SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a 35-year-old Kansas high school teacher on requested charges of unlawful sexual relations.
Herrs -photo Sedgwick County
According to the Sedgwick County jail inmate roster, deputies booked Shari Herrs just before 7p.m. Tuesday. Her name was not on the roster Thursday.
According to USD 261, Herrs taught physical education at Campus High School in Haysville.
Police have released no additional details.
Herrs is on summer break from the school district and will remain on administrative leave during the investigation, according to USD 261.
The Hays USD 489 Board of Education approved a five-year copier contract in a split vote during a special session Thursday morning.
Three members voted against the $52,000 annual bid from Sumner One. Mandy Fox, Lance Bickle and Greg Schwartz said they wanted the district to be more aggressive in reducing the number of copiers used and the number of copies the district makes.
The district has 23 copiers, including two production units in the copy center at administration center.
The district makes about 5 million copies per year. This is down about 2 million copies from several years ago, Superintendent John Thissen said at the May 21 school board meeting.
The new contract is about $13,000 less annually than the district’s previous contract.
The contract approved Thursday would allow the district to decrease the number of copies it makes, and therefore its cost, by 10 percent each year of the contract.
Schwartz said he was not comfortable with the length of the contract and would prefer it be rebid for a one-, two- or three-year term.
“I would like to see us scale that back at a much quicker pace,” Schwartz said.
At the previous meeting, Tracy Kaiser, finance director, noted a shorter contract would cost the district more annually.
The new contract includes software that will allow the district to track individual copier use. It can limit the number of copies an individual staff member makes.
The district hopes to use this software to further reduce the number of copies being made. The district is also trying to cut costs by encouraging staff to send fewer materials to printers, which is more expensive, and send more materials to the copy center, which can print materials cheaper than the smaller copiers at schools.
The district has tried to eliminate as many printers as possible, but needed to keep some to print confidential IEPs. The new copy system will allow staff to hold print jobs in copier queues until they are released with a swipe of their staff badges. This will allow the staff to maintain confidentiality.
The board also approved several items for the Early Childhood Center. Among these were an application for a $1.4 million grant for improvements to ECC facilities. The grant would require a $368,000 local match.
No project would move forward unless the grant is approved. The item would come back to the board for approval if the grant is approved.
The board also approved a grant request that would pay for a cost-of-living increase for ECC classified staff and the annual ECC IDEA VI-B Application Assurances and Certifications. VI-B Funds are used to help pay for special education certified salaries.
Larissa and Kris Munsch renovated this historic home at 117 W. 13th. It is now operating as the Inn at 117.By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
A historic home in downtown Hays has a new look, thanks to a local couple.
Larissa and Kris Munsch spent the bulk of last summer working on the exterior of the house at 117 W. 13th. They have reopened the home, formerly the bed breakfast the Tea Rose Inn, as the Inn at 117.
Larissa, who bought the house two and half years ago, runs a group on Instagram called Oldhouselove, which has more than 84,000 followers.
“I have always been obsessed with old houses and loved old houses,” she said. “This was a dream house for me when I purchased it.”
Larissa met Kris at another old house. The couple joked Kris, who also has a love for old houses, married Larissa just to get the house.
The home was built in 1909 by early Hays entrepreneur Justus Bissing Jr. He owned the local mill and built other homes in the city, including the Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home. Bissing was involved in bringing electricity to the City of Hays, and he also designed and built furniture, some of which is in the collection of the Ellis County Historical Society. This included an intricate wooden light fixture.
The John Basgall family owned and loved in the home from the early 1900s to the 1990s.
Larissa has a special affinity for old lighting and has restored several antique pieces for the house.
Bissing lived in the home for about two years before it was purchased by the John Basgall family. Generations of the Basgalls lived in the home until the 1990s when attorney John Bird bought the house.
The Basgalls owned a grocery store that was in the building now occupied by The Paisley Pear. The grocery store was then moved to 13th Street behind the house.
