September 2013 – Page 45 – Hays Post Archive

Hallmark to sell Kansas plant

Posted on September 13, 2013September 13, 2013

(AP) — Hallmark is under contract to sell its Topeka production facilities to a real estate group that specializes in finding new uses for old industrial and commercial properties.

Spokeswoman Linda Odell said Thursday Hallmark will sell the plant to Industrial Realty Group in November. It’s part of Hallmark’s plan to consolidate its Kansas plants, moving work done in Topeka to its Lawrence and Leavenworth plants.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports (https://bit.ly/19OgHCc ) the sale is scheduled to close Nov. 1.

Tom Murray, vice president of Industrial Realty Group, says a large warehouse probably will be leased to a distributor. He says the production plant could be leased to a large manufacturer, but it’s more likely several smaller companies will use it.

Murray wouldn’t say how much IRG will pay for the building.

Good News on Kansas Corn

Posted on September 13, 2013September 13, 2013

AP) – A new government forecast says Kansas farmers are on track to harvest 38 percent more corn than a year ago.

The report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service released Thursday projects the state’s corn crop to come in at 525 million bushels. The update comes as corn harvest gets underway across much of Kansas.

Farmers are cutting 4.2 million acres of corn this season, up 6 percent from last year. Yields are also far better at 125 bushels per acre. That is 29 bushels an acre more than a year ago.

The agency also forecasts Kansas will harvest more than twice as much sorghum as last year at 195 million bushels.

Soybean production is up 58 percent from a year ago at a projected 133 million bushels.

Crews Respond to Sparking Power Lines

Posted on September 12, 2013September 13, 2013

The Hays Fire Department responded to a report of a sparking power line Thursday evening. The incident occurred in the 300 block of E 19th just after 5 pm.

Midwest Energy’s Manager of Corporate Communications Mike Morley confirmed with Hays Post that his crews were contacted by emergency personnel about an arching power line.

The Midwest Energy crew was able to quickly repair the line and restore power to that house. Morley added that only one house was affected, it wasn’t a widespread outage or issue.

He wasn’t sure what the cause of the failure was (he speculated that it could have been a foreign object making contact with a line) as he wasn’t able to reach the specific work crew who made the repairs.

Kansas mother to stand trial for fatal fire

Posted on September 12, 2013

(AP) — A Wichita woman who was away from home when her daughter suffered fatal burns in a fire has been ordered to stand trial on child endangerment charges.

27-year-old Ruthie Lee Bell pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday in Sedgwick County District Court. Judge Ben Burgess set a tentative trial date of Dec. 2.

Bell’s 6-year-old daughter, Ja’Kara Dickson, died July 14, three days after the fire.

The girl was playing with a lighter when she accidentally set her clothes on fire. Prosecutors said Bell had left Ja’Kara and two other daughters, ages 4 and 7, alone in the house.

Neighbors heard a smoke alarm and helped pull the other two girls to safety.

Judge rules for ex-Kansas social worker in abuse, death lawsuit

Posted on September 12, 2013

AP) — A federal judge has ruled that a former Kansas social worker is immune from a lawsuit by the grandparents of a 23-month-old girl who was beaten to death after authorities ignored their pleas to protect her.

U.S. District Judge Monti Belot summarily ruled Thursday in favor of former social worker Linda Gillen. Belot said there was no evidence that her intentional refusal to act enhanced the danger to the girl.

Larry and Mary Crosetto allege in the lawsuit that Gillen did not respond to complaints about their granddaughter’s abuse because she had a personal grudge against them.

The couple’s granddaughter, Brooklyn Coons, of Coffeyville, died in January 2008. Her father’s girlfriend, Melissa Wells, is serving life in prison for the girl’s death.

Thursday Morning Accident Results in Arrest

Posted on September 12, 2013September 12, 2013

A one vehicle accident in Victoria this morning resulted in one man being arrested.

According to the Victoria Police Department, at approximately 9:45 am a report came in that an adult male was involved in a one-vehicle accident. The individual left the road and drove his Toyota station wagon into a mailbox at 6th and Cathedral in Victoria. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene of the accident and upon arrival arrested the driver for driving under the influence.

Charges have yet to be formally filed by the Ellis County Attorney, so the name of the driver has not been released.

