SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing and have identified the two victims.
Just after 6p.m. Sunday, police responded to an apartment building at 800 SW Polk in Topeka in reference a stabbing and a fire at from the same address, according to a media release.
Upon arrival officers located a man with life threatening injuries who was transported to local a hospital where he died. Officers located a second victim inside the building who was dead.
On Tuesday, police identified the victims Thomas P. O’Conner, 61 and Chance C. Crank, 22 both of Topeka.
Police found suspect Maximo Campillo-Echevarria, 62, on foot in the area. He was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections where he was booked for two counts of First-Degree Murder
Errol Lynn Conn, 75, passed away September 22, 2017, in Hill City, Kansas. Errol was born September 19, 1942 at home in Bogue, Kansas to Virgil and Genevieve (Fitch) Conn. Errol grew up in Bogue and graduated from Bogue High School in 1960.
August 19, 1961 he married Cindy Desbien in Hill City. To this union were born four children: Rhonda, Jennifer, Lori, and Greg. Errol and Cindy were married 56 years. Errol farmed, operated a dairy, worked at Central Kansas Power and finished his career with Mobil Pipeline. While living in Bogue many lasting memories were made with the Carroll and Deanna Kenyon family. They spent many evenings playing cards and lots of summer weekends found them enjoying camping at Lake Webster.
Errol retired 25 years ago and was able to spend a great deal of time with his children and grandchildren. The family played many fun rounds of golf together. During retirement Errol also spent many hours on improvements at the Prairie Trails Golf Course. The cement cart paths were an important project to him. He also spent a great deal of time on wood working projects in his workshop. Each child and grandchild has at least one special piece Grandpa Errol made them.
In 1979, Errol, his father-in-law Gene Desbien, friends and family built their home at 2 Eastgate Drive where they lived for 37 years. In September of 2017 they moved to Graham Estates. Errol and Cindy enjoyed many years traveling in their motorhome with traveling buddies Dan and Mary Schmidtberger and John and Sandra Veh. Errol became ill in 2014 with lung cancer. They were blessed to have a cherished cousin Karen Ginther and husband Gary help them spend the last three winters in Arizona.
Errol was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and became a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus over 20 years ago. Errol was preceded in death by his parents. Left to cherish his memory are his wife Cindy; daughter Rhonda Appelhans (Gil) of Perryton, Texas; daughter Jennifer Hauschild (Jeff Sykes) of Blue Springs, Missouri; daughter Lori Denney of Blue Springs, Missouri; and son Greg Conn, Pearland, Texas; nine grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, Brent Appelhans (wife Kami, daughters Brya, Kambry and Brystol); Matt Appelhans (wife Ashtan, daughters Jaelan and Hestyn); Janell Campbell (husband Blake, daughters Gabrielle and Isabella); Lindsey Tremblay (children Rocky and Ramsey); Oaklee Hauschild; Taylor Denney; Madison Denney; Nichole Hernandez (husband Andrew, daughter Avery) and Nolan Conn. Also surviving are: one sister Virgie LaRue and husband Donnie; one brother-in-law Stan Desbien and wife Anita; two nieces and two nephews.
Ronald George Hopkins, 86, of Salina, Kansas, died on Wednesday, September 20, 2017, at the Salina Regional Hospital in Salina, Kansas.
Ronald was born on April 13, 1931, in Utica, Kansas, the son of Arthur J. and Eunice (Pevey) Hopkins. Ronald grew up in Utica and graduated from Utica High School in the class of 1949. After high school, he attended Ft. Hays State University receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and a Master Degree in Educational Administration. After earning his degrees he served his country as a corporal in the US Army specializing in Infantry Operations and War Dog training. He met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Sylvia Jo “Jody” Brethauer on August 04, 1957, in Russell, Kansas. From this union Ron and Sylvia were blessed with 3 sons George, Greg and Grant.
In 1955, Ron took a job with Russell High School as a physical education teacher and coach of football, basketball and track. In 1967, he left Russell to accept a position in Garden City, Kansas, with the Garden City Community College where he worked for 20 years serving primarily as Dean of Student Services and 2 years as GCCC baseball coach. In 1987, he took a position as Director of Financial Aid at Pittsburg State University, retiring in 1996. He and Jody moved to Salina in 2002. They attended the Methodist Church and he was also a member of the U.S. War Dog alumni and the American Legion. He enjoyed gardening and researching family history but was most passionate about coaching, especially when coaching his sons. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Surviving family include his wife Jody of the home, sons George Hopkins (Lori) of Garden City, Kansas, Greg Hopkins (Stephanie) of Twinsburg, Ohio and Grant Hopkins of Wichita, Kansas; sister Elma Castor of Acworth, Georgia; 5 grandkids Mitch, Matthew, Beau, Spencer and Erika and 4 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and 3 brothers Harold, Art and Gene Hopkins.
