NORTON — The Kansas Department of Transportation expects to begin work on a resurfacing project on a portion of U.S. 283 in Norton County the week of April 1.

Project work will involve milling and overlaying on 11 miles starting near Armory Drive in Norton and ending at the Nebraska state line. Crews will also resurface a portion within the city limits between Washington Street and North Street.

Traffic will be directed through the work zones by flaggers and a pilot car. Motorists should plan for delays of 15 minutes or less.

KDOT expects work to be completed in early May, conditions permitting.

APAC-Kansas Inc., Shears Division, of Hutchinson is the primary contractor for the $2.9 million project. 

For more information, contact KDOT Area Construction Manager Dan Moore at 785-302-6200 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:daniel.moore@ks.gov">daniel.moore@ks.gov</a>.

KDOTNORTON — The Kansas Department of Transportation expects to begin work on a resurfacing project on a portion of U.S. 283 in Norton County the week of April 1.Project work will involve milling and overlaying on 11 miles starting near Armory Drive in Norton and ending at the Nebraska state line. Crews will also resurface a portion within the city limits between Washington Street and North Street.Traffic will be directed through the work zones by flaggers and a pilot car. Motorists should plan for delays of 15 minutes or less.KDOT expects work to be completed in early May, conditions permitting.APAC-Kansas Inc., Shears Division, of Hutchinson is the primary contractor for the $2.9 million project. For more information, contact KDOT Area Construction Manager Dan Moore at 785-302-6200 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:daniel.moore@ks.gov">daniel.moore@ks.gov</a>.

U.S. 283 resurfacing project to start in Norton County

By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas Outdoors

Today, as I sit here at my computer, not sure whether I’m gonna’ hunt turkeys this year or not, one spring turkey hunt from years ago keeps rambling through my mind. 

Now, everyone knows wild turkeys MUST be hunted from the ground. Sitting on the ground or on a five-gallon bucket until your butt and both legs are numb is just part of the turkey hunting experience, and NOT to do so would certainly be as un-American as eating pizza without potato chips, or owning a Corvette with an automatic transmission. 

Yet, that morning, there I stood, gazing longingly up the ladder of the landowner’s tree stand thinking what a perfect spot it would be to call-in the gobbler that roamed this wood lot. But I must persevere and not break turkey hunting protocol!

“What a great seat,” I thought to myself as I surveyed my surroundings from above (I’m sure you saw this coming.) 

At this point several acres of nice timber separated the crop field to my left from the river. Right here is where I wanted to be, but the ground below was unusually void of the normal brush and downed tree limbs that make such good camouflage, so I put out a couple hen decoys and up the tree I went.

My “yelps” were occasionally answered by a gobble from afar, and soon a young gobbler and a hen appeared from the far corner of the crop field and started toward me.

 “This is too easy,” I thought as the pair steadily came my way. 

At 50 yards, they veered away and taunted me from the edge of the trees, hidden from sight by limbs on the tree next to my perch. For the next 45 minutes it was a stand-off, and my desire to harvest him soon turned to wishes that he would just leave so I could climb down without totally spooking him and start afresh in the morning.

The next morning, I followed my bouncing flashlight beam across the field, found the proper tree, set the decoys out and scaled the ladder once more up and into the tree stand.&nbsp;This tree stood barely three feet into the woodlot from the edge of the crop field; if I fell out, I’d land in the bean stubble.

I figured the gobbler to be roosted at the end of the crop field and along the river, some distance away. Usually, you can hear a gobbler even in the dark, as he’ll often gobble at every barking dog, hooting owl or slamming car door, but this morning the woods was unusually quiet. Perhaps that wasn’t good; perhaps I had misdiagnosed where he roosted and would be left high and dry. 

Trying not to shatter yet another turkey hunting rule of “calling very sparingly while the turkeys are still roosted,” I watched and waited as daylight slowly poured itself across the landscape around me. I yelped softly with the box call and a gobble erupted beside me along the river probably seventy yards away; the rascal was roosting where I had not even considered. 

For 30 minutes he gobbled away, and I tried to find a good balance between calling back to let him know I was still interested and playing hard to get to make him come find me. 

For those 30 minutes he seemed not to move, and suddenly he was silent. I called softly a couple times but heard nothing in return. My heart dropped to my toes; what had I done wrong or not done right?

As I tossed the situation around in my mind, a gobble broke the stillness again, this time directly in front of me not far away; he had snuck quietly through the trees and was in the bean stubble where I knew he would see my plastic decoy “jezebels.” Soon, I saw him strutting his way toward the decoys in the open&nbsp;field. 

I put the call aside and brought the shotgun around into position. He got so close I heard him spit each time he fanned out, and could hear the scratching noise as each wingtip drug across the ground. I could see him well, but too many tree limbs were in the way for a sure shot. Like a target in an arcade, he marched back and forth but would not come any closer. 

I had just read an article where the author warned about placing decoys too close and creating just such a situation. It became another standoff as he remained behind too many limbs for a safe killing shot. 

I decided it was time for a plan “B”; if he would just step a little closer to the edge of the trees during his little show, he would momentarily be in a small clear spot for a shot. 

Finally, he appeared to stray a little closer to the trees, so as his back was toward me as he turned, I swung the shotgun around and leaned out around the tree trunk in front of me. He saw or heard me move and immediately dropped his tail feathers to run, but the twelve-gauge nailed him to the ground before he could take more than a couple steps.

If this story leaves some of you turkey hunting purists shaking your heads, I apologize. I’ve never been one to worry much about protocol. Maybe more of you have shot turkeys from tree stands than I know, but if not and the situation presents itself, give it a try. So, from Mr. Politically Incorrect himself, Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas OutdoorsToday, as I sit here at my computer, not sure whether I’m gonna’ hunt turkeys this year or not, one spring turkey hunt from years ago keeps rambling through my mind. Now, everyone knows wild turkeys MUST be hunted from the ground. Sitting on the ground or on a five-gallon bucket until your butt and both legs are numb is just part of the turkey hunting experience, and NOT to do so would certainly be as un-American as eating pizza without potato chips, or owning a Corvette with an automatic transmission. Yet, that morning, there I stood, gazing longingly up the ladder of the landowner’s tree stand thinking what a perfect spot it would be to call-in the gobbler that roamed this wood lot. But I must persevere and not break turkey hunting protocol!“What a great seat,” I thought to myself as I surveyed my surroundings from above (I’m sure you saw this coming.) At this point several acres of nice timber separated the crop field to my left from the river. Right here is where I wanted to be, but the ground below was unusually void of the normal brush and downed tree limbs that make such good camouflage, so I put out a couple hen decoys and up the tree I went.My “yelps” were occasionally answered by a gobble from afar, and soon a young gobbler and a hen appeared from the far corner of the crop field and started toward me. “This is too easy,” I thought as the pair steadily came my way. At 50 yards, they veered away and taunted me from the edge of the trees, hidden from sight by limbs on the tree next to my perch. For the next 45 minutes it was a stand-off, and my desire to harvest him soon turned to wishes that he would just leave so I could climb down without totally spooking him and start afresh in the morning.The next morning, I followed my bouncing flashlight beam across the field, found the proper tree, set the decoys out and scaled the ladder once more up and into the tree stand.&nbsp;This tree stood barely three feet into the woodlot from the edge of the crop field; if I fell out, I’d land in the bean stubble.I figured the gobbler to be roosted at the end of the crop field and along the river, some distance away. Usually, you can hear a gobbler even in the dark, as he’ll often gobble at every barking dog, hooting owl or slamming car door, but this morning the woods was unusually quiet. Perhaps that wasn’t good; perhaps I had misdiagnosed where he roosted and would be left high and dry. Trying not to shatter yet another turkey hunting rule of “calling very sparingly while the turkeys are still roosted,” I watched and waited as daylight slowly poured itself across the landscape around me. I yelped softly with the box call and a gobble erupted beside me along the river probably seventy yards away; the rascal was roosting where I had not even considered. For 30 minutes he gobbled away, and I tried to find a good balance between calling back to let him know I was still interested and playing hard to get to make him come find me. For those 30 minutes he seemed not to move, and suddenly he was silent. I called softly a couple times but heard nothing in return. My heart dropped to my toes; what had I done wrong or not done right?As I tossed the situation around in my mind, a gobble broke the stillness again, this time directly in front of me not far away; he had snuck quietly through the trees and was in the bean stubble where I knew he would see my plastic decoy “jezebels.” Soon, I saw him strutting his way toward the decoys in the open&nbsp;field. I put the call aside and brought the shotgun around into position. He got so close I heard him spit each time he fanned out, and could hear the scratching noise as each wingtip drug across the ground. I could see him well, but too many tree limbs were in the way for a sure shot. Like a target in an arcade, he marched back and forth but would not come any closer. I had just read an article where the author warned about placing decoys too close and creating just such a situation. It became another standoff as he remained behind too many limbs for a safe killing shot. I decided it was time for a plan “B”; if he would just step a little closer to the edge of the trees during his little show, he would momentarily be in a small clear spot for a shot. Finally, he appeared to stray a little closer to the trees, so as his back was toward me as he turned, I swung the shotgun around and leaned out around the tree trunk in front of me. He saw or heard me move and immediately dropped his tail feathers to run, but the twelve-gauge nailed him to the ground before he could take more than a couple steps.If this story leaves some of you turkey hunting purists shaking your heads, I apologize. I’ve never been one to worry much about protocol. Maybe more of you have shot turkeys from tree stands than I know, but if not and the situation presents itself, give it a try. So, from Mr. Politically Incorrect himself, Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

GILLILAND: Treetop turkey

The Easter Bunny had a lot of help in preparing for the Kiwanis Club of Hays 50th annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday morning at Fort Hays State University.

