TOPEKA, Kan. – TMP-Marian girls’ soccer team saw their season copme to an end Tuesday in a 2-1 loss at Topeka Hayden in the 4-1A state quarterfinals.
Kayla Vitztum gave the Monarchs the early lead scoring on a breakaway just under 10 minutes in. The Wildcats tied the match on a shot outside the box with under 25 minutes to play in the first half then scored the game winner six minutes later on a long shot just out of the reach of Allison Applequist.
After finishing state runner-up a year ago, the Monarchs end their season 13-5-1. Hayden improves to 15-3 and advances to the state semifinals for the first time since winning it all in 2015.
SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Wichita Police Department (WPD) is reviewing the actions of two on-duty officers who went to a residence on a possible domestic violence call Sunday evening, according to officer Charley Davidson.
After they arrived, one of the officers adjusted the home ‘s surveillance camera.
“When an officer can articulate safety concerns, I am supportive of their decision,” WPD Chief Gordon Ramsay said.
Prouse -photo KDOC
“With rapidly changing technology and the increasing number of home security cameras, the WPD continually reviews practices to ensure they are in line with the expectations of the community and officer safety.”
According to police, at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday, the Officers responded to a call at St. Francis Hospital involving 41-year-old Brandon Prouse and an adult female who was a possible domestic violence victim.
Hospital staff had removed Brandon’s house arrest anklet in the hospital. A disturbance between Prouse and the woman followed. She expressed to hospital staff she was concerned for her safety as the two were leaving together.
Hospital staff called 911. Officers arrived, but both Prouse and the woman could not be located on hospital grounds.
Officers then drove to Prouse’s home in the 1400 block of south Market looking for the woman.
Prior to visiting the residence, Officers researched Prouse’s criminal history. The criminal history check revealed past incidents of violence and domestic violence.
At Prouse’s home, Officers observed the surveillance camera mounted on a swivel mount next to the front door. Due to safety concerns, one of the Officers turned the camera away from where the Officers were standing on the porch. Officers were unable to contact anyone at the residence and left.
The Officers’ body worn camera systems recorded the visit and the video will be part of an internal review, according to Davidson.
MARION COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just before 3p.m. Tuesday in Marion County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1996 Chevy 1500 driven by Rhonda Michelle Hannon, 43, Newton, was northbound on Kansas 15 just south of 150th Road.
The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the right. The driver overcorrected, traveled across the center of the highway into the northbound ditch and rolled.
Hannon and a passenger Christina Renae Miller, 45, Canton, were pronounced dead at the scene. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
Thomas More Prep-Marian announced Tuesday that Bill Meagher has accepted the position of Head High School Boys Basketball Coach. He begins his role as the team prepares for the 2018-19 season.
Applications were received from across the state and a selection committee was formed consisting of Msgr. Barry Brinkman, TMP-Marian Pastor Designate, Curtis Hammeke, Fort Hays State University Athletic Director, Kerri Lacy, Principal Lincoln Elementary and Chad Meitner, Principal TMP-Marian.
Currently Meagher serves in the role of Campus Minister and Junior High Theology Instructor. Adding the responsibility of Head High School Boys Basketball Coach, Meagher will provide students with guidance in both spirituality and leadership formation. The mission of the boys basketball program is to teach the necessary skills to become good husbands, fathers and leaders.
Meagher was Head Basketball Coach at Kennedy Middle School from 2007-2010, Assistant Basketball Coach for Hays High School in 2011 and came to TMP-Marian in 2012 as Assistant Basketball Coach. He lives in Hays, Kan., with his wife Mandy and three children, Thomas, Andrew and Emma.
“I love the opportunity to work and mold young people. We have fantastic students here at TMP-Marian and I am excited to continue to get to work with them,” said Meagher. “The (boys) basketball program has always operated at a high level. I will work to maintain and grow the program and be a caretaker of the winning tradition,” continued Meagher.
The basketball program at TMP-Marian has a rich 92 year history beginning in 1926 as the Hays Catholic Academy Blue Jays, the SJMA Cadets in 1931 until finally becoming the Monarchs in 1970.
“Bill’s service and dedication to the future of our students is evident through his passion for the Catholic faith and instilling that faith into students both on and off the court. We are excited for the qualities Bill brings to the school and what the future holds for the TMP-Marian Monarchs Boys Basketball program,” said TMP-Marian Principal Chad Meitner.
