DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – Wichita State’s guards used their Final Four experience to pull out a defense-dominated First Four game on Tuesday night, leading the way to a 70-50 victory over Vanderbilt.
Fred VanVleeet – the two-time Missouri Valley player of the year – scored 14 points, and Ron Baker also had 14 as Wichita State (25-8) took control at the start of the second half and held on. The seniors were part of Wichita State’s 2013 Final Four team.
The Shockers play Arizona on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island.
Vanderbilt (19-14) couldn’t take advantage of its pronounced size advantage on offense and never led in the second half. Joe Toye and Riley LaChance had 10 apiece.
HUTCHINSON – Law enforcement authorities in Reno County are looking for a suspect involved in a Tuesday evening standoff.
Police came to a house in the 700 Block of East Sherman in Hutchinson around 5:45 p.m. to serve an arrest warrant on a Jeremy Frischenmeyer, 33,who refused to come out.
Police believed he was the only one in the house. Despite a search, police did not find him in the residence.
Police had SWAT and tactical officers on the scene, and two nearby homes were evacuated.
In September of 2015, Frischenmeyer was granted community corrections after a conviction for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of synthetic marijuana.
Frischenmeyer was released from prison in June of 2014, after convictions in three burglaries from 2011.
He also has other convictions for burglary, forgery, theft and possession of drugs.
DENVER – Fort Hays State dropped both games of a non-conference doubleheader at Metro State University of Denver on Tuesday. The Tigers lost in walk-off fashion in game one, before falling by three in the nightcap. FHSU is now 9-14 overall on the season, while Metro State improved to 18-10.
Game 1: Metro State 3, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State tied the game twice, but fell victim to a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh in a 3-2 loss.
Metro State took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double, but the Tigers countered with a run in the second on an RBI single from Courtney Dobson. The Roadrunners grabbed the lead back, 2-1, with an RBI groundout in the third.
The Tigers had a golden opportunity to do more than tie the game in the sixth. Back-to-back doubles by Tori Beltz and Samantha Villarreal tied the game 2-2 with just one out, but the next two Tiger batters struck out to end a great opportunity to take a lead.
That proved costly as Metro State led off the seventh with a single and the runner moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Then Brooke Lovas had a seeing-eye single through the right side that scored the runner from second to end the game.
Paxton Duran took the loss for FHSU, moving to 6-8 on the season. She allowed three runs on six hits and four walks in 6.1 innings of work, while striking out six.
Hayley Fields picked up the win in relief for Metro State, moving to 11-3 on the season. She threw the last two innings, allowing one run on two hits, but struck out five.
Game 2: Metro State 5, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second, but it was short-lived as Metro State scored three in the bottom half and then a pair in the fourth to take the nightcap 5-2.
In the second inning, Kylie Strand drove in the first run of the game with a single and Madeline LaPolla followed with an RBI groundout.
A throwing error by the Tigers in the bottom of the second proved costly, as it led to unearned runs as three crossed plate for Metro State in the inning. The Roadrunners tacked on a pair of RBI singles in the fourth to grow their lead to three.
That was plenty for Metro State starter Kailey Christensen, who allowed five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Sarah Bretti worked a 1-2-3 seventh for the save.
Carrie Clarke took the loss for FHSU, going 3.1 innings. She allowed seven hits and three walks, while striking out two. Paxton Duran threw the final 2.2 innings and did not allow a hit with three strikeouts.
Fort Hays State looks to bounce back in a doubleheader at Colorado Mines on Wednesday starting at 1 pm CDT.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka dental testing business that authorities say dumped more than 900 files containing personal information of its customers and others in the trash will pay $140,000 as part of a lawsuit settlement.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that officials said that in March 2014, files were found in an unsecured dumpster outside of Central Regional Dental Testing Service Inc. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said that the files contained personal information, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers and health information.
Schmidt’s office said in a news release Wednesday that the business will pay a $70,000 fine and $70,000 in administrative costs relating to a case that claimed it violated Kansas consumer privacy laws.
The business said the improper disposal occurred due to an employee mistake. The files were eventually secured by the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division.
CIMARRON, Kan. (AP) — Federal investigators say a feed truck from a nearby lot where cattle are fattened hit the track and shifted it before an Amtrak train derailed in southwest Kansas.