Kids ages birth to ten and their families gathered in front of the Memorial Union and were led to their age-appropriate hunting grounds on the quad by Kiwanis volunteers.&nbsp;

Approximately 8,000 plastic eggs were stuffed and placed across campus this year.

The Easter Bunny was also be on site to take pictures with guests.

Kiwanis Club of Hays wishes to thank its community partners for their financial contributions to this year’s Easter egg hunt:

· Hays McDonald’s locations for providing ice cream coupons

· Walmart SuperCenter for contributing a $100 gift certificate to purchase candy

· Bank of Hays, Commerce Bank, Emprise Bank, First Kansas Bank, Golden Belt Bank, Golden Plains Credit Union, and Sunflower Bank for their donations of quarters

· Centennial Bowling in Hays for the free bowling coupons

Photo gallery by Jeff Leiker Eagle Communications

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844185462.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
 <figcaption>Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostThe Easter Bunny had a lot of help in preparing for the Kiwanis Club of Hays 50th annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday morning at Fort Hays State University.Kids ages birth to ten and their families gathered in front of the Memorial Union and were led to their age-appropriate hunting grounds on the quad by Kiwanis volunteers.&nbsp;Approximately 8,000 plastic eggs were stuffed and placed across campus this year.The Easter Bunny was also be on site to take pictures with guests.Kiwanis Club of Hays wishes to thank its community partners for their financial contributions to this year’s Easter egg hunt:· Hays McDonald’s locations for providing ice cream coupons· Walmart SuperCenter for contributing a $100 gift certificate to purchase candy· Bank of Hays, Commerce Bank, Emprise Bank, First Kansas Bank, Golden Belt Bank, Golden Plains Credit Union, and Sunflower Bank for their donations of quarters· Centennial Bowling in Hays for the free bowling couponsPhoto gallery by Jeff Leiker Eagle Communications<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844185462.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
 <figcaption>Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications</figcaption>
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844347129.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844367883.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844412146.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844433184.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
 <figcaption>Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications</figcaption>
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844449452.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844469584.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844491360.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844507576.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications&nbsp;</figcaption>
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844529963.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844550175.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711844590039.jpeg" alt="Hays Kiwanis Club 50th Easter Egg Hunt. Photos by Jeff Leiker/Eagle Communications" />
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📷 Celebrating 50 years of Hays Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt

The section of Wheatland Ave. in Hays, north of 22nd&nbsp;St. (adjacent to North Central Kansas Technical College), will be closed to through traffic for utility work beginning Monday, April 1.

The street will remain closed for approximately three weeks. &nbsp;

During this time, access to NCKTC will only be available from the East 27th&nbsp;St. access located north of the campus. 

If there are any questions, please contact the contractor, M&amp;D Excavating, at 785-259-2383. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708450682772.jpeg" alt="File photo/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>File photo/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>City of Hays The section of Wheatland Ave. in Hays, north of 22nd&nbsp;St. (adjacent to North Central Kansas Technical College), will be closed to through traffic for utility work beginning Monday, April 1.The street will remain closed for approximately three weeks. &nbsp;During this time, access to NCKTC will only be available from the East 27th&nbsp;St. access located north of the campus. If there are any questions, please contact the contractor, M&amp;D Excavating, at 785-259-2383. &nbsp;

Wheatland Ave, north of 22nd St., closed to through traffic beginning Monday in Hays

Kansas to invest more than $4.7 million to grow availability and training of needed services to support families and prevent foster care

TOPEKA&nbsp;– In response to the need to provide more Therapeutic Family Foster Homes (TFFH), the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announce that seven agencies will receive $4,765,355 in grants to build capacity through innovative approaches that will significantly increase the number of homes available and provide needed training and supportive services.

Last year, the Kansas Legislature appropriated $6 million in state general funds to support the TFFH capacity building program. TFFH receive increased training and supportive services to provide a temporary home for youth with significant emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs. &nbsp;The homes are part of the continuum level of care and support as a resource for children and families.

“Together, the selected agencies will grow the network of Therapeutic Family Foster Homes while providing meaningful services and supports,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “The approaches by the agencies span a number of thoughtful innovations with an ability to have resources customized to meet a child’s or family’s individualized needs.”

The innovative mix of service delivery options will result in specific recruitment strategies and increased wraparound supports to resource families, biological families and youth. Some grants include collaboration with agencies who operate similar programs or support youth requiring a therapeutic level of care.

“DCF is committed to providing supports and services to all agencies sponsoring these types of homes,” Howard continued.

The grants are effective March 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 with the possibility of three one-year renewals. The remaining $1.2 million of the allocated resources will be available to provide other TFFH supports, training and services.&nbsp;

Cornerstones of Care: Cornerstones will support families identified through open family preservation cases by supporting safety plan or respite placement options. Additional support will be available to the placement providers such as access to a virtual resource library, a daily reimbursement rate, incentive payments to placement providers, access to functional family therapy, and an in-home support specialist. This program will support increasing the capacity of TFFH homes by engaging in prevention activities to support youth in their homes and communities rather than in out of home care.

DCCCA: DCCCA will focus on the recruiting, training, and sponsoring TFFH to serve youth in DCF custody as well as through therapeutic stability placements. Therapeutic stability placements are designed for youth who are not in the custody of DCF but may be receiving support through Family First Prevention Services, Family Preservation, or Post Adoption Support. DCCCA will employ a dedicated TFFH recruiter, provide in-person and virtual support groups, specialized training for TFFH providers, mentoring, and incentives for youth, parents and placement providers. DCCCA will utilize Behavioral Interventionists as well as Functional Family Therapy when appropriate.

Eckerd Connects: Eckerd Connects will establish five to eight TFFH homes in Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Sumner, and Reno counties to provide TFFH services to youth placed in these homes. The approach will include a recruiter/trainer, clinical licensed mental health professional, respite, support groups, mentoring, flex funds and specialized training for TFFH. Eckerd will make their Functional Family Therapy program available to assist with care coordination and rapid response to support TFFH placements. Eckerd is creating a TFFH Peer Respite model to ensure respite support is available to families providing TFFH as well as accessing flex fund supports for TFFH.

EmberHope YouthVille: EmberHope will recruit TFFH families in Sedgwick County for youth between the ages of three and 18. They will provide specialized training for TFFH providers. EmberHope will create a TFFH team including a therapist, foster care worker, supervisor, TFFH recruiter, and quality improvement coordinator.  EmberHope will also provide a resource room for TFFH to supply youth and families with hardgoods needed during placement.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Foster Adopt Connect:&nbsp;Foster Adopt Connect will support a rapid expansion of their Behavioral Intervention (BI) Program into Johnson, Wyandotte, Bourbon, Crawford, Shawnee, Douglas, Leavenworth, Reno and&nbsp;Ellis&nbsp;counties. BI is an in-home support that engages both parents and children with daily management of behaviors to decrease the need for short term hospitalization and assist with crisis de-escalation, re-direction, and the teaching of positive replacement behaviors to the youth. BI services can follow the child and be available to support the transition to either the parents’ home or an adoptive placement.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KVC – Mockingbird:&nbsp;KVC will create a Mockingbird Family Model of foster home constellations. These constellations consist of a maximum of 11 families, 10 foster homes and 1 Hub Home. The Hub Home serves to provide support to the homes within the constellation of families. Constellations may include licensed foster homes, relatives or non-related kin placements. The Mockingbird Family Model is designed to assist placement providers in utilizing supports not only from professionals involved in the child welfare system but also their peers. Hub Homes are specially trained to build community within the constellation and maintain open beds to provide respite and emergency supports to other constellation families, and plan social activities for the constellation. KVC will provide support to the hub and constellation through a KVC Liaison staff person, as well as attendant care workers. KVC will utilize the Registered Behavior Technician training to prepare their attendant care staff.

