WAKEENEY – Look for the Easter Bunny’s arrival on Sat., March 31 at 10:30 a.m. when he delivers his goodies to Downtown WaKeeney’s Courthouse Square.
Bring children from six months to 5th grade with their baskets to find candy-filled eggs and enjoy a morning outside celebrating with their friends.
Groups will be sent out according to their ages and, afterwards, Mr. Bunny’s helpers will be hosting a prize drawing for each age group.
ELLSWORTH COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 1p.m. Friday in Ellsworth County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Subaru passenger vehicle driven by Annah Michaiah Dawn Rogers, 19, Monument, CO., was eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Ellsworth exit in the left lane.
The vehicle crossed the center line, traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned in the south ditch.
Rogers was transported to the hospital in Salina where she died. A passenger Eason Nathaniel Rogers, 14, Monument, CO., was transported to the hospital in Ellsworth.
Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The Ellis County Republican Party will be hosting a series of “meet and greets” with Republican candidates for state office beginning in April.
“We plan to have two a month between now and the general election in November,” said Elaine Adams, Hays, chair of the local GOP party.
The public is invited to the meetings which will be held at Diamond R Jewelry, 807 Main, Hays. “Dustin Roths has generously allowed us to use his store for these opportunities to meet so many of the Kansas candidates,” she said.
The first meet and greet will be held Sunday, April 15, at 6 p.m. with candidates Kelly Arnold, Wichita, and Clark Shultz, Lindsborg.
Arnold is running for Secretary of State. He is the Sedgwick County Clerk and also chairman of the Kansas Republican Party.
Shultz is campaigning for Kansas Commissioner of Insurance. He currently serves as the Assistant Insurance Commissioner.
Shultz is a former state senator representing the 35th District for one year. He previously served 17 years in the Kansas House representing the 73rd district.
For more information, contact Adams at 785-639-6639 or [email protected].
MARCH 23: This story has been corrected to show the first candidate forum is Sun., April 15, not April 1.
FHSU University Relations
Dr. Raymond Wilson, former chair of the Department of History and an emeritus professor of history at Fort Hays State University, was invited to write a commentary for a book about a famous Native American spiritual leader.
The commentary appeared in “Black Elk, Lakota Visionary,” by Harry Oldmeadow, coordinator of philosophy and religious studies at La Trobe University, Bendigo, Australia.
His book gives insight and new information on Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota spiritual leader who lived from 1863 to 1950.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The FBI says one of its first responders to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks has died of brain cancer linked to exposure to contaminants.
Special Agent Melissa S. Morrow died Thursday at the age of 48.
The agency said in a news release Friday that Morrow made the “ultimate sacrifice,” and her death has been classified as a line-of-duty death. She had been certified by the World Trade Center Health Program and the Sept. 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
Morrow joined the FBI in 1995 and worked at its Washington field office prior to transferring to the Kansas City field office.
She was a first responder to the Pentagon crash site and the Alexandria evidence warehouse. The FBI says she spent 10 weeks recovering and processing evidence at the site.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on charges filed in the death of a 10-year-old boy on a waterslide at a Kansas waterpark (all times local):
3:30 p.m.
A grand jury has indicted a corporation for involuntary manslaughter after a 10-year-old boy died on a giant waterslide at one of the company’s water parks in Kansas.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced Friday that Schlitterbahn Waterpark of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted along with a former executive in the August 2016 death of Caleb Schwab, who was decapitated on the 17-story “Verruckt” waterslide.
Schmidt said the indictments also involve injuries suffered by 13 other people, including four children, who rode on the slide. The executive, Tyler Miles, and Schlitterbahn also face charges of interference with law enforcement.
A spokeswoman for Schlitterbahn didn’t immediately return a call for comment.
2:30 p.m.
A former executive for Schlitterbahn pleaded not guilty Friday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 10-year-old boy who was decapitated on a waterslide at the Kansas water park.
Twenty-nine-year-old Tyler Austin Milesa, former operations director for the company, was charged Friday in the August 2016 death of Caleb Schwab at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Miles is the only person criminally charged so far in the boy’s death, which occurred when the raft he was on hit a pole and netting on the 17-story Verruckt waterslide. Miles also faces 19 other charges.
Schlitterbahn officials defended Miles after the charges were filed, saying they stood by him and were shocked by the allegations against him.
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — An executive with the Kansas water park where a 10-year-old boy died on a giant waterslide has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Tyler Austin Miles, an operations director for Schlitterbahn, was booked into the Wyandotte County jail Friday and is being held on $50,000 bond.
Caleb Schwab died in August 2016 on the 17-story Verruckt water slide at the park in western Kansas City, Kansas. An autopsy revealed the boy was decapitated when the raft that he and two women were on went airborne. It hit a pole that supported nets that were designed to keep riders from flying off the ride.
