First responders on the scene during the prison disturbance and fire in Norton Tuesday night-photo courtesy KWCH
JOHN HANNA, Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ top prison official says protests outside the walls are helping to fuel unrest in state prisons by inspiring inmates to use mass demonstrations to air grievances.
Corrections Secretary Joe Norwood said in an Associated Press interview that he doesn’t see any other connection between a recent uprising at the Norton Correctional Facility in northwestern Kansas and past disturbances at the maximum-security prison in El Dorado.
Norwood said Tuesday night’s riot in Norton appeared to be spontaneous. Inmates set small fires, smashed windows, threw rocks and were told they could face lethal force.
He said political protests seem to be more common outside of prison and inmates who have some access to television are noticing.
But some lawmakers said inmate transfers or increased double-bunking are contributing to the unrest.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.
In the House
North Korea
This week, I attended a classified briefing with Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Mattis, General Dunford and Director Coats on the developing situation in North Korea.
Though I can’t divulge details, I am encouraged by what General Mattis calls the administration’s “peaceful pressure campaign.” This administration is committed to exhausting all diplomatic options, but they also know we cannot continue to kick the can down the road. That’s why Congress has recently passed tougher sanctions on North Korea, and why this administration is hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.
Mainly, I want you to know that our defense and intelligence communities, along with Congress and the White House are keeping this very much at the front of mind as we work in D.C., and that we are committed to resolutions that protect our country, our territory and allies in the region.
Heartbeat Hero
Heartbeat Hero Award
I was honored to receive the Heartbeat Hero award from Faith2Action (shown right) for my sponsorship of H.R. 490, the Heatbeat Protection Act of 2017. As an OB/GYN, protecting the unborn has been my life’s work, and I am proud to continue it in Congress.
Statement on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
The young people covered by DACA are not just a statistic on a DHS report. These are friends of my children, brothers and sisters of babies I’ve delivered, and members of my community. They didn’t put themselves in this position, and my heart goes out to them.
The United States is in this position due to the unilateral approach the previous administration took toward enacting DACA. It is because of that one-sided approach that we now have uncertainty and inconsistency throughout the entire immigration system. Consistency should be the hallmark of American governance.
Our resources, especially as they pertain to deportation, must remain focused on getting rid of bad people who present a danger to the American citizen not a young person who is here simply due to circumstance. To date, 787,000 young people have legally registered with the U.S. government, and showed their willingness to follow our laws. We cannot allow that information to now be used against them in reverse order.
We are having these conversations now in Congress. Just a month ago, a Democrat colleague of mine and I got a bipartisan group of freshmen Members of Congress in a room to discuss what we can do to move forward on bipartisan, thoughtful solutions to the crises many communities and families are now facing.
Congress must use legal, legislative avenues to figure out how to help these young people, so long as they follow our laws. My priorities on this issue have always been, and will remain, to secure the border and help develop a workable visa for our farmers and producers back home. We must do right by them, by these young people and the safety of the American public.
As always, if you have any questions, concerns or know of ways my office can be of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us.
“Supervising with Confidence” will be the second of four fall workshops offered by the Management Development Center at Fort Hays State University.
“Supervising” will be from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, in the Memorial Union’s Trails Room on the Fort Hays State campus. Dr. Seth Kastle, assistant professor of leadership studies, and Sabrina William, director of the Management Development Center, will facilitate.
This full-day workshop will provide participants with a unique combination of theory and experiential learning tools and will focus on five fundamental supervisory skills: guiding the work; organizing the work; developing staff; managing performance; and managing relations.
Participants are taught a framework for developing supervisory skills using a learning instrument, a hands-on game, and small-group activities.
Each person who completes a workshop will receive a completion certificate.
The cost for “Supervising with Confidence” is $219. The workshop includes a complementary lunch.
The MDC at Fort Hays State University is recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to offer professional development credits for SHRM Certified Professionals or SHRM Senior Certified Professionals. These programs are valid for PDCs for the CP or SCP credentials. For more information about certification or recertification, visit shrmcertification.org.
