A new fitness facility is currently being built at the Hays Recreation Commission. Mike Cooper visits with rec director, Roger Bixenman about what is taking place at the rec center.
Month: September 2016
Hays High will host youth cheerleading camp Saturday
Hays High Cheerleading squad is hosting its annual youth cheer camp from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Hays High School Gym A.
The cost is $25 per child, which includes a T-shirt for attending the camp. They will then be able to perform their routines during the first quarter at the home football game on Friday, Sept. 16. A note will be sent home from camp with the information.
Click the image 
above to print the registration form and drop off with cash or check payment made out to Hays High Cheerleading on Saturday. Please dress your child in comfortable attire for cheerleading (T-shirt/tank top, shorts, tennis shoes and socks should be worn with hair pulled up).
Contact [email protected] with any questions or to RSVP.
Sheriff: Kan. woman killed after ejected in Nebraska rollover crash
STROMSBURG, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska authorities say a Kansas woman has been killed in a rollover crash.
Polk County Sheriff Dwaine Ladwig said in a news release that first responders reached the crash site east of Stromsburg around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 80-year-old Deloris Marshall, of Kansas City, was pronounced dead at the scene. She’d been thrown from the vehicle. Her husband, Maewethers Marshall, was taken to Osceola for medical treatment.
Ladwig says Maewethers Marshall had been driving. The crash is being investigated.
MADORIN: Mother Nature’s tiny miracle visits Kansas
Western Kansans are well into the time of year they can help some international travelers maintain their body weight and stamina. Yes, it’s the fall half of the hummingbird migration. This bi-annual passage permits birders to view the smallest bird species in search of nectar-rich flowers and sugar-syrup filled feeders. Those of us in the western half of the state have shot at seeing these iridescent hover machines for several weeks during their travels from and to Mexico, Central, and South America each spring and fall.
Species we’re likely to see in our region are the Rufous, Broad-tailed, Calliope, Anna’s, and Black-chinned. Several of these birds have a red-tinged throat that causes novice hummer watchers to jump to the conclusion they have a Ruby Throat at their feeder. Typically, this species is a visitor to eastern Kansas rather than our more arid region. Anyone who wants to identify these visitors must study birding books and internet sites before they can classify their target with confidence.
This migration is interesting because it reveals these birds have adapted to cross cultural living. These little guys journey from South and Central America or Mexico to the United States or Canada each spring and fall. Many fly over the Gulf of Mexico in a single 20-hour flight. To prepare for each trip, they eat enough to double their body weight (e.g. from 3 grams to 6). Another survival trick of these multinationals who summer in cooler northern regions is the ability to go into a state of torpor. This slows their metabolism and helps them survive early cold fronts. An additional adaptation theorists note is that males migrate earlier than females and juveniles. Scientists suggest this allows them to establish territorial rights prior to breeding season.
That leads to another interesting observation. Unlike geese, ducks, and chickens who flock together, hummers are independent souls. They aren’t friendly with other hummingbirds, and they don’t migrate in groups. Once mating occurs, the female handles the brooding and feeding on her own so she doesn’t have to share her nectar patch with another adult. This explains feuds I’ve seen at our feeder where one feisty bird drives interlopers away.
While most of these itinerant visitors stay only a little awhile, those of us who enjoy watching them can encourage their visits. Who knows, maybe we might persuade a mom to nest nearby. One obvious way to inspire hummers to hang around is to offer one or two feeders filled with a 1 to 4 solution of sugar to water changed every three or four days. Another is to garden for hummers. Adding trumpet vine, honey suckle, salvia, sage, bee balm, and other nectar -rich plants to the landscape invites these miniscule hoverers to linger longer. If you want them to nest, encourage spiders to weave webs that hummingbird moms will use to construct Thumbelina-sized nurseries. Birding sites suggest providing feeders from mid-April to Halloween to guarantee food supplies for the earliest and latest migrants.
While you sit on the porch enjoying your brilliantly colored visitors, consider how lucky you are to share this moment. Mother Nature has synchronized so many events to make sure her tiniest bird species survive each year. We’re lucky to be in their path.
