MCPHERSON COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a new check scam in McPherson County.
Police reported McPherson residents received checks from Merchantville Country Club in New Jersey, according to a social media report.
A McPherson Police Sergeant contacted the Club and learned scammers are sending checks on a closed account and area banks confirmed the checks are no good.
The recipients cash the checks and the money is removed from their account before anyone is aware of the fraud.
These scams appear to be similar to secret shopper scams, where the consumer, hired to be a secret shopper, is asked to evaluate the effectiveness of a money transfer service.
The consumer is given a check, told to deposit it in their bank account, and withdraw the amount in cash.
Then, the consumer is told to take the cash to the money transfer service specified, and typically, send the transfer to a person far away.
The secret shopper scenario is just a scam to get the consumer’s money, according to police and they warned residents to be cautious when receiving money from an unfamiliar person or business.
Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
Part 1
“Boot scootin’.” The term brings to mind a fun country line dance. Today we’ll meet a rural Kansas family who began with a boot scootin’ barn and grew their enterprise into a remarkable agritourism enterprise.
David Corbin is the fifth generation owner of Fulton Valley Farms in Butler County, Kansas. David and Betty’s son Richard told me about it.
Their ancestors came from Ohio and settled here in 1863. The maternal side of the family was named Fulton – related to the Robert Fulton who invented the steamboat. A Fulton married a Corbin and the farm continued to grow.
The farm is located south of Towanda, west of El Dorado, north of Augusta and east of the rural community of Benton, population 821 people. Now, that’s rural.
David Corbin lives in a house which his ancestors built in 1880. He met and married Betty, a city girl from Wichita. She moved to the farm and observed that David, like other farmers, was constantly checking the markets to see how prices were doing. She became intrigued and ultimately set up her own brokerage firm. David joined the firm a couple of years later while continuing to farm.
For years, the market reports from Corbin Investments were a fixture on radio stations across Kansas. In 2016, the Corbins retired and sold that business.
David also pursued time in public service. He served in the National Guard and then was elected to the state legislature. He served two years in the House, 12 years in the Kansas Senate, and worked six years for the Department of Revenue.
David and Betty had two sons who were active in farming and 4-H. Richard served on the livestock judging team at Butler County Community College which won two national championships while he was there.
Then came the time that his brother was getting married. The wedding was to be held in a small local church, but the reception hall was not big enough. They looked around for a venue and decided to have the wedding reception right there on the farm.
The Corbins had a Quonset hut which had been built in 1951 and used for hay storage. They figured they could clean it up and then use it for machinery storage after the wedding. The floor of the Quonset was half dirt and half concrete, so they cleaned it out and laid a new 8-inch concrete floor.
“We bought tables and chairs from the church, asked people to bring lawn chairs, and set up port-a-potties,” Richard said. The reception was a success.
Then a couple of weeks later, a lady called who was also looking for a place for a wedding reception. She asked if they could rent the Corbin’s barn and the family agreed.
“My dad had already started moving his equipment back in,” Richard said. “We hauled it back out again and let the lady use it.” This demonstrated that there was a demand for such facilities. “That first year we hosted five or six weddings or receptions,” Richard said. Suffice it to say, David never got his machine shed back.
Because of its popularity for wedding dances, the Corbins called their facility the Boot Scootin’ Barn. Demand continued to grow, but one bride was put off by the term “barn.” “She loved the place but she assumed a barn was a stinky place full of animals, even though there never been livestock in there,” Richard said. They decided to rethink the name.
Meanwhile, the county was going through the process of assigning street names and discontinuing rural routes. Because of the history of the Fulton family as early settlers, the adjacent road was named Fulton Road. The Corbins decided to name their place Fulton Valley Farms.
Today, Fulton Valley Farms has become a beautiful destination for rural weddings and more. For more information, see www.fultonvalleyfarms.com.
The Boot Scootin’ Barn became a popular place for lots of wedding fun, but that was only the beginning. We commend the Corbins for making a difference by growing this remarkable agritourism enterprise – even to include reindeer. We’ll learn about that next week.
The Ellis County Treasurer’s office is saddened to announce the passing of one of our long time co-workers. Her life will be celebrated this Friday, December 9. Because she impacted our entire office, the office will be closed to the public from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Friday. We understand that this unfortunate closure occurs at an inopportune time during tax season. We appreciate the public’s understanding as we support the family.