The highlight of this week’s Hays City Commission meeting was a discussion of the City’s need to recruit new businesses to the area and the best ways to do that. In all of the discussion, only Vice-Mayor Meier identified the true problem when he asked what the city can do to grow from 20,000 to 25,000, with Commissioner Jones’ striking at the heart of the issue – noting the unreasonably high housing prices in Hays.
One of the largest limiting factors to our growth is the lack of affordable housing in Hays. When it costs more to buy a home here than in most metropolitan areas in Kansas, we will continue to lose people, and we miss more business opportunities due to the lack of available workers than to any other factor. Ask almost any Hays business owner, and one of their largest struggles is hiring competent help. We need more people, but they need places to live.
The City needs to work toward increasing the supply of moderately priced houses in Hays, which would in turn normalize the prices of our existing homes. Neighborhood revitalization can help to an extent, but it will hardly make a dent in the problem. Hays developers are required to pay 100% of the cost of infrastructure in new developments, and that cost can only be recouped by building huge, expensive houses. However, if the City were to partner with developers on building homes to sell under $175,000 by providing the infrastructure within those developments (and perhaps limiting rentals for 10-15 years), we could make strides toward achieving real growth.
If we want to make progress on these issues, we need to identify the real problems facing our City, which a new T.J. Maxx or filling Big Creek Crossing won’t solve. We need people, and they need homes.
Alvin Fred Schugart, age 88, passed away on Friday, September 8, 2017 at his home near Bazine. He was born on August 29, 1929 in Great Bend, Kansas the son of William Fred and Velma Hlavaty Schugart.
Alvin was a farmer and stockman. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force having served in Alaska during the Korean War. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Church, Ness County Historical Society and the Ness County Amusement Company, Vice President of the Leisure Years all of Ness City, the Knights of Columbus, Olmitz, the American Legion Riders and American Legion Olin Cole Post 392 and the Volunteer Fire Department all of Bazine.
On May 22, 1957 he married Dolores Boor in Odin, Kansas. She preceded him in death on December 12, 2012.
He is survived by his son Jim Schugart and wife, Kim, Bazine; his daughter, Carol Pfannenstiel and husband, Eric; four sisters, Sister Anita Schugart, Great Bend, Joyce Irwin (Robert), Englewood, Colorado, Marilyn Grover, Olathe, and Marge Widen, Concordia; two step-grandchildren and four step-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and wife.
Funeral service will be at the Sacred Heart Church, Ness City on Monday, September 11, 2017, 11:00 a.m. with burial in the Bazine Cemetery. Rosary followed by Parish Vigil will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 10 at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City. The family will be present prior to the service. Friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Contributions may be given in lieu of flowers to the Bazine American Legion, Bazine Fire Department, Ness City Leisure Years or the Ness County Historical Society.
Ralph A. Werth Jr., 67, Russell, died Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at the Hays Medical Center.
He was born January 9, 1950 in Hays, Kansas the second oldest son of sixteen children born to Ralph J. Werth, Sr. and Martina (Spies) Werth. He attended Hays High School and at age of 18 chose to join the U.S. Navy where he served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. Ralph worked as a groundskeeper at Fort Hays State University and also as a roofer for KTHOL Roofing. He enjoyed fishing, drinking a cold Pepsi, which always tasted better when shared with his friends and family, and playing Bingo and especially loved winning the prizes. He cherished his collection of rosaries and prayed them for loved ones. Ralph had a beautiful singing voice and a gift for playing the guitar.
