The Concordia Blade

BLADE-EMPIRE
CONCORDIA
VOL. CX NO. 210 (USPS 127-880)
CONCORDIA, KANSAS 66901
Monday, March 21, 2016
Obama meets with Cuban president
Good Evening
Concordia Forecast
Tonight, breezy. Not as cool. Partly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. South winds
15 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph
after midnight.
Tuesday, warmer. Mostly sunny. Highs
in the lower 80s. South winds 5 to 20 mph.
Tuesday night, partly cloudy. Lows
around 50. South winds 10 to 15 mph with
gusts to around 25 mph.
Wednesday, windy, cooler. Mostly sunny
with chance of rain showers and isolated
thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 60s.
Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph increasing
to northwest 25 to 30 mph with gusts to
around 40 mph in the afternoon. Chance
of precipitation 50 percent.
Wednesday night, windy. Much colder.
Mostly cloudy with snow, possibly mixed
with rain. Lows in the upper 20s. Chance
of precipitation 60 percent.
Thursday, cooler. Mostly sunny. Highs
in the upper 40s.
Thursday night, mostly clear. Lows in
the lower 30s.
Friday, not as cool. Mostly sunny. Highs
in the lower 60s.
Friday night, mostly cloudy with slight
chance of rain showers. Lows in the upper
30s.
Across Kansas
HAVANA (AP) — Brushing off
decades of distrust, President
Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro shook hands
Monday in Havana’s Palace of
the Revolution, a remarkable
moment for two countries working to put the bitterness of their
Cold War-era enmity behind
them.
Obama and Castro stood
together as a Cuban military
band played the national
anthems of Cuba and the United
States — stunning sounds in a
country where resistance to the
U.S. has been part of the national mission for decades. Greeting
each other warmly, the two leaders inspected an honor guard
before sitting down in front of
American and Cuban flags.
Whether Obama and Castro
could use the meeting, one of
the first since Cuba’s 1959 revolution and the only one in Cuba,
to further the ambitious diplomatic experiment they started
15 months ago was an open
question, infusing Obama’s historic trip to Cuba with uncertainty and tension for both
governments.
For Obama, there was no better place than Havana to show
that engagement can do more
than isolation to bring about
change on the communist
island. Yet for the Cubans, the
glaring question is whether their
own government is ready to
prove the ambitious diplomatic
opening is more than just talk.
American companies, eager
for opportunities in Cuba, were
wasting no time. Obama
announced that tech giant
Google had struck a deal to
expand Wi-Fi and broadband
Internet on the island 90 miles
south of Florida.
Outside the palace in
Havana’s sprawling Revolution
Square, Obama posed for a
photo in front of a giant sculpture of Ernesto “Che” Guevara,
creating an indelible image sure
to reverberate in Cuba and
beyond. The revolutionary
leader was once one of Fidel
Castro’s top lieutenants, his face
an iconic symbol of Cuba’s revolution that is revered by some
but reviled by others.
Paying tribute to another
Cuban independence hero,
Obama adjusted a wreath at the
foot of a 59-foot statue of Jose
Marti, calling his trip “a historic
moment.”
“It is a great honor to pay tribute to Jose Marti, who gave his
life for independence of his
homeland,” Obama wrote in the
guestbook. “His passion for liberty, freedom, and self-determination lives on in the Cuban
people today.”
The long-awaited meeting
between Obama and Castro was
one of the most scrutinized
moments of Obama’s 2 1/2-day
trip to Cuba, the first presidential visit in nearly 90 years. The
White House’s attempts to get
Castro to agree to a joint news
conference appeared unsuccessful, and it was unclear
whether they’d answer any
questions.
Obama came to Havana hoping his visit would spur Castro
to offer gestures of good faith
and meaningful change, undermining critics who accuse
Obama of kowtowing to an
authoritarian government. In
the last year-plus, Obama has
taken sweeping steps to lift
decades-old U.S. restrictions,
and American businesses have
eagerly followed suit.
Western Union became the
latest company to take advantage of Obama’s move last week
to relax financial controls,
announcing Monday that it will
start processing remittances
from non-U.S. countries into
Cuba. In the last few days, hotel
chains Starwood and Marriott
have announced plans to operate on the island, and U.S. airlines and cruise lines are poised
to begin service soon.
To the dismay of Obama and
his critics, reciprocal steps by
Justices ask judge
to dismiss Kline suit
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The seven justices of the Kansas Supreme Court are
asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports
that the lawsuit is connected to the 2013
decision to indefinitely suspend Kline’s
law license over an investigation he led
into abortion clinics.
Kline’s attorneys argue that the court
lacked the four justices necessary to
make the decision. That’s because five of
the court’s seven justices recused themselves, partially at Kline’s request. The
case then was heard by two Supreme
Court justices and five other Kansas
judges from lower courts.
At issue is whether the temporary justices’ votes should count. Kline’s attorneys say they shouldn’t; the defendants
say they should. The justices are calling
Kline’s arguments “puzzling.”
Man dies after
crash at dragway
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A hospital
spokeswoman says a man has died after a
crash at the Kansas International Dragway.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the crash
happened Sunday afternoon at the speedway in the south-central Kansas town of
Maize. The victim was transported to Via
Christi Hospital St. Francis in Wichita.
Sharon Hurley of Via Christi says the
man was in critical condition when he
arrived and died less than an hour later.
A Sedgwick County dispatcher says the
crash victim had participated in a racing
event at the speedway. The site was featuring an event called “Import Face-off.”
Easter egg hunt
goes high-tech
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — An
Easter egg hunt has gone high-tech at a
suburban Kansas City park.
The Kansas City Star reports that children used GPS devices to search for goodies Sunday in Johnson County’s Antioch
Park. The Johnson County Park & Recreation District programmed the GPS
devices, which were lent to participants in
this year’s Easter egg hunt.
So many people registered for the event
that a second round of searching was
added after the first group had spent
about an hour gathering eggs. Each child
received two eggs, filled with candy or toys,
at each of eight caches.
Visit us online at www.bladeempire.com
Scooping up eggs
Jaylin Roush scoops up eggs during the Easter Egg Hunt at the Concordia City Park
Saturday morning. (Blade photo by Deanna Kymer)
Health insurance gains
due to “Obamacare”
WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s growing evidence that most of the dramatic
gain in the number of Americans with
health care coverage is due to President Barack Obama’s law, and not the
gradual recovery of the nation’s economy.
That could pose a political risk for
Republicans running against “Obamacare” in the GOP primaries as they
shift to the general election later this
year. While the health care law remains
highly unpopular in the party, the
prospect of taking away health care
coverage from millions of people could
trigger a backlash if the eventual GOP
nominee’s plan to replace it is seen as
coming up short.
“There are different phases of the
campaign,” said GOP pollster Bill
McInturff. Playing to like-minded voters in the primaries, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump doesn’t have to
spell how he’d replace Obama’s law.
“When you get to the general election,
the demand for what you are going to
do different starts to escalate.”
Under “Obamacare,” the share of
Americans without health insurance
has dropped to a historic low of about
9 percent, with room to go even lower.
But even as the economy has expanded, major government surveys point to
a lackluster rebound for employer based coverage.
“It’s very clear that the Affordable
Care Act has done most of the work in
decreasing the number of uninsured,”
said economist Robert Kaestner of the
University of Illinois at Chicago.
Cuba have been in short supply.
Since succeeding his brother
Fidel in 2008, Castro has
orchestrated economic and
social reforms with broad-based
impact, though they appear
slow to materialize. Not only are
hundreds of thousands of
Cubans now able to pursue free
enterprise, but restrictions on
cellphones and Internet have
been eased and citizens feel
more comfortable discussing
Cuba’s problems.
Yet Castro hasn’t budged on
changing Cuba’s single-party
system or easing strict limits on
media, assembly and political
dissent. Repeatedly, his government has chided Obama for saying he wanted to empower
Cubans.
None of that has dissuaded
Obama, who insists that any
intransigence by Cuba’s government only proves why Cubans
will be better off when they’re
intimately exposed to American
values.
On his first full day in Cuba,
Obama also planned an event
with U.S. and Cuban entrepreneurs aimed at championing
Cuba’s fledgling private sector.
He was to be feted in the evening
at a state dinner, an honor illustrating just how far the U.S. and
Cuba have come despite their
deep ideological differences.
GOP has
concerns about
reaching target
for school aid
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers
assert that they may never be able to meet the
Kansas Supreme Court’s demands for fairness in
education funding and will see a chaotic budget
process every year as they reshuffle dollars among
local school districts.
The high court said last month that Kansas has
not given poor districts their fair share and schools
must shut down in July unless lawmakers fix the
problem. In response, the Senate could debate a bill
Monday looking at redistributing part of the state’s
annual aid to its 286 school districts.
Republicans debating the measure in committee
said they found it galling that the court rejected key
parts of a law enacted last year that junked the
state’s previous per-pupil distribution formula in
favor of “block grants” meant to largely freeze spending.
