EDGERTON, Kan. (AP) — A lesbian pastor will leave her United Methodist Church in Edgerton at the end of August to avoid a church trial to determine if she should be ousted.
Methodist officials and pastor Cynthia Meyer agreed in early August that she would give up her duties and go on involuntary leave. Her leave will begin Sept. 1.
The Kansas City Star reports Meyer came out to her congregation in January. At the time, she said she hoped the denomination was close to changing its ban on gay clergy. That didn’t happen and a church trial was scheduled for Aug. 24.
Under the agreement, Meyer can’t be appointed as a pastor at any church but could be hired to perform functions similar to a lay staff person.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A motorcyclist who fled from law enforcement at speeds well over 130 mph has been taken into custody after a 10-minute pursuit that ended at the man’s home.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the man, who appeared to be in his 20s, was taken into custody around 1 p.m. Saturday after he went into his home as troopers in a helicopter watched from above.
Kansas Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Christesen says the chase began at 12:50 p.m. in a construction zone on Interstate 70 west of the Kansas Turnpike’s east Topeka interchange, where the rider was clocked at 95 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Officers on the ground backed off while the helicopter continued to watch as the Suzuki hit speeds in excess of 130 mph.
RENO COUNTY – A Kansas woman died in an accident just after 6p.m. Friday in Reno County.
The Reno County Sheriff’s Department reported Kaylynn Volpe, 69, Pretty Prairie, was in a vehicle, which was being towed by another vehicle northbound in the 26100 Block of Dean Road.
Volpe’s vehicle veered to the right and struck the bridge guardrail on the east side of the road. Volpe was trapped in the vehicle.
Volpe was rushed to Kingman Hospital in critical condition and died.
She was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the sheriff.
Fred Keller, age 99, of Ellis passed away Friday, August 19, 2016 at Meadow Lark Place in Ellis.
Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at St. John’s Lutheran Church located 7 1/2 miles north of Ellis. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be Monday 4 PM – 8 PM with a prayer service at 7 PM all at Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, KS 67637. Tuesday visitation will be 9:30 AM until service time at the church.
Memorial contributions are suggested to PFSM-Parish Nurse Ministry.
Law enforcement authorities on the scene of Friday’s arrest-photo courtesy KAKE
SEDGWICK COUNTY -Law enforcement authorities in Sedgwick County are investigating a suspect on kidnapping charges.
On Friday, the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) receive a call from authorities in St. Louis, Missouri about the possible abduction of a 16-year-old girl, according to a media release.
KTA tracked the suspect vehicle to an address in south Wichita and arrested a suspect 39-year-old Johnny Vallejo.
The 16-year-old was found and was safe.
Vallejo was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail for rape, kidnapping and aggravated human trafficking, according to police.
Airplane mishap in Riley County on Saturday-photo KHP
RILEY COUNTY – Authorities in Riley County are investigating an airplane accident.
Just before 11am on Saturday, The Kansas Highway Patrol and additional first responders were dispatched south of Manhattan airport for plane emergency landing, according to the KHP.
No injuries were reported.
Check Hays Post for additional details as they become available.
Robert Lavern Schumacher, age 82, of Munjor passed away Thursday, August 18, 2016 in Overland Park, Kansas. He was born May 28, 1934 in Victoria, Kansas to Celestine and Helen (Jacobs) Schumacher. He graduated from Hays High School. On February 24, 1962 he married Bernadine “Bernie” Dreiling at St. Fidelis Church in Victoria. Bernie preceded him in death on December 18, 2010.
Robert was a long time postal employee retiring from the Hays post office. He was a veteran of the US Army and he was a 3rd degree Munjor council Knights of Columbus member and member of the Volga German Society. Bob and Bernie were parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Munjor and St. Boniface Catholic Church in Vincent, Kansas. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, woodworking, bird watching and was a fan of professional bull riding.
He is survived by two sons, Brian Schumacher and wife Tracy of Overland Park, Kansas and Barry Schumacher and wife Inna of Katy, Texas; a daughter, Brenda Hellman and husband Tim of Wichita, Kansas; two brothers, Verlin and Leon Schumacher both of Hays, Kansas; two sisters, Patricia “Toots” Engel of Garland, Texas and Carol Freitag of Victoria, Kansas; grandchildren, Heather Roy, Chris Hellman, Brandon Schumacher, Brent Schumacher, Polina Schumacher and one great grandchild, Annelise Roy.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Brett Schumacher; a great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Roy and a brother, Celly Schumacher.
Funeral services will be 10 AM Monday, August 22, 2016 at the Basillica of St. Fidelis in Victoria, Kansas. Burial will follow at St. Francis Cemetery in Munjor, Kansas.
Visitation will be Sunday 5 PM – 8 PM and Monday 9 AM – 9:30 AM. all at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary, 412 Main Street, Victoria, Kansas 67671.
A Munjor council 3rd degree Knights of Columbus rosary will be at 6:30 PM Sunday followed by a parish vigil at 7:00 PM, both at the mortuary.
Memorials are suggested to the Munjor Knights of Columbus, c/o St Francis of Assisi Church, 883 Moscow St, Munjor, KS 67601.
