Month: October 2016
TMP-M parent organization will host Christmas Home Tours in December
Thomas More Prep-Marian PTF will sponsor Christmas Home Tours from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 11 throughout Hays.
The event will include tours of the homes of Travis and Jill Rozean; Rod and Lisa Marcotte; Clay and Jennifer Brown; Troy and Mary Hallagin; and Danny and Jill Dinkel.
Tickets — for adults and children older than 12 — are $15, with all proceeds going to TMP-M PTF.
Hays, Ellis Love’s locations help raise more than $2.5M for Children’s Miracle Network
Submitted
OKLAHOMA CITY– Love’s Travel Stops employees took their commitment to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to a new level this year. The 18th annual companywide campaign to raise funds for CMN Hospitals recently came to an end. With the help of our Customers, employees at more than 390 stores in 40 states raised $2.53 million, which is a record for the most donations collected during the five-week store campaign.
The 19 regional stores combined, including Hays and Ellis, raised more than $41,000 for Via Christi Hospitals in Wichita, the local CMN Hospital.
“We’re so thankful for our employees who set the bar higher every year, and for our Customers who repeatedly support us,” said Jenny Love Meyer, vice president of communications for Love’s. “Every year, our employees continue to outdo themselves and our loyal Customers show more goodwill to help children in their communities. The level of passion everyone demonstrates for this cause is inspiring.”
From August 26-September 30, Love’s team members sold CMN Hospitals’ Miracle Balloons for donations and organized numerous events like 5K runs, rummage sales, cookouts, wrestling tournaments, pet contests, skateboard tournaments and more. Every year, employees’ spouses and children get behind the effort and volunteer to collect donations. Their combined efforts resulted in the stores surpassing their goal of $2.3 million. Since beginning its partnership with CMN Hospitals in 1998, Love’s has raised more than $16 million for the nonprofit.
Love’s showed additional support for CMN Hospitals this year by donating two days’ worth of coffee sales to the nonprofit in honor of National Coffee Day. On September 29-30, $1 of every 24 oz. coffee or cappuccino sold at all Love’s locations went to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in that community.
“We are thrilled that Love’s Travel Stops has once again exceeded their fundraising goals this year,” said John Lauck, president and CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “Through Love’s dedication and generosity to the cause, their employees and customers are saving kids’ lives. Thank you for making a tremendous impact on kids in Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country by funding vital treatments, research, equipment and charity care each year.”
Of the 170 CMN Hospitals members throughout North America, 99 benefit from Love’s annual campaign.
Former Kansas foster care worker sentenced for child sex crimes
SEDGWICK COUNTY – A Kansas woman was sentenced on Thursday for child sex crimes.
Former foster care worker Bridget Martinez, 32, Bel Aire, was sentenced to three years of probation for having sex with a 16-year-old foster child while a worker-volunteer in authority at a foster home, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
The crime occurred in May of 2016. Martinez was employed as a Family Support Worker with Saint Francis Community Services of Salina.
In a statement from the organization on Thursday night, they placed Martinez on administrative leave immediately upon learning of her arrest.
Her employment with Saint Francis Community Services ended July 8, according to the organization.
Prosecutors say Martinez admitted during questioning to having sex with the boy three times. The teen confirmed the relationship.
She could go to prison for two years and eight months if she fails to follow the terms of her release.
In Kansas, the age of consent is 16, but for people in some professions, sexual relations remain illegal beyond that age.
Open mic night is Friday, courtesy of Hays Has Humor
Submitted
Do you think you’re funny? Come enjoy a free show featuring local talent. Bring your best 5 to 10 minutes, and showcase your humor and wit. Improv games will be played, laughter will be had, and guts will be busted.
Doors open for the event, which will be at Hays Community Theater, 118 E. 11th, at 7:30 p.m., with the show starting at 8 p.m. Reserve a stage time at facebook.com/hayshashumor.
Rivers leads Chargers to victory against Broncos
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Philip Rivers threw for 178 yards and one touchdown, passing Hall of Famer Dan Fouts to become San Diego’s career passing leader, and the Chargers held off the Denver Broncos 21-13 on Thursday night.
