The Green Zone Initiative at Fort Hays State University will host a “Veterans on Campus for Faculty and Staff” Kognito training session “Veterans on Campus for Faculty and Staff,” and lunch seminar from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, March 6, in the Memorial Union’s Smoky Hill room.
The Green Zone Initiative is a product of the Kelly Center, the Department of Leadership Studies, the Office of Military Student Success and the Virtual College. The Initiative, which pairs uses the digital simulation training platform Kognito with an informational session and situational training, aims to inform faculty and staff of student veteran needs and available university and community resources.
Upon completing training, members will be awarded a Green Zone placard to be placed in their office space, indicating that it is a military friendly area.
Kathryn Erk, coordinator of student accessibility services, and Deanna Rupp, medical social worker from the Veterans Administration, will give a brief presentation at the luncheon. Seth Kastle, faculty member in the Department of Leadership Studies instructor of leadership studies will conduct the situational training.
Faculty and staff attending the event must enroll online at https://kognitocampus.com/login using the login key fhsu785. Members who have already completed the training are encouraged to come to the luncheon with their printable certificate. Certificates can be accessed and printed off through users’ Kognito profiles.
TOPEKA – A new era of football has taken the first step at Topeka West High School with the hiring of a new football coach.
Ryan has most recently been a football coach at Benedictine College, where he served as an assistant coach from 2013-16. Kelly has also served as a graduate assistant/assistant football coach at Fort Hays State University.
Coaching accomplishments include:
· 2013-2016: 4 Consecutive seasons coaching in Top 25 NAIA program
· 2013-2016: 31-14 record, HAAC Conference Title
· 2016: Ejay Johnson 1st Team All-Conference RB; Tyler Henness 2nd Team All-Conference RB
· 2015: Tyler Henness 2nd Team All-Conference RB
· 2014: Tyler Henness 1st Team All-Conference RB
· 2013: Cameron Fore 1st Team All-American, 1st Team All-Conference RB, Heart of America Player of the Year
· 2013: Benedictine College offensively 4th in country in scoring
· 2012: 8 different starting RB’s due to injury – 7 of 8 rushed for 1+ 100 yard games
· 2011: Kedron Paul All-MIAA DB
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts – Physical Education, Minor – Business Administration from Benedictine College, and a Masters of Science – Health and Human Performance, Emphasis – Sports Administration from Fort Hays State University.
Plane involved in Thursday crash -photo Courtesy Shawn Anderson
ROXBURY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot went missing for several hours after a small propeller plane crash-landed in a central Kansas field.
Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner says the plane went down around 3:30 p.m. Thursday in a rural area near the small town of Roxbury. The Federal Aviation Administration says wind caught the Maule M-5 and that the left wing struck the ground during the landing.
Gardner says troopers tried reaching out to hospitals in the area in an effort to locate the pilot but were unsuccessful. Gardner says the patrol didn’t hear from the pilot until he called dispatchers about six hours later.
Gardner says the pilot’s plane was disabled and that it’s unclear how he left the scene. Gardner says investigators are trying to determine what happened.
The monthly Hays Community Acoustic Jam session will be held Saturday, March 4th, from 2:00-4:00 p.m at the Hays Arts Center Annex, 1010 Main in Downtown Hays. The sessions are held on the first Saturday of each month.
The local acoustic jam is a fun place for people of all skill levels to play acoustical instruments (guitars, banjos, fiddles, harmonicas, bass guitars, etc.) and to invite friends to enjoy music, whether you’re playing, singing, or listening.
All are welcome to listen or participate as little or much as you’d like!
LAWRENCE — Two KU juniors are finalists for Harry S. Truman Scholarships, which provide up to $30,000 for graduate study, according to a media release from the University of Kansas.
The awards are given to college juniors for leadership in public service. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation reviewed more than 750 files from 315 institutions before selecting its finalists.
From that pool, the foundation chose 199 finalists from 136 institutions. Those students will now compete for about 60 awards.
