MESA, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona woman who accidentally texted a stranger an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner has made good on her offer after it spread through social media.
The Arizona Republic reports (http://bit.ly/2fyThMx ) that Wanda Dench greeted 17-year-old Jamal Hinton with a hug before they sat down for dinner Thursday at her suburban Phoenix home.
The mix-up happened after Dench included what she thought was her grandson’s number on a group text last week, but he had changed his number and never told her.
Instead, the text went to 17-year-old Jamal Hinton. They realized the mistake after the two exchanged pictures, but Hinton asked if he could “still get a plate.” Dench responded, “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do.”
The exchange gained attention after Hinton posted it on Twitter.
VAIL, Colo. (AP) — More Colorado ski resorts are open for the season.
Vail and Beaver Creek opened Friday, a day after Snowmass, Wolf Creek and Crested Butte started their lifts.
This fall’s unseasonably warm weather has limited the terrain that’s open and forced several ski resorts to postpone their opening day Some are still offering other activities for visitors over the Thanksgiving weekend, including sledding and sightseeing gondola rides.
Aspen Mountain may not open until at least Monday. The Aspen Daily News (http://bit.ly/2fMIyeY ) reports that would be the first time the mountain hasn’t been open during the holiday weekend in decades.
Some more help is in store from Mother Nature. The National Weather Service says the central and San Juan mountains could get between 10 and 14 inches of snow between late Saturday and Monday.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas City, Kansas, police officer and a Wyandotte County deputy are on unpaid leave after being accused of child endangerment and weapons counts.
Kansas City, Kansas, police Officer Patrick McCallop told The Associated Press on Thursday that Officer Colleen Radford of Bonner Springs was charged with distribution of a firearm to a felon, as well as with child endangerment.
KSHB-TV reports that Wyandotte County deputy Andrew O’Neal is charged with child endangerment and criminal possession of a firearm, a felony.
McCallop says the charges against Radford are connected to charges against the deputy.
Radford and O’Neal do not have listed home telephone numbers and could not be reached for comment Friday. Online court records don’t show whether they have an attorney.
MEDFORD, Okla. (AP) — No injuries or damage were reported after a 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Oklahoma on Friday morning.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake’s epicenter was near Medford, or about 95 miles north of Oklahoma City. The USGS says the earthquake was felt in northern Oklahoma and in parts of Kansas, including the Wichita area.
Earlier in the day, a 2.5 magnitude earthquake hit the same area, and a 2.6 magnitude quake also struck Cushing — the site of a major oil storage hub where a 5.0 magnitude temblor caused substantial damage on Nov. 7.
Oklahoma’s earthquakes have been linked to oil and gas production, and state regulators have shut down or imposed new restrictions on underground wells that are used for wastewater disposal.
HUTCHINSON (AP) — A Finney County businessman and farmer and the city of Garden City have been honored by the state for their work to extend the Ogallala Aquifer.
Tom Willis, who operates two southwest Kansas ethanol plants and has a farm in Finney County, and the city of Garden City were among those honored at the Governor’s Water Conference this month in Manhattan.
The Hutchinson News reports (http://j.mp/2fzcfmm) that more than 550 people attended the water conference.
A Kansas State University study says if nothing changes, 70 percent of the Ogallala will be depleted by 2064.
Other honorees included, Spirit AeroSystems, which was honored for its collaboration with the city of Wichita to build a 3-mile dedicated pipeline connecting the company’s manufacturing operations to a city water treatment facility.
By RANDY GONZALES FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Fort Hays State University’s International Student Services usually has its Study Abroad Fair earlier in a semester. This semester, however, Director Carol Solko-Olliff opted to have the fair later, as part of International Education Week 2016.
Tables were set up in the Sunset Lounge in the Memorial Union to take advantage of foot traffic around lunch time. There was a table where students could learn about studying in China. There was a table featuring a trip to Hawaii. Another one featured a visit to the cloud forest in Ecuador. And there were many, many more.
