SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for aggravated battery.
On Monday, a male arrived by personal vehicle at a Topeka hospital suffering from stab wounds, according to Lt. Colleen Stuart.
The aggravated battery occurred in the 200 block of NE Grattan in Topeka between subjects known to one another.
An investigation was conducted and police arrested Michael E. Frison Jr., 49, Topeka and booked into Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges of aggravated battery and possession of marijuana.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A South Hutchinson woman who posted comments on Facebook falsely accusing a teacher of being a child predator has been convicted of harassment.
A magistrate judge in Reno County convicted 39-year-old Melissa Wadkins Monday of four misdemeanors. Wadkins was sentenced to 90 days on each count and a year’s probation.
The teacher targeted in the posts was providing foster care for Wadkins’ teenage son.
The charges accused Wadkins of posting two photos of the teacher on separate occasions, suggesting the woman was a predator.
During a bench trial earlier this year, the student testified that he thought the post was vindictive because he was happy at the teacher’s home.
Reno County Assistant District Attorney Dan Gilligan says the teacher’s school knew the allegations were baseless.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug charges.
Just after 9a.m. Monday, an investigation led to police search a camper owned by Gregory Wolfe at a home in the 1000 block of North 12th Street in Salina, according to Police Capt. Paul Forrester.
Officers found 5.8 grams of packaged methamphetamine, scales and other drug paraphernalia during the search.
Police arrested Wolfe and he is facing drug possession and distribution charges.
Name: Hirsch,Michelle Lee
Police also arrested 46-year-old Michelle Hirsch during the search. She was in possession of a personal use amount of meth and prescription pills.
WICHITA – Candidate for Governor Mark Hutton will be taking his campaign to northwest Kansas where he will meet with voters discussing a wide range of issues. He will be joined by Senator Rick Billinger and Representative Adam Smith on several of the scheduled stops.
The dates and locations listed below are the events open to the public and media.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
5:00pm – Plainville – Meet and Greet – VFW: 105 S Jefferson St.
6:30pm – Phillipsburg – Meet and Greet – Huck Boyd Community Center: 860 Park St. Thursday, December 21, 2017
8:00am – Norton – Meet and Greet – Sleep Inn: 201 E Holme St.
9:30am – Hill City – Meet and Greet – Frontier Stage: 305 E Main St.
11:00am – WaKeekeny – Meet and Greet – WaKeeney Public Library: 610 Russell Ave.
1:00pm – Quinter – Meet and Greet – Quinter City Hall: 202 Gove St.
2:30pm – Hoxie – Meet and Greet – Oscar’s of Hoxie: 845 Main St.
4:00pm – Oberlin – Meet and Greet – Golden Age Center: 217 N Penn Ave.
5:30pm – Atwood – Meet and Greet – Atwood Public Library: 102 S. 6th Street
7:00pm – St. Francis – Meet and Greet – Flatiron Restaurant: 105 A E Business US 36 Friday, December 22, 2017
8:00am – Goodland – Meet and Greet – Shiraz: 824 Old US Hwy 24
9:30am – Sharon Springs – Meet and Greet – Sharon Springs Public Library: 414 N. Main Street
1:00pm – Colby – Meet and Greet – Thomas County Extension Building: 350 S. Range Ave
2:30pm – Oakley – Meet and Greet – Buffalo Bill Cultural Center: 3083 US-83
Jolene Hoover, head of nutrition services at Lincoln Elementary School, was honored with the Best of the Best Award for staff for December.
Hoover has work at Lincoln for 36 1/2 years and will be retiring as of Wednesday.
Elaine Rohleder, Lincoln principal, and Jessica Younker, nutrition services director, nominated Hoover for the award.
As a parent, Rohleder would send her own children to Lincoln’s basement cafeteria for breakfast with Hoover.
“I knew Jolene would always be there to take care of them,” she said. “Just as every other parent at Lincoln school, I knew Jolene would be there with that smiling face and would be welcoming to them each and every day.”
There were mornings that Rohleder worked in the breakfast program and she saw there were mornings Hoover took time out of her busy schedule to help a student with a math problem or help a student who was struggling with homework.
“It shows you what kind of people work for USD 489,” Rohleder said. “Jolene is the first person they see in the morning. That smiling face welcomes them and helps them start their day on a positive note. She is the person they see in the middle of the day. And hopefully if they are having a bad day, she can help turn it around with a ‘Hello, how are you?’ because she knows all of their names.
“As the crossing guard on Fourth Street, she is the last person they see when they leave Lincoln school. She is always there to wish them, ‘Have a great night.’ She is there through the whole day, and I think that is a testament to her commitment to Lincoln Elementary School and our students.”
Younker said Hoover has been great to work with.
“I know every student who was walked through Lincoln Elementary School the last 36 years remembers her and appreciates the service she provided for them,” she said.
Hoover said she will miss the kids and the school.
CJ Denny, Hays Middle School student, was honored with the district’s student Best of the Best Award for December. He was nominated by science teacher Sherry Nelson and the middle school librarian Lynette Armstrong.
