TREGO COUNTY— A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Thursday in Trego County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Toyota Camry driven by Robert Keith Hill, 30, Moundridge, was eastbound on Interstate 70 three miles east of Kansas 25.
The vehicle crossed the fog line and struck 2000 Yamaha motorcycle driven by Daniel Dwane Kerksiek, 29, Colby, that was parked on the shoulder.
Kerksiek was transported to the hospital in Colby. Hill was properly restrained at the time of the accident and not injured, according to the KHP.
Remember, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me?” It isn’t so.
Words, the stock in trade of politics and public policy, express value with as much volatility and meaning as any commodity, stock or bond. Words can be used subtly in ways that let us find meanings in the deeds and thoughts of people across time from many cultures and environments.
Dr. Mark Peterson
Words can provide beauty, wit and incisive observations that cut through the verbal fog others use to restate reality (alternative facts). When scammers and confidence men use such words and blend them with conscienceless lying, the resources of the trusting, the gullible and the greedy are easily looted. Words can brutally condemn, incite, insult and, yes, as the fields of psychology and psychiatry have proven, do grievous injury to the mind and the body.
At the moment, we are experiencing new and confusing usages that have the whole nation and perhaps the world totally confounded. On the world stage, we have tin-pot tyrants across the globe who manipulate language in ways that would make George Orwell gasp.
Here we have a six-month-old presidential administration led by one of the world’s most confounding users of language. We all “hear” what President Trump tweets and says, but apparently his words should never be taken at face value or accepted as statements of truth and intent. Whatever the announcement is, it has to be re-interpreted, defended and modified by his inner circle of explainers. Now, in just this week, we finally know that his first utterance is always his truest, and almost universally dangerous, destructive, ill-informed and morally wrong.
Kansans have not been isolated or exempted from these broad trends in unhelpful communication. First, we have the Big Lie syndrome. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach currently stands as the most skillful practitioner of this technique. His unfounded, unsubstantiated claims of extensive voter fraud that support changes in laws and regulations to make voting more difficult and alienating have been conclusively and consistently debunked. Yet these claims remain the stock in trade of Mr. Kobach, who redoubles his efforts by repeating the claims and adding personal attacks on the motives and values of the people who dare disagree.
The “Use of Fluff and Folderol” prize has to go to our reportedly departing incumbent Governor Sam Brownback. He made unfounded promises of economic sunshine and progress for all Kansans to gain legislative approval of enormous tax reductions. All criticism was rejected but never refuted with any evidence. The clear failure of the “real-life experiment” was never admitted. His words in defense have always accused others or deflected blame towards outside, uncontrollable variables such as commodity prices, low oil prices, and drought. Never did he claim any personal responsibility for the failure that everyone else could see.
Finally, we have the flipside of words to deceive, confuse and deny truth. Our Senator Pat Roberts manifests an unwillingness to communicate at all. Doubtless he absorbed reports of the oppositional public meeting experience Senator Moran had in Palco concerning repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Senator Roberts chose to ignore the majority of his constituents during the “repeal or repeal and replace” votes in the U.S. Senate earlier this month. When he returned to Kansas for the summer recess, he simply made no plans to publicly converse with his run-of-the-mill constituents.
Of what value are words when they come from voices and minds that are not inclined to truth, deliberation, and debate?
Dr. Mark Peterson teaches political science at the college level in Topeka.
CLINTON, Mo. (AP) — A man accused of providing the weapon used to kill a western Missouri police officer is facing new charges, and prosecutors also charged his wife.
Henry County Prosecuting Attorney Richard Shields announced Thursday that William Noble, of Clinton, is charged with hindering prosecution, fraudulent purchase of a firearm and four counts of endangering a child. He already was charged with tampering with physical evidence. Prosecutors contend he bought the rifle Ian McCarthy allegedly used to kill Clinton police officer Gary Michael Jr. on Aug. 6.
Brandie Noble was charged with hindering prosecution and four counts of endangering a child.
Prosecutors say McCarthy was in the Nobles’ home for a time while police were searching for him. The couple’s four juvenile children were in the home.