Survivors include his mother Martina, Hays, six brothers; Vincent Werth, Sr. and wife Helen of Munjor, Stephen Werth and wife Joyce of Schoenchen, Bernie Werth and wife Lona of Hays, Andy Werth of Hays, Loran Werth and wife Kay of Hays, and Darrell Werth and wife Jodie of Olathe, eight sisters; Patty Stull and husband Rich Sieker of Hays, Bridget Stenzel and husband Lyle of Ness City, Marina Shauers of Wichita, Regina Hutchison of Hays, Donnetta Pfeifer and husband Terry of Hays, Geralyn Werth and husband Ernie of Schoenchen, Jacqueline Schneider and husband Mark of Cabot, Arkansas, and Tina Unrein of Olathe, and numerous nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, a brother; Ivan Werth, a sister-in-law; Pam Werth, nieces; Wendy Stull and Trina Shauers, a nephew; Jeremy Dietz, and a great nephew; Triston Werth.
Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 9, 2017 at St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church, 2901 E. 13th Street, Hays. Burial with military honors by the Hays VFW Post 9076 will follow in the St. Anthony Cemetery in Schoenchen. Visitation will be from 4:00 pm until 8:00 on Friday and from 9:00 am until 9:45 on Saturday, all at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street. A parish vigil service and rosary will be at 6:30 pm on Friday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Wheatland Nursing Center, masses, St. Anthony Cemetery, or St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com
Kay Francis Powers was born to William “Russ” Russell Fuller and Sylvia Francis (Kleinhample) Fuller on April 4th 1954 in Revana, Ohio. She passed away at her home in WaKeeney, Kansas at the age of 63 on August 28th 2017.
When Kay was one year old, the family moved to Reseda, California where Kay was raised with her two siblings. Kay went on to become a nurse, and was working at Tarzan Hospital where she met Jay Powers. They were united in marriage on August 19, 1976. They were together for many years having one daughter, Heather. They divorced in 1991 but still were very close, and spent every special occasion together as a family. In 1993, Kay met the love of her life, Doug Norris, and they were together until Doug passed away on October 5, 2015. Kay was heartbroken and longed to be with her family. She spent every day with her daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. As a matter of fact, the night before Kay left this world to be with those in Heaven, she had a wonderful family outing at the lake where they fished, had a hot dog and marshmallow roast. She was very happy.
Kay will be greatly missed; she touched many people’s lives. Some of them that are left here to mourn her passing are her daughter, Heather and husband, Jesse, and their children, Sylvia and Kathy; son, Chris; brother, David and wife Judy; cousin, Eddie and husband Zane; and nieces, Holly and husband Dave, Lowanna and husband BJ, Jessica and husband Matt, Tiffany and husband Wyeth; one Nephew Robert Simonson; as well as many great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Jay Powers and Doug Norris; her parents, William “Russ” and Syvia (Kleinhample) Fuller; and a sister, Kathy (Fuller) Sandstoe.
Kay will be forever missed and forever in our hearts.
Memorial service will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 16, 2017 at Schmitt Funeral Home, WaKeeney. There will be no visitation as cremation was chosen.
Memorial contributions are suggested to Walk-A-Thon for Health or Humane Society of the High Plains. Donations to the fund may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 North 12th, WaKeeney, KS 67672.
Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.schmittfuneral.com.
KANSAS CITY— (AP) — A Kansas City librarian has been found not guilty of charges he faced after he tried to stop the arrest of a library patron during a public forum.
A municipal court judge on Friday found Steve Woolfolk not guilty of obstruction, interfering with an arrest and assaulting a police officer.
The Kansas City Star reports Woolfolk was charged after a May 2016 confrontation at Kansas City library lecture by Middle East expert and diplomat Dennis Ross. Woolfolk intervened when off-duty police and private guards arrested Jeremy Rothe-Kushel of Lawrence, who was trying to ask Ross several questions.
Library executive director R. Crosby Kemper III publicly criticized the arrest. The library and Woolfolk received national awards for his stance.
City prosecutors had earlier dropped trespassing and resisting arrest charges against Rothe-Kushel.
Merton Ikenberry, second son of Wilmer and Mazie Ikenberry, was born at home in Quinter, Kansas on July 7, 1932. He passed away, August 30, 2017 at Gove County Medical Center, Long Term Care, Quinter. Mert was 85 years of age.