Tigers Look To Bounce Back at Washburn

Posted on September 12, 2013September 12, 2013

Fort Hays State football coach Chris Brown spent nine years in Topeka as Washburn’s defensive coordinator and saw first hand the Ichabods transformation from a lower tier team into an annual contender in the MIAA. Brown is hoping to follow that same blueprint used by Ichabod coach Craig Schurig in turning the Tiger gridiron fortunes around.

“It took some time to get there. It wasn’t until our fifth of sixth year where we won the conference” Brown said. “It’s recruiting the right kids, getting the kids in your system that are competitive and want to be there and want to work hard and pay the price to win.”

Now in his third season as the Tigers head coach, Brown feels he’s starting to get those players “We’ve got those kids now and they’re starting to do the things we want them to do. They’re very competitive kids and they want to win and you can see that in their eyes when they’re on the practice field and during the games.”

Fort Hays State will get a first hand look at the 2013 version of the Ichabods this Saturday when the two meet at Yager Stadium in Topeka at 6pm. Washburn is coming off a 58-20 rout of Nebraska-Kearney in their opener last Thursday, taking advantage of seven Loper turnovers in the win.

Fort Hays State lost 43-13 at home to Emporia State in their opener. The Tigers gave up four big plays in that game which led to Hornet scores and transfer defensive back Nathan Lindsey says it’s an area they hope to improve on this week “We’ve got to be more sound fundamentally” Lindsey said. “Mental errors, that was really the big thing. We’ve been working really hard this week to make sure we don’t have the mental errors against Washburn.”

Washburn returns their starting quarterback in junior Mitch Buhler who completed 16 of 29 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown in the win over UNK. Last year Buhler threw four first half touchdown passes in the Ichabods win in Hays. He also has one of the best receivers in the MIAA to throw to. DeJuan Beard returns after missing all of last season due to injury. Beard, who had five catches last week, was a second-team All-MIAA and honorable mention All-American pick as a sophomore in 2011.

The Ichabods have won the last four in the series and nine of the last 11 and have beaten the Tigers by an identical 45-20 score each of the last two seasons.

Saturday’s game kicks off at 6pm. You can hear it live on Tiger Radio Mix-103 and online at https://socialstreamingplayer.crystalmedianetworks.com/radio/kjls beginning at 5pm with the Auto World Pregame Show.

Wednesday Police Activity Log

Posted on September 12, 2013

The Hays Police Department conducted 6 traffic stops and received 8 animal calls on Wednesday September 11th according to the Police Activity Log.

Abandoned Vehicle

12:06 AM – Abandoned Vehicle reported in the 2200 block of Virginia Dr
12:17 AM – Abandoned Vehicle reported in the 1300 block of Felten Dr

Theft / Burglary

09/03 08:00 PM > 09/04 08:00 AM – Theft (general) reported in the 1700 block of Sunset Trl
09/07 08:00 AM > 11:00 PM – Theft (general) reported in the 3500 block of Vine St
12:52 PM – Burglary/residence reported in the 2700 block of Canal Blvd

Criminal Damage to Property

09/10 08:00 PM > 09/11 04:34 AM – Criminal Damage to Property reported in the 500 block of W 17th St

Lost / Found / Stolen

5:17 AM – Lost,Found,Stolen reported in the 1300 block of Main St

MV Accident

7:55 AM – MV Accident-Street/Road/Hwy reported in the 2200 block of Canterbury Dr
8:20 AM – MV Accident-City Street/Alley reported in the 700 block of Ash St
3:23 PM – MV Accident-City Street/Alley reported in the 1300 block of Vine St
4:19 PM – MV Accident-Private Property reported in the 2500 block of Canterbury Dr
5:11 PM – MV Accident-City Street/Alley reported in the 1600 block of Reservation Rd
6:30 PM – MV Accident-Private Property reported in the 4300 block of Vine St

Animal Call

8:39 AM – Animal Call, Animal At Large reported in the 400 block of E 7th St
9:39 AM – Animal Call, Disturbance – Noise reported in the 4500 block of Vista Dr
10:29 AM – Animal Call, Animal At Large reported in the 2900 block of Canterbury Dr
11:09 AM – Animal At Large reported in the 700 block of E 8th St

Assist

10:11 AM – Assist – Other (not MV) reported in the Hays block of No Address Block Listed

Complaint

10:53 AM – Juvenile Complaint reported in the 300 block of W 12th St
2:53 PM – Traffic/Driving Complaints reported in the 2500 block of Haney Dr
4:47 PM – Traffic/Driving Complaints reported in the 1300 block of Douglas Dr

Welfare Check

6:27 PM – Welfare Check reported in the 200 block of E 20th St
8:23 PM – Suspicious Person, Welfare Check reported in the 4300 block of Vine St

No 489 Board Members Interviewing Business Manager (VIDEO)

Posted on September 12, 2013September 12, 2013

No Hays school board members will be on the hiring committee for the new USD 489 business manager position.