One of the family’s descendants, Dale Wolf, the great-grandson of Irene Basgall Wolf, gave the Munsches a number of antiques that had been used in the home. These included rugs, a Tiffany-style lamp, rocking chair, a shoe shine kit and a family photo.
Eventually the house was turned into a bed and breakfast, the Tea Rose Inn.
Larissa said she would like to work toward having the house placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home is already located in the historic downtown Chestnut District, which is on the national registry.
A historic photo of the home.
When Larissa bought the house, the interior was in good condition, but the home need extensive work to its exterior.
Larissa spent a couple of days at the Ellis County Historical Society researching Bissing, the Basgalls and the house. She was able to find a couple of historic photos of the homes on which the couple has based the renovation.
The Munsches aided by a couple of Fort Hays State University students spent a month and half scrapping old paint, power washing and replacing damaged wood on the exterior of the house.
“Had we wrapped the house in hardy siding,” Larissa said, “you just lose so much character. You lose the character. You lose the history of the house. It is wasteful … more material to the landfill. We knew the right thing to do was to fix the siding.”
Kris said, “Putting vinyl siding on an old house is like putting dress pants on a pig.”
For every square nail in the wood siding on the 3,200-square-foot Victorian home, the Munsches drove new modern nails. This required the entire house to be recaulked.
The Munsches still need to do some work on the porch, but thus far they have put 68 gallons of paint on the house.
The entryway of the Inn at 117.
The house had been originally painted tan, brown and white. Larissa wanted to be a little more colorful, but maintain the historic integrity of the house. She researched historic color pallets and decided on four colors, a mint green, gray, maroon and white. Trying to decide where to put different colors was like a giant puzzle, they said.
The Munsches also replaced the crestings on top of the house. Kris said he thought the crestings had originally been wood and rotted away. The couple replaced them with iron. In an effort to bring the house back to as near as possible to Bissing’s, original vision, the square supports on the porch were replaced with round columns with crestings.
“The whole time we worked on the outside and the whole time I built those porch columns,” Kris said, “I am thinking about Mr. Bissing—Justus Bissing, the guy who originally built this house. That guy was a craftsman. Every time we would finish something, we would step back and say, ‘I think Mr. Bissing would like this.’ There is a lot of that and a lot of pride.”
Larissa said, “It is like I don’t own this house. I am just a steward of this house. I am a steward of keeping the architecture alive, the history alive.”
The Munsches needed to replace the wooden skirt molding than ran along the outside of the house. The Munsches went back to the old mill in Hays and were able to find the original cutter head used to make the original boards. New boards were made using that cutter head.
On the interior, the couple added stenciling to one bedroom and the entryway ceiling. Larissa said the original home would have had wallpaper, but she did not want to burden future owners with stripping wallpaper.
Larissa said she wanted to restore the home as much as possible to original, but over the years the home has been updated with modern comforts the couple wishes to keep, including modern bathrooms and kitchen and air-conditioning. The home is still heated by a boiler through radiators, which the couple said keeps the home toasty in the winter.
One of the next projects for the house is the replacement of the oriole window that originally faced 13th Street. Larissa said she believed the window was probably damaged in a storm and removed.
“What we are cursed with is that she finds these original things …” Kris said. “The challenge is that she finds something like that and learns more about it. I love to build stuff that is a challenge, so instantly I started thinking in my mind, ‘Can I build this? Could I build this?’ Now that we know that was on the house, without a doubt, we know that it has to be put back on the house.”
Larissa said, “If you go outside and look at that side of the house, it changes the whole look of the house. It is just so amazing and beautiful. We feel it just has to be put back on.”
Larissa said she can’t imagine ever selling the house, but the couple already has another project. The couple is getting ready to move a 1910 Craftsman 70 miles from Ness City to their workshop in Hays so that it also can be restored. They hope to eventually move into that home and will open up the fourth bedroom at 117 to boarders.