Native Kansan Karen Madorin is a local writer and retired teacher who loves sharing stories about places, people, critters, plants, food, and history of the High Plains.
HHS boys soccer wins in Wichita
WICHITA – The Hays High boys soccer team bounced from their 3-1 opening round loss to Derby at the Wichita South Titan Classic with a 6-0 won over Topeka West Wednesday.
Ethan Nunnery and Michael Reyes both scored two goals while Tradgon McCrae and Jacob Maska both scored once.
Zach Wagner assisted on two of the goals. Reyes and Maska also had an assist. Connor Teget had two saves while recording his first shutout of the season in goal.
The Indians (2-2) close out play at the Titan Classic Saturday at 11am against Hutchinson.
Twins stave off sweep with win over Royals
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Miguel Sano’s hustle led Minnesota to a pair of early runs and his RBI double tied the game in the decisive seventh inning, helping the Twins dodge a series sweep by beating the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Wednesday night.
Brian Dozier didn’t hit a home run for Minnesota, ending his club-tying record at five straight games, but he singled and stole second before scoring on Sano’s double off Joakim Soria (4-8). Dozier also started a dazzling double play to finish the fifth inning, with a diving stop of Eric Hosmer’s grounder and a glove flick to second base to get the ball out while he was flat on the dirt.
Alex Wimmers (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of Kyle Gibson to record his first major league victory. Brandon Kintzler gave up Jarrod Dyson’s two-out RBI single before finishing the ninth inning for his 14th save in 16 attempts.
ROYALS-PEREZ
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez has only a bruise on his right wrist after getting hit by a pitch.
X-rays on Perez’s throwing hand showed no broken bone, but Perez was held out of the starting lineup at Minnesota on Wednesday, a night after getting plunked by Twins pitcher Ervin Santana. Manager Ned Yost told reporters he hopes to put the All-Star back behind the plate for the next game Friday at Chicago.
Drew Butera was catching for the series finale against the Twins.
Perez has 20 home runs and 59 RBIs in 121 games for the defending champion Royals, who started Wednesday four games out of the second AL wild card spot.
Several area teams ranked in week one KVA poll
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Volleyball Association is pleased to announce the 2016 Week 1 Volleyball Rankings sponsored by PrepVolleyball.com. Records are based on information that was submitted by Monday, September 5.
Class 6A
1. Blue Valley West 3-0 (1) 2.
Blue Valley North 2-0 (4) 3.
Blue Valley 2-1 (5) 4.
Shawnee Mission East 1-1 (7)
5. Olathe East 2-2 (6)
6. Olathe Northwest 0-2 (2)
7. Washburn Rural 3-1 (8)
8. Blue Valley Northwest 1-2 (3)
9. Lawrence-Free State 1-1 (9)
10. Garden City 3-1 (NR)
Class 5A
1. St. Thomas Aquinas 1-1 (3)
2. St. James Academy 1-1 (2)
3. Shawnee Heights 2-1 (1)
4. Lansing 4-0 (4)
5. Maize 7-1 (9)
6. Newton 8-0 (6)
7. Goddard-Eisenhower 7-1 (7)
8. Emporia 2-1 (5)
9. Blue Valley Southwest 1-0 (NR)
10. Andover 5-3 (8)
Class 4A – Division 1
1. Abilene 3-0 (2)
2. Bishop Miege 0-1 (1)
3. McPherson 6-2 (3)
4. Rose Hill 2-0 (6)
5. DeSoto 5-0 (8)
6. Andale 6-1 (7)
7. Ulysses 6-0 (10)
8. Louisburg 4-3 (4)
9. Andover Central 3-2 (9)
10. El Dorado 6-1 (NR)
Class 4A – Division 2
1. Topeka-Hayden 5-0 (1)
2. Kingman 6-1 (3)
3. Santa Fe Trail 4-1 (6)
4. Frontenac 2-0 (4)
5. Burlington 7-1 (NR)
6. Concordia 1-2 (2)
7. Baxter Springs 3-0 (9)
8. Clay Center 2-0 (10)
9. Girard 4-1 (7)
10. Smoky Valley 4-5 (8)
Class 3A
1. Silver Lake 5-0 (1)
2. Hesston 10-0 (2)
3. Cheney 3-1 (3)
4. Wellsville 5-0 (6)
5. Garden Plain 2-0 (5)
6. Douglass 2-0 (7)
7. Thomas More Prep-Marian 4-1 (9)
