KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Military personnel have converged at a southeast Kansas pasture where an Oklahoma Air National Guard fighter jet tumbled to the ground and burned after colliding with another F-16 during a training exercise.
One pilot ejected after the Monday afternoon crash about three miles northeast of the Elk County town of Moline. The Oklahoma Guard’s Col. Max Moss has said neither pilot was seriously injured.
Moss said one of the F-16s remained airborne and returned safely to its base in Tulsa. Moss said the pilot of the crashed plane was taken to McConnell Air Force Base hospital in Wichita for evaluation, but was not believed to be seriously injured.
A McConnell Air Force Base spokesman said Tuesday that the Oklahoma Air National Guard would release more details in the afternoon.
Habitat for Humanity of Ellis County once again will partner with Marcon Pies, a long-established Kansas firm, for its annual Thanksgiving fundraiser. Because Marcon only ships orders of 50 pies or more, Habitat for Humanity of Ellis County is one of the few means of obtaining these delicious pies in this part of the state.
All proceeds are used to help Habitat for Humanity of Ellis County build and repair homes for those in need in Ellis County.
Pies are $15 each. Orders are due by Wednesday, Nov. 5. Call (785) 259-6259 to place an order. Apple, cherry, peach, pumpkin, strawberry rhubarb, turtle cheesecake, pecan, pumpkin pecan and walnut chocolate chip pies are available.
Orders must be picked up between 3 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2000 Main, Hays.
For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Ellis County and ways you can get involved, go to www.habitatelliscounty.org. For more information about Marcon Pies, visit www.marconpies.com.
Long seen as having devastated Sun Belt cities, the subprime mortgage crisis unleashed turmoil on close-knit towns of rural America. Now federal officials are pledging regulatory attention and financial help.
Government data provided to The Associated Press by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Middlebury College show subprime loans were distributed in the rural U.S. at even higher rates on average than in metropolitan counties.
The numbers reinforce what private groups have long said based off figures maintained by Ohio: The Buckeye State was tops in the number of foreclosure proceedings.
The new research is helping shed light on many long-neglected rural counties with high rates of risky lending, and comes as U.S. banks pledge relief to hard-hit communities. Lawmakers want rural counties to get their fair share.
First and foremost, the action and violence that are on display in “Fury” and equally riveting and revolting. It’s been a good long while since a film really captured the horror of war and put it front and center. When coupled with great set design, realistic effects and beautiful cinematography, this film provides a haunting window into the reality of driving down a road in Nazi Germany.
The film’s success in putting the visceral nature of war so intimately on display also leads to the film’s greatest shortcoming. War films are often like sports films. If you had a football movie that depicts a regular season without an X-factor i.e. playing for the championship, playing with a young, inexperienced team or something similar then the sports action is just that, sports action. A war movie without a greater purpose, i.e. having to find and save Private Ryan or having to escape Mogadishu, leads to war-themed action for action’s sake. While “Fury” professes to have an X-factor, it falls flat.
In this reviewer’s opinion, this was a time budgeting issue. There’s a very fine line between knowing the men in the tank and caring about their survival and knowing the reason they’re in the tank in the first place. I clearly understand what “Fury” was trying to do. To the average Joe on the front lines, the job would be to survive and fight another day until the war is over. While that’s an admirable story element to include, if not handled properly it can lead to the overall drive of the film feeling a little shapeless. It’s much harder for a film to feel purposeful when its characters are less-than-enamored or even cynical about their own purpose.
As I mentioned before, I understand, and praise, the intent. Furthermore, I am in no way advocating for film to take the safer, more easily understood route. I am simply stating that as the difficulty of the design goes up, so to does the difficulty of the execution. “Fury” planned a routine with a very high degree of difficulty and both performed very admirably and failed to stick the landing.
All said, “Fury” is an imposing cinematic experience that certainly isn’t for the feint of heart.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a 19-year-old man is being held in jail in connection with the deaths of a Wichita couple.
The man was arrested Monday night and booked into the Sedgwick County jail on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder and other charges. He’s a suspect in the deaths of 70-year-old Martha Moreno and her husband, 72-year-old Godofredo Moreno.
The couple’s bodies were found Thursday at their home. Police say they apparently died of multiple stab wounds.
TOPEKA, KAN. – A man pleaded guilty Monday to an armed robbery at a Wendy’s restaurant in Topeka, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
George Christopher Walton, Jr., 37, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during the robbery. In his plea he admitted that on Aug. 4, 2014, he entered the Wendy’s restaurant at 728 S.W. Topeka Blvd. dressed all in black, wearing a mask and brandishing a firearm. He demanded cash from the register and then fled with the money.
Walton got into a car driven by his daughter and co-defendant Tashaun Desanic Walton. Police chased the car for several minutes before it stopped and Walton jumped out. He was captured a short while later in a residential area.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 26. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 84 months in federal prison.
His daughter, co-defendant Tashaun Desanic Walton, is set for a change of plea hearing Nov. 3.
Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
VICTORIA — Traffic near Victoria was rerouted Tuesday morning after a semi became lodged under a railroad bridge.
The truck was too tall to navigate the bridge, just off Old U.S. 40 on Cathedral Avenue. At approximately 9 a.m., the truck had been cleared from the scene.
According to Victoria Police Chief Cole Dinkel, the driver, Charles Avery, 64, from Mississippi, was not injured in the incident. The semi only suffered scrapes on the trailer top. Emergency responders let the air out of the truck’s tires to allow it to pass under the bridge.