Pressley Ridge: Pressley Ridge will provide TFFH training statewide to agencies in Kansas who wish to utilize this model. Pressley Ridge training will be available in multiple cohorts throughout the state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584741220594.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kansas to invest more than $4.7 million to grow availability and training of needed services to support families and prevent foster care</h2>DCFTOPEKA&nbsp;– In response to the need to provide more Therapeutic Family Foster Homes (TFFH), the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announce that seven agencies will receive $4,765,355 in grants to build capacity through innovative approaches that will significantly increase the number of homes available and provide needed training and supportive services.Last year, the Kansas Legislature appropriated $6 million in state general funds to support the TFFH capacity building program. TFFH receive increased training and supportive services to provide a temporary home for youth with significant emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs. &nbsp;The homes are part of the continuum level of care and support as a resource for children and families.“Together, the selected agencies will grow the network of Therapeutic Family Foster Homes while providing meaningful services and supports,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “The approaches by the agencies span a number of thoughtful innovations with an ability to have resources customized to meet a child’s or family’s individualized needs.”The innovative mix of service delivery options will result in specific recruitment strategies and increased wraparound supports to resource families, biological families and youth. Some grants include collaboration with agencies who operate similar programs or support youth requiring a therapeutic level of care.“DCF is committed to providing supports and services to all agencies sponsoring these types of homes,” Howard continued.The grants are effective March 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 with the possibility of three one-year renewals. The remaining $1.2 million of the allocated resources will be available to provide other TFFH supports, training and services.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711545155943.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711545177180.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Cornerstones of Care: Cornerstones will support families identified through open family preservation cases by supporting safety plan or respite placement options. Additional support will be available to the placement providers such as access to a virtual resource library, a daily reimbursement rate, incentive payments to placement providers, access to functional family therapy, and an in-home support specialist. This program will support increasing the capacity of TFFH homes by engaging in prevention activities to support youth in their homes and communities rather than in out of home care.DCCCA: DCCCA will focus on the recruiting, training, and sponsoring TFFH to serve youth in DCF custody as well as through therapeutic stability placements. Therapeutic stability placements are designed for youth who are not in the custody of DCF but may be receiving support through Family First Prevention Services, Family Preservation, or Post Adoption Support. DCCCA will employ a dedicated TFFH recruiter, provide in-person and virtual support groups, specialized training for TFFH providers, mentoring, and incentives for youth, parents and placement providers. DCCCA will utilize Behavioral Interventionists as well as Functional Family Therapy when appropriate.Eckerd Connects: Eckerd Connects will establish five to eight TFFH homes in Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Sumner, and Reno counties to provide TFFH services to youth placed in these homes. The approach will include a recruiter/trainer, clinical licensed mental health professional, respite, support groups, mentoring, flex funds and specialized training for TFFH. Eckerd will make their Functional Family Therapy program available to assist with care coordination and rapid response to support TFFH placements. Eckerd is creating a TFFH Peer Respite model to ensure respite support is available to families providing TFFH as well as accessing flex fund supports for TFFH.EmberHope YouthVille: EmberHope will recruit TFFH families in Sedgwick County for youth between the ages of three and 18. They will provide specialized training for TFFH providers. EmberHope will create a TFFH team including a therapist, foster care worker, supervisor, TFFH recruiter, and quality improvement coordinator. EmberHope will also provide a resource room for TFFH to supply youth and families with hardgoods needed during placement.&nbsp;&nbsp;Foster Adopt Connect:&nbsp;Foster Adopt Connect will support a rapid expansion of their Behavioral Intervention (BI) Program into Johnson, Wyandotte, Bourbon, Crawford, Shawnee, Douglas, Leavenworth, Reno and&nbsp;Ellis&nbsp;counties. BI is an in-home support that engages both parents and children with daily management of behaviors to decrease the need for short term hospitalization and assist with crisis de-escalation, re-direction, and the teaching of positive replacement behaviors to the youth. BI services can follow the child and be available to support the transition to either the parents’ home or an adoptive placement.&nbsp;&nbsp;KVC – Mockingbird:&nbsp;KVC will create a Mockingbird Family Model of foster home constellations. These constellations consist of a maximum of 11 families, 10 foster homes and 1 Hub Home. The Hub Home serves to provide support to the homes within the constellation of families. Constellations may include licensed foster homes, relatives or non-related kin placements. The Mockingbird Family Model is designed to assist placement providers in utilizing supports not only from professionals involved in the child welfare system but also their peers. Hub Homes are specially trained to build community within the constellation and maintain open beds to provide respite and emergency supports to other constellation families, and plan social activities for the constellation. KVC will provide support to the hub and constellation through a KVC Liaison staff person, as well as attendant care workers. KVC will utilize the Registered Behavior Technician training to prepare their attendant care staff.Pressley Ridge: Pressley Ridge will provide TFFH training statewide to agencies in Kansas who wish to utilize this model. Pressley Ridge training will be available in multiple cohorts throughout the state.

DCF: Therapeutic family foster homes to expand in Ellis County 

By BRIANNE HEIDBREDER Insight Kansas

The debate over implementing a flat income tax in Kansas appears to have reached its conclusion, at least in this legislative session. Earlier this year, Kansas Republicans proposed a single income tax rate of 5.25% for all Kansans earning more than $6,160 as an individual or $12,300 as a couple.&nbsp;

Republicans argued that a simple tax code with a single tax rate applied uniformly to all income levels could reduce the complexity and administrative burdens of our current system. Governor Kelly and Kansas Democrats countered that the cuts associated with a flat tax would be financially irresponsible and inherently regressive, disproportionately burdening low-income earners compared to high-income earners&nbsp;

As expected, Governor Kelly immediately vetoed the flat tax plan. Having failed to override Kelly’s veto, Republicans recently announced their support for a dual rate plan. This plan would exempt up to $7,000 in income from taxation. The state would then tax annual income up to $30,000 at a rate of 5.2% and annual income over $30,000 at a rate of 5.65%.&nbsp;

This new proposal is a departure from the current income tax policy, which taxes 3.10% on the first $15,000 of taxable income, 5.25% on the next $15,000, and 5.70% on all income above $30,000.&nbsp;

While Kelly has indicated her preference to provide tax relief while keep the current three-tier rate system, the introduction of the dual-rate plan proposal represents a new phase in tax discussions, where both sides have indicated that they want tax relief for Kansans.&nbsp;

All this discussion may lead Kansans to ask how their tax burden compares to residents of other states. Like many states, Kansas has a graduated or progressive income tax rate system. A graduated tax rate simply means that high income earners pay a higher tax rate than lower income works. Most of Kansas’ neighboring states also have a graduated systems with more than two tiers.&nbsp;

For example, Nebraska has four tiers in their state income tax program, with rates that range from 2.46% for Nebraska’s lowest earners to 6.64% for those making more than $35,730 annually. Similarly, Missouri and Oklahoma also have multi-tier graduated systems with rates ranging from 2% to 4.95% and 0% to 4.75%, respectively.&nbsp;

On the other hand, Colorado has a flat income tax rate of 4.55% for all taxable income, regardless of filing status or income level.&nbsp;

While the Kansas income tax plan is in line with neighboring states, Republicans are hoping their new plan will draw in additional legislative supporters, giving them the veto-proof majority needed to pass the plan with or without Kelly’s support.&nbsp;

It is important to remember that although no one particularly likes paying income taxes, they play a crucial role in funding essential government services, including support for public schools.&nbsp;

As Kansas continues to debate over its state income tax system, the path forward remains uncertain in the current political environment. Ultimately, the outcome of these discussions will shape the fiscal health of the state for years to come.&nbsp;

Brianne Heidbreder, PhD is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kansas State University.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678375940173.jpeg" alt="Brianne Heidbreder (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Brianne Heidbreder (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIANNE HEIDBREDER Insight KansasThe debate over implementing a flat income tax in Kansas appears to have reached its conclusion, at least in this legislative session. Earlier this year, Kansas Republicans proposed a single income tax rate of 5.25% for all Kansans earning more than $6,160 as an individual or $12,300 as a couple.&nbsp;Republicans argued that a simple tax code with a single tax rate applied uniformly to all income levels could reduce the complexity and administrative burdens of our current system. Governor Kelly and Kansas Democrats countered that the cuts associated with a flat tax would be financially irresponsible and inherently regressive, disproportionately burdening low-income earners compared to high-income earners&nbsp;As expected, Governor Kelly immediately vetoed the flat tax plan. Having failed to override Kelly’s veto, Republicans recently announced their support for a dual rate plan. This plan would exempt up to $7,000 in income from taxation. The state would then tax annual income up to $30,000 at a rate of 5.2% and annual income over $30,000 at a rate of 5.65%.&nbsp;This new proposal is a departure from the current income tax policy, which taxes 3.10% on the first $15,000 of taxable income, 5.25% on the next $15,000, and 5.70% on all income above $30,000.&nbsp;While Kelly has indicated her preference to provide tax relief while keep the current three-tier rate system, the introduction of the dual-rate plan proposal represents a new phase in tax discussions, where both sides have indicated that they want tax relief for Kansans.&nbsp;All this discussion may lead Kansans to ask how their tax burden compares to residents of other states. Like many states, Kansas has a graduated or progressive income tax rate system. A graduated tax rate simply means that high income earners pay a higher tax rate than lower income works. Most of Kansas’ neighboring states also have a graduated systems with more than two tiers.&nbsp;For example, Nebraska has four tiers in their state income tax program, with rates that range from 2.46% for Nebraska’s lowest earners to 6.64% for those making more than $35,730 annually. Similarly, Missouri and Oklahoma also have multi-tier graduated systems with rates ranging from 2% to 4.95% and 0% to 4.75%, respectively.&nbsp;On the other hand, Colorado has a flat income tax rate of 4.55% for all taxable income, regardless of filing status or income level.&nbsp;While the Kansas income tax plan is in line with neighboring states, Republicans are hoping their new plan will draw in additional legislative supporters, giving them the veto-proof majority needed to pass the plan with or without Kelly’s support.&nbsp;It is important to remember that although no one particularly likes paying income taxes, they play a crucial role in funding essential government services, including support for public schools.&nbsp;As Kansas continues to debate over its state income tax system, the path forward remains uncertain in the current political environment. Ultimately, the outcome of these discussions will shape the fiscal health of the state for years to come.&nbsp;Brianne Heidbreder, PhD is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kansas State University.&nbsp;

INSIGHT KANSAS: Kansas grapples with income tax dilemma 

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711825772464.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

Smith Center physician to be featured on SHPBS 'Doctors on Call' 

THOMAS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7a.m. Saturday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Freightliner semi driven by Fnan Abraham&nbsp;Andat, 24, Dallas, Texas, was&nbsp;westbound on Interstate 70 three miles east of Kansas 184. 

