New research out of Stanford University shows that limiting wastewater injection is helping to prevent man-made earthquakes in Kansas and Oklahoma.
The researchers have created a new physics-based model that can better predict where man-made earthquakes will occur by looking at increases in pressure. The model shows that the number of earthquakes is driven by how much wastewater is being injected into the ground.
“It is clear that the key to managing the seismic hazard related to induced earthquakes is managing injection rates,” said Cornelius Langenbruch, one of the authors of the study.
Previous prediction methods relied on looking at past seismic activity to predict future activity. But that method isn’t very effective when earthquakes are being caused by an external force; in this case an increase in pressure caused by large amounts of wastewater from oil and gas operations being injected into the ground.
Langenbruch said injection limits put into place by state regulators have made a difference. His model predicts that at current injection rates, the number of widely felt earthquakes in Kansas and Oklahoma will decrease to as few as 100 by 2020. That’s down from the thousands of earthquakes felt in the area at its peak in 2015.
“Based on our model we can make scientific decisions about how to optimize injection rates in space in time to mitigate the seismic hazard,” he said.
He said the maps can also be used to identify the probablity that a damaging earthquake will happen close to homes or critical infrastructure.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – With the Larimer County, Colorado Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office have mad three arrests in connection to the murder of Bayron O. Diaz-Bautista, according to a media release from the KBI.
Diaz-Bautista was found dead in a field in Hodgeman County on Oct. 1. The preliminary autopsy report revealed Diaz-Bautista died from gunshot wounds.
Emilio Nunez-Bahena, 26, Veronica Nunez, 24, and Emilio Nunez-Torres, 45, were arrested Oct. 6 at approximately 12:30 a.m. in Larimer County, Colorado.
Emilio Nunez-Torres -photo Larimer County
The suspects are from Fort Collins, and were each arrested for first-degree murder. They were booked into the Larimer County Jail without bond. Extradition proceedings are expected.
The Kansas Attorney General’s Office will prosecute this case. No further information will be released at this time.
TOPEKA — President Donald Trump is coming to Kansas on Saturday. The MAGA Rally is just a month before the November election and allows the President to campaign for gubernatorial candidate Sec. of State Kris Kobach, 2nd district congressional nominee Steve Watkins and other GOP candidates.
photo courtesy President Trump/the White House
The rally in the Landon Area at the Kansas Expocenter is scheduled to begin at 6:30p.m. Tickets are required to attend the rally and are available here.
The President will arrive at Topeka’s Forbes Field on Air Force One Saturday afternoon and travel to the Expocenter. Police are not disclosing route information or road closures for security and safety reasons.
The areas in YELLOW are open to peaceful dissenters and demonstrators, according to Police -click to enlarge
Those with contradicting views of President Trump can exercise their 1st amendment right on the public sidewalks on either side of SW Topeka Blvd, from 17th to 21st street. In addition, the grass areas at the Expocentre will be open to the public.
Those who do not demonstrate peacefully could be citied and or arrested for disorderly conduct or unlawful obstruction, according to police.
Those who engage in demonstrations in areas not in yellow on the map will be asked to move to the yellow areas. If they refuse, they could be cited or arrested for the violations.
According to the Expocenter, those attending the rally are prohibited from bringing the following items inside the area.
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee – today questioned Amtrak officials on the future of the Southwest Chief, where they committed to operating this line through FY19.
Southwest Chief
Amtrak has considered ending passenger rail service in southwest Kansas through Dodge City, Garden City and destinations to the west. The Southwest Chief stops in several Kansas communities including Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City.
“I am pleased to hear you say that Amtrak will continue to run – to operate – the line in its current form through Fiscal Year ’19,” said Sen. Moran to Scot Naparstek, Amtrak executive vice president and chief operating officer.
“I think that’s a positive development, something we were unaware of, and we’ll continue to work to see that the legislative efforts that we’ve undertaken are successful,” Moran added.
In August, the Senate passed Sen. Moran’s amendment to maintain Amtrak train services along the established, long-distance passenger rail route of the Southwest Chief.
The Southwest Chief runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles and connects towns and cities in Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California and provides passenger train and long-distance passenger service, particularly through rural communities.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The city of Hutchinson has been, or is, host to several NJCAA postseason events. The gem of that of course is the National Basketball Tournament.
