TOPEKA–Kansas Securities Commissioner Josh Ney and Kansas State Bank Commissioner Deryl Schuster announced the winners of the 2015 Financial Scholars Essay Contest Thursday in an awards ceremony held at the Kansas state capitol. The contest was jointly sponsored by the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner (KSC) and the Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC).

A total of five scholarships, ranging from $500 to $2500, were awarded to Kansas high school seniors to help cover the cost of tuition at a Kansas school of higher education.

Students were asked to submit an essay profiling an individual whose personal financial decisions impacted the lives of others and applying the wisdom or lessons from that person’s life to their own future financial plans. To be eligible, students must have participated in at least one of three financial literacy programs sponsored by the state agencies: EverFi, the Stock Market Game, or Life$marts.

Abby Oberle, a senior at De Soto High School, won the top prize of $2,500.

Other scholarship winners in attendance were: 2nd place: Kaitlyn Dinges, Ness City High School; 3rd place: Keeley Taylor, Haven High School; and 4th place: Paden Griffiths, Herington High School. The 5th place winner, Broque Short from Derby High School, was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.

Dinges won a $2,000 scholarship.

She wrote her essay about her parents, who taught Kaitlyn many valuable lessons about business and money management. The following is an excerpt from her essay:

“My parents have made a huge positive impact on my future in numerous ways. With all of the information they instilled upon me at an early age, I feel ahead of many of my peers because of the monetary background I have. This will prove very useful in the near future when I’m living on my own and budgeting for college, living expenses, and my hobbies.”

Kaitlyn plans to attend Fort Hays State University next year, where she will compete on the rodeo team and dual-major in Business and Finance with an emphasis in Agricultural Economics.

She traveled to Topeka for the ceremony along with her mother Brenda Dinges and teacher Tonya Fenley. At the capitol, Kaitlyn was also recognized by Governor Sam Brownback and local legislators Senator Mitch Holmes and Representative John Ewy.

The commissioners for both of the sponsoring agencies were impressed with the quality of the winning essays and wished the recipients well. “It is inspiring to see so many of our young people making financial responsibility a priority in their lives,” said Ney. “Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all of the participants who entered.”

“I commend every student who participated in the Kansas Financial Scholars Essay Scholarship Contest. It is clear from the essays that students recognize the importance of making sound financial decisions and how those decisions will benefit them in the future,” said Schuster. “I extend my congratulations to our award winners and wish them every success as they pursue their higher education goals.”

All students who submitted an essay into the contest received a $10 Amazon gift card to be used toward the purchase of a financial app, tool, or book of their choice.

A few scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible across far northern and far northeast Kansas today through Saturday. Conditions should be dry from Saturday afternoon through Sunday with high temperatures reaching into the low/mid 80s on Sunday. However, by Sunday night a stretch of wet weather is expected to set in with several chances for showers and thunderstorms through at least mid week.

Today: Mostly sunny. Highs around 77. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows around 56. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the morning. Highs around 80. South winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows around 60. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Sunday Night And Monday: Mostly cloudy with thunderstorms likely. Lows around 60. Highs in the mid 70s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Monday Night: Thunderstorms likely. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tuesday: Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows around 60.

Wednesday: Thunderstorms likely. Highs in the mid 70s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s.

Former longtime Geary County Sheriff Jim Gross, 78,  has died.

Police confirmed he passed away Thursday in Junction City.

Following his retirement from the Sheriff’s Department, Gross operated a local business “Gross Wrecker” for many years in the Geary County community.

 

TOPEKA- Two Kansas teenagers were injured in an accident just after 9 p.m. on Thursday in Wabaunsee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Taylor E. Benteman, 17, Paxico, was eastbound in the driving lane on Interstate 70 sixteen miles west of Topeka.

Another vehicle slowed in front of the jeep causing the driver to swerve left to avoid a collision. The driver overcorrected to the right, left the roadway and overturned multiple times.

Benteman and a passenger in the vehicle Lauren E. Newell, 14, Maple Hill, were transported to Stormont Vail.

