Lordy , Lordy Look Who ' s 40 !
Friday , July 8 , 2016 V V V THE GAZETTE , EMPORIA , KANSAS V V V
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COMMISSIONERS HEAR BUDGET REQUESTS
KANSAS SUPREME COURT TO ADDRESS SCHOOL FUNDING ADEQUACY
Lordy , Lordy Look Who ' s 40 !
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By John Robinson john @ emporia . com
The Lyon County Commission heard a pair of budget requests from Newman Regional Health and Hetlinger Developmental Services during an action session Thursday .
Holly French , CFO of NRH , Nancy Wells , chairperson of the NRH Board of Trustees , and Bob Wright , CEO , presented their request to the commissioners for $ 300,000 .
According to a letter presented by the trio , the funds will go toward security changes at the hospital — a two-year plan with an estimated total cost of $ 600,000 . The board said they anticipate asking for a similar amount in 2018 to cover the remainder of the project .
“ Our current security plan was implemented in 1977 ,” Wright said .
The proposed security changes are : ✦✦A remote electronic locking , monitoring and alarm system .
✦✦Securing all entry points with badge readers .
✦✦Make all stairwell doors exit only anytime a security panic device is activated or after hours .
✦✦Secure corridor rooms of the facility to restrict movement when panic
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devices are activated or after hours .
✦✦Create safe rooms where staff can shelter in place if necessary .
✦✦Equip patient rooms with automated closure / locking devices .
✦✦Increase armed security to two guards on nights and weekends .
✦✦Utilize trained authorized concealed carry staff on weekdays . “ We have patients who are not mobile ,” Wright said . “ And most of the strategies revolve around the run , hide , fight method and some patients don ’ t have that option .”
Trudy Hutchinson , executive director for Hetlinger Developmental Services , asked the commission for an appropriation of $ 35,000 .
According Hutchinson , the funds will go toward the assisting organization ’ s duties and responsibilities as the Community Developmental Disability Organization for Lyon County .
Hutchinson said those duties include performing annual screenings on each person who receives services , as well as monitoring quality assurance of the services provided in Lyon County .
The Lyon County Commission meets at 8 a . m . every Thursday . The time for public comment is at 9:45 a . m . during each meeting .
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By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com
The Kansas Supreme Court has set Sept . 21 to hear oral arguments in the adequacy portion of the Gannon school finance lawsuit .
The court recently approved a $ 38 million plan meant to provide equity funding . The Kansas Legislature spent two days in special session to address the equity funding portion of the Gannon lawsuit .
The lawsuit , brought by several school districts , alleges
that the state has failed to fund schools adequately or equitably . The plaintiffs contend the state has failed to provide hundreds of millions of dollars through Governors Sam Brownback ’ s administration . However , the state counters that Kansas schools compare favorably with those in other states .
The order regarding oral arguments indicates that briefs must be filed by the end of the business day on Aug . 12 . All briefs and arguments should address whether the legislature has met its duty of the Kansas
Constitution regarding adequacy .
“ As the appellant , the State will argue first and will be allowed 60 minutes for oral argument ,” the order reads . “ It may reserve a portion of its time for rebuttal . Appellees will also be allowed 60 minutes for oral argument . This setting is firm ; motions to change the date and time will not be considered .”
With oral arguments set for Sept . 21 , it is likely that the court could issue a ruling prior to the November election .
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C . OF E .
From PAGE 1
“ Clark Terry was here . The C . of E . singers made successful concert tours across the country .”
At that time , there were 55 students majoring in music at C . of E .
However , the editorial noted , music departments are not economical by nature , because of the amount of oneon-one time students spend with faculty .
By 1973 , only eight music majors remained .
“ There is a feeling among the faculty that the Music Department has been thrown to the wolves ,” Call wrote .
While the music department withered , the naturopathy program blossomed .
“ Most Emporians do not even know what naturopathy is ,” Call stated .
By the time the first semester of the 1973-74 year ended just before the end of 1973 , trustees had decided to close the college , with just over 400 students enrolled .
Payroll delayed
Frantic efforts to stave off the closing had failed , as would attempts to pay off debts and to raise funds to start a new college or resurrect the old one .
Chief Administrative Officer Robert Prins had announced in late November that faculty and staff paychecks would be delayed , possibly as much as two weeks , a Nov . 30 , 1973 , Gazette article stated .
Officials launched a drive to raise funds for November and December payrolls less than two weeks later .
A Board of Trustees meeting was planned on Dec . 22 to discuss financial problems .
The College of Emporia was more than $ 1 million in debt .
Even the Presbyterian Synod of Kansas had drastically cut its promised
SUDOKU SOLUTION
$ 35,000 annual support . The sum had been trimmed modestly for two years , and was to be cut to $ 10,000 per year . The Synod stipulated that if C . of E . supporters asked for donations from individual Kansas churches , the Synod would not give even the $ 10,000 , according to an article in the Dec . 6 , 1973 , Gazette . At the time , the Synod was supporting several colleges in Kansas .
Coupled with heavy debt from the building boom and the decline in enrollment , the Myrta Lee Memorial Chapel , which opened in 1972 , had seemed to signal a death knell for C . of E .
“ The funds donated for this purpose had been used for collateral to secure money to run the college ,” the 1987 tabloid article stated , “ but the donors insisted that the chapel be built with the money . ...
“ The endowment had been spent to run the college , faculty salaries were in arrears , a quick appeal for funds failed and there was no money . C . of E . had fought its last fight and lost .”
C . of E . leaders had misjudged not only the depth of the financial crisis , but the college ’ s ability to raise funds .
The City of Emporia , the Chamber of Commerce and other groups also looked for possible solutions and found none .
Please see History , Page 10
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