Hays, Kansas – Caron A. Hecker, age 76, died Friday, December 8, 2017, at Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kansas.
Services are pending at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.
Month: December 2017
James R. ‘Jim’ Pivonka
The Janousek Funeral Home of La Crosse, Kansas, has announced funeral services for James R. “Jim” Pivonka, 88, Timken, Kansas, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, December 14, 2017, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Timken.
Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, Timken.
Hunt, defense spur Chiefs to victory over Raiders
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kareem Hunt ran for 116 yards and a touchdown, the Chiefs shut down Derek Carr and Raiders offense and Kansas City held on to beat Oakland 26-15 on Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak.
The suddenly stingy Chiefs (7-6) also made a big statement in the crowded AFC West race. They entered the game tied atop the division standings with the Raiders (6-7) and the Chargers, who played Washington later Sunday and visit Kansas City on Saturday night.
Alex Smith threw for 268 yards and Charcandrick West had a touchdown run for the Chiefs, who held the Raiders without points until Marshawn Lynch’s 22-yard touchdown run with 8:51 to go.
By that point, the Chiefs were cruising toward their 14th win in 15 divisional games.
Carr was 24 of 41 for 211 yards with a touchdown and two picks, a far cry from his performance when the teams met in October. Carr threw for 417 yards and three touchdowns that day, including the winning toss to Michael Crabtree on the final play of the game.
That loss was part of a midseason swoon for Kansas City, which started 5-0 but lost six of seven to fall into a tie for the division lead — and put its once-solid playoff prospects in peril.
The Chiefs gave them a boost again Sunday behind a defense that was shredded by the New York Jets last week, and that was missing All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters.
The volatile young star was suspended by coach Andy Reid this week for a series of embarrassing incidents, including the throwing of an official’s flag into the stands in the Meadowlands.
The trio of Steven Nelson, Darrelle Revis and Terrance Mitchell more than made up for him.
So did Kansas City’s offense, which produced for the second straight week as offensive coordinator Matt Nagy called the plays. The Chiefs got four field goals from Harrison Butker, along with their two touchdown runs, and didn’t have to punt until the fourth quarter.
The Raiders tried to make it interesting late, recovering an onside kick after Lynch’s TD run. Carr connected with Jared Cook on fourth down for another score, and the 2-point conversion trimmed what had been a 26-0 deficit to 26-15 in a matter of minutes.
But after receiving the kickoff, the Chiefs’ Albert Wilson made a juggling catch to convert a third down, and that allowed the reigning AFC West champs to mostly run out the clock.
COOPER HURT
Raiders WR Amari Cooper was active after he was cleared of a concussion and a sprained left ankle was deemed OK. But he left in the second quarter with a right leg injury when he was blocking downfield on a run by DeAndre Washington, and a defender rolled into the back of him.
OTHER INJURIES
The Raiders also were missing two defensive starters in CB David Amerson (foot sprain) and LB Cory James (knee), while DE Mario Edwards Jr. (ankle) left early in the second quarter and TE Clive Walford went down in the fourth. The Chiefs missed starting C Mitch Morse with a sprained foot.
UP NEXT
Raiders: return home to face the Cowboys next Sunday night.
Chiefs: get another AFC West contender when the Chargers visit Saturday night.
Don Morris
Don Morris, age 67, of Hays, passed away Saturday, December 9, 2017 at the Good Samaritan Society, Hays.
Memorial services will be 2 PM Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601. Inurnment will follow in St. Joseph’s cemetery, Hays.
A memorial visitation will be 1 PM – 2 PM at the funeral chapel.
A complete obituary is pending.
Holder leads No. 16 Arizona State to upset over No. 2 Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Tra Holder scored 29 points on 8-for-16 shooting, and No. 16 Arizona State pulled off a 95-85 upset of No. 2 Kansas on Sunday.
Shannon Evans II had 22 points and Remy Martin added 21 for the Sun Devils (9-0), who marched into Allen Fieldhouse and overpowered the Jayhawks (7-2). Arizona State shot 50 percent from 3-point range and 50.8 percent overall to hand Kansas its second straight loss.