Predictable allocations for school districts give the
state a stable target as it struggles to balance its
budget. The court’s decision, Republicans say, pushes Kansas in the opposite direction — and potentially into new legal challenges every year.
“You would never be done with that,” said Senate
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican who wrote the plan.
The state spends more than $4 billion a year on
public schools. The Senate’s bill would redistribute
about $38 million of that money during the 2016-17
school year, cutting funding for 186 districts to
increase it for 100 others. In the House, Republicans
were so critical of a milder version that a committee
chairman dropped it.
The Dodge City, Hutchinson, Wichita and Kansas
City, Kansas, districts have pursued the fair-funding
lawsuit since 2010. Their attorneys believe legislators need to provide another $163 million to schools
to meet the court’s demands — and have asked the
justices to say so immediately.
Democratic legislators and school superintendents have argued that Kansas would fulfill its constitutional duty to finance a suitable education for every
child if lawmakers would cough up more money.
“I also don’t think a ‘one size fits all, forever’ solution will work,” said John Robb, a Newton attorney
representing the four districts. “It doesn’t in all
aspects of life.”
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and his allies
saw the state’s previous per-pupil formula as deeply
flawed, but many educators liked how it automatically adjusted a district’s aid if it gained students or
special needs increased.
Local school districts impose their own property
taxes to supplement their state funds, and under the
previous formula, the state gave extra money to poor
districts so that they could keep up with their wealthier cousins. The school funding law enacted last year
folded those extra dollars into the districts’ grants,
which were largely frozen between 2015-16 and
2016-17.
Insure with Alliance Insurance Group
2 Blade-Empire, Monday, March 21, 2016
OPINION
DOONESBURY® by G.B. Trudeau
Concordia Blade-Empire
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By George Meyer
Jacqueline Bigar’s Stars
By Jacqueline Bigar
Today in History
50 years ago
March 21, 1966—Walter
Eugene Crayton of Concordia and Sandra Rehnert of
Kinsley announced their
Feb. 2 wedding, which took
place at Danforth Chapel
on the K-State campus in
Manhattan . . . Breaking
ground for Cloud County
Community Junior College in Concordia were Sen.
Frank Carlson, Gov. William H. Avery, college board
members George Ganstrom
and Bill Larson and junior
college student senate president Craig Saindon.
25 years ago
March 21, 1991—Finishing second in the Youth
Basketball League Tournament for teams made up
of third and fourth graders was V.C. Motors. Team
members were Kiley Aggson, Erikka Breault, Julie Christensen, Katie Eubanks, LaRae Naylor, Lori
Peltier, Jessica Jensen,
DeAnn Bergstrom, Natalie Wellendorf and Kristina
Kile. . . . Serving on the set,
lights and painting crew for
the Concordia High School
Drama Department’s presentation of “Voices from
High School” were Colleen
Brunkow, Vicki Charbonneau,
Vince
Charbonneau, Jon Detrixhe, Chad
Dougherty, Jennifer Dutton, Brandt Hutchinson,
Gabe Lloyd, Eve Lloyd,
Brandy
Longsine,
Melissa Miller, Rachel Mills,
Amanda Moon, Kari Morrissette, Brian Nelson, Marsha
Schmitt, Rich Smith, Shayla Tatro, Bridget Tate, Carl
Waggoner, Chris Wagner
and the cast.
SUDOKU
Sudoku is a number-placing
puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with
several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9
in the empty squares so that each
row, each column and each 3x3
box contain the same number
only once. The difficulty level of
the Conceptis Sudoku increases
from Monday to Friday.
10 years ago
March 21, 2006—Snow
had fallen in Concordia and
was expected to continue
falling through the night.
Eight inches had fallen in
western Kansas, closing a
portion of Interstate 70. . .
. Several laptop computers
were reported stolen during
a break in at the Concordia
Middle School.
5 years ago
March 21, 2011—Cloud
County board of commissioners approved appointing Mrs. Tejal Patel to serve
on the Cloud County Tourism Committee. She represented Rodeway Inn and
filled the unexpired term
ending Dec. 31 created
by the resignation of Pat
Lynch who had represented
Cottage on the River which
was no longer operating as
a bed and breakfast . . .
National Guard Pfc. Robert
D. Kearn Jr., of Concordia,
had graduated from Basic
Combat Training at Fort
Sill, Lawton, Okla.
1 year ago
March 21, 2015—During the 2015 Match Madness conducted by the
Community Foundation for
Cloud County 24 of the participating 28 funds received
endowed gifts totaling more
than $24,900 which were
matched by $20,000 from
the CFCC for a total of more
than $44,850 being added
to their respective fund balances . . . Kacey and Michael Roe, Concordia, announced the birth of their
identical twin sons, Collin
Jeffery and Witten Michael,
born Jan. 27, 2015.
A baby born today has a
Sun in Pisces and a Moon in
Virgo.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY for
Monday, March 21, 2016:
This year you often see
both sides of an issue. Juggling different concerns also
might preoccupy you. Don’t
push yourself too hard, and
stay focused on daily matters. The more present you
are in what you are doing,
the happier you will be. If
you are single, be cautious.
Someone you meet could be
much different from how he
or she seems. Get to know
a potential sweetie well. If
you are attached, the two of
you flourish the more you
take time away from the
humdrum of your daily life
together. VIRGO has the potential for grumpiness.
The Stars Show the
Kind of Day You’ll Have:
5-Dynamic;
4-Positive;
3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult
ARIES (March 21-April
19)
* * * You like to keep an
open mind, but you might
want to avoid a person who
often takes you on a wild
goose chase. This individual
is close to you, which could
make you feel obligated
to listen to what he or she
has to share. Tonight: Know
when to let yourself do what
you want.
TAURUS (April 20-May
20)
* * * * * Your ideals remain high, but make sure
a friend is not padding an
achievement just to make
it more acceptable for your
standards. You might want
to slow down some and visit
a friend. A discussion could
arise that highlights your
desires. Tonight: Let your
hair down.
GEMINI (May 21-June
20)
* * * * You might be smiling, but you could feel constricted on some level. The
pull between your personal
and professional life could
need an evaluation. Where
do you feel the tension most?
What do you feel is expected
of you? Tonight: Open up a
conversation. Share more.
CANCER (June 21-July
22)
* * * * * You often share
your thoughts, but what
many people don’t seem to
get is that you also are likely to change your opinion.
With you, nothing is really
written in stone. Opportunities come up that could
affect you and your community. Be open. Tonight: All
eyes turn to you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
* * * You might feel someone else’s energy and decide
to join him or her. Avoid taking any risks that could negatively affect your finances.
Recognize your limitations,
but also be willing to revitalize your schedule and make
it more workable. Tonight:
Do some spring shopping.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
* * * * You might not realize how alluring you are to
another person. What you
feel is a direct reflection of
your own judgment about
yourself. You don’t always
have the control you might
desire. Tonight: Help someone else to feel less shy. You
know how; you have been
there.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
* * * * You might feel challenged. Stress from recent
events seems to be taking its
toll. A friend could open up.
You might be surprised by
what you hear. Your emotions are likely to overwhelm
you, but you’ll choose to
keep them to yourself. Tonight: Take some personal
time.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov.
21)
* * * * Others would fret
if they found themselves in
the same circumstances as
you. Your creativity and resilience mark your choices.
Once more, these qualities
emerge to create smooth
sailing in rough waters. Tonight: Speak in different
terms to someone who does
not “get it.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21)
* * * You could feel pressured by someone you look
up to. You can’t always
evoke the response you desire. Recognize that you
might not be getting the
whole story from someone
you care about. Try being
a little more of a cynic. Tonight: Listen to a loved one’s
imaginative ideas.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
* * * * * Reach out to
someone at a distance. You
seem to be quite tired, but
you’re full of questions.
Talk to someone who knows
more about this particular topic than you do. You
might want to touch base
with a friend who has similar knowledge. Tonight: Detach from your day.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18)
* * * * Someone you would
prefer to have a closer association with will reach out to
you. You won’t need to say
a lot; just do a good job of
listening. Asking questions
might be more important
than you realize. Tonight:
With a favorite person at a
favorite place.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20)
* * * *You might not see
eye to eye with someone,
but you still will need to
make peace with him or her.
Look at what is alike in your
thinking. Give this person
the benefit of the doubt.
Think before you hand out
any cash. Tonight: Say “yes”
to an invitation only if you
like it.
BORN TODAY
Comedian
Rosie
O’Donnell (1962), football
player Adrian Peterson
(1985), painter Hans Hofmann (1880)
***
Jacqueline Bigar is on
the Internet at www.jacquelinebigar.com.
(c) 2016 by King Features
Syndicate Inc.
***
When nature made the bluebird, she wished to propitiate both
the sky and the earth, so she gave him the color of one on his
back and the hue of the other on his breast.
—John Burroughs
***
Thank You for Reading the Blade-Empire
New York millionaires
ask for higher taxes
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – A
group of more than 40 millionaires in New York state
has written to Democratic
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and top
lawmakers calling on them to
consider raising taxes on the
state’s wealthiest residents
to help address poverty and
rebuild failing infrastructure.