Visit Hutch announced today that the 2018 NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball Championship has won a SportsTravel Award for the Best Single-Sport Event in the Collegiate division. The award was presented at the SportsTravel Awards Ceremony at the national TEAMS Conference, put on by Northstar Travel Group.
Other events nominated in the Single Sport Event category were the Big Ten Football Championship in Indianapolis; NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship in Orange Beach, Alabama; the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California; and the Tucson Invitational Games in Tucson, Arizona.
The dates for the 2019 NJCAA DI Basketball Championship are March 18-23 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Reno County Chamber of Commerce is taking the wishes of teachers and local companies seriously when it comes to connecting the two entities.
Back in July, school administrators, teachers, advisers and company leaders all came together for a town hall on connecting students to these companies and teaching them the skills needed for success.
On Oct. 15, 51 teachers and advisers from the Buhler school district will tour three local companies to discuss ways to connect students with opportunities in the workplace and to ensure a future workforce for the area.
Chamber President Debra Teufel explains:
The group will visit Collins Bus, Superior Boiler Works and Kuhn Krause during the day. Teufel says she hopes to schedule other companies and school districts for similar meetings in the future.
Inside a Textron Aviation facility in Wichita, Kansas TEXTRON AVIATION
The Kansas economy has been sluggish the past few years, but the candidates running for governor each have a plan to jumpstart things.
Will any of them actually work?
Experts say every plan faces an uphill battle.
With Kansas lacking the power to add some mountains, or beaches, or Stanford/MIT-level research universities, experts say the state will be stuck where market forces have already landed: a little farming, a little aerospace, a little manufacturing, all driven by forces beyond the control of Kansas politicians.
“I don’t think there are a lot of policy levers, especially at a state level, that can make a whole lot of difference,” said Art Hall, director of the Brandmeyer Center of Applied Economics at the University of Kansas.
But all is not lost. Hall says some policies can make a difference, however small.
Republican Kris Kobach
Kris Kobach during a September visit to Salina Tech.
Kobach’s one big idea to grow the economy is to cut regulations, along with income, property, and sales taxes, much like what was done six years ago. He’s credited similar steps taken by the Trump administration for the growing national economy.
“All of these can be done in a responsible way without breaking our budget,” Kobach said. “And if we want to get our businesses going we’ve got to do it.”
The thinking is that if you can remove barriers, existing businesses will grow and new ones will be attracted to the state.
Dan Rickman, a professor of economics at Oklahoma State University, has done extensive research on the impacts of tax policy on state and local economies, including looking specifically at the tax cuts that came when Sam Brownback was governor.
“Most states that dramatically cut their taxes are underperforming what you would have expected they would have,” Rickman said.
If Kansas were to try the tax-cut approach again, he said, it would get the same result.
The evidence, here in Kansas and around the country, just doesn’t support the use of state tax cuts to spur economic growth.
“If you’re going to get gains from tax cuts you have to very carefully understand and figure out where you can get the cuts without hurting programs that are needed,” Rickman said.
Too often, he said, the budget cuts used to offset decreases in revenue go too far. State budgets generally don’t have a lot of fat to begin with and increasing efficiencies only goes so far.
Conservatives have said the Brownback tax cuts faced two significant problems. One, they weren’t accompanied by a sufficient rollback in the size of state government. So the state’s finances fell into crisis.
Secondly, conservatives argued that low commodity prices for Kansas grain and oil offset the economic spark lit by the Brownback plan.
Democrat Laura Kelly
State Senator Laura Kelly
The long-time state senator from Topeka says the key to economic growth starts with getting businesses and employees to come to, and stay in, Kansas. How? Better schools.
“When I look what are the huge economic drivers of this state, number one is education,” Kelly said, “and we have defunded that over the past eight years.”
Kim Rueben is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C.
“I feel like doing things like investing in schools and human capital feels like it has pretty big bang for the buck,” she said.
But the details about that investment matter. Just spending more on education won’t cut it.
“It’s figuring out what kinds of jobs you’re looking to attract,” Rueben said, “and what kind of skills you need your labor force to have.”
For Kelly, that means more focus on career and technical programs. But that idea isn’t unique to her; it’s a sentiment shared by both of her opponents.
Money for those kinds of investments could be tough to come by, too. While the governor can set the tone, the Legislature controls the purse strings. Even if Kelly wanted to increase education spending, she’d likely face a tough battle from Republican lawmakers.
