UPDATE: The school board unanimously approved the personnel transactions as part of the consent agenda Monday. Crough is the next football coach at Hays High School.
Former Great Bend and Andover head coach Tony Crough is set to become the next football coach at Hays High, pending approval from the USD 489 school board Monday.
Crough spent this past season as the defense coordinator and linebackers coach at Hutchinson Community College. Before that he served as head coach for one season at Andover leading the Trojans to a 6-4 record.
From 2013-15, Crough was a coach at Great Bend, serving as the defense coordinator under Bo Black for the 2013 season and then taking over the head coach for two seasons when Black was named the coach at Hays High. Great Bend finished 10-9 under Crough.
Crough played both football and baseball at Fort Hays State and was an all RMAC honorable mention selection at linebacker in 2003.
He was born in Salina and graduated from Garden City High in 1999.
Riley County Police arrested Sangala Stevens, 27, in March of 2016 for an alleged rape and other charges. He was sentenced for sexual battery, criminal restraint and aggravated battery, He is currently being held in the Hutchinson Correctional Facility.
RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating three additional cases of alleged rape in Manhattan and the Riley County.
On Friday, officers filed a report for aggravated kidnapping, rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated burglary in Ogden. Officers listed a 38-year-old woman as the victim and an unknown man as the suspect, according to Monday’s Riley County Police Activity Report.
On Saturday, police filed a report for rape involving an 18-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man known to the victim. Manhattan.
On Sunday, officers filed a report for rape involving a 25-year-old woman as the victim and a male known to her as the suspect.
In July Riley County authorities said the number of rapes reported in Manhattan and surrounding areas had doubled during the first quarter of this year compared with the same time last year.
Sixteen rapes were reported in the first quarter of 2017, up from eight in the same period in 2016.
Gov. Sam Brownback signed a welfare reform measure in 2015 that included lower lifetime limits on cash assistance for low-income Kansans. Since 2011 the state has reduced the lifetime limit for people in TANF. FILE PHOTO / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
A University of Kansas study supports the suspicions of lawmakers and advocates who believe there’s a link between additional restrictions on welfare benefits and an increase in foster care cases.
The researchers say their initial findings show that while Kansas was reducing the amount of time families could receive cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and increasing the requirements they needed to meet for that assistance, the number of child abuse and neglect cases went up. Abuse and neglect are the leading reasons why Kansas kids enter foster care.
“It’s remarkable. There is a mirror image,” said Donna Ginther, a KU economist and one of the study researchers. “As the Kansas TANF caseloads drop, the number of reports of abuse and neglect go up. And you see a similar relationship for foster care placements.”
The number of Kansas families receiving TANF has dropped from 14,321 in 2011 to 4,563 in March 2017.
Since Gov. Sam Brownback took office in 2011, lifetime limits for TANF recipients have been reduced three times:
While TANF caseloads decreased, the KU researchers noted a jump in the number of TANF applications that were denied beginning in 2011.
Gina Meier-Hummel, newly appointed secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, addressed the study when its impending release came up during a child welfare task force meeting earlier this week. She said the agency’s numbers don’t signal a relationship between the more restrictive welfare policies and the increase in foster care cases.
“We’re going to continue to have conversations about the policies and make sure we’ve got everything right,” she said. “We obviously think we have the policy right, but we’ll continue to look at that.”
Sandra Kimmons, DCF director of economic and employment services, said the agency’s records from 2010 to 2016 indicate a steady percentage of families who left TANF and saw their kids enter foster care in the next 12 months.
Michelle Johnson-Motoyama, a professor of social welfare at KU and another of the study’s researchers, said the KU research differed from the data DCF cites. KU looked at the relationship between states that implemented stricter sanctions and the number of child abuse and foster care cases more broadly to understand the effect of TANF changes in Kansas, while DCF directly tracked the Kansas families who left TANF to see if they entered foster care.
For Rep. Linda Gallagher, a Lenexa Republican and a member of the child welfare task force, the preliminary results from KU offer evidence that she can take back to the Legislature as it considers improvements to a struggling foster care system. She said she intends to bring the KU researchers to testify before the task force and hopes to use the study’s findings to begin reversing some of the HOPE Act 2.0 provisions.
“I didn’t vote for the HOPE Act in the first place, so I welcome anything we can do to roll back aspects of it,” Gallagher said.
However, even with more moderates elected to the Legislature since HOPE 2.0 was approved in 2016, Gallagher said it will likely be an incremental process. She’d like to start by reducing the work requirements for women after they give birth, but ultimately hopes to see a lifting of the two-year lifetime limit.
“We’re going to have to be strategic in going for change that is achievable,” she said.
The Hays USD 489 school board will take up a revised agreement tonight that would create a program that would help teachers earn their master’s degrees.