The letter, a copy of which
was given to The Associated
Press, proposes new, higher
tax rates for the top 1 percent
of earners.
The letter goes on to say
additional revenue is needed to address child poverty,
homelessness and aging
bridges, tunnels, waterlines
and roads.
“As New Yorkers who have
contributed to and benefited
from the economic vibrancy
of our state, we have both the
ability and the responsibility to pay our fair share,” the
letter states. “We can well afford to pay our current taxes,
and we can afford to pay even
more.”
Those signing the letter
include Abigail Disney, Leo
Hindery and Steven C. Rockefeller. The tax plan, known
as the “one-percent tax plan,”
was worked out in conjunction with the Fiscal Policy
Institute, a left-leaning economic think tank.
“As a businessman and
philanthropist and as a citi-
zen of New York State, I believe we need to invest in our
people and our infrastructure,” Hindery, the managing partner of InterMedia
Partners, a media industry
private equity fund, said in
a statement accompanying
the letter. “The one-percent
tax plan makes it possible to
make these investments, and
simply asks people like me to
continue to pay a higher tax
rate, as we should.”
Their proposal faces significant political obstacles in
the state Legislature. While
the Democratic majority in
the Assembly has its own
plan to increase taxes on
millionaires, the Republicanled Senate opposes the idea.
Lawmakers are now negotiating the details of the state
budget and hope to have a
deal in place by April 1.
An existing, lower tax on
millionaires is set to expire
next year.
“Whether it’s income taxes, property taxes, business
taxes, user fees, or tolls, we
don’t support raising taxes
or asking hard-working New
Yorkers to dig deeper into
their pockets to pay more,”
Senate Leader John Flanagan, a Long Island Republican, said last month after Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie,
a Democrat, released his millionaire tax plan.
PEOPLE
Annie’s
Mailbox
by Kathy Mitchell and
Marcy Sugar
Dear Annie: I have been
dating "Brad" for three years.
We currently date long-distance, but the relationship
is fine. He is loving and kind
toward me and everyone in
our lives. When he proposed,
I said yes immediately. But
what is supposed to be an exciting time in my life is now
marred by his ex-girlfriend,
"Marsha."
I knew Marsha when she
and Brad dated 10 years ago.
For some reason, she disliked
me, even treating me rudely
when she and Brad were invited to parties at my place
with my then-boyfriend. Brad
confided that Marsha didn't
like any of the women he
was friends with, saying they
were "petty."
Marsha is now married,
but she and Brad have remained friends. The three of
them have even vacationed
together. I've never objected
to their friendship, but I've
also never found a reason
to befriend her, nor has she
reached out to me.
Brad has reiterated Marsha's old accusation of my
being "petty" because I am resistant to initiating a friendship. He says that Marsha
doesn't remember how rudely she treated me and insists
she be invited to our wedding. I disagree. I envision
my wedding filled with people
who love me. Since I'm paying for half, I should have a
say about the guest list. Brad
even told me to get counseling in order to find the "real
reason" I dislike her. He intimated that I had deep-seated
problems and that Marsha
was the innocent party.
I'm beginning to think
wedding bells are not on our
horizon. Please help. — To
Wed or Not to Wed
Dear Wed: There are several things going on here. If
you are splitting the costs
of the wedding, Brad gets to
invite Marsha and her husband. You were wrong to
turn that into an ultimatum.
It made you seem ungenerous and forced Brad to defend his ex. The way Marsha
behaved 10 years ago is old
news. She was probably jealous of any women around
Brad. You need to stop holding that grudge. People can
change, and you won't know
if you exclude her. But we
also wonder why Brad is so
attached to Marsha and demands that you make friends
with her. There is no reason
for that except that he anticipates including Marsha
and her husband in your social life on an ongoing basis.
Frankly, if this argument is
enough for you to stop the
wedding, we think it might
be for the best.
Dear Annie: I appreciated
your answer to "Confused
and Torn" about her dog. I
have loved and cherished a
number of animals in my life.
It is always hard to let them
go, so I ask myself, "Am I prolonging her life or prolonging
her death?" And, "Am I keeping her alive for myself or for
her?"
The way I see it, the animal
does not understand why it
suffers. I will clearly understand the loss and take that
pain upon myself to keep the
animal from suffering more.
It is simply the price to pay
for all the love and companionship the animal has given
me over the years, and is
the last and most important
thing we can do. — S.
Dear S.: Thank you for
taking a different perspective
on such a difficult time.
Senior Citizens Menu
Tuesday, March 22—Pork
cutlets, au gratin potatoes,
yellow squash, cake.
Wednesday, March 23—
Southern fried chicken, potato salad, beets, fruit; 10
a.m.—Exercise.
Thursday, March 24—
Meat loaf, baked potatoes,
sour cream, green beans,
Jell-O® with fruit.
Friday, March 25—Good
Friday–Tuna casserole, broccoli, fruit and cookies; alt.,
chicken strips; 10 a.m.—Exercise; progressive cards.
Enjoying the ride
Card shower
Jean Taylor
turning 80
Florence “Jean” Taylor
will celebrate her 80th birthday on April 7. Her family wish to honor her with
a card shower to mark the
occasion. Please mail cards
to 700 Cloud Street, Apt. 4.,
Concordia, KS 66901.
Sherwin-Williams
buying rival Valspar
WASHINGTON (AP) –
Sherwin-Williams,
which
has long claimed to “cover
the Earth” with its paints,
is buying rival Valspar for
about $9 billion in a move
that it says will expand its
reach in Asia and Europe.
Sherwin-Williams
said
Sunday that it is paying
$113 a share in cash, a 35
percent premium to the
closing price of Valspar’s
stock Friday. It valued the
deal at $11.3 billion including the assumption of about
$2 billion in Valspar debt.
The combined company
would employ 58,000 people and would have had
revenue of $15.6 billion last
year.
John Morikis, president
and CEO of Sherwin-Williams Co., said the deal will
enable the companies to
save $280 million annually
within two years by cutting
administrative
expenses
and raw-material costs. The
savings should reach $320
million in the long-run, he
said.
Last year, just 16 percent
of Sherwin-Williams’ sales
were from outside the U.S.
The Valspar purchase would
push that figure to 24 percent, the company said in a
presentation to investors.
Valspar also sells coatings to packaging companies, and to manufacturers
of industrial appliances and
heating and air conditioning
equipment.
Sherwin-Williams
will
remain headquartered in
Cleveland, but said the
combined companies will
maintain a “significant presence” in Minneapolis, where
Valspar Corp. is based.
Sherwin-Williams manufacturers and sells paints
and coatings under its own
name and brand names
such as Minwax, Dutch
Boy and Thompson’s Water
Seal. It operates more than
4,100 of its own stores and
sells in big home-improvement chains like Lowe’s and
Home Depot.
Morikis was just named
Sherwin-Williams’ CEO in
October, but has been with
the company since 1984.
The company has had fewer
than 10 CEOs since it was
founded in 1866.
Valspar,
which
was
founded in 1806, makes
primers, stains and varnishes that it sells directly
to manufacturers of appliances, construction equipment, furniture and other
goods. It also sells auto
paints under the De Beer
and Matrix brands.
Sherwin-Williams
said
it is borrowing funds from
Citigroup Global Markets to
help finance the deal.
The acquisition is subject
to antitrust review and is
expected to close by the end
of the first quarter in 2017.
The government sometimes
requires companies to sell
parts of their businesses as
Northwest Missouri
preps for 2017 eclipse
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) –
The “Great American Eclipse”
– a total eclipse of the sun – is
expected to draw thousands
of people to northwest Missouri when it darkens the
skies in August 2017.
Experts say the path of the
eclipse will give St. Joseph the
best view in the state, going
dark for more than 2 minutes.
Eclipse enthusiasts are
already making plans. Isobel
McGowan, owner of Shakespeare Chateau Inn & Gardens in St. Joseph, said her
bed and breakfast is already
sold out for Sunday, Aug. 20
and Monday, Aug. 21, with
one caller coming from Spain,
The Kansas City Star reported.
“The eclipse community
has been salivating over this
one for 20 years,” said Dan
McGlaun of Indiana, who
runs the eclipse2017.org
website. “You don’t have to
go to Mongolia. And if you
live in Kansas City (especially
north of the Missouri River)
you could potentially watch
it in your jammies from your
deck.”
The last time the Kansas
City area saw a total eclipse
this close was in 1806 and
Don Stolzenburg drives the train full of happy egg hunters at Saturday’s Easter Egg Hunt in
Concordia City Park. The event was organized by the Concordia Wesleyan Church. (Blade
photo by Deanna Kymer)
the next time will be 2205.
The “path of totality” will
clip northeast Kansas and
cut across Missouri, bisecting
both Kansas City and the St.
Louis area. During the eclipse,
St. Joseph will go dark for 2
minutes and 38 seconds, one
of the longest times in the nation. Nearby Plattsburg, Lathrop and Lawson will get 8 seconds less. The longest viewing
time in the country is 2 minutes, 41 seconds, just south
of Carbondale, Illinois.