After a slow start that forced coach Bobby Hurley to use a timeout less than two minutes into the game, Arizona State snapped back into it, trimming the deficit to just three points at halftime. The Sun Devils outscored the Jayhawks 58-42 in the second half.
It was another strong performance for Holder, who entered averaging 20.3 points per game. He had seven assists in addition to his 29 points.
Lagerald Vick led Kansas with 25 points, his fifth time eclipsing the 20-point mark this season. Devonte’ Graham added 19 points and eight assists.
Svi Mykhailiuk had an off day, going 3-for-14 from the field and not registering any of his 14 points until he hit a 3-pointer with 6 minutes left in the game. He had four turnovers and four fouls.
BIG PICTURE
Kansas lost consecutive games for the first time since December of 2013. Coach Bill Self will need to diagnose in a hurry what has gone wrong, with the start of conference play just three games away.
Arizona State picked up another marquee victory after knocking off No. 15 Xavier in late November. The Sun Devils are 9-0 for the first time since 1974-75 and look to be one of the top teams in the PAC-12.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Kansas will tumble further than already expected after falling to unranked Washington on Wednesday.
With another impressive win, Arizona State should continue its rise towards the top of the polls.
UP NEXT
Kansas heads north to face former Big 12 rival Nebraska on Saturday.
Arizona State hosts Vanderbilt next Sunday.
Hays Middle School Leadership Team meets for training
USD 489
The Hays Middle School Leadership Team met for the second time this year with Otis Bison Middle School students to continue their training on community leadership, spreading kindness, how to leave a lasting first impression and service learning.
The training was led by Joe Coles from Otis Bison.
Students in the Leadership Team are sponsored by Deena Clark and Donna Lubbers.
Hays man dies in Rush County pickup crash
RUSH COUNTY — A Hays man died in an accident in Rush County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Toyota Tacoma driven by Darin Alan Stiles, 51, was westbound on K4 one half mile east of La Crosse.
The truck hit the gravel shoulder on the north side of the road. The driver overcorrected. The vehicle entered the south ditch, overturned in the field and the driver was ejected.
Stiles was not wearing a seat belt. He pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Brocks North Hill Chapel. Exact time of crash is unknown at this time, according to the KHP.
Repairs on Walnut Street set to begin Monday
Beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, lanes will be reduced on Walnut between 20th and 23rd for concrete repairs. Both the northbound and southbound lanes will remain open but lanes will be narrowed. The repairs are estimated to be completed by Friday, Dec. 22, weather permitting.
Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public. The traveling public should use caution and avoid driving in the area if possible.
US flu season off to an early start; widespread in 7 states
NEW YORK (AP) — This year’s flu season is off to a quick start and so far it seems to be dominated by a nasty bug.
Health officials say the flu vaccine seems well matched to the viruses making people sick, but it’s too early to tell how bad this season will be. The main flu bug this season tends to cause more deaths and hospitalizations and vaccines tend not to work as well against this type.
Flu began picking up last month. By the end of last week, seven states reported widespread flu activity: Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Virginia.
Most flu seasons don’t really get going until around Christmas. That’s how last year’s flu season played out.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the latest data Friday.
HHS debate team finishes third in tournament
USD 489
The Hays High School debate team finished third at the Russell Debate Tournament on Dec. 3. The debate team is sponsored by teacher Codi Fenwick.
Kansas Wildlife And Parks magazine: The perfect gift
KDWPT
PRATT – Struggling to think of a unique and meaningful gift you can give this holiday season that’s within budget? Consider this your gift-buying “aha moment.” Wow family, friends and the outdoor enthusiasts in your life with a gift subscription to Kansas Wildlife And Parks Magazine.
Kansas Wildlife And Parks Magazine – Kansas’ premiere outdoor magazine for nearly 75 years – offers readers stunning wildlife photography, inspiring stories of the outdoors, hearty game recipes, helpful tips and tricks, the latest happenings in Kansas outdoor recreation, and more.
For just $12 for one year (six issues), $20 for two years (12 issues), or $29 for three years (18 issues), you can give a gift this holiday season that will last long into the New Year.
Are your friends and family already subscribers? Consider purchasing them a subscription to KANSAS! magazine – a quarterly publication of the Tourism Division of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Inside KANSAS! magazine, readers will find lists of the best places to eat and drink, dates of upcoming festivals and events not to be missed, and even learn about the people and places that make Kansas so special.