Winter Prospapio, a spokeswoman for Schlitterbahn, said the company was “deeply disappointed” that an individual was charged for the “terrible accident.”
(KSHSAA RELEASE)
TOPEKA, Kan. – The 48th annual KSHSAA State Volleyball Tournament will welcome a new championship host site in 2018. Classes 3A and 4A will compete for trophies at the Hutchinson Sports Arena for the first time.
“The 2018-2019 school year will see a change in our school classification system which will result in a decrease in the number of tournaments for this state event. With this change we have explored some of the new venues and upgrades made to other facilities across the state as options for this tournament series,” said Cheryl Gleason, KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director & Volleyball Administrator. “We are excited about the opportunity to conduct a state volleyball event at the Sports Arena in Hutchinson and the other adjustments made to our tournament locations”.
While the city of Hutchinson and Hutchinson Community College have played host to the State Basketball Tournament for 75 years and the State Football Championship at Gowans Stadium since 2006, the first state championship trophy for volleyball will be awarded in “Hutch” this fall.
“Hutchinson Community College is excited to play host the 2018 KSHSAA Class 3A & 4A State Volleyball Tournaments. Our experience in hosting 3A football and 3A basketball will benefit us greatly as we prepare to host 16 of the state’s best 3A and 4A volleyball teams. The City of Hutchinson has made a commitment with the renovation of the Hutchinson Sports Arena to bring quality championship-caliber events to our community. The relationship between the KSHSAA, Hutchinson Community College and the City of Hutchinson continues to grow with the addition of this great event,” Josh Gooch, Athletic Director, Hutchinson Community College.
“We are excited that the Kansas State High School Activities Association has chosen Hutchinson and the Sports Arena as the site for this year’s 3A & 4A State Volleyball Tournament. We can’t wait to welcome these teams to the newly renovated Sports Arena and be able to showcase one of the best volleyball facilities in the state of Kansas,” said Holly Leiker, National Sports & Destination Sales Manager for Visit Hutch.
Classes 6A and 5A will take the court at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina while class 2A will compete at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Fort Hays State University. White Auditorium in Emporia will welcome class 1A, hosted by the Emporia Recreation Department. State Volleyball is set for October 26 and 27 at all sites.
The 2018 State Football Championships the sites will remain the same, but with a shakeup of which classes assigned to specific venues has occurred. The addition of Class 1A and the removal of Class 4A DII, the number of classes and sites will remain the same.
State Football Sites (November 24):
6A – Welch Stadium, Emporia State University
5A – Carnie Smith Stadium, Pittsburg State University
4A – Hummer Sports Park, Topeka
3A – Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson Community College
2A – USD 305 District Stadium, Salina
1A – Lewis Field, Fort Hays State University
8-Man DI and DII – Fischer Field, Newton
The 2018 Game Day Spirit Showcase Competition will return to the Kansas Expocentre-Landon Arena in Topeka on November 17. Last year’s inaugural event provided a new opportunity to over 1,400 students crowning six new champions. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. September 26 and close at 11 p.m. October 2.
State Gymnastics will be held at Shawnee Mission South on October 20 and the championship sites for girls tennis, girls golf, cross country and boys soccer will be announced at a later date.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have released security camera images of the suspects.
According to police, a residential burglary was committed Thursday in the 3200 block of Marcella Drive in Salina. The suspects gained entry to the home by cutting the outdoor wires to the surveillance system and then breaking out the front door glass.
Once inside, a .45 ACP Caliber Hi-Point handgun and a DVR recorder for a surveillance system were taken.
In a related case March 15, an image was captured of two suspects wearing black clothing walking near the residence just prior to the surveillance system stopping.
Total loss and damage is valued at $400.
Anyone with information on the suspects is asked to call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637), or visit www.pd.salina.org and follow the Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 and you are not required to give your name.
Thursday, April 5 at 6 PM – 7 PM
Hays Public Library
1205 Main St, Hays, Kansas 67601
BROOKFIELD, Ill. – Fort Hays State had eight players named to the Don Hansen Football Committee All-America Team for the 2017 season, released on March 22. Nathan Shepherd and Travis Talley headline the group as first team selections, while Jose Delgado earned third team honors. Honorable mention selections went to Brandon Brown, Dante Brown, Monterio Burchfield, Kenneth Iheme, and Doyin Jibowu.
2017 Don Hansen Football Committee All-America Team
The eight All-America selections are the most for a season in FHSU history, topping the six individuals selected in 1991. Fort Hays State joined Shepherd University (W.Va.) as the nation’s leader in Don Hansen All-America selections with eight. Both teams had impressive seasons as Fort Hays State went 11-0 in the regular season, winning its first MIAA Championship in football, while Shepherd went 10-0 in the regular season. Both the Tigers and Rams lost their first game of the NCAA Playoffs. Fort Hays State was the No. 1 seed in Super Region 3 of the playoffs. Indiana (Pa.) and Bowie State (Md.) were close behind FHSU and Shepherd with seven selections each.