Independent Greg Orman
Photo courtesy Orman -Doll for Kansas
Orman, the leading independent in the race, says Kansas should invest more in transportation infrastructure.
“Kansas is at the geographic center of the United States,” he said. “We should be the intermodal manufacturing and distribution capital of America.”
Experts say that kind of spending could help — maybe.
“Here’s one way to think about it,” economist Art Hall said. “If you didn’t have any road, building one road would probably have a very large economic impact. But, if you have lots of roads, one more road is probably not going to have much of an economic impact.”
Basically, you don’t want infrastructure that’s crumbling. But spending more on the margins isn’t likely to have a huge impact on economic growth.
“Just building roads doesn’t necessarily solve anything,” Rickman said. “But if you need to keep them maintained and developed in places where they’re heavily used, just the same thing as education, these things can all very much help promote growth.”
Ultimately, all three economists agree that stimulating economic growth on a statewide level won’t come from politics. The answer won’t be found by simply raising or lowering taxes.
“There’s really no silver bullet,” Hall said. “I’ve come to the basic conclusion that economies grow because they’re growing.”
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities have broken up a major drug ring after months of investigation, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.
Photos courtesy Barton County Sheriff
Early Monday, the Barton County Sheriff’s office and several other agencies executed a total of nine search warrants in Barton County in what Bellendir called “Operation Snowplow.”
The investigation began as a cocaine distribution case. Detectives had used undercover techniques to purchase illicit drugs. The case mushroomed drastically into a major distribution case involving all types of drugs, according to Bellendir.
Of particular concern was the fact the detectives came into possession of imitation hydrocodone tablets. The tablets had been manufactured to look like 5 mg hydrocodone prescription drugs. Upon analysis it was discovered the tablets contained fentanyl, an extremely powerful painkiller, more powerful than morphine.
Fentanyl is far more likely to cause an overdose leading to death. Further lab analysis showed these tablets to be some of the strongest ever analyzed in the State of Kansas. Also, during the course of the investigation detectives obtained quantities of black tar heroin. Heroin has not been common in western Kansas for nearly 2 decades. Heroin is particularly dangerous due to it’s addictive qualities and tendency to cause overdoses. Investigation indicates a very strong likelihood most of these drugs originated in Mexico and were smuggled into the United States. Evidence of money order and wire transfers of money to Mexico were also discovered by law enforcement.
Substantial quantities of illicit drugs were seized during the operation. Deputies are in the initial stages of weighing and processing the evidence. The following are estimated total amounts.
200 doses of LSD, 10 kilos of high-grade marijuana, 1.5 kilos marijuana wax, 2 ounces of black tar heroin, 160 fluid ounces of liquid codeine, 1 kilo of methamphetamine, 2 kilos suspected china white heroin, 8 oz. cocaine,6 oz. suspected Fentanyl
Estimated street value of the drugs is believed to be in excess of $500,000.00
Along with the drugs sheriff’s deputies seized three firearms. One rifle and two shotguns. One of these shotguns had been sawed off to approximately 12 inches. Multiple rounds of 00 buckshot were found with the gun.
The Sheriff’s Office also seized more than $25,000 cash and three vehicles. It is anticipated that asset forfeiture proceedings will be filed on the cash and vehicles. The Sheriff’s Office is also considering the seizure of real estate related to the case.
Authorities also arrested Iban Martinez – Enrique Age 21 of Great Bend for distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of cocaine, distribution of marijuana, distribution of heroin, possession of paraphernalia, criminal use of a weapon, and no drug tax stamp bond is set at $100,000.00
Miguel Gonzalez age 22 of Great Bend for possession of cocaine, possession of paraphernalia, and criminal use of a firearm bond $10,000.00
Candice Johnson age 42 of Great Bend for distribution of Methamphetamine and possession of paraphernalia Bond is set at $100,000.00
Kennedy Beakey age 19 of Great Bend for distribution of a Hallucinogenic and possession of paraphernalia. Bond is set at $50,000.00
Pedro Garcia age 20 of Great Bend for possession of a stimulant, and possession of paraphernalia bond was set at $10,000.00 He has bonded out of jail.
Vincente Espino age 51 of Great Bend for distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of cocaine, distribution of heroin, distribution of fentanyl, distribution of LSD and distribution of marijuana. Bond set at $100000.00
Amador -photo Barton Co.
