Month: February 2018
Theodore C. ‘Ted’ Domsch
Theodore C. “Ted” Domsch, 78, died Tuesday Feb. 20 at Hays Medical Center in Hays.
He was born July 14, 1939 in Rawlins County, Kansas.
He was the co-owner of Office Works & Home Furnishings.
He is survived by Nyla J. Domsch of Colby; son Kevin W. Domsch of Silt, Colorado; daughter Kelly J. Domsch of Las Vegas; sister Leora Lee Compton of Hays; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be 10 a.m Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Colby with Pastor Robert Alexander officiating.
Visitation will be from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Monday Feb. 26 at Kersenbrock Funeral Chapel in Colby.
Burial will be a Fairview Cemetery in Atwood.
Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church in Colby in care of the funeral chapel.
Condolences may be made at kersenbrockfuneralchapel.com.
Justin Chad Kimball
Justin Chad Kimball September 2, 1978 – February 20, 2018
Justin Chad Kimball left this world far too early on February 20, 2018, at the age of 39. He was born to John and Rita (Bell) Kimball on September 2, 1978, in Medicine Lodge, Kansas. He graduated from Medicine Lodge High School in 1998. He briefly attended Hutchinson Community College to study drafting and design. Justin married Jennifer Dyke in 1998. They were blessed with two sons, Trevor and Bryce, and later divorced.
Justin worked as a parts specialist for Straub International in Wichita. Prior to that, he worked at AGCO Corporation in Hesston. In his younger years, he spent each summer helping his family custom cut wheat, and he owned a very successful lawn-mowing venture.
Justin loved landscaping and creating elaborate displays. While in junior high, he was featured as one of Larry Hatteberg’s People for his 50,000+ impressive Christmas light display. It was affectionately named “Kandy Kane Lane,” and provided enjoyment to the entire community for many years.
Most of all, Justin treasured living life to the fullest. Camping in the mountains, riding four wheelers and his motorcycle, and vacationing to many destinations were all cherished times with loved ones, particularly his son, Bryce. Justin had a lifelong affinity for collecting keepsakes, beginning with Garfield the cat and evolving into bears, moose, and other memorabilia. He loved animals, especially his bulldogs Trixie and Maggie.
Justin’s smile was infectious and his laugh unforgettable. He was a kind and gentle soul, willing to lend a helping hand and share a funny story to all. He was incapable of fibbing without his signature tell of a slight giggle and crinkly eyes. Everyone he met was considered a friend in parting, and he was loved deeply by those whose lives he touched.
Justin was preceded in death by his mother; his son, Trevor; and his brother, Michael. He is survived by his father; his son, Bryce (York, NE); his brother, Douglas Kimball (Goodyear, AZ); his sister, Anita Scheve and her husband, Shane (Hays); and his sister, Fonda Koehn, and her husband, Doug (Colorado Springs, CO); his beloved nieces and nephews-Wyatt Scheve, Ethan Koehn, Danica Scheve, Grayce Koehn, Ty Scheve, and Delaney Scheve; a great aunt, Ella Bell; special friends Lori Stearns, Jeff Goemann, and Dustin Skolaut; and numerous other friends and family.
A celebration of Justin’s life will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the First Christian Church of Medicine Lodge, KS. Memorials may be made to the Bryce Kimball Education Fund in care of Larrison Funeral Home, 120 E. Lincoln, Medicine Lodge, KS 67104.
Online condolences may be made at www.larrisonmortuary.com
Sheriff: 2 Kan. teens jailed after gun found in car at school
LYON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two Kansas teens on burglary and drug charges.
On Wednesday, USD 251 Superintendent Aron Dody called the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and advised he found a firearm inside a student’s vehicle located at Northern Heights High School, according to Sgt. Jacob Welsh.
During the investigation it was found that the firearm was stolen from a vehicle in Americus, Kansas.
Deputies arrested the student, Jace Sull, 18, Americas, Kan, for possession of a firearm on school grounds and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.
