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Year: 2016

LETTER: Community again came together in light of tragedy

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On Tuesday, March 1, 2016, tragedy struck our community when a trench occupied by three workers collapsed in the 700 block of Main Street. One person was rescued but two others could not be saved. A prolonged recovery effort was required to safely remove the victims from the trench. As we have seen time and again, the community came together to successfully respond to this tragedy with compassion and effectiveness.

The City of Hays 911 Communication Department did an outstanding job is alerting the public safety responders and providing support communications. The City of Hays Police Department would like to thank the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol who quickly responded in support. As always we appreciate the selfless service of Dr. Lyle Noordhoek, our coroner, for his thorough and efficient work. The City of Hays Fire Department would like to thank our partners in the Ellis County Rural Fire Department Company 5 for coming to our aide for this nine hour operation.

The staff of the City of Hays Public Works, Parks and Utilities departments responded with special equipment and additional staff prepared to help with both the rescue and recovery effort. Thank you for this unselfish support.

Others who provided important support include the Ellis County Emergency Manager and the Emergency Managers from Trego, Rooks and Russell counties. The Trego County portable light tower was essential as the work continued after sundown. Fr. Fred Gatschet and Fr Jarett Konrade provided invaluable service. Heartland Building Center responded quickly to our call for additional lumber to help shore-up the trench. The local chapter of the American Red Cross and the Ellis County Emergency Responders Rehab Unit provided encouragement and food and beverages donated by the Dillon’s store and the Arby’s and MacDonald’s restaurants.

Our special appreciation goes out to the staff at the Hays division of APAC. They provided expert assistance and advice and the use of their steel trench box that saved many hours of work during the recovery efforts.

We know that others quietly assisted in various ways unknown to us or that we inadvertently missed in drafting this letter. We thank them for these efforts.

We would especially like to thank the members of the City of Hays Police and Fire departments, the Ellis County EMS paramedics and the members of the Ellis, Rural and Victoria fire departments who help staff the Technical Rescue Team. Their training, professionalism and teamwork in doing the rescue and recovery work was outstanding.

Finally, we appreciate the patience and cooperation of the families who waited while the recovery operation progressed. Our condolences go out to the Jacobs and Pfannenstiel families in their loss.

Don Scheibler
Police Chief

Gary Brown
Fire Chief

2 students hospitalized after Kansas school bus accident

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bus+crash+graphicGEARY COUNTY- Two students were injured in a school bus accident just after 6:30 a.m. on Monday in Geary County.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department reported a 1999 GMC school bus driven by Dana Pleas, Junction City, was westbound in the 14000 Block of Moyer ranch Road.

The driver lost control of the vehicle and hit an embankment.

Two juveniles were transported to Geary Community Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

The sheriff’s office reported no additional details

Debate underway to change how mortgage lenders do business in Kansas

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By Joshua Robinson

Rep. Schwab
Rep. Schwab

KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA – The House is debating a bill that aims to streamline the way mortgage lenders do business in Kansas.

Senate Bill 369 would make changes to the Kansas Mortgage Business Act (KMBA). The bill provides that anyone licensed under the current Kansas Uniform Consumer Credit Code would become licensed under KMBA. The change, legislative analysts say, would remove duplicate reporting requirements and fees and would streamline business for the state’s mortgage companies. Analysts say 150 companies that do business in Kansas would no longer be required to file duplicate forms and fees.

Supporters spoke about the bill Thursday at a hearing in the House Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions. They said the proposed legislation updates and removes outdated terminology in state laws and seeks to simplify and reduce the regulatory burden on the mortgage business.

Jennifer Cook, deputy commissioner of consumer mortgage and lending in the Office of the State Bank Commissioner, told lawmakers that SB 369 makes common-sense changes. The bill, she said, cuts back on unnecessary reporting for mortgage companies but will continue to protect consumers in an ever-changing industry.

Rep. Scott Schwab, R-Olathe, sees SB 369 as a necessary update to existing laws. He said the bill will make the lending system more efficient. Also, he noted that technology has replaced work that lenders had to do in the past and the bill recognizes that.

“It’s just updating modernization and streamlining, and it happens a lot,” said Schwab, who chairs the House committee. “Sometimes when you get into banking or financial institutions you, end up having layer and layer of laws over 20 to 40 years, and you realize you have created duplications of paper work. Now, you have technology to have things filed digitally which makes it easier.”

If approved, SB 369 would take effect in fiscal year 2017. The Office of the State Bank Commissioner estimates it will decrease the license fee for revenue for the bank commissioner fee by $362,000 in 2017.

