses more successful, grow rural communities and expand markets for Kansas agricultural products.

If you have questions, please contact Lynne Hinrichsen, agribusiness development director, at (785) 564-6757 or [email protected]. To learn more about From the Land of Kansas, find local Kansas food, products or services or to become a From the Land of Kansas member, visit FromtheLandofKansas.com.