KU’s finalists:
Taylor Zabel of Smith Center is majoring in biochemistry. He graduated from Smith Center Junior-Senior High School. He is the son of John and Laura Zabel. At KU, Zabel has been involved in the University Honors Program, Student Senate, is on the advisory board of KU’s Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) and was active in the Provost’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group. He has held national internships with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and with the National Institutes of Health
The other finalist is Tomas Green of Lynnwood, Washington. He is majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in public policy.
The foundation will interview finalists in March and April before announcing the 2017 Class of Truman Scholars in late April.
The awards are selected on the criteria including an extensive record of campus and community service, commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit and advocacy sectors, communication skills and a high probability of becoming a “change agent,” and a strong academic record with likely acceptance to the graduate school of the candidate’s choice. The campus nomination process is coordinated through the Office of Fellowships & Scholarships, which is housed in the University Honors Program and open to all KU undergraduates.
Scholars receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.
Since 1981, 18 KU students have become Truman scholars. Ashlie Koehn was the last KU student to receive the honor in 2015.
The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the federal memorial to President Harry S. Truman.
TOPEKA–The Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission announces the state finals for Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. The competition, presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. On Saturday, March 4, six Kansas high school students will participate in the Poetry Out Loud state finals.
“Poetry Out Loud encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. Reciting great poetry connects us to an ageless art form, to the timelessness of great poets, to abstract ideas and higher critical thinking, and, ultimately, to deeper life experiences,” said KCAIC Director Peter Jasso. “KCAIC is proud to be able to provide this opportunity to students in our state and support the talent inherent in our youth on a national stage.”
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to a school-wide competition, regional finals, then to the state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, D.C. More than 315,000 students from 2,300 high schools took part in the 2015 – 2016 Poetry Out Loud program.
The Kansas Poetry Out Loud finals will take place on Saturday, March 4 at 4 p.m. at the Salina Community Theatre, 303 E Iron Ave. in Salina. The students competing are Sarah Katsiyiannis, senior at Tipton Catholic High School and 2016 Kansas Poetry Out Loud Champion, Sara Haggard from Perry-Lecompton High School, Audrey Puckett representing Colby High School, Kye Weekley of Ft. Scott, Wichita East High school student Mallory Northcutt and Bella L’Heureux of Blue Valley High School. The event is free and open to the public.
At the Kansas state finals, contestants will recite works they selected from an anthology of more than 900 classic and contemporary poems. Students participating in the Poetry Out Loud program have benefited from educational materials created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
“Poetry is meant to be heard, to convey the emotion and tell the stories; it’s crucial,” said Kansas Poetry Out Loud State Coordinator Deb Kohn. “After participating in POL, students say they have a new appreciation for the art form and love it.”
Poetry Out Loud Awards
The winner of the Poetry Out Loud Kansas finals will receive $200, and the winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. The state champion of the Poetry Out Loud Kansas final will receive an all-expenses-paid trip (with an adult chaperone) to compete in the National Finals in Washington, D.C., on April 25 and 26. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals will present a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends, with a $20,000 award for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
On Wednesday morning, Bobby J. Tallent, pictured above on the far left, entered into plea negotiations, with an agreement reached and announced as court reconvened at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Tallent pleaded guilty to reduced charges of one count of murder in the second degree, two counts of attempted murder in the second degree, burglary, theft, and felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. Seated next to Mr. Tallent is his attorney, Jess W. Hoeme, while Lee Davidson, Assistant Attorney General is pictured in the background.
As testimony continued this week in the matter of the State of Kansas versus Bobby J. Tallent, the State prepared on Wednesday morning to call its next witness when a plea negotiation concluded the trial without jury deliberation. Mr. Tallent, the Norton man accused of shooting and killing Joseph A. Sweet, on March 6, 2015, pleaded guilty on Wednesday afternoon in the Graham County Courtroom to reduced charges of one count of murder in the second degree, two counts of attempted murder in the second degree, burglary, theft, and felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.
