Post Staff – Page 887 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Kansas senator quits Eisenhower Memorial project

Posted on September 24, 2014

BRETT ZONGKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran has resigned from the Eisenhower Memorial Commission after serving for 13 years as one of the original lawmakers overseeing the effort to build a memorial in Washington honoring the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The commission announced Moran’s resignation late Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Moran did not immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment.

Millions of dollars have already been spent on securing a location near the National Mall and developing a design by architect Frank Gehry for a memorial park. It was supposed to be built by now but has been delayed amid a campaign against Gehry’s design and objections from Eisenhower’s family.

In June 2013, Moran called on the commission to endorse Gehry’s design, and the panel voted unanimously to move forward.

KU students raise $1,800 for records request

Posted on September 24, 2014

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A student seeking records about the financial relationship between the University of Kansas and the Koch brothers has raised the $1,800 the school required to fulfill her request.

Schuyler Kraus, president of the Students for a Sustainable Future, filed the Kansas open records request last month. She wants to know about the financial relationship between Art Hall, the executive director of the university’s Center for Applied Economics, and billionaires Charles and David Koch.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the university told Kraus it would cost $1,800 to provide the information because the request covered more than 10 years and would require the work of several offices.

The American Association of University Professors donated $1,000 to Kraus and other donations helped her raise the rest of the money.

Banned Book Reading Wednesday Night

Posted on September 24, 2014

Missouri Western State University will host its 18th annual Reading of Challenged and Banned Books Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the Enright Community Room, Spratt Hall 214-216. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served following the readings.

Students, faculty and members of the community will read from books that have been challenged or banned in U.S. schools in recent years.

The annual event is held in recognition of the American Library Association’s Banned Book Week. The reading is sponsored by the Department of English and Modern Languages, the Department of Education, the Missouri Western State University Library, the Prairie Lands Writing Project and Student Affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Perry to headline fundraiser for Kansas governor

Posted on September 24, 2014

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is getting some fundraising help from his colleague in Texas.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry will be in Wichita on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. rally at the Republican Party headquarters followed by two private receptions for donors.

Brownback is locked in a surprisingly close race with Democratic challenger Paul Davis amid a backlash from voters concerned about cuts to classroom spending and massive tax cuts which have created revenue shortfalls.

The two Republican governors have had a close relationship for years.

Both are former state agriculture secretaries, and Brownback endorsed Perry’s 2012 campaign for the GOP nomination for president.

Eisenhower Memorial panel to vote on way forward

Posted on September 24, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of a federal commission planning a memorial near the National Mall to honor the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower are voting on how to proceed after years of controversy.

The Eisenhower Memorial Commission met last week but didn’t have enough members present. So they are holding an electronic vote by the end of the day Wednesday on how to proceed.

Architect Frank Gehry has presented a revised design for a proposed memorial park after objections from critics and Eisenhower’s family. The revised design eliminates two large, metal tapestries on the sides of the park. One long tapestry would remain as a backdrop, depicting the Kansas landscape of Ike’s boyhood home.

The memorial commission is deciding whether to proceed with Gehry’s design.

Eisenhower’s family has called for a simpler design.

5-year-old transferred to Children’s Mercy after dresser topples

Posted on September 23, 2014September 23, 2014

Salina Post

SALINA, Kan — A 5-year-old rural Saline County girl is in a Kansas City hospital after a dresser fell on her Monday evening.

Saline County Sheriff Glen Kochanowski said the girl and her siblings were playing in an upstairs bedroom of the family home around 7:45 p.m., when the girl got her foot caught in the dresser, and it fell over on top of her.

The siblings took the dresser off of her, and emergency responders were called to the home in the 200 block of Main in Falun, which is an unincorporated community in southwest Saline County.

Kochanowski said the girl was taken by EMS to Salina Regional Health Center, then transferred to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

The girl suffered head injuries that included bleeding on the brain.

Chinese Acrobats Perform At MWSU Tonight

Posted on September 23, 2014September 23, 2014

Chinese Acrobats will perform at Missouri Western State University at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23 in the Fulkerson Center. The performance is free and open to the public.

The performance includes an interpreter who shares facts about Chinese culture and customs as you watch foot juggling, plate spinning, Chinese yo-yo and group acrobatics.

The event is sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Education and the Office of International Student Services

Brownback to proclaim Zombie Preparedness Month

Posted on September 23, 2014

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansans are being encouraged to prepare for an invasion of the living dead, with Gov. Sam Brownback scheduled to sign a proclamation later this week declaring October Zombie Preparedness Month.

The state Division of Emergency Management says if residents are prepared for a zombie attack, they’re prepared for anything. Deputy director Angee Morgan says the idea is to make people aware of the need to be ready for emergency situations like natural disasters, catastrophic storms, fires — even a swarm of zombies.

Brownback is slated to sign the proclamation at 11 a.m. Friday in his ceremonial office in the Statehouse.

Troop H To Sponsor Blood Drive

Posted on September 22, 2014

Troop H of the Missouri State Highway Patrol will hold a blood drive to honor the memory of a state trooper killed by a drunk driver.

Captain James E. McDonald, commanding officer Troop H, invites you to take part in the “Red Cross, Troop H Michael E. Webster Memorial Blood Drive” on Thursday, October 2, 2014. The blood drive will be held at the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) Northwest District Office, 3602 North Belt Highway, St. Joseph, Missouri.

The blood drive will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m. All donors are reminded to please bring a photo ID if they wish to donate.

On October 2, 1993, Corporal Michael E. Webster was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver. Since his untimely death, blood drives like this one have honored his service to the community. Drunk drivers killed 239 people and injured 3,804 in Missouri traffic crashes last year. The Webster family, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the American Red Cross want to encourage everyone to come out and support the Michael E. Webster Blood Drive.

Appointments are not necessary, but if you wish to make an appointment go to savealifenow.org and then enter the sponsor code: msphtrooph or call Troop H Headquarters at (816)387-2345.

Does The Sunshine Law Protect School Board Members From Their Own Staff?

Posted on September 22, 2014

School board member Chris Danford is apparently being blocked from gathering information on a number of different financial controversies in the St. Joseph School District.

In an E-mail sent last week to the Superintendent Dr. Fred Czerwonka, and the district’s two lawyers, Danford asks for information on the district’s contracts with the OPAA food-service company. She says she has not received one response. On Monday, Danford sent another E-mail, and this time included reporters in the list of recipients.

In that second E-mail, Danford asks “…isn’t it ridiculous that an elected board member should have to sunshine the district they provide oversight for?”

She also asks for a lot more information. Here’s the list:
1. OPAA contracts for both 2013-2014 and 2014-2015
2. A list of all district owned vehicles with make/model/year and the name of the employee and their position in the SJSD that the car is assigned to.
3. List of all out of district travel for all administrators (from superintendent down to building principals) paid for by the SJSD –list by 1. administrator name, 2. conference/meeting including dates & destination and 3. costs (travel, mileage, food, lodging and any other expense) from July 1, 2012 through September 1, 2014.
4. List of all purchases made with SSI School Specialty Industries from July 2009-September 2014.
5. The total costs involved with the investigation on Beau Musser by Freeman and Fowler. The investigation was done June &July 2014, the oral report was given to the board on 8/4/14 and the written report given to the board on 9/8/14.
6. List of all costs paid for any attorney services including Mr. Briggs, Mickes, Hobbs and all others for the time July 2009-September 2014.
7. List of all settlements and their amounts from July 1, 2009 -September 1, 2014.