A call to William Noble’s attorney was not answered.
One position that will have a bit of a new look for the Fort Hays State football team this fall is running back. The Tigers are looking to replace First Team All-MIAA selection Shaquille Cooper who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last season. Kenneth Iheme missed all of 2015 due to injury but returned to play in all 12 games a year ago and was named Third Team all-conference after rushing for over 500 yards and have nearly 200 receiving yards. The Wichita Heights senior says hes poised for another big year this season.
Kenneth Iheme
Iheme and Charles Tigner, who played mostly wide receiver a year ago, are expected to carry most of the running back duties in 2017.
Today Sunny, with a high near 92. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 63. North northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
SaturdaySunny, with a high near 96. Light south wind becoming south southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Saturday NightA 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South southeast wind 7 to 11 mph.
SundayMostly sunny, with a high near 96.
Sunday NightA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
MondayA 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
RENO COUNTY — A Kansas woman was in court Thursday and charged with the theft of very valuable gold and silver coins. The alleged crimes occurred last year.
Donna Sue Boggs is accused of stealing 60 gold coins on Aug. 22, 2016, with a value between $25,000 and $100,000 and two gold coins and 10 silver coins with a value of more than $1,500, but less than $25,000 on March 29, 2016.
She’s jailed on a bond of $3,000. Her case now moves to a waiver-status docket on Aug. 23.
WICHITA – A husband and wife from southwest Kansas who pleaded guilty to money laundering were sentenced today to three years on federal probation, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
George Enns, 71, and his wife, Agatha Enns, 69, both of Meade, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy.
George Enns was ordered to pay a money judgment of more than $1.5 million.
In their plea, the defendants admitted:
At least $1.6 million in cash and $5.2 million in third-party checks was deposited into a joint account the defendants held at Plains State Bank in Plains, Kan.
The defendants knew the funds in the account were the proceeds of unlawful activity although they did not know — or do business with — the individuals whose names were on the third-party checks.
The defendants did not use the account at Plains State Bank for their own business and personal transactions. They had accounts at other banks.
The account at Plains State Bank was used for the deposit of cash and checks that George Enns received during his trips to Mexico. He carried the money into the United States without reporting the funds at the border.
Funds in the account at Plains State Bank were transferred out of state to purchase genetically modified corn seed. The seed was shipped to the border where the corn was transported into Mexico at the direction of George Enns.
This process is called trade based money laundering.
Beall commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.
Near the scene of Thursday’s chase in Pawnee County-image courtesy KWCH
TOPEKA–Thursday afternoon, the Kansas Highway Patrol was involved in a pursuit, which began in Edwards County, and ended in Pawnee County, around the town of Garfield.
The incident began around 12:45 p.m., when a trooper attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding on US-56 Highway at milepost 163, in Edwards County. The vehicle was occupied by a male driver and female passenger. The suspect vehicle, a maroon Chevy Impala, sped up, and the trooper initiated a pursuit. Around milepost 166, the driver began shooting out of his window at the trooper. The pursuit continued into the town of Garfield, where the suspect shot at, and hit, a Pawnee County patrol car.
At approximately milepost 172, at 12:54 p.m., a Pawnee County deputy attempted legal intervention. The patrol car went into the east ditch, and rolled, trapping the deputy. The suspect’s vehicle went into the west ditch and was disabled. The suspect immediately put a gun to his own head. The female passenger exited the suspect vehicle and was taken into custody. Officers on scene were able to get the deputy out and provide medical care.
Law enforcement personnel on scene were speaking with the suspect to de-escalate the situation, however the suspect eventually shot himself at 1:27 p.m. The suspect was transported via EMS to Pawnee Hospital, where he died. The suspect’s name will not be released at this time, as the Patrol is still working to identify him.
The deputy involved in the crash was transported via EMS with minor injuries, and is in stable condition.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation was immediately called to investigate the incident. Any further information reference this case will come from the investigating agency, the KBI.