Located in Hays, Kan., Thomas More Prep-Marian is a Catholic school serving grades 7-12. Students come from Hays, the surrounding region, and from countries around the world. The school was founded by the Capuchin Franciscans as Hays Catholic College in 1908 and ultimately became Thomas More Prep-Marian in 1981. The school continues to serve young people in the traditions of spiritual growth, academic excellence, and leadership formation.
TREGO COUNTY – The Trego County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday, May 22, to rescind the burn ban and the ban on fireworks in Trego County.
Even though the burn ban has been lifted, anyone that is burning outside of a trash barrel must first call the Trego County Communications Office at 743-5721 to request permission to burn before it can be started.
Anyone not getting permission prior to burning could be subject to citation and fines.
Certain conditions must be met before permission will be given, including wind speed, fire index and other conditions. All burns must be started after sunrise and completed before sunset and be constantly monitored while burning. Anyone not following regulations may be subject to fines and prosecution.
The Trego County Commission, along with the Rural Fire Chief and Emergency Manager will continue to monitor conditions and the bans maybe reinstated at any time depending on conditions.
The decision to allow fireworks will be revisited every week until July 4th and could be subject to immediate change due to environmental conditions.
William Clare “Bill” Barker, age 75, of Hays, Kansas, died Sunday, May 20, 2018, at his home.
He was born on May 7, 1943, in Norton, Kansas, to Clarence J. and Goldie E. (Van Diest) Barker. He married Priyanai (Suvanasingha) on November 28, 1969, in Little Rock, Arkansas. She preceded him in death on November 30, 1994. He then married Rita J. (Long) on May 31, 1997, in the Old St. Anthony Hospital Chapel in Hays, Kansas.
He worked in Oberlin, Colby and Hays in the insurance and banking business and retired in 2008, after 20 years with the Farmers Credit Union in Hays, Kansas. He was a 1961 graduate of Prairie View High School and a 1965 graduate of Kansas State University. He taught middle school for a few years in Buhler and Independence before moving to Hays, Kansas in 1990. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War and served four years in Bangkok, Thailand and Little Rock, Arkansas.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Hays, a Lifetime Member of the V.F.W. Post No. 6882 and the Rotary Club both of Colby. He enjoyed fishing, all sports and was an avid Kansas State fan.
Survivors include his wife, Rita Barker, of the home; one daughter, Anita Thiel and husband, Jess, Levant, KS; two step daughters, Sue Molnar, Hays, KS; Donna Lehmann and husband, Anand Mukherjee, Brooklyn, NY; two brothers, Steve Barker and wife, Suzanne, Kearney, NE; Dave Barker and wife, Cathy, Lawrence, KS; two grandchildren, Oscar and Nora Mukherjee.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife.
Services will be at 10:00 A.M. Friday, May 25, 2018, at the First United Methodist Church, 7th and Ash, Hays, Kansas. Burial in Fort Hays Memorial Garden Cemetery, Hays, Kansas with military honors by the Hays V.F.W. Post No. 9076.
Visitation is from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Thursday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Friday, at the First United Methodist Church, Hays, Kansas.
The family suggests memorials to the First United Methodist Church or Hospice of Hays Medical Center.
Condolences can be left by guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or can be sent via e-mail to [email protected]
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state inspection has found 11 alleged violations of regulations at a Kansas water park where a 10-year-old boy died in 2016.
The Kansas Department of Labor made an audit of the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City public Tuesday, a day after issuing a notice to the park. The inspection was last week.
The audit said safety signs in some park areas were not adequate, records were not available for review and some operating and training manuals were not complete.
The audit said one ride’s parts weren’t replaced as the manufacturer recommended.
The department issued a warning that the issues must be addressed.
A spokeswoman said Schlitterbahn would issue a statement about the audit.
The boy who died nearly two years ago was decapitated while riding a now-closed giant waterslide.
Joanne Claycamp, 85, formerly of WaKeeney, KS, late of Kenosha, WI, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 16, 2017, at Casa Del Mare.
Born in Hill City, KS, on July 14, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Arnold and Oakie (Bell) Hillman. She was educated in the schools of WaKeeney and married her high school sweetheart, Henry Claycamp. Shortly after, Joanne and Henry began a lifelong adventure of many moves across the country as Henry progressed in academic and business positions. She moved to Kenosha in 2010 from living in McKinney, TX, and previously on both US coasts, and even a year in Switzerland.
