2016 – Page 978 – Hays Post Archive

Counties want Kansas to pay for sexual predator legal fees

Posted on January 5, 2016

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two counties are asking the state to reimburse them for legal expenses caused by sexually violent predators.

The fees stem from cases where the individuals challenge their confinement to the state’s Sexual Predator Treatment Program at Larned State Hospital.

Counties where the patients’ case originated must pay the legal costs. But in the past, the Attorney General’s office reimbursed the counties through a state fund. However, lawmakers didn’t appropriate any money for the fund during the current fiscal year.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports representatives from McPherson and Butler counties asked a legislative committee on Monday to reimburse their costs.

The committee can only recommend to the full Legislature whether to appropriate the funds to the counties.

KHP: 1 dead, 1 hospitalized after driver runs stop sign

Posted on January 5, 2016January 5, 2016

GEARY COUNTY- A woman from Milford died in an accident just before 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Chevy Impala driven by Gina M. Wertz, 31, Milford, was eastbound on 12th Street just east of Milford.

The driver failed to yield right of way at stop sign at U.S. 77.

A 2003 Toyota Tacoma driven by Cory I. Pettit, 39, Clay Center, that was southbound on U.S. 77, hit the Impala on the driver’s side.

Wertz was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics.

Pettit was transported to the Geary County Hospital.

Wertz was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
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GEARY COUNTY- The Critical Highway Accident Response Team from the Kansas Highway Patrol is responding to a fatal, two-vehicle crash on U.S. 77 near the Milford turnoff.

One person died in the accident just after 7a.m. on Tuesday and another was transported to Geary County Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges.

“We’re diverting traffic through Milford due to a fatality accident at the intersection,” said Berges.

Drivers using U.S. 77 are being diverted through the City of Milford, and then back either north or south.

Check Hays Post for additional details as they become available.

Estella H. ‘Cobbie’ Rogg

Posted on January 5, 2016

Estella H. “Cobbie” Rogg, 98, of Great Bend, Kansas, and former Russel resident died on Monday, January 04, 2016, at the Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center in Great Bend, Kansas.

Services are pending at this time. Please check back later for a full obituary and full funeral service details. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Attorney General wants data on Colorado marijuana in Kansas

Posted on January 5, 2016

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is gathering data from local law enforcement agencies in an effort to measure the impact of Colorado-purchased marijuana on the state.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Schmidt has sent more than 500 survey forms requesting information to county and district attorneys, as well as police departments. He said he would make the survey results public when they are compiled later this year.

According to Schmidt, there are numerous accounts of marijuana being illegally brought into the state from Colorado. He says his goal is to get a clear picture of what’s happening in the state so “policymakers can make informed decisions.”

Kansas law still prohibits the possession or distribution of marijuana.

Wife of councilman applies for diversion in Kan. child abuse case

Posted on January 5, 2016

Jonathan and Allison Schumm- photo Shawnee Co. Jail

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The wife of a Topeka councilman is seeking to enter into a diversion agreement on charges that she aided her husband in a child abuse case.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 32-year-old Allison Schumm and her husband, 34-year-old Jonathan Schumm, face charges in Shawnee County District Court. She applied this week for diversion, which would keep a conviction off her record.

Defense attorney Carol J. Cline declined to comment.

The Schumms have 17 children, including one born in December, and four other biological children. The couple also has two children who are in foster care and 10 who are adopted.

Court records show that Jonathan Schumm is accused of choking a child and threatening to “kill him” the next time. Efforts are underway to remove him from office.

Obama: Not trying to take away guns

Posted on January 5, 2016

Pres. Obama during Tuesday's White House ceremony — Pres. Obama during Tuesday’s White House ceremony

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says that contrary to the claims of some GOP presidential candidates, he’s not plotting to take away everyone’s guns.

Speaking in the East Room at the White House, Obama defended his executive actions to tighten criminal background checks. The president said his actions are consistent with the constitutional right to right to bear arms.

Obama says some constraints on freedom are necessary to protect innocent people.

