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Kansas man sentenced for child porn; awaits trial in murder of mother

Jason Hachmeister
Jason Hachmeister

A Topeka man will serve the maximum sentence for his conviction on 105 counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child.

Jason Hachmeister was convicted by a jury December 9. The panel found him not guilty on three more counts.

Hachmeister is also charged with murdering his mother. His murder trial is scheduled in August.

The jury in the sexual exploitation case was presented with 105 photographs of naked children seized from Hachmeister’s computer.

On Friday, Shawnee County District Judge Evelyn Wilson said those photos ranged from “extremely troubling” to “vile.”

Judge Wilson imposed the maximum sentence of 86 months, and ordered lifetime post release supervision. Hachmeister must register as a sex offender for life after the judge ruled that at least seven of the children in the photographs were younger than 14.

Nominations open for Emergency Volunteer of the Year

volunteersSubmitted by KEITH HABERER
Russell-Ellsworth County Emergency Management Director

Russell-Ellsworth County Emergency Management and 911 Communications Advisory Board are requesting nominations for the Volunteer/Emergency Worker of the Year. This is an opportunity to recognize and honor an emergency worker/volunteer for dedication and service to our communities and county. There are many volunteers and emergency workers in Russell County who deserve this award, and we would like to know your opinion so we can award a deserving candidate or candidates.

The formal rules are that the person should serve or support Russell County emergency services. The person can be a member of a police, fire, sheriff, EMS, hospital, health, dispatch or public works departments. Consideration is also given to volunteers who support any of these agencies or who volunteers for groups/agencies that support the emergency services such as Rotary Rescue, The Salvation Army, United Way, The American Red Cross or other volunteer organizations active in disasters.

The nominations will be considered and evaluated by the 911 Communications Advisory Board. The board will render a decision on the best entry. The winner or winners will be presented a Public Service Award Certificate at the National Weather Service Weather Spotter Meeting  at 6:30 p.m. March 25at Dream Theatre in Russell.

sam schmidt
Sam Schmidt, 2013 Emergency Volunteer of the Year

Last year, Russell County recognized Sam Schmidt as the Volunteer of the Year.

The first recipients of this award were Wayne Grabbe and Gordon Gorton in 1998, Cindy Janssen in 1999, Alan Kuntzsch in 2000, Mike Finkenbinder in 2001, Tim Borders in 2002, Craig Langdon and Karl Houck in 2003, Steve Knopp in 2004, Gail Ogle in 2005, Tom Hirst and Lowell Vonada in 2006, Rod Steckel in 2007, Ron Major, Donna Fay Major and Tom Batt in 2008, David Evans in 2009, Larry Vaughan in 2010, Doug Janssen and Darlene Rose in 2011, and Keith Koelling in 2012.

Nomination letters of endorsement should be delivered by March 5 to Greg Rose at 911 Communications Dispatch Center, 339 E. Eighth, Russell, KS 67665 or to Keith Haberer at Russell-Ellsworth County Emergency Management, 850 Elm, P.O. Box 158, Bunker Hill, KS 67626.

Business Appreciation Month award nominations now open

bam 2014Kansas Department of Commerce

Nominations for the Kansas Department of Commerce’s 20th annual Business Appreciation Month awards are now open. The awards recognize successful Kansas companies that create jobs, support their local communities and enhance the quality of life in Kansas.

The awards are announced each June. Regional finalists are recognized at an awards ceremony during the Team Kansas awards banquet, with the top nominee receiving the Governor’s Award of Excellence, the highest award given to a business by the state. The 2013 winner was B&W Trailer Hitches of Humboldt.

Nominations are accepted from chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, small business development centers, organizations and individuals. Companies may also nominate themselves.

Nominations will be accepted through 5 p.m., March 21. Regional winners will be selected in the manufacturing/distribution, service, retail and hospital/non-profit sectors. Regional winners will then give presentations about their companies and community involvement to a panel of judges. The recipient of the Governor’s Award of Excellence will be announced at the Team Kansas awards ceremony in June. Late nominations cannot be accepted.

Award qualifications include:

  • Business expansion in Kansas
  • Successful employee retention and recruitment practices
  • Employee training/educational programs
  • Capital investment in Kansas
  • Support of local activities including school activities, community events, economic development and leadership programs

To submit an online nomination, visit KansasCommerce.com/BAM. For more information, contact Krista Mellen at (785) 296-7911 or [email protected].

 

Credit will be the focus of Extension program

The Ellis County Extension Office will offer a noon-hour program on “Know Your Credit” on Feb. 25 at the Ellis County Extension office, 601 Main.

