ELLSWORTH COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Ellsworth County are investigating a scam and warning residents.
On Friday, the Ellsworth police department received a call from the Kansas Attorneys Generals office of a scam in the Ellsworth area, according to a social media report from police.
The Attorney General’s office reported citizens receiving calls from a cable company stating they bought out H and B Communications.
The caller asked for account and credit card information.
Police reminded residents don’t ever give out credit card information over the phone unless it’s from a trusted known company.
TOPEKA–House Republicans in March took the first step toward repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—also known as Obamacare—with the release of H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
However, following several days of negotiation and debate among House Republicans and President Donald Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan declared the bill dead when he determined there were not enough votes to pass it. Despite the withdrawal of the bill, many Republicans have maintained that repealing and replacing the ACA is still a priority.
To help stakeholders better understand how future federal legislation might impact Kansans, the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) has prepared an issue brief, Repealing and Replacing the Affordable Care Act: Key Provisions of the American Health Care Act. The brief describes the major policy issues under discussion among House Republicans and the White House in the debate of the AHCA, including:
Repealing both the individual and employer mandates;
Moving away from income-based tax credits to help individuals purchase health insurance;
Eliminating cost-sharing subsidies for low-income individuals to reduce their out-of-pocket costs for deductibles, copayments and coinsurance;
Eliminating some existing requirements to give health insurance companies greater flexibility in the design of health insurance plans;
Making health insurance more affordable for young adults by expanding age-rating rules, possibly resulting in higher costs for older adults;
Repealing Medicaid expansion and substantially changing the way state Medicaid programs are funded by the federal government; and
Encouraging states to experiment and find ways to impact the cost of health insurance and health care for their citizens.
The Kansas Health Institute delivers credible information and research enabling policy leaders to make informed health policy decisions that enhance their effectiveness as champions for a healthier Kansas. The Kansas Health Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy and research organization based in Topeka, established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Danny Duffy allowed three hits over seven innings and Mike Moustakas hit a two-run homer as the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-1 Friday night.
Duffy (2-0) gave up a run on a Mike Trout first inning single, but retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced. He allowed three hits while striking out six and walking two while lowering his earned run average to 1.80 and improving to 8-0 in his past 16 Kauffman Stadium starts.
Moustakas homered in the first and the Royals added a run in the second when Paulo Orlando scored on a wild pitch by JC Ramirez (2-1).
Kansas City scored twice in the third on Eric Hosmer’s grounder and Salvador Perez’s sacrifice fly.
Ramirez, making his first start in the majors after 111 relief appearances, was pulled after 75 pitches and five innings, both career highs.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Four second-graders on a field trip suffered minor injuries while riding a horse-drawn wagon at the Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita.
KWCH-TV reports the students and parents were in the wagon when the horse got spooked and took off around the ride area. People inside the wagon were jostled around but no one was seriously hurt.
The students are from Roberts Martin Elementary in Andover.
Principal Crystal Hummel sent home a letter informing parents that the students would be returning early from their field trip.
BARTON COUNTY-Law enforcement authorities in Barton County are investigating two suspects on felony charges.
Just before 2 a.m. Deputy Sheriff David Melcher was in the 2300 block of Main Street in the City of Great Bend when he observed a vehicle in the parking lot of Brit Spaugh Park, near the pool, according to a media release.
The driver side door of the vehicle was standing open and initially the deputy did not see any occupants. The city park was closed at that time. Upon further investigation the deputy found a male and a female occupant in the vehicle.
It was discovered that the female passenger had two outstanding felony warrants and was placed under arrest. The K-9 officer from the Great Bend Police Department was called and assisted the deputies. As a result of the K-9 investigation, the officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription drugs, scales, baggies and approximately $250 cash as well as other paraphernalia.
Nichole McConkey
The driver was identified as Sean M. Brown, age 27 of Larned.
The female passenger was identified as Nichole R. McConkey of Garfield, Kansas.
Both McConkey and Brown were arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, felony possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Sean Brown’s bond was set at $100,000. McConkey’s bond was set at $100,000 for the drug charges, plus additional bonds on the outstanding warrants for child endangerment and parole violation.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball split a conference doubleheader with Missouri Western on Friday (Apr. 14) at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers edged the Griffons 5-4 in the first game, with a Bailey Boxberger home run making the difference, then fell in the second game 14-3 in five innings. The Tigers are now 12-36 overall, 5-17 in the MIAA, while the Griffons went to 29-15 overall, 9-9 in the MIAA.