Most of the Kansas City
area will see a 99.9 percent
eclipse, while Johnson County, Kansas, will get a 99.4 percent eclipse.
In 2012, more than 50,000
people visited Queensland,
Australia, to see an eclipse.
“A lot of people are going to
stay in Kansas City and drive
up to St. Joe,” said Michael
Bakich, senior editor and
photo editor of Astronomy
Magazine. “It’s a terrific economic opportunity for Kansas
City.”
Bakich, who ran the planetarium at the Kansas City
Museum from 1989 to 1997
and now lives in Milwaukee,
is already organizing a free
eclipse watch party at St.
Joe’s Rosecrans Memorial
Airport and has people coming from Florida, Texas, Arizona and Wisconsin.
“The (middle of the) path
runs right across the approach end of our runway,”
airport general manager Abe
Forney said. “If you’re into astronomy, this is the spot.”
Beth Conway, a spokeswoman for the St. Joseph
Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the city will have
other watch sites.
___
Blade-Empire, Monday, March 21, 2016 3
Extension Extra
Deanna Turner, DEA
River Valley Extension District
Keys to Embracing Aging
The golden years are embraced by some people as they
age. Other people remark that they are golden to take away
their money to pay for medical expenses. The way in which
you take care of yourself through the years, both physically
and mentally, affects the natural process of aging.
No one knows this better than centenarians, people who
are 100 years old and older. Studies demonstrate that life
does not diminish with aging. In fact, 100-year-olds show
how the acceptance of aging can be positive, joyful, and
exciting. They demonstrate that aging brings new experiences, knowledge, wisdom, and a greater ability to engineer
a positive approach to the aging process. Many centenarians contribute their longevity to the following keys.
Positive Attitude- A cheerful attitude affects overall
happiness, health, and well-being. A positive attitude can
also help you better manage life’s transitions and challenges.
Eating Smart and Healthy- Eating right can help prevent illness and chronic disease. It can also provide you
with more energy so you can be alert and a better decisionmaker. Eating healthy includes a well-balance diet and a
healthy relationship with food.
Physical Activity- Regular exercise is associated with
decreased death and disability from diseases such as heart
disease, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer. It is also associated with positive psychological benefits, such as improved
quality of life. The most important thing to remember about
exercise is to do it. Make exercise a habit. Contact one of
the District Extension Office today to join the Walk Kansas
program that runs April 3rd through May 28th.
Brain Activity- A healthy brain is crucial to survival,
growth, and everyday successes. Similar to the rest of the
body, the brain needs exercise and maintenance to optimize
and protect its current and future health. In particular, the
brain needs socialization, mental stimulation, physical activity, nutrition, and sleep.
Social Activity- Engaged people are often healthier,
happier, less depressed, and demonstrate enhanced brain
vitality. Being active improves your academic performance,
inspires a positive attitude, enhances self-esteem, connects
you to family and friends, and reduces risk of disease.
Tuning Into the Times- Staying in tune to the times
throughout life promotes lifelong learning, which increases
knowledge, problem-solving skills, and decision-making.
You may not know how to operate technology but be aware
of the latest technology and keep up with the news.
Safety- Practicing safety is important because it helps
keep you out of harm’s way.
Know Your Health Numbers- Certain numbers associated with cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood
sugar, body mass index, and waist circumference can save
and extend your life.
Stress Management- Appropriate stress is healthy and
useful, but when stress overwhelms you, it can cause anxiety, tension, irritability, and health problems. Learning
what causes stress and how to manage it in positive ways
helps you cope and live a more balanced, healthy life.
Financial Affairs- Good financial management is important whether you earn minimum wage or are a millionaire.
Sleep- Your body needs sleep to repair muscles, consolidate memories, and regulate hormones and appetite. It has
a major impact on your overall health and quality of life.
Taking Time for You- Spend some time by yourself
even for just 10 minutes a day. It makes you a better family member, friend, co-worker, or caregiver and is good for
your mind and body. No magic potion has been discovered
to stop the aging process. It is important to take care of
your body, mind, and spirit throughout your whole life. Enjoy each day. Follow these keys and other healthy practices
for successful aging.
Thank You for Reading the Blade-Empire
4 Blade-Empire, Monday, March 21, 2016
ONE PLACE HAS IT ALL
THE CLASSIFIEDS
For Rent
FOR RENT- House, newly decorated,
CA, taking applications. 785-827-2333.
*$$AVING$! Up to 2
Month$ FREE RENT!
2 BR APTS.
Near schools & town, roomy
& warm! All electric, Hi-Eff &
Kuddly! “Small” pets and kids
welcomed. Call Frances or
Trent and say “Awesome
‘Possum”. Office 785-8185028 or cell 785-614-1078.
FOR RENT
Large spacious
1 & 2 bedroom
apartments
on-site laundry facilities,
water and trash paid.
Available now.
MD Properties
785-534-2070
FOR RENT-Storage spaces, various
sizes, reasonable, locally owned.
785-243-4105.
Help Wanted
THE BLADE-EMPIRE
Has Immediate Opening for
FULL TIME
RECEPTIONIST/
CLERK POSITION
Must possess good people
and computer skills, be able to
multi-task and communicate
effectively. Some knowledge
of accounting/accounts
receivable/accounts payable
a plus. Competitive salary
and benefits offered. EOE.
Send resume to:
Blade-Empire
P.O. Box 309
Concordia, KS 66901
CNA 2p-10p
Full-time Housekeeper
We offer benefits.
Apply in person,
M-F, 8:30-4:30.
Mount Joseph Senior Village
1110 W. 11th St.
Concordia, KS. EOE
785-243-1347
Wilbur-Ellis
in Concordia, KS
is seeking a
Part-time
Seasonal Warehouse
Representative
Will also stock and retrieve
packages & bulk containers,
drive forklift & assist w/other
warehouse and general
housekeeping duties. HS
diploma or equivalent. Ability to
repetitively bend and lift boxes/
bags up to 80 lbs. Great company,
pay and benefits. Please apply
online, www.wilburellis.com
or send resume/job title/salary
requirement to ddefreece@
wilburellis.com.
READ THE BLADE-EMPIRE
ON-LINE
at
www.bladeempire.com
Full Time
Fleet Maintenance
Technician
Applicant must meet the
following criteria:
*Have a working knowledge
of Fleet Maintenance for Air
Brakes, Tire Repair, Annual
DOT Requirements
* Have own hand Tools
* Be able to Travel
* Highly Motivated
* Safety Oriented
Salary will be based off
experience. We also offer
Quarterly Attendance
bonuses, Paid Holidays,
p a i d Va c a t i o n D a y s ,
Life Insurance, AFLAC
Supplemental Insurance,
Simple IRA, Cell Phone
Allowance.
Apply in person at 301
Cedar, Concordia, KS or
call for application.
HELP WANTED
Part-time
Some weekends required,
cashiering, stocking and etc.
Pick up an application at:
Concordia Town & Country
1516 Lincoln, Concordia
Accepting Applications
for Full-time Office
Manager/Accounting
Position
Duties include: Accounts
Payable and Receivable,
general accounting and
financial statements,
executing contract
documents and assisting
with bidding projects, project
cost tracking and analysis
plus various other office
management duties. Selfstarter with attention to
detail extremely important.
Benefits include paid holiday,
vacation, health insurance
plus yearly bonus.
Send resume to:
Gerard Tank & Steel, Inc.
P.O. Box 513
Concordia, KS 66901
HELP WANTED
CNA/CMA for all Shifts
Full or part time including
every other weekend. Shift
differential, paid holidays
after probation period.
Apply in person,
Park Villa
114 S. High St., Clyde, Ks
785-446-2818
Concordia KS Post Office
now hiring a
Part-time
Rural Carrier Associate!
Pay is $16.65/hr. Please
apply at USPS.com/
employment.
Hurry! This job closes on
3/31/2016.
CDL DRIVER
Champlin Tire Recycling
Is hiring for a full time Class
A CDL Driver to operate
truck with self-loading
boom. Sign-on bonus plus
eligible for attendance/safety
bonuses. Benefits available.
Home weekends and most
evenings. Apply in person
at 301 Cedar, Concordia
or call 785-243-3345. EOE.
Sales Calendar
•Saturday, March 26, 2016– Public Auction at the 4-H
Building at the Fair Grounds in Belleville, Kansas. Unique
Items and Tools, Household and Collectibles. Republic
County Marching Buff Band Auction, Sellers. Novak
Bros. & Gieber Auction.
•Saturday, April 2, 2016– Public Auction at the farm
located 15 miles South of Concordia, Kansas on 81 Highway to Camp Road, 4 miles East to 180 Road and 1 mile
South. Tractor, Combine, Equipment, Tools, Collectibles,
and Misc. Bill Garrison, Seller. Larry Lagasse Auction.
•Monday, April 4, 2016– Land Auction at 10:00 a.m. located at the Haddam City Hall, Haddam Kansas. 240 Acres
m/l Grant Township, Washington County, Kansas. Burt
Farm & Ranch Realty, LLC, Auction.