A memorial service to celebrate Ronald’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, September 30, 2017, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas, with Pastor Michael Eurit officiating. Cremation has been selected by the family and inurnment of the remains will follow the memorial service at the Russell City Cemetery. Military rites will be performed by the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240. Family will greet guests from 9 A.M. to service time the day of the service. Memorials may be given to the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240 and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the memorial service.
Glenda Jean Newell, of Salina, died Friday, Sept. 22, at Salina Regional Health Center. Glenda Jean was born to Harold and Wanda (Stout) Thompson on Dec. 4, 1943. When she was four years old, she met the mother who raised and loved her, Mina Thompson.
She was preceded in death by her daddy, Harold Thompson; Wanda Biehler; baby brother, Dennis Biehler; and husband, Dan Holterman.
She is survived by her mother, Mina Thompson; her daughters, Klonda Newell (Donny Francey), Darcy Campbell (Collin Campbell) and Rhendi Strella; her stepchildren, Greg and Debbie Graham, Terry Holterman and Lana Winters; her grandchildren, Jordan and Kiersten Dykes, Derek and Kelsey Dinkel, Jade Dinkel, Jorrie Dykes, Danialle Strella, DJ Francey and Allie Francey; her great-grandchildren, Kaydence, Noah and Gracie; and her siblings, Linda Duran, Denise Thompson and Gary and Toni Thompson.
Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, at First Covenant Church, Salina.
SMITH COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just before 7a.m. Tuesday in Smith County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford pickup driven by Kendall Nichols, 76, Smith Center was westbound on U.S. 36 four miles west of Smith Center.
The pickup rear-ended a John Deere Tractor driven by Michael J. Hrabe, 72, Kensington. The pickup then traveled into the north ditch.
Nichols and Hrabe were transported to the Smith County Hospital. Nichols was properly restrained at the time of the accident.
Dorothy Barnett, Climate and Energy Project Executive Director
With only 700 net-metered customers across Kansas, Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) should have welcomed customer choice and the clean energy economy.
If you’re a regular CEP blog reader, you’ve been listening to us talk about fixed charges and threats to solar in Kansas for quite a while. To make sense of the KCC’s decision last week, you have to go back to the beginning.
In the 2015 Westar Energy fixed charge case, Westar, proposed charging customers a higher fixed customer charge and adding extra fees to customers with rooftop solar, transferring them to a separate rate class. Through the filing, the utility essentially sought to make it more difficult and more expensive for Westar customers to make their own energy choices.
The case ended in a settlement with a small fixed charge increase, and the question of how Westar Energy charges rooftop solar customers was kicked to a separate general investigation docket. The investigation was to examine not only electricity rate issues, but also costs and benefits of rooftop solar and other forms of distributed generation (DG). Westar suggested it was fine to look at costs, but not look at “the alleged potential benefits.”
Fortunately, the KCC saw things differently. Recognizing “quantifiable benefits of DG” to help reduce utility costs, the KCC called for a renewed discussion on the full costs and benefits of distributed generation and began stakeholder workshops.
As participants in the case, our goal was to ensure that electricity customers were treated fairly if they chose to invest in solar. We also wanted to ensure a transparent and data-driven process: around the country, there have been many investor-owned utilities attempting to impose fees on customers without adequate evidence to justify punitive charges.
As the workshops began, it was soon clear that the proceeding was moving forward with limited data from the utilities. Even so, all nine electric utilities involved and the staff of the Commission agreed to a settlement that would allow solar customers to be charged differently.
CEP submitted testimony opposing the settlement. We used the small amount of Westar data we were provided to compare solar customers to non-solar customers and concluded that customers were basically using the grid comparably which led us to challenge the underpinning of the settlement agreement. If you want the wonky details, read our testimony.
Last week, the Commission issued an order allowing utilities to create separate rate classes for customers with wind and solar systems, making it harder and more expensive for utility customers to make their own energy choices.
Will this decision shut the door to Kansas’s participation in the 21st century clean energy economy?
The Climate + Energy Project (CEP) is a non-partisan 501c(3) organization working to reduce emissions through greater energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy. Located in Hutchinson, Kansas, CEP collaborates with diverse partners across the nation to find practical solutions for a clean energy future that provides jobs, prosperity and energy security.
Donations accepted through Monday, Oct. 2 at Top Notch Cleaners (8th & Fort), Master Cleaners (200 W. 8th), Hays McDonald’s restaurants and at any Hays Unified School District 489 school. Sponsored also by Casual Graphics and Eagle Radio.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have made an arrest.
