FINNEY COUNTY — A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Friday in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford F150 driven by Joshua Lewis, 33, Dighton, was southbound on U.S. 83 fifteen miles south of Scott City.

The pickup rear-ended a USD 466 Scott County Community school bus driven by Cozetta J. Yeager, 22, Scott City, that was slowing to make a left turn.

Lewis was transported to Hays Medical Center. Yeager was not injured. There were no students on the bus.

Lewis was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Forecasters are calling for significant storms to sweep across the state this evening, possibly producing strong winds, large hail and the threat of tornadoes.

The National Weather Service said the initial thunderstorms are expected to arrive in the Hays area between 5 and 8 p.m., just as Friday night football games across the region are kicking off.

“You couldn’t ask for a worse time,” said Aaron Johnson, NWS meteorologist based in Dodge City.

RELATED: Ellis moves up start time for Friday night football game.
RELATED: TMP-Oakley game postponed.

Johnson said the initial storms will begin to develop near Garden City and points west between 2 and 3 p.m. and expanding northeast.

The Hays area is expected to be impacted between 5 and 6 p.m., with the line of storms moving from about the WaKeeney area to the east.

The NWS weather outlook warned of wind gusts over 60 mph.

“Farther northwest, Colby, Goodland, they might not see much at all,” Johnson said.

Ellis High School has already announced the start time for Friday’s game has been moved to 6 p.m. Thomas More Prep-Marian’s game against Oakley has been postponed until Saturday. As of 9:30 a.m. Friday, no other schedule changes had been announced, but that is expected to change as more information about the timing of the storms becomes available. Check Hays Post for more as details are shared by schools.

By the time final scores start rolling in from games, Hays should be in the clear, he added, noting the storms should be out of the area by about 9 p.m.

Behind the line of storms will be cool, dry air, which will bring weekend temperatures down. The high on Friday is expected to be in the low-80s, while Saturday that high “will struggle to get into the low-70s.”

On Monday, however, a significant cooldown will arrive, with a high temperature projected only in the upper-50s.

SHERIDAN COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on numerous charges after a Thursday night chase and Friday morning arrest.
Just after 10:30p.m. Thursday, an officer with the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office attempted to make a traffic stop on a 1994 Ford Explorer for a stop sign violation in Selden.

After the officer initiated his emergency lights and sirens, the vehicle sped away at a high rate of speed. The chase traveled into southern Decatur County and then back into Sheridan County, according to a social media report.

Once the vehicle made it back into Selden, the suspect drove to residence in Selden where he had living.
The suspect then turned his vehicle into the officer’s patrol vehicle. The officer gave orders for the suspect to get out of the vehicle.

The suspect ignored these orders, backed his vehicle away from the officer and then revved his motor towards the officer.

The officer then fired four (4) rounds at the suspect vehicle. A short pursuit ensued again for a couple of blocks, where the suspect wrecked the vehicle and then fled on foot.
Officers from the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol, Hoxie Police Department,

Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, and Decatur County Sheriff’s Office established a perimeter and searched numerous areas within Selden.

Just after 4a.m. the Sheridan County Communication Center received information that the suspect was at a residence on Main Street in Selden.
After officers with the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office arrived, they established a perimeter, entry was made into the residence. The suspect once again did not comply with orders and an officer deployed his Taser. The suspect was placed under arrest without further incident. Police reported no injuries.

The suspect is being held at the Sheridan County Jail pending formal charges and the investigation is ongoing. Police did not release the name of the suspect.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The 45th annual Oktoberfest will kick off at 8:30 a.m. Friday at Municipal Park, Fourth and Main streets, with friends, food and beer.

The Volga German Association Centennial Association of Ellis and Rush Counties has organized 44 vendors, even more than last year.

Most of the vendors will be serving food for the annual event that honors the community’s Volga-German heritage. There is no admission cost.

Between 8,000 and 15,000 people are anticipated at the event.

