Latest news with #EmporiaStateUniversity
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Teachers killed in Apalachee HS shooting to be added to national memorial
The Brief Math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie will join the names on the National Memorial to Fallen Educators later this month. The teachers were known in the community for their kindness and passion for teaching. The memorial was established in 2013 and is the only national site in the United States that permanently honors K-12 public and private educators and school employees who died in the line of duty. BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Two teachers killed during last year's shooting at Apalachee High School will be added to the National Memorial to Fallen Educators later this month. Math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie will join the names on the memorial at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas after a ceremony on June 20. The backstory Cristina Irimie was a beloved figure in the Romanian community of Gwinnett and Barrow counties, known for her passion for teaching and her commitment to preserving her heritage. Father Nicolae Clempus, pastor of St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church in Dacula, said teaching was not just a job for her, it was her life's passion. She dedicated her life to both educate and uplift children both at her high school and in her Romanian immigrant community. "The first thing you see is her big smile. She was always smiling," Clempus said. Some students reported that Irimie heroically died while trying to shield others from harm. When Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall wasn't teaching his students math, he was motivating them on the football field. His fellow coaches described Aspinwall as an amazing husband, father, and teacher as well as a "helluva human being." "He was a tremendous football coach, but I tell people that's not why everybody loved him,"close friend Derek Tiller told FOX 5. "Everybody loved him because he was a selfless individual that wanted to do everything he could to make the program better and do what he could to help kids. And he lived that out every day and because of that, I want to make sure to keep that alive and people know what a great person he really was." Dig deeper The other individuals who will be honored at the ceremony are: Annie Louise Keller, 25, teacher at Centerville (Illinois) Country School, killed by tornado debris on April 19, 1927. Christopher J. Trakimas, 61, boiler mechanic, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District, died May 18, 2016, after a workplace explosion. Nohema Graber, 66, Spanish teacher, Fairfield (Iowa) High School, killed Nov. 2, 2021. Kevin Garrison, 56, maintenance supervisor, Elkhorn (Nebraska) Public Schools, died Sept. 4, 2024, in a construction incident. Leah Seneng, 60, art teacher, Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, California, died Nov. 22, 2024, from a rabid bat bite sustained on school property. Erin M. West, 42, teacher, Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, died in a school shooting on Dec. 16, 2024. Carol L. Mendiola-Mooers, 48, school counselor, Bering Strait (Alaska) School District, died in a Feb. 7, 2025, plane crash en route to visit with students. The memorial was established in 2013 and is the only national site in the United States that permanently honors K-12 public and private educators and school employees who died in the line of duty. "Each name is a legacy," said Maddie Fennell, executive director of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. "And we're calling on the public to help us ensure those legacies are seen, read, and remembered." What you can do The National Teachers Hall of Fame has started a fundraising campaign to raise money needed to purchase and install another "book" made of black granite for the next set of names. You can learn more about the GoFundMe here. The Source Information for this story came from a release by the National Teachers Hall of Fame and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Groundbreaking set in Emporia for $43 million internet project
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Governor Laura Kelly announced that a groundbreaking is scheduled for a $43 million project aimed at improving internet speeds in Kansas. A groundbreaking will be held at 10 a.m. on June 18 at Emporia State University for the Freestate Middle Mile Network. The project will create a 670-mile fiber optic network, creating new internet exchange points throughout the state. 'The Freestate Network represents yet another transformative step in strengthening our digital future by laying the groundwork for long-term growth and connectivity in our communities,' Kelly said. 'The network underscores my administration's commitment to making Kansas a national leader in broadband innovation and infrastructure.' The project will focus on expanding high-capacity national and regional broadband networks, strengthening public safety and providing leasing opportunities for local providers. Flood watch issued for northeast Kansas counties 'The Freestate Middle Mile Network, which is publicly funded and publicly owned, showcases our state's financial stewardship and strategic approach to improving the digital landscape,' said Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland. 'It not only brings federal dollars into Kansas but ensures those dollars stay here by supporting our communities and driving local economic growth.' For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas House speaker launches campaign for insurance commissioner with pro-Trump rhetoric
Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, announced his run for state insurance commissioner on May 13, 2025, which was followed up with a fundraising event in Downtown Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Longtime Republican legislator Dan Hawkins declared Tuesday his intention to run for Kansas insurance commissioner in an announcement laced with pro-Trump sentiments. Hawkins, an insurance agent from Wichita, followed the announcement with an event in downtown Topeka attended by fellow legislators, government officials and lobbyists, the early supporters of a nearly two-year campaign. He is the first candidate for insurance commissioner to announce he will seek the office in 2026. 'As I considered my next steps and how I can continue to serve my fellow Kansans, it became clear that my decades of experience helping individuals and small businesses navigate the complexities of the insurance industry could be especially beneficial to people across the state,' he said in a statement. Hawkins, 64, was first elected to the House in 2012, and he has served as House speaker, the chamber's top leadership position, since 2023. During the most recent legislative session, Hawkins led a supermajority of House Republicans who were set on enacting conservative legislation. They successfully overrode a flurry of vetoes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Hawkins is a husband, father and grandfather. He is a graduate of Emporia State University and a veteran of the Kansas National Guard, and he has been in the insurance business for three decades, specializing in employee benefits. While in public office, Hawkins has been a staunch opponent of Medicaid expansion, the state-level process that would allow low-income adults to be covered under the public insurance program. His campaign for insurance commissioner is rooted in conservative Republican values. The first words that appear on his campaign website are: 'PRO-LIFE. PRO-GUN. PRO-TRUMP.' He characterized the hallmark of his time as House speaker as leading 'the charge to stop Laura Kelly's radically liberal agenda.' Hawkins will seek the GOP nomination in the 2026 primary. His current term as a legislator expires at the end of 2026. The insurance commissioner oversees the Kansas Insurance Department, which regulates insurance companies that operate in the state. Hawkins said creating a 'competitive insurance environment' in Kansas would be his objective if elected. He believes deregulation would increase consumers' options, lower costs and make insurance issues easier to navigate. 'No Kansan should be denied coverage,' he said. 'Just like President Trump has made it his mission to make life miserable for foreign cartels, it will be my job as insurance commissioner to do the same for any insurance company that does not follow the law.' In a statement of substantial interest filed April 22, Hawkins reported that he receives commissions from six insurance companies, ranging from medical to dental to life insurance. He is on the payroll at his own insurance agency, the Hawkins Group, and at Conrade Insurance Group, which is based in Newton. Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is Hawkins' campaign treasurer. 'One only needs to talk with Dan for a few minutes to see his love for our state and its people,' Eisenhower said in a statement. 'The insurance industry can be very complex and confusing and it's important that Kansans have an advocate in the insurance department.' Hawkins' announcement is the latest in a trickle of candidacy declarations. Current Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt hasn't said whether she will seek a third term. She is expected to join a crowded governor's race. Most recently, former Gov. Jeff Colyer, who filled former Gov. Sam Brownback's position in 2018 after Brownback left for a post in the first Trump administration, filed paperwork assigning a treasurer to a gubernatorial campaign but hasn't made a formal announcement. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and conservative podcaster Doug Billings have also declared intentions to run as Republicans. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican, and Lt. Gov. David Toland, a Democrat, also are widely expected to run for governor.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas Supreme Court affirms product liability immunity of gun maker, seller in civil suit