This free program will explain the difference between a credit report and credit score, provide tips to manage credit behavior, and understand the costs involved with using credit.

Jamie Rathbun, Midway Extension District Extension Agent, will be the guest speaker.

Register by calling (785) 628-9430, and bring a lunch to enjoy during the program, if desired.  Beverages will be provided.

Friday Area High School Scoreboard Show

https://www.facebook.com/BrockWhitmoreStateFarm

  • Girls

Western Athletic Conference
McPherson 40 Dodge City 35
Garden City 72 Guymon OK. 36
Great Bend 56 Liberal 39

Mid-Central Activities Association
Larned 38 Ellinwood 40

Mid-Continent League
Ellis 56 Smith Center 46
Norton 37 Hill City 41

 
Central Prairie League
St. John 32  Central Plains 58
Ness City 66 La Crosse 46
Macksville 24 Victoria 51

Northwest Kansas League
Hoxie 76 St. Francis 17
*Oakley 50 Rawlins Co. 27

North Central Activities Association
Republic Co. 34 Russell 40
Beloit 56 Ellsworth 50

Western Kansas Liberty League
Logan 16 Golden Plains 50
Western Plains 34 Palco 60

Great Western Kansas League
Hugoton 41 Colby 31
Ulysses 41 Scott City 60
Holcomb 59 Goodland 52

Boys
Western Athletic Conference
McPherson 51 Dodge City 37
Great Bend 36 Liberal 49

Mid-Continent League
Ellis 60 Smith Center 53
Norton 33 Hill City 61

Central Prairie League
St. John 70  Central Plains 54
Ness City 36 La Crosse 56
Macksville 67 Victoria 62

Northern Plains League
Sylvan-Lucas 79 Southern Cloud 58

Northwest Kansas League
*Oakley 83 Rawlins Co. 74
*Ingalls 48 Dighton 58

North Central Activities Association
Beloit 61 Ellsworth 58

Western Kansas Liberty League
Logan 48 Golden Plains 57
Western Plains 62 Palco 23

Great Western Kansas League
Hugoton 58 Colby 53
Holcomb 64 Goodland 46

*Non-league games

 