The vehicle partially entered the median, re-entered westbound lanes, crossed the westbound right shoulder and entered the westbound right ditch. Vehicle one came to rest facing southwest resting on all its tires.

EMS transported&nbsp;Andat to Citizens Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

THOMAS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7a.m. Saturday in Thomas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Freightliner semi driven by Fnan Abraham&nbsp;Andat, 24, Dallas, Texas, was&nbsp;westbound on Interstate 70 three miles east of Kansas 184. The vehicle partially entered the median, re-entered westbound lanes, crossed the westbound right shoulder and entered the westbound right ditch. Vehicle one came to rest facing southwest resting on all its tires.EMS transported&nbsp;Andat to Citizens Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Driver hospitalized after semi lands in I-70 ditch

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with new Barton Community College President Marcus Garstecki.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eWEFnvTX8pw?si=nBsAhPwpTGtLnc8V" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with new Barton Community College President Marcus Garstecki.

🎤Forward Ever: New Barton Community College President Marcus Garstecki

The House debated several bills throughout the week. Here are some of the bills we debated on the floor:

● Senate Bill 359 would create a distinctive license plate for the Kansas City Chiefs, Sporting Kansas City, Sedgwick County Zoo, Kansas City Royals, Topeka Zoo, and I offered an amendment to create a support the troops license plate with revenue supporting the American Legion and Kansas Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars. This bill passed the House, 103-20.

● Senate Bill 394 would require certain websites that contain potentially harmful information for minors, such as sexual material, to use an age verification software to ensure a person is eighteen years of age or older and allow parents to take private action against website owners and seek damages if violated. This bill passed the House, 92-31.

● Senate Bill 458, regarding civil forfeitures clarifies, that certain drug offenses would not arise to civil forfeiture, increases the burden of proof by requiring clear and convincing evidence, and requires courts to make determination of the excessiveness of the forfeiture. This bill passed the House, 123-0.

● House Substitute for Senate Bill 287 would require school health care professionals to receive parental consent before providing services such as administering medications, providing diagnostic tests, or conducting behavioral health treatments. Healthcare providers who violate the provisions in this bill would be subjected to discipline from the appropriate licensing agency. This bill passed the House 85-37.

● House Bill 2825 enacts the Consumer Protection Related to Hospital Price Transparency Act and would require hospitals to provide pricing information of its top three hundred procedures, provide patients with cost estimates for elective tests and procedures if requested, and provide patients with a written copy of their ability to receive this information. This bill would allow for the Attorney General’s Office to fine hospitals $250 a day if they are not in compliance.

● House Substitute for Senate Bill 387 is concerning appropriations for the State Department of Education for fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026 and would abolish or revise certain statutes concerning the education system. Including the prohibition of substantially revising curriculum standards until seventy-five percent of students achieve academic proficiency.

A Conference Committee will meet in the coming days to discuss the differences in the budget. Some differences between the House and Senate budgets are the House provides $2.2 million from the State General Fund for the Kansas Osteopathic Scholarship for FY 25 which will help rural healthcare, provides $47.7 million from the State General Fund to pay off state debt, $16.5 million for economic and housing development in the northwest Kansas region, $2.2 million to increase the number of Physical Disability waivers by 500, $6.7 million to increase the number of Intellectual and Developmental Disability waivers by 500 to reduce waiting lists, and $18.6 million to increase Medicaid reimbursement.

House Substitute for Senate Bill 300 was debated on the floor Tuesday regarding taxation. This bill would restructure the individual income tax bracket. For a married couple making $60,001 and above would be taxed at 5.65 percent. This bill would also phase out taxes on social security benefits through 2026 and by 2027 benefits will be exempt from Kansas income taxes. The bill would increase the standard deduction amounts by $240 for married filing jointly and will be further increased by the cost-of-living adjustment determined by the IRS. The privilege tax rates that are applied to financial institutions would be reduced by 2.25 percent.

House Substitute for SB 300 would also reinstate transfers from the State General Fund for fiscal year 2025 to Special City and County Highway Fund and abolish the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund and County and City Revenue Sharing Fund. This&nbsp;bill would also increase the amount of residential property exemption from statewide uniform school finance levy to $100,000 of appraised value and in tax year 2024 reduce the uniform school finance levy from 20 mills to 18 mills.

Anytime that you would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, you can tune in by video or audio at www.kslegislature.org.

As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me&nbsp; 785 -296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov.

It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633970422056.jpeg" alt="Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, 109th Dist. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, 109th Dist. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Topeka March 29, 2024Bills Debated in the HouseThe House debated several bills throughout the week. Here are some of the bills we debated on the floor:● Senate Bill 359 would create a distinctive license plate for the Kansas City Chiefs, Sporting Kansas City, Sedgwick County Zoo, Kansas City Royals, Topeka Zoo, and I offered an amendment to create a support the troops license plate with revenue supporting the American Legion and Kansas Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars. This bill passed the House, 103-20.● Senate Bill 394 would require certain websites that contain potentially harmful information for minors, such as sexual material, to use an age verification software to ensure a person is eighteen years of age or older and allow parents to take private action against website owners and seek damages if violated. This bill passed the House, 92-31.● Senate Bill 458, regarding civil forfeitures clarifies, that certain drug offenses would not arise to civil forfeiture, increases the burden of proof by requiring clear and convincing evidence, and requires courts to make determination of the excessiveness of the forfeiture. This bill passed the House, 123-0.● House Substitute for Senate Bill 287 would require school health care professionals to receive parental consent before providing services such as administering medications, providing diagnostic tests, or conducting behavioral health treatments. Healthcare providers who violate the provisions in this bill would be subjected to discipline from the appropriate licensing agency. This bill passed the House 85-37.● House Bill 2825 enacts the Consumer Protection Related to Hospital Price Transparency Act and would require hospitals to provide pricing information of its top three hundred procedures, provide patients with cost estimates for elective tests and procedures if requested, and provide patients with a written copy of their ability to receive this information. This bill would allow for the Attorney General’s Office to fine hospitals $250 a day if they are not in compliance.● House Substitute for Senate Bill 387 is concerning appropriations for the State Department of Education for fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026 and would abolish or revise certain statutes concerning the education system. Including the prohibition of substantially revising curriculum standards until seventy-five percent of students achieve academic proficiency.Conference CommitteeA Conference Committee will meet in the coming days to discuss the differences in the budget. Some differences between the House and Senate budgets are the House provides $2.2 million from the State General Fund for the Kansas Osteopathic Scholarship for FY 25 which will help rural healthcare, provides $47.7 million from the State General Fund to pay off state debt, $16.5 million for economic and housing development in the northwest Kansas region, $2.2 million to increase the number of Physical Disability waivers by 500, $6.7 million to increase the number of Intellectual and Developmental Disability waivers by 500 to reduce waiting lists, and $18.6 million to increase Medicaid reimbursement.Tax BillHouse Substitute for Senate Bill 300 was debated on the floor Tuesday regarding taxation. This bill would restructure the individual income tax bracket. For a married couple making $60,001 and above would be taxed at 5.65 percent. This bill would also phase out taxes on social security benefits through 2026 and by 2027 benefits will be exempt from Kansas income taxes. The bill would increase the standard deduction amounts by $240 for married filing jointly and will be further increased by the cost-of-living adjustment determined by the IRS. The privilege tax rates that are applied to financial institutions would be reduced by 2.25 percent.House Substitute for SB 300 would also reinstate transfers from the State General Fund for fiscal year 2025 to Special City and County Highway Fund and abolish the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund and County and City Revenue Sharing Fund. This&nbsp;bill would also increase the amount of residential property exemption from statewide uniform school finance levy to $100,000 of appraised value and in tax year 2024 reduce the uniform school finance levy from 20 mills to 18 mills.Contact InformationAnytime that you would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, you can tune in by video or audio at www.kslegislature.org.As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me&nbsp; 785 -296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov.It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.

WAYMASTER: From the Dome to Home, March 29; House & Senate budget bills

ALLEN COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a former Kansas sheriff’s deputy for sex crimes following a missing persons case investigated with the Hays Police Department.

Just after 7p.m.&nbsp; Friday, KBI agents arrested Michael Tennyson, 24, of Iola, at the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, according to a media release from the KBI.

 Tennyson was arrested on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. In January, Tennyson had been newly hired as a deputy for the Allen County Sheriff’s Office. His employment was terminated Friday when the allegations became known.

On Friday, around 3:30 p.m., the Hays Police Department requested KBI assistance to help locate a 15-year-old runaway. The juvenile had been missing since March 22. Hays police officers believed the teen was with Tennyson in Iola, Kansas. The Allen County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the situation at 4 p.m.&nbsp;They quickly located the juvenile at Tennyson’s residence, and placed her into protective custody.