Joanne was known as both a talented cook and a gracious hostess for both casual and formal dinner parties. She was always active in community social and volunteer activities wherever she lived. Joanne was a managing volunteer for the American Cancer Society in California and a committed hospital volunteer in McKinney. She spent some of her empty nest years sharpening her bridge play, painting, pottery and tap dancing with Evening Stars tap dancing group in Texas.
Above all, Joanne loved family and gathering her family for visits and holidays. Surviving are her four children, Eric (Margaret) Claycamp of Grapevine, TX, Gregg (Rebecca) Claycamp of North Potomac, MD, Jan (Dennis) Claycamp-Dickey of Woodstock, GA, and Jill (Dan) Watring of Kenosha, WI; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Dorene Hitchcock.
A graveside gathering will take place May 26, 2018, 1:00 PM at the WaKeeney City Cemetery.
Memorials in Joanne’s name will be accepted for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America or the American Cancer Society.
Blue Heron moved from 1013 Main St. to the former Philip Hardware building at 719 Main St. Co-owners Anissa Pfeifer and Sonia Larcom sit outside the new location.By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Downtown Hays is experiencing a building shuffle. Two businesses have moved into new locations and two more are moving later this summer.
Blue Heron moved from its location at 1013 Main St. to the former Philip Hardware building at 719 Main St. A2Z moved from 2703 Hall St. in Eagle Plaza to 115 W. Eighth St. The owners of Refine bought the former Kuhn’s jewelry store building at 109 Main St. and will be moving from its current location at 115 W. 10th St. in July. Regeena’s Flowers is moving from 117 W. 11th to 1013 Main St., the former Blue Heron Building.
All of the business owners said there is a growing synergy downtown for retail, entertainment and dining that make the Bricks a perfect place to locate a business.
Sister owners of the Blue Heron, Anissa Pfeifer and Sonia Larcom were delighted to be able to relocate into the historic Philip Hardware Building on Main Street.
The building was constructed by Hill P. Wilson in 1874 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.The Philip family ran the hardware store in that location from 1896 to 1996. It also has been a newspaper office and a land office.
“We have always loved this building,” Pfeifer said. “It just has so much charm and history and character. It is amazing to be a part of the history.”
Anissa Pfeifer and Sonia Larcom say their smaller space has challenged them to be more creative with their outfits.
Larcom said, “Everyone knows Philip Hardware. I love it when people come in here and say they remember (Mr.) Philip here with his dog. They remember all the history behind it. It is rich in history.”
The new tenants are still working on signage. Because of the historical status of the building, they can not add signage to the front of the building. They plan to hang a sign from flanges on the side of the building and add more signage in the windows.
“It has this nice feeling to be downtown and on the Bricks,” Pfeifer said. “To see the downtown come alive … It is like a city within a city.”
The Blue Heron is in a smaller space, but the sisters said they have learned to better maximize their space and are even carrying a couple of new local lines.
Blue Heron has a new focus on local products, including Glam+Co. gift sets.
“We still carry the same amount of inventory,” Pfeifer said. “It gives us a nice feel to really utilize all our space and be creative in how we are putting outfits together.”
One of the new local lines is Glam+Co. , a company out of Victoria that sells gift sets and handmade cards for occasions such as bridal, baby showers and graduations. Blue Heron is also carrying hand-cut leather earrings from Fancy That Designs, which is also based in Victoria.
“I think it is important to give back to our local community,” Pfeifer said, “and I think they have such great artistic ability, and a lot of the lines fit in well with what we are doing here.”
In the fall, Blue Heron will roll out its own Fort Hays apparel, including T-shirts and sweatshirts.
The sisters, who are still in their mid-20s, continue to expand and hope to open a fulfillment center in Hill City for its online business and open more brick-and-mortar locations.
Blue Herons hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
A2Z Escape has opened at its new location at 115 W. Eighth St.
A2Z Escape opened last year across town on Hall Street, but owners Janet Giersch, Judy Brummer, Jerry Braun and Emily Nuttle said they wanted to move downtown to gain more exposure for their business.
Braun said locating downtown places the business closer to complimentary businesses, such as bars and restaurants.
