2016 – Page 720 – Hays Post Archive

‘Doc’ Johnson

Posted on April 8, 2016April 11, 2016

Memorial services for “Will” Johnson, aka “Doc” Johnson, will be held on Sunday, April 17, at 2:00 PM at the Church of Christ, 1100 Centennial Blvd., Hays, Kansas.

Emory William Johnson entered this life on September 1st, 1945, in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. He was the son of Emory William Johnson Sr., and Bettee Enice (Gilmore ) Johnson. Will passed away in Sanger, Texas, March 16th, 2016, at the age of 70 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

On December 24th, 1985, he married Vera Lynn “Maggie” Howthorne in Oxnard, California.

Will served his country in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. He was a servant of the Lord and answered his call to the Ministry. He served as minister for the Church of Christ in Hays, and in Ransom, Kansas. Will was very active in the Hays community. He was a volunteer and board member at the Ellis County Historical Society, he served as “Sheriff” of the Old Hays City Corral of the Westerners (a history club), and was a volunteer and board member with First Call for Help.

Will was passionate about history, especially the Wild West. In addition to being a saddle maker and leatherworker, he was also a gunsmith. We will all miss him. Rest in Peace, my friend.

Military honors will be conducted.

NO FLOWERS PLEASE, suggested memorial to Ellis County Historical Society.

Driver hospitalized after Pawnee Co. semi crash

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016

PAWNEE COUNTY – A semi driver was injured in an accident just after 5 a.m. on Friday in Pawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Freightliner semi driven by David H. Sparks, 61, Shepherd, TX, was eastbound on Kansas 156 just west of Rozell.

The truck traveled into the south ditch. The driver attempted to drive back onto the highway when the vehicle lay over on the passenger side.

Sparks was transported to the hospital in Larned. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas to move some Larned State Hospital inmates

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state of Kansas is moving more than 100 mental health inmates from a state psychiatric hospital in Larned to several facilities run by multiple agencies in an effort to relieve a staffing shortage.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services will transfer 60 mental health inmates from special units at Larned State Hospital to a Kansas Department of Corrections facility on the same campus, starting Monday.

A Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services spokeswoman says the inmates were in a unit at the hospital as part of a 2006 agreement meant to alleviate overcrowding at the adjacent correctional facility.

The department plans to gradually transfer the inmates back to the Department of Corrections and shut down two units in the state hospital to address the staffing shortage.

Kan. Supreme Court to hear arguments in new school funding case

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether a new education funding law is constitutional on May 10.

The court on Friday set the hearing date and ordered attorneys to file all briefs in the case by April 28.

Gov. Sam Brownback signed a school funding bill Wednesday that redistributes $83 million in aid for the state’s 286 school districts for the next school year. That law was in response to an earlier Supreme Court ruling that Kansas’ education funding was unfair to poorer districts. Justices threatened to close state schools if lawmakers didn’t address the problem by June 30.

The justices want attorneys to address whether the new law satisfies the earlier ruling, and what action should be ordered if the court finds the new law unconstitutional.

SELZER: Consumer Alert

Posted on April 8, 2016

Ken Selzer, Kansas Insurance Commissioner

Renting vehicles for vacation or business travel may be a popular choice for Kansans in the next few months. But knowing your insurance coverage or vehicle protection offered for rentals can often be confusing, according to Ken Selzer, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance.

“If you are renting a motor vehicle from a rental car company, your policy with your personal automobile insurance company may NOT automatically provide required liability insurance protection,” Commissioner Selzer said. “If it does not, the rental company must provide it.”

Rental companies and possibly even your credit card companies may also have other protection options available for you, Commissioner Selzer said, but consumers need to make sure they understand this protection is not insurance regulated by the Kansas Insurance Department.

The most well-known of this add-on protection is called the “collision damage waiver,” or CDW. If you were to be involved in a collision, you would be responsible for any physical damage caused to the rental vehicle unless one of the following three statements was true:

You had purchased a CDW from the rental company.
The comprehensive/collision provisions of your personal vehicle insurance policy cover the damage, subject to any deductible.
You have a CDW program with the credit card company you used to secure the rental.

Commissioner Selzer gives the following tips for making sure your rental experience does not turn sour because of unexpected costs.

