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Month: March 2019

KC man sentenced for teen’s near overdose death on carfentanil

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute carfentanil after a teenager who ingested half of one pill nearly died of an overdose.

Lankas -photo MDC

Gage Lankas, 21, pleaded guilty in October and was sentenced Friday.

Carfentanil is a synthetic drug. A dose is about 5,000 times more powerful than the same amount of heroin.

The investigation began in 2017 after a 17-year-old from Grain Valley was rushed to a hospital with an overdose. The teen survived and told police he acquired pills from Lankas. He said he snorted just half of one bill that he mistook for oxycodone.

Entrepreneurship Week to feature new workshops, speaker Peter Ueberroth

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Entrepreneurship Week schedule. Image courtesy Missouri Western.

A week for entrepreneurs and anyone interested in business is coming up later this month at Missouri Western State University.

Workshops being offered during Entrepreneurship Week include Accounting for Beginners, Creating a Marketing Plan, What Your Financial Statement Can Tell You and Social Media Tools for Small Businesses.

Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Missouri Western Craig School of Business Annette Weeks said this year, the speaker for the capstone luncheon on Friday will be Peter Ueberroth.

“Our benefactor, Steve Craig, was able to get him to come to St. Joseph. A little bit of background on him is he was the architect for the Los Angeles Summer Olympics (1984), he was also voted Man of the Year by Time Magazine, he was commissioner of the baseball league as well as helped an effort to rebuild Los Angeles after the riots,” Weeks said. “We’re very excited to get someone of his esteem and such a vast background especially in entrepreneurship to come to Missouri Western in St. Joseph.”  

Weeks said whether or not someone has an interest in being an entrepreneur themselves, entrepreneurship affects everyone in a community.

“It’s important to know what (entrepreneurs) bring to our region, the economic stability, the job creation, the innovation, it comes from our local entrepreneurs,” Weeks said. “We really feel passionate about that and at Missouri Western, we are committed to cultivating and educating entrepreneurs for our region. Entrepreneurship Week is one of our efforts in supporting this entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Entrepreneurship Week takes place March 25-29 on the campus of Missouri Western.

For more information or to register, call (816) 271-4283 or click here.

MWSU softball cancels home opener, now will travel to Illinois-Springfield

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ST. JOSEPH – The weather is warming and snow is melting, but soggy field conditions have forced the Missouri Western softball team to postpone its home opening doubleheader against Texas Woman’s University on Tuesday.

Missouri Western was set to open an 18-game homestand against Texas Woman’s, but instead will travel to Illinois-Springfield for two games away from St. Joseph on Tuesday. The first game of that doubleheader will begin at 1:00 p.m.

The Griffons will then return home to open a 16-game homestand against Central Missouri on Friday.

Missouri Western is 11-10 overall and 1-3 in MIAA play after splitting a doubleheader at Northeastern State and dropping two games at No. 8 Central Oklahoma last week on the road. Griffon Softball fans will have a good chance of witnessing history during the three-week stretch of home games. Head coach Jen Bagley Trotter needs just six more wins to become the winningest softball coach in MIAA history. In her 18th season, Trotter has 609 wins at MWSU.

— MWSU Athletics —

Brent Martin named news director for Eagle Communications in St Joseph

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Veteran journalist Brent Martin has been named news director for Eagle Communications in St. Joseph.

Martin will oversee the team in charge of news gathering, on-air broadcasts and reporting on Eagle’s four St. Joseph radio stations — Q Country 92.7, KSJQ FM, KJO 105.5, KKJO FM, 680 KFEQ AM and ESPN 1550 KESJ AM.

In addition, he will direct news content on StJosephpost.com.

Martin comes to Eagle after serving as news director of the Nebraska News Network, based in Lincoln, Neb. He was promoted to that position in 2011 after serving 15 years as managing editor of Missouri News Network in Jefferson City.

Martin was a news reporter for 680 KFEQ from 1984 through 1995. He won numerous broadcast awards including several for coverage of the 1993 flood in St. Joseph.

A graduate of the University of Central Missouri, Martin is known for being the state journalist witness to more than 13 executions in Missouri and Nebraska.

“We are extremely excited to have Brent return to St. Joe to lead our news efforts,” said Eagle General Manager Gary Exline. “A professional of this caliber is a fantastic addition to our on-air and online news reporting.”

Martin will take over the role on March 11, 2019.

3 Missouri school districts to get grants for safe rooms

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Three Missouri school districts will receive $3.5 million to build tornado shelters.

The State Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday that the grants will go to schools in Christian, Lawrence and McDonald counties. The planned safe rooms would shelter more than 2,250 people.

The projects will require local matches ranging from 10 to 25 percent.

Christian County’s Sparta district plans a stand-alone safe room, which will also be an early childhood center, for its elementary/middle school campus. Lawrence County’s Miller district would build a stand-alone safe room on its high school campus, and McDonald County’s Goodman Elementary School would build a stand-alone safe room that will also be a gymnasium.

The Goodman Elementary School campus was hit by a tornado in April 2017. School was not in session but the building was a total loss.