SB 369, which was introduced in January, was approved by the Senate in February. The vote was 40-0. If the House committee approves, the bill will go to the full House for a vote.

Edited by Maddy Mikinski

 

Ernest Hoffman

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Ernest Hoffman - Paper PictureVictoria, Kansas – Ernest Hoffman, age 86, died Friday, March 4, 2016, at The Pines Nursing Home Holton, Kansas.

He was born July 26, 1929, on the farm south west of Victoria, Kansas to Conrad and Christina (Geist) Hoffman. He married Dolores J. (Leiker) on August 24, 1957, in Munjor, Kansas. She died March 2, 2006.

He was a farmer, a home builder-carpenter in the Victoria and Hays area for 45 years. He was a member of The Basilica of St. Fidelis, Knights of Columbus and V.F.W. Post No. 1751 all of Victoria.

He was a veteran of the U S Army and served during the Korea Conflict. He enjoyed his gardening on the farm and spending time with his grandchildren and their sporting activities.

Survivors include three sons, Tom Hoffman and wife, Deb, Hays, KS; Jeff Hoffman and wife, Myrna, Hays, KS; Dave Hoffman and wife, Brenda, Victoria, KS; one daughter, Kara Hoffman, Holton, KS; one brother, Leroy Hoffman, Denver, CO; two sisters, Henrietta Windholz, Hays, KS; Verna Befort and husband, Vernon, Mechanicsburg, Penn; one sister-in-law, Juanita Hoffman, Denver, CO; ten grandchildren, Whitney Woods (Adam), Kaylee Hoffman, Erin Brungardt (James), Nolan Hoffman (Jessica), Peyton Hoffman, Wendy Pfeifer (Troy),Clayton Hoffman, Brenton Hoffman (Andrea), Landon Bagby (Kallie), Lauren Bagby; six great grandchildren, Zaddik Woods, Kendall and Trey Brungardt, Jack and Kane Pfeifer and Rhett Conrad Hoffman.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, four brothers, Ervin, Elmer, Hubert, Edwin L Hoffman and one younger brother, Edwin Hoffman, four sisters, Clara Goetz, Mary Hammerschmidt, Leona Manor and Angeline Huckleberry.

Services are 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at The Basilica of St. Fidelis Victoria, Kansas.
Burial at St. Fidelis Cemetery Victoria, Kansas and military honors by Victoria V.F.W. Post No. 1751.

A vigil service will be at 6:30 P.M. Monday, followed by a Victoria V.F.W. and Knights of Columbus rosary at 7:00 P.M. Monday, both at Cline’s Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.
Visitation will be from 5:00 to 9:00 P.M. Monday, at Cline’s Mortuary of Hays and from 8:30 to 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, at The Basilica of St. Fidelis.

Memorial to The Basilica of St. Fidelis.

Condolences can be sent via email to [email protected].

Extension food handler course provides vital information

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Linda Beech
Linda Beech

It is a treat to eat out at a favorite restaurant or community event. Consumers expect the food to be safe. It is up to the food handlers to provide the safest meal possible.

Preparing food for the public, whether at a volunteer group fund-raiser, or at a restaurant, often means dealing with larger quantities of food than those used at home. With larger amounts of food, different food practices and special attention to detail become critical.

A Servsafe basic food handler short course for food service employees and volunteer groups will be held on Wednesday, March 23, from 1:30 to 4:00 pm at the Ellis County Extension Office, 601 Main Street in Hays. The cost is $10.00 per person and includes the Servsafe Food Handler Guide, a nationally recognized food safety training resource, plus training materials and refreshments.

The class covers basic food safety principles, personal hygiene, preventing cross-contamination, food allergens, time and temperature controls, cleaning and sanitation. This course would be appropriate for commercial food service employees, dietary staff at nursing homes, hospitals and schools, and volunteer groups who serve concession stands, church dinners, community meals or fund-raisers. A certificate of attendance will be provided to each participant.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that each year one in six Americans gets sick from a foodborne illness. On average, 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3000 people die from something they eat every year. Foodborne illness is highly under-reported, and outbreaks DO happen in Kansas.

The economic impact of foodborne illness is staggering. The CDC estimates that foodborne illness costs $15.5 billion annually, which includes factors such as direct medical costs, lost wages, time lost, and pain and suffering. That makes the average cost of one foodborne illness incident about $77,000. Proper food safety is important to reduce illness, but also to protect the reputation and reduce costs and legal repercussions for those who serve food to the public.

Plan now to attend the upcoming Servsafe food handler training. Register and pay fees by Friday, March 11 at the Ellis County Extension Office to ensure adequate training materials and class supplies. Drop-ins cannot be accommodated for this class. Enrollment is considered complete when fees are paid. A minimum attendance is required by the deadline to hold this class.