By The Associated Press
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Abilene 57, Marysville 29
Andale 57, El Dorado 41
Andover 60, Andover Central 45
Atchison 77, KC Wyandotte 64
Augusta 59, Winfield 43
Axtell 49, Onaga 23
Baldwin 56, Paola 52
Beloit 61, Ellsworth 58
Bennington 55, Hutchinson Trinity 41
Berean Academy 57, Sedgwick 39
Bonner Springs 56, KC Bishop Ward 46
Buhler 52, Circle 50
Burlington 73, Erie 36
BV North 66, Blue Valley Stilwell 50
BV Northwest 81, St. Thomas Aquinas 57
BV West 59, Bishop Miege 47
Cair Paravel 58, Topeka Heritage Christian 33
Canton-Galva 73, Remington 39
Centralia 60, Washington County 55
Chase County 76, Hartford 69
Cheney 56, Garden Plain 35
Cimarron 55, Lakin 49
Conway Springs 53, Belle Plaine 38
Council Grove 68, Clay Center 53
Derby 54, Wichita Campus 39
DeSoto 69, Spring Hill 60
Ellis 60, Smith Center 53
Eudora 48, Louisburg 35
Eureka 74, Neodesha 34
Fredonia 53, Cherryvale 36
Galena 56, Baxter Springs 32
Gardner-Edgerton 64, Blue Valley Southwest 48
Goddard-Eisenhower 72, Arkansas City 45
Golden Plains 57, Logan 48
Greeley County 63, Oberlin-Decatur 56
Halstead 59, Smoky Valley 34
Hesston 68, Sterling 36
Highland Park 62, Emporia 35
Hill City 61, Norton 33
Hillsboro 54, Lyons 49
Holcomb 64, Goodland 46
Holton 58, Hiawatha 35
Hoxie 76, St. Francis 25
Hugoton 58, Colby 53
Inman 48, Marion 43
Iola 53, Anderson County 52
Jackson Heights 61, Oskaloosa 28
Jefferson West 49, Atchison County 41
KC Washington 67, KC Harmon 61
Kingman 46, Haven 37
Labette County 55, Fort Scott 53
LaCrosse 56, Ness City 36
Lansing 69, KC Turner 41
Lawrence 65, SM South 61
Liberal 49, Great Bend 36
Little River 56, Wakefield 46
Madison 63, Northern Heights 53
Maize 46, Hutchinson 38
Manhattan 56, Topeka 44
Marais des Cygnes Valley 48, Baileyville-B&B 38
Maranatha Academy 42, Lutheran (Kansas City), Mo. 34
McPherson 51, Dodge City 37
Meade 68, Ashland 54
Moundridge 50, Ell-Saline 31
Natoma 79, Wilson 48
Nemaha Valley 52, Royal Valley 46
Newton 59, Salina Central 49
Oakley 83, Rawlins County 74
Olathe East 80, SM North 63
Olathe North 51, SM East 40
Olathe Northwest 46, SM West 42
Olpe 47, Lyndon 37
Oswego 51, St. Paul 32
Pike Valley 51, Thunder Ridge 49
Pittsburg 43, Columbus 36
Pratt 57, Nickerson 33
Riverton 67, Frontenac 63
Rock Creek 69, Riley County 48
Rock Hills 51, Tescott 22
Rural Vista 67, St. Xavier 28
Sabetha 62, Perry-Lecompton 51
Salina Sacred Heart 45, Minneapolis 38
Santa Fe Trail 57, Riverside 55
Shawnee Heights 68, Topeka Seaman 55
Silver Lake 49, St. Mary’s 28
SM Northwest 50, Lawrence Free State 43
Solomon 54, Peabody-Burns 40
South Central 53, Hodgeman County 42
Southeast Saline 48, Chapman 28
Southwestern Hts. 65, Johnson-Stanton County 58
St. John 70, Central Plains 54
St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 57, Chase 35
Sylvan-Lucas 79, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 58
Tonganoxie 72, Mill Valley 59
Topeka Hayden 48, Junction City 46
Topeka West 55, Washburn Rural 50
Uniontown 66, Marmaton Valley 38
Valley Center 55, Salina South 41
Valley Heights 56, Troy 48
Victoria 58, Macksville 30
Wabaunsee 57, Rossville 52, OT
Wellington 60, Mulvane 53
Wellsville 41, Central Heights 32
West Franklin 43, Lebo 37
Wichita Collegiate 53, Clearwater 50
Wichita East 65, Wichita North 53
Wichita Heights 70, Wichita West 44
Wichita Southeast 81, Kapaun Mount Carmel 65
Wichita Trinity 53, Douglass 48
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Basehor-Linwood vs. KC Piper, ppd. to Feb 10.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Andale 48, El Dorado 42
Andover 43, Andover Central 42
Argonia 56, Central Burden 31
Atchison 69, KC Wyandotte 33
Atchison County 30, Jefferson West 15
Attica 69, Fairfield 32
Axtell 63, Onaga 29
Barstow, Mo. 61, Heritage Christian 48
Baxter Springs 34, Galena 32
Beloit 56, Ellsworth 50
Berean Academy 50, Sedgwick 43
Bishop Miege 67, BV West 26
Blue Valley Southwest 61, Gardner-Edgerton 46
Bonner Springs 57, KC Bishop Ward 38
Bucklin 50, South Gray 36
Buhler 62, Circle 39
Burlington 64, Erie 36
Cair Paravel 49, Topeka Heritage Christian 15
Caldwell 55, Cedar Vale/Dexter 49
Caney Valley 75, Humboldt 19
Central Plains 58, St. John 32
Chase County 52, Hartford 20
Cheney 44, Garden Plain 41
Cherryvale 63, Fredonia 29
Cimarron 68, Lakin 32
Conway Springs 46, Belle Plaine 24
Council Grove 49, Clay Center 43, OT
Derby 54, Wichita Campus 35
Ellinwood 40, Larned 38
Ellis 56, Smith Center 46
Emporia 45, Highland Park 29
Eureka 53, Neodesha 37
Frankfort 43, BV Randolph 37
Frontenac 69, Riverton 12
Garden City 72, Guymon, Okla. 36
Goddard-Eisenhower 61, Arkansas City 41
Golden Plains 50, Logan 16
Great Bend 56, Liberal 39
Hanover 55, Wetmore 38
Hesston 52, Sterling 43
Hill City 41, Norton 37
Holcomb 59, Goodland 52
Holton 54, Hiawatha 43
Hoxie 76, St. Francis 17
Hugoton 41, Colby 31
Hutchinson Trinity 56, Bennington 40
Independence 57, Parsons 51
Ingalls 51, Dighton 48
Inman 48, Marion 43
Jackson Heights 53, Oskaloosa 30
Jefferson North 67, Pleasant Ridge 35
Kapaun Mount Carmel 65, Wichita Southeast 22
Labette County 75, Fort Scott 55
Lansing 70, KC Turner 10
Lebo 36, West Franklin 35
Linn 41, Doniphan West 36
Little River 39, Wakefield 29
Louisburg 56, Eudora 14
Lutheran (Kansas City), Mo. 55, Maranatha Academy 40
Lyons 59, Hillsboro 47
Maize 41, Hutchinson 30
Maize South 45, Goddard 36
Manhattan 45, Topeka 30
Marysville 54, Abilene 45
McPherson 40, Dodge City 35
Meade 63, Ashland 33
Medicine Lodge 46, Chaparral 36
Mill Valley 32, Tonganoxie 22
Moundridge 54, Ell-Saline 31
Mulvane 61, Wellington 38
Nemaha Valley 47, Royal Valley 34
Ness City 66, LaCrosse 46
Northeast-Arma 47, Jayhawk Linn 42
Northern Heights 58, Madison 39
Oakley 50, Rawlins County 27
Olathe East 44, SM North 37
Olathe South 61, Leavenworth 48
Osborne 60, Trego 36
Oxford 71, Elk Valley 33
Paola 45, Baldwin 41
Pittsburg 45, Columbus 41
Pittsburg Colgan 47, Southeast 25
Pleasanton 52, Altoona-Midway 23
Pratt 70, Nickerson 34
Remington 59, Canton-Galva 47
Riley County 50, Rock Creek 19
Russell 40, Republic County 34
Sabetha 45, Perry-Lecompton 28
Salina Central 71, Newton 27
Santa Fe Trail 47, Riverside 20
Satanta 48, Deerfield 18
Scott City 60, Ulysses 41
SM East 34, Olathe North 19
SM South 71, Lawrence 52
SM West 47, Olathe Northwest 43
Smoky Valley 41, Halstead 30
Solomon 39, Peabody-Burns 26
South Central 57, Hodgeman County 21
South Haven 61, Flinthills 39
Southeast Saline 50, Chapman 38
Southern Coffey 56, Waverly 23
Southwestern Hts. 51, Johnson-Stanton County 37
Spring Hill Charter 48, DeSoto 40
St. John’s Beloit 49, Chase 23
St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 49, Chase 23
St. Paul 67, Oswego 26
St. Thomas Aquinas 45, BV Northwest 44
Tescott 45, Rock Hills 29
Topeka Hayden 78, Junction City 44
Topeka Seaman 56, Shawnee Heights 44
Uniontown 48, Marmaton Valley 28
Valley Center 33, Salina South 21
Victoria 51, Macksville 24
Wabaunsee 51, Rossville 42
Washburn Rural 58, Topeka West 25
Washington County 55, Centralia 38
Wellsville 38, Central Heights 36
Wichita County 54, Sublette 31
Wichita Defenders 43, KC East Christian 17
Wichita East 41, Wichita North 29
Wichita Heights 77, Wichita West 17
Wichita Independent 49, Bluestem 16
Wichita South 47, Wichita Bishop Carroll 34
Wichita Trinity 35, Douglass 33
Winfield 48, Augusta 37
Yates Center 33, West Elk 28
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Basehor-Linwood vs. KC Piper, ppd. to Feb 10.