Upcoming events
Tuesday, March 22, 7 p.m., Ada Lutheran Church,
Courtland—Andy Bishop, professional trumpet player, will
present a concert.
Sunday, April 3—Homemade chicken and noodles and
lasagna, 11:30a.m.-2 p.m., bazaar items available for purchase, First United Methodist Church, 740 W. 11th, Concordia.
Week 10
Senate Highlights
The Kansas Senate debated 36 bills this week as the
2016 Regular Session began
to wind down. Next week looks
for even more significant debate on the Senate floor as the
2016 regular session comes
to a close. The legislature as
a whole will be adjourned for
most of next month and will
come back on April 27th to
begin the wrap up session,
also known as “Veto Session.”
Senate Debate
HCR 5008-Constitutional
Right to Hunt and Fish
HCR 5008 would add the
right to hunt, fish, and trap to
the Kansas constitution. The
measure needed to receive
2/3rds majority in the Senate
and will now be sent to the
citizens of Kansas for a vote.
Voters would add the following language to the constitution:
“The people have the right
to hunt, fish, and trap, including by the use of traditional methods, subject to
laws and regulations that
promote wildlife conservation
and management and that
preserve the future of hunting and fishing. Public hunting and fishing shall be a
preferred means of managing
and controlling wildlife. This
section shall not be construed
to modify any provision of law
relating to trespass, property
rights or water resources.”
The amendment would add
a constitutional safeguard to
protect wildlife and promote
conservation. Kansas has a
rich sporting tradition that
has spanned generations.
This language will help preserve this heritage for future
Kansans and allow the state
to continue its conservation
efforts. Currently, 19 states
have passed a constitutional
amendment to protect the
right to hunt and fish. Since
the Kansas House has already approved the amendment, the measure is now
being sent to the Secretary of
State’s office for a public vote
in November 2016’s General
Election. HCR passed with a
vote of 36-0. For more information visit: http://li.kliss.
loc/li/b2015_16/measures/
hcr5008/
No GITMO detainees in
Kansas
HCR 5024 urges President
Obama to abandon his goal of
transferring detained terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to
Fort Leavenworth. The concurrent resolution notes that
both Fort Leavenworth and
the community do not possess the proper law enforcement, emergency response,
and resources to hold the detainees. In addition, the transportation of these criminals to
the Heartland puts American
citizens at risk, damages the
local economy, and presents
grave impacts toward the
state. The resolution passed
in the House with a 104-16
vote. In the Senate this week,
the resolution passed with 32
voting yea and 7 voting nay.
The resolution will now be
sent to the White House and
the Kansas congressional delegation.
Increasing Auto Insurance Liability Limit
HB 2446 amends the Kansas Automobile Injury Registrations Act to increase the
minimum motor vehicle liability insurance policy limit
for property damage from not
less than $10,000 to not less
than $25,000 for policies issued or renewed on or after
January 1, 2017. The existing
limits for bodily injury are unchanged with this legislation.
The bill passed the Senate 354.
Nursing Home Provider
Tax Sunset Extension
SB 457 increases the maximum annual amount of the
quality care assessment and
extends the sunset of the
Nursing Home Provider Tax. It
increases the current quality
care assessment from $1,950
to $4,909 per licensed bed.
This bill was introduced at the
request of the nursing home
association and is imperative
for the nursing homes to receive federal matching funds.
The bill passed the Senate 345.
Alzheimer’s
Awareness
License Plate
HB 2473 would authorize
an Alzheimer’s disease awareness license plate and authorize those with additional
types of distinctive military
license plates to purchase decals indicating the owner has
received certain military honors. The bill passed the Senate unanimously.
Education
Funding
Ways and Means Committee
The Senate Ways and
Means Committee held hearings and passed out a proposal designed to address the
Kansas Supreme Court’s most
recent school finance ruling
in Gannon v. Kansas. The legislature’s attorneys attempted
to draft a bill – SB512 - that
mirrored the details the court
put forward in their ruling.
Overall, the legislation shifts
about 1% of overall state K-12
funding. However, over 100
school districts would see a
cut in their education fund-
ing due to the redistribution.
It was noteworthy that the
Kansas Association of School
Boards and the state’s leading teachers unions did not
oppose the legislation. Thus
far, the legislative process has
shown a number of ways the
court’s remedy could negatively impact education in our
state. SB 512 is scheduled for
debate on the Senate Floor
for Monday morning. The legislation is not expected to be
approved, but public debate
could be instructive.
Pages for Session 2016 –
March 17th
Lane Martin from Glasco
served as a page for the Kansas Senate on Thursday. Lane
attended committee meetings,
took the Dome tour and ran
errands for the Senate during
session in the afternoon.
Department of Wildlife,
Parks and Tourism
A museum housing artifacts from daredevil motorcyclist Evel Knievel will find
a home in Kansas this year.
The Kansas Department of
Wildlife & Tourism, the City
of Topeka, and Visit Topeka,
Inc. made the announcement
and hosted legislators for a
sneak preview at the HarleyDavidson store at 21st and
Topeka in the capitol city.
The Evel Knievel Museum at
Historic Harley-Davidson will
be the only Evel Knievel museum in the world. The lower
level of the building currently
houses Yesterday’s Museum
where motorcycles and displays change periodically.
MUTTS® by Patrick McDonnell
ZITS® by Scott and Borgman
BABY BLUE® by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott
BARNEY GOOGLE AND SNUFFY SMITH® by John Rose
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE® by Chris Browne
Visit Topeka, Inc., expects the
new museum will be a tourism draw worth anywhere
between three and five million dollars a year. You can
find more information about
the exhibits at www.historicharley.com and signup for
their newsletter for future
announcements of the Evel
Knievel opening. The phone
number to Historic HarleyDavidson is 785-234-6174.
As always, I’ll keep you
updated on the activities of
the Senate while we continue
through the second half of the
session. I always encourage
you to stay informed of the
issues under consideration
by the Kansas Legislature.
Committee schedules, bills,
and other helpful information can be easily accessed
through the legislature’s website at www.kslegislature.org.
You are also able to ‘listen in
live’ at this website. The Senate will convene every day this
week at 10:00AM. Please do
not hesitate to contact me
with your thoughts, concerns,
and suggestions. An email is
the best at this point in the
session.
Thank you for the honor of
serving you!
Senator Elaine Bowers
Kansas State Capitol
Building
Room 223-E
300 SW 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612
elaine.bowers@senate.
ks.gov
785 296-7389
www.kslegislature.org
Blade-Empire Monday, March 21, 2016 5
Sports
Villanova advances to Sweet 16, Texas A&M rallies
NEW YORK (AP) — Upset
in the NCAA Tournament
the last couple of years, No.
2 seed Villanova and its seniors made it to the Sweet 16
for the first time since 2009
and won’t have to listen to
talk of not making it to the
second weekend.
Syracuse also silenced
some doubters, and became
one of a half-dozen ACC
teams to make it to the
round of 16.
But the best came in the
night contests. Texas A&M
roared back from 10 points
down in the last 30 seconds
to force overtime and won it
over Northern Illinois in a
second extra period. And
Wisconsin nailed a buzzerbeating 3 to survive and
advance.
A look at those moving on:
EAST REGION
Notre Dame 76,
Stephen F. Austin 75
Rex Plfueger tapped in a
miss with 1.5 seconds left
and Notre Dame survived a
valiant effort by Stephen F.
Austin to reach the Sweet 16
for the second consecutive
season.
With 17.5 seconds left,
Notre Dame grabbed an SFA
rebound down one and put it
in the hands of Demetrius
Jackson. The point guard
drove to the basket and
missed. Zach Auguste followed for the Irish (22-12)
but could not convert. The
ball slipped off the rim and
with one hand Pflueger
flipped it in for his only basket of the game.
A long heave from
Stephen F. Austin (28-6)
went wide and Notre Dame
celebrated by swarming
Pflueger.
The Irish advance to play
Wisconsin Friday.
Thomas Walkup, the hero
of Stephen F. Austin’s firstround upset of West Virginia,
scored 21.
Wisconsin 66,
Xavier 63
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Bronson Koenig hit two 3-pointers in the closing seconds,
the last of them as the
buzzer sounded, and Wisconsin edged Xavier.
The talented sharpshooter who failed to hit from
beyond the arc in a firstround win over Pittsburgh
connected from well beyond
the 3-point line to tie it at 63
with 11.7 seconds remaining.
Edmond Sumner brought
the ball up court for Xavier
(28-6), and then drove to the
basket, running over the
Badgers’ Zak Showalter and
getting called for an offensive
foul with 4.3 seconds to go.
Wisconsin (22-12) called
timeout after crossing half
court and coach Greg Gard
drew up a play for his best
outside shooter. Koenig got
the inbounds pass in front of
his own bench and buried
the fallaway shot, sending
the jubilant Badgers streaming onto the court and into
another Sweet 16.
___
SOUTH REGION
Villanova 87,
Iowa 68
Josh Hart scored 19
points and second-seeded
Villanova advanced to the
Sweet 16 for the first time
since 2009 with a rout of
Iowa.
