Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Munjor Parish Supper scheduled for Sunday, March 6, has been canceled.
“We apologize for any inconvenience and will see you next year,” organizers said.
Month: March 2016
Students protest game-time conflict with Kansas caucus
By James Hoyt
KU Statehouse Wire Service
TOPEKA – Approximately 30 people gathered in front of Wescoe Hall at the University of Kansas Monday afternoon to protest the scheduling of Saturday’s basketball game. They also established a Facebook page to protest.
Protestors want a change in game time. The KU vs. Iowa State matchup is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, the same time the Kansas Democratic presidential caucuses are scheduled to begin. The Republican caucus vote is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., which demonstrators also found inconvenient.
Protest organizer Daniel Walker, a University senior from Overland Park, said the game’s schedule will adversely affect KU athletic department employees and others who wish to participate in the Democratic and Republican caucuses.
“KU is a public institution that has a moral obligation to making sure that its students and its faculty can attend things like these important events,” Walker said.
ESPN is in charge of scheduling and said it could not change the game’s time.
“Working with the Big 12 Conference, we set the time for ESPN’s national telecast of Iowa State at Kansas, per the normal scheduling process. Due to other live national game commitments on ESPN Saturday, we are unable to move the telecast time,” an ESPN spokesperson said.
Assistant Athletic Director Jim Marchiony said in a statement Monday that he recommends that students vote.
“We support every Kansan’s right to be involved in the political process and regret the conflict with the game time. We will encourage any KU student who has responsibilities at Saturday’s game, and who wants to go to the caucus, to go to the caucus,” Marchiony said.
Curtis Hall, Douglas County Democratic Party chair, expressed concern that fans who would otherwise go to the caucuses might choose to go to the game instead. He also noted that game time traffic could pose an issue for caucus-goers.
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self doesn’t plan on voting in the caucuses. He said neither the game nor the caucuses would be affected negatively by the scheduling conflict.
– Edited by Leah Sitz
Linda M. (Fallows) Gasper
Linda M. (Fallows) Gasper, 91, died Monday, March 1, 2016, at Brookdale Meridian Senior Living Center, Lakewood, Colo.
She was born Jan. 10, 1925 in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, to Annie (Mathers) and William Fallows.
She married Francis C. Gasper, who was a member of the Army Air Corps during World War II, on Sept. 1, 1945 in St. Peter and Paul Church, Bolton, England.
After the war, they resided in Tipton, Kan., where they farmed for a short time before assuming ownership of the Tipton Telephone Company. Upon sale of the company, they resided in numerous Kansas communities, including Wilson, Lenora, Victoria, Ellis, and Hoxie, as well as Phoenix, Ariz., and the Denver area. Her many friends and acquaintances will remember her as outgoing and very entertaining as well as an excellent mother, grandmother, homemaker and baker. While in Victoria, she worked as a cook at Victoria High School for many years.
Survivors include four children, Shirley Richard and husband Ken, Phoenix, Carol Koel, Golden, Colo., Sandy Jackson, Wheat Ridge, Colo., and Bill Gasper and wife Pam, Hays; five grandchildren, Brian Koel and Brent Koel, Lakewood, Kevin Koel and wife Claire, College Station, Texas, Eric Gasper, Lakewood, and Kyle Gasper and wife Trista, Hays; one great-grandchild, Sophia Koel, College Station, and one brother, Leonard, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three sisters and one brother.
A memorial service for Denver-area friends will be at Mt. Olivet in Wheat Ridge. Another memorial service is planned at a later date in Tipton, where her and her husband’s cremains will be laid to rest in the Saint Boniface Cemetery, Tipton.
Ellis Co. Administrative Center will remain closed Wednesday
According to officials, the Ellis County Administrative Center will be closed Wednesday, in light of Tuesday’s tragic downtown accident that claimed the lives of two workers and injured another.
County offices tentatively will reopen Thursday morning for normal business hours.
