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Month: June 2015

FHSU University Police investigates weekend report of rape

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FHSU University Relations

University Police at Fort Hays State University are investigating a report of a rape, which was alleged to have occurred at some point shortly before the report was made to police at 1:53 a.m. Saturday.

The victim said the incident occurred in the grassy area near the Rarick Hall sign after she left Chuck’s, a local bar at Seventh and Park.

The 18-year-old female victim was unable to give a description of the assailant, other than he was a white male, taller than 5 feet 9 inches. She declined medical attention.

The Hays Police Department has assisted with the investigation.

If anyone has information about this incident or wants to report a different incident, please contact the FHSU Police Department at (785) 628-5304 during daytime hours on Monday through Friday. After hours, the calls can be directed to the dispatcher at the Hays Communications Center, (785) 625-1011.

University Police Chief Ed Howell advises that it is always best to follow these safety tips:
•        Be aware of your surroundings and others in the area.
•        Have your cell phone at the ready and call 911 if you feel that you are in danger.
•        Walk with others when possible.
•        Advise others as to where you are going and when you expect to return.
•        Report any suspicious behavior.

Should you find yourself a victim of rape or sexual assault, there are numerous local services available for assistance. They include Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (785) 625-3055 and/or the Kelly Center (785) 628-4401.

Police: Teen accused of murder wrote she wanted stepdad dead

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Ashlee Martinson

A 17-year-old girl formerly of Hays and accused of killing her mother and stepfather was in court earlier this month for a preliminary hearing.

The incident occurred in Rhinelander, Wis., on March 7.

In the preliminary hearing, police testified that Ashlee Martinson had made social media posts saying she wanted her stepfather dead.

For complete coverage of the case from the Wausau Daily Herald, click HERE.

Return of hot, dry weather jump starts Kansas wheat harvest

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The return of mostly dry, hot weather this weekend has jump started the stalled winter wheat harvest.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 8 percent had been harvested as of Sunday. Normally by this late in the season, about 33 percent of the wheat is in the bin. Last year at this time 21 percent had already been cut.

About 51 percent of the wheat in Kansas is now mature.

Wheat harvest is now in full swing across most of Kansas, with the possible exception of northwest Kansas and the northern tier counties.

Aaron Harries, marketing director for the industry group Kansas Wheat, says yields are better that expected relative to the very poor yields that had been expected early this spring. Better-than-expected doesn’t mean above average.

Kansas Board denies parole for 1984 murder

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Parole Board has denied parole for a man convicted of killing a Nickerson man in 1984.

The Hutchinson News reports  that Danny Pickerill has been denied parole for his conviction in the 1984 death of Nickerson resident Richard Wilson. He was sentenced to two life terms and has spent 30 years in prison for first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. He won’t be eligible for parole again until June 2017.

Adam Pfannenstiel, communications director for the Kansas Department of Corrections, says parole was denied because of the violent nature of the crime.

Pickerill is accused of murdering Wilson, wounding his wife, Peggy, and then kidnapping her daughter and granddaughter.

This was Pickerill’s first time before the parole board.

12th Street reconstruction near HHS begins this week

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Google Maps
Google Maps

City of Hays

Beginning Wednesday, the 12th Street reconstruction project will begin. The repairs will be on 12th Street from Canterbury east to the Hays High School parking lot.

The project is scheduled to be completed within four weeks, weather permitting.

Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public. The traveling public should use caution and if at all possible avoid this area. The construction is in relation to 2015 street maintenance project.

If there are any questions, call the contractor, J-Corp, at (785) 650-3995 or (785) 628-8101 or the Public Works Planning, Inspection, and Enforcement Division at (785) 628-7310.

HPD Activity Report June 11-14

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hpd actvity log sponsor hess bittel fletcher