Julie J. Elliott

Posted on January 5, 2016

Phillipsburg resident Julie J. Elliott passed away Sunday, Jan. 3 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE at the age of 62. She was born Feb. 26, 1953 in Phillipsburg, KS, the daughter of Arnold & Bonnie (Smith) Vogel. She was a receptionist at the Phillips County Medical Clinic.

Survivors include her husband Denny of the home; her mother, Bonnie Vogel of Phillipsburg; 2 brothers, Vance Vogel & Kirk Vogel both of Phillipsburg; 4 sisters: Iris Stones & Lorna Green both of Phillipsburg, Janice Jordan of Holdrege, NE & Vicki Green of Stockton & her mother-in-law, Delores Elliott of Kirwin.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Jan 7 at 10:30 a.m. in the Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Stuttgart, with Pastors Lee Bennight & Lorna Paulus officiating.

Burial will follow in the Emmanuel Lutheran Cemetery.

Memorials have been established to the Phillips County EMS or to Emmanuel Lutheran/Kirwin United Methodist Churchs.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 9:00 Tuesday & 9:00 to 9:00 Wednesday at the funeral home.

Online condolences: www.olliffboeve.com.

Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Vernon Lee Evel

Posted on January 5, 2016

Vernon Lee Evel, age 80, passed away at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, Kansas on January 2, 2016.

He was born on April 2, 1935 in Garden City, Kansas, the son of Bryan and Esther (Kruse) Evel.

He was a cattle and grain farmer in Utica for all of his life.

On August 31, 1958 he married Luzella Smith. She survives.

He is also survived by his son, Jim Evel, Utica, KS; daughters Lorene (Larry) Koch, Douglas, KS, Patricia (Arnie) Hess, Ransom, KS; brothers, Eddie (Ann) Evel, Monument, CO, Gary (Judy) Evel, Utica, KS; sister, Della (Joe) Herrman, Utica, KS; grandchildren, Aaron Koch, Derek Koch, Dustin (Stepfaine) Koch, Arrow Hess, Tiffany (Jay) Freese, Jessica Gould; ten great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and son, Robert Evel.

Viewing will be Wednesday, January 6, 9:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City, and Thursday, January 7, 9:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. with the family present from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. on Thursday.

Funeral service will be Friday, January 8, 2016, 2:00 P.M. at the Utica Methodist Church, Utica, KS.

Burial in Utica Cemetery, Utica, KS.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Childhood Leukemia Foundation, or the American Cancer Society.

Longtime director reflects on the ‘lifeline’ that is Big Brothers Big Sisters

Posted on January 5, 2016January 5, 2016

By COOPER SLOUGH
Hays Post

The Ellis County chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters soon will be under new leadership after longtime director Nancy Jeter announced her retirement last month during the nonprofit’s annual telethon.

BBBS is entering its 16th year in Ellis County, and Jeter said it’s fascinating to see some of their original “Littles” again now that they’ve grown up.

“A lot of them have gone on to get married and become parents themselves,” Jeter said, “and I’m so proud of them because they’re wonderful parents. The things they learned from their Big Brother or Big Sister, just having that role model, helped them to become the parents they are today. It’s extremely rewarding.”

Jeter served on the original board of directors in 1999 and has since held several positions within BBBS before becoming executive director of Ellis, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Sheridan and Trego counties.

“I think sometimes people are surprised to learn that there’s such a need for the program in the community,” she explained. “Rural communities are not immune to the problems that plague cities. We have the same problems.”

Since its inception, the Ellis County chapter of BBBS has helped over 1,600 at-risk youth, and Jeter said although she is officially retiring, she won’t be leaving the office any time soon.

“You know, it’s been a great ride,” she said. “I have loved this job, and because of that,I plan to continue volunteering in the office. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and I want to be a part of it.”

For more information about the Ellis County BBBS, visit their website or call (785) 625-6672.

Ellis County Commission approves purchase of countywide alert system

Posted on January 5, 2016January 5, 2016

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

In an effort to keep the public informed during emergencies, Ellis County soon will begin implementing a mass notification system.