Sports Authority files for bankruptcy, will close or sell 140 stores
NEW YORK (AP) — Sports Authority is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The retailer said in a Wednesday that it plans to close or sell about 140 stores and two distribution centers. The store closings are expected to take up to three months. The Englewood, Colorado, company has 463 stores including Wichita and Lenexa in Kansas.
Sports Authority stores will remain open and run on normal schedules during the Chapter 11 process. The company’s website will continue to function as well.
CEO Michael Foss said in a written statement that The Sports Authority Inc. has received interest from third parties that may want to invest in or buy some or all of the business.
Kansas higher ed spending cut after February revenue shortfall
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has cut higher education spending by $17 million in response to a shortfall in tax collections for February.
Brownback announced Tuesday that he ordered a 3 percent cut in the higher education system’s allocation of state tax dollars under this fiscal year’s budget. The Board of Regents and state universities will have to make the adjustments over the next four months.
The governor acted after the Department of Revenue reported that the state collected $54 million less in taxes than anticipated in February.
The state must now act to prevent a deficit on June 30. Brownback’s action would not fully balance the budget.
The department said the state collected $303 million in taxes last month instead of the $357 million projected in a November fiscal forecast.
Tuesday’s high school sub-state results
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Class 1A Division I
Clifton-Clyde 34, Centre 29
Frankfort 53, Immaculata 51
Hoxie 66, Greeley County 55
Class 2A
Bennington 57, Lincoln 40
Berean Academy 67, Herington 26
Bishop Seabury Academy 66, Northern Heights 39
Canton-Galva 53, Inman 47
Central Plains 69, Medicine Lodge 30
Ellinwood 51, Kiowa County 46, OT
Ellis 58, Trego 22
Hill City 80, Oberlin-Decatur 54
Hillsboro 54, Little River 50
Jackson Heights 49, Heritage Christian 33
Jefferson North 80, Horton 54
KC Christian 55, Valley Falls 48
Lyndon 59, Chase County 49
Meade 97, Wichita County 53
Moundridge 56, Ell-Saline 34
Ness City 58, Johnson-Stanton County 34
Olpe 60, Madison/Hamilton 27
Pittsburg Colgan 57, Yates Center 37
Plainville 66, Rawlins County 47
Pratt Skyline 54, South Central 51
Salina Sacred Heart 93, Smith Center 47
Sedan 83, Udall 40
Solomon 63, Valley Heights 61
South Gray 63, Sublette 30
Spearville 63, Elkhart 29
St. John 52, Macksville 29
Troy 69, Maranatha Academy 55
Uniontown 50, Oxford 42
Wabaunsee 69, Burlingame 64, OT
Washington County 63, Republic County 48
West Elk 63, Oswego 37
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Class 1A Division I
Clifton-Clyde 34, Centre 29
Pike Valley 45, Rock Hills 32
Pleasanton 58, Chetopa 36
Stockton 72, Osborne 33
Triplains-Brewster 63, Greeley County 38
Class 1A Division II
Attica 51, Ashland 26
Bucklin 47, Fowler 33
Caldwell 51, Argonia 45
Pawnee Heights 42, Chase 34
Rolla 59, Deerfield 14
Class 2A
Hill City 76, Oberlin-Decatur 26
Uniontown 44, Oxford 11
Wichita County 41, Meade 38
Class 3A
Beloit 43, Phillipsburg 30
Caney Valley 73, Erie 41
Cheney 56, Bluestem 25
Cherryvale 46, Riverton 41
Conway Springs 51, Chaparral 19
Council Grove 61, St. Mary’s 31
Galena 48, Neodesha 30
Hays-TMP-Marian 63, Ellsworth 17
Hesston 58, Hutchinson Trinity 12
Hiawatha 62, Pleasant Ridge 37
Lakin 53, Southwestern Hts. 26
Lyons 55, Syracuse 47
Marion 60, Eureka 23
Maur Hill – Mount Academy 47, Atchison County 16
Mission Valley 66, Riley County 28
Nemaha Central 46, Marysville 23
Norton 37, Hoisington 35
Oskaloosa 55, Northeast-Arma 46
Perry-Lecompton 49, Humboldt 46
Remington 59, Sedgwick 47
Royal Valley 98, Rossville 94, 4OT
Russell 52, Minneapolis 39
Sabetha 60, Riverside 16
Scott City 45, Cimarron 34
Silver Lake 64, Osage City 24
Southeast Saline 52, Halstead 24
Sterling 53, Larned 21
Wellsville 53, Central Heights 35
West Franklin 57, Jayhawk Linn 46
Wichita Independent 41, Douglass 38
Ellis Co. restaurant and lodging inspections, 2/22 – 2/28
Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:
Walmart 4301 Vine, Hays – Feb. 25
A routine inspection found 13 violations.