Frontal view of the Agricultural vehicle that damaged the rails involved in the Kansas Amtrak derailment. pic.twitter.com/niXGn7Lmgi
National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener did not say on Tuesday if this was the cause of the Amtrak Southwest Chief’s accident Monday.
But he says the impact of the truck from the Cimarron Crossing Feeders shifted the train track 12 to 14 inches.
The feed company declined comment Tuesday.
The derailment injured at least 32 people although most were treated and released from the hospital. Two patients remained hospitalized in Kansas, one after undergoing surgery. The condition of two people flown to an Amarillo, Texas, hospital wasn’t immediately known.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man who slugged his attorney during his trial was sentenced to more than 20 years for that crime and an armed robbery conviction.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Lance L. Franklin was on trial in December 2014 when he hit his attorney, David McDonald, knocking him unconscious. McDonald suffered a concussion, a broken nose, cuts, swollen eyes and chipped teeth.
Franklin was sentenced Tuesday for aggravated assault and armed robbery in a plea deal that dropped several of the original charges.
After Franklin hit McDonald, a mistrial was declared and Franklin was found in contempt of court and given a 90-day sentence.
TOPEKA–March is an exciting time for basketball fans, and the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) has plenty of staff cheering on teams in the tournament. DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore is pleased to announce that for the third year in a row, the agency will take advantage of the enthusiasm for the tournament to raise money for several local charities that serve DCF clients.
During the days of the tournament, DCF employees may voluntarily make a minimum $3 donation so they can wear college T-shirts, polos or sweatshirts. All money raised goes to five designated charities selected by the four DCF regions and the employees who work in Topeka’s administrative offices.
The charities selected by the regions include Habitat for Humanity (West Region), ICT S.O.S. (Wichita Region), Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City (Kansas City Region), Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas (East Region) and Project Topeka (DCF Administration).
“This is a great way to boost employee morale and support our partnering organizations at the same time,” Secretary Gilmore said.
The regions are also competing for bragging rights. The region to raise the most money for its designated charity will be declared the DCF 2016 Charity Champion. Last year, the Kansas City region won by raising $2,055. In all, the agency raised $3,134 for five charities during last year’s tournament.
PRATT– According to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAWFA), aerial surveys for lesser prairie chickens will begin Thu., March 17. The surveys, which will continue through mid-May, will be conducted by helicopter throughout the five-state lesser prairie chicken range. The surveys are conducted annually by WAFWA to ascertain population trends and how the bird is responding to management strategies identified in the Lesser Prairie Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan.
The range-wide plan is a collaborative effort of WAFWA and the state wildlife agencies of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. It was developed to ensure conservation of the lesser prairie chicken with voluntary cooperation from landowners and industry. This plan allows agriculture producers and industry to continue operations while reducing impacts to the species and its grassland habitat.
“Working with the wildlife agencies of each of these five states, we’ve established a consistent methodology to conduct these aerial surveys,” explained Bill Van Pelt, WAFWA’s grassland coordinator. “This allows us to get the most accurate information possible so we can see how various management strategies for the bird are working on the ground.”
In previous years, some of the fly paths prompted calls, which is why WAFWA is getting the word out about the start of aerial survey work.
Last year’s aerial surveys brought good news: an abundance of spring rainfall in 2015, along with ongoing efforts associated with the range-wide plan and other conservation initiatives, helped increase the lesser prairie chicken population by approximately 25 percent from 2014 to 2015. Results from this year’s surveys will be available on July 1.
Despite last year’s encouraging news, the population is still low compared to historical numbers, and concern for the lesser prairie chicken and its habitat still exist. WAFWA is committed to continued successful implementation of the range-wide plan and the long-term recovery of this iconic grassland bird.
For more information about the lesser prairie chicken and the conservation work being done to support it, see the Lesser Prairie Chicken Range-wide Plan at www.wafwa.org.
GEARY COUNTY – One person was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. on Tuesday in Geary County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Suzuki passenger car driven by Carmen Renee Keeton, 28, Columbus, OH, was southbound on Crider Road one mile west of Junction City.
The driver lost control of the vehicle. It left the road, hit an embankment, flipped, and landed on its roof.
A passenger in the vehicle Angel L. Gonzalez, 26, Long Beach, NJ., was transported to Geary Community Hospital.