Sull was arrested for 3 counts burglary to a vehicle, 2 counts of theft, 1 count of attempted theft, 1 count of conspiracy, 1 count of criminal damage to property, 1 count of criminal use of weapons on school property, 1 count of possession of marijuana and 1 count of possession of paraphernalia.
Through the investigation, deputies learned of an other suspect. They arrested Chase Weaver, 18, Americus, KS. Weaver on 1 count each of burglary and theft.
Formal charges are pending through the Lyon County Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with information is asked to is asked to call the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at 620-341-3205 or Crime Stoppers at 620-342-2273.
USD 489 kindergarten round-up date announced
USD 489
USD 489 will host the district-wide “Kindergarten Round-Up” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1 in the Hays High School cafeteria. This meeting is open for parents and guardians only. Parents of students who will have children 5 years old on or before Aug. 31 are encouraged to attend.
Information will be shared with parents and guardians to prepare your incoming student(s) for kindergarten. This will be the only “Kindergarten Round-Up” hosted by the district. Parents and guardians will receive a pre-enrollment form to fill out that includes ranking student(s)’ preferential school. Pre-enrollment forms should be returned to the USD 489 Rockwell Administration Center at 323 W. 12th St. no later than Friday, March 16 for your first school of choice to be considered.
The district will do its best to place your child at the school of choice; however, there is a chance that students may be placed at another school. Parents and guardians will be notified of their student(s)’ placement by the end of April.
Parent/guardian questions pertaining to individual schools can be addressed at the following phone numbers:
Lincoln Elementary School: 623-2500
O’Loughlin Elementary School: 623-2510
Roosevelt Elementary School: 623-2520
Wilson Elementary School: 623-2550
Please call Sarah Wasinger at the Rockwell Administration Center at 785-623-2400, extension 112, to have your student(s)’ name(s) on the district’s kindergarten list. The information collected by the district will be used to send out future correspondence regarding “Kindergarten Round-Up.”
Trump’s EPA Comes To Kansas City To Hear Views on Obama’s Clean Power Plan
By BRIAN GRIMMETT
The Trump administration remains unlikely to back off its plans to ease Obama era restrictions that make it harder for utility companies to burn coal.
FILE PHOTO
Likewise, the federal courts may eventually decide what pollution rules the Environmental Protection Agency can enforce on energy production.
Yet, still, scores of people testified Wednesday in Kansas City about efforts to repeal the controversial Clean Power Plan. The current administration wants to dump it. The previous administration believed it was needed to protect the environment from air pollution and global carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
EPA officials listened to people from around the region during sessions set up for various factions to vent on a hot-button issue.
Cheryl Marcum drove more than two and a half hours on icy roads from Stockton, Mo., where her home relies on solar power. She wants the Obama rules to stick.
“They can do what’s right or we will just stay on their cases until we protect our planet,” she said.
The Obama era plan puts tougher regulations on coal-fired power plants in an effort to force states towards cleaner sources of energy. More than two dozen states challenged the plan in federal court. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately issued a stay, preventing the agency from enforcing it.
The Trump White House contends that administrative rules created under the Clean Power Plan go beyond what law allows the EPA to impose.
“We are looking for alternatives, and we’re looking for constructive criticisms and also constructive suggestions,” said regional EPA administrator Jim Gulliford.
The agency’s listening tour also includes stops in the coal country of Wyoming and West Virginia. It will stop in San Francisco next week.
“So there’s an opportunity, hopefully, to hear a very broad spectrum of interests,” Gulliford said.
The effort to repeal the Clean Power Plan is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to revitalize the American coal industry.
More than 180 witnesses had signed up to testify on Wednesday. Among them was Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office. The state is on record siding with the Trump administration and against the Clean Power Plan.
Brian Grimmett is a reporter focusing on the environment and energy for the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett.
