Two people were taken to the hospital after a single-vehicle rollover accident at 9:10 a.m. Friday in Thomas County.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a 2004 Chevy SUV was westbound on Interstate 70 near mile marker 62 when the vehicle drifted left off the roadway into the median. The driver overcorrected, and the vehicle came back across both lanes of westbound traffic and rolled an unknown number of times in the north ditch. The vehicle came to rest upright.
Passengers Elhadj M. Fall, 34, and Antonio L. Cathey, 27, both of Memphis, Tenn., were transported to Citizens Medical Center in Colby for treatment.
The driver, Kenneth A. Butler, 30, Memphis, was not injured. All involved were wearing seat belts, the KHP reported.
Milton E. Meier, 93, Hays, died Thursday, May 10, 2018 at Via Christi Village in Hays.
He was born January 25, 1925 in Munjor, Kansas the son of Henry A. and Clara (Pfannenstiel) Meier. In 1942, he graduated from Hays High School and later was a U.S. Navy World War II veteran, having served as an Airframe Mechanic from 1944 until 1946. On October 7, 1946 he was united in marriage to Theresa M. “Terry” Weber in Ellis, Kansas. They celebrated over 65 years of marriage prior to her preceding him in death on April 12, 2012.
Milton was a farmer all of his life, and he also worked for the rural water district for several years. His greatest joys were his faith, family, farm, and friends, and he willingly gave from the heart to those in need. He was a member of Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Antonino, Hays American Legion Post #173, and the third degree Knights of Columbus Council #4166 of Schoenchen.
Survivors include three sons; Howard Meier and wife Jane of Great Bend, Douglas Meier and wife Virginia of Graham, WA, and Steven Meier and wife Carla of Hays, a daughter; Susan May and husband TR of Hays, a brother; Ernie Meier of Hays, five sisters; his twin Gladys Moore, Louise Staab, and Rosie Schmidt, all of Hays, and Berdy Herrman and Leota Legleiter, both of Great Bend, ten grandchildren; Patrick Meier and wife Dianna, Christy Phlieger and husband Cory, Amy Herrington and husband Brett, Kelly Moeder and husband Paul, Wendy Halvorsen and husband Mike, Craig Meier and wife Mandy, David Meier, Mark Meier and wife Caroline, Trevor May and wife Kristie, and Tara May, and sixteen great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Theresa, three brothers; Walter Meier, Robert Meier, and Ralph Meier, and a sister; Tina Ross.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 am on Monday, May 14, 2018 at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Antonino, Kansas with Fr. Earl Befort officiating. Burial with military honors by the Hays VFW Post #9076 Honor Guard will follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 pm until 8:00 on Sunday and from 9:00 am until 9:30 on Monday, all at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street. A parish vigil service will be at 6:30 pm followed by a Knights of Columbus rosary at 7:00, both on Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church, to TMP-Marian High School, or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in care of the funeral home. Words of condolence and memories of Milton may be shared with his family at www.haysmemorial.com
Dorothy M. Malinowsky, age 78, of WaKeeney, passed away Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at KU Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.She was born December 8, 1939, in Quinter, Kansas to Clark J. and Myrtle E. (Smith) Newcomer.
Dorothy attended Collyer Grade School, graduated from Trego Community High School, then she went on to complete a program in Communications and Personnel in Omaha, Nebraska.On November 1, 1969, Dorothy was united in marriage to Myron Duane Malinowsky at the United Methodist Church in Quinter.They enjoyed 48 years of marriage together.She loved spending quality time on the farm helping Myron with daily chores and livestock needs.Myron and Dorothy were recently known around the neighborhood for feeding their cattle the old fashioned way by using square bales.Dorothy would drive the pickup and Myron would load and feed the bales by hand.She also found great joy in helping her son John with his daily tasks on the farm.She especially enjoyed giving John a break from the swather by stepping in and running it for him.Gardening could be considered a hobby that she had great passion for.She taught Sunday school and enjoyed reading and writing short stories.Dorothy loved spending time with family at holiday get-togethers and the grandkids’ musical concerts and sporting events.She truly loved the time spent with Myron, John, Tammy, and the grandkids.
She is survived by her loving husband, Myron of the family home in rural WaKeeney; a son, John D. and wife Tammy; and four grandchildren, Tillie, Chad, Stan, and Radley, all of rural Collyer, Kansas.She was preceded in death by her parents.Dorothy will be dearly missed by many friends and extended family.
Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 14, 2018 at WaKeeney United Methodist Church.Burial will be in the WaKeeney City Cemetery.
Visitation will be Sunday evening, from 5 to 7 at the funeral home in WaKeeney.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the United Methodist Church of WaKeeney and may be sent in care of Schmitt Funeral Home, WaKeeney, KS67672.
Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.schmittfuneral.com.
Dorothy’s family requests that those attending the funeral wear casual, NOT dress, clothing.
Officials at Big Creek Crossing announced Friday that Stage in Hays will close as of June 30, and Gordmans will be opening in its place this fall.
Both stores are owned by the same company. James Younger, Big Creek Crossing property manager, said Stage company officials thought Gordmans would be a better fit for the Hays market.
Stage will have a closing sale that will start next week. The store will be closed through the summer for remodeling, and the Gordmans store is set to open this fall in Stage’s 30,000-square-foot space in the mall.
Gordmans is described as an off-price department store.
Grand reopening ribbon cutting with the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
It was supposed to be a 12-week job. It was completed in 11 weeks and the store owners, employees and customers were very happy to be back.
McDonald’s of NorthHays, 3406 Vine, just celebrated its 39th anniversary with a remodel of the restaurant, inside and out.
“We are changing with the times, and never stop looking for ways to improve,” said Rick Kuehl, during a recent Hays Area of Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting celebration. Kuehl and his wife Gail, Hays, are owners of both McDonald’s in Hays as well as the McDonald’s in Russell and WaKeeney.
“Back then (in 1979), it was a much smaller building and a much different operation than now,” Kuehl told the crowd. “And none of this would have been possible without our customers and their support.”
The building and its operation have changed several times over the years. This renovation displaced a dedicated coffee group. “They had to go find someplace else to drink coffee and now they’re back,” Kuehl said, pointing to them with a smile.
Owner Rick Kuehl points to the new digital menu boards in the NorthHays McDonald’s. When his father opened a McDonald’s in 1958, there were just five food items.
“Back then, the McDonald’s breakfast menu was new. We had a single drive-through and order point. When we opened in 1979 in Hays, it wasn’t the same McDonald’s store my dad started with, No. 71 in St. Louis, in 1958. My first job was with that McDonald’s. It was all male employees selling hamburgers, cheese burgers, french fries, soft drinks and shakes.
“Now, this is what we sell,” Kuehl said as he pointed to the new digital menu boards behind the front counter. The selections include many more food and drink options than the original five.
One of the Kuehl’s sons, Jamie Kuehl and his wife Kelsey, are the owner-operators of two McDonald’s restaurant in Dodge City.
“I would venture to say that Jamie would say his McDonald’s are not mine — his father’s restaurants – and the way we started,” Kuehl said, “and, we all continue to evolve. Our new McDonald’s speaks to the needs of our customers and our community. The space is more open, we have more outlets for electronics and we have more ordering options for our customers in this digital world.
“I’d watch people with their computer looking around for the plug-in. Now, I think they’re available every four to six feet. You should be able to charge any device you’ve got for as long as you want to.”
Other changes include expanded drink options at the self-serve beverage bar.
There are now four ways to order – on a smart phone, at one of the two new double-sided digital kiosks in the restaurant lobby, at the drive-through with new digital menus, and still, the traditional face-to-face experience at the counter. To make in-person ordering easier and faster, a new modular front counter has been installed with separate order and pick up points.
“This is really the centerpiece of the change in this store – service and taking care of the customer,” said Kuehl.
Customers can now use a kiosk to select and pay for their order, which is brought to their table.
Customers choosing to use the self-order touch screen kiosks will select their items, pay with a credit or debit card, and then pick up a digital locator to be placed on their table where employees will bring the order to the customer.
“We’ve now gone from two order points to six order points. This is the future, an extension of your mobile devices, and you don’t have to stand in line.”
Kuehl said he and his family had just returned from Disney where some of the restaurants utilize similar kiosks. “It’s so slick. You’re in and you’re out.”
Customers placing an order on their smartphone will use the McDonald’s Mobile App. “We have a daughter-in-law who has mastered this,” Kuehl quipped.
Orders are made and paid for online.
“Once you pull on the McDonald’s lot, your phone will say ‘Welcome. Are you going to come inside to get your order, get it in the drive-through or do you want it brought to your vehicle in one of the two designated parking stalls?’ Our daughter-in-law pulls into Stall 4, doesn’t have to get the kids out of the vehicle. She can play with them for a couple of minutes and then here comes the food, already paid for. Then they’re off.”