Always check first with your company or local agent to verify any rental protection in your regular vehicle policy. Knowing what is covered for rentals in your personal policy will keep you from making incorrect decisions when you are at the vehicle rental counter.
If you do have mandatory liability limits for a rental car in your vehicle policy, you may want to request a written statement to that effect from your company/agent/agency.
Document any vehicle damage with photos. Take photos of the vehicle before you leave the rental agency and after any accident.
Your rental agreement may contain an arbitration process. Be sure you understand its implications.
Realize that the rental company or credit card protection is not something that is regulated by the insurance department. The Kansas Attorney General’s office Consumer Protection Division might have jurisdiction.
“Using a rental vehicle for business or pleasure can be a useful means of completing your trip,” Commissioner Selzer said, “but make sure you enter into the rental agreement knowing what protections you have.”

If you have questions or concerns, call the insurance department at 800-432-2484 and ask to speak to a Consumer Assistance Representative.

Ken Selzer, CPA, is the Kansas Commissioner of Insurance.

Ex-school safety chief in Kansas sentenced for child sex crime

Posted on April 8, 2016

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Wichita school safety supervisor accused of molesting boys in Kansas has been sentenced for similar offenses in Colorado.

The Wichita Eagle reports that Alex Robinson was sentenced Tuesday in El Paso County, Colorado, to 16 years in prison for two counts of sexual assault of a child, age 15 to 18, by a person in a position of trust.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett says he expects the Kansas case to resume soon. Robinson is facing eight child sexual assault charges in Wichita, where he previously worked as a police officer and school employee.

The case has been on hold since July, when a judge issued a warrant for Robinson’s arrest after he didn’t show up for his jury trial because he was in Colorado’s custody.

Hays man arrested Thursday after brief downtown chase

Posted on April 8, 2016

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

A 32 year-old Hays man was arrested on suspicion of multiple crimes Thursday following a brief chase in downtown Hays.

According to Hays Police Lt. Brandon Wright, at approximately 5:23 p.m. Thursday, an officer attempted to stop a Chevy S-10 pickup for a traffic infraction in the area of 15th and Allen Street.

The driver of the pickup then allegedly fled westbound on 15th Street before turning southbound on Main Street, running several red lights.

The driver Christopher James Roth, 32, Hays, eventually pulled into the alley between Sixth and Seventh streets off Milner and exited the pickup, where he was arrested without further incident.

Roth, according to Wright, was driving while having a suspended license. Roth was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with a law enforcement officer, and felony fleeing and eluding.

Wright said Roth could also be charged with multiple traffic violations.

Leona L. Keys

Posted on April 8, 2016

Leona L. Keys, 97, of Russell, Kansas, died on Tuesday, April 05, 2016, at the Mitchell County Hospital in Beloit, Kansas.

A memorial service to celebrate Leona’s life will be held at 10 A.M. on Monday, April 11, 2016, at the St. John Lutheran Church in Russell with Pastor Roger Dennis officiating. Inurnment graveside service will be held at the St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Russell immediately following the church service. Memorials may be given to the Senior Companion Organization and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Police: 2 Kan. women are victims of Publishers Clearing House scam

Posted on April 8, 2016

SALINA – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a Publisher’s Clearing House Scam.

Authorities reported a 76-year-old Salina woman lost nearly $9,000 after receiving a letter in the mail in March claiming she won $5 million and a Mercedes.

She called a phone number in the letter and was instructed to send money to pay fees and taxes.

Between March 21st and March 31st, the woman sent a total of $8,799 via Western Union and MoneyGram five different times to cover the fees.

Police were contacted after her daughter discovered what had happened.

The Saline County Sheriff reported a 38-year-old woman, who lives in northeast Saline County, loses nearly a thousand dollars after getting a call saying she had won $250,000, a Mercedes, and a $25,000 cash prize from Publisher’s Clearing House

To claim her prize all she had to do was pay fees and taxes.

Between April 5th and 7th, the woman sent $980 via Western Union, before she read a news account about another similar scam.

The Saline County Sheriff’s Office and Salina Police Department reminded residents who are contacted about winning a large cash prize not to send any money to cover fees and taxes.

If it is too good to be true, it probably is.