At Monday’s county commission meeting, the commission approved the purchase of a system that will alert residents of severe weather, armed suspect/hostage/law enforcement situations or any other potentially dangerous situation in the county — via text, email, phone call or social media.

Emergency Management Director Bill Ring told the commission that the software — Civic Ready — will allow the county to spread the message in a variety of ways.

“We’ve all been involved in something where we wanted to get the word out,” Ring said. “There is no one vehicle that reaches everyone.” He added “you need to hit six of seven vehicles to pass that message on.”

Ring used the incident last week in which an armed suspect was on the loose in the northwest part of Hays as an example of a need for the new alert system. During the incident, law enforcement officials asked citizens in a portion of the city of lock their doors and report any suspicious activity.

In previous years, according to Ring it would have been much easier to contact those people living in the area. He said dispatch could look up and call landline phone numbers. But, because more and more people are moving toward cellphones, it is more difficult to contact people.

The system is a sister company to the company to runs the county’s website and can be updated by county employees who are given access.

To implement the system in the first year, it will cost the county $7,540, then $6,440 annually.

Ring added this is another way, in the event of severe weather, to reach areas not covered by tornado sirens.

“This is a much more efficient way in which to let our citizens know what is going on,” Commissioner Barb Wasinger said. “We have to move forward into the 21st century.”

Once the system is in place, people can sign up for the alerts through the county website free of charge.

In other action:

• The commission approved an update to the 2015 resolution setting 2016 salaries for elected employees.

• The commission also approved a resolution setting 2016 salaries for non-elected union ineligible employees. Employees will get a 1-percent raise.

• Approved the purchase of 13 sets of bunker gear for the rural fire department for $18,980.

• City Commissioner Henry Schwaller was present to discuss the Blue Sky Acres housing development south of Hays. The development is within the three-mile radius of Hays and under the city’s jurisdiction but Schwaller said he wanted to get the county’s input.

• Commissioner Dean Haselhorst attended a recent planning commission meeting and said he believes the county has nothing to lose and everything to gain, in terms of property taxes if the development goes forward. Both Commission Chair Marcy McClelland and Wasinger echoed Haselhorst’s support. The city planning commission has twice voted against allowing the development to move forward.

• Haselhorst also expressed his frustration with city officials for not coming to the county commission to ask their opinion on the development.

• The commission also conducted two separate executive sessions to discuss non-elected personnel issues. No action was taken following either meeting.

HPD Activity Log Dec. 31-Jan. 3

Posted on January 5, 2016January 5, 2016

The Hays Police Department responded to 4 animal calls and 13 traffic stops Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Disturbance – Noise–1300 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 2:45 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–200 block W 35th St, Hays; 10:27 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–1000 block Elm St, Hays; 12 AM; 10 AM
Theft (general)–200 block W 7th St, Hays; 12/10 12 PM; 12/20 12 PM
Civil Dispute–2000 block Canal Blvd, Hays–3:01 PM
Animal Cruelty/Neglect–200 block W 6th St, Hays; 3:53 PM
Assist – Other (not MV)–1000 block Fort St, Hays; 4:35 PM
Shoplifting–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 4:48 PM
Disturbance – General–1900 block Holmes Rd, Hays; 10:07 PM
Disturbance – General–1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 10:27 PM
Underage Possession of CMB/LIQ–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 11:28 PM
Drug Offenses–4000 block Gen Hays Rd, Hays; 11:42 PM
Unlawful Use of Weapon–1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 11:48 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 1 animal call and 36 traffic stops Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, according to the HPD Activity Log.