His love for farming began on the family farm in Quinter, and he continued that as his life’s occupation. He attended school in Quinter, fell in love with Eugenia Roesch, were married in June, 1952, and spent two years in the Army in Germany in 1954 to 1956. Mert raised wheat, alfalfa, corn and sorghum feed while feeding as many as two thousand head of cattle.
Mert was an avid hunter. He traveled worldwide in search of trophy game. He accomplished the Grand Slam bagging the four subspecies of sheep from Mexico to British Columbia as well as numerous African game. However, equally satisfying was winning the National Championship, Open Pointing Division competition, with his German Shorthair, Bess.
Mert cared about Quinter. He was proud of his role with Irvin Wolf in helping form the Jay Johnson Memorial Library and the Dairy Queen (Texaco, now Alta).
Mert is survived by his wife, Eugenia; three sons, Tracy (wife Alice) of Richland, Washington, Lane of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Troy of Quinter; two brothers, Wesley (Judy) of Portland, Oregon, and Larry (Rachel) of Olympia, Washington; three grandchildren, Emily (Brian) Garrett of Salina, KS, Myles Ikenberry of Portland Oregon, Lauren Ikenberry of Salem, Oregon; and five great-grandchildren.
A family hosted memorial service will be 2:00 p.m., Thursday, September 14, 2017 at the Quinter Church of the Brethren. A reception and visitation will be immediately following in the fellowship hall.
There will be no visitation as cremation was chosen.
Memorial contributions are suggested to Church of the Brethren or Hospice Services, Inc., sent in care of Eugenia Ikenberry, 714 Castle Rock St., Quinter, KS 67752.
Condolences may be left for the family online at www.schmittfuneral.com.
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Cardiologist Dr. Byungsoo Ko, MD; from the DeBakey Heart Institute at HaysMed, by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
DOUGLAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident. Just before 5a.m., Saturday, first responders were dispatched to Kansas 10 at County Road 1057 after report of a vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department.
Eastbound K10 near CR1057 down to 1 traffic lane due to pedestrian being hit and killed by vehicle. Law enforcement still on scene.
Traffic was closed to one lane until almost 9 a.m. as a result of the crash. The Kansas Highway Patrol has not released the name of the victim or details of the crash.
Walking through the halls, a few more streaks of Maroon and Gold may have been apparent.
Thanks to S.A.P. for creating not only one, but two styles of hoodies in Hays High’s maroon and gold spirit colors, students have been representing not only our school but the rapidly growing, non-profit organization called the Scott Alan Project.
According to their website, the project aims to bring attention to the epidemic of depression and suicide and in turn prevent it from happening.
The S.A.P. crew, alumni students Chance Pitcock and Eric Stumon, had an interest to release the hoodies for high school students for the same reason they design hoodies for colleges. The colleges, mainly Fort Hays for now, are big followers of the organization. After realizing how much support teenagers give them, they decided to create hoodies for their former high school, Hays High.
Only 36 hours after dropping the HHS hoodies, the custom pieces were sold out.
S.A.P.’s future only calls for many more blowouts like this to occur. Both founders said, “The sky is our limit.”
The next place they plan to “pop up” at is at their annual event “Come As You Are” at 7:00 p.m. on Sep. 10. (World Suicide Day) in Manhattan, Kan. They will be dropping their upcoming season’s line and having guest speaker, Kevin Hines, talk about his journey. If you are interested in attending the event, come as you are and keep in mind, “Everyone is welcome.”
“Live life entirely is a lifestyle us all in the world should preach every day,” Stumon said. “Because that’s all we really have here; a life.”
To get more involved or find out more about the Scott Alan Project, visit their website at www.scottalanproject.com and/or follow them on their twitter page: @scottalnproject.
Click here for more about the origin of S.A.P. and last year’s fundraiser in Hays.
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Urging from his aunt and uncle convinced Brad DeMers to check out Fort Hays State University for his postsecondary education.