Kansas’ first community solar array sells out

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016

Midwest Energy

COLBY — Midwest Energy announced this week that Kansas’ first community solar array, located in Colby, sold out this week.

“We’re pleased that such a wide variety of our customer-owners chose to participate in this array,” said Earnie Lehman, president and general manager at Midwest Energy. “We have learned a lot about the characteristics of solar and solar production from this project.”

The 3,960-panel array features a single-axis tracker that tilts rows of panels, following the sun as it moves from east to west. The array has a capacity of 1 megawatt (AC), and was constructed on an 8-acre parcel owned by the cooperative just north of Colby. The array is individually owned by 134 Midwest Energy customers, who receive monthly credits on their residential, commercial, oil, irrigation and ag accounts.

Midwest Energy’s partner in the project, Clean Energy Collective, of Louisville, Colo., built and marketed the array, which entered service in February 2015. The array is Kansas’ first community solar array, and remains the largest solar array in the state.

HPD Activity Log April 7

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016

The Hays Police Department responded to 4 animal calls and 7 traffic stops Thursday, April 7, 2016, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Water Use Violation–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 3:33 AM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 2/10 5 PM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 3/14 5 PM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 3/22 5 PM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 3/25 5 PM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 2/22 5 PM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 3/26 5 PM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 3/26 5 PM
Suspicious Person–1000 block Gen Custer Rd, Hays; 8:30 AM; 9:07 AM
MV Accident-Personal Injury–13th St and Vine St, Hays; 9:15 AM; 9:17 AM
Phone/Mail Scam–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 10:16 AM
MV Accident-Private Property–100 block W 43rd St, Hays; 10:22 AM; 10:24 AM
Disturbance – General–600 block E 11th St, Hays; 11:26 AM
Assist – Other (not MV)–4200 block Vine St, Hays; 11:40 AM
Juvenile Complaint–300 block W 12th St, Hays; 1 PM; 2:18 PM
Credit Card Violations–2500 block Marjorie Dr, Hays; 4/1 11:41 AM; 4/5 9:27 PM
Harassment, Telephone/FAX–300 block Skyline Ct, Hays; 11:30 AM; 12:15 PM
Animal At Large–Hays; 5:03 PM
Pursuit/Chase–300 block E 15th St, Hays; 5:20 PM; 6:17 PM
Suspicious Person–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 6:03 PM
Animal Call–1800 block E 27th St, Hays; 6:44 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–2200 block Vine St, Hays; 7:11 PM
Criminal Damage Property–2700 blk Canal Blvd, Hays; 3/30 7:13 PM; 7:40 PM
Suspicious Person–1301 block Vine St, Hays; 9:08 PM
Disturbance – Fight–100 block E 7th St, Hays; 9:56 PM
Suspicious Person–1300 block Gen Custer Rd, Hays; 10:19 PM
Criminal Damage to Property–500 block Walnut St, Hays; 11:56 PM

Mindful Drawing Project to bring in guest artist, exhibit research during Spring Art Walk

Posted on April 8, 2016April 6, 2016

FHSU University Relations and Marketing

They start each session with a practice of meditation led by a philosophy professor, then transition their thoughts to drawing with an art professor.

Now it is time for the students of the Mindful Drawing Project at Fort Hays State University to bring in an external reviewer and then exhibit their research at the Spring Art Walk.

Eight undergraduate students were selected to participate in the project funded by an Undergraduate Research Grant through the Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Projects at FHSU led by Dr. Gene Rice, chair of the Department of Philosophy, and Amy Schmierbach, professor of art and design. The Mindful Drawing Project explores the act of meditation and drawing.

The grant requires an external reviewer, which is why Erin Wiersma, assistant professor of art from Kansas State University, will be on the FHSU campus to discuss her art making as a form of meditation from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 8, in Rarick Hall, room 114. This is open to students, faculty, staff and community members.

Following the discussion, the Mindful Drawing Project will participate in an exclusive drawing workshop led by Wiersma.

To learn more about Wiersma, visit https://erinwiersma.com/.

During the Spring Art Walk in Hays, the students of the Mindful Drawing Project will exhibit their research at the Hays Public Library, 1205 Main.