ShaneSTRONG: Workout will celebrate man’s love of life, fitness

Shane Gottschalk
Shane Gottschalk

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

“ShaneSTRONG” is a fitting remembrance for a young man who was an “amazing, strong and fun-loving guy.”

Shane Gottschalk graduated from Thomas More Prep-Marian in 2009.  He died at the age of 21 from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in November 2012.

According to friend Tucker Mall, his friends and family gather yearly to celebrate Shane’s life and love of fitness with the free workout.

This year, the event will be Saturday at Southwind Crossfit, 2005 General Custer. The Hays Recreation Commission will kick the event off at 9 a.m. with a mobility and warm-up workout, followed by a cardio/core workout led by staff  from Fort Hays State University Tiger Wellness Center.

Southwind Crossfit will finish with a WOD (workout of the day) at 10:30 a.m.

Donations will be accepted for the Gottschalk family.

 

 

 

 

Roberts staff responds to NYT ‘hit piece’

Roberts

Submitted by SARAH LITTLE
Communications Director, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts

The New York Times wrote a hit piece on Senator Pat Roberts and Kansas today that contains several untruths.

To say that Pat Roberts “is desperate to re-establish ties to Kansas” and that he doesn’t have a residence are false.
Also false is the statement that Senator Roberts “acknowledged he does not have a home of his own in Kansas.” Senator Roberts told the reporter just the opposite, both verbally and in writing.
Senator Roberts long has owned a home in Dodge City. It currently has a tenant; he also pays rent at a residence where he stays when he is in Dodge City. He pays Kansas state tax and property tax. His three children attended college in Kansas. He is a Kansan. He lives in Dodge City by every measure of residency.