Just after 9p.m. Monday, Police Officers responded to the area of SW 10th and SW Gage in Topeka in reference an armed robbery.
Upon arrival Officers made contact with a man who advised he had answered an ad on Craigslist to buy merchandise and was meeting the seller from the ad.
The victim stated he was approached by 4 subjects; one of the suspects brandished a pistol and demanded the victim’s money. After the robbery the suspects fled the area in a dark SUV.
While responding to the robbery an Officer spotted the suspect vehicle and initiated a stop of the SUV. 4 adult suspects were apprehended without further incident and brought to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning.
After speaking with Detectives and further investigation into this incident, all 4 suspects were arrested for aggravated robbery. There were no injuries reported.
Joshua Svaty, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, spoke to a group at FHSU Monday afternoon.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Democratic candidate for Kansas governor Joshua Svaty made his last stop in a 105-county tour of the state Monday with stops in Ellis County.
Among his meetings with voters was a question-and-answer session at the Fort Hays State University Union.
At 37, Svaty has had a substantial career in politics and government. He spent seven years as a state representative for the Ellsworth area. He then served two years as Kansas Secretary of Agriculture under the Parkinson administration. He worked for Environmental Protection Agency for two years. He also runs a farm in Ellsworth County and most recently has been on the staff of The Land Institute.
During his time in Topeka, he championed the use of wind energy in the state, he supported in-state tuition for children of undocumented Kansans and fought against an amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have made marriage between a man and a woman.
Svaty described why he decided to run for governor.
“I began being worried about our state around four years ago, thinking that it was heading in the wrong direction. Over the last few years especially, I felt our state was reaching a point where our state was at a fork in the road, and it could really go either direction. I said enough is enough.”
Svaty said he wants to get the state back on track and adequately fund state agencies that have been drained of resources and qualified employees.
“The state is in a little trouble right now, and it is affecting basically every level of state government. No. 1 is reinstating this concept of civility that we have lost in the last six and a half years, which affects everything. …” he said.
College students are not entering the teaching profession, which they worry will not be a long-term profession, he said. Businesses will not locate in the state if they are worried about the long-term revenue health of the state. They don’t want to be in a state that is swinging wildly up and down, Svaty said
He said he felt confident the oil and gas and ag industries in the state would bounce back, but that could take a couple of years.
He said he supported the reduction or elimination of the sales tax on food, which he said he thought was regressive.
Because of the deep cuts in funding for state agencies and unsure funding for KPERS, the state has lost some of its best and brightest from state agency staffs.
“Government is only as good as the people we have engaged in those agencies. These are people who sometimes have their master’s and PhD’s running or being a part of state agencies. In the last seven years, I have seen in some cases a trickle and in some cases it has been a waterfall of these people moving out of state government.”
Svaty said the public has seen these staff problems directly in state corrections with issues at Norton and El Dorado state prisons.
“Much of that can be boiled down to if you are paying someone $13.50 an hour to do what is a very hard job, which is a corrections employees, then they are probably not going to stay in that job very long,” he said
One student asked Svaty about what he would do about higher education funding if he were to become governor.
Svaty said when the state does not have money to fund higher education, it pushes the burden of finance on the universities, and they have little alternative than to increase tuition. The state needs to get its financial house in order so it can fund higher education.
Svaty said he worries about funding his own children’s education. His wife is pregnant and due with their fourth child.
“I think we are pushing at the boundary of what an affordable higher education would look and feel like,” he said. “As a parent who has three kids almost four, I’m being told I need to save $150,000 to send each kid to college. That’s insanity. There is no way we can possibly get to that.”
Yet research indicates a college education is the best way to be upwardly mobile, he said.
Svaty said there was a time between 2012 to 2015 when a priority was not placed on higher education. In fact members of the Legislature were doing things that were harmful to higher education.
He said colleges are not only important to students, but they are economic engines to communities where they are located and an important generator of federal research dollars.
Although he can’t speak for the Supreme Court, he thought the court might come back and request another $100 million to $200 million in school funding. However, he hoped the court would allow the state to increase that funding over a couple of years.
Svaty, who is a dry-land farmer, also talked about the need to manage water usage in Kansas, especially western Kansas.
“I also think efficiencies can be found,” he said, “and moving everyone in that direction not only helps preserve the aquifer, it also makes our farming systems more efficient. It should save money too, which everybody wants to do.”
ELLIS – The Ellis Fire Department will soon have new SCBA air packs.
Chief Dustin Vine reported to the Ellis City Council during their Sept. 18 meeting a $35,000 grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan, will be used to purchase 20 air packs. According to Vine, some of the packs in the EFD current inventory are more than 35 years old.
The complete meeting minutes follow.