USD 489 Learning Center graduation postponed due to weather
USD 489
Due to inclement weather, the graduation ceremony for the USD 489 Learning Center has been postponed for this evening.
USD 489 will release the rescheduled date as soon as it is known.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our graduates and their families.
Police ask for help to identify Kan. bank robbery suspect
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bank robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.
Just after noon Wednesday, police responded to report of a bank robbery at the Bank of America in the 2100 Block of North Hillside in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
A 53-year-old female employee told police an unknown black male suspect in his 20s, 5-foot-8, slender build, a goatee and wearing a blue stocking cap, gray jacket with a red stripe entered the bank.
He handed her a note demanding money and indicating he had a firearm. The suspect took money and fled the bank on foot, according to Davidson. There were no injuries.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Wichita Police.
Lawsuit Filed Against Kan. Pawn Shop over Rifle Used in Workplace Mass Shooting
NEWTON, Kan— The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence Thursday filed suit on behalf of the family of murdered Excel Industries employee Joshua Higbee against A Pawn Shop, located in Newton, Kansas.
According to a media release, the lawsuit alleges that A Pawn Shop negligently sold firearms in a straw purchase, which were then used by a known convicted felon in a February 25, 2016 workplace shooting. One of the guns was a semi-automatic assault rifle, similar to the type used by gunmen in recent mass shootings in Parkland, Florida, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Joshua Higbee was killed when Cedric Ford opened fire on his colleagues at the Excel Industries factory in Hesston, Kansas. The workplace shooting occurred during Ford’s crime spree that began in Newton, Kansas. Ford killed three people, including Higbee, and injured 14 others.
The complaint alleges that A Pawn Shop transferred an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle and a Glock semi-automatic handgun to Sarah Jo Hopkins, despite numerous indications that she was acting as a straw purchaser for Ford. Federal law prohibited Ford, a convicted felon, from purchasing and possessing firearms. A straw purchase is when someone buys a gun for someone else, and it is a violation of federal law. Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman and The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence filed the suit in the District Court of Harvey County, Kansas.
Subrina Luke, Joshua Higbee’s wife, stated, “Joshua was a wonderful man and a wonderful father. It feels like we lost everything when he was taken from us.”
“Whatever your views are on gun issues, we can all agree that gun dealers have a responsibility to do what they reasonably can to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people,” said Jonathan Lowy, Vice President, Litigation, and co-counsel for the plaintiff at The Brady Center. “When a gun dealer chooses to engage in irresponsible sales practices that arm dangerous people, that dealer should be held accountable.”
“Straw purchases are one of the primary ways that dangerous criminals get guns,” said David Morantz, co-counsel for the plaintiff at Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman. “Gun dealers serve on the front lines of the battle to deter gun violence. This lawsuit will help ensure that gun dealers adhere to their duty and keep guns out of the hands of criminals.”
Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman is a personal injury and civil litigation firm in Overland Park, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. The firm successfully represented the family of victims in the Overland Park Jewish Community Center shooting against Walmart, which sold one of the guns used in the incident.
BEECH: With this ring…we plan! Extension resources for weddings
A child’s wedding– it’s an event many parents dream about and look forward to with great anticipation. The dress, the music, the flowers, the vows, being surrounded by family and friends to celebrate the big day.
I’m enjoying that situation right now. My daughter and her fiancé are planning an August wedding in Wichita. She got engaged last year on Valentine’s Day, so we’ve had lots of time to dream those big wedding dreams and begin to make important wedding decisions. For example, it was exciting to be with her when she said “yes to the dress” a few weeks ago.
Planning a wedding is a thrill. It can also be stressful with all the expenses and decisions to be made. If someone in your family got a ring for Valentines Day, now is a great time to gather as much information as possible to make the wedding– and the years of marriage to follow– a success.
K-State Research and Extension can help. Four new Extension publications, released last fall, can help engaged couples and their families consider the financial aspects of planning a wedding. The Extension fact sheet “With This Ring….We Plan!” discusses tips for developing a wedding budget, managing wedding costs and how couples can start their marriage on a solid financial footing.
