Four-year-old killed in forklift accident

COLBY -- A 4-year-old boy was killed in an accident Friday afternoon.

According to information from the Kansas Highway Patrol, Justin Schroeder, 4, fell off a forklift he was riding with his father, Daniel Schroeder, and was ran over by the back right tire.

The incident occurred at approximately noon on Washington Street in Colby.

Windmill exhibit on display at Goodland museum

GOODLAND -- Carnegie Arts Center, 120 W. 12th, is featuring a "windmill photography" exhibit by Rich Hughen.

The exhibit will open today, with entertainment provided by the Klemm Family from 1:15 to 1:30 p.m.

According to a press release, Hughen has been interested in photography for more than 50 years, and he began pursuing a career in photography a few years ago.

Hughen has been a philosophy instructor at Fort Hays State University for about 25 years. A previous instructor at the Air Force Academy, he has taught English, math, electronics and computers. He served in the Air Force for 20 years, spending a year in Vietnam.

Ellis County Commission meeting Monday

The Ellis County Commission will meet in regular session at 8:45 a.m. Monday at the courthouse, 1204 Fort.

Agenda items include:

* At 8:45 a.m., there will be a public hearing on a road vacation including a right of way running east and west between the southwest quarter of section 30 and the northwest quarter of section 31, township 15 south, range 16 west of the sixth prime meridian, Ellis County.

* Public Works Administrator Mike Graf will discuss road and bridge, solid waste, noxious weed and environmental matters at 9 a.m.

* Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Ring will discuss the text alerting contract at 10 a.m.

* The public building commission will have their meeting at 10:15 a.m.

Seven people arrested in Syracuse

SYRACUSE (AP) -- Seven people have been arrested on more than 50 drug crimes in Syracuse after a joint investigation.

Hamilton County Sheriff Richard Garza said his department and 15 other law enforcement agencies worked on the case for two months.

Garza said the counts against the suspects include conspiracy, possession and distribution and sale of cocaine, misdemeanor and felony counts of drug paraphrenalia and selling cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school zone.

The Southwest Kansas Drug Task Force is a multi-agency collaboration across 14 counties of southwest Kansas.

IHOP employees get pay for overtime

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Thirty-five International House of Pancake employees in Hays and Wichita had more than $64,000 in overtime and back wages recovered for them, according to a news release issued Thursday afternoon from the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.

The employees worked for White Dove Inc., Hays, and Flying Dove Inc., Wichita, both doing business as the International House of Pancakes. The investigation disclosed multiple violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Mohamed Touffaha is president and owner of both companies, which together also paid $4,122 in civil money penalties for the violations, according to the news release.

The investigations found nonexempt cooks, as well as a manager, were paid salaries with no additional overtime compensation; those who bus tables and dishwashers were paid in cash at straight time for overtime hours, rather than time and a half their regular rates; and servers were paid an incorrect tip overtime rate. Furthermore, time and payroll records were not maintained accurately.

In Hays, 19 employees were paid a total of $27,931 in back wages, and $1,122 in civil money penalties was paid. In Wichita, 16 employees were paid a total of $36,571 in back wages and $3,000 in civil money penalties was paid.