ELLIS CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
Minutes
September 18, 2017
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor David McDaniel called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Present were Council members Bret Andries, Holly Aschenbrenner, Susan Eaton, Jolene Niernberger, Dena Patee, and Bob Redger. Also present were Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, City Clerk Amy Burton, Police Chief Taft Yates, Fire Chief Dustin Vine, and City Attorney Olavee Raub.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA
City Attorney Olavee Raub requested an executive session at the end of the meeting.
PUBLIC PRESENT
Myles Vine, Barbara Perkins, Cheryl Kinderknecht, Glen Keller, Nickole Byers, Brian Raub, and Gary Luea (arrived at 7:35 p.m.)
CONSENT AGENDA
Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to approve the consent agenda containing the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on September 5, 2017, Bills Ordinance #2029, and the August manual journal entries. Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion. The Council approved the consent agenda 6-0.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None
PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
None
SPECIAL ORDER
Fire: Grant
Fire Chief Dustin Vine announced the Dane G. Hansen Foundation has awarded the Department $35,000 to put towards the purchase of twenty SCBA air packs. Some of the current air packs are over 35 years old.
Chief Vine discussed the recent diesel spills at Love’s Travel Stop. He has met with the managers at both Love’s and Casey’s General Stores to discuss future hazmat calls.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Water Exploration: Special Project
Mayor David McDaniel announced that one bid has been received to survey the property of the potential water well sites. City Clerk Amy Burton added that three bids were solicited, with one company not responding, and one company declining to bid due to current workload. Driggs Design Group submitted a bid for $4,925 to perform the nine steps outlined in their bid document. It was the consensus of Council to table consideration of the bid to the next meeting in order to discuss with a representative.
Streets: Repair/Maintenance
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman reported that he and Buck Driggs, Driggs Design Group, have inspected the Dorrance Street Bridge for the reported settling concerns. The sidewalk has significant settling due to drainage; however, the driving surface does not appear to have major movement. Mr. Scheuerman stated the sidewalk will be elevated to properly re-route the drainage.
Museum: Contract
City Attorney Olavee Raub presented the initial drafts of the amended lease agreements with the Chrysler Museum and Railroad Museum. The drafts have not yet been reviewed by the respective Museum Boards. The revised agreements are the product of a joint meeting with City officials and the Museum Board presidents, and outlines procedures for repairs and improvements to the facilities.
NEW BUSINESS
General Government: Special Project
Cheryl Kinderknecht, representing the Tourism Committee, presented information about the Kansas Tourism Marketing Grant to help fund a new website for the City. Google also has a grant program available; however, the landing page must be a not-for-profit entity. The City would have to be a secondary link on the webpage. It was the consensus of the Council to continue to explore options on updating the City’s webpage.
REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
Public Works: Training
Council member Jolene Niernberger moved and Council member Bret Andries seconded a motion to allow Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman to attend the Kansas Association of Code Enforcement (KACE) conference in Mulvane on October 11th – 13th. The motion carried 6-0.
Sanitation: Special Project
The annual City-wide Cleanup will be October 4th. This will be held in conjunction with the Ellis High School Community Service Day on October 2nd.
Police
Police Chief Taft Yates discussed an issue with pedestrians climbing on the dam at Big Creek. Chief Yates would like to install signage warning pedestrians to stay off the dam or be charged with trespassing. City Attorney Olavee Raub stated the Police Chief has discretionary authority to place signs where he feels necessary, and may purchase the signs with the authority granted to him in the Purchasing Policy.
City Clerk
City Clerk Amy Burton presented the August Financial Statements consisting of the Statement of Accounts, Treasurer’s Report, and Security Deposit Worksheet.
The draft minutes from the Tourism Committee were reviewed.
Ms. Burton reminded Council of the League of Kansas Municipalities Regional Supper on October 4th in Hays.
Attorney
City Attorney Olavee Raub reported no changes in the pending code violation cases.
Mayor Update and Announcements
Mayor David McDaniel asked for the League Annual Conference attendees to provide a brief synopsis of the training attended at the next Council meeting.
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Mayor David McDaniel asked for a motion to recess into executive session at the request of the City Attorney. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved for City Council to recess into executive session for 20 minutes to discuss a potential claim against the City pursuant to the attorney-client privilege exception, K.S.A. 75-4319 (b)(2) with City Attorney Olavee Raub present. The open meeting will resume at 8:50 p.m. Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0. No action was taken in executive session.
POST EXECUTIVE SESSION
Council member Dena Patee moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to allow City Attorney Olavee Raub and Mayor David McDaniel to enter into a negotiation settlement on a potential claim. The motion carried 6-0.
ADJOURNMENT
Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved to adjourn the meeting. Council member Dena Patee seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:51 p.m.