ISS has had a Study Abroad Fair for about six or seven years, Solko-Olliff said.
“I think it’s been very helpful,” she said. “A lot of time students will say they didn’t know they could study someplace else.”
Whether it’s another country for a summer or a year, or studying somewhere else in the United States, Solko-Olliff said most, if not all, programs allow students to pay FHSU tuition.
“Economically, it makes it affordable for students because they pay Fort Hays State tuition and fees,” she said. “They can use financial aid and scholarships. Even though they are studying someplace else, they’re still enrolled at Fort Hays State.”
Jay Lee, a Fort Hays State graduate student from Seoul, South Korea, was checking out a trip at the Hawaii table. A geosciences class will travel to the islands in late May to study their cultural geography.
“The curriculum looks really great,” Lee said. “It’s not expensive.
“I’m going to talk to the department chair, see if it can be counted towards my elective hours,” he added. “I’m really glad they have this opportunity and they tell us.”
As Lee found out, the recent fair was designed to let FHSU students know what was available.
“The fair is a great opportunity for Fort Hays State students to learn about some of the different opportunities that they have to get some international experiences,” said Karen McCullough, assistant director of ISS.
One such student was Ricardo Zamora, a junior business major from Kansas City, Kan. He has already traveled abroad, courtesy of FHSU. Zamora spent a month this past summer studying in China.
“I loved it,” Zamora said. “I really want to go back. We learned culture, history, we learned about music.
“In the evenings, we rode motor bikes around town,” he added. “We learned board games from over there. The food was amazing.”
Zamora said studying abroad can help American students when they return to Hays. They can better understand international students.
“I just wanted to go over there, see where they come from, be able to understand their culture,” Zamora said, “then come back and make the relationships stronger here with international students.”
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot is on the upswing again, growing to more than $400 million on the Thanksgiving holiday.
The jackpot was an estimated $403 million Thursday after no winning numbers were selected in a Wednesday night drawing. The next drawing is scheduled Saturday night, and the jackpot could grow in the meantime.
The prize is on the brink of becoming one of the largest jackpots in U.S. history if it keeps rolling with no lucky winners. A record-setting $1.6 billion jackpot was reached in January.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million. The popular game is played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
With the holiday season comes and exciting time of shopping and time spent with family. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is lodged between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but is truly a day that stands on its own as one of the most important shopping days of the year.
Small Business Saturday is Nov. 26, the Saturday after Black Friday. “Shop small” has been a growing nationwide movement since 2010 as a chance to celebrate small businesses and help the communities those businesses reside in thrive.
On this day, Sara Bloom, executive director of Downtown Hays Development Corp., would like you to get up, get out and shop small.
Sara Bloom is the Downtown Hays Development Corporation Executive Director.
“When you shop local, your dollar means twice as much,” Bloom said. “Your dollar is paying for those who live in the community, it’s paying for the owners to shop at other small businesses, it’s keeping the sales tax dollars in town.”
Small Business Saturday focuses on bringing the money back to local businesses, which makes a big impact in the community.
“If you imagine our community without small businesses, it’s boring, it’s abandoned, it’s depressing. So we want to make sure that people are remembering to shop local, to shop small,” Bloom said.
While there are good deals on Black Friday, Bloom said, many shops in downtown Hays will wait until Saturday to launch their best deals.
Bloom said many merchants in downtown Hays say Friday is for the box stores, while their focus in on Small Business Saturday.
A look at the deals can be found at The Bricks in Downtown Hays Facebook.
Carol Ann (Mowry) Stephens passed away on Sunday, November 20, 2016 at her home in Hoxie, Kansas at the age of 81. She was born April 24, 1935 in rural Sheridan County, Kansas to the late Eugene and Pearl (Kreft) Mowry. Raised with four brothers and one sister, she attended Tasco Elementary School and graduated from Sheridan Community High School with the Class of 1952. She went on to attend one year of college. On January 24, 1956 she was united in marriage to Donald R. Stephens at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Seguin, Kansas. They were blessed with three children.