The Kansas Supreme Court issued an opinion Friday that affirmed summary judgment granted by a Lyon County District Court judge against a lawsuit filed by a one-time Emporia State University football player shot by a teammate in 2018. The suit contended gun manufacturer Beretta and gun retailer Bass Pro Shop should have marketed a firearm with safety features sufficient to prevent his injury. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court agreed Friday with a district court decision tossing a lawsuit filed by a former Emporia State University football player shot by a teammate who mistakenly believed that disassembling his newly purchased handgun required pulling the trigger. In 2018, Andre Lewis bought a Beretta APX 9mm handgun at Bass Pro Outdoor World in Olathe. While idling his Dodge Charger at a downtown Emporia stoplight several months later, Lewis decided to show his front-seat passenger, Marquise Johnson, that he knew how to take the gun apart. Court records show Lewis was convinced the gun wouldn't fire with the magazine removed and that the trigger had to be pulled before disassembly the weapon. Lewis was wrong on both counts, and the bullet that had been in the chamber struck Johnson in his left leg. The wound resulted in amputation of the limb below the knee. Johnson's attorneys filed a product liability lawsuit against gun manufacturer Beretta and retailer Bass Pro Shops. The suit alleged Bass Pro sold and Beretta manufactured a defective and unreasonably dangerous handgun. 'Unintentional shootings like Marquise Johnson's are preventable,' said plaintiff's attorney Jonathan Lowy. 'Like any other product, guns can and should be made as safe as possible to make injuries less likely.' The District Court in Lyons County granted summary judgment in favor of the firearm maker and seller based on a reading of the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. The PLCAA forbids lawsuits against manufacturers or sellers when a person criminally or unlawfully misused a firearm. This federal immunity designed to shield the gun industry wouldn't hold if the gun was used as intended or in a reasonable way. The case attracted an amicus brief from Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund that argued the immunity law applied only if the 'volitional act, apart from the discharge, constitutes a criminal offense.' In a split decision, the Kansas Court of Appeals reversed the district court and determined the federal statute didn't offer immunity to defendants in this case because Lewis didn't intend to discharge the gun. In an appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court, however, the firearm manufacturer and dealer argued the Court of Appeals came to the wrong conclusion about application of the federal law and that liability immunity existed because Lewis deliberately pulled the trigger. The state Supreme court found that argument persuasive. 'We hold that firearm sellers' interpretation is a better reasoned and more accurately reflects Congress' intent as reflected in the text of the PLCAA,' said Supreme Court Justice K.J. Wall. Wall, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, said factual disputes about whether Lewis' actions made him culpable for a criminal offense would typically be resolved by a jury. However, the justice said, it was a violation of state law for Lewis to discharge the gun on a public road. 'Under the unique facts of this case,' Walls wrote, 'any dispute about Lewis' mental state cannot save Johnson's lawsuit from the PLCAA's immunity provision.' He said the Court of Appeals erred by reversing District Court Judge Merlin Wheeler's decision to grant summary judgement against Johnson. The court record indicated Lewis purchased the Beretta after reviewing Bass Pro Shop's '10 commandments of safe gun handling,' which included a rule about keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Apparently, Lewis reviewed the rules before signing a form to acknowledge he had read them. The Beretta was accompanied by a user manual that explained the gun could fire even after a magazine had been removed. In addition, the booklet stated the gun's striker-deactivation button allowed users to disassemble the gun without pulling the trigger. The Beretta APX had a warning stamped on the gun frame that was on point in the case: 'FIRES WITHOUT MAGAZINE.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Emporia State University president defends cuts, firings in bid to recast higher education culture
Emporia State University President Ken Hush, who fired tenured and tenure-track faculty as part of an initiative to right-size the university, outlined his philosophy of higher education administration for members of the Kansas Senate's government efficiency committee. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Emporia State University President Ken Hush defended Wednesday faculty and staff firings as well as academic program reallocations as overdue changes tied to imposition of a market-oriented business model at the liberal arts university. Hush, a former president of a Koch Industries company hired to lead his alma mater in 2021, said aggressive administrative reform to address ESU's financial, enrollment and political realities ran counter to an ESU culture with a vested interest in avoiding rehabilitation. He said his work showed how a higher education reformer could be punished for seeking change, he said. Hush's allies in the Kansas Legislature approved back-to-back $9 million special earmarks to help the university endure an enrollment-decline backlash. The appropriations were denounced by at least one legislator as special-interest government bailouts. It was the president's dismissal of tenured and tenure-track faculty in 2022 that triggered three years of state and federal court litigation and introduction by ESU's general counsel a bill in the 2025 session that would retroactively undermine tenure rights across Kansas. 'The cost of inaction has been huge,' Hush said during a presentation to the Senate Government Efficiency Committee on his philosophical approach to university leadership. 'It should have been done a decade-plus ago. It's massive and it's painful now.' Overland Park Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Democrat on the Senate committee, asked Hush whether he was finished downsizing the faculty at ESU. 