Testimony on Monday and Tuesday included that of several Kansas Highway Patrol troopers who were involved in the 108 mph high-speed chase, which ended with Mr. Tallent being apprehended and taken into custody in Oberlin. Tuesday afternoon’s testimony concluded with testimony from one Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent who was present during the autopsy of Mr. Sweet, as well as additional testimony from agents who were responsible for photographing and analyzing the crime scenes.
As the State prepared to call its next witness on Wednesday morning, Mr. Tallent entered into plea negotiations, with an agreement reached and announced as court reconvened at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. Tallent has pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree, a severity level 1 person felony with a sentencing range of 12 years and three months and 54 years and five months imprisonment, depending on criminal history, and a maximum fine of $300,000. In pleading guilty to two counts of attempted murder in the second degree, severity level 3 person felonies, Mr. Tallent’s sentencing range will be between four years and six months and 20 years and seven months imprisonment on each count, in addition to a maximum fine of $600,000.
In pleading guilty to one count of burglary, a severity level 7 person felony, Mr. Tallent’s sentencing range will be between 11 months and two years and 10 months imprisonment. The maximum fine for this count is $100,000. For pleading guilty to theft, a severity level 7 non-person felony, the sentencing range is between 11 months and two years and 10 months imprisonment, with a maximum fine of $100,000. A severity level 9 person felony, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer has a sentencing range of five to 17 months, in addition to a maximum fine of $100,000.
In his plea agreement, Mr. Tallent acknowledged no reason why his mental competence should be questioned, and understood from discussions with his attorney that by entering a plea of guilty he would be giving up rights that he would have during a trial, including the right to be presumed guilty. He also acknowledged that the sentencing judge is not bound to follow the plea agreement, and may impose any lawful sentence.
After acknowledging his rights and the terms of his plea agreement, the 12-member petit jury was released from their duties as the trial concluded.
Mr. Tallent will be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. on May 1, 2017 in the Norton County District Court.
Republished with permission. Originally published in the Norton Telegram.
Eugene George K. Schoeppel, age 90, died March 1, 2017 at the Trego County Lempke Memorial Hospital. He was born on October 15, 1926 in Ransom the son of Peter Frank and Magdalene Lauber Kreutzer. His parents died while he was young and he was raised, and later adopted in September 1952 by John Raymond and Dr. Ida Haug Schoeppel.
Gene was a farmer and stockman, a member of the St. Aloysius Church in Ransom and a member of the Brownell American Legion. He was a veteran of the US Air Force having served during the Korean War.
On October 8, 1955, he married Clara Mae Tobias in El Reno, Oklahoma. She survives.
Other survivors include his daughter, Annie McDaniel and his grandson, Nathan McDaniel, both of Ransom. He was preceded in death by six brothers, Alexander, Simon Peter, Rubert, Theodore, Leonard Joseph, and Victor William and four sisters, Beata Magdolene, Theresia Louise, Mary, and Rose Marie.
Gene’s funeral service will be on Monday, March 6, 2017, 2:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City with burial in the Ransom Cemetery.
Viewing will be on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on Monday prior to the service at the funeral home.
Memorial contribution may be given to the Trego County Lempke Memorial Hospital and the Trego County Historical Society.
Seven guest lecturers will highlight the two-day “Matters of Creativity” arts symposium sponsored by Fort Hays State University’s Creative Art Society on Mon., March 6 and Tue., March 7.
The symposium, open to the public, is aimed at educating the audience on the importance and impact of the arts outside of colleges and universities and traditional galleries. The symposium will include public lectures led by professionals in the fine arts.
“In addition to creativity,” said Joel Dugan, faculty sponsor for the Creative Art Society, “the goal of this event is to demonstrate what studio artists can offer when working in collaboration with other professions.”
“In an era of fast-changing careers, currency and technology,” he said, “the cross-cultivation of the fine arts in society can be beneficial in establishing an exchange of ideas and innovation.”