Some of this year’s foods will include many of the community’s German favorites along with such oddities as chocolate-dipped bacon and bacon-wrapped potato tots.

Other cultural groups will participate including the FHSU Chinese Student Group; African student group, which will serve a twist on bierocks; Hispanic students, who will be serving walking tacos; and the Black Student Union, which will be serving fried chicken and cornbread.

NCK Tech will have its drive-through for food again this year. Customers can call 785-625-2437 or 785-301-2309 to place orders. Also connect with Oktoberfest Hays on Facebook.

The beer bands will cost $2 again this year and will be available between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when beer sales close.

Both American beers and Defiance Brewing Co. craft beers will be available.

This year, the woman of the community have requested a non-beer option, which will be Mike’s Hard Blood Orange.

There will be history re-enactors offered by the Hays Community Theatre. This will include such characters as Catherine the Great and a Volga-German farmer. The Hays Community Theatre will also present Wild West shootouts.

German educational opportunities will occur throughout the day coupled with German music and polka dancing.

The event will have a sauerkraut-making demonstration as well as actresses demonstrating early female settlers’ work.

Nick Werth, whose family helped create the festival, said the event serves as a means for many nonprofits to raise money and a place for people to visit and come together.

“A lot of people only come back for Oktoberfest and homecoming,” Werth said.

There is no designated parking for the event, expect for the parking lot next to the shelterhouse, which is for handicap only.

The Volga German Association provides a scholarship for students of Volga-German decent. The group is working to develop a similar scholarship for NCK Tech.

Any additional money raised through Oktoberfest is dedicated to help Volga German communities and churches in case of disaster.

Oktoberfest 2017 Schedule

• 8:30 – Oktoberfest grounds open to public
• 8:30-noon – Face painting
• 9 a.m. – Vendor booths open
• 9-9:30 a.m. Hays Community Theatre performance
• 10-1 p.m. Joe Dolezal and Galen Schmidtberger
• 10 a.m. – Beer banding booths open
• 11 a.m. – Opening Ceremonies
  • MC Mike Cooper
  • National Anthem by Jackie Maxwell
  • Invocation by Father Josh Werth
  • Welcome by Nick Werth
  • Volga German Welcome Tom Haas
  • FHSU Welcome Interim President Dr. Andy Tompkins
  • FHSU Alma Mater Dr. Terry Crull
  • FHSU German students
  • NCK Tech President on stage and possibly welcome speech
  • Ellis County Historical Society Welcome Lee Dobratz
  • Sunflower Chapter of AHSGR Welcome Kevin Rupp/Janel Moore
  • Catherine the Great Welcome – Cheryl Glassman
  • Award presented by Nick Werth
    • Northwest Printers
    • Midwest Energy
  • City of Hays Welcome by Mayor Shaun Musil and tapping of the keg
  • Beer Song by Joe Dolezal Band
  • Ringing of the Bell by Nick Werth
  • Oktoberfest is officially open
• 1-1:30 p.m. – HCT reenactors
• 1:30-4 p.m. – Ron Werth Band
• 4 pm – Hays Community Theatre performance
• 4:30-6:30 p.m. – Ron Werth
• 6 p.m. – Beer Banding booths close
• 6 p.m. – Beer sales end
• 7 p.m. – Oktoberfest officially closed until Sept. 28, 2018

NCK Tech is the signature sponsor for this year’s event. The beer tavern is sponsored by EnerSys. Other sponsors include the Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau, Golden Belt Bank, Uber, Cedar Lodge Dental, JD’s Country Style Chicken and Jeff Pinkney, CPA. In-kind sponsors include John’s Fencing Services, Nate’s Liquor, BOS Motorsports, Carrico Implement, Copper’s Carts, Northwest Printers, Hays Professional Fire Equipment, Budweiser, Coors, RD Graphics, Defiance Brewing Co., Nex-Tech, Emily Knowles Designs, Orscheln, Hadley Center, Western Extralite and Ralph’s Electric. Cash and in-kind donors are B & B Taxi and Taco Shop.