“I think one of the things I like about being downtown is people can make an evening of it,” he said. “They can go to eat at Gutch’s and walk over here or vice versa. There are other things they can do in the general vicinity, so they can weave it into an evening downtown, just to get away.”
The business moved to its new locale at 115 W. Eight St. in March and already has participated in several downtown events, including Brews on the Bricks, Shop Hop and the Spring Art Walk.
The business has added a Sink or Swim room that allows two groups of people to compete head to head to see who can escape from the room first.
Inside A2Z Escape’s gambling-themed High Limit Hostage room. The business changes its escape room puzzles every four to six months.
“I would describe an escape room as being inside a puzzle,” Braun said. “There is a story that unfolds and you are a character in that story. You are solving the puzzle as the story unfolds.”
The escape rooms challenge visitors to a series of puzzles that have to be solved to unlock locks. Participants are not locked in the rooms and can leave whenever they wish, but time does not stop if participants exit the room during the challenge.
A2Z creates new escape scenarios every four to six months and right now has a gambling-themed High Limit Hostage room in addition to the nautical-themed Sink or Swim rooms.
Cost for up to an hour of play is $20 per person. Easier challenges are available for children’s birthday parties.
Regular hours are 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Fridays, 12:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturdays and 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sundays. Other times may be available upon request. Reservations are preferred and can be made by calling 785-432-2958 or online.
The owners of Refine bought the former Kuhn’s jewelry store building at 109 Main St. and will be moving from its current location at 115 W. 10th St. in July.
Refine owners Brianne Sultzer and her mother Tonya Staab have purchased the former Kuhn’s Jewelry building at 109 Main St.
Sultzer and her mother had been renting the building on 10th Street and decided now was the right time to purchase a downtown property. Refine has been in its present location three and a half years, but Tonya Staab has been in clothing retail for 30 years.
The building will require extensive remodeling. Sultzer said she hopes to be open in the new space in July.
Refine is a ladies boutique, carrying apparel and accessories. They carry Kendra Scott jewelry and some gift and candle lines.
“I personally was really excited about owning a piece of historical property in downtown Hays,” Sultzer said. “You don’t see it come up for sale very often. That was part of the reason. I also wanted to be in the mix with all of the other stores downtown. I am right around the corner, but I feel it promotes all of us for all of us to be around each other.”
Other nearby businesses include Simply Charmed, Salon Ten O Seven, Paisley Pair, Bluetique and Something Blue.
“I definitely feel that downtown is the destination for shopping in Hays,” Sultzer said. “It continues and continues to grow. All of the events that we have downtown, the ability to walk from boutiques and restaurants and eateries … I think it all makes for a good family, couple, friend zone. It is definitely the place I would want to be. I don’t see myself ever leaving downtown. We all have a good camaraderie here and like to branch off of each other in terms of business tactics and customer base.”
The layout will be a different, but Refine will be in about the same square footage.
Sultzer said they will be weeding out some lines that have been poor performers and will be bringing in new lines when the store opens in its new location. Those products will be announced at a later date.
Regeena’s Flowers will open in the former Blue Heron Building, 1013 Main St. Further information may be released on that move and change in ownership later this week.
Other business that have recently moved downtown are Das Essen Hutte, which relocated from Big Creek Crossing, the Hays Community Theatre, which is now in the renovated Elks Lodge, and Bluetique/Something Blue, which opened a new bridal store at 1008 Main St.
“With change comes excitement,” Sara Bloom, Downtown Hays Development Corp., said. “We are excited about moves and expansions in every business in downtown Hays.”
The Hays school district is preparing to send its first accreditation report to the state under a new accreditation system.
In the past, schools were measured based upon state assessment scores in reading and math.
Beginning this year, Kansas districts are being measured on student social and emotion growth, kindergarten readiness, individual plans of study, civic engagement, graduation rates and post-secondary success.
Shanna Dinkel, assistant superintendent, addressed the district’s graduation rates and post-secondary success rates with the board at its meeting on Monday.
The district’s five-year graduation average from 2011 to 2015 was 87 percent. The state’s goal is to get all districts to a 95 percent graduation rate.
Seventy-one percent of jobs in the state by 2020 will require a college or technical degrees or some type of post-secondary certificate, according to a Georgetown University Public Policy Institute study. Therefore, the state has set a goal for districts to have 70 percent to 75 percent of their students meet these goals.