Carol was a loving housewife and mother. A life-long learner and student of “life,” she loved to read and study, especially history; she had the drive and curiosity to keep herself well educated. Always interested in traveling, she even became a certified travel agent. She also worked in Mrs. T’s and Mrs. D’s Dress Shops.
A hard worker, Carol found plenty to keep her busy, and of course knew how to find time to relax and enjoy life. From gardening and raising flowers to silk embroidery, she never had idle hands. No palooka, she was an avid bridge player. But the time she cherished most was when it was spent with family and friends, whether playing cards, visiting, or just relaxing together.
Carol is survived by her son Russell E. Stephens and wife Tyra of Merriam; daughters Kimberly A. Stephens of Roanoke, VA, and Suzann P. Demple and husband Paul of Sheridan, WY; brothers Richard Mowry and wife Donna of Morland, Robert Mowry of Brookline, MA and Ralph Mowry of Colby: sister Helen William and husband Don of Hoxie; 13 Grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents Eugene and Pearl Mowry, husband Donald Stephens, and brother Pat Mowry.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, November 28, 2016, at Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home in Hoxie. A private family inurnment will take place at a later date. Visitation will be from Noon -7:00pm on Sunday at the funeral home. The family will receive friends from 5:30 pm until 7:00 pm. Memorials are suggested to the Sheridan County Library and may be sent in care of Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, P.O. Box 987, Hoxie, KS 67740. Online condolences may be left at www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com
Immensely interesting and lovable, Carol had a wonderful sense of humor that allowed her to see the laughable in life’s everyday absurdities. Never one to be bitter or whiny, she taught all of us how to have a good laugh, get through tough periods, and remain optimistic no matter what. Her love, smile, and encouragement will continue in our hearts forever.
Lawrence Anthony Schippers, 85, a retired accountant, died Saturday, November 19, 2016. Rosary will be at 7:00 pm, Friday, November 25, 2016, at Downing & Lahey East Mortuary. Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 am, Saturday, November 26, 2016, at Church of the Magdalen Catholic Church.
Preceded in death by his Parents, John and Anna Schippers; Brothers, Herman Schippers, George Schippers, John Schippers, Art Schippers. Survived by his Wife, Joann Mary Schippers of Springfield, MO; Daughter, Lois (Dusty) Bobbett of Springfield, MO; Son, Dale (Caroline) Schippers of Olathe, KS; Brothers, Paul Schippers of Victoria, KS, Norman Schippers of The Woodlands, TX; Sisters, Sister Mary Ann Schippers of Fon du Lac, WI, Lucy Baier of Hays, KS, Estella Kuhn of Victoria, KS, Lillian Leiker of Hays, KS; Grandchildren, Grace Schippers, Stratton Schippers, and Bridget Schippers all of Olathe, KS, Emily Bobbett of Springfield, MO, Lacey Bobbett of Kansas City, MO; Sisters-In-Law, Armella Schippers of Olathe, KS, Marietta Schippers Lies of Wichita, KS, Lila Schippers of The Woodlands, TX; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial has been established with: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church Building Fund, 2200 W. Republic Rd, Springfield, MO 65810; and Good Shepherd Hospice, 3250 S. National Ave, Springfield, MO 65807.
Dora Ann Boyd, 85, of Denver, CO, died Sunday, November 20, 2016, in Denver. She was born June 6, 1931, in Thomas County, KS, to Roscoe and Pearl (Mansfield) Boyd. She attended school in Monument and Page City, KS and graduated from Page City High School. She then attended business school in Denver. Following her graduation from business school, she was employed by several different banks in Denver, where she made her home and was active member of Bethany Lutheran Church. She was a favorite auntie to her many nieces and nephews. She enjoyed reading, traveling, attending musical performances and visiting with family and friends. As the oldest daughter in the family, Dora Ann helped rear many of her younger siblings. Dora Ann was the one who kept records of all the family members and was faithful in sending birthday cards to her siblings, their spouses and the many nieces and nephews and on down the line.
