October 14 2024

FLASH…FREEZE WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS…
1. Kansas Secretary of State Urges Voters to Use Drop Boxes or Vote Early Instead of Mail Ballots
2. FAA Official Discusses Future of Pilot-less Flight at Kansas Aviation Summit
3. Kansas GOP Leader Pushes for 0% Corporate Income Tax in Private Zoom Calls
4. Chiefs’ Harrison Butker forms political action committee to promote traditional values
5. AGCO Announces Layoffs at Hesston Manufacturing Plant, Expansion in Mexico
Central KS Restaurants / 56 Family Restaurant, Galva, KS
Sports

FLASH…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A FREEZE WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS…THE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING, WITH SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES POSSIBLY DROPPING AS LOW AS 29 DEGREES IN SOME AREAS…

1. Kansas Secretary of State Urges Voters to Use Drop Boxes or Vote Early Instead of Mail Ballots

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said he’s “pleased” with a conversation with United States Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy after criticizing his agency’s response to issues with mailed ballots. On Sept. 9 Schwab sent a letter to DeJoy over the mishandling of nearly 1,000 ballots in Kansas. In a Sept. 28 news release, Schwab indicated that he hadn’t heard back from DeJoy. “I am deeply troubled by the USPS’s dismissal of these concerns, especially given the November General Election is weeks away,” Schwab said at the time. Since then, Schwab has publicly asked Kansans to avoid returning ballots by mail and said voters should instead opt for designated drop boxes or take advantage of early voting at county election offices. In a news release on Thursday Schwab said he finally had a conversation with DeJoy and said the conversation was fruitful. “I had a productive conversation with Postmaster General DeJoy today,” Schwab said. “He reassured me that the USPS will implement new measures to prevent similar issues in the upcoming General Election and acknowledged past errors in processing primary ballots.” But Schwab stopped short of advocating for returning mailed ballots through the postal service.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

2. FAA Official Discusses Future of Pilot-less Flight at Kansas Aviation Summit

SALINA — The deputy regional administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration says her agency needs to do more work to educate the public on the pilot-less future of flight. Deb Sanning spoke to a small crowd Monday at the Kansas Aviation Summit, which was held at the Salina Regional Airport. The summit was presented by Kansas State University’s Salina campus and organized by U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann to allow aviation representatives to provide updates on their work in the state. Sanning oversees the central regional airports district, which includes Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. She said uncrewed flights, or those without pilots, are becoming more normalized on a wide scale as more aviation companies invest in electric propulsion systems and autonomous programs. Aviation companies are clamoring to utilize drones in nationwide flight paths, and she said the FAA is actively working to incorporate that request into its regulatory policies. “We understand that the federal government is in this ‘crawl-walk-run’ stage when it comes to all these emerging technologies,” Sanning said. “You must know, this new era is huge. Some call it the next Kitty Hawk.”

Article Source: KS Reflector

3. Kansas GOP Leader Pushes for 0% Corporate Income Tax in Private Zoom Calls

House Majority Leader Chris Croft told Johnson County Republicans in private Zoom calls in May that he wants to drive the corporate income tax rate to zero next year, and he tempered his enthusiasm for trying to lure the Kansas City Chiefs across state lines with concern about Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly taking credit. Kansas Reflector obtained audio files from Zoom calls on May 10, May 31 and June 21. Screenshots show participants on the calls include GOP candidates for legislative races in Johnson County. Other participants include Karen Crnkovich, a congressional candidate who lost her primary election; Clay Barker, general counsel to Secretary of State Scott Schwab; and Debbie Detmer, a GOP precinct committeewoman in Shawnee who has protested the “indoctrination” of public school children. The conversations, led by Croft, focus on legislative priorities, fundraising and campaigning.

