December 2014 – Page 54 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Sheriff investigating fatal pedestrian accident

Posted on December 15, 2014

MANHTTAN- Authorities in Pottawatomie County are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that happened just after 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff reported in a media release dispatchers received a call of a pedestrian walking on U.S. 24 near Dempsey Road.

About 1 minute after the call, dispatch received a second call that the pedestrian had been struck by another vehicle.

A Sheriff Deputy located the body of a woman who had been struck by an Eastbound Ford pickup.

The woman was identified as Angela Ressler, 48, of rural Manhattan.

No citations were issued to the driver of the pickup.

Kansas’ Shepherd recognized with the Haier Achievement Award

Posted on December 15, 2014December 15, 2014

JaCorey Shepherd, a senior football player at the University of Kansas, has been selected as a recipient of the Haier Achievement Award, which is presented to deserving student-athletes for their accomplishments beyond sports. The announcement of the second of eight Haier Achievement Awards being presented this year was made by John Homlish, senior vice president, Digital Living Business Unit for Haier America, one of the world’s leading television and appliance manufacturers, and Doug Vance, Executive Director of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

“The Haier Achievement Award program creates a platform that helps bring to light those student-athletes who are reaching incredible heights in their non-athletic endeavors and serving as role models for all young people,” said Homlish. “We are excited to recognize inspiring student-athletes like JaCorey to further motivate other young people to achieve and succeed beyond their chosen sport. We commend JaCorey on all he has accomplished on the field, in the classroom and in his community.”

Shepherd, a native of Mesquite, Texas, is on schedule to graduate in May 2015 with a Bachelors degree in management and leadership with an emphasis in entrepreneurship. He is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree and a four-time Athletic Director’s Honor Roll member. He recently was named the Lee Roy Selmon Community Spirit Award winner and is a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. He took home the Rock Chalk Choice Award for Best Jayhawk in a Supporting Role and was the University of Kansas nominee for the 2013-14 Big 12 Conference Male Sportsperson of the Year. Shepherd is also active in the community through Big Brothers, Big Sisters where he has established a relationship with a “little brother” Christopher and at local schools where he volunteers as a reader and at carnivals, field days and football clinics.

On the field, the 5-foot-11 190-pound cornerback earned First Team All-Big 12 honors this season. He started all 12 games for the second straight season and led the Big 12 with 19 passes defended while also recording 30 tackles and a team-leading three interceptions, while only allowing two touchdown passes. Additionally, he averaged 20.9 yards on 33 kick returns.

“I am incredibly honored to receive the Haier Achievement Award,” said Shepherd. “During my Jayhawk career it has been very important to me to be as well-rounded of a student-athlete as I could be and to be recognized for my efforts is very humbling. I am proud to represent Kansas football both on and off the field and would like to share this award with my teammates who have supported me throughout my time at KU.”

Haier will officially recognize Shepherd with a plaque and certificate at an upcoming ceremony. In addition, Haier will donate $2,000 to the University of Kansas general scholarship fund and award a Haier 48-inch LED HD television to the school’s athletic department.

The first Haier Achievement Award winner was Elisha Hande, a three-year letter winner on the women’s tennis team at NC State University who maintains a 4.0 GPA with a major in economics and a minor in German. She was a finalist for the 2014 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, and received the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) community service award in 2012 and 2013 for her work.

Student-athletes from all sports, all schools, and all divisions are eligible for the Haier Achievement Award. Members of CoSIDA and fans can nominate student-athletes at http://achieve.haieramerica.com. Haier will announce eight (8) honorees throughout the year and in mid-March invite fans to vote online for the Haier Ultimate Achievement Award winner. The winner will earn his/her school a $5,000 donation to the general scholarship fund and a Haier 40-inch LED HD television. Additionally, all fans who vote will be entered into a drawing to win a Haier 48-inch LED HD TV.

— KU Sports Information —

Williams earns Big 12 Player of the Week honors

Posted on December 15, 2014

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior Nino Williams earned Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career on Monday after averaging a near double-double in a pair of Kansas State wins last week.

Williams becomes the first Wildcat to earn the Big 12’s Player of the Week accolade since Angel Rodriguez won the team’s fifth weekly honor of the 2012-13 season on Feb. 18, 2013. It marks the school’s 22^nd league Player of the Week honor since the inception of the Big 12 in 1997.

Williams averaged 17.0 points on 56.3 percent shooting (9-of-16) to go with 9.5 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game in helping the Wildcats to home wins over Bradley (50-47) and Savannah State (73-53). He also shot a stellar 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the free throw line, including an 8-of-8 effort against Savannah State. He has now scored in double figures in six of his eight games played this season, including four consecutive games.

Williams opened the week with his second career double-double and first of the season against Bradley, as he led the team in both scoring (14) and rebounding (12) in 33 minutes of action. He connected 8-of-10 free throws, including four in a row in the last 6:40 of the contest. He followed with his second career 20-point effort in the win over Savannah State, as he went 6-of-8 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line, for a career-tying 20 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds in 32 minutes. It marked just his second 20-point game and the first since also scoring 20 in a double-overtime loss at Baylor on Feb. 15, 2014.

In registering four consecutive double-digit scoring games for the first time in his career, Williams is currently averaging 12.8 points on 52.2 percent shooting with a team-high 5.1 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game with seven starts in eight games played. He ranks second on the team in scoring, double-digit scoring games (6), field goals (36), free throws (29), free throws attempted (38), free throw percentage (76.3) and minutes played. He missed the exhibition and the first two regular season games due to a knee injury. He has led the team in scoring a team-best three times and grabbed the rebound lead in three contests.

In the last four games, Williams is averaging 15.8 points on 60 percent shooting (21-of-35) and 7.8 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game while helping K-State to three wins during that span.

