NASHVILLE (AP) – Reba McEntire is getting into the cosmetics business. McEntire writes on Facebook she has teamed with Brett Freedman Beauty for a line of makeup called Reba Beauty. The first product is a lipstick called Reba Deluxstick. It will be sold through McEntire’s website and through Amazon beginning April 7.
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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 20-year-old Kansas woman has been convicted of killing her roommate and former employer by nearly decapitating him.
Jurors in Douglas County deliberated nearly five hours before finding Sarah Gonzales McLinn of Lawrence guilty of first-degree murder in the January 2014 death of 52-year-old pizza shop owner Harold Sasko.
McLinn’s attorneys had acknowledged that their client killed Sasko, but they sought an acquittal on claims that she had mental disease or defect at the time of the slaying. Defense witnesses also testified that McLinn had multiple personalities.
But jurors concluded McLinn was able to form intent to kill Sasko, contrary to what her attorneys argued.
Prosecutors are seeking a 50-year sentence that doesn’t carry the prospect of parole. Jurors will begin hearing that portion of the trial Monday.
FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State baseball fell by a score of 4-2 in the four-game series opener on Friday at Northwest Missouri State. The Tigers got all of their offense off two solo homers, but a three-run blast by NWMSU in the sixth was the difference in the game.
FHSU led off the game with a home run by Connor Ross, but NWMSU starting pitcher Anthony Caenepeel settled in from there by striking out 12 Tigers in eight strong innings of work. He allowed only three hits to the Tigers, two on homers. Alex King had the other home run for FHSU in the top of the eighth.
Gabe Cook pitched 6.0 innings in his start for the Tigers, allowing four runs on seven hits and six walks. He struck out five. He allowed a two-out RBI double in the fourth, which tied the game 1-1 at the time, but gave up the three-run homer with two outs in the sixth. Austin Wulff was Cook’s nemesis for the day as he recorded all four RBI for NWMSU with the two run-scoring hits.
Kyle Vogt pitched the final two innings in relief for FHSU, retiring the side in order in both the seventh and eighth.
Carson Smith entered in the ninth to pick up his sixth save of the year for NWMSU, retiring the Tigers in order.
FHSU (3-15, 3-10 MIAA) faces NWMSU (10-11, 7-6 MIAA) in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 pm.
By ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Fred VanVleet matched his career high with 27 points, Ron Baker made big free throws late, and Wichita State defeated Indiana 81-76 in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
By winning, the seventh-seeded Shockers (29-4) set up a much-anticipated Sunflower State showdown with Kansas on Sunday.
Baker scored 15, making 7 of 8 free throws in the last 2 minutes to allow Wichita State to hold off the Hoosiers (20-14).
Freshman reserve Zach Brown had eight of his career-high 11 points in the second half, with six coming during the Shockers’ decisive run.
Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell scored 24 points for Indiana. James Blackmon Jr. added 14 points and Troy Williams and Collin Hartman had 11 apiece for the Hoosiers.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former employee of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has been charged with embezzling $116,000.
The Wyandotte County prosecutor’s office announced Friday that 52-year-old Rose A. Hammes, of Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with three counts of felony theft. She is jailed in Wyandotte County on $50,000 bond. Her defense attorney, Jacquelyn Rokusek, didn’t immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
The archdiocese said in written statement that Hammes served as the director of communications and pastoral planning from September 2010 until April 2014, when “financial irregularities” were discovered. The statement said the archdiocese hopes to recover the money through insurance. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann urged prayer and patience.
Hammes previously worked for dioceses in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Winona, Minnesota.
March 19
Criminal Transport, Wakeeney, 6:59 a.m.
Criminal Transport, Ellsworth, 8:26 a.m.
Criminal Transport, Dodge City, 10:08 a.m.
Criminal Transport, Larned, 10:30 a.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th, 2:33 p.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th, 2:33 p.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th, 2:33 p.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th, 2:34 p.m.
Criminal Transport, Wakeeney, 7:28 p.m.
Drug Offenses, Hays, 9:49 p.m.
By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
The advance voting machines have been calibrated and the ballots delivered, as the first day to participate in advance voting for Ellis County city/school elections was Wednesday.
“We’re ready to go” said Ellis County Clerk and Election Officer Donna Maskus.
Maskus said City/School elections tend to see a lower percentage of voter turnout compared to other elections –something she would like to see change.
“Those are local people, they are right here on our doorstep making decisions.” – Donna Maskus
“Those are local people, they are right here on our doorstep making decisions.” Maskus said, encouraging everyone to exercise their right to vote.
Advance voting only takes place at the Ellis County Administration Building, 718 Main St. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday until noon April 6.
Maskus said community members who are unable to get to their city or county voting site can request an advance ballot be mailed by calling (785) 625-9410. A request can also be downloaded from the Ellis County website.
After the advance voting deadline, 10 polling locations will be set up around Hays on election day, April 7.