'I don't know,' Hush said. 'That's probably the honest answer to the total university. We feel comfortable where we're at.' He said the ability of fired ESU faculty to press their case in court meant additional dismissals were on hold. ESU relied on a process approved by the Kansas Board of Regents during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency that eased due-process guarantees of faculty at the six public state universities, including University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University and ESU. 'On the faculty, we're stuck,' Hush said. 'No more efficiencies there until someone decides on litigation.' In December, U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson rejected a motion filed by ESU to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former faculty. Robinson said court precedent demonstrated a property interest existed in tenure held by Kansas higher education faculty. In other words, Hush told legislators, ESU's use of the Board of Regents' policy making it easier to jettison tenured faculty 'didn't work.' During the presentation at the Capitol, Hush focused on what he referred to as the ESU Model of reform that emphasized zero-based budgeting, trend analysis and profit-and-loss assessments. He said the objective was to right-size ESU rather than simply downsize the university. He said he didn't want the Legislature to cut state appropriations to ESU, but he expected to capture savings to invest in university priorities. Leaders of ESU had to be reeducated to a way of thinking that better represented interests of students and taxpayers, he said. Significant change was essential, Hush said, because community surveys showed the word salad describing ESU included 'mediocrity,' 'no financial acumen,' 'slow,' 'no accountability,' arrogant,' 'inaction,' 'dictators versus team,' 'low expectations' and 'not data driven.' 'We got problems, and culture problems,' Hush said. 'Basically, what we were doing over the years — we were preserving the institution.' Hush said transformation was initially aided by a three-person subcommittee that allowed ESU to discuss reform ideas. The advisory panel was comprised of state Board of Regents member Wint Winter and former Board of Regents members Mark Hutton and Cindy Lane, Hush said. He said work of the subcommittee was terminated to end conflict with the Kansas Open Records Act. 'They were our team throughout this entire process,' Hush said. 'Unfortunately, the three-person committee was disbanded a year ago. We're sitting here — it's tough — because we have no one to bounce it off of. It put pressure on us — not having a sounding board.' Hush said decline in the U.S. college-age population meant colleges and universities were in fierce competition for enrollment. He said the shrinking supply of potential students was juxtaposed with growing demand among higher education institutions. The state's research universities — KSU, KU, WSU — have a student recruiting advantage by offering medical, law, agriculture and aviation degree programs and because they have bigger endowments to award scholarships, he said. He said enrollment turf wars were ongoing: 'It spells out full competition. Head-on fighting for students.' Hush said he reached out to Emporia and Lyon County government officials to generate additional resources for ESU. He turned to the ESU Foundation, which 'stepped up' for the university on several occasions. 'My God,' he said, 'they had $120 million sitting over there. I don't know what they're waiting for. They ought to be reinvesting.' Hush said he was frustrated ESU, Flint Hills Technical College and the Emporia public school district didn't work more collaboratively to deliver instruction in basic courses. In September, Hush sent a letter to a local economic development agency suggesting state legislators could force merger of the technical college with ESU. In that correspondence, he said the Emporia Regional Development Association ought to give $500,000 annually to ESU if it was able to offer $100,000 annually to Flint Hills. 'Here we are — we don't even work with them,' Hush said. Sen. Patrick Schmidt, a Topeka Democrat on the Senate efficiency committee, asked whether Hush was considering a hostile takeover or some form of affiliation with Flint Hills. Hush said there were ongoing talks with Flint Hills through a mediator. 'It's a natural merge,' Hush said. 'We don't approach it as an acquisition. It's work in progress. It's open discussion. We have to do something.' Sen. Douglas Shane, a Louisburg Republican on the efficiency committee, said the presentation by Hush was welcomed anomaly. Shane is in his first-term senator. 'This has probably been my favorite presentation this entire session,' Shane said. 'It's very refreshing to hear a university president speak so candidly and having taken such a strong leadership position in their institution.' Shane said conflict existed between university administrators and faculty. The senator earned from Kansas State a veterinary degree and a doctorate in pathobiology, and worked on KSU's Olathe campus as an animal health professor. 'Sometimes a Ph.D., for some folks, just means piled higher and deeper,' Shane said. 'I think you've been able to see that in an academic environment, in any university environment, change is really, really hard.'
