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Insurance will not cover loss from scam that tricked Barton Co. treasurer

ComputerScam_740BARTON COUNTY – Law enforcement officials in Barton County continue to investigate an expensive email scam.

In May, $48,600 was erroneously transferred from the Treasurer’s Office to a bank in Georgia in an email scam.

Officials have recovered $34,360 of the money that was lost and were hoping that insurance would cover an additional $14,000.

According to Administrator Richard Boeckman, EMC Insurance has notified the county that they were not covered for the loss.

Last year, the County took out a policy with EMC that included a cyber solutions data compromise coverage, which gave Boeckman hope that the new policy might cover such a loss.

The insurance covered a computer breach. This was a scam.

The $14,239.30 will be taken from the general county budget.

Tracy Dawn Mintzmyer

IMG_1213Tracy Dawn Mintzmyer, 41, Victoria, died Wednesday, July 6, 2016, at Hays Medical Center.

She was born November 14, 1974 in Kearney, Nebraska, the daughter of Lloyd E. and Karen (Schluntz) Mintzmyer.

She graduated from Hays High School in 1993 and received her BS and MS degrees in Counseling from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. She was a Wal-Mart employee for many years and was a member of High Plains Baptist Church. She enjoyed traveling, Breyer horses, Lion King Memorabilia, flowers and plants, and the outdoors. She was also a Sunday school teacher for many years at High Plains Baptist Church.

Survivors include her mother, Karen Mintzmeyer of Victoria, two sisters; Jody Mintzmyer and Katie Mintzmyer, both of Victoria, an aunt; Arlene Mintzmyer of Alma, NE, and an uncle; Tom Schluntz of Huntley, NE., and numerous cousins.

She was preceded in death by her father, Lloyd Mintzmyer, paternal grandparents Ed and Rose Mintzmyer, and maternal grandparents Pete and Katie Schluntz.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 am on Saturday, July 9, 2016, at the High Plains Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the Fort Hays Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 pm until 8:00 on Friday at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home and from 10:00 am until service time on Saturday at the church. 

Memorials are suggested for missions at High Plains Baptist Church, in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.

3 charged after body of Kansas man found in Missouri cotton field

Robinson, Coleman and Hamilton- photos Sikeston Police
Robinson, Coleman and Hamilton- photos Sikeston Police

SIKESTON, Mo. (AP) — Authorities have charged three people in the death of a 66-year-old Kansas man reported missing in southeast Missouri.

The Pittsburg Morning Sun reports Larry Weaver of Pittsburg, Kansas, was reported missing late last month after he failed to check out of a Sikeston motel. Authorities discovered his motorcycle was also missing, but his wallet and other belongings were left in his motel room. His body was found Saturday in a cotton field in New Madrid County.

Records show 40-year-old Elsie M. Coleman Hamilton and 49-year-old Ronnie Carl Robinson Sr., both of North Little Rock, Arkansas, and 35-year-old Larenzle Coleman, of Oakfield, Tennessee, are charged with first-degree murder in Weaver’s death.

An autopsy shows Weaver had been tied up and beaten.

Weaver- courtesy photo
Weaver- courtesy photo

Online court records don’t list lawyers for the defendants.

Hays dance studio brings home three national titles

SONY DSC
Members of Jackie Creamer’s Vision Dance Company • Courtesy photo

OKLAHOMA CITY — Jackie Creamer’s Vision Dance Company brought home three National Champion awards from last month’s Talent On Parade Dance Competition in Oklahoma City.

One of these awards was their production number including all 64 members. These following dancers represented the second and third National Championship Awards: Neveah Weigel, Adelyn Wagner, Shyanne Yost, Sienna Lummus, Jaci Schmidt, MyKayla Romme, and Ruby Fields.

The company also received two choreography awards and best costume award.

In addition, Vision members received four first overall, nine second overall, seven third overall, eight fourth overall, and seven fifth overall. Of those dances, 13 got to re-compete in Finals.