MV Accident-Private Property–1200 block Vine St, Hays; 12:19 AM; 12:19 AM
Drug Offenses–400 block W 11th St, Hays; 12:49 AM
Drug Offenses–700 block Ash St, Hays; 1:06 AM
Theft (general)–1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 12/31 10 PM
Drug Offenses–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 1:49 AM
Disorderly Conduct–700 block Fort St, Hays; 2:01 AM
Intoxicated Subject–200 block W 10th St, Hays; 2:27 AM
Driving Under the Influence–300 block W 6th St, Hays; 6:42 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–100 block W 14th St, Hays; 12/31 9 PM; 1/1 12:20 PM
Abandoned Vehicle–700 block Milner St, Hays; 2:24 PM
Civil Dispute–300 block E 17th St, Hays–4:05 PM
Suspicious Activity–800 block Ash St, Hays; 4:34 PM
Disturbance – Noise–3300 block Lincoln Dr, Hays; 4:55 PM
Theft (general)–300 block Mopar Dr, Hays; 5:53 PM
Found/Lost Property–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 6:02 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–1800 block Vine St, Hays; 6:17 PM
Found/Lost Property–1100 block E 27th St, Hays; 6:25 PM
Criminal Damage to Property–100 block W 7th St, Hays; 1 AM; 6:27 PM
Suspicious Activity–2900 block Cottonwood Ln, Hays; 6:38 PM
Found/Lost Property–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 6:58 PM
Theft of Vehicle–400 block W 6th St, Hays; 9:37 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–3000 block New Way, Hays; 10:05 PM
Suspicious Activity–3300 block Vine St, Hays; 10:11 PM
Domestic Disturbance–100 block E 17th St, Hays; 11:08 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 2 animal calls and 34 traffic stops Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–100 block W 7th St, Hays; 12:24 AM
Underage Possession of CMB/LIQ–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 12:41 AM
Drug Offenses–400 block W 8th St, Hays; 3:03 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–200 block W 4th St, Hays; 12:02 PM
Disturbance – General–200 block E 5th St, Hays; 10 PM; 11 PM
Burglary/vehicle–300 block W 15th St, Hays; 1:58 PM
Juvenile Complaint–3800 block Vine St, Hays; 3:46 PM
Suspicious Activity–2900 block Vine St, Hays; 5:42 PM
Welfare Check–100 block E 7th St, Hays; 6:05 PM
Custody Dispute–400 block W 11th St, Hays; 8:32 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 3 animal calls and 19 traffic stops Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, according to the HPD Activity Log.

DUI – Driving Under the Influence–700 block Oak St, Hays; 12:59 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–2500 block Marjorie Dr, Hays; 2:26 AM
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay–1700 block Vine St, Hays; 9:21 AM
Driving While Suspended/Revoked–1700 block Vine St, Hays; 11:55 AM
Animal At Large–1400 block Oak St, Hays; 12:45 PM
MV Accident-Private Property–1900 block Vine St, Hays; 2:25 PM
Dangerous Animal–1000 block E 15th St, Hays; 4:01 PM
Driving While Suspended/Revoked–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 4:10 PM
Drug Offenses–3100 block Hall St, Hays; 4:44 PM
Theft of Services–1300 block Vine St, Hays; 5:18 PM
Suicidal Subject–3400 block Country Ln, Hays; 6:23 PM
Drug Offenses–300 block W 6th St, Hays; 6:50 PM
Welfare Check–2700 block Colonial St, Hays; 7:22 PM

Kansas man arrested for alleged attack on a woman

Posted on January 5, 2016

SALINA- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a suspect for an alleged weekend attack on a woman.

Anthony J. Ray, 43, Salina, was arrested on a requested charge of aggravated battery after he allegedly hit and kicked a 41-year-old woman over a two-day period at a mobile home in the 900 Block of North 13th Street in Salina.

The woman called police on Sunday. She was taken by private vehicle to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of her injuries including two black eyes, bruises, and possible broken ribs, according to police.

USDA: Beef recall due to possible contamination

Posted on January 5, 2016

WASHINGTON- Huisken Meat Company, a Sauk Rapids, Minn. establishment, is recalling approximately 89,568 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous wood materials, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in a media release on Tuesday.

The Sam’s Choice Black Angus Vidalia Onion items were produced on various dates between Nov. 19, 2015, and Dec. 9, 2015. The following products are subject to recall: [View Label (PDF Only)]

2-lb. boxes containing 6 pieces of “Sam’s Choice Black Angus Beef Patties with 19% Vidalia ® Onion.” with Use By dates 05/17/2016; 05/29/2016; and 06/06/2016.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 394A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The foreign material originated with an incoming ingredient and was discovered during production.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.