Although the state has set goals for all districts, each district will be measured on its improvement, Superintendent John Thissen said.
The district’s five-year effectiveness rate toward this goal was 47 percent. These numbers do not include students who go directly to work in family businesses such as farms, those who enter the military or those who work in apprenticeships.
The 47 percent post-secondary effectiveness rate was within the effectiveness rate the state would expect considering a number of risk factors experienced by Hays students.
The most significant risk factor is coming from a low-income family. Thissen said on the KAYS Morning Show Tuesday the district needs to work with low-income students to show them there are ways they can go on to post-secondary education and be successful.
The district has approved a new program to start this fall called JAG-K that works with students with risk factors for dropping out of high school to help them earn their high school degrees and set and achieve post-secondary goals.
Dinkel also noted as the sponsoring district for the area’s special education cooperative, the district draws more special education students. The district works to help these students be successful, but these students are also counted in the district’s graduation rates and post-secondary success rates.
Students who enroll in the Learning Center also affect the Hays High graduation numbers. Although the students might successfully earn a high school diploma, they are not counted toward a positive graduation rate if they don’t graduate with their diploma within four years. GED recipients are also not counted as graduates.
On the other end of the education spectrum, parents of kindergarteners will be seeing a change this fall. All parents will be asked to complete surveys that assess their children’s developmental levels as they enter kindergarten. This confidential information will be used to help develop strategies to help the students build skills in kindergarten. The district will also use the data to develop strategies within the community to help prepare children for kindergarten.
In other business, the board voted to approve the workbook/material fees for students at $90 for the upcoming school year. This is the same as the fee was for 2017-18. The school calendar, school board meeting dates and a renewal of the Kansas Association of School Boards membership were also approved.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A California man confessed after his arrest that he made the hoax calls that led a police officer to fatally shoot an unarmed man in Kansas, adding he routinely made similar calls to seek attention, a detective testified Tuesday.
Tyler Barriss, 25, is accused of calling Wichita police from Los Angeles on Dec. 28 to report a shooting and kidnapping at a Wichita home. The person who made the two calls said he shot his father in the head and was holding his mother and younger brother at gunpoint in a closet in the house.
Police went to the house where they thought the crime was occurring, and an officer fatally shot 28-year-old Andrew Finch after he opened the door.
The shooting drew national attention to “swatting,” a practice in which a person makes a false report to get emergency responders to descend on an address. Finch had not been the intended target of the call.
Sedgwick County Judge Bruce Brown ruled after the preliminary hearing Tuesday in Wichita that there was sufficient probable cause for trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter, giving a false alarm and interference with a law enforcement officer. The arraignment was set for June 29.
Los Angeles police detective Edward Dorroh told the court that in a police interview the day after the Kansas shooting Barriss claimed that he had “calculated the risk” that someone might be hurt responding to a false call. Reading from the transcript of that police interview, he testified Barris told him “it was only a matter of time and I guess that time was last night. It was so stupid.”
Dorroh said he asked him whether he knew someone could get hurt, and Barriss replied: “I did know that. I am not going to deny that. I did know… the worst possible outcome happened. It is just so unfortunate.”
The detective also testified that when asked why he did it, Barris replied that it was “attention seeking” and that he would have kept doing it if he hadn’t been caught.
Barriss, who used the Twitter handle @SWAuTistic,” told investigators that the Wichita swatting was the result of a dispute over a video game involving a $1.50 bet, Dorroh said. One of the players contacted Barriss because a rival in the game was taunting him. Barriss told police he got the Wichita address from the player who initially contacted him, then followed the other player on Twitter and confirmed the address with him.
Wichita police officer Justin Rapp testified that he was assigned to provide cover from across the street for responding officers on the night of the Wichita shooting. He said he believed at the time that the man who came to the door was the one who had called 911 to report he had killed his father and was holding his mother and sibling at gunpoint.
Rapp said Finch was not compliant with the commands from police officers, and he saw him very briefly put his hands up to ear level and just as quickly put them down to his waist band. Finch then made a motion that looked like he might be drawing a gun from his waistband or a holster. Rapp said he fired one shot from his rifle.
“My fear is that he is going to open fire on the officers,” Rapp said, adding his decision to shoot was based on information from the 911 call and Finch’s actions on the porch.