“That’s the future.”
NorthMcDonald’s manager Kirsten Barnes met owner Gail Kuehl when Barnes was a Hays High DECA student.
There are about 70 team members in the north restaurant’s “McFamily,” including manager Kirsten Barnes who began as a crew member in 2003. “I’ve known Kirsten 18 years,” Gail Kuehl said, “because we met when she was in DECA at Hays High School.”
Two supervisors have been there much longer. Ric Leiker began his McDonald’s career at NorthHays in 1979 and Stacy McKennon in 1980.
3-story playground
Another upgrade can be seen in the west side of the restaurant which houses the new indoor PlayPlace, including a three-story playground complete with a slide, toddler area, Touch2Play entertainment computer tablets and an electronic U-Create table.
The area is more open and has more seating than the previous play space.
Touch2Play entertainment tablets and an electronic U-Create table
Prior to the ribbon cutting, the Kuehls, longtime supporters of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, presented a $10,000 check to Director Reese Barrick for updates to the Children’s Discovery Room.
May 6 performance at the 17th annual Jester Awards (Photo courtesy Music Theatre Wichita)
DESIGN GUEST
Jennie Rajewski, Jeremy Wann-Scenic Design
Hays High School, Thomas More Prep-Marian and Russell High School received multiple nominations for the Jester Awards for their fall musicals this year.
The Jester Award program, hosted by Music Theatre Wichita, recognizes the extraordinary amount of work, creativity and dedication faculty and students pour into their high school theatrical productions.
The Kansas Legislature just loves children. They make such cute political pawns.
Why else would the rush through a last-minute adoption bill that does nothing to fix a broken system? Opinions differ on whether the new law will make the system even worse, but that is scant comfort. Adoption and foster care in Kansas are a mess, and all that many Kansas legislators seek to do about it, is score political points with their base.
Michael A. Smith is a Professor of Political Science at Emporia State University.
Kansas’ foster care and adoption systems are so bad that some homeless children sleep in state offices. Others disappear for weeks. Reports of abuse and neglect are themselves neglected. Sometimes, children die while waiting for someone to notice. Columnist and adoption advocate Chapman Rackaway wrote, “Excessive paperwork, extreme costs, delays and the opportunities for the unscrupulous to take advantage of potential adoptees prevent many from even considering the process seriously, or force the committed to shift to international adoptions.”
That was in 2013. None of it has improved.
It is past time for a major overhaul, so what did the Legislature decide to do? Lawmakers’ last-minute rush job of a bill ignores the problems. Instead, it allows adoption contractors to deny adoptions to prospective parents who are not heterosexual. In so doing, it opens a Pandora’s box of new problems.
The lead advocate for the bill, Catholic Charities, says no worries. They argue that the new law protects their religious beliefs. They add there are plenty other of adoption contractors in Kansas with whom potential adopting families can work, if rejected by Catholic Charities. Some adoption statistics are hard to find, but there are data available for Illinois. There, Catholic Charities places about 11% of adoptions statewide.
In their argument, Catholic Charities neglected to point out how badly underfunded these adoption contractors are. Can they really pick up someone else’s slack when they are already stretched to the breaking point? Then comes another problem. Longstanding policy holds that while churches are exempt from certain state laws, government contractors are not. Organizations like Catholic Charities are not churches, they are separate, nonprofit entities founded for the purpose of soliciting government contracts. The Episcopal, Lutheran, and other churches and religious organizations do the same. The church/nonprofit separation makes the process fair and policies consistent, without touching the core functions of the church itself. This was not good enough for Catholic Charities or the Legislature. Those voicing objections lacked the political clout to be heard.
The truth is, we do not yet know if Catholic Charities is correct in stating that potential adopting families they reject need only go to other adoption-placement nonprofits instead. I hope that is true. The real problems with this bill are two.
First, the Legislature decided to use the state’s adoption system to score political points with a certain voting bloc instead of passing anything that will lead to real reform.
Second, we may be headed down a rabbit hole by disrupting the settled policy separating religiously-affiliated nonprofits bidding for government contracts, on the one hand, from churches on the other. Some other states have done it, too—but that hardly makes it a good idea.
Michael A. Smith is a Professor of Political Science at Emporia State University.