Obtain a registration form at www.ellis.ksu.edu/health-nutrition in the right box under “Upcoming Events.” For more information, call the Ellis County Extension Office, 785-628-9430.

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

Trial of Kan. man in slaying of 3 adults, toddler to begin

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Flack
Flack

OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — Jurors are scheduled to hear testimony in the trial of an eastern Kansas man accused of killing four people, including an 18-month-old girl.

The Kansas City Star reports opening statements start Monday in the capital murder trial of 30-year-old Kyle Flack, who is charged with killing 31-year-old Kaylie Bailey and her infant daughter, Lana, on May 1, 2013.

He also is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shotgun deaths of 30-year-old Andrew Stout and 31-year-old Steven White, who were killed days earlier.

The three adults were found at a farmhouse outside Ottawa, and the baby was found a week later inside a suitcase floating in a rural creek.

The trial in Franklin County District Court in Ottawa is expected to last several weeks.

Rookstock concert will help benefit hospital expansion

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rooks county health center logo

Submitted

PLAINVILLE — Musicians from Rooks County will converge on one stage April 30 in Plainville for the first ever Rookstock. Rookstock is a fundraising gala benefiting Rooks County Health Care Foundation for the expansion of Rooks County Health Center.

Entertainers for the evening include: blues guitarist Jimmy Lewin and the Kingtones; John Brust; country rockers Lucas Maddy and The Kansas Cartel featuring Tyler Ganoung; and The Vocal Chords , a physician quartet comprised of Dr. Jen Brull, Dr. Lynn Fisher, Dr. Beth Oller and Dr. Dan Sanchez. These musicians are all either Rooks County natives or currently serve the county.

“When we first started brainstorming the event the idea of having live, local music came up immediately. Within moments we came up with so many quality bands and musicians with ties to the county that it was difficult to find a way to get them all on stage for one night,” said Eric Sumearll, RCHF Executive Director.

Planning for the event began several months ago by a committee of Rooks County residents. Three Plainville High School students are working with the committee to develop branding and materials for Rookstock. The students, Joelle Conway, Meghan Augustine and Brianna Andregg, met with committee members and Sumearll to learn about the event and the materials needed to promote it.

In addition to live music, Rookstock attendees will enjoy a hog roast and live and silent auctions. Tickets are available at Rooks County Health Center or by calling Sumearll at 785.688.4428.

Trump and the future of the First Amendment

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Charles C. Haynes is director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute.
Charles C. Haynes is director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute.

After Super Tuesday, what was once unthinkable may now be inevitable: Donald Trump, Republican nominee for president of the United States.

That’s my cue to join the hundreds of other columnists and pundits scrambling to inform Republican primary voters so that when they vote, they understand the implications of their vote. Of course, the joke is on us. The more we pile on Trump, the more he piles up votes.

Nevertheless, we have a civic duty at moments like this “to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties,” to quote James Madison. There are troubling signs in this campaign that a Trump presidency could be a disaster for First Amendment freedoms.

You might think that Trump and his supporters would be frontline defenders of the First Amendment. After all, no presidential campaign in modern history has taken more advantage of the “free” in free speech.

Vicious name-calling, racist fear-mongering, crude remarks about women’s body parts, cyberbullying, playground taunts: Welcome to the ever-lowering low bar for political discourse in Trump’s America, a reality TV show where decorum, decency, and integrity are out-of-date civic virtues for “losers.”

But while bemoaning this descent into the political gutter, it is worth remembering that we are fortunate to live in a country with the most robust protection for free speech in the history of the world. Offensive, even hateful, speech is the cost of freedom — and we must be willing to pay the price.

After all, the only thing worse than a political arena filled with offensive speech is a political arena where government determines what is offensive.

Having said that, I worry what the election of Donald Trump would mean for the First Amendment — not so much because of the content of his speech, but rather because of the ways in which actions that flow from the speech threaten the freedom of others.

Trump says, for example, that his “first priority” as president would be to “preserve and protect our religious liberty.” But a closer listen reveals that he means, “I’m going to protect Christians,” as he told students at Liberty University.

People of other faiths, not so much: Consider Trump’s proposal to temporarily ban all Muslims from entering the United States. A startling 65 percent of Republican primary voters back this unjust, unconstitutional idea, according to exit polls.

Combine the Muslim ban with Trump’s apparently popular positions that the government might have to “close down mosques” and establish a database to track Muslims in the U.S. — and we get a toxic recipe for violating the religious freedom of an entire faith community.