- Section C-2A South of Deli Department- Buffalo Pizza-52 F Pepperoni Pizza- 56 F Roasted Sliced Turkey- 55 F Butoni 4 Cheese Pasta- 55 F Black Forest Ham – 48 F Corrected on site- Manager/Person in Charge disposed of the content in this section. Produce Customer Reach In- Yogurt Parfait-49 F Cut Melons- 49 Cut Kale- 44 F Cut Romaine- 45 F Broccoli Slaw- 48 F Cut Iceberg Lettuce- 48 F
- Bakery Area- Pastry Bags and decorative tips were not being washed every 24 hours.
- Deli Ware Washing Area- Several containers that hold deli salads were washed, sanitized, and stacked with out being allowed to air dry.
- West Storage Area- GM-DSD Garage Door has a 1/2 inch gap in the center of the door. GM-1 Garage Door has a 1/2 inch Gap on the left side of the door.
- Back Storage Hallway- Several areas behind the storage walls there is trash and debris.
- Back East Hallway- Glass cleaning chemical was being stored directly above ready to eat crackers.
- Deli Department- Knives were being kept in cups of sanitizer. No constant flow of running water.
- North Storage Area- Mop Sink has an atmospheric pressure valve that is missing its cover. Possible contamination from something dropping from above.
- Back North Hallway on the south storage side. Nando Medium Peri Peri sauce had been broken on the bottom of the container. The container was still half full and one the shelf. Corrected on site- Manager removed and disposed of the product. Retail Area Isle – Can of tomato sauce had class 2 dents on the seal. “1 Can of thousand”
- Deli Prep Area- Buckets that were washed, stored, and stacked had labels and residue on them. Corrected on site- Employee washed and scraped the labels off of the buckets. Bakery Donut Prep Area- Sheet Pans that were being stored upside down on a cookie sheet had dried food debris on them.
- Bakery- Employee did not wash their hands before working with ready to eat bread that was being packaged. Employee was handling soiled equipment prior to putting gloves on unwashed hands.
- Deli Customer Reach In- 5 Pizzas were labeled for 8 days of use.
- Deli Walk In- Cooked Chicken Tenders were with out a label. Manager said they were made the morning prior and were placed in walk in cooler to cool.
Delta Zeta Sorority 410 W. Sixth, Hays – Feb. 24
A routine inspection found four violations.
- Pair of tongs, stored in drawer and said to be clean by the PIC (person in charge) and not in use, with dried food debris on the food contact surface.
- Red rubber scraper, not in use, with cracks in the food contact surface.
- Both Kenmore RIC’S do not have a thermometer located in the cooling unit.
- 5 lbs bag of potatoes, stored directly on the floor in the pantry.
Fort Hays Golf Shop 1450 Golf Course, Hays – Feb. 24
A routine inspection found three violations.
- Open bag of hot dogs in the Frigidaire RIC with no open or use by date on the bag.
- Toilet room is under construction. Facility has a port a potty on site.
- No thermometer located in the Frigidaire RIC.
Golden Corral 383 Mopar, Hays – Feb. 24
An inspection following a complaint found 10 violations.
- Ware washing Area- Main sink that is used for ware washing is not connected to drain system. It is flowing directly onto the floor, then flowing to a drain 3.5 feet away.
