Battle of Badges and American Red Cross team up for annual blood drive

By Mary Ann Redeker maryann @ emporia . com

The 11th Annual Battle of the Badges will take place next week when members of local law enforcement and the Emporia Fire Department compete for bragging rights in the American Red Cross blood drive .

Individuals can join the blood drive by donating from noon - 6 p . m . Aug . 10 and 8 a . m . - 2 p . m . Aug . 11 at Emporia Presbyterian Church , 1702 West 15th Ave . Donors ’ blood donations will help decide who wins bragging rights .

Emporia Fire Marshall Reason Bradford said he wanted to extend an invitation to everyone to come out , support the blood drive and have a little fun at the same time by interacting with the agencies .

“ I think it ’ s a good time for everyone who comes out ,” he said . “ I think by the fire department and law enforcement officers being involved , it helps raise awareness about the importance of donating blood and helps get people involved . It ’ s another way for us to help the Red Cross spread the word about donating blood throughout our community . The people of Emporia really come out and we have one of the best blood drives that Red Cross puts on . We feel very fortunate about that .”

Battle of the Badges is a friendly competition to encourage community members to join their local first responders and perform their own heroic act with a blood donation . All presenting donors during the blood drive will get to cast a vote to help decide the winner .

“ Fire and law enforcement

FILE PHOTO

Members of the Emporia Fire Department celebrate their victory over the Emporia Police Department in last year ’ s Battle of the Badges Blood Drive . The two agencies are involved to help raise awareness on the importance of donating blood .

units know firsthand how important it is to have blood readily available for emergencies ,” Jan Hale , communications manager of the Central Plains Blood Services Region said . “ By hosting this blood drive , they are helping ensure that blood is on the shelves before it is needed .”

The fire department collected 115 votes in last year ’ s drive with the police coming in at 112 , giving the fire department a 7-3 lead in the yearly competition . The competition is always fierce with many shenanigans going on during the two-day competition .

“ Of course the fire department won last year ,” Bradford said . “ I think the organizers mess with us though . I think they con people into keeping it really close because it ’ s always decided by two or three votes — at the most five votes . I think they go around and tell people , ‘ Hey the cops are behind so vote for them .’ But that keeps it more fun and we mess with each other . There ’ s a lot of poking and prodding that goes along with it and we have a lot of fun with it .”

Police detective Dominick Vortherms said the police department had an ace up their sleeve this year .

“ The fire department won last year , unfortunately ,” he said . “ We ’ re adding the sheriff ’ s department to our team this year so that is going to help us . We are hoping that with their addition , it will bring even more people out to donate blood from communities like Allen , Olpe , Neosho Rapids , Americus and others . “

While thousands of people from across the country responded to the emergency request for blood donations issued by the American Red Cross in early July , a critical blood shortage remains . The Red Cross urges eligible donors to give now to help ensure blood is available throughout the rest of the summer to meet patient needs .

Please see Battle , Page 3

By John Robinson john @ emporia . com

The Emporia Public School Board held a special meeting Wednesday to review the budget for fiscal year 2017 .

In the new budget , the mill levy is set at around 63 . That figure comes from a combination of the district ’ s levy of 53.594 and the Emporia Recreation Commission ’ s mill levy of 9.275 .

“ It ’ s been five or six years in a row that it ’ s been the same mill levy ,” Rob Scheib , assistant superintendent of business for the district , said . “ We ’ re glad to hold it flat , and with the additional state aid we plan to receive from the ( Kansas ) Supreme Court findings , that ’ s one of the things that allows us to keep a flat mill levy .”

Near the end of May 2016 , the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in the first half of a lawsuit that the current funding model for Kansas Public Schools was not equitable . Scheib said the ruling resulted in additional state aid for the district .

“( Because of ) the lack of freezing ( in ) the capital outlay and local-option budget we ’ re able to get about 179,000 of additional local-option budget state aid and another 500,000 in additional capital outlay state aid ,” he said . “ That ’ s really what we should have gotten last year .

Please see School , Page 3

By John Hanna The Associated Press

What ’ s the cost of a vandalized sign in Lyon County ?

Extra work for the members of the Lyon County Highway Department , frustration for county commissioners and a nearly $ 45,000 bill to Lyon County in 2015 .

Combined with the illegal dumping costs , the county spent $ 58,490.70 on both in the fiscal year 2015 .

That total balloons to more than $ 1 million spent on the pair over the last 20 years .

“ It ’ s really frustrating ,” Scott Briggs , Lyon County commissioner , said . “ If people would understand how many mill levies that has cost over the years between illegal dumping and vandalism to signs and stuff — it ’ s crazy .”

Chip Woods , Lyon County Engineer , called the costs of replacing signs “ mind boggling .”

“ The cost is just phenomenal ,” Woods said . “ Almost $ 800,000 since 1996 to repair and replace the vandalized signs is just mindboggling .”

VOL . 125 , NO . 29

By John Robinson john @ emporia . com

Who can you call if you see illegal dumping ?

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment According to the KDHE , illegal dumping can carry up to a $ 5,000 fine .

The Southeast KDHE office can be reached via phone at 431-2390 .

Also visit the website , kdheks . gov / waste / about _ illegaldump . html .

According to Woods , stop and yield signs are some of the most popular targets for vandals .

“ Once the sheriff calls us we respond as fast as possible ,” he said . “ A week or so ago at the middle of the night we had to go out . It ’ s been so dry they just picked the sign up by the post and threw it in the road .”

Going beyond the cost , Woods said the sign vandalism can quickly becomes a safety concern .

“ It may seem like fun to them but it could actually cause the next person who is unfamiliar with the county to have an accident ,” Woods said .

As for illegal dumping , Woods said the county has seen an increase in discarded refrigerators , washers and dryers .

“ They can actually take that stuff to the metal yard ,” Woods said . “ They ’ ll get money for it instead of just throwing it out .”

Briggs said attempts to curb the problem have not been met with much success so far .

“ I don ’ t know how you deal with this , I really don ’ t ,” he said . “ We ’ ve tried every avenue we can think of and just gotten no response .

“ People don ’ t realize this kind of stuff goes on and it ’ s one of the services the county has to provide .”

AP PHOTO / ORLIN WAGNER , FILE

TOPEKA — A top Senate leader and at least 10 other conservative Kansas legislators have lost their seats as moderate Republicans made GOP primary races a referendum on education funding and the state ’ s persistent budget woes .

Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce was among the lawmakers ousted amid a backlash against Republican Gov . Sam Brownback and his allies . Bruce , from Nickerson , fell in his south-central Kansas district to Ed Berger , former president of Hutchinson Community College .

Bruce was a particular target because of his visibility as the Senate ’ s No . 2 leader . He also had disagreements with the Senate ’ s top leader , President Susan Wagle , of Wichita . Bruce is closer to Brownback than Wagle is .

“ He seemed to care more about what the Brownback administration wanted rather than what the people he represented wanted ,” said Mary Dondlinger , an 80-yearold retired Hutchinson teacher and Republican who voted for Berger .

Five other conservative senators lost in races that spanned the state . So did five conservative House members , all of them from affluent Kansas City-area suburbs in Johnson County , the state ’ s most populous , where voters have cherished good public schools for decades .

The voting occurred against the backdrop not only of the state ’ s fiscal woes but ongoing legal and

Please see Senate , Page 3