“I have probably redone 50 house in town, but somewhere along the line, I don’t want to flip houses anymore,” Kris said. “I don’t want to just buy a house, clean it up and sell it. There is no challenge in that.”
The Munches currently live at the Inn at 117. They use the kitchen and living room and the third-floor bedroom. The three bedrooms on the second floor, which each have private baths, are rented through Airbnb. The inn can be booked directly through Airbnb or the inn’s website will redirect you to the Airbnb site.
The Munsches have been steadily booked and have had guests from all over, including Taiwan, England and both coasts.
“You get to meet really cool people,” Kris said.
Cost to rent a room is $60 to $76 per night, depending on which room you choose and time of stay. This includes a cleaning fee. Airbnb offers discounts for extended stays. Although the inn no longer offers breakfast, the Munsches have partnered with the Golden Griddle, which offers a 10 percent discount to inn guests.
An Ohio woman was arrested Wednesday on a number of charges including driving under the influence after hitting a member of her family with a car.
Hullinger-Weikle-photo Ellis County
According to Hays Police Department Chief Don Scheibler, just after 8:30 a.m. Wednesday the Hays Police Department received the report of an injury accident in the parking lot of Baymont Inn and Suites in the 3800 block of Vine.
Marilyn A. Hullinger-Weikle, 60, allegedly backed into a vehicle in the parking lot. Scheibler said Hullinger-Weikle’s husband attempted to remove her from the vehicle and was struck by the vehicle, suffering minor injuries.
Hullinger-Weikle was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, domestic battery, aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, drug possession and interference with law enforcement.
Scheibler said Hullinger-Weikle attempted to resist arrest and caused damage to a police car after she was informed she was being placed under arrest.
The Kansas Highway Patrol K-9 Unit assisted with the investigation into the incident.
Hullinger-Weikle is currently being held in the Ellis County jail.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Police in Lawrence say an officer shot a man who was pulled over for a suspected seat belt violation.
Police on the scene of the officer-involved shooting investigation-photo courtesy WIBW TV
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says in a news release that the man was uncooperative with a Lawrence police officer and refused orders to get out of his vehicle Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators say a struggle between the driver and an officer ensued and that the driver began beating the officer. Officials say that’s when a second officer shot the driver once.
The driver was taken to hospital and is in stable condition.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting.
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DOUGLAS COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting.
Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, an officer with initiated a traffic stop on W. 6th Street just west of Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, according to officer Drew Fennelly.
Moments later, the officer called in distress for emergency assistance. As officers arrived to assist, some type of struggle was occurring and an officer fired a weapon, striking the subject.
The subject is in stable condition at an area hospital.
A knife was recovered at the scene, it is unknown at this time if it was involved.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in in charge of investigating the incident.
Police released no additional details late Tuesday.
MANHATTAN — Fourteen new FFA chapters received their charter on Wednesday during the opening session of the 90th Kansas FFA Convention May 30-June 1, 2018, on the Kansas State University campus.
“It’s exciting to see the significant growth of Kansas FFA with the addition of these 14 new chapters,” said Eli Ohlde, 2017-2018 Kansas FFA president. “I’m proud to welcome these new chapters to our FFA family.”
The new chapters include: Belle Plaine FFA Chapter, Cheney FFA Chapter, Fowler FFA Chapter, Golden Plains FFA Chapter, Junction City FFA Chapter, Little River FFA Chapter, Lyndon FFA Chapter, Nemaha Central FFA Chapter, Renwick FFA Chapter, Sublette FFA Chapter, Thomas More Prep-Marian FFA Chapter, Victoria FFA Chapter, Weskan FFA Chapter, Wichita Southeast FFA Chapter.
The focus of efforts to expand into new communities is to reach communities not yet served by agricultural education and FFA, and ensure the quality and high performance of current programs providing personal, academic and career education in agriculture.
Chapters can only be chartered in schools where systematic instruction in agriculture education is offered. To receive their charter, each chapter must submit a letter of application, a list of their members and officers, a copy of the proposed local chapter constitution and bylaws, a copy of their program of activities, as well as have paid current district, state and national dues.