Fort Hays State has now seen 17 football student-athletes earn All-America honors on the field over the last three seasons. The Tigers had five All-America performers in 2015, four in 2016, and now eight in 2017.
The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988.
Shepherd picked up his fourth All-America selection for his senior season at defensive tackle. The MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, Shepherd finished the year with 38 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. In his three years at Fort Hays State, Shepherd amassed 168 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. He tied as the top vote receiver in NCAA Division II for the Cliff Harris Award, presented to the nation’s top small college defensive player representing almost 500 colleges and universities from NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA colleges. With solid performances at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, Shepherd is a strong candidate for being selected in the NFL Draft in April.
Talley earns his second All-America selection for 2017, this time as a first team selection after gaining honorable mention status from D2Football.com. Talley was an All-MIAA First Team selection on the offensive line. He anchored the Fort Hays State line at right tackle, helping the team average 441.5 total yards of offense per game. He helped the Tiger offense average 257.3 passing yards per game and 184.2 rushing yards per game.
Delgado picks up a third-team selection at linebacker. He led the Tigers in tackles in 2017, finishing with 107, including 11 for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Delgado now has 285 tackles in his career, along with 6.5 sacks. He is already seventh on the career tackles list for the NCAA era at Fort Hays State and will enter his senior year 76 shy of the record.
Brandon Brown earns an honorable mention selection after being named the 2017 MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year. He finished the year with 94 kicking points to set a new single-season record at FHSU. It broke his own mark of 88 set the previous year. He was a perfect 49-of-49 on PAT attempts and went 15-of-21 on field goal attempts. Brown finished his two-year career at FHSU with 31 field goals and 89 PATs for a total of 182 kicking points, ranking fourth all-time in kick scoring at FHSU.
Punter Dante Brown grabs an honorable mention selection after finishing the year with a 43.5 yards per punt average, the second-highest average for a season in FHSU history. He ranked sixth in NCAA Division II in yards per punt, giving the MIAA three punters inside the top 10 nationally. Brown placed 18 kicks inside the 20-yard line this year, and 20 punts that went at least 50 yards.
Burchfield earns an honorable mention selection at wide receiver. He became the sixth receiver in Fort Hays State history to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a season, finishing 2017 with a team-high 1,003 yards on 54 catches. He averaged 18.6 yards per catch and produced nine touchdowns. Burchfield was an All-MIAA First Team selection at the position.
Iheme earned honorable mention status at running back. He finished the year with 1,380 yards on 230 carries. He averaged 6.0 yards per carry for the season and 115 rushing yards per game. He produced seven 100-yard rushing games, with 189 as his season high against Pittsburg State. Iheme was one of 34 candidates considered for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II Player of the Year), finishing the season with 1,690 all-purpose yards. With 2,569 rushing yards in his career, Iheme finished seventh on the all-time rushing list at FHSU. He is eighth all-time in all-purpose yards with 3,458. Iheme was a unanimous All-MIAA First Team selection this season.
Jibowu picks up an honorable mention selection at safety. Playing the bandit back position, Jibowu finished the year with 62 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, nine pass break-ups, and two forced fumbles. Over three seasons, Jibowu now has 219 tackles and seven interceptions at FHSU.
Kansas Department of Labor
Preliminary estimates reported by the Kansas Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.4 percent in February. This was down from 3.5 percent in January and down from 3.8 percent in February 2017.
“The state continues to maintain job growth in spite of a short supply of workers,” said Secretary Lana Gordon.
In Ellis County, the jobless rate rose from 2.4 percent in January to 2.6 percent in February. All counties in northwest Kansas posted unemployment rates below 4 percent, ranging from 3.7 percent in Trego County to 2 percent in Lane and Greeley counties. Click the map above for a county-by-county breakdown.
Statewide, seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 500 from January. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, increased by 200 from the previous month.
“Kansas is experiencing a tight labor market with low unemployment and increased demand for labor as reflected in recent gains in jobs, hours, and real earnings,” said Labor Market Information Director, Justin McFarland.
Since February 2017, Kansas gained 7,700 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs and 6,000 private sector jobs.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A plaza has been dedicated in central Kansas to memorialize Steve Fossett’s record-setting around-the-world flight that began 13 years ago at the airport in Salina.
The plaza dedicated Thursday includes a sculpture of an 8-foot, stainless steel globe, with Fossett’s GlobalFlyer going around it. Below the globe is the story of Fossett’s historic 22,936-mile flight. Fossett was solo when he took off in February 2005 in the fixed-wing GlobalFlyer and returned 67 hours later without refueling. He set other aviation records before he died in a 2007 plane crash.
The plaza also includes a 700-foot ornamental fence that includes storyboards telling the history of Schilling Air Force Base until the time of Fossett’s flight.