The Treasurer’s office offers several convenient payment options outside our normal office hours including:
Mail Payments – P.O. Box 520, Hays, KS 67601
Drop Box in the east one way alley between 7th and 8th by the green transformer Tax Payment Online – https://www.kansas.gov/propertytax/
Tag Renewals Online – www.kswebtags.org
For those wishing in person service, the office will reopen on Monday, December 12, 8 AM – 4 PM for our normal office hours.
RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man sentenced to nearly 47 years in prison for molesting 6-year-old twin girls and for multiple drug convictions continues to seek relief from that sentence and filed a civil motion.
Curtis McCallister, 30, Hutchinson, has a Habeas Corpus motion in the child sex case scheduled for Thursday.
He was found guilty of sexually abusing two girls, both 6 years old at the time of the crimes in 2005.
The drug case is from 2007, when the Reno County Drug Unit detectives did a searched of his home and found 40 grams of marijuana in a couple of bags, digital scales, and baggies used to package the drugs.
They also found a small orange notebook with names and some numbers. They believe it was owe sheets for people he sold drugs. They referred to it as “fronting drugs.”
Inmates file the civil cases when they’ve exhausted all the other possible appeals through the appellate courts.
According to the Kansas Department of Corrections website, he’s not eligible for parole until January of 2049.
MANHATTAN -In a unanimous decision, the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education voted to retain the Manhattan High School Indian image and name, according to a media release.
Board members debated the decision for nearly an hour during the December 7th meeting before ultimately agreeing upon an official course of action and voting to retain the Indian name and image – with conditions.
Those conditions include the creation-formation of a committee in January 2017 of stakeholders, administrators, students, community members on either side of the argument, etc. to address at least the following statements and return to the Board with a decision on a further course of action by their September 6, 2017 meeting:
Find a proper way to honor Frank Prentup and his legacy; creation of a scholarship (Board member offered to put up money that will be matched by community members), naming of a building, structure, some space with the Prentup name
Creating and implementing a teaching program for students, and staff – suggestions included a freshman orientation highlighting the Native American plight and how to properly honor and respect Indigenous peoples
Explore the creation of a mascot for students to rally around distinct from Indian name and image
Establish true cost and timeline for phasing out or removal of Indian image/name
Board President Marcia Rozell stressed that the decision was to retain the mascot, and the creation of the committee will not be to remove the Indian name and image but to find a common ground and proper way to honor Frank Prentup.
Frank Prentup was a beloved Manhattan High School football coach that brought prominence and a winning tradition to the school. Students and staff would often refer to Prentup, a Native American, as Chief – a term of endearment for the man who brought pride to Manhattan High School.
In 1940 the student body voted “Indian” as their school mascot/symbol.
Prentup’s son, Duke, spoke at an open forum last week begging the Board not to remove his father’s legacy from the high school and to retain the Indian name and image.
For now, Manhattan Indians still stands.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Hundreds of well-wishers applauded World War II veterans George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole during a patriotic Texas ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.
The ex-president, who’s 92, and the 93-year-old former Kansas senator attended Wednesday’s event at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station.
Bush and Dole, both using wheelchairs, waved to the crowd that welcomed them during ceremonies at the complex on the Texas A&M campus. Bush spokesman Jim McGrath says the commemoration, attended by about 800 people, included flyovers by vintage WWII planes.
Dole received the George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service. Dole says working with Bush to get the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990 was one of his proudest public service moments.
HAYS, Kan. – Aaron Nicholson scored a career-high 22 points and Hadley Gillum added 20 points along with 10 rebounds as Fort Hays State rallied from a 20-point first half deficit and beat Washburn 89-82 Wednesday at Gross Coliseum.
The Ichabods (8-1, 0-1 MIAA) hit seven of their first 10 shots including five from 3-point range to grab an early 19-2 lead and led by 27-7 with 10:10 to play in the first. The Tigers (6-3, 2-1 MIAA) answered with a 27-7 run to tie the game late in the half and trailed by two at the half.
After a back and forth second half, FHSU pushed the lead to five with 2:37 to play. Trey O’Neil, who scored a career-high 18 points, hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game with 1:11 to play which pushed the lead to seven.