To subscribe to Kansas Wildlife And Parks Magazine, call (620) 672-5911 or visit ksoutdoors.com/Services/Publications/Magazine.
To subscribe to KANSAS! magazine, call (800) 678-6424 or visit www.travelks.com/ks-mag/subscribe/.
Cart paths set for repair at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays City Commission heard a report Thursday night on a bid to replace concrete on the Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course cart paths.
Jeff Boyle, parks director, is proposing concrete replacement for the back-nine cart paths. The current paths were installed in 1998.
Morgan Brothers Construction of La Crosse has submitted the low bid of $100,000. The repairs are being paid for through trail fees from all members and nonmembers who use their own carts on the paths.
Mayor Shaun Musil asked why staff was not doing the project.
“It is a continual process that we had so many projects going on that we can’t get enough people focused and concentrated on that job long enough to get it done, to be truthful about it,” Boyle said. “We have a lot of golfers who are concerned at this point that they are spending this money every year for cart path trail fees and not enough is getting done. That is why we are asking for this money.”
The work is anticipated to start in January and be completed by May 15.
Specific holes might have to be temporarily closed during construction, but Boyle said the complete back nine will not have to be closed while the work is being done. Players will be allowed to drive the fairway during the work.
Two smaller areas along hole 17 and the path back to the cart shed will still need to be repaired and will be done as the funds become available.
First Amendment: Two wrongs do not make a ‘right’ — but they can misuse one
But two wrongs can misuse a right — as in our right to free expression, guaranteed by the First Amendment.
First, there’s the wrong done by “Project Veritas,” a gaggle of self-proclaimed operatives on a purported mission to root out corruption and dishonesty in the media. The group uses deceitful tactics to wrong-foot reporters.
Most recently, Project Veritas attempted to plant a fake story in The Washington Post, hiring a woman to make false claims that she was made pregnant by Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore. The Post’s thorough reporting exposed deep flaws in the woman’s story and uncovered her tie to Project Veritas. In a story published on Nov. 29, the Post also detailed attempts by the woman and her colleagues to infiltrate social meetings and professional events for journalists.
Checking on the accuracy and credibility of news stories is one thing, and is even advisable in an era when anyone can claim to be a journalist. But repeated attempts to play “trick and trap” with reporters proves nothing more than that they are, at times, as vulnerable to con artists as anyone.
The other “wrong” was made right by Walmart last week, after the company took down a T-shirt that was for sale on Walmart.com, which read “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required.” Walmart says it took down the shirt within hours after receiving a complaint from the Radio Television Digital News Association. But a third party was able to put it up for sale in the first place. While the words printed on the shirt are protected by the First Amendment, they’re still shameful.
NPR reported that “the shirt first gained attention a year ago, when a Reuters photographer snapped an image of a man wearing it at a gathering of Trump supporters two days before the November presidential election.”
I’m sure some smug, smarmy types will find the “humor” worthy of a smirk, if not a smile — and I won’t hold my breath waiting for the outrage that erupted months ago when comedian Kathy Griffin held up a fake severed head of President Trump as part of an online spoof.
My colleagues at the Newseum tweeted their response to this stupid attempt at satire: “Hey @Walmart, we can think of 2,305 reasons why this shirt is offensive. #JournalistsMemorial #PressFreedom.”
The Newseum’s Journalists Memorial contains the names of 2,305 journalists who died in pursuit of the news. The memorial is rededicated each year — next year’s ceremony will be on June 4, 2018.
Those of us involved in that event will be joined once again by the family and friends of men and women who were killed by despots, drug lords, corrupt government officials and others, for gathering and reporting the news, in the United States and around the world.
We’ll once again experience the anguish and see the tears of spouses and colleagues in mourning for those who made the ultimate sacrifice to speak truth to power, and to bring facts and truth to a world sorely in need of both.
So, to the clown who designed and promoted the “Some Assembly Required” T-shirt, we extend an invitation: Show up on June 4 and explain why you thought your shirt slogan was funny.
We’ll save a chair for you.
Gene Policinski is chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute and of the Institute’s First Amendment Center. He can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter at @genefac.