Keeton was not injured. Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
(L to R): DCF Deputy Secretary Jaime Rogers, DCF Deputy Director of Permanency/Training Sharri Black, DCF Social Worker Amber Rufener, DCF Deputy Director of Performance Improvement Tony Scott, Governor Sam Brownback, KDADS Secretary Tim Keck, KDADS Social Worker Laura Leistra, DCF Assessment and Prevention Administrator Suzanne Martinez, KDADS Social Worker Dawn Turner
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TOPEKA–The critical service provided by social work professionals, including the protection of vulnerable children and adults from abuse and neglect, will be highlighted this month, thanks to special recognition from Governor Sam Brownback and the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF).
Governor Sam Brownback has designated March as Social Worker Month, a time to recognize the tireless commitment of those who take on this challenging occupation. It’s a time also to call attention to the need to retain and recruit social workers to serve the State of Kansas.
“As a licensed social worker, I know the many difficulties and rewards that come with this line of work,” DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore said. “We are working hard to attract more caring and compassionate social workers to join our Prevention and Protection Services team.”
DCF, along with its contracted providers, employs nearly 1,000 social workers statewide. There remains, however, a persistent need for more.
DCF typically has approximately 50 vacant social worker positions, which it struggles to fill. Some of the most challenging areas to fully staff include the agency’s Wichita and West regions. DCF uses a wide range of recruitment strategies to attract social workers, including partnerships with Kansas colleges. The agency also has a Recruitment and Retention Workgroup that is tasked with helping solve social worker staffing needs.
DCF Social Worker Amber Rufener, Topeka, recognizes that social work is often thankless and rarely easy.
“It’s a challenge, because people don’t always want to work with you,” said Rufener, a social work specialist in the Topeka Service Center. “They need help, but often they don’t want it. Social workers have to give them the resources to be successful. We serve as a bridge to the help in many cases.”
Rufener began work as a certified nursing assistant while in college. It was then that she took an interest in the social side of human services. To prepare for a career as a social worker, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Services, then a master’s degree in Social Work from Washburn University.
“I went into social work because I wanted to protect those who are vulnerable, who maybe don’t have a voice for themselves,” said Rufener, who participated in the signing of the Social Work Month proclamation.
Rufener emphasized that the ability to work with clients who suffer from mental health issues is essential. She recognizes that there is always a need for new people in the social work field, and said while it’s not for everyone, she believes many caring individuals would find it rewarding.
“You have to be in it because you have a heart for helping people,” she said. “You don’t always get rewards or praise. But it’s rewarding when you can see that you made a difference in someone’s life.”
To become a social worker, individuals must graduate from an accredited university with at least a bachelor’s degree in social welfare. They must also pass a licensure exam and maintain the license with 40 hours of continuing education, every two years.
DCF recently added four categories of professionals who now can fill the same role as social workers within the agency’s Prevention and Protection Services division. Individuals with education backgrounds that now may, with certain qualifications, serve as DCF social workers are Bachelor’s in Social Work, Master’s in Psychology, Master’s in Professional Counseling and Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers have approved a bill that allows faith-based groups on public college campuses to restrict membership based on religious beliefs.
The bill passed 80-39 in first-round approval Tuesday in the House. It passed overwhelmingly in the Senate last year. If the bill wins final approval in the House, it will go to the governor for his signature.
The measure prevents universities from withholding funding based on a group’s decision to allow only members who share the organization’s beliefs.
Supporters say the bill is a response to pressure for school religious organizations to accept anyone as a member, even if their beliefs conflict with those of the group. Critics say the bill allows groups that are funded by taxpayer dollars to discriminate.
HUTCHINSON– While police were looking for a Kansas man who ran from a traffic stop, they discovered a home and garage that contained drug and drug paraphernalia.
Police suspected a man who ran from the stop might be hiding in the garage.
Johnathon Carson, 32, Hutchinson, was standing outside the garage and denied knowing whether anyone was inside.
Items consistent with drugs were found leading to a search of the garage and the home, according to police.
Carson admitted that he had a shotgun inside the garage. Police found the gun, which had a modified barrel.
They also found digital scales and baggies with meth residue.
Potential charges include possession of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, criminal use of a weapon, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
In court, Carson asked for a bond reduction, however the state objected because of his convictions involving drugs including unlawfully manufacturing, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Bryson Pallen, 24, was also arrested at the home and faces potential charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond set at $7,500.
U.S. Highway 83 is now CLOSED from Oberlin in Decatur County to the Kansas/Nebraska border because of blowing dust and poor visibility. Stay updated on conditions at www.kandrive.org.
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