Article Source: KS Reflector

4. Chiefs’ Harrison Butker forms political action committee to promote traditional values

Harrison Butker, the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, established a political action committee called Upright PAC this weekend, taking another step into the world of electoral politics. Butker announced the PAC alongside an endorsement of Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley on social media, saying he would use the PAC to encourage Christians to vote. “We’re seeing our values under attack every day. In our schools, in the media, and even from our own government,” the PACs website says. “But we have a chance to fight back and reclaim the traditional values that have made this country great. That’s why UPRIGHT PAC was founded.” Butker, a conservative Catholic, is often outspoken about his political beliefs — particularly his opposition to abortion.

Article Source: KC Star

5. AGCO Announces Layoffs at Hesston Manufacturing Plant, Expansion in Mexico

Less than four months after announcing a 6 percent reduction in its salaried workforce, AGCO announced this week that there were layoffs at its manufacturing facility in Hesston. AGCO said fewer than 70 people were laid off. The company said it is experiencing a decrease in customer demand this year and is taking steps to reduce costs. The agricultural company’s website lists locations in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and 14 European countries. On June 12, AGCO announced plans to move some of its production of small balers and other machines to Mexico in 2025 while the Hesston plant would continue manufacturing products like large square balers and combines. The company said the production-shifting move wasn’t expected to require layoffs in Hesston. Thirteen days later, AGCO announced the staff reduction but did not disclose which employees would be cut. It said then that “Hesston will continue to manufacture Massey Ferguson windrowers, large square balers, combines and combine headers using the more than $28 million in investments made in the Kansas facility since 2021.”

Article Source: KWCH

Central KS Restaurants / 56 Family Restaurant, Galva, KS

Editor’s Note: One of my toughest duties as the editor of Ad Astra is conducting local restaurant reviews. Over the past several weeks, I’ve visited various restaurants around central Kansas, sampling their entrees — and always dessert. I published the accounts of my first 5 experiences. Here’s an excerpt from that post.

I visited 56 Family Restaurant in Galva, Kansas, on a clear Friday evening. The restaurant is located about six miles east of McPherson on Highway 56, a two-lane blacktop highway. The interior is decorated with various street signs and was emptier than normal due to home high school football games in both McPherson and Galva that night. The menu offers classic American diner fare, with hearty dishes that are sure to satisfy but will also clog your arteries. To wit, I ordered the country fried steak with bacon-wrapped asparagus and mashed potatoes. My mom opted for the walleye, a bold choice in central Kansas where the nearest body of water is the Marion Reservoir. We later found out the fish was flown in frozen from Canada daily. Dad went with the ribeye. The country fried steak was excellent, and I sampled both the ribeye and the walleye, which were equally tasty. I discarded my normally utilitarian dining habits and ordered the Rocky Road pie with a brownie crust for dessert. It did not disappoint. Guests could either pay by cash at the table or by credit card at the register. Our total came to $73.18. 56 Family Restaurant is a throwback to 1950s Americana, in the best possible sense.   

Sports

KSU 31 CU 26  

KSU rises 1 spot to #17 in new AP poll after win over CU 

@ W. Va next week   

Kansas Men’s Basketball Opens Season as No. 1 in AP Poll  

Kansas men’s basketball will open the 2024-25 season as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 for a second straight season and fifth time in poll history. The Jayhawks on Monday received 30 of a possible 60 first-place votes from an AP panel. Alabama came in second with 14 first-place votes, while UConn, Houston and Iowa State completed the top five.

Article Source: AP, Wichita Eagle

Sources

2. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/10/14/kansas-secretary-of-state-usps-louis-dejoy-2024-election-ballots-mail-delivery-issues/75631775007/

3. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/12/the-next-kitty-hawk-faa-regional-administrator-talks-future-of-flight-at-kansas-aviation-summit/

4. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/11/kansas-republican-leader-says-0-corporate-tax-rate-is-next-big-thing-in-private-zoom-call/

5. https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article293946799.html

6. https://www.kwch.com/app/2024/10/11/agco-laying-off-employees-hesston-manufacturing-facility/

8. https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
https://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article293948859.html