- Grill Area- Cut fajita Chicken- 71 F Ground Hamburger- 59 F Cut Chicken- 48 F Cut Cabbage- 72 F Cooling container had come unplugged. Peron in charge was unsure for how long.
- Meat Walk-In Along the base of the walls in the walk in cooler there are substantial amount of white fuzzy particles growing.
- Back Storage Area- Cambros were stacked and put away wet.
- Dessert Walk-In- Cambro container had a extensive crack while storing bread pudding.
- Sink by pizza prep- Floor drain for the sink is not draining properly. Water from that drain is flowing into a near by drain.
- Salad Walk In Refrigerator- Chicken, Rice and Enchilada Soup that had been heated, served and cooled was dated over 7 days old.
- Salad Walk In Cooler- Floor is in need of repair. It has buckled and is uneven. Meat Cooler- Floor is in need of repair. It has buckled and is uneven.
- Salad walk in cooler- 3 # 10 cans had Class 2 dents. Mandarin Orange, Pineapple Tidbits, Peaches Dry Storage- 3 # 10 Cans had Class 2 Dents 2 Cheese Sauce 1 Green Bean.
- Salad Area- Vegetable dicer had dried food particles on it. 4 robot coupe blades had dried food particles on them. Grill Area- Pair of tongs had dried food particles on it. 3 Spatulas had dried food particles on them.
Gutch’s Bar and Grille 111 W. 7th, Hays – Feb. 24
A routine inspection found eight violations.
- “P” trap under wash sink of 3 vat sink leaking.
- No hand washing signs posted in the men’s or women’s toilet room.
- Cutting boards with scratches and scouring in the food contact surface.
- Mold build up in the soda nozzle holders at the bar.
- Hand utensils, stored with the handles in the down position.
- Soda carbonation device with back flow, but does not have a vent.
- Cooking wine, as said by the cook, with no common name on the bottle.
- 3 door seals, 2 on the RIC and 1 on the RIF (Reach in freezer), are cracked and broken.
Munsch Fitness 1104 E. 22nd, Hays – Feb. 24
A licensing inspection found no violations.
Tryyaki 2814 Vine, Hays – Feb. 24
A modified complaint inspection found two violations.
- Ice Scoop was being stored on top of the ice machine. There was accumulation of dust on the top of the ice machine.
- Walk In Cooler- Raw Chicken was being stored over Ready to eat cabbage.
Charwells-McMindes Hall, 600 Park, Hays – Feb. 22
A routine inspection found nine violations.
- Dry Goods Storage- #10 Can of spaghetti sauce had a dent on the bottom seam and on the side that came to a point. Class 2 dent.
- Chemical Storage Area- Unmarked Chemical and Person in charge or the Chef did not know what it was.
- Dough prep area- Container of sugar in the prep area was not labeled.
- Main Kitchen- Chef’s Knife that was stored on a magnetic strip had dried food debris on the base of the knife. Corrected on site- Chef washed, sanitized, and let the knife air dry. Main Kitchen- Tomato Sliced and Vegetable Dicers had dried food debris left of them from the prior week.
- Mongolia cooking line- Fully Cooked Chicken that was stored cold was at the temperature of 46 F. Person in charge said that it was cooked and cut this morning. Corrected on site- Person in charge placed the chicken into the walk in cooler to bring it back down to temperature. Pizza Station- Fully Cooked Chicken that was stored cold was at the temperature of 52 F.
- Pizza station- Scraping tool was stored inbetween the prep table and the wall. Inspector asked when was the last time the wall had been cleaned, person in charge did not know.
- Main Kitchen- Sliced black forest ham was being thawed in standing water in a prep sink. Inspector checked the temperature and they were still frozen.
- Main Kitchen- Stainless steel 1/3rd metal pans were stored and stacked wet.
- Walk-In Cooler 2- Cooked sausage from the morning had been placed in a metal shotgun pan. The sausage had been stacked on top of one another and covered fully with plastic wrap.