KBI agents gathered additional evidence in the case, and interviewed the parties involved. The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, the Iola Police Department, and the Ray County Missouri Sheriff’s Office also assisted in this investigation. After his arrest, Tennyson was booked into the Allen County Jail, but he will be housed at the Bourbon County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711809135118.png" alt="Tennyson-photo Allen Co." />
 <figcaption>Tennyson-photo Allen Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ALLEN COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a former Kansas sheriff’s deputy for sex crimes following a missing persons case investigated with the Hays Police Department.Just after 7p.m.&nbsp; Friday, KBI agents arrested Michael Tennyson, 24, of Iola, at the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, according to a media release from the KBI. Tennyson was arrested on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. In January, Tennyson had been newly hired as a deputy for the Allen County Sheriff’s Office. His employment was terminated Friday when the allegations became known.On Friday, around 3:30 p.m., the Hays Police Department requested KBI assistance to help locate a 15-year-old runaway. The juvenile had been missing since March 22. Hays police officers believed the teen was with Tennyson in Iola, Kansas. The Allen County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the situation at 4 p.m.&nbsp;They quickly located the juvenile at Tennyson’s residence, and placed her into protective custody.KBI agents gathered additional evidence in the case, and interviewed the parties involved. The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, the Iola Police Department, and the Ray County Missouri Sheriff’s Office also assisted in this investigation. After his arrest, Tennyson was booked into the Allen County Jail, but he will be housed at the Bourbon County Jail.

Kan. deputy accused of sex crimes following report of missing teen

&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansaspublicradio.org/people/daniel-caudill">DANIEL CAUDILL</a> Kansas Public Radio&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas lawmakers are set to receive a substantial pay raise next year. Some say that's key to recruiting more young and working class people to run for office.

At just 35 years old, Democratic Rep. Rui Xu is in his sixth session as a Kansas lawmaker. While it’s a role he’s happy to serve in, it does come with costs.

For example, instead of staying in Topeka during the session like many lawmakers, he drives two hours each day to and from his district in Johnson County. It’s so he can be home with his wife and a young daughter.

“I love this job. I think I’m pretty good at it,” Xu said, “but I don’t love it to the extent that it’s worth missing five-sevenths of my daughter’s life.”

Extra travel and time away from family are just a couple of the challenges that come with being a Kansas lawmaker, and they’re some of the motives behind a recent push to give legislators a substantial pay raise.

Currently, rank-and-file Kansas legislators make about $30,000 per year. That includes both a salary and a per diem, which covers daily expenses. Starting next year, that will nearly double to $58,000 – at the suggestion of an independent commission on lawmaker pay.

Legislators created the panel to study their pay and make a recommendation, partly to make it look less like they were giving themselves a raise.

Proponents of the raise, like Republican Rep. Tory Marie Blew, said the current pay often prevents average, working-aged people from running for the Legislature, especially younger people and those with a more modest income.

“Paying somebody not even $100 a day, you’re not going to have a true citizen legislature because only those independently wealthy can do it,” Blew said.

Blew is another one of the youngest members of the Kansas House. Now in her seventh year as a lawmaker, she was elected at just 23 years old.

To help make ends meet, she works another 20-hour job from Friday to Sunday back home in Great Bend. She said some other lawmakers work remote jobs during the session.

“It’s not uncommon to leave the capitol at 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and see that there’s people in their offices working up here still,” Blew said.

Blew is expecting her first child soon and has a vested interest in making the job more attractive to people her age.

She’s also spearheading an effort to develop a child care center at the Statehouse, not just for lawmakers but also state employees.

Blew said people at different stages of their lives can bring different perspectives.

“I want to make sure that we do have younger folks who are up here and bringing in that knowledge,” Blew said.

But not all lawmakers support the raise. Some argue being in the Legislature should be more about a passion for service than the money.

Republican Senator Rob Olson tried on the Senate floor to convince his colleagues to reject the raise entirely. He later pushed a much smaller pay increase as an alternative.

“This is not a place where you should get rich,” Olson said. “What you’ll have is senators and House members that will be here for a long period of time.”

The salary currently rests just below&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/KS/INC910222#INC910222" target="_blank">the median income in Kansas</a>&nbsp;but will be securely above it after the raise. It will also be about $15,000 higher than the average state lawmaker’s compensation in the United States.

But raising lawmaker pay doesn’t always have the intended result.

Nicholas Carnes is a political scientist at Duke University who specializes in public policy. He co-authored a 2016 study that found higher pay doesn’t necessarily translate to more economic diversity in state legislatures.

Carnes said there are often bigger barriers to winning a seat. That could be a lack of time or knowledge, or simply raising the money it takes to run a campaign.

“If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, you can’t reduce your hours at work to run a campaign and still make ends meet,” he said.

But Carnes still believes improving legislator pay is worthwhile. He said research shows better pay can have other benefits, like encouraging lawmakers to put in more effort and take the job more seriously.

“You don’t want to cheap out on the people who make choices that affect you and everyone around you in your state,” he said.

Daniel Caudill reports on the Kansas Statehouse and government for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dcaudill@ku.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711745421876.png" alt="Democratic Rep. Rui Xu and his family hold a goat at a Kansas City Chiefs event prior to the Super Bowl. Left to right: Xu, daughter Astra and wife Kearsha. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Democratic Rep. Rui Xu and his family hold a goat at a Kansas City Chiefs event prior to the Super Bowl. Left to right: Xu, daughter Astra and wife Kearsha. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansaspublicradio.org/people/daniel-caudill">DANIEL CAUDILL</a> Kansas Public Radio&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Kansas lawmakers are set to receive a substantial pay raise next year. Some say that's key to recruiting more young and working class people to run for office.</h2>At just 35 years old, Democratic Rep. Rui Xu is in his sixth session as a Kansas lawmaker. While it’s a role he’s happy to serve in, it does come with costs.For example, instead of staying in Topeka during the session like many lawmakers, he drives two hours each day to and from his district in Johnson County. It’s so he can be home with his wife and a young daughter.“I love this job. I think I’m pretty good at it,” Xu said, “but I don’t love it to the extent that it’s worth missing five-sevenths of my daughter’s life.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711745512086.png" alt="Rep. Rui Xu. Kansas Legislature, D-Westwood&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Rui Xu. Kansas Legislature, D-Westwood&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Extra travel and time away from family are just a couple of the challenges that come with being a Kansas lawmaker, and they’re some of the motives behind a recent push to give legislators a substantial pay raise.Currently, rank-and-file Kansas legislators make about $30,000 per year. That includes both a salary and a per diem, which covers daily expenses. Starting next year, that will nearly double to $58,000 – at the suggestion of an independent commission on lawmaker pay.Legislators created the panel to study their pay and make a recommendation, partly to make it look less like they were giving themselves a raise.Proponents of the raise, like Republican Rep. Tory Marie Blew, said the current pay often prevents average, working-aged people from running for the Legislature, especially younger people and those with a more modest income.“Paying somebody not even $100 a day, you’re not going to have a true citizen legislature because only those independently wealthy can do it,” Blew said.Blew is another one of the youngest members of the Kansas House. Now in her seventh year as a lawmaker, she was elected at just 23 years old.To help make ends meet, she works another 20-hour job from Friday to Sunday back home in Great Bend. She said some other lawmakers work remote jobs during the session.“It’s not uncommon to leave the capitol at 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and see that there’s people in their offices working up here still,” Blew said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711745652890.png" alt="Rep. Tory Marie Blew, R-Great Bend. Kansas Legislature" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Tory Marie Blew, R-Great Bend. Kansas Legislature</figcaption>
 </figure>Blew is expecting her first child soon and has a vested interest in making the job more attractive to people her age.She’s also spearheading an effort to develop a child care center at the Statehouse, not just for lawmakers but also state employees.Blew said people at different stages of their lives can bring different perspectives.“I want to make sure that we do have younger folks who are up here and bringing in that knowledge,” Blew said.But not all lawmakers support the raise. Some argue being in the Legislature should be more about a passion for service than the money.Republican Senator Rob Olson tried on the Senate floor to convince his colleagues to reject the raise entirely. He later pushed a much smaller pay increase as an alternative.“This is not a place where you should get rich,” Olson said. “What you’ll have is senators and House members that will be here for a long period of time.”The salary currently rests just below&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/KS/INC910222#INC910222" target="_blank">the median income in Kansas</a>&nbsp;but will be securely above it after the raise. It will also be about $15,000 higher than the average state lawmaker’s compensation in the United States.But raising lawmaker pay doesn’t always have the intended result.Nicholas Carnes is a political scientist at Duke University who specializes in public policy. He co-authored a 2016 study that found higher pay doesn’t necessarily translate to more economic diversity in state legislatures.Carnes said there are often bigger barriers to winning a seat. That could be a lack of time or knowledge, or simply raising the money it takes to run a campaign.“If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, you can’t reduce your hours at work to run a campaign and still make ends meet,” he said.But Carnes still believes improving legislator pay is worthwhile. He said research shows better pay can have other benefits, like encouraging lawmakers to put in more effort and take the job more seriously.“You don’t want to cheap out on the people who make choices that affect you and everyone around you in your state,” he said.Daniel Caudill reports on the Kansas Statehouse and government for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dcaudill@ku.edu.