Adrian Pilkington Postgame Interview
Game 1: Fort Hays State 5, Missouri Western 4
Fort Hays State never trailed and hung on for a one-run win in the first game of the doubleheader. The Tigers led by three before holding off the Griffons late for the win.
Game 1 Highlights
FHSU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-RBI single to the left center gap by Tess Gray. MWSU cut the lead in half by manufacturing a run in the second.
The Tigers pushed their lead back to two at 3-1 when Gray recorded her third RBI of the game with a well-placed single just over first base down the right field line.
A leadoff walk cost the Tigers in the fourth inning, allowing the Griffons to pull back within one. But, the Tigers got the run back in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double by Bailey Kennedy. In the fifth, Bailey Boxberger delivered the decisive run of the game with a laser shot home run over the left field wall, making the score 5-2.
The Griffons threatened with a two-run homer in the sixth, but later in the inning Tiger starter Hailey Chapman was able to keep the game from getting tied. She induced a groundout to shortstop to leave a runner at third base and the score at 5-4 in favor of FHSU.
In the seventh, the first runner reached base for the Griffons on a hit-by-pitch, but three weak pop ups on the infield gave Chapman a complete game win. She allowed five hits, walked three, and hit four batters, while striking out four to pick up her seventh win of the season.
Four of the five runs allowed by Griffon pitcher Kenzie Hilzer were earned. She allowed seven hits and three walks, while striking out eight. She moved to 14-6 overall with the loss.
Game 2: Missouri Western 14, Fort Hays State 3
Missouri Western scored 11 runs over the first three innings and ran away with a 14-3 run-rule win. The Griffons hit four home runs in the game, accounting for half of their runs, including two by Sydney Washington.
Game 2 highlights
The Tigers had a chance to pull even or take a lead in the first inning by loading the bases, down only 1-0 at the time. But a strikeout ended the threat and then MWSU went on to plate four runs in the second and six in the third to build an 11-0 lead.
The Tigers scored their first run in the fourth inning on a wild pitch. Down 14-1 in the fifth, a Collette West double to the left center gap plated two runners in a bases-loaded situation.
Barbara Billingsley picked up the win for MWSU. She moved to 15-9 on the season. Two of her three runs allowed were earned. She surrendered eight hits and two walks, while striking out five.
Carrie Clarke took the loss for FHSU. She threw four innings, allowing eight runs on 14 hits and a walk with one strikeout. Lexie Kimminau logged and inning and allowed six runs on four hits, a walk, and a hit batter.
The Tigers play another conference doubleheader at home on Saturday (Apr. 15) when they host Northwest Missouri State at noon.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Gene Taylor, the current Deputy Athletics Director at Iowa who also spent more than a decade leading North Dakota State to championship levels of success as its Director of Athletics, has been named the new Director of Athletics at K-State, President Richard Myers announced today.
Taylor, who was hired at Iowa in 2014 following a successful 13-year career as the director of athletics at NDSU, will be officially introduced at 10:30 a.m., Monday, during a news conference in the Steel and Pipe Team Theatre inside the Vanier Family Football Complex. Taylor, Myers and search committee chair Amy Button Renz will participate in the formal news conference, which will be broadcast live on K-StateHD.TV.
“We are thrilled to have Gene, his wife Cathy and their two children join the K-State family,” Myers said. “Throughout the process, Gene’s experience as an athletics director and his national reputation as a respected leader and someone who has built and maintained tremendous relationships with his staff, coaches, student-athletes and donors stood out in what was an extremely talented pool of candidates.
“I also would like to thank Amy Button Renz and the search committee for managing and directing a professional and thorough search and also Acting Athletics Director Laird Veatch for his leadership and helping keep the Athletics Department functioning smoothly during this interim period. He is a loyal and committed K-Stater, and I appreciate his continued service.”
“My family and I are truly honored and thrilled to join the K-State family,” Taylor said. “I would like to commend Amy Button Renz and the committee for conducting what I believe was the most professional and detailed search I have ever been a part of, while also being extremely appreciative to President Myers for his leadership and confidence in my ability to lead this athletics department at such an outstanding institution. I also would like to thank Laird Veatch for his time as Interim Athletics Director, and I know people think highly of him and his service to K-State.
“We are excited to get to Manhattan, and I look forward to meeting our student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters and helping them build upon the across-the-board success that K-State has attained.”
Taylor took the reins at North Dakota State in the summer of 2001 and immediately spearheaded a comprehensive evaluation of the Bison athletic department, all while successfully guiding the athletics program through the unpredictable waters of reclassification to NCAA Division I from Division II and securing conference affiliations for all 16 sports. The Bison are currently members of The Summit League, Missouri Valley Football Conference and Western Wrestling Conference.