Men’s Basketball All-Big 12 awards announced

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Irving, Texas – Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver earned the program’s first Player of the Year honor while Chris Beard was selected Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, headlining the 2018-19 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball awards.

Barry Brown, Jr. (K-State) was named Defensive Player of the Year while Dedric Lawson (Kansas) was voted Newcomer of the Year and Jaxson Hayes (Texas) captured Freshman of the Year. Lindell Wigginton (Iowa State) picked up the Sixth Man Award and Kristian Doolittle (Oklahoma) was voted as the Most Improved Player, a new award presented by the Conference.

Culver helped the Red Raiders to a share of their first Big 12 regular season title. The sophomore guard ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring (18.3 ppg), fifth in assists (3.6) and is 10th in rebounding (6.2).

Brown is recognized as K-State’s defensive stopper and holds the school record in steals. He ranks first in the Big 12 in steals (2.0) and is fifth in scoring (15.1). He helped the Wildcats to a share of their second Big 12 regular season championship.

In his first season with the Jayhawks, Lawson leads the Big 12 in scoring (19.1), rebounding (10.6) and double-doubles (20). He is the only player in the Conference averaging a double-double.

True freshman Hayes has started 21 of 30 games for the Longhorns. He leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.728), is fourth in blocks (2.2) and free throw percentage (.823), 26th in scoring (10.3) and 13th in rebounds (5.4).

As Iowa State’s first player off the bench, Wigginton is second on the team in scoring (13.4 ppg). An early season injury sidelined him for six weeks. Since regaining his form, the sophomore guard has averaged over 15 points in the last 12 games while shooting 48 percent from the field.

Doolittle has made a much bigger impact for the Sooners during his junior season with 11 ppg and 6.9 rpg while playing in every game with 28 starts. In his sophomore year he started just six games with averages of 2.9 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Beard led Texas Tech to a share of the Big 12 championship in just his third season after tying for second last year. The No. 8 Red Raiders are currently 26-5 overall and finished 14-4 in league play on a nine-game winning streak.

Culver, Brown and Lawson were unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selections and joined on the first team by Marial Shayok (Iowa State) and Dean Wade (K-State). Wade is the only repeat first team selection from last season.

The official All-Big 12 awards are selected by the league’s head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.

ALL-BIG 12 AWARDS
Player of the Year: Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech

Coach of the Year: Chris Beard, Texas Tech

Defensive Player of the Year: Barry Brown, Kansas State

Freshman of the Year: Jaxson Hayes, Texas

Sixth Man Award: Lindell Wigginton, Iowa State

Most Improved: Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma

All-Big 12 First team: Marial Shayok, Iowa State; Dedric Lawson, Kansas; Barry Brown, Kansas State; Dean Wade, Kansas State; Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech

Second team: Makai Mason, Baylor; Jaxson Hayes, Texas; Desmond Bane, TCU; Matt Mooney, Texas Tech; Derek Culver, West Virginia

Third team: Devon Dotson, Kansas; Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma; Christian James, Oklahoma; Alex Robinson, TCU; Davide Moretti, Texas Tech

Honorable mention (alphabetically by school): Jared Butler (Baylor), Mario Kegler (Baylor), Mark Vital (Baylor), Talen Horton-Tucker (Iowa State), Nick Weiler-Babb (Iowa State), Lindell Wigginton (Iowa State), Xavier Sneed (Kansas State), Kamau Stokes (Kansas State), Brady Manek (Oklahoma), Cameron McGriff (Oklahoma State), Lindy Waters (Oklahoma State), Kouat Noi (TCU), Matt Coleman III (Texas), Kerwin Roach II (Texas), Tariq Owens (Texas Tech)

All-Defensive team: Mark Vital, Baylor; Marcus Garrett, Kansas; Barry Brown, Jr., Kansas State; Jaxson Hayes, Texas; Matt Mooney, Texas Tech; Tariq Owens, Texas Tech (A tie in voting created an additional spot)

All-Newcomer team: Makai Mason, Baylor; Marial Shayok, Iowa State; Dedric Lawson, Kansas; Jaxson Hayes, Texas; Matt Mooney, Texas Tech

All-Freshman team: Jared Butler, Baylor; Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State; Devon Dotson, Kansas; Jaxson Hayes, Texas; Derek Culver, West Virginia

— Big 12 Press Release —

Kansas border communities need lower food sales tax in order to compete

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By Grant Heiman
KU Statehouse News Service

Small town communities along Kansas’ borders lose business when residents cross state lines to save money on groceries.

Marmaton Market in Moran, Kansas google image

In a February hearing on House Bill 2261, which would lower the food sales tax by 1 percent, residents of these border communities testified about the struggle to compete against businesses with lower or no food sales tax.

Some residents of Moran, Kansas, make the three-and-a-half-hour round trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to shop for food products. The selection in Kansas City, Missouri, is wider and the food sales tax is 1.225 percent, as opposed to Kansas’ current 6.5 percent tax.