Want more young Kansans to run for office? A coming pay raise in the Statehouse might help

WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service has kicked off the annual Dirty Dozen list with a warning for taxpayers to be aware of evolving phishing and smishing scams designed to steal sensitive taxpayer information.&nbsp;

With taxpayers continuing to be bombarded by email and text scams, the IRS and the Security Summit partners warned individuals and businesses to remain vigilant against these attacks. Fraudsters and identity thieves attempt to trick the recipient into clicking a suspicious link, filling out personal and financial information or downloading a malware file onto their computer.&nbsp;

"Scammers are relentless in their attempts to obtain sensitive financial and personal information, and impersonating the IRS remains a favorite tactic,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “People can be anxious to get the latest information about their refund or other tax issues, so scammers frequently try using the IRS as a way to trick people. The IRS urges people to be extra cautious about unsolicited messages and avoid clicking any links in an unsolicited email or text if they are uncertain.”&nbsp;

Started in 2002, the IRS' annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen" target="_blank">Dirty Dozen campaign</a>&nbsp;lists 12 scams and schemes that put taxpayers, businesses and the tax professional community at risk of losing money, personal information, data and more. While the Dirty Dozen is not a legal document or a formal listing of agency enforcement priorities, the education effort is designed to raise awareness and protect taxpayers and tax pros from common tax scams and schemes.&nbsp;

As a member of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit" target="_blank">Security Summit</a>, the IRS has worked with state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry for nine years to cooperatively implement a variety of internal security measures to protect taxpayers. The collaborative effort by the Summit partners also has focused on educating taxpayers about scams and fraudulent schemes throughout the year, which can lead to tax-related identity theft. Through initiatives like the Dirty Dozen and the Security Summit program, the IRS strives to protect taxpayers, businesses and the tax system from cyber criminals and deceptive activities that seek to extract information and money.&nbsp;

Phish or smish: Don’t take the bait&nbsp;

The IRS continues to see a barrage of email and text scams targeting taxpayers and others. These schemes frequently peak during tax season but they continue throughout the year. Taxpayers face a wide variety of these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scamsconsumer-alerts" target="_blank">scams and schemes</a>. And tax professionals, payroll providers and human resource departments remain favorite targets of email and text scams since they have sensitive personal and financial information. One common example remains the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-security-summit-partners-warn-of-surge-in-new-client-scams-aimed-at-tax-pros-as-2024-filing-season-approaches" target="_blank">“new client” scam</a>&nbsp;that can target tax pros and others.&nbsp;

That means taxpayers and tax professionals should be alert to fake communications posing as legitimate organizations in the tax and financial community, including the IRS and state tax agencies. These messages arrive in the form of unsolicited texts or emails to lure unsuspecting victims to provide valuable personal and financial information that can lead to identity theft. There are two main types:&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Phishing:&nbsp;An email sent by fraudsters claiming to come from the IRS. The email lures the victims into the scam with a variety of ruses such as enticing victims with a phony tax refund or threatening them with false legal or criminal charges for tax fraud.&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Smishing:&nbsp;A text or smartphone SMS message where scammers often use alarming language such as, "Your account has now been put on hold," or "Unusual Activity Report," with a bogus "Solutions" link to restore the recipient's account. Unexpected tax refunds are another potential lure for scam artists.&nbsp;

Never click on any unsolicited communication claiming to be the IRS as it may surreptitiously load malware. It may also be a way for malicious hackers to load ransomware that keeps the legitimate user from accessing their system and files.&nbsp;

In some cases, phishing emails may appear to come from a legitimate sender or organization that has had their email account credentials stolen. Setting up two-factor or multi-factor authentication with their email provider can reduce the risk of individuals having their email account compromised.&nbsp;

Posing as a trusted organization, friend or family member remains a common way to target individuals and tax preparers for various scams. Individuals should verify the identity of the sender by using another communication method, for instance, calling a number they independently know to be accurate, not the number provided in the email or text.&nbsp;

The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail and will never initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text or social media regarding a bill or tax refund.&nbsp;

Individuals should never respond to tax-related phishing or smishing or click on the URL link. Instead, report all unsolicited email - including the full email headers - claiming to be from the IRS or an IRS-related function to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov" target="_blank">phishing@irs.gov</a>. If someone experienced any monetary losses due to an IRS-related scam incident, they should report it to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta/" target="_blank">Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">Federal Trade Commission</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)</a>.&nbsp;

If a taxpayer receives an&nbsp;email&nbsp;claiming to be from the IRS that contains a request for personal information, taxes associated with a large investment, inheritance or lottery.&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Don't reply.&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Don't open any attachments. They can contain malicious code that may infect the computer or mobile phone.&nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Don't click on any links. If a taxpayer inadvertently clicked on links in a suspicious email or website and entered confidential information, visit the IRS’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central" target="_blank">identity protection</a>&nbsp;page.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Send the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/how-to-forward-the-header-of-a-phishing-email" target="_blank">full email headers</a>&nbsp;or forward the email as-is to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov" target="_blank">phishing@irs.gov</a>. Don't forward screenshots or scanned images of emails because this removes valuable information.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Delete the original email.&nbsp;

If a taxpayer receives a&nbsp;text&nbsp;claiming to be from the IRS that contains a request for personal information, taxes associated with a large investment, inheritance or lottery.&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Don't reply.&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Don't open any attachments. They can contain malicious code that may infect the computer or mobile phone.&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Don't click on any links. If a taxpayer clicked on links in a suspicious SMS and entered confidential information, they should visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central" target="_blank">Identity Theft Central</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Report the message to&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages" target="_blank">7726</a>&nbsp;(SPAM).&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Include both the Caller ID and the message body in an email and send to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov" target="_blank">phishing@irs.gov</a>. Copy the Caller ID from the message by pressing and holding on the body of the text message, then select Copy, paste into the email. If the taxpayer is unable to copy the Caller ID or message body, forward a screenshot of the message.&nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Delete the original text.&nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;For more information see the IRS video on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JAKqrUNf-0" target="_blank">fake IRS-related text messages</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing" target="_blank">Report Phishing and Online Scams&nbsp;</a>page&nbsp;at IRS.gov provides complete details. The Federal Communications Commission's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/smartphone-security" target="_blank">Smartphone Security Checker</a>&nbsp;is a useful tool against mobile security threats.&nbsp;

As part of the Dirty Dozen awareness effort regarding tax schemes and unscrupulous tax return preparers, the IRS urges individuals to report those who promote abusive tax practices and tax preparers who intentionally file incorrect returns.&nbsp;

To report a tax scheme or a dishonest tax return preparer individuals should send a completed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f14242.pdf" target="_blank">Form 14242, Report Suspected Abusive Tax Promotions or Preparers</a>,&nbsp;(along with any supporting materials) via mail or fax to the IRS Lead Development Center in the Office of Promoter Investigations.&nbsp;

Internal Revenue Service Lead Development Center&nbsp; Stop MS5040&nbsp; 24000 Avila Road&nbsp; Laguna Niguel, California 92677 3405&nbsp;

Taxpayers and tax professionals can also submit this information to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/compliance/whistleblower-office" target="_blank">IRS Whistleblower Office</a>, where they may be eligible for a reward. For details, refer to the sections on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/abusive-tax-schemes-and-abusive-tax-return-preparers-irs-lead-development-center" target="_blank">Abusive Tax Schemes and Abusive Tax Return Preparers</a>.&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing" target="_blank">Reporting Phishing and Online Scams</a>&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JAKqrUNf-0" target="_blank">Here's How to Avoid IRS Text Message Scams</a>&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central" target="_blank">Identity Theft Central</a>&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Federal Communications Commission's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/smartphone-security" target="_blank">Smartphone Security Checker</a>&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Federal Trade Commission:&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages" target="_blank">How to recognize and report spam text messages</a>&nbsp;

IRSWASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service has kicked off the annual Dirty Dozen list with a warning for taxpayers to be aware of evolving phishing and smishing scams designed to steal sensitive taxpayer information.&nbsp;With taxpayers continuing to be bombarded by email and text scams, the IRS and the Security Summit partners warned individuals and businesses to remain vigilant against these attacks. Fraudsters and identity thieves attempt to trick the recipient into clicking a suspicious link, filling out personal and financial information or downloading a malware file onto their computer.&nbsp;"Scammers are relentless in their attempts to obtain sensitive financial and personal information, and impersonating the IRS remains a favorite tactic,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “People can be anxious to get the latest information about their refund or other tax issues, so scammers frequently try using the IRS as a way to trick people. The IRS urges people to be extra cautious about unsolicited messages and avoid clicking any links in an unsolicited email or text if they are uncertain.”&nbsp;Started in 2002, the IRS' annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen" target="_blank">Dirty Dozen campaign</a>&nbsp;lists 12 scams and schemes that put taxpayers, businesses and the tax professional community at risk of losing money, personal information, data and more. While the Dirty Dozen is not a legal document or a formal listing of agency enforcement priorities, the education effort is designed to raise awareness and protect taxpayers and tax pros from common tax scams and schemes.&nbsp;As a member of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit" target="_blank">Security Summit</a>, the IRS has worked with state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry for nine years to cooperatively implement a variety of internal security measures to protect taxpayers. The collaborative effort by the Summit partners also has focused on educating taxpayers about scams and fraudulent schemes throughout the year, which can lead to tax-related identity theft. Through initiatives like the Dirty Dozen and the Security Summit program, the IRS strives to protect taxpayers, businesses and the tax system from cyber criminals and deceptive activities that seek to extract information and money.&nbsp;<h2>Phish or smish: Don’t take the bait&nbsp;</h2>The IRS continues to see a barrage of email and text scams targeting taxpayers and others. These schemes frequently peak during tax season but they continue throughout the year. Taxpayers face a wide variety of these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scamsconsumer-alerts" target="_blank">scams and schemes</a>. And tax professionals, payroll providers and human resource departments remain favorite targets of email and text scams since they have sensitive personal and financial information. One common example remains the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-security-summit-partners-warn-of-surge-in-new-client-scams-aimed-at-tax-pros-as-2024-filing-season-approaches" target="_blank">“new client” scam</a>&nbsp;that can target tax pros and others.&nbsp;That means taxpayers and tax professionals should be alert to fake communications posing as legitimate organizations in the tax and financial community, including the IRS and state tax agencies. These messages arrive in the form of unsolicited texts or emails to lure unsuspecting victims to provide valuable personal and financial information that can lead to identity theft. There are two main types:&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Phishing:&nbsp;An email sent by fraudsters claiming to come from the IRS. The email lures the victims into the scam with a variety of ruses such as enticing victims with a phony tax refund or threatening them with false legal or criminal charges for tax fraud.&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Smishing:&nbsp;A text or smartphone SMS message where scammers often use alarming language such as, "Your account has now been put on hold," or "Unusual Activity Report," with a bogus "Solutions" link to restore the recipient's account. Unexpected tax refunds are another potential lure for scam artists.&nbsp;Never click on any unsolicited communication claiming to be the IRS as it may surreptitiously load malware. It may also be a way for malicious hackers to load ransomware that keeps the legitimate user from accessing their system and files.&nbsp;In some cases, phishing emails may appear to come from a legitimate sender or organization that has had their email account credentials stolen. Setting up two-factor or multi-factor authentication with their email provider can reduce the risk of individuals having their email account compromised.&nbsp;Posing as a trusted organization, friend or family member remains a common way to target individuals and tax preparers for various scams. Individuals should verify the identity of the sender by using another communication method, for instance, calling a number they independently know to be accurate, not the number provided in the email or text.&nbsp;The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail and will never initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text or social media regarding a bill or tax refund.&nbsp;<h2>What to do&nbsp;</h2>Individuals should never respond to tax-related phishing or smishing or click on the URL link. Instead, report all unsolicited email - including the full email headers - claiming to be from the IRS or an IRS-related function to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov" target="_blank">phishing@irs.gov</a>. If someone experienced any monetary losses due to an IRS-related scam incident, they should report it to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta/" target="_blank">Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">Federal Trade Commission</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)</a>.&nbsp;If a taxpayer receives an&nbsp;email&nbsp;claiming to be from the IRS that contains a request for personal information, taxes associated with a large investment, inheritance or lottery.&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Don't reply.&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Don't open any attachments. They can contain malicious code that may infect the computer or mobile phone.&nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Don't click on any links. If a taxpayer inadvertently clicked on links in a suspicious email or website and entered confidential information, visit the IRS’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central" target="_blank">identity protection</a>&nbsp;page.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Send the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/how-to-forward-the-header-of-a-phishing-email" target="_blank">full email headers</a>&nbsp;or forward the email as-is to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov" target="_blank">phishing@irs.gov</a>. Don't forward screenshots or scanned images of emails because this removes valuable information.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Delete the original email.&nbsp; If a taxpayer receives a&nbsp;text&nbsp;claiming to be from the IRS that contains a request for personal information, taxes associated with a large investment, inheritance or lottery.&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Don't reply.&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Don't open any attachments. They can contain malicious code that may infect the computer or mobile phone.&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Don't click on any links. If a taxpayer clicked on links in a suspicious SMS and entered confidential information, they should visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central" target="_blank">Identity Theft Central</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Report the message to&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages" target="_blank">7726</a>&nbsp;(SPAM).&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Include both the Caller ID and the message body in an email and send to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov" target="_blank">phishing@irs.gov</a>. Copy the Caller ID from the message by pressing and holding on the body of the text message, then select Copy, paste into the email. If the taxpayer is unable to copy the Caller ID or message body, forward a screenshot of the message.&nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Delete the original text.&nbsp; &nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;For more information see the IRS video on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JAKqrUNf-0" target="_blank">fake IRS-related text messages</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing" target="_blank">Report Phishing and Online Scams&nbsp;</a>page&nbsp;at IRS.gov provides complete details. The Federal Communications Commission's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/smartphone-security" target="_blank">Smartphone Security Checker</a>&nbsp;is a useful tool against mobile security threats.&nbsp;<h2>Report fraud&nbsp;</h2>As part of the Dirty Dozen awareness effort regarding tax schemes and unscrupulous tax return preparers, the IRS urges individuals to report those who promote abusive tax practices and tax preparers who intentionally file incorrect returns.&nbsp;To report a tax scheme or a dishonest tax return preparer individuals should send a completed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f14242.pdf" target="_blank">Form 14242, Report Suspected Abusive Tax Promotions or Preparers</a>,&nbsp;(along with any supporting materials) via mail or fax to the IRS Lead Development Center in the Office of Promoter Investigations.&nbsp;Mail:&nbsp;Internal Revenue Service Lead Development Center&nbsp; Stop MS5040&nbsp; 24000 Avila Road&nbsp; Laguna Niguel, California 92677 3405&nbsp; &nbsp;Fax:&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/232nb/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/PRMA85ES/877-%20477-%209135" target="_blank">877-477-9135</a>Taxpayers and tax professionals can also submit this information to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/compliance/whistleblower-office" target="_blank">IRS Whistleblower Office</a>, where they may be eligible for a reward. For details, refer to the sections on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/abusive-tax-schemes-and-abusive-tax-return-preparers-irs-lead-development-center" target="_blank">Abusive Tax Schemes and Abusive Tax Return Preparers</a>.&nbsp;More information:&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing" target="_blank">Reporting Phishing and Online Scams</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JAKqrUNf-0" target="_blank">Here's How to Avoid IRS Text Message Scams</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central" target="_blank">Identity Theft Central</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Federal Communications Commission's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/smartphone-security" target="_blank">Smartphone Security Checker</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Federal Trade Commission:&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages" target="_blank">How to recognize and report spam text messages</a>&nbsp;

IRS kicks off annual Dirty Dozen with warning about phishing, smishing scams

TOPEKA — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Kansas State Director Christy Davis announced $1,809,677 in investments in renewable energy and efficiency projects to lower costs, generate new income and create jobs for Kansas farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses.

“USDA is committed to&nbsp;ensuring rural Kansas is benefitting from the clean energy economy,” Davis said. “These investments will expand access to renewable energy while creating good-paying jobs and saving Kansas communities and businesses money.”