Taylor also played an instrumental part of forming the Great West Football Conference in February 2004, an affiliation that gave the Bison football program an immediate home in Division I.
The success of the football program is well documented, highlighted by three-straight FCS National Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013 under head coach Craig Bohl as the Bison quickly became one of the most revered football programs in all levels of college sports.
In addition to football, the NDSU men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, softball and women’s golf programs all regularly qualified for NCAA tournaments, highlighted by softball advancing to the 2009 Super Regional, while the Bison totaled 53 Summit League team championships since 2009 under Taylor’s guidance in addition to 62 Academic All-Americans, three NCAA Woman of the Year national qualifiers, four NCAA Elite 89 selections and 20 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners.
The NDSU athletics budget tripled from $5 million in Taylor’s first year to $15 million, while the scholarship endowment grew to $11.2 million, and Team Makers booster club support tripled from $750,000 to $2.8 million.
In 2014, Taylor accepted the role of deputy athletics director at Iowa where he has been responsible for the administrative oversight of the department’s day-to-day operations while also serving as the leading advisor to the Director of Athletics and the primary decision maker in his absence.
He also supervises and manages all the department’s administrative units, capital projects as well as serving as the direct sport supervisor for field hockey, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s soccer, baseball and wrestling. Taylor also has oversight of the football and men’s and women’s basketball programs daily operations, which included postseason and bowl travel coordination.
Twice Taylor has been recognized for his success by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He was selected as the FCS Central Region AD of the Year in June 2008 and June 2012. Taylor received the Blue Key Honor Society Doctor of Service Award, one of the most prestigious honors an NDSU faculty member can be bestowed, in April 2012.
A student assistant to the associate athletics director in his undergraduate days at Arizona State University, Taylor arrived at NDSU after a 15-year stint at Navy (1986-2001) as an administrative assistant, assistant ticket manager, ticket manager, assistant athletic director for tickets and operations, and associate athletic director.
Taylor is a 1980 business management graduate of Arizona State, and he received his master’s degree in sports administration in 1985 from St. Thomas University in Florida.
He worked in the ticket office at Southern Methodist University in 1985-86 before joining the Naval Academy. His tenure at Navy included serving as the commissioner of the five-team Collegiate Sprint Football League that includes Army, Navy, Penn, Princeton and Cornell.
Taylor, 58, and his wife, Cathy, have one daughter, Casey, and a son, Jared. Casey (22) graduated from North Dakota State this past December with a degree in sports management and is pursuing a career in college athletics, while Jared (18) will graduate this May from Iowa City High School and attend Northern State University in South Dakota where he will play football.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team couldn’t keep pace with the Missouri Western Griffons Friday afternoon in game three of their series, falling 8-1. The Tigers made seven errors in the contest, their most in a game in over four years (2/17/13 vs UCM).
The Tigers fall to 9-29 this season and 2-23 in league play, while the Griffons improve to 21-17 overall and 18-10 in the MIAA.
Missouri Western jumped in front early, tagging starter Justin Hersch (0-2) for four runs (two earned) over the first two innings. Ryan Ruder then came on in relief, not allowing a hit until the fifth inning. The home side added three unearned runs in that inning before tacking on one final run in the seventh.
The Tigers got one run back in the top of the fourth when Jake Lanferman led off with a bunt single. Trevor Hughes crushed a double to left center two batters later, driving in Lanferman and trimming the deficit to 4-1.
Ruder turned in a solid outing out of the pen, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk over five innings of work. The freshman struck out two Griffon batters. Cole Schumacher finished things off by retiring the Griffons in order in the eighth.
Nick Hammeke was the lone Tiger to pick up multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4. Altman went 1-for-3 with a double, with Ty Redington recording the final base knock for FHSU.
The Tigers will be back in action at Larks Park next week when they host Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Paul Davis, a Lawrence Democrat, said Thursday that he is considering a run for the 2nd District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins. FILE PHOTO / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
Paul Davis, a former legislator and Democratic candidate for Kansas governor, said Thursday he is considering a run for the 2nd District congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins.
Davis narrowly lost to incumbent Republican Sam Brownback in the 2014 race for governor. Davis is from Lawrence and served as the Democratic leader in the Kansas House of Representatives.
In an interview Thursday, Davis said he has concerns about some of President Donald Trump’s proposed policies.