“Sometimes, it is worth it to make the trip when they save a significant amount of money,” Rachel Henderson, general manager of the Marmaton Market in Moran, said. “The overall impact of this habit is huge.”

A 2016 report by the Kansas Public Finance Center at Wichita State University shows that Kansas’ sales tax on food harms economic activity, especially in border counties.

“Our community misses out on any tax revenue, and it hurts business when we have to compete with a lower sales tax,” Henderson said.

According to the report by Wichita State each percent increase in the tax, (assuming surrounding counties have a lower food sales tax), results in $101 drop in food sales per capita.

“This is a tax burden that Kansans shouldn’t have to bear,” Henderson said. “If you aren’t wealthy enough to make regular trips to the city for groceries, you are forced to have a reduced budget for food.”

Of the 105 counties in the state of Kansas, 35 share a border with at least one other state, according to the Wichita State report.

The city of Oberlin, in northwest Kansas, faces the same challenges with losing business to bordering states.

“My grocery store is the only one in the entire county, not only do I enjoy this, but I understand my business also provides a critical service,” Kirk Brown, owner of Reyes Grocery in Oberlin, said in a testimony to the committee.

Halley Roberson, Oberlin’s City Planner, also reflected the same notion.

“This independent grocery store has to try and compete with national chain stores with higher prices for delivery because of lower volume and in addition a 6.5 percent tax his competitors do not have,” Roberson said.

Roberson says a reduction in the food sales tax would help the success of businesses in border towns.

“It is a push-pull situation for sure, but a serious food tax reduction or elimination would at least give border towns like Oberlin some ground to stand on,” Roberson said.

Grant Heiman is a University of Kansas junior from Wichita majoring in journalism.

Kan. community passes LGBT Equality Measure, no additional legal protection

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By MICHELLE TYRENE JOHNSON

The Olathe City Council on last week passed a resolution to promote diversity and equality in the city. However, many community members attending the meeting said it did not go far enough.

Olathe resident Chad Palmer looks on as the city council discusses a resolution to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.
photo by MICHELLE TYRENE JOHNSON

“A proclamation is nothing but lip service,” Olathe resident Chad Palmer told the city council, expressing that they needed to go further in making a stand against discrimination.

The measure passed by Olathe encourages the city to reject discrimination against any group, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and to seek mediation with the city if there is an issue. But it falls short of the protections offered by non-discrimination ordinances passed in Merriam, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Mission and Kansas City, Kansas.

Council member John Bacon, who voted against the measure, said there was not enough opportunity to discuss it and that he didn’t think it was necessary.

“Some of the concerns I’m hearing from citizens, I’m not aware of. I hear them, but I’ve lived in this community a long time. And I’ve always known Olathe as a very loving community, and we treat everybody, or I treat everybody, the way I want you to treat me,” said council member Karin Brownlee, who also voted against the resolution.

However, Brett Hoedl, who chairs the area chapter of Equality Kansas, said mediation is encouraged but not required under the resolution, making it toothless.

“I’m frustrated because for two years you’ve had people coming in and asking about this,” Hoedl said to the city council. “This doesn’t provide protection, but it provides the illusion that there is protection.”

Mayor Michael Copeland and the other council members who voted for the resolution discussed how they would be willing to revisit the issue if the legislature failed to pass statewide protection for the LGBT community.

More than 60 people stayed until the end of the three-hour-long meeting to hear public comments on the resolution that the city council passed at the beginning of the meeting. Although most of the approximately 20 or so people who spoke supported a more pointed approach to LGBT discrimination, a few people spoke against the need to have a stronger anti-discrimination ordinance.

The United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015, but no federal laws protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.

Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ people, and about 225 cities – including Kansas City, Missouri – offer similar legal protections.

Overland Park and Mission Hills are also considering non-discrimination ordinances protecting LGBTQ residents.

Michelle Tyrene Johnson is a reporter at KCUR 89.3 in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Northwest online nursing program granted pre-accreditation status

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MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University online RN to BSN program has been granted pre-accreditation status by the National League for Nursing’s Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).

Brooke McAtee, the director of the nursing program at Northwest, said the designation is an important step in the continued development and success of the program.

“I am very excited that all of our hard work is being acknowledged by the accrediting body,” McAtee said. “This is a big accomplishment for our program in such a short timeframe. I am proud of my team and all that we have done to ensure student success.”

Northwest began taking steps in 2017 to relaunch its RN-to-BSN after determining the demand and outlook for future jobs in the field is strong, at the state and national levels. Northwest also is working with Academic Partnerships, a vendor that provides support and services to help Northwest with its online enrollment, to build momentum and grow its nursing programs. Northwest began offering courses within the program in August 2018.

The National League for Nursing is dedicated to excellence in nursing and is regarded as the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. It offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants and public policy initiatives to its more than 40,000 individual and more than 1,200 institutional members, comprising nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations. Furthermore, CNEA accreditation helps programs focus on continuous improvement and ensures they are addressing the needs of employers.

For more information about Northwest’s online RN to BSN program, visit nwmissouri.edu/programs/rn-to-bsn.

– Northwest Missouri State University news release –

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