Some board members at last week’s board meeting said they did not think the program was restrictive enough.
A revised agreement stipulates that applicants to the program would have to be approved by the building and district administration. They would also have to be applying for a program “in a high needs area based on anticipated openings and lack of qualified applicants, as designated by the district. ”
Under the agreement, one-third of participant’s tuition would be paid for by the district, one-third would be paid for by Fort Hays State University and one-third would be paid for by the participant.
Board member Greg Schwartz also suggested the program stipulate a participant would have to work for the district for a certain number of years or have to pay back the district’s contribution to the program. That was not included in the revisions.
At 6 p.m. before the board meeting at Rockwell Administration Center, there will be a reception for outgoing board members Josh Waddell and Danielle Lang. The regular board meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.
Tragic train crash scene-photo courtesy Washington State Dpt of Transportation Traffic Cameras
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — The Latest on an Amtrak train derailment in Washington state (all times local):
Authorities say multiple people were killed when an Amtrak passenger train derailed onto Interstate 5 south of Seattle.
Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer says none of the fatalities were motorists who were in cars and trucks when the train came off the tracks on to I-5.
He says emergency responders are working to get survivors out and to area hospitals.
Authorities say the train derailed before 8 a.m. Monday, but no specifics were immediately available.
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9:16 a.m.
Authorities say several vehicles on Interstate 5 were struck by the falling train cars when an Amtrak train derailed south of Seattle, and “multiple motorists” were injured on the roadway.
No fatalities of motorists were reported.
All southbound lanes of I-5 were closed south of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and motorists were being warned to avoid the area.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s office says “injuries and casualties” were reported when the train derailed before 8 a.m. Monday, but no specifics were immediately available.
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9:01 a.m.
Chris Karnes was on the train Amtrak train that derailed south of Seattle, three or four cars back from the front.
Karnes told The Associated Press in a brief phone interview Monday morning that he was “not sure what got hit.”
He was unhurt and is now near the medical tents set up in a median area between north- and sound-bound Interstate 5, just south of DuPont, Washington.
Karnes said: “there are several cars that are hanging over the overpass,” Karnes.
The train derailed before 8 a.m. Monday. Authorities reported “injuries and casualties” but did not immediately have more information.
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8:37 a.m.
An Amtrak train derailed south of Seattle, and authorities say “injuries and casualties” were reported.
The train derailed about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Seattle before 8 a.m. Monday, spilling at least one train car on to busy Interstate 5.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s office says in a tweet that the train was heading south bound and that there were “injuries and casualties,” but no numbers were immediately available.
All southbound lanes of Interstate 5 were closed south of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and motorists were being warned to avoid the area.
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8:29 a.m.
An Amtrak train has derailed roughly 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Seattle, spilling cars onto a busy interstate.
The train derailed just before 8 a.m.
No other information was immediately available.
The train derailed just south of Tacoma, Washington.
Investigators on the scene of Monday’s shooting -photo courtesy KAKE
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking the public for help with the case.
Just after 2:30a.m. Monday, police responded to report of a shooting at a convenience store in the 700 Block of North Broadway, according to officer Charley Davidson.
A 26-year-old woman had come into the store asking for assistance after she was shot in the face, according to Davidson.
She was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening injury. Officers located a shooting scene at an apartment in the 600 Block of North Broadway. Police do not have a suspect in the case, according to Davidson.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Wichita Police.
THOMAS COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just after 8a.m. Monday in Thomas County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy pickup driven by Shelly Deeann Feldt, 23, Colby, was northbound on county road 11 sixteen miles south of Levant.
The pickup left the roadway to the right and the driver overcorrected to the left. He overcorrected back to the right and the pickup left the roadway and rolled into pasture on the left side of road.
Feldt and a passenger Tina Louise Johnson, 47, Colby, were transported to a hospital. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
Investigators on the scene of Sunday’s fatal plane crash -photo courtesy KY3 TV
BRANSON WEST, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say two people from Kansas have died in a small plane crash in southwest Missouri.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said in an email that the single-engine Piper Cherokee went down Sunday night in a pasture about one mile northwest of the Branson West Municipal Airport in Missouri.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader says the two people aboard the plane were killed. The man and woman were from Gardner, Kansas. Rader says they were meeting family in the Branson area. Their names weren’t immediately released.
Cory described the circumstances of the crash as “unknown.” She says the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
UPDATE: The suspect in the firearm discharge in Aggieville has been identified and located, according to Riley County Police. The investigation into possible charges continues. Police did not release name of the suspect.
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MANHATTAN – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking the public to help identify a person of interest.