Villanova’s senior class,
led by Ryan Arcidiacono and
Daniel Ochefu, made it to
the tournament’s second
weekend for the first time.
They were upset in the
round of 32 the last two seasons and didn’t make it that
far as freshmen.
The Wildcats (31-5) will
meet third-seeded Miami on
Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky.
There was no doubt in
this one. Villanova led 54-29
at halftime and by as many
as 34 points in the second
half. The closest Iowa (2211) got was 16 points in the
final minutes.
Maryland73,
Hawaii 60
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) —
Melo Trimble scored 24
points and grabbed eight
rebounds as Maryland beat
Hawaii.
Diamond Stone added 14
points for Maryland (27-8),
which advanced to the
round of 16 for the eighth
time in the past 22 years.
Mike Thomas had 19
points and 11 rebounds for
Hawaii (28-6), which won a
tournament game for the
first time this season.
Maryland will play Kansas
next Thursday.
After a sluggish first half
in which Maryland led 2827, the tempo picked up in
the second.
Hawaii went on a 10-4
run to take a 39-36 lead.
Then the bottom fell out.
___
MIDWEST REGION
Syracuse 75,
No. 15 M. Tenn. St. 50
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The
insufferable zone of Syracuse ground Middle Tennessee
State’s
magical
March ride to a halt, and the
Orange beat the Blue
Raiders.
Michael Gbinije poured in
23 points, Tyler Lydon added
14 and the Orange (21-13)
used a 21-2 charge midway
through the second half to
crack open a close game and
join five other ACC schools in
advancing to the third round
of the NCAA Tournament.
After teetering on the bubble a week ago, they’ll play
No. 11 seed Gonzaga on Friday in Chicago.
The Blue Raiders (25-10),
who shredded so many
brackets with their upset of
second-seeded
Michigan
State, made things tough on
Syracuse for a while. They
led early in the second half
and still trailed just 40-39
with 16:02 to go, but proceeded to make one of their
next 16 field-goal attempts.
___
WEST REGION
Oklahoma 85,
VCU 81
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —
Buddy Hield scored 19 of his
36 points in the final eight
minutes to help Oklahoma
hold off VCU.
Hield, who didn’t score for
more than 10 minutes to
start the game, made 9 of 12
shots in the second half after
going 2 for 8 in the first. The
senior guard posted at least
30 points for the 11th time
this season.
Jordan Woodard scored
17 points and Isaiah
Cousins added 15 for the
Sooners
(27-7),
who
advanced to the Sweet 16 for
the second straight year.
They will play either Northern Illinois or Texas A&M.
Melvin Johnson scored 18
of his 23 points in the second
half, JeQuan Lewis scored
22 points and Michael
Gilmore added 12 for VCU
(25-11), which was trying to
reach the Sweet 16 for the
first time since its Final Four
run in 2011.
Texas A&M 92,
No. 11 N. Iowa 88, 2 OT
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —
Alex Caruso scored 25 points
as Texas A&M overcame a
10-point deficit with less
than 30 seconds remaining
in regulation to come back
for a double-overtime victory
over Northern Iowa.
The win puts the Aggies
(28-8) in the Sweet 16 for the
scored on a base hit by
Jake Wells in the bottom of
the seventh inning, and
Cloud County trailed 6-5.
The T-Birds scored two
runs in the eighth inning
to go up 7-6.
Garden City battled
back in the ninth inning to
get the win and complete a
four-game sweep of Cloud
County.
Otto pitched two innings
in taking the loss. He gave
up three unearned runs on
two hits, struck out three
and walked three.
Brandon Mitchell started for the T -Birds and
allowed five runs on five
hits, struck out five and
walked six in three and
two-thirds innings.
Jared Winter worked
two innings and gave up
one run on two hits. He
struck out two and walked
two.
Alex Torkelson gave up
just one hit in an inning
and a third. He struck out
one.
Escamilla drove in five
runs for the T-Birds.
Grady had two hits and
scored two runs and Wells
had two hits.
Garden City hit three
home runs in a 17-4 win in
the first game of the twin-
bill.
The Broncbusters went
13 batters to the plate, and
scored nine runs in the top
of the first inning.
Brooks Benson hit a
grand slam home run in
the inning.
A solo home run by
Patrick Mixon in the top of
the second inning gave the
Broncbusters a 10-0 cushion.
Cloud County scored
three runs in the bottom of
the second.
Garden City added one
run in the fifth inning and
six in the top of the sixth.
The T -Birds scored a
run in the bottom of the
sixth.
Nick Wordekemper gave
up 10 runs on six hits,
struck out five and walked
six in four innings in suffering the loss.
Aaron
Starnes
and
David Johns pitched in
relief.
Herrera and Grady had
two hits each for the T Birds.
Garden City defeated
Cloud County 11-3 and
13-1 on Saturday.
The Broncbusters led 40 through two innings in
the first game.
Grady doubled home
third time in school history,
the first since 2007.
Danuel House scored all
22 of his points in the second
half and overtime, while
Jalen Jones finished with 16
for Texas A&M — which has
now won 10 of its last 11
games.
Jeremy
Morgan
had
career highs of 36 points and
12 rebounds to lead the Panthers (23-13), who led 69-59
in the final minute of regulation before committing four
turnovers in the final 29 seconds to spark the Aggies
comeback.
Oregon 69,
Saint Joseph’s 64
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) —
Dillon Brooks scored 25
points to leading Oregon over
Saint Joseph’s in the second
round of the West Regional.
Oregon (29-6) was carrying the banner for the rest of
the Pac-12 after the conference posted a collective dud
on the opening weekend.
Five teams were sent home
in the first round and Utah
was routed by 11th-seeded
Gonzaga in the round of 32,
leaving the Ducks as the lone
conference representative.
And they were tested by
the Hawks, rallying from
down 58-51 in the final five
minutes to advance to the
Sweet 16 for the first time
since 2013. Brooks started
the rally with a driving threepoint play and put Oregon in
front for good on a 3-pointer
with 1:19 remaining.
Cope leads CCCC Busters sweep series from T-Birds
to win over Allen
Bayleigh Cope tossed a
four-hitter and drove in four
runs to lead the Cloud County
Community College softballteam to a 6-1 win over Allen
County Community College in
the second game of a Jayhawk
Conference Eastern Division
doubleheader it hosted on
Saturday.
Cloud County suffered a
narrow 5-4 loss to Allen in the
first game of the twinbill.
Cope gave up just one run
on four hits in seven innings
in game two. She struck out
two and walked one as the
Thunderbirds snapped an
eight game losing streak.
Allen took a 1-0 lead in the
top of the first inning.
Cloud County answered
with two runs in the bottom of
the first, and would not trail
again.
Cope and Bailee Larson
singled home runs in the
inning.
The T-Birds were clinging
to the one-run advantage
when Cope homered with Larson and Leslie Schuetz aboard
in the bottom of the fifth
inning to make it 5-1.
Lauryn Catron tripled to
drive in Samantha Shafer in
the sixth inning to give Cloud
County a 6-1 cushion.
Larson had two hits and
scored two runs for the TBirds.
Schuetz scored two runs.
Cloud County got out to a
4-0 lead on Allen in the second
inning in game one.Lexi
Duhrkop led off the inning
with a home run.
Alison Rassette had a tworun double in the inning.
Allen County picked up one
run in the third inning.
The Red Devils tied the
game with three runs in the
top of the fifth inning.The
game was still knotted at 4-4
through seven innings.
Allen County scored a run
on two singles and an error in
the top of the eighth inning,
and led 5-4.
Cloud County had two runners aboard with two out in
the bottom of the eighth when
a ground ball ended the game.
Duhrkop pitched all eight
innings in taking the loss. She
gave up five runs, three
earned, on nine hits, struck
out five and walked one.
Larson had three hits for
the T-Birds.
Duhrkop and Jaycee Worrell had two hits each and
Rassette drove in two runs.
Cloud County suffered a
pair of conference losses to
Neosho County Community
College on Friday.
The T-Birds fell 5-4 in 11
innings in game one and 8-4
in game two.
Game one was tied at 1-1
through nine innings.
Neosho County put up
three runs in the top of the
10th inning.
Cloud County responded
with three runs in the bottom
of the 10th to tie it at 4-4.
A run in the top of the 11th
inning gave the Panthers a 54 advantage.
The T-Birds were retired in
order in the bottom of the
11th.
Duhrkop allowed four
runs, one earned, on eight hits
in 11 innings in taking the
loss. She struck out four and
walked four.
Worrell had four hits in the
game for Cloud County.
Neosho County jumped out
to a 4-0 lead in the first inning
in game one.
Taylor Bolden hit a two-run
home run in the inning.
Cloud County made it 4-1
with a run in the second
inning.
Cope homered in the third
inning, and the T-Birds trailed
4-2.
The Panthers upped the
lead to 6-2 with two runs in
the top of the fifth inning.
Worrell doubled and scored
on a single by Schuetz in the
bottom of the fifth to make it
5-3.