Dinkel said such an incident happens about once a year at the Union Pacific bridge at Third and Cathedral.
SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A project that will build homes for four families is bringing a new way to provide housing in Reno County.
Interfaith Housing Services and the four low-income families broke ground Monday in South Hutchinson on a project that requires the families to help with construction.
The new home owners will provide about 20-30 hours of labor each week on the homes to earn “sweat equity” that reduces their costs. The project is supported by a federal grant and is restricted to communities with less than 35,000 residents. It’s new in Reno County, although the city of Liberal has had a similar program for years.
The Hutchinson News reports South Hutchinson is planning a comparable program to build homes for moderate income families.
The Hays Public Library will celebrate Halloween for an entire week. There are numerous activities planned at the HPL for the public to enjoy. All programs are free.
Sat. Oct. 25 at 11:59 p.m. Midnight Movie Double Feature.
Two popular zombie movies will be shown at the HPL starting at midnight. There will be free pizza, popcorn, and prizes! Copies of the movies will be given away as well as a zombie survival backpack. Patrons under the age of 17 will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Mon. Oct. 27 at 6:00 p.m. Storytime at the Pumpkin Patch.
Come and dance to Halloween songs and enjoy some haunted stories. All ages are welcome to come. The pumpkin patch is located at the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center, 1232 240th Av. Hays, KS.
Tue. Oct. 28 at 6:00 p.m. Halloween Party
The party begins at 6:00 p.m. with Treats, No Tricks. This party is for children who enjoy all Halloween fun but without the scary parts. The party will become haunted at 7:00 p.m. with Thrills & Chills. Please choose which time to attend best-suited to your child’s age. The Halloween party is come and go. There will be numerous activities for everyone to enjoy.
Wed. Oct. 29 at 6:00 p.m. Real Monsters
If you need a good scare, come see some real monsters! Ian Trevethan from the Sternberg Museum of Natural History will be showing some frightening fossils. This event is for all ages.
Thur. Oct. 30 at 4:00 p.m. Dowsing
Dowsing expert Vince Marshall will explain and demonstrate how to find hidden treasures underground.Participants will get the chance to dowse and will leave the program with a set of dowsing rods to keep. Can you uncover a lost grave? Parents and Caregivers are encouraged to attend the program with the child or children.
Bertha S. Fogle, 87, Hays, died Sunday, October 19, 2014, at the Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital in WaKeeney, Kansas.
She was born October 30, 1926, in Hays the daughter of Frank and Martha (Ploutz) Fogle. She worked on the farm for much of her life, and enjoyed gardening, crocheting, and raising chickens, ducks, geese and guineas. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
She is survived by her sister, Martha Sessin of Hays and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm on Friday, October 24, 2014 at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street. Burial will be in the Mt. Allen Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1:00 pm until service time on Friday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Trinity Lutheran Church, in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.
During the early days of our country, settlers hunted out of necessity. While farming and trading provided them with a great deal of food, it wasn’t enough for sustenance. In order to survive, they hunted, fished and trapped wildlife where they lived and worked.
Today, hunting in America offers two major benefits to society: wildlife management and an economic boost.
Protecting wildlife makes sense from an environmental standpoint in today’s society. This allows for future hunting seasons. Wildlife management also ensures overcrowding will be less likely.
Today, most wildlife populations continue to thrive under conservation programs put into place in the early 1900s. For example, the white-tailed deer population was a meager half a million 100 years ago. With careful conservation efforts, plentiful crops, well planned hunting seasons and reasonable limits for hunters, the population has grown to approximately 32,000,000.
Almost every other wildlife species has flourished as well. Most of these animals number in the millions today. This wasn’t the case before the efforts of hunters and wildlife enthusiasts became commonplace.
Just as impressive are the numbers on the economic impact of hunting. With approximately 6 percent of the U.S. population hunting today, business is booming.
For countless small businesses in rural communities in Kansas and across this nation, hunter spending plays a major role in economic success.
Local shops, outfitters, hotels, convenience stores, restaurants and landowners all benefit. In 2011, nearly 13.7 million hunters spent $38.3 billion, according to a 2011 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey.
In addition to the 680,000 jobs supported by hunters, hunting generated $11.8 billion in tax revenues for federal, state and local coffers. Wildlife agency positions are also supported by sportsmen through the purchase of hunting licenses and funds collected as excise taxes through the long-running Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration
These sportsmen contribute on average $8 million per day, much of which goes toward conservation efforts. Billions of dollars have been used to protect the habitats of fish and wildlife throughout the country.
Through conservation efforts, money generated and jobs created, hunting remains a positive engine in this country’s economic industry. What many fail to understand about this sacred tradition is that it isn’t just about the act itself.
Hunting provides the opportunity to experience nature. Some sportsmen will tell you the best part about hunting isn’t shooting; it is the peacefulness and serenity of being outdoors.
Some may even feel a connection with their ancestry while hunting. It’s also an opportunity to pass such traditions to their children and friends.
For generations, families have shared these experiences and it has strengthened their relationships. It is a visceral feeling that can strengthen family bonds. Hunting remains a way of sharing in nature’s beauty and the dynamic between human and animal have few comparisons in society today.
Hunting prevails as a part of our American identity. Millions of people take pride in hunting. Their experiences are much bigger than themselves and create this community called hunting.
John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.