“I am CJ’s TA teacher at Hays Middle School, so he has been in my class for the last two and half years,” Nelson said. “During that time, I have never met a student who was so polite to absolutely anyone and everyone at the school whether they are staff or students. He goes out of his way to pay attention to the other students and TA, helps anybody as necessary. He is just in tune to their feelings and emotions.”
CJ walks all the way back to Nelson’s room every day after school to wish her a good afternoon.
“I am just tickled to get to know CJ,” she said. “He is just an incredible young man.”
Armstrong nominated CJ because he helped at the school book fair last month.
A mom came in to find a book for her son. After a lot of searching, she found just the right book. When she came up to pay for the book, she did not have enough money to buy the book. Before any of the adults had time to react, CJ pulled his own money out of his pocket that he had brought to buy a book for himself and helped pay for the book.
The woman was a complete stranger to him. She was not the mother of one of his friends.
“He just saw a stranger in need and did not hesitate to help out in any way that he could ” Armstrong said. “I would have to say that some of us adults in the room were almost moved to tears by it. I am very honored that you guys accepted our nomination. I think he is a very deserving student. We are all better off at HMS to have him there every day with us.”
SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug and weapons charges.
Just after 8p.m. Monday, police stopped a gold Pontiac in the 1600 Block SW 21st Street in Topeka, according to Lt. Colleen Stuart.
During the course of the traffic investigation the driver identified as 26-year-old L’Rico L Faudell was confirmed to have a warrant for probation violation through another county.
He was taken into custody. A small caliber firearm, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were located inside the vehicle. Police also determined Faudell was a felon.
Police transported Faudell to the Department of Corrections on a warrant, possession of Methamphetamine with intent to sell and felon in possession of a firearm.
The Hays Middle School seventh grade girls basketball team recently wrapped up its season on Dec. 16 in Dodge City at the MSWAC tournament.
Both the A and B teams finished the season with a perfect 15-0 record and won the league championship.
The A team outscored their opponents by an average score of 38-8 and the B team outscored theirs by a margin of 41-5. The teams were coached by Len Melvin, Lorren Williams and Katie Leos.
Development Services of Northwest Kansas announced Tuesday the creation of an endowment in honor of Joey Weber.
Joseph “Joey” Weber, 36, was fatally shot by a Hays police officer Aug. 18, 2016, after grabbing the officer’s gun as the officer tried to take him into custody after a traffic stop. Weber was autistic and had been served by DSNWK since he was in high school.
Joey’s father, John, said he wanted Joey to be remembered as an honest and hard-working young man. Joey was John and his wife, Nancy’s, only son.
“We loved him with all of our heart. He meant the world to us,” John said.
Joey’s parents started intervention with a doctor in Hays when he was 3. He was speech delayed and frightened of loud noises and crowds. Joey, however, was very intelligent. John smiled as he recalled Joey’s ability to recall everyone’s birthdays, especially their ages.
He had a passion for tractors, combines and birds. He learned to spell by writing dinosaur names. He could rattle off all the specs on tractors and combines and could name any bird. Joey grew up in Oakley, but moved to Hays and lived independently in an apartment and worked at Pizza Hut.
Nancy and John Weber
“Joey was a cautious, but a very good driver, maybe too cautious at times,” his father said.
“Joey did not have a mean bone in his body,” John continued. “He was a very good worker and very contentious. We want Joey to be remembered for the honest man he was and the justice he stands for.”
“This is the greatest holiday gift that our family could receive,” John said of the endowment.
The Joey Weber Endowment is a permanent fund that will continuously support services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families in northwest Kansas.
“This is very close to them,” Jerry Michaud, president of DSNWK, said of the Webers. “Joey, as mentioned, impacted their lives clearly, and he is impacting lives today as we move forward. We are honored that you would work with DSNWK to establish this that carries on Joey’s impact and his desire for independence and having a full life. That goal and legacy can now carry on into the future. What a wonderful thing.”
The Weber family worked with State Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, to get a law passed dubbed “Joey’s Law,” which allows people with autism to have noted on their driver’s licenses and state ID cards that they have a cognitive disorder. There are also placards available similar to those for handicap individuals and a multi-color puzzle piece decal that can be placed on the lower left corner of a license plate.
John Weber said Tuesday he hoped through the endowment and Joey’s Law other families could be helped through Joey’s death.
Billinger was on hand in Hays for the endowment announcement Tuesday.
“The Joey Weber Endowment will give back to DSNWK every year in perpetuity to impact persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in northwest Kansas,” Billinger said. “I thank and congratulate those with the foresight to establish this endowment and the legacy it establishes to serve others in Joey’s memory.”
Billinger read a statement from Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer that said Joey’s Law will not only protect Kansans with autism but police officers.
“If officers know they are dealing with someone on the spectrum, they will be more adequately prepared to handle the situation in a manner that takes the needs of that individual into their consideration,” Colyer’s statement said.