For other disturbing signs of how the First Amendment might be undermined by a Trump administration, consider the frequent ugly encounters at Trump rallies between Trump supporters and protesters. Egged on by Trump, angry crowds surround protesters — including those standing silently with anti-Trump signs.

“Get ’em out of here,” shouts Trump — and his followers then taunt, intimidate and sometimes physically attack the protesters. Violence and threats, rare in past American political campaigns, are now the norm on the campaign trail with Trump.

Journalists, especially female reporters, are frequent targets of Trump’s ire, from Megyn Kelly of Fox News to Katy Tur of MSNBC. Trump habitually calls out reporters at his rallies and whips up crowds with tirades about the “absolute scum” in the “dishonest” news media.

Describing the scene at a recent Trump rally in Virginia, Tur tweeted: “Trump trashes press. Crowd jeers. Guy by press ‘pen’ looks at us & screams ‘you’re a bitch!’ Other gentleman gives cameras the double bird.”

The mob anger stirred up by Trump on the road explodes exponentially online. In just 24 hours, Trump supporters tweeted hundreds of sexist slurs directed at Kelly, calling her bitch, bimbo, skank, whore and worse, according to an analysis by the news site Vocativ. Kelly had to get off Twitter.

Beyond reporters, Trump and his 6 million Twitter followers cyberbully anyone and everyone who dares to oppose him — often with personal attacks and deceptive statements that go viral and humiliate the people targeted.

Without a hint of irony, Trump sees himself as the victim because, well, the First Amendment goes too far. During a recent speech in Texas, Trump promised that if elected he would deal with the negative press by opening “up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.”

Something has changed in America. Attacks on religious freedom, intimidation of reporters, assaults on peaceful protesters are now a “winning” formula at the polls. To say the least, this does not bode well for the future vitality of First Amendment freedoms.

At our nation’s founding, John Adams and James Madison famously warned that one of the greatest dangers of democracy is the tyranny of the majority. To safeguard against that danger, our Framers rejected pure democracy in favor of representative democracy or a Republic — and then added a Bill of Rights to ensure that individual freedoms could not be violated by the whims — or the anger — of the majority.

In the hands of a popular authoritarian president, however, the First Amendment could be reduced to what Madison called a “parchment barrier” subverted by the will of the majority. “Repeated violations of these parchment barriers,” he wrote to Thomas Jefferson in 1788, “have been committed by overbearing majorities in every State.”

If Trumpism triumphs at the Republican convention, the American commitment to our first freedoms will be tested in ways rarely seen in our history. On Nov. 8, 2016, the future of the First Amendment may well be on the ballot.

Charles C. Haynes is vice president of the Newseum Institute and founding director of the Religious Freedom Center. [email protected]

Community candlelight vigil draws friends, families, first responders to accident site

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Rev. Kevin Daniels, Hays Christian Church, offers prayers during Sunday's candle light vigil for Aaron Pfannenstiel and Jake Jacobs. Both J Corp employees were killed Tuesday in a trench collapse in downtown Hays.
Rev. Kevin Daniels, Hays Christian Church, offers prayers during Sunday’s candle light vigil for Aaron Pfannenstiel and Jake Jacobs. Both J Corp employees were killed Tuesday in a trench collapse in downtown Hays.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Family, friends and community members gathered Sunday night in downtown Hays to remember the two men killed in a trench collapse accident last Tuesday afternoon.

The candlelight vigil was organized by the Ellis County Ministerial Alliance and held on Main Street, just south of the Eighth Street intersection where sewer repair work had been underway March 1 in front of the Ellis County Administrative Center.

Killed when the dirt caved in from the walls of the 11-feet-deep trench were J Corp Construction Company employees Aaron Pfannenstiel, 44, and Jake Jacobs, 66, both of Hays. Pfannenstiel was the J Corp owner/operator; Jacobs was a construction supervisor. Funerals for both men were held Saturday.

trench agustin macias
J Corp employee Agustin Macias (with red cup) looks at the now-filled trench Sunday evening where two of his fellow employees died Tuesday in downtown Hays.

One J Corp employee was rescued–Agustin Macias, who suffered a broken left arm. Macias attended Sunday’s ceremony with family.

Prayers were offered also for Macias, who attended the ceremony with family, for the emergency first responders who were at the scene, and for the Ellis County employees who offered their building to anxious family members during the rescue and recovery.

“We come together tonight to grieve and to remember,” said ECMA President Rev. Celeste Lasich, First Presbyterian Church as she welcomed the crowd, standing quietly in the middle of the block, just short of the fenced-off trench site.