Neosho County added two
runs in the top of the seventh
inning to go up 8-3.
Schuetz singled home
Shafer in the bottom of the
seventh.
Cope allowed eight runs on
14 hits in seven innings, and
suffered the loss. She struck
out six and walked two.
Schuetz had two hits and
drove in two runs.
Garden City scored
three runs in the top of the
ninth inning to rally past
the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds
in the second game of a
Jayhawk Conference Western Division doubleheader
Sunday at the Concordia
Sports Complex.
Cloud County took a 7-6
lead into the final inning.
Cole Otto retired the
first two batters he faced in
the inning.
Garden City then used
an error, a single, a walk
and a double to score three
runs to take a 9-7 lead.
Cloud County loaded
the bases with two out in
the bottom of the ninth,
but a ground ball ended
the game.
The T -Birds trailed 1-0
heading into the bottom of
the first inning.
Bryce Lievens, Alixon
Herrera and Jacob Grady
singled to lead the bases.
Emilio Escamilla hit a
grand slam home run to
make it 4-1.
Garden City reclaimed
the lead at 5-4 with four
runs in the fourth inning.
A run in the top of the
sixth inning gave the Broncbusters a 6-4 advantage.
Riley Baker singled and
two runs as the T -Birds
put up three runs in the
bottom of the third inning.
Garden City picked up
one run in the fourth
inning, four in the fifth and
two in the sixth to make it
11-3.
John Badgett took the
loss. He allowed five runs,
four earned, on four hits,
struck out four and walked
seven in four innings.
Kasey Biddle, Torkelson
and Chris Langin pitched
in relief.
Garden City got out to a
4-0 lead in the second
game of the twinbill.
Sherwin Salim singled
and scored on a double by
Wells in the bottom of the
third inning, and Cloud
County trailed 4-1.
The
Broncbusters
tacked on four runs in the
fourth inning, two in the
sixth and three in the
ninth.
Cloud County was shut
out over the final six
innings.
John Stiger took the
loss. He gave up seven
runs, four earned, on five
hits in three innings. He
struck out three and
walked six.
Bryce Girdner and JW
Maldaner worked in relief.
Holmes scores 18 in 111-98 NCK victory
SMITH CENTER — Concordia High School senior
Cooper Holmes scored 18
points to help the North Central Kansas team defeat the
Mid-Continent League team
111-98 in the Sunflower
Shootout all-star basketball
game Saturday night at
Smith Center High School.
The North Central Kansas
team led the game 56-40 at
halftime.
Tyler Popelka, Republic
County, led the North Central
Kansas team with 19 points.
Colson Reames, Beloit,
and Kyle McGatlin, Washington County, scored 15 points
each.
Noah Nelson, Decatur
Community finished with 12
points and Regan Kats,
Logan, added 11 points.
Gavin Overmiller, Smith
Center, paced the Mid-Continent League team with 22
points.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) —
South Carolina’s Tiffany
Mitchell found the perfect
way to say goodbye to the
huge crowd at Colonial
Life Arena — with one last
stellar showing in the
NCAA Tournament.
Mitchell scored 16 of
her 20 points in the first
two quarters to help the
top-seeded
Gamecocks
breeze past No. 9 seed
Kansas State 73-47 on
Sunday night and reach
the Sweet 16 for the fourth
time in the past five seasons.
Mitchell, a former twotime Southeastern Conference player of the year,
powered South Carolina
when this season’s league
player of the year in A’ja
Wilson, picked up two
fouls and left the court
less than two minutes in.
“Our post players are a big
part of what we do so when
one goes out, we’ve got to
pick it up on the defensive
end so we can create some
offense,” Mitchell said.
That’s exactly what
Mitchell did.
She stepped in front of a
Kansas State pass for a
breakaway layup moments
after Wilson went to the
bench — and it seemed
like the whole fan base of
10,048 exhaled and began
to cheer once more.
When Kansas State (1913) tied things at 7-all,
Mitchell slipped through
three defenders, hit a
layup and the following
foul shot to complete a
three-point play and put
South Carolina (33-1) in
front to stay.
Top-seeded Gamecocks breeze past K-State
6 Blade-Empire, Monday, March 21, 2016
Obituaries
HARRIETT L. HUBER
Harriett L. Huber, age
87, of Concordia, Kan., died
Saturday, March 19, 2016,
at Park Villa Nursing Home,
Clyde, Kan. She was born
Jan. 21, 1929, to Ray and
Vera (Montgomery) Simmons at Linn, Kan.
Harriett married Lyle
Huber on Sept. 1, 1949.
She was a Registered Nurse
at St. Joseph Hospital for
many years. She enjoyed
going to the grandchildren’s
sports activities and school
programs. Her pastimes
were tatting, quilting, fishing, playing bingo and going
to auctions. Harriett was a
member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the VFW
Auxiliary.
She is survived by four
children: Chris (Jim) Workman of Concordia, Kan.,
Michael (Christine) Huber
of Sachse, Texas, Theresa
(Mark) Gram of Clyde, Kan.;
and Jeff (Becky) Huber
of Concordia, Kan.; three
brothers: Larry of Elbert,
Colo., Norman of Noblesville, Ind., Danny of Kokomo, Ind.; one sister, Diana
Roberts of Brownsburg,
Ind.; eight grandchildren;
12 great-grandchildren; two
great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in
death by her husband Lyle
Aug. 27, 2000; her parents; two brothers, Bob and
Deurwent; and two sisters,
Maureen and Dewey.
Following cremation, memorial services will be at 10
a.m., Thursday, March 24,
2016, at Nutter Mortuary
Chapel. Casual dress preferred. Inurnment at Pleasant Hill Cemetery will follow
the service.
Visitation will be from
2-8 p.m., Tuesday, March
22, at Nutter Mortuary
Chapel. The family will
receive friends from 6-8
p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to
Park Villa Nursing Home or
Meadowlark Hospice.
Nutter Mortuary, 116
E. 6th, Concordia, Kan., is
in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences, please
visit
[email protected].
Cruz laps Kasich
in fundraising
WASHINGTON (AP) – John
Kasich, Ted Cruz and Donald
Trump, the final three Republican candidates running
for president, began this
month with drastically different campaign fortunes, new
fundraising reports show.
In one month, Cruz raised
what Kasich has collected
over the entire course of his
longshot bid. Trump, a billionaire, has raised relatively little money as he “selffunds” his effort.
On the Democratic side,
Bernie Sanders outraised
Hillary Clinton for the second month in a row. But the
Vermont senator still started
March with about half as
much cash on hand as the
former secretary of state.
The presidential candidates – current and former
– must file their February
campaign finance reports to
the Federal Election Commission on Sunday, as they
look ahead to the next series
of nominating contests – in
Arizona, Idaho and Utah on
Tuesday.
What we’ve learned on the
money front:
___
KASICH MONEY
for winning the nomination
outright.
Both
candidates
also
benefit from outside groups
known as super PACs. Several of Cruz’s boosters reported beginning March with
a collective $10 million left to
spend. Add to that another
donor-led super PAC funded
by a $10 million contribution
that remained mostly intact.
Kasich’s super PAC, New
Day for America, reported
raising $3.2 million in February and ended the month
with $2.5 million cash on
hand.
___
TRUMP DIGGING DEEPER
INTO HIS POCKETS
The billionaire businessman loaned himself another
$6.9 million, bringing the
total amount he’s loaned
to himself to $24.4 million.
Trump’s campaign manager
has said the candidate has
no intention of trying to recoup the money he loans
himself.
And while Trump continues to boast about self-funding his campaign, he collected about $2 million in new
contributions in February,
bringing his total raised this
STRUGGLES
cycle to $9.5 million.
Kasich, the Ohio governor,
He continues to spend big
had about $1.3 million in on private airfare, including
available campaign cash as more than $640,000 to his
this month began.
own airline. And he spent
That’s far less than the $8 $3.5 million on placed memillion in cash that Cruz’s dia, including Twitter and
campaign had on hand as of Facebook ads.
the last day of February, al___
though millions of those dolTRUMP FIGHTERS
lars are under lock until the
Three billionaires supplied
general election.
more than 80 percent of the
Cruz, a Texas senator, cash last month for a super
continued to lap Kasich in political action committee
fundraising. His $12 million dedicated to derailing Donald
in February roughly equals Trump. The group is called
Kasich’s entire campaign Our Principles.
haul, dating to last summer.
February fundraising reKasich’s home-state win ports show the Ricketts famlast week convinced him to ily – who own the Chicago
stay in the race in the hope Cubs and whose patriarch
of emerging as a “consen- founded TD Ameritrade –
sus candidate” during a gave another $2 million last
contested convention this month, adding to their earlier
summer. That could be trig- $3 million investment. Paul
gered if Trump does not win Singer, a New York hedgeenough delegates in the re- fund billionaire who backed
maining primaries. Kasich Rubio, gave $1 million, and
has no mathematical path Arkansas investment bank-
Have a Great Day !
er Warren Stephens also
chipped in $1 million.