The Hays Police Department responded to 10 animal calls and 8 traffic stops Thursday, June 18, 2015, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Criminal Damage to Property–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 1:57 AM; 1:59 AM
Domestic Disturbance–1300 block Eisenhower Rd, Hays; 2:26 AM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–500 block E 8th St, Hays; 3:50 AM
Burglary/vehicle–400 block E 12th St, Hays; 5:07 AM
Drug Offenses–3400 block Vine St, Hays; 6:33 AM
Document Service–300 block E 13th St, Hays; 6:51 AM
Assist – Other (not MV)–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 7:45 AM
Assist – Other (not MV)–1000 block Fort St, Hays; 8:57 AM
Civil Dispute–500 block E 8th St, Hays; 10:14 AM
Assist – Other (not MV)–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 10:47 AM
Trash Dumping–200 block E 12th St, Hays; 12:15 PM
Animal Call–1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 12:49 PM
Criminal Trespass–1300 block Eisenhower Rd, Hays; 1:35 PM
MV Accident-Private Property–2900 block Vine St, Hays; 3:02 PM
Assist – Other (not MV)–3000 block Oak St, Hays; 3:28 PM
Mental Health Call–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 4:21 PM
Aggravated Battery–3300 block Vine St, Hays; 5:02 PM; 5:05 PM
Animal Call–1300 block Golden Belt Dr, Hays; 6:29 PM
Civil Transport–1300 block Kansas Highway 264, Larned; 6:48 PM
Violation of Restraining Order/PFA–1100 block Drum Ave, Hays; 7:28 PM
Burglary/vehicle–500 block E 7th St, Hays; 6/17 5 PM; 6/18 6 PM
DRUG – Drug Offenses–1400 block E 29th St, Hays; 10:37 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 11 animal calls and 13 traffic stops Friday, June 19, 2015, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Obstruction of Legal Process–100 block W 7th St, Hays; 12 AM
Hazardous Material Incident–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 5:50 AM; 6:05 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–1700 block Western Plains Dr, Hays; 7:20 AM
Animal At Large–Hays; 9:21 AM
Animal At Large–3300 block Thunderbird Dr, Hays; 9:53 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–100 block E 13th St, Hays; 3/5/15 8 AM; 4/20/15 5 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–200 block W 37th St, Hays
Animal Call–600 block E 15th St, Hays; 2:35 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 6/16 4:20 PM
Document Service–1900 block Holmes Rd, Hays; 4:32 PM
Document Service–200 block E 20th, Hays; 4:32 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–41st and Vine, Hays; 5:15 PM
Water Use Violation–1700 block Marjorie Dr, Hays; 6:08 PM
Water Use Violation–2200 block Felten Dr, Hays; 6:15 PM
Mental Health Call–300 block E 6th St, Hays; 6:41 PM
Disturbance – General–4600 block Roth Ave, Hays; 6:51 PM
Found/Lost Property–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 6:39 PM
Theft of Services–2700 block Vine St, Hays; 7:16 PM
MV Accident-Personal Injury–18th and Vine, Hays; 7:23 PM
Mental Health Call–300 block E 6th St, Hays; 7:27 PM
Mental Health Call–300 block E 6th St, Hays; 7:29 PM
Drug Offenses–300 block E 6th St, Hays; 7:58 PM
Disturbance – Noise–2700 block Epworth St, Hays; 8:08 PM
Drug Offenses–200 block W 12th St, Hays; 8:22 PM; 9:04 PM
Civil Dispute–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 9:19 PM
Runaway Juvenile–4500 block Hoover Dr, Hays; 9:30 PM
Theft (general)–100 block E 11th St, Hays; 9 PM; 9:38 AM
Civil Dispute–1700 block Henry Dr, Hays; 9:55 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 4 animal calls and 38 traffic stops Saturday, June 20, 2015, according to the HPD Activity Log.

MV Accident-Hit and Run–100 block W 9th St, Hays; 12 AM
Drug Offenses–1100 block E 22nd St, Hays; 11:49 AM
Water Use Violation–2500 block Timber Dr, Hays; 12:58 PM
Mental Health Call–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 7:41 PM
Domestic Disturbance–100 block Ash St, Hays; 7:53 PM
MV Accident/DUI–1700 block Haney Dr, Hays; 8:05 PM
Found/Lost Property–Hays; 10:35 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 2 animal calls and 17 traffic stops Sunday, June 21, 2015, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Liquor Offense, sell, furnish, transport–200 block W 10th St, Hays; 12:58 AM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–200 block W 10th St, Hays; 1:31 AM
Underage Possession of CMB/LIQ–600 block Elm St, Hays; 2:03 AM; 2:34 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–1100 block Main St, Hays; 2:15 AM
Animal At Large–2300 block Oak St, Hays; 2:29 AM
Found/Lost Property–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 7:18 AM
Civil Transport–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 8:46 AM
Suspicious Activity–200 block W 15th St, Hays; 12 AM; 9:17 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–200 block E 27th St, Hays; 11:38 AM
Civil Dispute–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 12:05 PM
MV Accident-Private Property–4100 block Vine St, Hays; 12:36 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–200 block E 32nd St, Hays; 4:03 PM
Found/Lost Property–400 block E 15th St, Hays; 4:07 PM
Found/Lost Property–1200 block E 27th St, Hays; 4:34 PM
Theft (general)–300 block Main St, Hays; 4:50 PM; 5:30 PM
Driving Under the Influence–2700 block Elm St, Hays; 9:07 PM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 10:14 PM
Disturbance – Noise–1100 block Vine St, Hays; 10:47 PM

Busy but no weekend tragedy at Wilson Lake

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WILSON STATE PARK -A pair of incidents kept law enforcement authorities busy Saturday at Wilson State Park.

