Appeals court upholds laws banning fusion voting
A Kansas appeals court is upholding state laws that ban fusion voting. The United Kansas Party says it will appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.
The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled that laws banning fusion voting do not violate the state Constitution, saying they protect election integrity and prevent voter confusion.
Fusion voting allows a candidate to be nominated by more than one political party and have those votes counted together.
The practice is most commonly used in New York, but was used in many states toward the end of the 19th century.
United Kansas Party Executive Director Scott Morgan said he disagrees with the court's decision.
“I don't find that voter confusion one to be compelling when we know it has worked and still works in New York," Morgan said.
United Kansas plans to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.
Text
Researchers say purple corn could open new markets for farmers
Researchers say purple corn could offer a natural alternative to artificial food dyes and new opportunities for farmers.
One of the challenges food manufacturers face when trying to use plant-derived food dyes is that they tend to lose their color during processing or while sitting on a shelf.
But researchers at the University of Missouri have found potential with a variety of purple corn from South America.
They’re collaborating with Sherry Flint-Garcia, a USDA research geneticist, who’s developing purple corn hybrids that can grow in the U.S.
She uses dog breeding to help explain the process.
“If you have a pug and a beagle, those are different breeds," she said. "If you cross them together, then you make a crossbreed, like a puggle. And so we have the same thing in corn.”
Researchers say purple corn hybrids could open new markets for farmers.
Butler Community College announces new healthcare teaching space
Butler Community College has a new teaching space that will offer hands-on healthcare training.
It's in the Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital and includes eight furnished patient rooms within a real-world setting.
The grant-funded program has simulation lab equipment and supplies. It also gets to use some of the existing hospital resources.
Students can shadow facility workers while taking the healthcare, fire and EMS courses. Current hospital nurses can also use the new Butler facility for additional professional training.
Eat fruits and veggies, but rinse them first
A new study shows that rinsing fruit and vegetables before eating them does actually remove some of the pesticides on them.
Studies have found that many or most Americans have pesticide in their urine — and the residue on food is a key source.
“ There is a connection between what we’re eating and what pesticide residues are in our bodies,” said Dayna de Montagnac, a scientist with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.
She and other scientists conclude in a new study that rinsing or soaking produce in tap water reduces the amount of pesticide residue.
Soaking it in a solution of water mixed with vinegar or baking soda is even more effective.
"The main message that can be pulled from this work is that washing your fruits or vegetables in any method you can is better than not washing them at all," De Montagnac said.
She said the health benefits of fruit and veggies are clear. So do eat them, but wash them first.
###