8. Southeast of Saline 1-1 (4)
9. Beloit 2-0 (8)
10. Phillipsburg 3-0 (NR)
Class 2A
1. Central Plains 3-0 (1)
2. Heritage Christian 2-0 (2)
3. St. Mary’s Colgan 1-0 (3)
4. Jefferson County North 2-0 (5)
5. Kiowa County 8-0 (7)
6. Smith Center 2-1 (8)
7. Oswego 5-1 (9)
8. Inman 6-1 (NR)
9. Wabaunsee 5-2 (NR)
10. Uniontown 6-2 (NR)
Class 1A – Division 1
1. Goessel 3-0 (1)
2. Centralia 7-0 (2)
3. Hanover 2-0 (4)
4. Otis-Bison 5-0 (8)
5. Hoxie 3-1 (6)
6. Thunder Ridge 3-1 (10)
7. Immaculata 3-0 (NR)
8. Waverly 3-3 (3)
9. Flinthills 2-2 (7)
10. Victoria 2-0 (NR)
Class 1A – Division 2
1. Dighton 7-1 (2)
2. Wheatland-Grinnell 3-1 (1)
3. Logan 2-0 (3)
4. Northern Valley 2-0 (6)
5. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 3-0 (4)
6. Axtell 5-2 (5)
7. Sylvan-Lucas 2-0 (8)
8. Attica 1-0 (7)
9. Fowler 3-0 (10)
10. Norwich 2-1 (9)
Partly sunny Thursday, chance for thunderstorms
Thunderstorms will be possible today and tonight. The best chances will be located toward central Kansas. Severe weather threats such as hail and high winds will be low but there will be the potential for heavy rain which could lead to flooding especially over south central Kansas.
Today A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. North northeast wind 6 to 9 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon.
Tonight A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
FridayA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Light and variable wind becoming north 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon.
Friday NightA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. North wind 9 to 16 mph.
SaturdaySunny, with a high near 77. North wind 5 to 9 mph.
Saturday NightClear, with a low around 55.
SundaySunny, with a high near 84. Breezy.
Kansas crews battle large vehicle fire
FORD COUNTY – Fire crews responded to a camper fire in Ford County on Wednesday.
Just after 4 p.m. three fire units were dispatched to Highway 54 south of Dodge City for a camper on fire, according to a social media report.
Initial units arriving on scene reported a fully involved trailer with fire spreading to the surrounding ditch.
Crews were able to contain the blaze without incident. There were no injuries reported. Details on what caused the fire and what was in the vehicle were not available late Wednesday.
Judge: New mental evaluation for Kan. teen before fatal fire sentencing
HUTCHINSON – A Reno County judge on Wednesday ordered an additional mental evaluation for a Kansas teen convicted of setting the fire that killed his mother and sister.
Judge Trish Rose ordered the evaluation for 17-year-old Sam Vanochen as part of the presentence investigation which could take up to 120 days to complete.
Sentencing for Vanochen was originally scheduled for September 30.
District Attorney Keith Schroeder argued against the new evaluation noting that jury didn’t buy the fact that he suffers from any mental disease or defect.
Last month, a jury convicted Vanochen of setting the September 2013 fire at the family’s home in Hutchinson that killed his mother and sister.
In addition on Wednesday, the state failed in their effort to get a Kansas teen convicted of two counts of murder, attempted murder and aggravated arson moved to the Reno County jail from juvenile detention.
Judge Trish Rose ruled Wednesday that she believes there has not been a problem with 17-year-old Samuel Vonachen being housed in Reno County Youth Services.
She also noted that once he is sentenced, he would be housed in a juvenile facility until he turns 18. He would then be sent to an adult facility.
Federal judge holds hearing in Kansas prison recordings case
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge says she’ll appoint an expert to determine the scope of Sixth Amendment violations she says have been committed against inmates at a private federal prison in Kansas.