USDATOPEKA — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Kansas State Director Christy Davis announced $1,809,677 in investments in renewable energy and efficiency projects to lower costs, generate new income and create jobs for Kansas farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses.“USDA is committed to&nbsp;ensuring rural Kansas is benefitting from the clean energy economy,” Davis said. “These investments will expand access to renewable energy while creating good-paying jobs and saving Kansas communities and businesses money.”The details of the Kansas projects are:<ul>
 <li>A&nbsp;$189,554 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install 45.6 kW and 107.5 kW solar arrays for Concrete Service Co. Inc. in&nbsp;Barton and Ellis counties.&nbsp;This project will generate 225,623 kWh per year, enough to power 20 homes and save&nbsp;$19,628 per year.</li><li>A&nbsp;$39,532 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install energy efficient improvements including new HVAC systems, resized ducting, heaters, and a waste oil heater for Niece Products of Kansas Inc in&nbsp;Fort Scott. The project is expected to save 1,943,100 cubic feet of natural gas, 1,160 gallons of diesel, and 85,293 kWh of electricity, the energy equivalent of powering 65 homes. The project is expected to save the company $41,037 per year in fuel, gas, and electricity costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$62,027 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 34 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Route 66 Hardware of&nbsp;Baxter Springs. The project is expected to generate 45,594 kWh per year, enough to power four homes and save the company $6,233 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$181,925 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install three rooftop solar photovoltaic renewable energy systems, an 83 kW and two 17 kW systems, for American Bank at their&nbsp;Baxter Springs&nbsp;and&nbsp;Galena&nbsp;locations. The project is expected to replace 174,829 kWh per year, enough to power 16 homes and save the company $28,369 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$219,284 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install two solar photovoltaic renewable energy systems, a 72.80 kW system and an 84.24 kW system, for US Assets Recovery LLC of&nbsp;Galena. The project is expected to generate 216,915 kWh per year, enough to power 20 homes. The project is expected to save the company $35,220 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$9,360 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 6.24 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Brian Jordan's commercial property management business in&nbsp;Galena. The project is expected to replace 8,395 kWh per year and save the company $1,352 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$16,380 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 10.92 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Liberty Hall LLC of&nbsp;Galena. The project is expected to replace 17,009 kWh per year and save the company $2,450 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$20,659 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 14.08 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Clark Repair of&nbsp;Baldwin City. The project is expected to replace 20,697 kWh per year, enough to power two homes and save the company $2,621 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$51,250 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 41 kW solar array for&nbsp;Hi-Plain Farm Equipment Inc. of&nbsp;Dodge City. This project will generate 55,068 kWh per year, enough to power five homes and save&nbsp;$3,870 per year.</li><li>A&nbsp;$156,183 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 137.16 kW solar array for Blake Koehn, an ag producer in&nbsp;Grant County. This project will produce 250,279 kWh per year, enough electricity to power 23 homes.</li><li>A&nbsp;$21,734 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 15.96 kW solar array for Rick's Auto Repair LLC in&nbsp;Gray County. This project will generate 27,415 kWh per year, enough electricity to power two homes.</li><li>A&nbsp;$22,028 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 114.72 kW solar array for Country Feeds Co. in&nbsp;Gray County. This project will produce 184,860 kWh per year, enough electricity to power 17 homes.</li><li>A&nbsp;$70,565 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 60.48 kW solar array for&nbsp;Nichols Ironworks LLC in&nbsp;Haskell County. This project will produce 89,498 kWh per year, enough electricity to power eight homes.</li><li>A&nbsp;$46,966 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install three solar photovoltaic renewable energy system rated at 6.32 kW, 10.66 kW, and 15.40 kW for RVH Properties LLC of&nbsp;Dennis. The project is expected to replace 71,585 kWh per year, enough to power seven homes and save the company $5,599 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$60,494 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 34.1 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Summit Center LLC&nbsp;of&nbsp;Emporia. The project is expected to replace 54,287 kWh per year, enough to power five homes and save the company $7,744 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$68,957 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 59.2 kW solar array for Rusty Feather LLC of&nbsp;Canton. The project is estimated to replace 74,896 kWh per year, enough energy to power seven homes.&nbsp;</li><li>A&nbsp;$12,187 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 7.5 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system&nbsp;for&nbsp;Ports Farms LLC of&nbsp;Chanute. The project is expected to replace 10,030 kWh per year, enough to power one home. The project is expected to save the company $1,522 per year in electrical costs.</li><li>A&nbsp;$106,850 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install an 81 kW and 40 kW solar arrays for Fusion Bank of&nbsp;Pratt&nbsp;and&nbsp;Larned. The project is estimated to replace 180,047 kWh per year, enough energy to power 16 homes.&nbsp;</li><li>A&nbsp;$110,625 grant&nbsp;help purchase and install an 80 kW and 31 kW solar arrays for Mix-America Redi-Mix Inc. of&nbsp;Hutchinson&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lyons. The project is estimated to replace 65,060 kWh per year, enough energy to power six homes.</li><li>A&nbsp;$61,745 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 40 kW solar array for Hutchinson Transportation Company Inc. of&nbsp;Hutchinson. The project is estimated to replace 65,060 kWh per year, enough energy to power six homes.</li><li>A&nbsp;$56,540 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 47 kW solar array for&nbsp;Custer County Concrete Inc. of&nbsp;Great Bend. The project is estimated to replace 54,199 kWh per year, enough energy to power five homes.</li><li>A&nbsp;$67,717 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 75 kW solar array for Doug Bradley Trucking Inc. of&nbsp;Salina. The project is estimated to replace 97,201 kWh per year, enough energy to power nine homes.</li><li>A&nbsp;$78,250 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 25 kW wind turbine for St. Francis Feed Yard LLC in&nbsp;Sherman County. This project will generate 123,965 kWh per year, enough electricity to power 11 homes and save&nbsp;$8,895 per year.</li><li>A&nbsp;$34,750 grant&nbsp;will help purchase and install a 21.4 kW solar array for&nbsp;Ricky Totten, an agricultural producer in&nbsp;Oxford. The project is estimated to replace 29,4</li>
 </ul>

Area projects among USDA renewable energy investments

TOPEKA - On Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. The Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Highway Patrol advise travelers to plan ahead as traffic is expected to increase.

“Remember that the shoulders of highways and interstates are for emergencies only,” said KHP Capt. Candice Breshears. “Finding a safe and secure location to view the eclipse is a must for all travelers to make it to their destinations safely.”

Travelers should be patient, avoid distractions and practice safe driving habits.

“Pay attention to the roadway, not the sky,” said KDOT Director of Safety Troy Whitworth. “Be on the lookout for other drivers who may be distracted. Traffic will most likely be heavy before, during and after the event in the locations where the eclipse can be viewed. So, plan your travel accordingly.”

Kansas is not in the direct viewing area of the total solar eclipse. It will begin in Mexico and enter the U.S. in Texas, and parts of 14 additional states will experience the total solar eclipse as it travels northeast across the country. Then it will enter Canada.

According to the National Weather Service, a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s elliptical orbit is towards its minimum distance from Earth, making the moon appear larger than the sun. This allows the moon to completely obscure the sun, and a shadow is cast on the Earth’s surface.

Use specialized eye protection to view the sun during this time. Check the weather and plan accordingly – make sure to dress properly and be prepared for potential weather incidents when driving long distances. For information on Kansas road conditions, go to &nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cua2FuZHJpdmUuZ292P3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyNDAzMjguOTI0OTY0MTEifQ.Jib258zM8CYhisHvj7qp7eQTeZMR3X3svNicZicjC9c/s/1410649012/br/239736434006-l">www.kandrive.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 5-1-1.

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Total solar eclipse to cross North America on April 8

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension District

Research at K-State and other regions continue to demonstrate that it is often possible to achieve high levels of foliar disease control with a single fungicide applied between flag leaf emergence and heading growth stages. The yield response to this later fungicide application is influenced by the level of disease risk (amount of disease and predicted weather conditions), variety resistance to the most threatening fungal diseases, crop yield potential, foliar fungicide efficacy, and other factors.

Fungicides can also be applied as an early application made between “spring green-up” and jointing. This application may provide some yield benefits in some fields and years. Early fungicide applications may result in small yield advantages due to a reduction in early disease establishment in the lower canopy. This may be particularly true for “leaf spot diseases” such as tan spot or Septoria leaf blotch that survive in wheat residue and can establish early in the year. Yield benefits are most likely in wheat fields planted back into wheat stubble and when weather conditions are wet enough to favor fungal disease development.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681266655144.jpeg" alt="Stacy Campbell (Courtesy photo)" />
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 </figure>By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension DistrictResearch at K-State and other regions continue to demonstrate that it is often possible to achieve high levels of foliar disease control with a single fungicide applied between flag leaf emergence and heading growth stages. The yield response to this later fungicide application is influenced by the level of disease risk (amount of disease and predicted weather conditions), variety resistance to the most threatening fungal diseases, crop yield potential, foliar fungicide efficacy, and other factors.Fungicides can also be applied as an early application made between “spring green-up” and jointing. This application may provide some yield benefits in some fields and years. Early fungicide applications may result in small yield advantages due to a reduction in early disease establishment in the lower canopy. This may be particularly true for “leaf spot diseases” such as tan spot or Septoria leaf blotch that survive in wheat residue and can establish early in the year. Yield benefits are most likely in wheat fields planted back into wheat stubble and when weather conditions are wet enough to favor fungal disease development.Many active ingredients have use restrictions, during a single season. It is important to ensure that early fungicides do not limit options for fungicide applications at flag leaf (which have the potential for higher yield protection in conducive disease years).Advantages and limitations of split applications -there is no additional cost for application if the fungicide is tank mixed with other products, such as liquid nitrogen fertilizer or herbicide. However, the optimal timing for an early fungicide application is not until after the wheat has jointed – with one or two joints present. This is usually sometime in mid-to-late March in southern Kansas and later in northern Kansas. Top-dressed nitrogen and many postemergence herbicides should be applied before this stage to be most effective and, in many cases, to be within label restrictions, so the optimal timing of both applications may not match. A separate trip for an early fungicide application adds to the cost of production.Provides suppression of early-season disease caused by tan spot, powdery mildew, and septoria leaf blotch that overwinter locally in Kansas. The benefits of fungicides applied at green-up are more sporadic for diseases like leaf rust and stripe rust, which are less likely to survive the winter in Kansas.The limitations of early-season fungicide application include. Leaves not present at the time of application will not be well protected. Therefore, these applications will not control leaf rust orstripe rust epidemics that come in from the south at later stages of growth. The early applications are most effective when combined with a second, later fungicide application.Additional product costs may not pay off under some conditions, when the crop's yield potential may be limited by drought. Remember, the second application does the heavy lifting in the dual-application approach. If capital resources are limited because of low prices, investing your money where you are likely to see the largest yield response may be best.The main conclusions from recent studies in Kansas and Oklahoma are:· In K-State studies, the greatest average profit has come from the flag leaf application of fungicides. Fungicides applied prior to jointing are less likely to result in a positive profit.· The likelihood of profit for an early-season fungicide application is greatest for susceptible varieties in continuous wheat systems with a high level of surface wheat residue.· Fields with hot spots of tan spot, septoria leaf blotch, and stripe rust prior to flag leaf emergence are candidates for an early fungicide application, provided environmental conditions are conducive for further disease development and yield potential of the crop. These applications are often most effective when made around the jointing stages of growth.