She was preceded in death by her parents, 4 brothers, Francis, Thelbert, Maurice and Norman and a sister-in-law, Doris.
She is survived by her brother James (Terri); 4 sisters, Lenora (Bob) Mullen, Norma (George) Sturgeon, Agnes (Bob) Meier and Mary Boyd; sisters-in-law, Helen, Marion and Velma and many nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will take place at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 26, 2016 at Baalmann Mortuary, Oakley, with burial to follow in the Monument Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E. Hampden Ave, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113 or to the Immanuel Lutheran Church, 206 E 7th St, Oakley, KS 67748. For condolences or information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A judge has ruled that Dylann Roof is competent to stand trial for the killing of nine black worshippers at a South Carolina church.
Judge Richard Gergel made the ruling Friday after a two-day hearing behind closed doors earlier this week. The hearing was needed after Roof’s attorneys questioned earlier this month whether he could help them on the eve of jury selection in his death penalty trial.
Gergel says jury selection will begin Monday.
Gergel sealed his reasons for finding Roof competent, saying that information could keep him from having a fair trial.
The 22-year-old white man is charged in federal court with hate crime, obstruction of religion and other counts for the deadly June 2015 attack at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.
Doe celebrates after a sack and forced fumble vs. Washburn University this season. (Photo by Everett Royer.)
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Fort Hays State University football fans might have wondered the past two seasons why the Tigers’ star defensive end was wearing the No. 8 jersey, a number more often worn by quarterbacks and players in skill positions.
That number must be special to him for some reason, fans concluded.
Even for those not familiar with how uniform numbers are assigned, it didn’t take long to realize that No. 8 — Sie Doe Jr., whose last name means “blessed” in his culture — was blessed with some special athletic talent.
Public address announcer Ken Windholz dragged out the name “See-ee-ee-ee Doe-oe-oe-oe” a lot during the 2015 and ’16 seasons.
Doe used his cat-quick moves to record 146 tackles, including a school record-tying 21.5 quarterback sacks, during his two-year FHSU career. He set the single-season school sacks record with 15 this fall en route to being chosen MIAA Defensive Player of the Year.
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The 6-foot, 1-inch, 230-pound Doe will try to help the Tigers accomplish something special when they take on Eastern New Mexico University in the Heart of Texas Bowl in Copperas Cove, Texas, on Dec. 3.
This marks the first time in FHSU football history that the Tigers (7-4) have advanced to postseason action in consecutive seasons. A win over Eastern New Mexico would be the first postseason win ever for the Tiger program.
Doe has one more time to don that No. 8 FHSU jersey, and he plans to make the most of it.
“This is another opportunity to take a step forward for our program,” he said. “I tell other players you need to leave this program better than what you found it.”
That’s the kind of leadership that Ike Equae, FHSU’s defensive line coach, has come to expect from Doe.
“He’s a team guy; he really wants everybody around him to be the best they possibly can,” Equae said. “He’s that kind of leader; he wants others to watch him perform and follow behind him.”
Equae wasn’t just talking about football, and neither is Doe when he calls himself “relentless.”
Doe revealed the reason for wearing the No. 8 jersey. Born on the Ivory Coast in May 1993, Doe escaped a civil war in West Africa with his mom and his younger sister, Kadija, when he was 12 years old. They landed in Buffalo, N.Y., then moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where his sister died at the age of 8 from an illness when Doe was in high school.
“My sister and I were really close, and I’ve worn No. 8 ever since she passed away,” Doe said.
Equae started recruiting Doe out of Butte College, a two-year community college in California, in the spring of 2015.
Doe had established himself as one of the best defensive ends in the country at the community college level, leading Butte to an undefeated season and national championship his freshman year, then earning multiple postseason honors as a sophomore. But Doe’s first question to Equae had nothing to do with performance or his chances of playing immediately at FHSU.