Billinger said he did not know the exact number of people who have taken advantage of the new license designation, but he said he knows there has been significant interest in the new law.
DSNWK hopes to raise $100,000 for the endowment in 2018.
“Each of us aspire to a life that matters. Joey’s life mattered,” Michaud said. “And moving this forward is worthy of support.”
For more information about the Joey Weber Endowment and how to make a charitable estate gift, contact Allen Schmidt at 785-621-5327 or [email protected] You may also mail donations to DSNWK Attn: Director of Development, 2703 Hall St., Suite 10, Hays, KS 67601. Note the Joey Weber Endowment in the memo line. You may also give to DSNWK online at www.dsnwk.org.
DSNWK serves more than 500 individuals with intellectual disabilities in 18 northwest counties. Those include Ellis, Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, Rawlins, Rooks, Russell, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Trego and Wallace counties. There are service centers in Hays, Atwood, Hill City, Hoxie, Norton, Russell and Stockton.
It’s the final week for the Salvation Army Bells to ring to help those in need in Ellis County.
The Salvation Army Bells ring through Saturday from about 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. so there are plenty of opportunities for individuals, families and groups to participate before Christmas Eve.
To volunteer, contact Stacy Schulte at 785 259 0336 to schedule a time.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An audit has found that the largest school districts in Kansas have received millions in funding not allowed by state law.
The Kansas State Department of Education has given more than $45 million to the districts in just the past five years to help bus students to school. State auditors estimate Wichita’s district alone will get nearly $3 million more than legally allowed.
The audit report released last week found the department is distributing transportation funds to districts using a method repealed by lawmakers in the 1970s. The method results in districts with the highest population densities receiving more aid.
The report recommends the department remove the unauthorized aid beginning in the 2018-19 school year.
Department officials say they began making the payments decades ago after a request from lawmakers.
The United Way of Ellis County is nearing the end of its 2017 United Way Campaign and it has been a busy time starting with Community Kick-offs, Heroes in Action events, Dine-Out Days, Pumpkin Roll and Run, Power of the Purse Event, Night of Giving, Online Auction, parades, community mailings and the creation of the Wonder Women League.
Sherry Dryden, executive director and Nancy Jeter, campaign chairwoman both express being forever grateful to the many businesses, organizations, and individuals who have contributed to help make the campaign a success. However, the United Way is only at 70 percent of their goal and is asking for help.
The United Way makes a profound difference in the Ellis County Community by helping people during times of crisis. There are currently 13 United Way partner agencies that, with the help of the United Way, are able to create change through the valuable services they provide.
These services include assistance to those dealing with cancer, providing shelter for families in need of assistance, early intervention services for children, counseling, assistance for individuals with disabilities, providing mentors to at-risk children, and so much more.
As Jeter states, “I used to work at one of those partner agencies, and I can tell you first-hand that funding provided by the United Way enabled our agency to change thousands of young lives in a positive way through the years.”
The United Way has become so much more than just raising money for partner agencies.
The United Way also provides direct services such as having a free prescription discount card program with Family-Wize, strategic planning support to partner agencies, free BoardWalk training to all non-profits, grant review opportunities, directory of all services in Ellis County through www.elliscountykshelp.com, and the 211 Nationwide referral-program.
Sherry Dryden, United Way of Ellis County Executive Director
This year, 16 agencies have applied for $414,000 to help their agencies provide services. To help with the current short fall, the United Way has a fun community challenge.
The challenge is for every donation given to help reach the goal, a long piece of duct tape will be used to tape Dryden to a wall during the agency’s Business After Hours from 5 to 7 p.m Jan. 18 with the Chamber. If the campaign goal of $450,000 is met, then Nancy Jeter, campaign chairwoman, will get to put a pie in Dryden’s face after she is duct taped to the wall.
Come join them to see if they made goal. Just prior to the Business After Hours event, at 4 p.m. United Way will have a ribbon cutting for the new Wonder Women League and the announcement of its first project. This is a group of extraordinary women who are committed to inspire and empower women to affect change in the community.
Through the generosity of last year’s donors, the partner agencies were able to provide over 15,000 services to 8,000 people. The partner agencies are counting on the United Way so they can continue to do great things. Please open your heart and do what you can to help the United Way over the finish line. Everyone wins when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable, and when people are healthy. It does more than impact our community, it impacts all of us.To donate online, visit www.liveunited.us or stop by the United Way office at 205 E. 7th St., Suite 111.
Monday night crash in Saline County-photo courtesy Saline Co. Sheriff
SALINE COUNTY — A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Monday in Saline County.
A 2012 Ford Focus driven by Glenn Deines, 67, Smolan, was westbound on the 2600 Block of West Water Well Road and hit a cow, according to Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander
The animal escaped from a nearby electric fence and wandered into the road. “The cow’s owner Michael Wimer had to put the animal down before removing it from the scene,” said Melander. Deines was not seriously injured.
Melander said that deer-related accidents are on the decline in Saline County but as the with dry conditions electric fences become less effective at containing livestock.