“We had a Jet Ski found floating in the water and nobody around,” said Sergeant Fred Whitman with the Russell County Sheriff’s office.

“At about the same time we were called to locate someone suffering from heat exhaustion. It was a mountain bike rider on the trails near the state park and he wasn’t sure where he was and it was difficult to find him,” said Whitman. He was not from western Kansas.

Fortunately, the Jet Ski was a simple breakdown and the rider surfaced.

After a  search, the mountain bike rider was located and treated for heat exhaustion. He refused a trip to the hospital.

“It could have been a disaster,” said Whitman. “We were very fortunate that nobody was seriously injured.”

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Inside Out’ is a triumphant wonder

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James Gerstner reviews movies for Hays Post.
James Gerstner reviews movies for Hays Post.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary site defines “art” as follows: something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings. In short, Pixar’s latest triumph, “Inside Out” is the very definition of “art.”

Great art, in its many wonderful forms, always expresses ideas and asks the hard questions. What does it mean to be a hero? What does it mean to be a villain? What is freedom worth? What is love? Worthy questions all. “Inside Out,” an animated “children’s movie” that takes place inside the mind of a young girl, dares to ask one of the greatest, if not the greatest, question of our species – what makes us, us? What is life but a collection of memories and the resulting chemical and electrical responses to moments past and a tenuous hope for the future?

I absolutely adored “Inside Out.” It’s brave, it’s beautiful, it’s unfailingly smart, it’s hysterical and it’s important. Everyone, everywhere, should see this movie immediately. Lead by a cast of wonderful voice actors, “Inside Out” takes us inside a gorgeous metaphor of a working human brain where Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear are more than cardinal emotions, they’re characters.

One of the film’s greatest technical and design achievements is the spectacular, mechanical construct that simulates neural processes. When the main character, Riley, has an experience, it is stored in a glass sphere as a memory that is color coded based upon the primary emotion and is eventually shipped off, via suction tube, to long-term memory for storage. The filmmakers made an unconventional setting feel real, scientifically feasible, and best of all, intimate. There is so much in “Inside Out” said without speaking a word, so many interactions that we all can relate to. The metaphor is perfect. This is a film that will be very entertaining to the kiddos out there, but as for me, I desperately want someone to this type of construct out of my brain. Therein lies the great victory of “Inside Out:” it made me yearn for introspection, turning within to find the answers. We are more than our jobs. We are more than our relationships. The human experience is shaped, every day, by everything. Each moment has a chance to become intrinsically core to who and what we are and not all of them are happy.

This film deserve the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature without breaking a sweat. That said, I want to see “Inside Out” nominated for, and potentially win, Best Picture. A lesser film would simply make the emotion Joy the hero and Sadness the villain. “Inside Out” courageously states the simple truths of the world that artists turn into masterpieces. Light cannot exist with darkness. Time and people change. The beauty of life is that it will fade.

“Inside Out” over-delivers on every promise it makes and makes real the elusive hope that there are new frontiers left to be explored. What a wonderful gift.

6 of 6 stars

Local legislators sign letter to repeal Obamacare

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Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook.
Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook

Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook Chair, Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee
Rep. Dan Hawkins Chair, House Health and Human Services Committee

TOPEKA–Kansas House and Senate Health Chairs Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook and Representative Dan Hawkins joined 68 lawmakers as they signed and sent a letter today to House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling on Congress to step in and fix the mess caused by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as ObamaCare.

Rep. Daniel Hawkins
Rep. Daniel Hawkins

Forty-four Representatives from the 125 member Kansas House of Representatives and twenty-six Senators from the forty member Kansas Senate signed the letter. The letter comes on the heels of the introduction of Senate Concurrent Resolution 1606 on the same topic, which was introduced with 27 co-sponsors.

Since Congress passed ObamaCare in 2010, the law has faced a number of legal challenges, including the Supreme Court striking down mandatory Medicaid expansion in NFIB v. Sebelius. After that ruling, the Obama Administration has placed increasing pressure on states to implement ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion.