The most recent Kansas Department of Labor jobs report issued Friday brought yet another example of how badly Governor Brownback’s economic plan is failing.
The Brownback recession continues to worsen. The dire state of the Kansas economy results directly from the Brownback agenda, blindly supported by his allies like Rep. Rick Billinger.
Just in July, 5,600 hardworking Kansans have fallen victim to the disastrous experiment Gov. Brownback and his Republican allies thrust on Kansas.
As your senator, I will work tirelessly to repair the damage Governor Brownback and Rep. Billinger have inflicted on our great state. The good people of Northwest Kansas cannot afford to continue down this dead-end path.
In light of the continued failure of the Brownback agenda, I am challenging Rep. Billinger to a series of debates across our district. I think it’s important that he explain to the hard-working people of the 40th Senate district why he has voted in lock-step with governor Brownbacks’ agenda. I look forward discussing the path forward to ensure Kansas once bright future is restored.
The Senate 40th district is composed of Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Graham, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, and parts of Phillips counties.
Alex Herman, (D-Hays), is a candidate for the Senate 40th District.
STAFFORD COUNTY – A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just after 11 a.m. on Saturday in Stafford County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford passenger truck driven by Sandra Patricia Gonzalez, 38, Great Bend, was southbound on NW 50th Avenue five miles north of St. John.
The truck came to a curve and left the roadway to the right.
The driver swerved and the truck rolled into the ditch.
Gonzalez was transported to for treatment in Great Bend.
She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
Search crews search for victims on Saturday-photo courtesy KAKE
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Rescuers using boats, a helicopter and wading boots were searching for a 62-year-old Wichita man whose pickup truck was swept away by floodwaters.
The National Weather Service told The Wichita Eagle that rainfall rates of up to 4 inches per hour Friday night caused widespread flooding in Sedgwick and Butler counties.
Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet says Richard Lowery and his son were in their truck when they drove into water on the road and tried to back out around 10 p.m. Herzet says the son got his window down as the vehicle was filling with water and was sucked out.
Herzet says the son walked out of a bean field around 7 a.m. and was taken to a hospital. The search for Richard Lowery continued Saturday afternoon.
Search crews on Perry Lake-photo KDWP&T Game Wardens
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have recovered the body of a Topeka man thought to have drowned while sailboating alone on an eastern Kansas lake.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the body of 46-year-old Jeff Miller was found at 7:15 a.m. Saturday at the northeast part of Lake Perry, west of Longview Park.
Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig says the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism was called around 5:45 p.m. Friday to search for Miller, who was last seen around 3:30 p.m. on his 26-foot sailboat.
The department and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers search until about midnight, then resumed the search at 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
Herrig says his department was working with the Wildlife Department to investigate the death.
FINNEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Finney County are investigating two suspects on drug charges.
During the last month the Garden City/Finney County Drug Task Force initiated an investigation into the sale of methamphetamine from the residence of 405 W Chestnut Street in Garden City, according to a media release.
Just after 10p.m. on Wednesday, the Garden City/Finney County SWAT team served a search warrant on the residence.
A 7-year-old child and an 8-year-old child were located inside the residence and taken into police protective custody.
During the search evidence was located indicative of the sale and use of narcotics.
Takela Houston, 39, and Dennis Crosby, 36, were arrested and lodged in the Finney County Jail and could face the possible charges of:
Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (F) ,Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M), Aggravated Endangering of a Child
Topeka–The Kansas Department of Health and Environment Special Health Care Needs program is hosting regional meetings to engage agencies and organizations serving Kansas children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and stakeholders, including parents, caregivers and individuals.
The focus of the meetings will be on developing a state plan that outlines future goals and strategies of the Special Health Care Needs program. The plan will work to strengthen collaboration, support systems integration and improve service delivery for CYSHCN.
The state plan is part of a two-year grant awarded to KDHE focusing on CYSHCN and their families. The primary objective of the grant is to support access for CYSHCN to receive services through an accessible, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate, culturally competent and family-centered medical home. This tour is the second round of regional meetings, with a distinct focus on access to health care and eligibility and enrollment for services utilized by the CYSHCN population.
Pre-registration is required for these meetings as space is limited. Meeting information and the online registration is available at www.kdheks.gov/shcn/meetings. Meetings will be held from 1:30 � 3:30 p.m. on the dates listed below.
Date
City
Location
August 25
Lawrence
Lawrence Hotel and Convention Center 200 McDonald Drive, Lawrence, KS
August 31
Chanute
Alliance Room (City of Chanute) 101 S. Lincoln Ave, Memorial Building, Chanute, KS
September 8
Hutchinson
Hutchinson Community College, Blue Dragon Room 1300 North Plum, Hutchinson, KS
September 14
Concordia
Concordia Chamber of Commerce 606 Washington St, Concordia, KS
September 28
Garden City
Heritage Hotel & Suites 1212 Stone Creek Dr., Garden City, KS
September 29
Colby
City Limits Convention Center 2227 S. Range Ave, Colby, KS
To learn how you can participate, or for more information on the grant project or the regional meetings, please contact Kayzy Bigler, Special Health Care Needs Program Manager, at 785-296-1316 or by email at [email protected].