Deputies were unable to locate one suspect and seek the public’s assistance in finding Murel Dean Amador. Amador is a Hispanic male, 63 years of age, 5-foot-11, 230 pounds, brown eyes, black hair, which is balding and graying. Amador is wanted for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Warrants from the Barton County District Court have been issued. If you have information as to Amador’s location, please call 911.
Monday’s investigation netted the widest variety and largest quantity of drugs seized by the Sheriff’s Office in approximately the last 30 years, according to Bellendir.
Officers from Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, Rush County Sheriff’s Office and the Rice County Sheriff’s Office assisted with Monday’s drug bust. Command officers from the Great Bend Fire Department were present in the event of accidental overdose or injuries during the operation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday celebrated a revised North American trade deal with Canada and Mexico as a return of the United States to a “manufacturing powerhouse,” vowing to sign the agreement by late November.
President Trump Delivers Remarks on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement https://t.co/hZFMxLBTi9
But the president noted that the deal would need to be ratified by Congress, a step that could be complicated by the outcome of the fall congressional elections. When told he seemed confident of congressional approval, he said he was “not at all confident” but felt ratification would be granted if lawmakers took the correct action.
“Anything you submit to Congress is trouble no matter what,” Trump said, predicting that Democrats would say, “Trump likes it so we’re not going to approve it.”
Trump embraced the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement during a Rose Garden ceremony, branding the pact the “USMCA.” The president said the name has a “good ring to it,” repeating U-S-M-C-A several times.
A good day for Canada & our closest trading partners. More tomorrow… https://t.co/qOowhvYW2B
The agreement was forged just before a midnight deadline imposed by the U.S. to include Canada in a deal reached with Mexico late in the summer. It replaces the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has lambasted as a job-wrecking disaster that has hollowed out the nation’s industrialized base.
Flanked by Cabinet members, Trump said the pact is the “most important deal we’ve ever made by far,” covering $1.2 trillion in trade. The president said his administration had not yet agreed to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, a contentious issue between the two neighbors.
For Trump, the agreement reached in the weeks before the November congressional elections offers vindication for his hardline trade policies that have roiled relations with China, the European Union and America’s North American neighbors while causing concerns among Midwest farmers and manufacturers worried about retaliation.
Trump’s advisers view the trade pact as a political winner in Midwest battleground states critical to the president’s 2016 victory and home to tens of thousands of auto workers and manufacturers who could benefit from the changes.
Trump said he would sign the final agreement in late November, in about 60 days, and the pact is expected to be signed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto before he leaves office Dec. 1. Trump said he spoke to Trudeau by phone and told reporters that their recent tensions didn’t affect the deal-making. “He’s a professional. I’m a professional,” Trump said, calling it a “fair deal.”
Pena Nieto will be replaced by President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose incoming administration said the deal would offer more certainty for financial markets, investment and job creation.
Ratifying the deal is likely to stretch into 2019 because once Trump and the leaders from Canada and Mexico sign the agreement, the administration and congressional leaders will need to write legislation to implement the deal and win passage in Congress.
Trump threatened to go ahead with a revamped NAFTA, with or without Canada. It was unclear, however, whether Trump had authority from Congress to pursue a revamped NAFTA with only Mexico.
NAFTA tore down most trade barriers between the United States, Canada and Mexico, leading to a surge in trade among them. But Trump and other critics said it encouraged manufacturers to move south of the border to take advantage of low Mexican wages, costing American jobs.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue to investigating an alleged attempted abduction and are asking the public for help with additional information.
Security camera images courtesy Wichita Police
Just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday, police responded to a residence in the 1500 block of north Chautauqua in Wichita in reference to a possible attempted abduction, according to officer Charley Davidson.
A 13-year-old girl told police that while she was walking home from school a newer black 4-door sedan (Chevy Impala or Audi A6) pulled up beside her at the intersection of 14th and Erie. An unknown suspect threatened her if she did not get into the car. The girl then ran home and called police.
The suspect is described as a light skinned black male, in his 50s, thin build, thin framed glasses, wearing a green flat billed baseball cap, according to Davidson.
Anyone with additional information on this case is encouraged to call Wichita Police or Crime Stoppers at 267-2111
The researchers have created a new physics-based model that can better predict where man-made earthquakes will occur by looking at increases in pressure. The model shows that the number of earthquakes is driven by how much wastewater is being injected into the ground.