Fortunately, this story is so far from reality that Kansans won’t believe it. They know how long and hard Pat has worked for the state. They know it is his home. They see him there regularly. When the story was written, he was in Salina. When he read the story today, he was in Wichita.

Reporter Jonathan Martin came to us with a clear agenda. In an interview with the Senator, Martin scoffed at the fact Pat is proud to call Dodge City home. Martin even told us he didn’t understand why Pat bothered to live in western Kansas when it was so far away. He suggested Pat should live in Kansas City.

Martin did not let facts stand in the way of his agenda.

The reporter found two people who said they did not know Senator Roberts. Martin did not bother to find thousands of others who know the Senator well.

The story is so slanted and so far from the truth that Kansans will not take it seriously. They know better.

Fire causes minor damage at local business

Ellis County rural fireBy KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Ellis County Rural Fire crews responded at 10 a.m. Friday to a fire at Well Enhancement Services, 2550 E. Eighth.

According to Ellis County Rural Fire Chief Dick Klaus, the fire apparently was started “by some kind of torch or flame” as someone tried to patch a hole in a fiberglass garage door.

Klaus said no injuries were reported, and damage was contained to the door.

 

Shots fired near KC elementary school UPDATE

Police on the scene of Friday's shooting near an elementary school
Police on the scene of Friday’s shooting near Linden West elementary school

7 p.m. GLADSTONE, Mo. (AP) — Students at a suburban Kansas City elementary school have been reunited with their parents after gunshots fired from a nearby home prompted a lockdown at their school.

Gladstone Police Capt. Ken Buck says the shooting didn’t involve Linden West Elementary School, but it was locked down as a precaution after shots were reported around 1 p.m. Friday.

Buck says the pupils left the building around 4:30 p.m. and taken by bus to a different school, where their parents picked them up.

Dozens of law enforcement officers surrounded the nearby house for several hours. The police chief said the man inside surrendered peacefully around 6 p.m. after his parents helped negotiate an end to the standoff.

No details about the man or the reasons for the gunfire were immediately released.

 

 

5:20 update The children have been released from the school and moved to nearby Antioch Middle School so they can safely return home with  parents.

4 p.m.  GLADSTONE, Mo. (AP) — An elementary school in the Kansas City suburb of Gladstone has been locked down after police reported hearing gunshots nearby, possibly at an area home.

Kansas City police responded around 1:15 p.m. Friday to help Gladstone officers search the area. Police closed some streets, and about 1:25 p.m. they heard more shots they believed came from a nearby home.

Police surrounded a house shortly before 3 p.m. It’s unclear whether anyone was shot.

Parents at the elementary school were notified of the lockdown by email and message alerts sent by North Kansas City School District officials.

District spokeswoman Mary Jo Burton says the students were being kept in the building until police and district security tell them it’s safe to leave.

 

Kansas lawmakers look at helping home beer brewers

1276305_beerTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House is considering legislation to lessen restrictions on people who brew beer, wine and cider at home so that they can legally enter competitions.

House members gave the bill first-round approval Friday on a voice vote, setting up a final vote Monday.

Kansas law permits home brewing if the product is consumed only by the brewer or the brewer’s family. Otherwise, a brewer must obtain a manufacturer’s license that can cost up to $5,000, plus a distributor’s license that can cost another $2,000.

The bill would allow home brewers to provide their products to judges and guests at a competition, provided that the brewer isn’t paid.

State Rep. and Palco Republican Travis Couture-Lovelady said the bill would encourage the development of craft breweries in Kansas.

 

Royals add former player Sweeney to front office

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals have added former first baseman Mike Sweeney to their front office, giving him the title of special assistant to baseball operations.

Sweeney was a five-time All-Star for the Royals, and arguably their most popular player from 1995-2007. He was a career .297 hitter who finished with 215 homers and 909 RBIs, even though he dealt with persistent back trouble that caused him to miss long stretches of time.

It wasn’t immediately clear what Sweeney’s duties will be, though general manager Dayton Moore said in a statement that he will work closely with the baseball operations department.

Sweeney said Friday that he hopes to help Kansas City return to the playoffs, something he was unable to accomplish as a player.

Wichita robber hides face with boxer shorts

police.pngWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita say an armed robber made a strong impression with his choice of a mask: a pair of gray boxer shorts pulled over his face.

The holdup occurred around 8:30 p.m. Thursday at a Family Dollar store in the eastern part of Wichita while two people were inside.

Police said the robber pointed a revolver at the clerk, threatened to shoot and demanded money. He left with a small amount of cash.

Besides the underwear on his head, the robber wore dark shoes, a hooded sweatshirt, black jacket and blue jeans.

 

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