The group has reported
raising $7.8 million since its
inception. FEC documents
show the group has spent
at least $16 million attacking Trump – so far with little
impact. The gap between reported income and expenditures means the majority of
the donations to Our Principles arrived this month.
Those donors will be disclosed next month.
Easter bunny has been Weather
involved in mall brawl
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) –
The Easter bunny has been
involved in a mall brawl.
A mall Easter bunny and
a father got into a scuffle
Sunday after the man’s child
slipped from a chair while
getting her photo taken, Jersey City police said Monday.
A video posted on Twitter
on Sunday evening shows a
chaotic scene at the Newport
Centre in Jersey City, New
Jersey, near an area set up to
take photos with the Easter
bunny.
City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill says the father
of the 1-year-old verbally
and physically attacked the
22-year-old who was playing
the role of Easter bunny after
the girl slipped.
Morrill says both men were
taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
No charges have been filed
as police continue investigating.
The video shows a man
wearing the body suit of the
bunny costume fighting and
then being separated by security. A few seconds later, the
man in the bunny costume
appeared again, throws off
his white bunny gloves and
exchanges more punches.
The mall’s management
said in an email to The Associated Press it would have a
comment later Monday.
Looking Back
Today is Monday, March 21, the 81st day of 2016.
There are 285 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
•On March 21, 1946, the recently created United Nations
Security Council set up temporary headquarters at Hunter
College in The Bronx, New York.
On this date:
•In 1556, Thomas Cranmer, the former Archbishop of
Canterbury, was burned at the stake for heresy.
•In 1685, composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in
Eisenach, Germany.
•In 1804, the French civil code, or the “Code Napoleon”
as it was later called, was adopted.
•In 1925, Tennessee Gov. Austin Peay signed the Butler
Act, which prohibited the teaching of the Theory of Evolution in public schools. (Tennessee repealed the law in 1967.)
•In 1935, Persia officially changed its name to Iran.
•In 1945, during World War II, Allied bombers began four
days of raids over Germany.
•In 1956, “Marty” won best picture at the Academy
Awards; its star, Ernest Borgnine, was named best actor.
Anna Magnani (man-YAH’-nee) won best actress for “The
Rose Tattoo.”
•In 1960, about 70 people were killed in Sharpeville,
South Africa, when police fired on black protesters.
•In 1963, the Alcatraz federal prison island in San Francisco Bay was emptied of its last inmates and closed at the
order of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
•In 1976, champion skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich was
shot and killed by his girlfriend, actress-singer Claudine
Longet (lohn-ZHAY’), in the home they shared in Aspen,
Colorado; Longet, who maintained the shooting was an accident, served 30 days in jail for negligent homicide.
•In 1986, Debi Thomas of the United States won the ladies’ title at the World Figure Skating Championships in
Geneva, Switzerland, dethroning Katarina Witt of East Germany.
•In 1990, Namibia became an independent nation as the
former colony marked the end of 75 years of South African
rule.
Ten years ago: President George W. Bush predicted
American forces would remain in Iraq for years and that it
would be up to a future president to decide when to bring
them all home. But defying critics and plunging polls, Bush
declared, “I’m optimistic we’ll succeed.” Sgt. Michael J.
Smith, an Army dog handler at Abu Ghraib, was convicted
at Fort Meade, Maryland, of abusing prisoners. (Smith was
sentenced the next day to 179 days in prison.) The social
media website Twitter was established with the sending
of the first “tweet” by co-founder Jack Dorsey, who wrote:
“just setting up my twttr.”
Five years ago: Syrians chanting “No more fear!” held a
defiant march after a deadly government crackdown failed
to quash three days of mass protests in the southern city
of Deraa. Grammy-winning bluesman Pinetop Perkins died
in Austin, Texas, at 97. Mayhew “Bo” Foster, a World War
II U.S. Army pilot who transported Nazi official Hermann
Goering for interrogation in an unarmed, unescorted plane,
died in Missoula, Montana, at age 99.
One year ago: President Barack Obama, in an interview
with The Huffington Post, said he took Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “at his word” for saying an independent Palestinian state would never co-exist with Israel
as long as he was in office, yet another sign of the strained
relations between longtime allies. A super tide turned
France’s famed Mount Saint-Michel into an island and then
retreated out of sight, delighting thousands of visitors who
had come to see the rare phenomenon. In Meribel, France,
Marcel Hirscher of Austria became the first skier to win the
men’s World Cup overall title for a fourth straight year.
Today’s Birthdays: Actress Kathleen Widdoes is 77.
Folk-pop singer/musician Keith Potger (The Seekers) is 75.
Actress Marie-Christine Barrault is 72. Singer-musician
Rose Stone (Sly and the Family Stone) is 71. Actor Timothy Dalton is 70. Singer Eddie Money is 67. Rock singermusician Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) is 66. Rock musician Conrad Lozano (Los Lobos) is 65. Rhythm-and-blues
singer Russell Thompkins Jr. (The Stylistics) is 65. Comedy
writer-performer Brad Hall is 58. Actress Sabrina LeBeauf
is 58. Actor Gary Oldman is 58. Actor Matthew Broderick is
54. Comedian-talk show host Rosie O’Donnell is 54. Rock
musician Jonas “Joker” Berggren (Ace of Base) is 49. Rock
MC Maxim (Prodigy) is 49. Rock musician Andrew Copeland (Sister Hazel) is 48. Hip-hop DJ Premier (Gang Starr)
is 47. Actress Laura Allen is 42. Rapper-TV personality Kevin Federline is 38. Actor Scott Eastwood is 30. Actor Forrest
Wheeler is 12.
Thought for Today: “Is it worse to be scared than to
be bored, that is the question.”
– Gertrude Stein, American writer (1874-1946)
Today’s weather artwork by
Acacia Kindel,
a 3rd grader in
Mrs. McFadden’s class
Today’s weather artwork by
Keltyn Newton,
a 1st grader in
Mrs. Thompson’s class
For the Record
Police Dept. Report
Damage to property—
Allan Jackson, Concordia,
reported damage to property
at 11:20 a.m., March 19.
The damage occurred in the
900 block of Olive.
Kolt
Ringer,
Concordia, reported at 9:20 a.m.,
March 20, that an unknown
vehicle struck and damaged
his vehicle sometime during the night while it was
parked in the 1800 block of
State Street.
Rita M. Callaway, Concordia, reported at 9:20 p.m.,
March 20, that an unknown
vehicle had struck and damaged her vehicle sometime
during the day. Investigation continues.
Markets
The major U.S. stock indexes edged mostly higher in
afternoon trading Monday.
Telecommunications
and
health care stocks rose, while
materials and energy companies lagged. Investors had
their eye on the latest string
of deal news, as well as a new
report showing U.S. home
sales slumped last month.
KEEPING SCORE: The
Dow Jones industrial average
rose 12 points, or 0.1 percent,
to 17,615 as of 1:13 p.m.
Eastern Time. The Standard
& Poor’s 500 index was down
less than one point to 2,049.
The Nasdaq composite added
three points, or 0.1 percent,
to 4,799. The market is coming off its fifth straight week
of gains.
HOSPITABLE MOVE: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide climbed 4 percent after
the company agreed to be acquired by rival hotel operator
Marriott International. The
buyout, which could be contested by China’s Anbang,
would create the world’s biggest hotel company. Starwood rose $3.24 to $83.81.
Marriott International slipped
90 cents, or 1.2 percent, to
$72.26. Traders also sold off
shares in hotel operator Wyndham Worldwide. It slumped
$4.10, or 5.1 percent, to
$76.69.
PAINT IT GREEN: Valspar
vaulted 24.5 percent after
the paint maker agreed to
be acquired by competitor
Sherwin-Williams for about
$9 billion. Valspar gained
$20.51 to $104.34. Sherwin
slid $13.37, or 4.6 percent, to
$275.32.
EXECUTIVE
SHUFFLE:
Valeant
Pharmaceuticals
jumped 8.7 percent after
the company announced a
succession plan to replace
CEO Michael Pearson. Activist investor Bill Ackman will
join the troubled company’s
board. The stock added $2.36
to $29.34.
HOUSING SLUMP: Shares
in most homebuilders fell
following a report indicating
that sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank 7.1
percent last month. A limited
inventory of homes for sale
in many markets has driven
home prices higher, reducing
affordability and dampening
sales. The trend could weigh
on homebuilders, many of
which rely on buyers who
must sell their home before
they can purchase a newly
built one. Builder Beazer
Homs USA was among the
biggest decliners. The stock
was down 33 cents, or 3.7
percent, to $8.80.
LOCAL MARKETS -EAST
Wheat ...........................$4.10
Milo ......(per bushel) ....$3.23
Corn .............................$3.17
Soybeans .....................$8.29
CONCORDIA TERMINAL
LOADING FACILITY
LOCAL MARKETS - WEST
Wheat ..........................$4.10
Milo .....(per bushel) .....$3.23
JAMESTOWN MARKETS
Wheat ...........................$4.00
Milo ...(per bushel) ........$3.13
Soybeans .....................$8.19
Nusun .........................$14.35