There were eight applicants for the job shortly before this week’s deadline.

Those people will be screened by consultant Randy Gustafson, and a three-person committee will conduct the interviews. Interim Superintendent Dean Katt recommends Board Clerk Cheryl Shubert, Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Mark Hauptman and a third person to be committee members:

The board agreed to soon review the policy requiring its members to be involved in some job hire interviews.

Free Event for Families With or Expecting Children

Posted on September 12, 2013September 12, 2013

The 5th Annual Infant Care Expo, followed by a Stroll-A-Thon, will take place Saturday 14th from 9am – 11am at the Hays Medical Center Fitness Trail. The Infant Care Expo will offer free information from organizations or agencies related to pregnancy, baby care, support, health and safety. There will also be a drawing for those in attendance to win a Medela breast pump, Boppy, Halo sleep sack and more.

The event started as the baby fair 5 years ago. The purpose of the expo is to inform parents and grandparents about the services offered in town to support any families with or expecting children. Jessica Seib at Hays Medical Center told Hays Post that there will be more than just hospital staff discussing healthy care for an infant. Some of the other groups that will be on site: the Hays Police Department, EMS, Imagination Library, The Learning Center, Hays Public Library, and various other groups that offer support to families.

The Stroll-A-Thon will be at 10am on the fitness trail behind Hays Medical Center weather permitting. If needed, the expo and Stroll-A-Thon will be moved into the HMC Health Center gymnasium.

Seib said that the intent of the expo is to help families know that there’s a lot of free support out there.
“It’s helping families know what’s available, what their options are. The people that are in charge of these agencies do a really good job of getting their information out there to people, but not everybody knows. It’s a way of giving [these groups] an opportunity to let others know what they do and that they’re here and they can help.”

Hays PD Saturation Patrol

Posted on September 12, 2013September 12, 2013

The Hays Police Department will be conducting DUI saturation patrols on Friday, September13th, in an effort to deter and decrease the number of impaired and intoxicated drivers on the street.

Officers will saturate the city in an effort to monitor vehicle traffic for signs of impaired driving.

Law enforcement officials will place an emphasis on speeding, safety belt and alcohol-related violations.

The Hays Police Department has a zero tolerance policy on drunk driving individuals are encouraged to call Safe Ride at 785-621-2580 or have a Designated Driver to get home safely.

This event is being conducted in accordance with the Kansas Department of Transportation “I.D.D.P.” – Impaired Driving Deterrence Program.

Two Men Indicted In Robbery

Posted on September 12, 2013

Two men have been indicted on federal charges in connection with a robbery at a Red Robin restaurant in Topeka, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor announced today.

Derick Renee Crawford, 23, and Travis Jeremy Coffman, 35, both who are in federal custody, are charged with one count of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm in the robbery, and one count each of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

The indictment alleges that on Aug. 18, 2013, Crawford and Coffman robbed the Red Robin Restaurant at 6230 S.W. Sixth Street in Topeka. According to court documents, Crawford and Coffman are alleged to have held the employees of the restaurant at gunpoint and threatened to kill them.

Grissom said that federal prosecutors are working with the Shawnee County District Attorney, the Topeka Police Department and the FBI on the case as part of a coordinated fight against violent crime.
“By working together, we are sending a message,” Grissom said. “Topeka is not intimidated. We will not be held at gunpoint. We will not live in fear. Armed criminals will be caught. They will be prosecuted. And if they are convicted they will go to prison.”

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the robbery count; a penalty of not less than seven years – consecutive to the sentence on the robbery count – and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of brandishing a firearm; and a maximum penalty of 10 years each on the charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The Topeka Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

Another Bank Scam Reported

Posted on September 12, 2013September 12, 2013

A number of Central Kansas area residents on Wednesday reported receiving text messages from their “bank,” saying their credit cards were frozen until they called a number mentioned in the text message.

The number, of course, was not their bank. However, some individuals did call their bank directly and, as expected, learned there was no problem with the card.

This is a phishing scam, and banks in the area have reported receiving several calls from customers who received similar texts, but called the bank direct rather than the numbers in the text.

If you have a similar experience, please contact your bank directly.