The victory may have saved embattled coach Mike McCoy’s job . The Chargers (2-4) were coming off a mistake-filled loss at Oakland, and earlier in the season lost three games in which they led at the 2-minute warning. There has been increasing fan discontent with the conservative McCoy, and the Chargers are trying to convince voters to approve a $1.1 billion public handout for a new downtown stadium in the form of an increase in the hotel occupancy tax.
The defending Super Bowl champion Broncos were coached by special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis after Gary Kubiak was ordered by doctors to sit this one out because of a migraine condition that mimics strokes.
The five-time defending AFC West champion Broncos (4-2) were mostly sluggish behind Trevor Siemian, who was back at quarterback after rookie Paxton Lynch struggled in a loss to Atlanta. They lost their second straight game and had their NFL-record 15 straight divisional road victories snapped.
The Chargers snapped their streak of 10 straight divisional losses dating to 2014.
Rivers, in his 13th season with the Chargers and 11th as starter, has 43,094 career yards passing. Fouts threw for 43,040 yards in 15 seasons with the Bolts.
Rivers threw a 5-yard scoring pass to rookie tight end Hunter Henry to cap the game’s first possession. Rivers finished 18 of 29.
Otherwise, the Chargers had to settle for Lambo’s career-high four field goals, of 37, 21, 31 and 32 yards.
LATE-FIRING BRONCOS: Denver didn’t get across the 50 on its own accord until there were just 2 minutes left in the third quarter. Denver’s first score came after a punt bounced off San Diego’s Travis Benjamin and the Broncos recovered at the San Diego 11. The refs initially ruled that the Broncos downed the punt, but Denver challenged and got the ball. Brandon McManus kicked a 29-yard field goal.
Siemian was 30 of 50 for 230 yards, with a 5-yard scoring pass to Bennie Fowler midway through the fourth quarter.
McManus kicked a 46-yard field goal with 27 seconds left, and Denver recovered the onside kick at its 46. It got to the San Diego 45 with eight seconds to go before Siemian’s desperation pass was batted down by Dexter McCoil.
DEFENSIVE STAND: The Broncos were threatening at the San Diego 20 with less than 5 minutes to go. But on consecutive plays they were whistled for holding, Siemian was sacked by rookie Jatavis Brown and San Diego’s Craig Mager recovered a fumble by Demaryius Thomas.
RIVERBOAT MIKE: McCoy went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Denver 20 early in the second half, with Melvin Gordon going over the top for a 1-yard gain. Rivers misfired on two straight passes and was flushed on third down, forcing the Chargers to settle for Lambo’s 37-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. McCoy improved to 25-31 overall in four seasons.
NEW HOLDER: Veteran backup quarterback Kellen Clemens took over as holder for the Chargers after rookie Drew Kaser’s misadventure at Oakland on Sunday. Kaser mishandled the snap on a potential tying field goal with 2:07 left in the 34-31 loss. Kaser, who also shanked a punt, kept his job as punter but lost his job as holder.
ANTHEM WATCH: Chargers players Joe Barksdale, D.J. Fluker, Chris Hairston, Joshua Perry and Tyreek Burwell held up their right fists during the national anthem.
INJURIES: Chargers rookie DE Joey Bosa was having his right hand worked on by the trainers after Denver’s first drive. He was back in for the next Broncos possession. … Broncos WR Cody Latimer left with a concussion in the second quarter. … Gordon limped off the field early in the fourth quarter. He had his right ankle taped and returned on San Diego’s next possession.
Penalty kick goal gives FHSU women’s soccer win at SBU; Shaw reaches 100 career wins
BOLIVAR, Mo – Fort Hays State improved to 9-3-1 overall and 5-1 in the MIAA with a 1-0 shutout at Southwest Baptist on Thursday. As a result, head coach Craig Shaw reached the 100th win of his career. The Tigers have now won three in a row. The Bearcats are still in search of their first win this season, now 0-12 overall and 0-6 in the conference.
Hannah Smith recorded the only goal of the game by burying a penalty kick in the 7th minute of the game. Both of Smith’s goals this year have been on penalty kicks.
Abbie Flax picked up her seventh win of the season in goal recording two saves, now 7-3-1 on the year. The Tigers controlled the match as they outshot the Bearcats 16-7.