Union Station Coffee & Roasterie 1107 Vine, Hays – Feb. 22
A follow up inspection found two violations.
- Back Roasting Area- Black trash bags were being used to line the plastic totes that store the roasted coffee beans. Person in charge was unsure if they are food grade safe.
- Person in charge has the self closing door jams on order and they will be here in a week.
Clinton and Trump big Super Tuesday winners
MIAMI (AP) — Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are beginning to focus on each other in the race for the White House.
Both front-runners were emboldened by commanding victories Tuesday across large swaths of the country.
Clinton previewed a “love and kindness” message while Trump traded his typical rollicking rallies for a sober media conference where he pressed his case that Clinton is a proven failure as a longtime politician.
Both spoke from Florida, where the general election is often won or lost. Clinton collected wins Tuesday in eight states, and Trump swept up victories in at least seven Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia, another important general election battleground.
Ted Cruz won in Texas, Alaska and Oklahoma. Marco Rubio won in Minnesota.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Kansas have presidential caucuses Saturday.
Sunny, breezy Wednesday
Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a south wind 8 to 13 mph becoming west 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. North northwest wind 9 to 16 mph.
ThursdayMostly sunny, with a high near 60. North northwest wind 9 to 17 mph.
Thursday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 36. North northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming south southeast after midnight.
FridayMostly sunny, with a high near 69. South wind 9 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Friday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 36.
SaturdaySunny, with a high near 66.
Saturday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 42.
SundayPartly sunny, with a high near 71.
Sheriff identifies body of woman found in Kansas wheat field
NICKERSON, Kan. (AP) — The body of a missing woman has been found in a wheat field in rural Reno County.
The Reno County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that 23-year-old Kati Salmans was reported as a missing person to the Hutchinson Police Department on Feb. 22. Her body was found Monday about three miles southwest of Nickerson.
Authorities said that Salmans may have been driving a vehicle that was found wrecked in the area on Feb. 7.
The Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center identified Salmans’ body. The cause of Salmans’ death has not been determined.
2 spacemen back home after yearlong mission for NASA
Credits: NASA TV
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on the return of NASA’s Scott Kelly and Russia’s Mikhail Kornienko from a year in space (all times EST):
11:26 p.m.
Astronaut Scott Kelly is back on Earth following an unprecedented yearlong mission in space for NASA.
Kelly and his Russian roommate for the past year, Mikhail Kornienko, landed in barren, frozen Kazakhstan on Wednesday. They checked out of the International Space Station 3½ hours earlier.
Their Soyuz capsule parachuted onto the central Asian steppes. Also returning to Earth: Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov, who piloted the craft.
Kelly and Kornienko spent 340 consecutive days in space. They circled the world 5,440 times on a mission that began last March.
Russia continues to rule, however, when it comes to long-duration spaceflight with the world record of 438 days.
Scientists are hoping for more one-year subjects as NASA looks ahead to Mars trips.
___
10:32 p.m.
Astronaut Scott Kelly is streaking back to Earth to end an unprecedented yearlong mission in space for NASA.
Kelly and his Russian roommate for the past year, Mikhail Kornienko, checked out of the International Space Station on Tuesday night, U.S. time. Their Soyuz capsule undocked from the orbiting lab, then with an engine firing, began the hourlong descent. The men aimed for a touchdown Wednesday in Kazakhstan.
Kelly and Kornienko have spent 340 consecutive days in space. By the time the Soyuz lands, the pair will have circled the world 5,440 times.
Russia continues to rule, however, when it comes to long-duration spaceflight with the world record of 438 days.
Scientists are hoping for more one-year subjects as NASA looks ahead to Mars trips.
___
8:02 p.m.
Astronaut Scott Kelly is on his way back to Earth to end an unprecedented yearlong mission in space for NASA.