The Kansas FFA Association is a statewide organization of 9,579 agricultural education students in 198 chapters in every corner of Kansas. It is part of the National FFA Organization, a national youth organization of 653,359 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 8,568 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ksffa.org for more information.
The policeman arrived at the scene of an accident to find that a car had
struck a telephone pole. Searching for witnesses, he discovered a pale,
nervous young man in work clothes who claimed he was an eyewitness.
“Exactly where were you at the time of the accident?” inquired the
officer.
“Officer,” exclaimed the telephone lineman, “I was at the top of the
pole!”
RUSSELL – During the Russell Community Garage Sale on Sat., June 2, over 30 individuals, non-profit organizations and businesses will be offering a great opportunity for shoppers to enjoy a day of bargain hunting and treasure seeking. The Russell Community Garage Sale will feature traditional and multi-family garage sales, baked goods and refreshments, in-store sales and more. Registered participants may have additional days or hours, but all participants will be open Saturday.
Garage Sale Guides, including a detailed map of all registered participants, will be available starting Tuesday, May 29. Each participant’s sale dates and hours will be listed, as well as a general description of their items. Guides may be picked up at Encore Antiques & Collectables (590 S. Fossil), Advantage Realty (811 N. Kansas) or KRSL Russell Radio (1984 N. Main).
All proceeds from registrations directly benefit Russell Community Theater.
RCT, Advantage Realty and KRSL Russell Radio have partnered to sponsor the Russell Community Garage Sale. Printing and outreach support were provided by Russell County Economic Development & CVB, Russell County GIS & Mapping and Office Products, Inc. – Russell.
Scroll to the bottom for a map of garage sale locations. Hays Post offers FREE garage sale listings weekly. Having a sale next weekend? Click HERE for details.
1400 W 43rd St, Hays
6/1/18 5pm-8pm 6/2/18 8am-12pm
Items for sale: Multiple family sale
house items
furniture
baby and kids toys
clothes
lots of misc
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204 W 10th, Ellis
Saturday June 2; 8 am to ??
Items for sale: Lots of women’s clothing sizes small-xtra large, books, household decor, wedding items, deep freezer, kitchen items, and much more! Something for everyone.
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RUSSELL – During the Russell Community Garage Sale on Sat., June 2, over 30 individuals, non-profit organizations and businesses will be offering a great opportunity for shoppers to enjoy a day of bargain hunting and treasure seeking. The Russell Community Garage Sale will feature traditional and multi-family garage sales, baked goods and refreshments, in-store sales and more. Registered participants may have additional days or hours, but all participants will be open Saturday.
Garage Sale Guides, including a detailed map of all registered participants, will be available starting Tuesday, May 29. Each participant’s sale dates and hours will be listed, as well as a general description of their items. Guides may be picked up at Encore Antiques & Collectables (590 S. Fossil), Advantage Realty (811 N. Kansas) or KRSL Russell Radio (1984 N. Main).
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1307 Golden Belt Dr, Hays
Thursday 3p-7p, Friday 8a-??
Items for sale: Lots of kids clothes: girls newborn-16, boys newborn-5
shoes
Schwinn double jogging stroller
treadmill
books and toys
household misc.
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4600 Adams Drive, Hays
Saturday June 2nd 8am-?
Items for sale: Little girls clothes size 3t and 4t, boys clothes size 6 and 7, women’s clothes size 25 jeans and shorts, size lg/xlg clothes, shoes, purses, and jewelry. Also, men’s clothes. Toys and misc items!
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2522 Felten Dr., Hays
June 1st and 2nd
Items for sale: Garage sell Fromm a family of 4.