The symposium is a come-and-go event. The visiting lecturers will discuss public arts, grant writing, art therapy, creative writing and poetry. The symposium will conclude with a collaborative art event focusing on identity and the human experience.
Dugan, an assistant professor of art at Fort Hays State, and board members of the society will open the symposium at 9 a.m. Monday, March 6, in the Memorial Union’s Sunflower Room.
From 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Monday, artists Megan Sterling and Matt Bodett will talk about “Shared Awareness.” From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Brenda Meder, Julie Britton and Sterling will conduct a panel discussion on creative entrepreneurships and funding.
“Sounding Out,” a writing workshop, will be conducted by Gary Dop and Bodett from 1 to 3 p.m.
Beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Hays Public Library, Dop will conduct a book reading and poetry lecture.
The morning schedule for Tuesday, March 7, gives two options:
• 9 to 10:30 a.m.:
“Art Therapy and Community,” Dave Barnes and Bodett, in the union’s Black and Gold Room.
Panel discussion, “Technology and Art,” in the union’s Pioneer Room.
• 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:
“The Hereditary Estate,” Daniel Coburn, in the Black and Gold Room.
“Grants and Financial Backing,” Britton and Meder, in the Pioneer Room.
Tuesday’s afternoon program is all in the Black and Gold Room. From 1:30 to 3 p.m., Barnes will discuss “Public Arts and Sight Specific Venues.” The “Collaborative Workshop for Shared Awareness” will be from 3 to 5 p.m.
The Janousek Funeral Home of La Crosse, Kansas, has announced Graveside Services for Dorothy M. Holopirek, 92, La Crosse, Kansas, will be 11 a.m. Saturday, March 4, 2017, at the Holy Cross Cemetery, Timken, Kansas.
Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, Timken, Kansas.
GREENSBURG — Michael Wilson remembers the limited space his staff at Reggie’s Pizza had to work in at the restaurant’s old location on Main Street.
“We were in a small kitchen,” Wilson, owner of Reggie’s Pizza, said. “There wasn’t a lot of room. Looking back I don’t know how we did it sometimes.”
After nearly two months of being closed while preparing the restaurant’s new location at 321 W. Kansas, Reggie’s Pizza reopened last Saturday.
The new Reggie’s Pizza seats the same number of customers the old one did – 44. But now there are 11 parking spaces outside – one space for every four customers. Wilson had 1,500 square feet in the old building. The new building is 3,200 square feet and the kitchen space is triple what it was in the old location. Wilson bought bigger stoves on eBay, enabling staff to make more pizzas at one time and increasing productivity. The stoves were formerly used by Domino’s Pizza.
Wilson has held a variety of jobs since earning his business degree from Fort Hays State University. He was an admissions counselor at his alma mater, he worked in construction, broadcasting, he helped a friend start a jewelry store, but he had never started a business of his own until opening his pizza place in December of 2014.
In high school, Wilson had been in a play where he portrayed a character named Reggie. He took the name with him when he opened Reggie’s Pizza.
As a kid growing up on a farm near Macksville, Wilson would come with his parents to the old Pizza Hut in Greensburg. After being destroyed in the 2007 tornado, the franchise never reopened there. For years, the town went without a pizza place. Wilson saw an opportunity.
“I was surprised nobody had done it,” he said. “There was a vacancy.”
Wilson thought the business would sell 10, maybe 20 pizzas a day. But the day Reggie’s Pizza opened in its original location, there was a line going out the front door.
“People just supported us so much,” Wilson said. “We couldn’t do this without them. We outgrew our space.”
One day in March of 2016, Wilson drove by and noticed the old Adams Electric was closing. People were taking down signs, and Wilson stopped to inquire about buying the building. He closed on the sale on April 1, 2016.
Wilson credits Greensburg City Administrator Kyler Ludwig and City Clerk Christy Pyatt with helping him bring the new location into compliance with city codes. The Greensburg Planning Commission approved his plan.