The dancers had a total of 49 dances in the Top Ten Awards, averaging 70 percent of their dances in the Top Ten.

Let Hays Post share the good news about your youth sports and recreation successes with the community! Send photos and details to [email protected].

Police: Kansas man killed former girlfriend after breakup UPDATE

Emily Sonneman Courtesy photo
Emily Sonneman Courtesy photo

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a 26-year-old man shot and killed his former girlfriend before killing himself.

Lt. Todd Ojile identified the victim as 24-year-old Emily Sonneman and the suspect as Dion Stevens. Police believe the two were arguing in an apartment Wednesday shortly before the shootings.

Police say the two had been previously involved in relationship, and Sonneman had gone to Stevens’ apartment to return items when they started arguing.

Police told KWCH that Sonneman jumped from a second floor balcony, and Stevens chased her outside and shot her. Police say Sonneman was conscious when officers arrived and was able to identify Stevens as the suspect. She died later at a hospital.

Officers found Stevens dead in the apartment from a single gunshot wound.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Sedgwick County are investigating a deadly shooting.

Just before 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, police officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 1700 block of South Rock Road, according to a social media report.

Officers located a 24-year-old woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was transported to an area hospital and died.

While on scene, officers were directed to an apartment where the suspect was seen running to after the shooting. When officers made entry, they located a 27-year-old man deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The suspect was an ex boyfriend of the victim, according to police. She was at the apartment to return property to him after a breakup.

Police have not released names in the case.

Kansas man dead after Interstate bridge pillar crash, fire UPDATE

SALINE COUNTY – A Salina man died in an accident just before 10 a.m. on Thursday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander driven by Larry L. Nelson, 58, Salina, was southbound on Interstate 135 at Magnolia.

The vehicle left the roadway, hit a bridge pillar and caught fire.

Nelson was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Roselawn Mortuary.

He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Traffic backed up near the scene of Thursday's fatal crash
Traffic backed up near the scene of Thursday’s fatal crash

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SALINE COUNTY – One person died in an accident just before 10 a.m. on Thursday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the Magnolia Road overpass on Interstate 135 after a report of a vehicle explosion.

A silver passenger vehicle was southbound, left the roadway, and struck a concrete bridge pillar overpass head-on.

Upon impact, the vehicle caught fire, but did not explode, according to the KHP.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The name of the victim was not immediately released, pending family notification.

Southbound traffic on Interstate 135 was reduced to one lane while investigators and first responders work to clear the scene.

Floating down the river banned after 3 Kansas teens rescued

Arkansas River rescue
Arkansas River rescue

RENO COUNTY— Emergency crews in Reno County made another rescue on the Arkansas River on Thursday morning.

Three people who were making a float trip down the river got into trouble, according to Jeremy Unruh with the Hutchinson Fire Department.

The two women and a man started the trip at 4th Avenue and had gone about 100 yards downstream, when they became entangled in some trees.

One of them had a cell phone and called 911.

Hutch Fire put two rescue personnel into a raft and sent them into the area where all three were rescued without harm.

Reno County has now banned all floating down the river due to the high fast moving water.

This is the third water rescue made by Hutch Fire in the river in the past month.

KBI helping identify body found hanging in a tree

KBIbanner2013SEWARD COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities including the Kansas Bureau of Investigation are investigating a body found in Seward County.

The body, wearing a heavy coat, was found hanging from a tree on Wednesday morning in a wooded area behind the VFW on West 2nd Street Road, according to Seward County Sheriff’s Captain Rob Gant.

“The owner of the property was mowing and his dog started barking, said Gant.

The man moved some bushes, tree branches and noticed the coat.

The gender of the victim has not been determined due to decomposition, according to Gant.

“The coroner believes the body has been there for some time,” he said.

Dental records will be used to help identify the victim.

Alza G. ‘Al’ Keller

center-149x195-4395068Alza G. “Al” Keller, 75 died Monday, July 4, 2016 at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City.