Girls Clothing, Book Bags, Dressers,Chairs, Tables, Sofa, etc
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3301 Country Lane, Hays
Friday, June 1st – 4pm-7pm; Saturday, June 2nd 8am – 11am
Items for sale: WeeRide co-pilot -https://www.weeride.com/products/co-pilot
Girls’ 18″ inch bike (comes with training wheels)
3 wheeled-scooters
Medical Grade Walker
Shower Chair
Large wicker basket (used as a toy box)
Various kids and adult clothing (coats, jackets, soccer cleats, shoes,0 girls clothing, boys clothing, some women’s items)
Household decor
Shelves – one short bookcase, one tall skinny shelf
Child’s recliner
Toys
Women’s scrubs – mostly XL
Kid’s small table and chair
Kid’s step stool with storage
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113 W 37th St., Hays
Friday June 1st, 10-6
Items for sale: Furniture
Household goods
Wall decor
Tons of girl clothes size 6x-14/16
Adult men’s and women’s clothes size Small-XXL
Kitchen items
Lots of miscellaneous
Priced to sell!
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1703 Agnes, Hays
Friday, June 1 from 3-7 pm and Saturday from 8-noon
Items for sale: Teacher books, decor, organizers, chair, pocket charts, supplies as well as clothing, child’s bike, end table, night stand, TVs, microwave, home decor, books, vhs movies and much more!
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401 Washington, Ellis
Saturday June 2nd 8am-3pm
Items for sale: Queen size white head board, full size wood bedroom set, two blonde oak twin size bedroom sets, wardrobe, end tables, tools, scrubs, infant/toddler boy clothes, toys, and lots of misc items.
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1700 Wheatland Ave, Hays
Friday 10:30AM – ?
Items for sale: Home Decor, TONS of Name Brand Clothing (Both Men & Women) & Misc Items
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1315 W 45th, Hays
Friday 230 pm to 7pm
Items for sale: Kayak, name brand clothes, leather sofa, washer and dryer, lots of misc.
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1304 E 33rd, Hays
Sat June 2nd, 8am – ?
Items for sale: Household decorations
Kitchen items
Women’s & Men’s clothing
Purses
Lighting Fixture
Camping Tent
Boy Clothing (18mo-3T)
Some kids toys
Children’s books
Misc items
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703 Saint Francis St., Ellis
Sat. June 2, 7am – 2pm
Items for sale: Deer Stands, China Hutch, Brand New Nike Men’s Shoes, Kitchen-ware, household items, boy-toys, Vintage China Sets, Women’s clothing M-2XL, glass top coffee and end tables, wicker table. Multifamily and ready to help you load!
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404 Walnut St. Ellis
June 2 7 AM-3 PM
Items for sale: Women (LuLaRoe and Z supply) and kids clothing! Household items, lawn edger, crib + mattress, holiday decor, rugs, chainsaw, welder, basketball goal. TONS of kids toys, games, and books!!
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SUBMIT your free garage sale listing where it will be SEEN! Deadline is noon each Wednesday, but, hey, we’re flexible here at Hays Post. Click HERE to submit your weekend garage sale.
MARSHALL COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have two suspects in custody.
Okeefe, Jr. -photo Gage Co.Klein-photo Gage Co.
Just after 11:30a.m. Wednesday, authorities in Nebraska notified the Marshall County Sheriff’s office they were southbound on U.S. 77 in pursuit of a vehicle. The occupants were allegedly involved in a Beatrice, NE., robbery, according to a media release.
As the suspects approached State Line Road, a Marshall Co. deputy fired shots at the car’s tire, disabling the vehicle and ending the chase at the Nebraska state line, according to the release.
Nebraska authorities took the two suspects Jonathan F. Klein and Wesley Okeefe into custody. There were no injuries reported.
Klein is being held for Robbery-Business-Gun, Use of A Weapon To Commit A Felony, Possession Of Weapon, Willful Reckless Driving, Driving Under Suspension and Possession Of Deadly Weapon During The Commission Of A Felony. Okeefe is being held for Theft By Unlawful Taking (500-1500) and Fugitive From Justice, according to the sheriff’s department.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the incident, according to the Marshall Co. Sheriff’s Office.