“I asked him if number 8 was available,” Doe said. “I explained to Coach Ike that if I couldn’t get that number, I wouldn’t come here.”
Lucky for Fort Hays State, standout defensive back Nathan Lindsey, who wore No. 8 for the two seasons prior to that, had moved on to the NFL.
The NFL is where Doe has aspirations to be someday, and Equae won’t bet against him.
“He is probably one of a handful of players who absolutely wants to be the best he can possibly be, in every facet of the game,” Equae said. “He is the one player up here in the office the most watching film. He wants to evaluate not only himself, but the people he is playing against, too.”
Equae witnessed that persistence in Doe’s first year at FHSU.
“After about the fourth or fifth game, people were double- and triple-teaming him and chip blocking,” Equae said. “But he did not let that stop him. He has a motor that will not stop.”
Then at the end of the 2015 season, Equae, who had just completed his second year of coaching at FHSU, learned that Doe had earned honorable mention honors in the MIAA, one of the top NCAA Division II conferences in the nation.
Doe appreciated the recognition, but he wanted more.
“He came into my office and was very upset about getting (honorable mention),” Equae said. “He wanted to know what to do to become one of the best in the conference. So we made goals, and he never wavered from that.”
Doe returned to California last summer to put in extra work.
“I’d wake up at 4 a.m. and go run, go lift then go to the field three times a day and work on my technique,” Doe said. “I’ve watched (NFL players) to see the things they do to be successful. It’s not just about talent. It’s about the work you put in during the offseason.”
When he returned to Hays for his senior campaign, “you could tell he was definitely on another level,” Equae said.
Indeed.
In addition to his 15 quarterback sacks, Doe had 18.5 tackles for loss this season and five forced fumbles, which ties him for first in the nation in NCAA D-II. He reached his goal of being named to the first team in the MIAA — and was named the top defensive player of the year to boot.
Doe said he always knew growing up he wanted to play professionally, but it was a different kind of football.
“I had played soccer my whole life, and I wanted to play professional soccer like my cousin,” he said of Darlington Nagbe, a midfielder for the U.S. men’s national soccer team who also plays for the Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.
“But I transferred high schools my sophomore year, and the football coach said he wanted me to try football,” Doe continued. “He told me in the U.S., football is the thing, that I could get scholarships to get my college education paid for, so I thought, ‘OK, I’ll try football.’ So I grew into a football body.”
Doe took his soccer skills with him onto the football field.
“It’s all about your feet and quickness in soccer,” he said. “So that definitely helps me, having played soccer for so long.”
Doe said his work ethic comes from his mother.
“Her struggles, what I’ve seen her go through and still be relentless,” he said, “that’s my No. 1 focus and the thing that inspires me.”
But Doe also credits Eguae, who he calls a father figure, and Fort Hays State for a big part of his success. He is on track to graduate in December with a degree in organizational leadership.
“I have learned so much at Fort Hays State, mainly to put others first and deal with situations and hang in there no matter what,” he said. “Nothing I did this year was because of me. It was because of God, my mother, Coach Ike and my teammates. Had I gone anywhere else, I wouldn’t have been the player I am now. I wouldn’t have been the person I am now.”
Doe hopes for one final Tiger victory on Dec. 3 before pursuing his dream of playing in the NFL. Information about the bowl game, including ticket prices, can be found at www.fhsuathletics.com.
“We all have to do our job,” Doe said. “Every single one of us has to go out there and be a Tiger — and scratch and scratch and scratch.”
VAIL, Colo. (AP) — More Colorado ski resorts are open for the season.
HUTCHINSON (AP) — A Finney County businessman and farmer and the city of Garden City have been honored by the state for their work to extend the Ogallala Aquifer.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A judge has ruled that Dylann Roof is competent to stand trial for the killing of nine black worshippers at a South Carolina church.