LARNED, Kan. (AP) — A former employee of a restaurant in central Kansas has been found guilty of threatening to spit on a customer’s pizza.
Twenty-seven-year-old Jacob Ohnmacht was found guilty Wednesday of threatening to contaminate food.
Trial testimony says Ohnmacht texted his former mother-in-law in February that he had spit on a pizza he made for a police officer at Casey’s General Store in Larned. Ohnmacht reportedly knew that his former mother-in-law didn’t like the officer.
The mother-in-law says she reported the text to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Surveillance footage confirms the officer purchased a pizza Ohnmacht made around the time the text was sent.
Ohnmacht will be sentenced in September.
Ohnmacht remains in Ford County Jail on charges related to the death of his 21-year-old wife Kayla Dawn Parret in December. He has previous convictions for Aggravated Battery, Domestic Battery and Criminal Damage to Property.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly report shows drought conditions continue to burden the rural economy in parts of 10 Plains and Western states.
The overall Rural Mainstreet Index for the region rose slightly in August to 42.2 from July’s abysmally low 40.7. The index ranges between 0 and 100, with any number under 50 indicating a shrinking economy.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says nearly 58 percent of bankers reported in August’s survey that drought conditions were having a negative effect on agriculture products in their area.
Also, bankers expect farmland prices to decline by another 3.5 percent on average over the next year.
Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.
August 15
Harassment, 2800 block Canal Boulevard, Hays, 12:55 p.m.
Out of County Criminal Transport, Larned, 1:02 p.m.
Out of County Criminal Transport, Wakeeney, 3:27 p.m.
Civil Transport, Rural Ellis County, 5:48 p.m.
August 16
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th Street, Hays, 11:30 a.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th Street, Hays, 11:31 a.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th Street, Hays, 11:31 a.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th Street, Hays, 11:31 a.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block West 12th Street, Hays, 11:32 a.m.
Civil Transport, Rural Ellis County, Ellis, 3:26 p.m.
Civil Dispute, 2100 block Little Raven Trail, Ellis County, 5:59 p.m.
Suicidal Subject, 100 block Village Road, Hays, 6:43 p.m.
Warrant Service, 100 block Village Road, Hays, 8:48 p.m.
Norman “Darrell” Smith, age 66, of Ellis, passed away following cardiac complications at Hays Medical Center on August 9, 2017. Darrell was born in Hays on April 4, 1951, to Norman and Teddy (Wyatt) Smith. He graduated from Ellis High School and attended Washburn University where he played for the basketball team. Darrell settled in Ellis, married Linda Vanaken, and together they raised five children.
He worked in construction for twenty years, and then worked in plumbing until retirement. Darrell enjoyed being a part of the Ellis community. He played basketball for the Ellis city recreational team for many years, and was a strong advocate for youth sports. Darrell was fond of music and had a wonderful singing voice. He liked to tinker with antique cameras, take photographs, and videotape family events. He always made time for family and friends, and regularly offered a helping hand to those in need. Darrell’s children, and especially his grandchildren, were the light of his life.
Darrell is lovingly remembered and survived by his children, daughter Jenna Sander and husband Darrell, and grandchildren Cooper, Ezra, and Russell, of Gilbert, Arizona; daughter Maren Smith of San Antonio, Texas; son-in-law Don Gilbert and grandchildren Rachel and Hailey of Garnett, Kansas; son Andrew Smith and wife Erin, and grandchildren Paige, Eli, Aiden, and Christopher, of Ottawa, Kansas; son Lee Smith of Dodge City, Kansas; brothers David Smith and Ken Smith; sister Debra Vigil; and his former wife and friend Linda (Vanaken) Smith and her partner Brett Weaver.
Darrell was preceded in death by his daughter Adell K. Gilbert, his oldest brother George Smith, his oldest sister Sondra Donnel, and his parents Norman and Teddy Smith.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday August 19th at 10:30am at Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory at 2509 Vine Street, Hays, KS 67601. Inurnment will be in Ft. Hays Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ellis Recreation Commission, care of Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel.
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or emailed to [email protected]