Photo courtesy Riley County Police
Just after 1a.m. Sunday police reported a shooting occurred in Aggieville. Officers filed a report for criminal discharge of a firearm and disorderly conduct in at a business 1100 block of Moro Street in Manhattan
The Riley County Police Department released a video of the incident along with a photo and want help to identify the man they say is a person of interest in their investigation. There were no injuries.
Any witnesses or persons who can identify the man is asked to call the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify for you for a reward of up to $1,000.00.
Doris A. Robl, 90, passed away Friday, December 15, 2017 in Wichita. She was born second of twelve children on March 19, 1927 in Hays to Dan and Hilda (Weigel) Leiker.
Doris married Leonard Robl in Bushton, KS on June 15, 1948. Before moving to Wichita, Doris and Leonard spent the last ten years in Ellsworth having moved from the Claflin area where Doris was a homemaker and teacher. She was a member of the St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Ellsworth and the Catholic Altar Society. She was also an RCIA instructor.
Doris is survived by her sons, Terry Robl (Shirley) of Ellsworth and Steve Robl (Vera) of Wichita; daughter, Diane Robl (Peggy) of Louisville, KY; sons, Jim Robl (Maureen) of Sioux Falls, SD and Paul Robl (Ceilly) of Bailey, CO; daughters, Denise Guy (JT) of Abilene, Deanna Daniels of Wichita, and Darcie Green (Bryan) of Wichita; 20 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and five brothers and sisters. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard; two daughters, Dana and Danette; and six brothers and sisters.
Visitation: 6-7 p.m., Monday, December 18, 2017 at Parsons Funeral Home, Ellsworth. Vigil and rosary service at 7:00 p.m.
Funeral mass: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Ellsworth with burial following in Pleasant View Cemetery, Claflin.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Bernard’s Catholic Parish, c/o, Parsons Funeral Home, PO Box 45, Ellsworth, KS 67439.
First responders at the scene of the fatal accident-photo courtesy Natalie Davis KCTV
KANSAS CITY (AP) – Authorities say one person has been killed and two others seriously injured in a head-on crash with a church van in Kansas City.
Police say the wreck happened Sunday morning when the driver of a Kia crossed into oncoming traffic and struck the van. The Kansas City Star reports that the Kia’s driver was pronounced dead at the scene, but the person’s name wasn’t immediately released.
Police say the driver of the van and one passenger suffered serious injuries. Two other van passengers were treated for minor injuries.
It wasn’t immediately clear why the Kia veered into the opposite lane.
VICTORIA — The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1751 in Victoria is asking for help in paying for a new air conditioning unit that had to be replaced earlier this year. The VFW building in Victoria has been a multi-purpose use building for many years and has been used for meetings, funeral dinners, Christmas parties, high school proms and voting, just to name a few.
At the end of the summer, the air conditioning unit burned up on the inside and rendered the unit unusable. Due to the fact that the unit was used for AC and heating, and the unit had to be replaced immediately and cost more than $14,000.
“The unit basically runs the heat and air so you cannot just replace the air conditioning, you have to replace both,” Quartermaster Harland Rupp said. “We borrowed money and put a new unit on right away. We have been receiving donations, but we still need some more to pay it off completely.”
Having to borrow money put the VFW in a considerable financial hole and monetary donations would help the organization and building that are so important to the community of Victoria.
“The building is basically the community center for all functions and that is why it is so important for us to keep it,” Rupp said. “We are a very small VFW, but we cannot afford to lose it because the community relies on it.”
If you would like to make monetary donations, send your money to VFW 1751 Quartermaster Harland Rupp, 204 E. Main St., Victoria, KS.
For more information, the VFW can be reached at (785) 735-9218.
Travis Lee Smith, 27, passed away on December 13, 2017 3/10 mile North of Hwy K-96 on X Rd east of Ness City, Kansas. He was born on June 03, 1990 in Hays, Kansas the son of Jeff and Jennifer (Moore) Smith.
He was a Roustabout.
Survivors include his parents; grandparents, Delroy and Avis Moore; his aunt, Mary (Fred) Erb of Longmont, Colorado; his uncle, Shannon (Jeanette) Moore; sister, Brittany (Nick Snodgrass) Smith; nieces, Nickole and Hannah Snodgrass; his dog, Blue all of Ness City. He was preceded in death by his Grandfather, Hobart Smith; and his Grandmother, Colleen Smith.
Funeral service will be on Wednesday, December 20, 2017, 10:00 AM, at the Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City, Kansas. Burial in the Ness City Cemetery, Ness City, Kansas. Friends may call at Fitzgerald Funeral Home on Tuesday December 19, 2017 from 9:00a.m.–8:00p.m., with the family present from 6:00-8:00p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Nickole and Hannah Snodgrass Educational Fund in Ness City, Kansas.