Kelly and his Russian roommate for the past year, Mikhail Kornienko, checked out of the International Space Station on Tuesday night, U.S. time. Their Soyuz capsule undocked from the orbiting lab and aimed for a touchdown 3½ hours later — on Wednesday — in Kazakhstan
Kelly and Kornienko have spent 340 consecutive days in space. By the time the Soyuz lands, the pair will have circled the world 5,440 times.
Russia continues to rule, however, when it comes to long-duration spaceflight with the world record of 438 days.
Scientists are hoping for more one-year subjects as NASA looks ahead to Mars trips.
___
12:19 p.m.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is closing the door on a space mission that has spanned a U.S.-record 340 days.
Kelly and his roommate for nearly a year, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, check out of the International Space Station on Tuesday night, U.S. time. By the time their Russian capsule lands in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, the pair will have circled the world 5,440 times and experienced 10,880 orbital sunrises and sunsets. Their mileage: 144 million miles. Says Kelly, “We did it!”
Kelly’s closest U.S. contender trails him by 125 days. Russia continues to rule, however, when it comes to long-duration spaceflight. The world record of 438 days was set by a Russian doctor during the 1990s.
Scientists are hoping for more one-year subjects as NASA looks ahead to Mars trips.
Sewer line repair turns to tragedy in Hays Tuesday afternoon
By James Bell and Becky Kiser
Hays Post
What began as routine work on a sewer line in the 700 block of Main Street in Hays turned to tragedy Tuesday as the trench dug to access the line collapsed early Tuesday afternoon, killing two workers and injuring a third in the 11-foot deep trench.
Hays Public Information Officer Kim Rupp confirmed Tuesday night the three workers were employees of Hays-based JCorp.
Families of the three men were at the scene, sequestered in the nearby Ellis County Administration Center. The building was without water and sewer services during the operation, according to Rupp.
Rupp declined to identify any victims and said “a news release will be made available Wednesday.”
The call came into 911 at 1:36 p.m. alerting emergency responders to the accident. “It was a trench collapse,” Rupp said. “The dirt caved in as the three were in the trench.” Underground work on sewer lines had been in progress in the area over the past several days.
RELATED: Ellis County offices will be closed Wednesday.
During the operation, Main was closed to traffic from Sixth to Eighth, along with several blocks to the east of the area.
Dozens of law enforcement, fire fighters and city of Hays workers struggled to secure the hole and rescue the trapped workers.
A first victim was rescued shortly after the accident happened and transported to HaysMed. By 4:30 p.m. Rupp had confirmed the operation had changed from rescue to recovery for the other two workers still trapped in the trench.
“The Hays Fire Department, Ellis County Rural Fire Department, Ellis and Victoria Fire Departments, and the Northwest Kansas Regional Technical Rescue Team are conducting a rescue operation of two victims in the trench. The Ellis County Coroner, Dr. Lyle Noordhoek, is investigating the accident,” Rupp said in an announcement around 4:30 p.m.
“American Red Cross, Ellis County Emergency Management, Kansas Highway Patrol, and Ellis County EMS are also involved and working diligently to recover the victims,” he added.
One of the two bodies was recovered about 5:30 p.m. and transported to a local funeral home.
As darkness set over Hays, special lighting and large construction equipment from APAC-Hays were moved to the area to assist in the recovery efforts. Hays officials, including Mayor Eber Phelps, City Manager Toby Dougherty, Utilities Director Johnny O’Connor, Public Works Director Greg Sund, and Assistant Public Works Director John Braun were also at the scene.
It was another four hours before the second body was finally recovered about 9:25 p.m. and taken to a local funeral home. A Hays priest said prayers at the site as the rescue workers removed their hardhats and bowed their heads.
“The rescuers were painstakingly removing dirt from the trench one bucket at a time,” Rupp said. “APAC lowered a large piece of equipment into the trench to shore up the trench walls so no more dirt could fall in while they were in there working.”
“They had to be very careful for their own safety and the victims.”
The trench and scene were finally secured by about 10:15 p.m. Rupp said the street will remain closed Wednesday as the sewer line work is finished.