K-State (6-4) will take the week off for semester exams before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 20 against former Big 12 foe Texas A&M (7-2) at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri for the Wildcat Classic. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. and will air nationally on ESPNU.

Release by Tom Gilbert, K-State Associate Director/Athletics Communications

Immigrants urged not to fear applying for program

Posted on December 15, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal immigration authorities are urging qualified immigrants to apply for President Barack Obama’s reprieve from deportation and trying to dispel fears that a future administration might unravel the program.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director Leon Rodriguez on Monday told immigrant advocates at a Los Angeles conference that in the past presidents have respected immigration measures taken by their predecessors.

He told reporters that immigration officers don’t share applicants’ information with enforcement authorities unless an applicant has a disqualifying criminal history or is a national security threat.

Rodriguez says his agency will hire as many as 1,000 immigration officers to process applications.

The program could give work permits and deportation protection to nearly 5 million immigrants in the country illegally. At least 20 states have sued to block the measure.

New state division formed to fight cattle theft

Posted on December 15, 2014

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state of Kansas is creating a new investigative unit to combat an increase in cattle theft.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and the Kansas Department of Agriculture announced a joint agreement Monday to form a new Livestock/Brand Investigation Unit.

The unit will help local law enforcement agencies investigate suspected cattle thefts. It will be part of the Attorney General office’s consumer protection division. It will be led by Kendal Lothman, a 22-year veteran of law enforcement who spent six years as Kiowa County sheriff.

Schmidt said in a news release that the new unit will combine the law enforcement authority of the attorney general’s office with the livestock investigations authority of the agriculture department.

Western names Davenport new Associate Provost

Posted on December 15, 2014

Davenport Photo courtesy MWSU — Dr. Douglas Davenport
Photo courtesy MWSU

St. Joseph, Mo. —Dec. 15, 2014—A longtime professor and administrator at Truman State University has accepted the position of associate provost of research, planning and institutional effectiveness at Missouri Western State University. Dr. Douglas Davenport will begin his duties Jan. 5.

“I am excited about the many strengths and the enthusiasm Dr. Davenport will bring to this position,” said Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost and vice-president for academic affairs. “He has provided institutional leadership for strategic planning and assessment, for institutional regional accreditation and for the development of internal and external collaborative relationships, experiences that will be a tremendous asset for Missouri Western.”

“I am so pleased to have the opportunity to join the Missouri Western community,” Dr. Davenport said. “This university has a strong track record for innovation and effective advancement of Missouri public higher education and I look forward to serving Missouri Western in the days ahead.”

The associate provost assists the Division of Academic Affairs and the university in the areas of accreditation, strategic planning, applied learning, research, grant management and strategic partnerships.

Dr. Davenport is currently chair of the Department of Justice Systems at Truman State. He previously served as dean of the School of Social and Cultural Studies and interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Division of Social Science. He chaired Truman’s Higher Learning Commission Leadership Team, co-chaired a Strategic Planning Advisory Committee, and led several other accreditation and assessment efforts.

Dr. Davenport earned a Bachelor of Arts from Central Bible College (now Evangel University) in Springfield, Mo., and a Master of Public Administration and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from Texas Tech University.

ACLU chapters in Kan., Mo. focusing on hot-button issues

Posted on December 15, 2014December 15, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — American Civil Liberties Union officials say they have begun a new and more aggressive effort to intervene in Missouri and Kansas over highly public issues like same-sex marriage, privacy and police policy.

The ACLU’s Missouri chapter has been actively involved in the protests in Ferguson over Michael Brown’s shooting death by a Ferguson police officer. It’s sued on behalf of a reporter arrested during a protest and argued for protections for street demonstrators.

In Kansas, the state’s chapter has helped lead the legal battle over the state’s same-sex marriage ban.

The Kansas City Star reports critics say the nonprofit is straying from its initial mission of protecting civil liberties to promote a more liberal agenda.

But an ACLU official with its Missouri chapter says the group has worked closely with conservatives before. He acknowledges, though, that the public doesn’t always see the ACLU as nonpartisan.

Kan. woman hospitalized after car overturns into creek

Posted on December 15, 2014

MISSION- A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 10 a.m. on Monday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Buick LeSabre driven by Cassandra M. Ballard, 26, Edgerton, was northbound Interstate 35 at Lamar.

The driver blacked out. The vehicle left the roadway and overturned into Turkey Creek.

Ballard was transported to KU Medical Center.
The KHP reported she was properly restrained at the time of the accident.

Grant to provide middle school students with Androids

Posted on December 15, 2014

A grant is giving Robidoux Middle School students technology tools for advancement.

According to the St. Joseph School District Todd Brockett, Project Leader the Way teacher at Robidoux recently received a grant from the Verizon Foundation for the PLTW Gateway Introduction to Computer Science pilot.

The pilot program incorporates app development into the PLTW Gateway curricula.

The grant will provide Robidoux Middle school with an equipment and service donation of 27 4G LTE enabled Android tablet devices, with no monthly access fees and a 5GB monthly data allowance per device.

The school district said the donations is worth almost $50,000.

New court, dental programs to help mentally ill

Posted on December 15, 2014

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — People with mental illness will be offered two new programs in Topeka beginning in January.

An alternative sentencing court run through the Topeka Municipal Court will allow mentally ill people who committed relatively minor crimes to be released from a jail earlier if they comply with a treatment plan. The program also will offer employment, housing and substance abuse help.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the second program will provide dental services to the mentally ill who don’t have dental insurance.

It’s being offered through a partnership between Valeo and Community Health Ministry. Valeo CEO Glea Ashley says many people with mental health disorders have not had routine health care for some time and have more advanced problems.