Prosecutors have declined to charge the police officer who fatally shot Finch. District Attorney Marc Bennett told reporters in April that the officer who fired the shot was stationed across the street, and fired believing Finch was reaching for a weapon when he moved his arm.
Bennett told reporters after Barriss was charged in January in Kansas that there was no other situation quite like it to reference, acknowledging the “sort of novelty” of the case.
Bradley Sylvester, the attorney who represents Barriss, said Monday that what the defense is trying to accomplish at the preliminary hearing is to find out as much evidence as possible that is not in the reports and get as much information as possible. The defense did not present any evidence at this stage of proceedings.
Asked whether the defense believes the evidence supports the involuntary manslaughter charge, Sylvester replied: “That is a weird question because there is not another case quite like it.”
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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on the preliminary hearing for a California man accused of making a hoax call that led to police fatally shooting an unarmed man in Kansas. (all times local):
1 p.m.
A judge has found probable cause for a California man to stand trial on allegations he made a hoax call that led police to fatally shoot an unarmed man in Kansas.
Twenty-five-year-old Tyler Barriss is accused of calling police from Los Angeles on Dec. 28 to report a shooting and kidnapping at a home in Wichita, Kansas. Police stormed the address and an officer shot 28-year-old Andrew Finch at his front door.
Barriss faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, giving a false alarm and interference with a law enforcement officer.
Barriss engaged in “swatting,” a practice in which someone makes a false report to get emergency responders to an address.
Wichita police officer Justin Rapp testified that he was assigned to provide cover for responding officers. Rapp says he fired one shot because he feared Finch was reaching for a firearm.
Barriss will be arraigned June 29.
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10:50 a.m.
A detective says a California man confessed after his arrest to making a hoax call that led to police fatally shooting an unarmed man in Kansas.
Los Angeles Detective Edward Dorroh testified Tuesday in a preliminary hearing for 25-year-old Tyler Barriss in Wichita.
Barriss is accused of calling police from Los Angeles on Dec. 28 to report a shooting and kidnapping at a home in Wichita, Kansas.
Dorroh told the court he asked Barris whether he knew the risks of making such calls. Barriss replied that he couldn’t deny he knew the risk. Barriss told Dorroh that the “worst outcome happened. It is just so unfortunate.”
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A California man accused of making a hoax call that led to police shooting an unarmed man in Kansas is returning to court, where a judge is set to decide if there is enough evidence to put him on trial for involuntary manslaughter and other charges.
Tyler Barriss, 25, is accused of calling police from Los Angeles on Dec. 28 to report a shooting and kidnapping at a Wichita home. The person who called said he shot his father in the head and was holding his mother and younger brother at gunpoint in a closet in the house in Wichita.
Police went to the house where they thought the crime was occurring, and an officer fatally shot 28-year-old Andrew Finch after he opened the door.
Barriss’ preliminary hearing is scheduled before Sedgwick County Judge Bruce Brown in Wichita. Barriss also faces charges of giving a false alarm and interference with a law enforcement officer.
Prosecutors have declined to charge the police officer who fatally shot Finch. District Attorney Marc Bennett told reporters in April that the officer who fired the shot was stationed across the street, and fired believing Finch was reaching for a weapon when he moved his arm.
The shooting drew attention to “swatting,” a practice in which a person makes a false report to get emergency responders to descend on an address.
Bennett told reporters after Barriss was charged in January in Kansas that there was no other situation quite like it to reference, acknowledging the “sort of novelty” of the case.
Bradley Sylvester, the attorney who represents Barriss, said Monday that what the defense is trying to accomplish at the preliminary hearing is to find out as much evidence as possible that is not in the reports and get as much information as possible.
Asked whether the defense believes the evidence supports the involuntary manslaughter charge, Sylvester replied: “That is a weird question because there is not another case quite like it.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State junior defensive back Doyin Jibowu has been selected as a finalist for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association’s Ken B. Jones Award. The award recognizes the conference’s male and female student-athletes of the year.
Courtesy Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
The winners will be announced at the 2017-18 MIAA Awards Celebrations presented by Husch Blackwell on Monday, June 4 at the Truman Forum Auditorium in the Kansas City Public Library’s Plaza Branch.
Jibowu, a native of Denver, Colorado, is one of five male finalists for the award, joining junior Brad Currier of Lindenwood (golf), senior Sedeekie Edie of Lincoln (track and field), senior Bo Farrow of Pittsburg State (football/track and field), and senior Brady Skeens of Washburn (basketball).