To find where your polling location call the your local county clerk’s office or visit the VOTE!Kansas website.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Shawnee County judge has deviated from a plea agreement in sentencing a man for killing two women and wounding a third in 2003 in Topeka.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that King Phillip Amman Reu-El, formerly known as Phillip Cheatham Jr., was ordered Friday to serve his capital murder and attempted first-degree murder sentences back-to-back instead of at the same time. The decision means the earliest the 42-year-old could be released would be in about 26 years. He already has served more than 11 years for the crimes.
Amman Reu-El avoided the death penalty by pleading no contest in February as jury selection was beginning for a retrial. His original conviction was overturned by the Kansas Supreme Court because of ineffective counsel in his first trial.
An Extension program called “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate” will be offered twice in Ellis County to help families explore the opportunities and challenges of transferring heirlooms and personal belongings from one generation to another. The first presentation will be Monday, March 23 at noon at the Extension Office meeting room, 601 Main Street in Hays. Contact the Ellis County Extension Office, 785-628-9430 to pre-register.
The program will be repeated on Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 pm at the Ellis Public Library Community Room in Ellis. Register for this session at the Ellis Recreation Commission, 785-726-3718. Linda Beech, County Extension Agent, will be the speaker for both sessions.
Almost everyone has personal belongings such as wedding photographs, a baseball glove, holiday ornaments, a beloved doll or a yellow pie plate that hold special meaning for them and for other members of their family. Research done at the University of Minnesota with families and attorneys revealed it is often these personal possessions that create the greatest challenges when estates are divided– not the real estate or the money– because dividing one-of-a-kind items equally is sometimes impossible.
Plan to attend one of the Extension programs on “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate” on March 23 in Hays and March 24 in Ellis to learn more.
OTTAWA – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 1 p.m. on Thursday in Franklin County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by Sean Shehan, 31, Lawrence, was westbound at the intersection of Stafford Road and Kentucky Road five miles Northwest of Ottawa.
The motorcycle left the road on the south side while attempting to negotiate a turn.
It traveled through a ditch, became airborne and landed a few feet from where it left the ground causing the vehicle to come to a stop and eject the driver.
Shehan was transported to Ransom Memorial Hospital.
The KHP reported he was wearing a helmet.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it’s making progress trying to correct a tax-form error that affected 820,000 customers of HealthCare.gov.
Administration officials said Friday that 740,000 corrected forms have gone out, and another 80,000 will be mailed next week.
The issue involves a new government form called a 1095-A.
It’s like a W-2 form for health care for people who got subsidized private insurance under President Barack Obama’s law. Consumers who got health insurance tax credits need the information on the 1095-A to file their taxes.
Last month, federal officials said more than 800,000 consumers had gotten the wrong details on premiums.
HealthCare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan says some customers may still have other errors on their forms, like the wrong coverage dates. He’s urging them to call
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Second-seeded Kansas did its best to restore some luster to the Big 12.
Well, at least scrub away some of the tarnish.
Frank Mason III scored 17 points to lead a balanced attack, and the Jayhawks rolled to a 75-56 victory over No. 15 seed New Mexico State on Friday, giving their beleaguered conference its first NCAA Tournament victory in four tries this March.
Perry Ellis added nine points for the Jayhawks (27-8), who did their part in setting up a tantalizing matchup with seventh-seeded Wichita State in the Midwest Region’s round of 32.
The Shockers played No. 10 seed Indiana in their opening game later Friday.
DK Eldridge had 11 points and Remi Barry and Tshilidzi Nephawa scored 10 each for the Aggies (23-11), who had won 13 straight while sweeping the Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
TOPEKA – The state’s February seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, unchanged from the January and down from 4.6 percent in February 2014.
In Ellis County, the jobless rate was 3.1 percent, inching up from the 2.9 percent reported in January.
Northwest Kansas counties continue to post among the lowest unemployment rates, although an uptick was seen from January to February. Trego County rose a full percentage point, reaching 4.6 percent in February.
Sheridan County was tied for the state’s lowest jobless rate at 2.3 percent. Click the map at right for a county-by-county breakdown.
Seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas gained 21,000 private sector jobs since last year, or 1.9 percent. Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 21,200 jobs, a 1.5 percent increase since February 2014. Since last month, Kansas added 9,000 seasonally adjusted private sector jobs, or 0.8 percent. The state gained 9,500 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs, a 0.7 percent increase since last month.
“Private sector jobs continue to drive Kansas’ economic growth, setting a new record high this month,” said Lana Gordon, Secretary of Labor.
Not seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas gained 20,400 private sector jobs since last year, or 1.8 percent. Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 20,600 jobs, a 1.5 percent increase since February 2014. Since January, private sector jobs increased by 6,100, or 0.5 percent. The state gained 14,600 total nonfarm jobs over the month, a 1.1 percent increase.
“Demand for labor in the state continued to improve in February, with the number of private sector jobs increasing by 20,400, or 1.8 percent, over the past 12 months,” said Tyler Tenbrink, Senior Labor Economist. “The number of average hours worked in a week increased at a modest rate of 0.6 percent.”
The March 2015 Labor Report will be released on Friday, April 17.