The Tigers look for their fourth consecutive win on Saturday when they travel to Missouri Southern. The match is set for 11 am.
FHSU Sports Information
Kansas man dies after pickups collide
WOODSON COUNTY – A Kansas man died in an accident just before 5p.m. on Thursday in Woodson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1987 Toyota half-ton pickup driven by Joseph E. Rotina, 67, Yates Center, was westbound on 190th Road nine miles northwest of Yates Center.
The vehicle struck a 1995 Dodge Dakota driven by Ira W. Van Arsdale, 69, Yates Center, that was southbound on Hereford Road.
Both vehicles came to rest in the southwest corner of the intersection.
Van Arsdale was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics.
Rotina was transported to Coffey County Hospital.
The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
Sunny, mild Friday
Today Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 78. South wind 7 to 16 mph.
Tonight Increasing clouds, with a low around 59. South wind 14 to 16 mph.
SaturdayMostly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Saturday NightMostly clear, with a low around 54. East northeast wind around 6 mph becoming southeast after midnight.
SundaySunny, with a high near 88. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon.
Sunday NightMostly clear, with a low around 54.
MondaySunny, with a high near 91.
Monday NightMostly clear, with a low around 52.
Kansas man busted for drugs after caught in stolen vehicle
HUTCHINSON– A Kansas man was seen walking by a Reno County Sheriff Deputy around 1:45 a.m. Thursday morning in the 3700 block of North Wilson Road in Hutchinson.
When the deputy stopped to talk with the man, he stated that he had run out of gas in the vehicle he was driving.
He also gave the deputy his name as Tyler Sutton.
Deputies didn’t show anything for that person but did find some information on a 22-year-old Kyler Milbrandt of Hutchinson.
After seeing his photo the deputy was able to identify him as Milbrandt.
He apparently had warrants through both Hutchinson Police and the sheriff’s office. One of those was for being an absconder from Community Corrections for a drug conviction from 2015.
Deputies also ran the tag number of the vehicle and discovered it had been reported stolen in Kingman County.
When Deputies arrested Milbrandt they also apparently found him to be in possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
He was booked into the Reno County Correctional Facility for suspicion of being in possession of stolen property, various drug charges, drug paraphernalia as well as the warrants.
Bond in the case is set at $15,500 and he is expected back in court next week.
UPDATE: KHP Trooper, 2 others hospitalized after rear-end crash
SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Thursday afternoon accident in Shawnee County that injured a Kansas Highway Patrol officer and two others.
Just after 3:30p.m. on Thursday, a vehicle driven by Bill Dowden, 83, Lenexa, was eastbound on Interstate 470 in the number two lane. The vehicle drifted out of the lane, traveled across the number 1 lane, drove onto the inside shoulder and struck a Kansas Highway Patrol vehicle legally parked on the inside shoulder of the Interstate.
The trooper, Dowden and a passenger Marion Dowden, 79, Lenexa, were transported to a hospital in Topeka.
The name of the trooper was not available early Friday.
The accident remains under investigation.
SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Thursday afternoon accident in Shawnee County that injured a Kansas Highway Patrol officer and two others.
The KHP reported just after 3:30p.m., a motor carrier inspector was involved in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 470 between Gage and Fairlawn. The officer was sitting stationary in the median facing east when his vehicle was rear-ended.
The officer and two others were transported to a local hospital.
The Patrol’s Critical Highway Accident Response Team responded to the scene.
No additional details were released early Thursday evening. Continue reading “UPDATE: KHP Trooper, 2 others hospitalized after rear-end crash”
Volleyball team building successful program, scholarship at Fort Hays State
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Members of the Fort Hays State University volleyball team have been learning it takes time to rebuild the program back to its glory days of the early 1980s and early ’90s.
Kurt Kohler, in his eighth season as the Tiger head coach, is teaching his players the virtue of patience in other areas as well.
In their fifth year of Pass, Set, Pink Night at Gross Memorial Coliseum, the Tigers earned more than $1,600 from the sale of pink T-shirts, a silent auction and private donations.
That pushed them over the top of the $10,000 mark necessary to establish an endowed scholarship. The volleyball team has been working toward that goal since 2012, to develop a scholarship to benefit FHSU students who are directly impacted by cancer.