He was born May 25, 1941 in Hays, Kansas the son of Frank J. & Hanora M. (Henderson) Keller.

Al grew up as a child in Wakeeney, Kansas. He later moved with his family to Ellis, Kansas where he attended high school. Al continued to live in Ellis until 1967 when he moved to Topeka, Kansas. He then moved to Garden City in 1969 and has lived in Garden City since.

While living in Ellis, Al worked in the oil fields. He later worked at the Good Year Tire Plant in Topeka. After moving to Garden City, he worked for Oswalt Manufacturing Co., Electron Way, and for the last 41 years he has worked as a salesman for Texas Refinery Corporation.

On October 22, 1960 he married Nora Wiesner in Ellis, Kansas. She survives. Other survivors include three children Connie & husband Michael Hoffman of Garden City, Mitchell Keller of Ellis, Ks., and Michael Keller of Garden City; 4 sisters Margaret Brack of Ellis, Ks., Virginia Sproul of Ellis, Ks., Judy Kuhn of Hays, Ks., and Deanna Wellbrock of Hays, Ks.; 5 Grandchildren Audra Bogard, Kelsi Pfannenstiel, Adam Hoffman, Justin Keller, and Jason Keller; and 7 Great Grandchildren Laine, Maya, Miden, Sabina, Danika, Jace, and Jordy.

Al is preceded in death by his parents and a brother Darrell Keller.

Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, 2016 at Garnand Funeral Home in Garden City with Von Hunn officiating. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 11, 2016 at Mount Hope Cemetery in Ellis, Kansas. Friends may call from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to service time Saturday all at Garnand Funeral Home in Garden City.

The family request memorials given to the Laine Durler Special Needs Fund in care of Garnand Funeral Home.

Kenneth Allen Sell

Screen Shot 2016-07-07 at 10.04.17 AMKenneth Allen Sell passed away on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 61. He was born on October 15, 1954 in Hays, Kansas at Hadley Regional Medical Center to Kenneth and Betty (Slansky) Sell.

After high school, Ken went on to graduate from Vocational/Technical School in Garden City in Garden City, Kansas and later completed his Associate’s Degree. He worked as the Chief Engineer for WRIC-TV in Richmond, Virginia before setting up the station and becoming Chief Engineer at KPPX-TV51 in Phoenix.

Ken is survived by his sisters Rita June and husband Tim Piltz, and Ruby Sell; brother Darrel Sell and wife Kelly; sister-in-law Rita Rae Sell; nieces and nephews Stephen Sell, Connor Sell, Carolyn Sell, Brandon Sell, and Megan Daveluy and husband Brendan; great-nieces and nephews Derrick Sell, Wyatt Sell, Aiden Peace, and Hayden Daveluy.

He was preceded in death by his parents Kenneth and Betty Sell, brother David Sell, nephew Tyler Sell, and great-nephew Cohen Daveluy.

Ken was laid to rest in the Plainville Cemetery in Plainville, Kansas. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, July 9, 2016 at the First Christian Church in Plainville, Kansas.

Storms hit Kansas, Missouri cutting power to thousands

Thursday storm damage photo courtesy Jessica Harris-Wood via NWS Kansas City
Thursday storm damage photo courtesy Jessica Harris-Wood via NWS Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Heavy thunderstorms rolled through Missouri and Kansas, yanking down power lines and trees and causing power outages.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for several sections around Missouri and Kansas and said storms could continue through the evening. The weather service also issued flash flood warnings for southeast Missouri.

Downed trees and power lines have left about 50,000 customers of Kansas City Power & Light without power. Ameren Missouri also reported on its website early Thursday that about 10,000 of its customers didn’t have power, largely in central Missouri.

In Kansas, Westar Energy says numerous outages have also been reported, largely in the Topeka area.

The weather service says similar storms could spawn large hail and possible tornados in Kansas and Missouri.

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