In Kansas News
Federal lawmakers from Kansas have introduced a bill that would transfer control of Haskell Indian Nations University to Haskell’s Board of Regents.
The legislation would maintain federal funding for the college, which serves American Indians and Alaska natives. It would reclassify Haskell as a federally chartered corporation.
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and Rep. Tracey Mann announced the draft bill in a news release.
Joseph "Zeke" Rupnick is chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi (pah-toe-WAH-toe-mee) Nation near Lawrence. He says the U.S. Department of Interior has neglected and mismanaged the school for years.
"Those are some of the areas that we’re really hoping that this legislation will help correct. And it’s really kind of all part of tribal self-governance.”
Haskell administrators have faced investigations and criticism from Congress over their alleged failure to address student complaints.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach asked the U.S. Department of Education today (Tuesday) to investigate four Kansas school districts over concerns about transgender students. Suzanne Perez of the Kansas News Service reports.
"Last year, Kobach sent letters to six Kansas school districts challenging policies that allow employees to hide from parents the fact that a student may be using a different name or pronoun at school.
Now the attorney general is asking federal officials to investigate four districts he says are “socially transitioning” students without parents’ consent.
The districts are Kansas City, Kansas, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and Topeka.
In a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Kobach says the policies violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Officials with the districts have said their practices protect students and parents and comply with current laws.
For the Kansas News Service, I’m Suzanne Perez in Wichita."
And in Missouri News
Six state parks in Missouri now have Action Track Chairs for use by those with physical disabilities. A recent donation by the Missouri Parks Association brought the Missouri Department of Natural Resources State Parks’ fleet up to six chairs total.
Track Chairs have tracks instead of wheels, which allow users to take them in areas regular wheelchairs can’t go.
Chris Fritsche (FRIT-chee), superintendent at both the Battle of Lexington and Confederate Memorial State Historic Sites, says, for some people, the Trackchairs make all the difference in the world.
“It’s a sense of freedom to do something that everyone else can normally do.”
Track Chairs are at the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site, General John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site, Elephant Rocks State Park, Castlewood State Park and Bryant Creek and Bennett Spring State Parks.
Fritsche recommends calling and reserving a chair a couple of days in advance. There are no fees to reserve them, but the user must be accompanied by someone 18 or older.