“The goal of this exploratory project is to create a series of drawings that reflect on the mindfulness meditation process and to create awareness of our mental and physical habits through meditation,” said Schmierbach.

To learn more about the Mindful Drawing Project, visit https://www.findingmycenter.com/themindfuldrawingproject/.

FHSU ranked 24th in final WBCA Division II poll

Posted on April 8, 2016

The final WBCA Division II Rankings for the 2015-16 season have been released and Fort Hays State finishes at No. 24 in the nation. Fort Hays State was a part of every WBCA Poll this season, which included a 13-consecutive poll stay in the top 10 of the rankings this year. The Tigers earned their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, finishing in a tie for second in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State started the season at No. 10 in the nation in the WBCA Preseason Poll. The Tigers began their climb immediately in the poll by moving up to No. 7 in the first regular season poll and then No. 5 the following week. With a win over No. 1 ranked Emporia State on December 5, the Tigers vaulted all the way to No. 1 in the nation for the first time in program history at the NCAA level.

The Tigers enjoyed a stay at No. 1 for a month until their first loss of the season pushed them down to No. 3 in the nation on January 5. The Tigers held steady at the No. 3 ranking for three consecutive weeks before sliding back a bit more to No. 7 for two straight weeks. The Tigers bounced back and forth for a few weeks, moving up to No. 5, falling back to No. 10, and then moving back up to No. 9. The Tigers fell out of the top 10 for the first time on March 1, holding the No. 12 ranking. Following the MIAA Tournament, the Tigers slid a bit more to No. 16 and then after a loss in the NCAA Tournament, dropped to No. 24 in the final poll of the season.

The Central Region of the NCAA Tournament was stacked once again this year. Six of the eight teams that played in the regional entered the tournament ranked inside the top 20 nationally. A No. 16 ranked Fort Hays State team had to play No. 7 ranked Winona State in the opening round of the tournament. Another first round game pitted the No. 10 and No. 12 ranked teams against each other. All six teams are in the final poll with regional champion Pittsburg State at No. 6, Winona State at No. 12, Emporia State at No. 16, Arkansas Tech at No. 17, Missouri Western at No. 19, and Fort Hays State at No. 24.

The Tigers finished the season at 25-6 overall, the second best record in the program’s NCAA Division II history after a 30-4 mark in 2014-15. FHSU reached 20 wins in a season for the fifth consecutive year (a new program record) and made consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

Below is the final WBCA Poll for the 2015-16 season.

Rank	Institution – First Place Votes	Previous Rank	Record	Total Points
1	Lubbock Christian University (Texas) – 24	1	35-0	600
2	University of Alaska – Anchorage	4	38-3	576
3	Bentley University (Mass.)	25	29-6	502
4	Virginia Union University (Va.)	8	28-3	461
5	California Baptist University	5	29-3	393
6	Pittsburg State University (Kan.)	19	29-6	388
7	Ashland University (Ohio)	3	31-2	379
8	Grand Valley State University (Mich.)	NR	26-10	332
9	Florida Southern College	NR	27-6	320
10	Benedict College (S.C.)	11	29-3	313
11	Limestone College (S.C.)	2	30-1	310
T12	West Texas A&M University	15	28-5	309
T12	Winona State University (Minn.)	7	30-4	309
14	Drury University (Mo.)	14	26-5	302
15	Lewis University (Ill.)	6	28-3	278
16	Emporia State University (Kan.)	18	28-6	243
17	Arkansas Tech University	12	27-4	242
18	West Liberty University (W.Va.)	17	29-5	202
19	Missouri Western State	10	27-4	196
20	University of California – San Diego	21	26-5	193
21	Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)	13	27-3	183
22	Union University (Tenn.)	9	28-4	176
23	Francis Marion University (S.C.)	NR	24-9	174
24	Fort Hays State University (Kan.)	16	25-6	118
25	Augusta University (Ga.)	NR	24-9	62

Others receiving votes: New York Institute of Technology 45; Bellarmine University (Ky.) 31; Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) 29; Columbus State University (Ga.) 28; California University of Pennsylvania (Pa.) 22; Ursuline College (Ohio) 21; Quincy University (Ill.) 17; Anderson University (S.C.) 15; American International College (Mass.) 8.