News 11-17-09

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY HAS ANNOUNCED THEIR NEW PROVOST. APRIL MASON HAS ACCEPTED THE JOB AND WILL BEGIN IN EARLY 2010. MASON IS THE DEAN OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY’S COLLEGE OF APPLIED HUMAN SCIENCES. DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS MASON SAYS SHE WAS “STRUCK BY THE DEPTH OF TALENT REPRESENTED IN THE FACULTY…STAFF… ADMINISTRATION …AND STUDENTS AT K-STATE.” PRESIDENT KIRK SCHULZ SAYS HE IS “EXCITED FOR HER TO JOIN THE LEADERSHIP TEAM.”


FORT RILEY IS GETTING A TEST PROGRAM THAT WILL IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF VETERANS TO BE EVALUATED FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND VETERANS AFFAIRS LAUNCHED THE PROGRAM IN NOVEMBER 2007. THEY ARE ADDING SIX NEW PLACES, INCLUDING FORT RILEY BRINGING THE NUMBER UP TO 27. ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS THE DISABILITY EVALUATION SYSTEM INCLUDES ONE MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND ONE RATING PROCESS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THE DISABILITY AND THE BENEFITS. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE UP AND RUNNING AT FORT RILEY BY MARCH.


DURING THE 2009 FISCAL YEAR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GAVE KANSAS FARMERS A RECORD SETTING $148 MILLION IN LOANS. THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’S FARM SERVICE AGENCY IN KANSAS SAYS THE MONEY WENT TO ABOUT 1,300 FAMILY FARMERS. THE LOANS HELPED FARMERS PLANT AND HARVEST CROPS, PURCHASE LIVESTOCK AND MACHINERY, OR REORGANIZE THEIR BUSINESS.


A PRATT MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN LAST YEAR’S MURDER OF A PARTIALLY DISABLED WOMAN. THE KANSAS ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE SAYS 31 YEAR OLD DAN RIENDEAU WAS SENTENCED 22 YEARS ON PRISON YESTERDAY FOR INTENTIONAL SECOND DEGREE MURDER. PROSECUTERS SAY RIENDIAU AND ANOTHER MAN STABBED 48 YEAR OLD ALESIA DORRIS-GRAHAM 90 TO 100 TIMES BECAUSE SHE REFUSED TO SELL THEM PERSCRIPTION DRUGS. THE OTHER MAN, 18 YEAR OLD CHARLES DEMNARK-WAGNER WAS SENTENCED IN MARCH TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE FOR 20 YEARS AFTER HE PLEADED GUILTY TO FIRST DEGREE MURDER.


A FATHER AND SON IN LIBERAL HAD QUITE THE FIND IN THEIR BACK YARD. 10 YEAR OLD CHANDLER HARP WAS PLAYING IN HIS BACKYARD WHEN THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND DIRT AND DEBRIS WENT FLYING ABOUT 15 FEET FROM HIM. HE FOUND A 2 INCH ROCK AT THE BOTTOM OF A FOOT-DEEP HOLE AND BROUGHT IT TO HIS DAD. ONCE HIS DAD, LEE, SAW THE ROCK HE DIDN’T THINK IT WAS SOMETHING FROM AROUND HERE. “I KNEW HE HAD A METEORITE” LEE SAYS ABOUT THE ROCK HIS SON FOUND.


A MAN IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA WHO WAS ALREADY CHARGED WITH MURDERING HIS WIFE IS NOW ACCUSED OF FORGING DOCUMENTS IN JAIL. 39 YEAR OLD JOHN GERHOLT SENIOR SAYS HE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HIS WIFE BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2008 WHE SHE WAS LEAVING WORK. BEDFORD COUNTY PROSECUTORS SAY GERHOLT KILLED HER ON PURPOSE WITH A RIFLE. AUTHORITIES SAY THE DOCUMENTS HE FORGED WERE TO OBTAIN THE BURIAL PLOT NEXT TO HIS WIFE’S THAT HER FAMILY HAD BOUGHT. THEY LEARNED OF THE SCHEME AND ARE TRYING TO SELL THE PLOT. GERHOLT’S ATTORNEY SAYS HE LOVSE HIS WIFE AND WANTS TO BE NEAR HER.


A MAN IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HAS DEER CARCASSES SCATTERED AROUND HIS YARD. RANDY GOOD HAS A CONTRACT WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO REMOVE ROAD KILL FROM THE ROADS OF FIVE COUNTIES. WITH WEEKEND LANDFILL CLOSURES AND A BROKEN DOWN TRUCK, GOOD HAS HAD TO DROP THEM IN HIS YARD TO DEAL WITH DEMAND. HE PICKS UP 50 TO 100 A, DAY. THE STINK HAS GOTTEN SO BAD NEIGHBORS A HALF A MILE AWAY HAVE HAD TO LIGHT CANDLES. GOOD SAYS HE HAS A NEW TRASH CONTAINER THAT SHOULD HELP BUT IT’LL TAKE A WEEK OR TWO TO GET RID OF ALL THE CARCASSES.


THREE ADULTS AND A 12 YEAR OLD CHILD ARE DEAD AFTER BEING HIT BY AN AMTRAK PASSENGER TRAIN NEAR THE SOUTH CAROLINA GEORGIA STATE LINE LAST NIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE JASPER COUNTY CORONER THE FOUR PEOPLE WERE FROM HARDEEVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY HAD TRIED TO GO AROUND THE CROSSING ARM TO BEAT THE TRAIN BUT GOT HIT AND THEIR CAR WAS PUSHED ABOUT A MILE BEFORE THE TRAIN COULD STOP. NO ONE ON THE TRAIN WAS INJURED.


THE NEW OXFORD AMERICAN DICTIONARY HAD NAMED THEIR 2009 WORD OF THE YEAR. THE WORD…WHICH MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH IS UNFRIEND. THE DICTIONARY’S DEFINITION IS TO REMOVE SOMEONE AS A FRIEND ON A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE LIKE FACEBOOK. THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS TRACKS HOW THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CHANGES AND PICKS A WORD THAT REFLECTS THE MOOD OF THE YEAR. FINALISTS WERE NETBOOK…WHICH IS A SMALL COMPUTER AND SEXTING…SENDING EXPLICIT TEXTS AND PICTURES BY CELL PHONE.