“A lot of people who supported President Trump expected that he was going to try to change Washington in a positive way, get rid of the special interest influence,” Davis said. “He’s certainly changing Washington in some ways, but I’m not sure that’s necessarily for the better.”
Davis said he worked across the aisle during his time as a lawmaker in Topeka and could take that spirit to the U.S. Capitol to combat “political bickering.”
“The process doesn’t work if we don’t try to work together,” he said. “I think that’s what people expect.”
Davis had been rumored as a candidate for governor in 2018, but he’s instead pinning his hopes on the congressional seat.
“Congress right now desperately needs people who are going to attack the problems that people want to have addressed,” he said.
Tops among those issues is the economy, which Davis said “just is not working for middle-class and lower-income Americans.
“We see an economy where big corporations and people at the top end of the income scale are just doing better and better,” he said.
State Senator In The Race
Davis is the most recent person to announce interest in the seat since Jenkins announced in January that she won’t run for re-election or any other political office in 2018.
Republican State Sen. Steve Fitzgerald said earlier this month that he would run for the job.
In an interview Thursday, Fitzgerald said he believes he can keep the seat in Republican hands.
“We need a Congress that’s going to help President Trump achieve the agenda that the American people voted for,” said Fitzgerald, of Leavenworth.
He also said he would work to boost the economy, and part of that would include reducing federal regulations.
“It will be liberating for the economy, for business, for the states, and I think we will regain a lot of the energy that we need in order to move forward,” Fitzgerald said.
While it’s never easy for anyone going to Congress for a first term, he said, he pointed to his work in the political “trenches” in the Legislature, local school board and for the state Republican Party as experience that will help him quickly get up to speed.
“I’m always running,” Fitzgerald said. “I think I have enough experience and knowledge to be able to pick up quickly on a number of the issues that are going to be before us.”
Fitzgerald recently made some headlines when he compared Planned Parenthood to Nazis.
A Blip Or A Trend?
The 2nd District seat covers much of eastern Kansas and includes Topeka, Lawrence and Pittsburg.
Patrick Miller, a political science professor at the University of Kansas, said the competitiveness of the race will hinge on a number of factors, such as the quality of the candidates and the popularity of Trump.
“(The district) leans Republican, but there’s a healthy Democratic base to it, and under the right conditions Democrats can put it in contention,” he said.
Republican Kansas Treasurer Ron Estes beat Democrat James Thompson in a special election this week for the 4th District congressional seat in the Wichita region. Estes won with 53 percent of the vote, compared to Thompson’s 46 percent.
While Davis pointed to the 4th District results and said they show “a lot of support” for Democrats, Miller suggested that people shouldn’t draw conclusions from the 4th District results until after some other upcoming special elections for Congress.
“This could be a blip, but it could also be the start of a trend,” Miller said.
Vernon Fields, a city council member in Basehor, filed to run as a Republican for the 2nd District. Democrat Kelly Standley also has said he will run for the seat.
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for kcur.org, a partner in the Kansas News Service
MANHATTAN – Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating an alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old and have a suspect in custody.
Just after 10:30 Thursday, police arrested Qavonjez Mason, 24, Manhattan, in the 1200 block of Fremont Street.
On Tuesday, police filed a report against a 24-year-old man for rape, electronic solicitation, and contributing to a child’s misconduct after a mother reported finding text messages and pictures that suggested her daughter was in a sexual relationship with the man, and that the man provided her 13-year-old daughter with marijuana.
Mason is being held on a $500, 000 bond on requested charges of rape (x2), aggravated criminal sodomy(x2), electronic solicitation, and aggravated endangering of a child, according to daily police incident report.
First responders on the scene of Thursday night’s fatal shooting-photo courtesy KWCH
SEDGWICK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Sedgwick County are investigating a fatal shooting and asking for help to locate suspects.
Just after 11p.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 2700 Block of South Seneca in Wichita, according to Lt. Todd Ojile during Friday’s online media briefing.
First responders found Brandon Nelson, 22, Wichita suffering from a single gunshot wound. He died at the scene.
Police determined Nelson was standing in the parking lot when an unknown vehicle pulled into lot. Nelson had contact with the vehicle. One of the occupants shot him and drove away.
SALINE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a case of vandalism and asking for help identifying several suspects.
Late Monday or early Tuesday, the suspects broke into the old schoolhouse in Gypsum south east of Salina, according to the Saline County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities discovered damaged drywall and several broken windows in the building. The total loss was estimated at $1,000.
Anyone with information on this crime is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637), or visitwww.pd.salina.organd follow Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 and you are not required to give your name.