“I’m really glad we’re going to be able to help out some students,” said Sydney Dixon, a sophomore outside hitter from Louisburg.
Pass, Set, Pink scholarships will be awarded to students who are either dealing with cancer themselves or have someone in their family fighting the disease.
“There are college age kids with younger siblings that they have to help with when someone in their family is dealing with cancer and is having a hard time keeping up with everything,” Dixon said.
Callie Christensen, a junior middle hitter from Raymond, Neb., agreed.
“I think it’s important for sports teams to give back,” she said. “I’m fortunate to be here playing volleyball, so I’m glad to be able to help others.”
The Tiger volleyball players personally visited businesses around town, picking up gifts for the silent auction.
“Everyone was really open to giving donations,” Christensen said. “The community of Hays is so college friendly.”
Students will now be able to fill out applications for the scholarships for the 2017-18 school year.
“We’re always sending money to charitable organizations,” said Kohler, who instituted a fundraising program for his team when came to FHSU in 2009. “We thought, ‘Why not help out some of our own students?’ We thought this was a way to make it easier for some students who might be struggling with finances because of cancer in their family.”
During his first three years as the Tigers’ coach, Kohler said the team awarded whatever money it earned that particular year to students in need.
Then he learned that if they could raise $10,000, they could start an endowed scholarship.
“I think the girls have enjoyed the opportunity to help others,” Kohler said. “Once we start giving the actual scholarships, this is the group that will see the rewards of it. This is a really good thing.”
It got even better Tuesday when the Tigers won both of their non-conference matches, pushing them to 18-5 this season and within two victories of back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the ’03 and ’04 seasons.
The 6-foot, 2-inch Christensen is the team’s blocking leader with 94 total for the season. That number is far and away the best in the tough MIAA conference, where she also ranks second in the blocks-per-set category with a 1.19 average.
Christensen was playing on a club team out of Lincoln, Neb., when FHSU began recruiting her.
It took just one visit to campus to convince Christensen Fort Hays State would be her home for the next four years.
“The facilities are great, and I really liked the team and the direction the program was headed,” said Christensen, who was in third grade the last time FHSU had consecutive 20-win seasons.
“And I liked the prospect of playing right away,” added Christensen, who earned a starting position her freshman year.
The idea of being part of an up-and-coming program also appealed to Christensen.
“It takes time to build,” she said, maybe referring to both the volleyball team and its Pass, Set, Pink scholarship.
Kohler took over a program that had gone 28-67 combined in its three previous years. After the Tigers won just seven matches in each of his first two years at the helm, they have won at least 13 per season ever since, including 20-win seasons in 2012 (23-14) and last year (21-13).
“It’s fun to be a part of all this,” Christensen said.
Tiger fans can be a part of that fun, too, beginning with Friday’s 6 p.m. home match at GMC vs. the University of Central Oklahoma. UCO (20-1) is ranked 10th in NCAA Division II.
Coincidentally, UCO’s only loss this season was to the University of Central Missouri, another nationally ranked team that Fort Hays State upset in a Sept. 30 match at GMC.
All but one of the Tigers’ losses this season have been to nationally ranked teams. Following Friday’s action, the Tigers will be at home again the next day, hosting Pittsburg State University in a 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon match beginning.
For a recap of Tuesday’s matches and to find the remainder of FHSU’s schedule, visit the Tiger athletics website at www.fhsuathletics.com.
Separate trials ordered for 4 defendants in Kan. gun shop killing
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The four men charged with killing the co-owner of a suburban Kansas City gun store during a robbery will have separate trials.
A Johnson County judge on Thursday granted a motion from two of the defendants, Londro Patterson and De’Anthony Wiley, seeking separate trials.
The Kansas City Star reports prosecutors wanted Patterson and Wiley tried to together but did not object to separate trials for the other defendants, Hakeem Malik and Nicquan Midgyettt.
The four men are charged with first-degree murder in the January 2015 shooting death of Jon Bieker. He died while defending his wife at the She’s A Pistol gun store in Shawnee.
Three of the four alleged robbers were wounded.
Trial dates haven’t been set.