Senior track and field athlete Kelly Wycoff was the women’s nominee for Fort Hays State this year. A native of Scott City, Kansas, Wycoff holds a 3.75 GPA as a Health and Human Performance major at FHSU. Wycoff is an All-America and All-MIAA performer for the Tigers, who now holds four individual school records and two as a member of relay teams.
Jibowu earned All-America Honorable Mention status for the 2017 from the Don Hansen Football Committee. He was an All-Super Region First Team pick by both D2CCA and the Don Hansen Football Committee, while also receiving All-MIAA First Team honors. He finished the season with 62 tackles, including 7.5 for loss, with five interceptions, 14 passes defended, and two forced fumbles. Jibowu helped FHSU to its first MIAA Championship in football as the team went undefeated during the regular season at 11-0. The team made its first NCAA Playoff appearance since 1995 and finished at 11-1 overall. Jibowu served as one of the team’s captains.
Jibowu is not only impressive on the field, but also in the classroom where he holds a 3.56 cumulative GPA as a Management major. He was a CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection this year at defensive back, one of only eight defensive backs in NCAA Division II to receive Academic All-America honors. He is now a two-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient (2015 and 2017) for earning all-conference honors and maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Jibowu serves as an FHSU VIP Ambassador, a prestigious group of student leaders chosen to represent FHSU at official campus events. Volunteer work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Special Olympics and FHSU youth football camps also highlight Jibowu’s impact on the community.
Female Finalists
Taylor Bevis – Junior, Central Oklahoma, Volleyball
Mikaela Burgess – Senior, Pittsburg State, Basketball
Diana Cauldwell – Junior, Lincoln University, Track & Field
Allie Heckemeyer – Senior, Missouri Southern, Track & Field
Abby Rhoades – Senior, Central Missouri, Soccer
Male Finalists
Brad Currier – Junior, Lindenwood, Golf
Sedeekie Edie – Senior, Lincoln University, Track & Field
Bo Farrow – Senior, Pittsburg State, Football/Track & Field
Doyin Jibowu – Junior, Fort Hays State, Football
Brady Skeens – Senior, Washburn, Basketball
Grandma and Grandpa Becker were people of action rather than words. Not that they didn’t have much to say. They just chose their words well and needed only a few to convey much.
As their oldest grandson, I visited them during the summer when I was growing up in the late ‘50s. I always talked Grandma into letting me sleep in the screened-in porch on the east side of their home.
Shaded by tall elm trees, this was the coolest place to slumber on those warm summer nights before air conditioning. More importantly, the porch was right next to my grandparent’s room where I felt safe and slept like a log each night.
Their morning activities would always wake me, and their longest conversations of the day took place while drinking black coffee with bacon and eggs several hours before I crawled out of my comfortable bed. In the background you could always hear a black Zenith AM radio providing them with the news and weather of the upcoming day.
I’d just lie there comfortably in my bed soaking up the sounds. I knew Grandma would make me my own special breakfast at a more kid-visiting-his-grandparents hour.
My Grandpa Bert was a tall slender man with kind eyes and a rich baritone voice that invited attention and respect. During those early-morning conversations with my Grandma Rose, he spoke with a gentleness that was unlike any other.
While I didn’t really think of it back then, I just remember I loved listening to them visit and appreciated how my Grandpa talked to my Grandma.
Today, I understand what I was listening to were conversations between a woman and a man who had truly become one.
Grandpa always respected and took care of Grandma’s every need. She cheerfully and willingly gave back all that she received.
My Grandpa Bert was a veteran of World War I, saw action in France. He died nearly 25 years before Grandma Rose. His later years were difficult, and he suffered from Parkinson’s disease. I also believe ghosts from those brothers in arms, who didn’t return home with him, weighed heavy on his soul.
Still, I never heard him complain. Grandma and my mother loved and cared for him when he couldn’t do so for himself.
I have always considered myself a lucky man to have inherited some of the wonderful attributes of the Becker family – cheerfulness, perseverance, a willingness to think, work smart – and the ability to enjoy and appreciate others.
Having Becker blood also means you have family and some good friends willing to stand by your side during the best and worst of times. And while your living may be hard-earned – your life will be rich beyond measure.
John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.