By RANDY GONZALES FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Gene Klein remembers that day 73 years ago when soldiers showed up at his family’s home in Beregszasz, Hungary — then known as Czechoslovakia. The Jewish family of five was put on a train and transported to the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz.
At the camp, the 16-year-old Klein remembers his family getting in a line in front of a Nazi SS officer with shiny boots and a riding crop, a small whip. He pointed one way or the other when each person reached the front of the line. Klein’s father was pointed in one direction, the son in the other. The son would become a slave laborer. The father went to the gas chamber.
“I never saw my father again,” Klein said Thursday night before a jam-packed audience at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the campus of Fort Hays State University.
Earlier in the day, Klein, now 89, met informally with FHSU students and faculty at Forsyth Library. He mentioned his daughter’s book about the Klein family’s experience at Auschwitz, where historians estimate more than a million Jews were killed. In all, six million Jews — two-thirds of their European population — were killed by the Nazis in World War II.
Tanner Hallagin, a Fort Hays State freshman from Hays, listened to Klein Thursday afternoon and planned to attend his speech that night.
“I didn’t know much about the Holocaust; I wanted to know more,” he said. “He talked about his father for the last time. I’m kind of speechless.”
In Jill Gabrielle Klein’s book, “We Got the Water: Tracing My Family’s Path Through Auschwitz,” she wrote about that pivotal moment when her grandfather was selected for death by the Nazis. In that passage, Klein recounted Thursday afternoon in a voice choked with emotion, he told how in his granddaughter’s mind she goes to her grandfather, holds his hand and walks with him all the way to the gas chamber.
“I usually don’t talk about this part because I know I’m going to break down,” Klein said while using a white handkerchief to wipe tears from his eyes.
Klein’s talk Thursday night was in front of a rapt audience which listened intently to every word, every story. Afterward, the audience gave Klein a standing ovation.
“I have no words; it’s so breathtaking,” Hays High School junior Erin Muirhead said. “I have no idea how people endured all this.”
Muirhead was appreciative of FHSU bringing Klein to Hays.
“It’s so cool this actually came to Hays,” she said. “It makes me proud to be part of Hays.”
Jacob Hoss, a Fort Hays State sophomore from Ness City, was also impressed by what he heard.
“It definitely puts it into perspective,” he said. “It’s just amazing people can survive something like that. It makes you realize how good you have it here. I definitely learned a lot tonight.”
Klein hopes America can learn some lessons, too. He is concerned about the future of the country he first immigrated to in 1947, the country where he later served in the U.S. Army and became an American citizen. Klein is worried about the rise of hate crimes.
“My concern is very simple,” he said. “There is a definite parallel between Nazi Germany in the beginning in the 1930s and what’s happening in this country.”
Klein’s father, Herman, was a merchant. His mother’s name was Bertha, and Klein had two older sisters, Lilly and Oli. His father was a gentle man who liked to garden.
Klein, remembering his father, took offense when President Trump’s press secretary said recently that Hitler did not use poison gas.
“This is one human being who was killed by poison gas,” he said.
Klein has told his story to audiences large and small for three decades. He speaks about 30 to 40 times a year, usually in his home state of Florida. Klein was asked to speak at FHSU as part of a group project by Fort Hays State students who attended the National Campus Leaders Summit at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The trip was part of FHSU’s Embrace Difference campaign by the Center for Civic Leadership.
One requirement for attending the summit was having a project related to the museum’s purpose. Hollie Marquess, instructor of history at FHSU, had her world civilization class read the book written by Klein’s daughter in the fall 2016 semester. The feedback was positive from her students, so Marquess reached out to Klein about making an appearance on the FHSU campus as part of the project. Marquess and Dr. Paul Nienkamp, assistant professor of history, led five students to Washington in January.
Sponsors for Klein’s visit to FHSU were the Department of History, the Center for Civic Leadership, Phi Alpha Theta, the Honors College, the Department of Leadership Studies and the Department of Political Science.
“This has been amazing, to sit and visit with him,” Marquess said. “He has so many stories. I have been over the moon.”
Klein survived a year in Auschwitz before being liberated by the Russians, as did his mother and two sisters. He has been told that having one family member survive would be what to be expected at best, yet four of the five members of Klein’s family survived.
Now, Klein tells his family’s story.
“I am going to be the speaker for the Holocaust,” he said.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Gene Taylor, the current Deputy Athletics Director at Iowa who also spent more than a decade leading North Dakota State to championship levels of success as its Director of Athletics, has been named the new Director of Athletics at K-State, President Richard Myers announced today. 