Mark Johnson Postgame Interview
Aaron Nicholson Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
The Tigers shot 45-percent from the floor but hit 12 of 21 from beyond the arc and were 25 of 26 from the free throw line.
Washburn, who was led by Brady Skeens 19 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and five blocked shots, shot 48-percent including 9-of-21 from 3-point range and 13 of 20 from the foul line.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A coalition of Kansas teachers, state workers, contractors and others is proposing to increase income and gasoline taxes to fix the state’s budget problems.
But the plan outlined Wednesday by the Rise Up Kansas Coalition also would reduce the state’s sales tax on groceries to help poor families.
The plan would undo some of the massive income tax cuts the Republican-controlled Legislature enacted in 2012 and 2013 at GOP Gov. Sam Brownback’s urging in an effort to stimulate the economy.
The coalition’s plan would increase revenues by $821 million for the next fiscal year, which begins in July.
The plan would revive a third income tax bracket for the state’s wealthiest taxpayers with the top rate of 6.45 percent. It would boost the gas tax 11 cents a gallon.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State overcame a cold shooting night as they rallied from an 11-point deficit late in the third quarter to beat Washburn 67-64 in overtime Wednesday at Gross Coliseum.
After hitting five of their first 11 shots to start the game, the Tigers hit only two the rest of the first, second and third quarters. They then knocked in seven of their first eight shots in the fourth quarter to erase the double-digit deficit and pick up their first conference win.
Tony Hobson Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Nikola Kacperska, who scored a game-high 18 points, hit a short jumper to give the Tigers a late lead in regulation. She knocked down a 3-pointer early in the overtime to push the lead to seven.
Washburn had a chance to send the game to a second overtime but Jharian Bowen, who hit three 3-pointers, had one rim out at the horn.
Washburn (6-3, 0-1 MIAA) turned the ball over 23 times resulting in 29 Fort Hays State points.
Carly Heim and Kacey Kennett both scored 13 for the Tigers who improve to 7-2 overall. Kennett also pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds.
Bowen led four Ichabods in double-figures with 17 points.
TOPEKA– A former city clerk for the city of Bennington, Kansas has pleaded guilty to embezzlement, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.
Janetta Marie Buttery, 43, Bennington, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of interstate transportation of stolen funds. In her plea, Buttery said she served as city clerk from October 2014 to May 2016 and left the position before the city discovered the crime.
In her position as clerk she had access to credit cards belonging to the city and the city’s Recreation Commission. She used the cards to make unauthorized payments totaling more than $75,000.
Sentencing is set for March 6. She faces a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.
In May, Buttery pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen funds. A criminal information filed in March alleged Buttery embezzled more than $109,000 from her employer.
In her plea, Buttery admitted the crime occurred while she worked as a secretary, bookkeeper and executive assistant at Realty Associates of Salina.
Buttery used her access to the company’s credit cards, bank accounts, books and records to divert the company’s funds to herself, her mother and her husband.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator, Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, today praised Senate passage (94-5) of the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 34). The bipartisan legislation would accelerate the discovery and development of new cures and treatments for rare disorders, cancer, Alzheimer’s and many other diseases impacting millions of American families each year.
“The Twenty-First Century Cures Act is a true victory for every patient and our health care system,” said Roberts. Watch his comments here.
“Far too many Kansas families are living with the burdens of chronic diseases,” said Sen. Moran.
“This bill will help end the pain and heartache that come from diagnoses and provide hope to millions of Americans. Investing in this research now will save us billions of dollars in healthcare costs in the future and improve the quality of life for Kansans and Americans. I am hopeful the president will quickly sign it into law,” Moran said.
The bill includes funding for biomedical research at the National Institute of Health (NIH), assistance for mental health efforts, provisions to accelerate the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval and drug development processes, and funding to fight opioid abuse and suicides. Additionally, H.R. 34 also includes provisions Sen. Moran has supported to help rural hospitals in Kansas and important funding to support the fight against cancer.
The University of Kansas Cancer Center Director Roy A. Jensen, M.D., added, “We applaud the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act that includes $1.8.billion over seven years for the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative. This bipartisan bill could not come at a better time, as the act will fund the NCI’s Blue Ribbon Panel recommendations to accelerate progress against cancer and achieve the goals of the initiative.”