The structure “was a blank canvas,” Wilson said. “It was a wide open building. We had to come up with the idea of what we wanted the layout to be.”
All the labor and supplies that went into preparing the building came from local businesses, Wilson said.
All 10 of Wilson’s part-time employees returned when the new restaurant opened.
“The restaurant industry is one of the toughest,” he said. “More businesses fail than succeed.”
Wilson attributes the success of Reggie’s Pizza to the public’s loyal following, a great group of employees and a quality product.
“We’re full service,” he said. “We’re not a chain restaurant. Each pizza is made to order. We make them from scratch. We mix our own dough. It’s a quality product.”
Along with the new location, Wilson is looking for new employees. There is a Help Wanted sign in the window of Reggie’s Pizza.
“Just come down and ask for an application,” Wilson said. “Ask to talk to Mike.”
Arlene (Linden) Heroneme Rupp, age 84, of Ellis, passed away Wednesday, March 1, 2017 in Ellis. She was born April 19, 1932 in New Almelo, Kansas to Arnold and Veronica (Nusse) Linden. She attended country schools in rural lane county and she graduated from Mt. St. Scolastica High School in Atchison, Kansas. On August 8, 1950, she married William H. “Billy” Heroneme in Zurich, Kansas. He preceded her in death August 30, 1990. On November 26, 1993, she married John H. Rupp in Zurich.
Arlene was a homemaker and farmwife. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Daughters of Isabella as well as numerous civic organizations in Rooks and Ellis county. She was also a well-known seamstress specializing in wedding and bride’s maid dresses.
She is survived by her husband, John H. Rupp of Ellis; two sons, William G. (Diann) Heroneme of Independence, MO, Thomas L. (Colleen) Heroneme of Whitewater, KS; two daughters, Denise D, (George) Dresie of Salina, KS and Karla K. (Michael) Stallings of Three Rivers, Massachusetts; a step son, Steve (Joann) Rupp of Colorado Springs, Colorado; three step daughters, Marilyn (Steve) Kroeger, Paulette (Greg) Kroeger and Ann (Doug) Kroeger all of Ellis; a brother, Maurice Linden of Dighton, KS; four sisters, Carolyn Roth of Dighton, Emily Schmalzried of Dighton, Claudia Reidlinger of Montgomery, TX and Yvonne Kraus of Dighton; 4 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, 8 step grandchildren and 7 step great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Arnie and Cyril Linden.
Funeral services will be 10 AM Saturday, March 4, 2017 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ellis. Burial will be at 1:30 PM Saturday in St. Ann’s Cemetery in Zurich, Kansas.
Visitation will be Friday 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM with a combined Daughters of Isabella rosary and parish vigil service at 7:00 PM all at St. Mary’s Church, Ellis.
Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Mary’s Church of Ellis.
Arrangements in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, KS 67637.
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]
Anna Marie Bennett, age 65, passed away on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at the St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas.
She was born on March 11, 1951 in Dodge City, Kansas, the daughter of Richard and Rowena Owston Wines. She was a resident of Scott City, Kansas, since 1981 moving from Dodge City, Kansas, she was a retail clerk and homemaker.
She is survived by Two Sons – Scott Bennett of Scott City, Kansas and Shane Bennett of Hutchinson, Kansas; One Daughter – Wendy Bennett Kaiser of New Braunsfield, Texas; Eight Grandchildren; and Four Great Grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her Parents and Two Brothers.
A memorial service will be held at a later date and time.
Memorial donations may be given to the Anna Bennett Memorial Fund in care of Price & Sons Funeral Home.
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
The Green Zone Initiative is a product of the Kelly Center, the Department of Leadership Studies, the Office of Military Student Success and the Virtual College. The Initiative, which pairs uses the digital simulation training platform Kognito with an informational session and situational training, aims to inform faculty and staff of student veteran needs and available university and community resources.