U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson on Wednesday questioned federal prosecutors about how much they knew about the Corrections Corporation of America prison in Leavenworth taking silent recordings of inmate-attorney meetings and phone calls.
Federal defense attorneys say such recordings violate attorney-client privilege guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
The judge later told the courtroom that an assistant prosecutor had entered her chambers Aug. 25 while she was on vacation. That’s where some evidence taken from the prison was being held.
The judge stopped short of calling the prosecutor’s actions sinister but said she felt everyone needed to know what had happened.
KC area jail inmate charged with raping woman in her cell
KANSAS CITY (AP) — A male inmate at a Kansas City area jail has been charged with raping a female inmate after another inmate freed him using a key that a guard left in a door.
The Jackson County prosecutor’s office said Wednesday that 29-year-old Dontae Jefferson of Kansas City is also charged with burglary and sexual abuse in the incident at the Jackson County Regional Correctional Center.
It’s unclear how Jefferson got inside the woman’s cell.
Online court records don’t list Jefferson’s attorney. Bond is set at $1 million.
Another female inmate last month alleged she was assaulted in her cell, prompting an investigation into reports that three inmates were wandering freely in the jail. That investigation continues. An independent audit also was ordered.
Authorities subsequently removed nearly two dozen female inmates from the facility.
Sen. Moran Presses VA for Answers on Kansas Sexual Abuse Case
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), in a recent letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald and phone conversation with VA Inspector General Michael Missal, pressed the VA for details regarding multiple allegations of sexual abuse in the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System against former Physician Assistant Mark Wisner. At issue is the VA’s knowledge of Mr. Wisner’s criminal history prior to his employment, the VA’s reaction to Mr. Wisner’s admittance of wrongdoing and the possibility that Mr. Wisner’s abuses were not limited to the Leavenworth VA Medical Center.
“It is deeply disturbing that someone entrusted to care for our nation’s veterans would instead subvert that trust to perpetrate such heinous crimes,” said Sen. Moran. “The facts surrounding these abuses must be fully examined in order to prevent a situation where veterans are subjected to an individual who adds to their wounds of war rather than healing them.”
Mr. Wisner has been charged with aggravated sexual battery, aggravated criminal sodomy and misdemeanor sexual battery and faces numerous federal lawsuits stemming from his actions while as an employee of the VA.
A full copy of the letter may be found here and an excerpt may be found below:
Dear Secretary McDonald,
I am writing to call your attention to the tragic and disturbing allegations of abuse of veterans by a Physician Assistant in the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System, Mark Wisner. As a result of veterans bravely coming forward with their experiences, Mr. Wisner faces two criminal cases in Leavenworth County that include charges of aggravated sexual battery, aggravated criminal sodomy and three misdemeanor charges of sexual battery. While the court proceedings for these cases are underway, Mr. Wisner also faces numerous lawsuits filed in federal court by the veterans who allege they were subjected to his abuse. Revelations regarding Mr. Wisner’s criminal background and lewd behavior have surfaced in press reports, calling into question what the VA knew, or reasonably should have known, to protect veterans from a criminal who eventually abused them.
Recent reports and evidence of Mr. Wisner’s medical credentials show that he admitted he was convicted of a crime when applying for his state licensure. It is unclear whether the VA investigated Mr. Wisner’s criminal record as part of his application process and hiring by the VA. It is extremely troubling that a criminal can admit to having committed a crime and yet be hired for a position where veterans are under his or her care. Please explain the vetting process for hiring VA personnel and answer these specific questions:
What information is a medical provider applicant required to provide or answer as part of the VA hiring process?
Does the VA Central Office or a local medical center or facility oversee the hiring of medical provider applicants? Please describe the offices involved in and responsible for the hiring of medical providers.
Does the VA conduct a criminal background check on all applicants? Is there a different standard specifically for medical providers who seek a position in patient care? Please explain the criminal background check process for applicants to serve in the VA.
In the scenario of an applicant who has been convicted of a crime, what is the standard or threshold to determine if the applicant’s crime is a disqualifying factor?
Is there any VA directive, guidance, regulation or rule that sets a standard or threshold to determine what type of crime is a disqualifying factor for an applicant? What office is responsible for making this determination?