Benteman was not wearing a seat belt according to the KHP

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Stan Hambright to the Board.

He is the Human Resource / Safety Manager and Secretary / Treasurer for Bayer Construction Company, Inc.

Hambright was a member of the “Flint Hlls Regional Leadership Program Class of 2009 and 2010. He has served on the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Activities Committee since 2012. He has also been involved in the Junction City Crossroads of Leadership as a Trustee since 2010.

 

The Annual Geary County 3rd Grade Ag Day will be held Friday at the Geary County 4-H fairgrounds. 

Over 700 3rd grade students will be attending to learn about the agriculture industry. The programs are taught by 4-H members and Extension Educational Unit members from Geary County.

There will be classroom-type presentations and presentations involving livestock.

There will be two sessions, one from 9:15 – 11 :15 a.m., and the other from noon until 2 p.m.

The Junction City area Chamber of Commerce is renaming and refocusing the Activities Division.

The new name of the division will be the Membership Enhancement Division and it’s primary focus will be on the Chamber’s members according to Mark Ediger, Chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors.

“The whole purpose and the whole focus of this division is going to be getting out and touching our members and seeing if we can be additional help to them, whatever they need,” said Ediger.

The Membership Enhancement Division will fall under the responsibility of the new Chamber CEO, when that person is hired.

The Geary County Democrats will be conducting their May meeting Tuesday, May 5th at the Dorthy Bramlage Public Library.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the only agenda item is to finalize plans for the annual Democratic Banquet scheduled for May 28th at the Courtyard by Marriott. The guest speaker will be Anthony Hensley, Minority Leader of the Kansas Senate.

Social hour will begin at 6:00 p.m. with dinner to follow at 7:00 p.m.. Tickets are $40 each and those interested in attending can contact Shelley Hoyle-Kite at tandskite@cox.net or by phone at 238-6222.

A group of 33 International Military Officers representing Country’s from each continent spent the past three days at Fort Riley learning about the US Army and how US Soldiers train.

Maj. Gen. William Duffy, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, U.S. Army explained that he is taking the International Officers to Military Installations across the nation and showing them how the US Army works on multiple levels.

“The idea is to build partnerships, friendships, show other Army’s how we work so that when we work together in the future we know each other and can be more successful,” said Maj. Gen. Duffy.

Fort Riley was chosen as one of the stops because it is a Division level post, home of the 1st Infantry Division.

Col. Bengt Alexandersson, Sweden; Army/Armor, explained that he was impressed with what he saw at Fort Riley and the size of the installation.

“It’s really a professional platform for training a good Soldier and good units. I’m really impressed by the huge area that they can really train about two Brigades at one time. That’s one thing I’m taking with me from this area,” said Col. Alexandersson.

During the visit the group took a ground and aerial tour of the post, toured the training center on post and had the opportunity to test out some of the simulators.

LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the White House is rejecting a proposal to largely replace the military’s TRICARE health care system but has agreed to further study a proposal that would let service members participate in retirement savings plans like a 401(k).

The administration is prepared to support 10 recommendations made by the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, mainly for less sweeping changes and improvements affecting child care, education, travel and other benefits. The decisions reflect recommendations made by the Pentagon.

The panel released a report in late January laying out 15 recommendations they estimated would generate more than $20 billion in savings over four years. U.S. officials described the administration plans on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly.

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WASHINGTON (AP) – The House Armed Services Committee has passed a nearly $612 billion defense policy bill.

The measure would change military retirement benefits and keep the A-10 attack jet flying, even though the Pentagon wants to retire it.

The 60 to 2 vote came after 4 a.m. Thursday following a more than 18-hour committee session.

The committee agreed to move on retirement reforms suggested earlier this year by the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission.

Under the change, military members could still get defined pension benefits, but they could also enroll in a thrift savings plan, like a 401(k), that would include some matching contributions from the government.

The change would allow troops to get at least some retirement benefit even if they don’t stay in the military for 20 years.