The “Planning Your Wedding” worksheet provides a checklist for planning wedding expenses along with a list of last-minute details to consider.
In addition to these consumer publications, the set also includes a leader’s guide for sharing wedding planning information with others, along with a “Wedding Spending Game” simulation activity for groups.
Why all this emphasis on wedding planning? Anyone who has recently planned a wedding knows that weddings are expensive! According to The Knot’s annual survey of couples, the average cost of a wedding in 2016 was $35,329. That marks an all-time high for the survey, which last year polled 13,000 couples married in the U.S. In addition, about 45% of couples reported they exceeded their wedding budget.
Going into debt for an expensive wedding may not be the best way to start married life. The Extension publications include suggestions for setting a target spending limit along with a list of typical wedding expenses and a rough estimate of the percentage of the wedding budget couples generally spend on each category. A couple’s priorities may be slightly different from the average, so it is important to identify the elements of a wedding that are most important to each individual and work to accomplish (and pay for) those elements first.
Planning a wedding- and life together as a married couple- involves many choices and trade-offs. And while you want your wedding day to be special, it is just one day in the rest of your married life. Planning ahead can help you stay within your financial means and put you on the path to happily ever after.
For more information, contact the Hays (785-628-9430) or Great Bend (620-793-1910) offices of the Cottonwood Extension District. You can also find the wedding planning publications online at the K-State Research and Extension Bookstore at www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu. Search for publications MF3378, MF3379, MF3380 and MF3381.
Dewey R. Griffin
Dewey R. Griffin, 90, died Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 at his residence in Colby.
He was born Nov. 20, 1927 in Thomas County, Kansas.
He was a retired owner of the Colby Salvage Metal Company.
He was preceded in death by a son, Radean M. Griffin in 2003.
He is survived by his wife, Lola Mae Griffin of Colby; sons Raymond H. Griffin of Douglasville, Georgia; Ragene Q. Griffin and Tracey D. Griffin, all of Colby; daughters Debbie Kelly of Jackson, Georgia, Joy M. Griffin of Colby and Billie A. Griffin of Apache Junction, Arizona; brother Bob Griffin of Frankfort, Kansas; sisters Opal Linville of Colby and Beverly Huesman of Frederick, Colorado; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 26 at Kersenbrock Funeral Chapel of Colby, Kansas.
Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25 at Kersenbrock Funeral Chapel.
Burial will be in Beulah Cemetery in Beulah, Kansas.
Memorials will designated in Dewey’s name at a later date in care of the funeral chapel.
Condolences may be left at kersenbrockfuneralchapel.com.
Joyce Ann Lyman
Longtime Goodland, Kansas, resident, Joyce Ann Lyman, 84, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018 at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas.
Joyce was born on May 25, 1933 in St. Francis, Kansas, to Howard L. and Thelma C. (Kail) Peter. She was one of three children. Joyce graduated from Sherman County High School in Goodland in 1951. Later in life, she went on and attended college in Saginaw, Michigan. to receive an associate’s degree in Social Service. She worked part time as an elementary school teacher and was very involved Girl Scouts for many years.
Preceding her in death were her parents, one brother Marlyn Peter, one grandson Cade Lyman Palmer, and one niece Rebecca (Ochsner) Rosinbum.
She is survived by her two children, Diann Sheppard of Yakima, Washington, and Bryan (Jennifer) Shores of Goodyear, Arizona; and one sister Margy (Brandt) Ochsner of Simi Valley, California. She is also survived by three grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
No services are planned at this time.
Online condolences for the family may be left at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.
Service arrangements were entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.
Alfred L. ‘Al’ Kuhn
Alfred L. “Al” Kuhn, age 89, of Victoria, Kansas died Thursday, February 22, 2108, at the Good Samaritan Society of Hays.
Services are pending at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary, 412 Main Street, Victoria, Kansas 67671.