ObamaCare is back on trial and a decision from the Supreme Court in King v. Burwell is expected this summer. This ruling will decide if individuals in states without exchanges are entitled to subsidies illegally authorized by the IRS. If the Justices invalidate the subsidies, states will once again be pressured to implement ObamaCare by establishing a state-based exchange.

“The people of Kansas didn’t write this law, they didn’t want this law, and they’re tired of having to pay for this law,” said Chairwoman Pilcher-Cook. “ObamaCare is nothing more than Washington telling us how to buy health care, and if Congress won’t stand up for our citizens, I will. We will not spend one more penny fixing Congress’ mistakes, whether that means rejecting Medicaid expansion or a state exchange.”

“It’s time for Congress to step up and finally take charge when it comes to ObamaCare, said Chariman Hawkins. “No more passing things to find out what’s in them and then saddling states with clean up. It is time for Congress to stand up and repeal this law.”

Local legislators signing the letter include:
Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell, 40th Dist.
Rep. Sue Boldra, R-Hays, 111th Dist.
Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady, R-Palco, 110th Dist.
Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, 109th Dist.

Link to the letter: King v. Burwell signed letter from Kansas Legislators

2 in trouble after Kan. emergency crews respond to prank

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HUTCHINSON –A weekend prank call has upset the Reno County Sheriff.

Authorities said residents of rural Sylvia were driving northbound on Sylvia Road at the bridge over a creek near Red Rock Road.

That driver saw two individuals, bloody and lying on the side of the road. He believed that a fatality accident had occurred, called 911 and kept driving.

Emergency medical crews, the KHP and Reno County deputies were dispatched to the scene.

A Midwest Life-team helicopter was also asked to launch.

When Fire and EMS units arrived on scene, the two individuals got up off the roadway, loaded their belongings into a pickup and told Fire and EMS it was a prank and left.

Law enforcement eventually tracked to the individuals down and interviewed them.

Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson said a report would be sent to the Reno County District Attorney’s office this week asking for charges to be filed against these two individuals and hopefully restitution can be received by the responding agencies.

“This act is not only careless, causing emergency responders to operate in emergency mode, but also puts the public at risk because emergency resources are tied up on the call and not able to respond to real calls for service,” said Henderson.

The names of the two pranksters have not been released.

Sharon Fay Stahl

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Sharon Fay Stahl passed away Saturday, June 20, 2015 at her home in Plainville, Kansas at the age of 65.

She was born on November 30, 1949 to Sam and Stella (Snook) Casey in Lyons, Kansas. Sharon graduated from high school with the class of 1967.

On September 20, 1967 she was united in marriage to Ron Werner in Hoisington. They were blessed with four children, Ron, Braden, Sharris, and Justin. They later divorced. She was united in marriage to Dave Stahl on November 18, 2000 in Plainville, Kansas.

Sharon had an artistic eye and spirit. She enjoyed painting, doing ceramics, and had a gift for interior design. Each room of her house had its own unique theme and a special place for the things she treasured. But above all, her greatest treasure was her children and grandchildren whom she loved dearly and showed so much affection. She supported her children in everything they did and loved to share their accomplishments. She passed onto her family the gift of giving. “It was never how we give but how much love we put into giving.”

Sharon will be cherished by her children, Ron Werner and wife Cappy, Braden Werner and wife Tammy all of Plainville, Sharris Coomes and husband Shorty of Hays, and Justin Werner of Plainville; step-sons, Cory Stahl and wife Christy and Brett Stahl all of Plainville; brother, Lawrence Casey and wife Sherry of Hutchinson; sisters, Betty Collins of Plainville, Mary Brady and husband Francis of Chase, Kansas, Elizabeth Rineheart of Oklahoma, Jeanie May and husband Woody of Oberlin, and Karen Sanders of Plainville; grandchildren Cole Werner and wife Sara, Sheldyne Brown, Dalton Werner, Shania Werner, Brooke Werner, Bailey Werner, Rylee Stahl, Ransym Stahl, Rayne Stahl, Zeven Werner, Taylor Stahl, Conner Stahl, Weston Coomes, Ross Coomes, Isaac Coomes, and Rachel Coomes, .
She was preceded in death by her parents Sam and Stella Casey, husband Dave Stahl, brother Sam Casey, sisters, Dora Holliday, Wanda Blankenship and Joyce Brady; and grandson, Maverick Werner.

Mass of Christian Burial was Wednesday, June 24, 2014 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 10:30 a.m. Burial followed in the Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to Rooks County Cancer Council and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd Street, Plainville, KS 67663. Online condolences may be left at www.plumeroverlease.com.

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