“We offer prayer and support for the loving and extended Pfannenstiel and Jacobs families, for all the employees and partners of J Corp, for the emergency responders, and the city and utilities staff, the county building staff, the downtown businesses and too many people to name–all touched by this terrible tragedy,” Lasich said.

With a catch in his voice, Ellis County Commission Chairman Dean Haselhorst offered condolences.

Ellis Co. Commission Chairman Dean Haselhorst brings condolences to J Corp from towns across Kansas.
Ellis Co. Commission Chairman Dean Haselhorst brings condolences to J Corp from towns across Kansas.

“I realized this past week the impact J Corp had in so many communities across the state. From Atwood to Coldwater, to Hesston to Salina, to Russell to Gorham and back to Hays–the support of the elected officials and department heads that all called offered their prayers to be shared with the families. They shared stories of the times that J Corp was in and around their communities doing work or just serving others in those communities.

“For Jake and Aaron, it was building miles of roads, miles of sidewalks, countless curbs that they redid in the city of Hays for handicap accessibility, parking lots, laying pipe, doing maintenance, and all the day-to-day activity that J Corp did as a construction company.

“And on Tuesday morning when they were called to the corner of Eighth and Main again, they were serving the community of Hays, doing what they loved, and helping out where they could.

“And be assured when Aaron and Jake were greeted at the gates of heaven, our Lord told them ‘Well done, my good and faithful servants. You may now come in and rest, for this eternal kingdom is yours.'”

Hays Mayor Eber Phelps, Ellis County Commissioner Barb Wasinger and Ellis County Emergency Medical Services Director Kerry McCue also spoke to the crowd. Other prayers were offered by Deacon Scott Watford, St. Nicholas Church, and Pastor Patrick McGinnis, Dialogue Ministries.

trench song
Chris and Ervis Dinkel, Liberty Church, sing during the vigil, flanked by ECMA President Rev. Celeste Lasich, Ellis Co. EMS Director Kerry McCue, Hays Mayor Eber Phelps, and Ellis Co. Commissioners Dean Haselhorst and Barb Wasinger.

As dusk fell, Rev. Kevin Daniels, Hays Christian Church, asked the mourners to light their candles as Chris and Ervis Dinkel, Liberty Church, led the crowd in singing “Amazing Grace.”

As the final notes faded and the candle flames flickered in the breeze, Daniels talked about the power of light.

“Sorrow, and now dark, fills the street. In this, our hour of need, we turn to light. Light offers protection. Light offers hope. Light offers life…Light gives us God’s peace,” Daniels said. “Together we have grieved, and together we move forward.”

Liberty Church Pastor Steve Dinkel then asked those holding candles to blow them out and for everyone to “join hands and draw strength from each other” during the closing prayer.

“We’ve experienced such a loss in our community, Lord,” Dinkel prayed, “and it reminds us to slow down and do the things that matter. To give one more hug hello or goodbye, and to appreciate each other.”

trench mourners ws
Mourners linger at the trench site after Sunday’s community candlelight vigil.

The memorial services lasted little more than half an hour. Thirty minutes later, the tears were still falling, the hugs were still heartfelt, and the mourners still stared down at the now-filled trench.

APAC-Hays contractors will resume completion of the sewer line repairs Monday.

Windy, warm Monday

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There will be a chance for thunderstorms early this week along and east of highway 56. A slight chance for strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible early tonight in south central Kansas.

Today Sunny, with a high near 82. Windy, with a south southwest wind 8 to 18 mph increasing to 19 to 29 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph becoming west 5 to 10 mph after midnight.

Screen Shot 2016-03-07 at 5.52.55 AMTuesdayMostly sunny, with a high near 63. West northwest wind 5 to 13 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.

Tuesday NightMostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 6 mph after midnight.

WednesdayMostly sunny, with a high near 63. Northeast wind 7 to 15 mph.

Wednesday NightMostly clear, with a low around 36.

ThursdaySunny, with a high near 69.

Thursday NightMostly clear, with a low around 37.

Grass fires burn hundreds of acres across Kansas

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Sunday fire in Butler County-photos Andover Fire-Rescue
Sunday fire in Butler County-photos Andover Fire-Rescue

BUTLER COUNTY- A large grass fire that stretched over 20 miles in portions of Butler, Greenwood and Cowley counties on Sunday was contained over night, according to a social media reports.

The fire temporarily shut down a portion of Highway 400 in Butler County, according to a social media report.

No homes were damaged and no injuries reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Screen Shot 2016-03-07 at 5.05.20 AMAn investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s office was on the scene of Sunday’s Marion County grass fire. The blaze consumed over 1200 acres and was deliberately set, according to a report from the fire marshal’s office.

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