The opportunity to major in organizational leadership intrigued DeMers.
The chance to live in a brand new residence hall with students who shared his same interests cemented his decision.
DeMers, a native of tiny Osceola, Neb. (population 843) was one of the speakers who spoke highly of the new 406-bed Victor E. Village Thursday afternoon at a dedication ceremony for the building. He is part of the “L3: Live. Learn. Lead.” learning community.
A learning community is a group of up to 28 first-year students who share common interests, take classes together, live on the same floor and participate in activities together throughout the year. Students who are part of the learning communities make up the majority of the new building.
“This dorm is amazing, and it’s improving every day,” DeMers said. “I speak on behalf of all the students when saying thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this building amazing.”
“The addition of Victor E. Village to our suite of residence halls provides us with a first-class facility for our growing freshman living and learning communities,” said Dr. Joey Linn, vice president for student affairs.
Thursday marked the second dedication of a new residence hall in as many years. Right next door is the Dane G. Hansen Scholarship Hall, home to 33 students who have a passion for entrepreneurship.
Next month, yet another new residence hall will be dedicated. The ceremony honoring Tiger Village, a 96-bed unit that houses three Greek organizations and a sophomore learning community, is scheduled for Homecoming weekend on Oct. 7.
But on Thursday, all the attention was on Victor E. Village. Even members of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors program were on hand for a ribbon cutting.
Victor E. Village replaces Wiest Hall, which is undergoing demolition southeast of the new building. The 110,000-square-foot, four-story Victor E. Village features both single- and double-occupancy rooms, with a central lounge in each community. Each level includes study rooms, private pod-style bathrooms and a kitchen. Other features include conference rooms, laundry facilities and a dining venue.
“This new residential facility represents a new era in living and learning at Fort Hays State University,” said Dr. Andy Tompkins, interim president at FHSU. “Not only is this a state-of-the-art residence hall with many amenities, but it is also organized to support student friendships and student interests. Our goal at Fort Hays State is to help students succeed at the university and then become successful, contributing citizens. We keep this goal in mind in all that we do, including the construction of new facilities.”
Linn said the addition of the two new villages on campus “aligns perfectly with our student success initiatives.”
“It reinforces our commitment to our students and gives them a home away from home,” he said, “that they can be proud of throughout their educational journey here at FHSU.”
Emily Brandt, FHSU student body president, said she was nervous about coming to college three years ago and living with a total stranger. However, her experience while living in Wiest Hall soon squelched those fears.
“Throughout the year, it was where I made lifelong friends and created some of my favorite memories,” said Brandt, a senior political science major from Beloit. “Living on campus is such an integral part of the on-campus college experience. Living with peers of different backgrounds, beliefs and values, students from different countries and states who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds and religions – it is a think tank of ideas and knowledge where creativity flourishes and civil discourse is had.”
DeMers is the nephew of Dr. Jeff and Joleen Briggs, who both work at FHSU. Jeff Briggs is interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Joleen Briggs is academic services administrator.
While DeMers admits he likes having relatives in his new town, he also feels right at home with his family in Victor E. Village. He already is part of the Residence Hall Council.
“I can already tell you that Year One of Victor E. Village will be the start of a new era here at Fort Hays State University, one that many students from across many states and countries will want to be part of,” said DeMers, who plans to get even more involved on campus.
“We are excited for our students as they become the first residents of this new facility,” Tompkins said, “and we look forward to the difference this facility will make in the lives of generations of students to come.”
DeMers said he was excited this summer as he awaited his move to Hays.
“I’ll tell you what, the wait was worth it,” he said. “With this new dorm comes brand new traditions, traditions that hopefully will stay for its lifetime, just like Wiest Hall had.”
Brandt agreed.
“Victor E. Village starts its legacy this year with its inaugural class of students,” she said. “Its history will be rich with stories and laughter for Tigers to come.”
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Cardiologist Dr. Byungsoo Ko, MD; from the DeBakey Heart Institute at HaysMed, by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
