DOUGLAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities arrested a suspect after standoff and shooting in Lawrence.
Just before 10p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to the 400 block of North Crestline in reference to a disturbance with weapons.
The officer arrived on scene and the suspect fled in a vehicle to the 600 block of Stowe Court where he was contacted.
At some point a struggle ensued and the suspect retreated into the house for a short period of time. The suspect then returned outside and brandished a weapon at the officer who fired their duty weapon.
The suspect fled back into the house and three and a half standoff followed before the suspect was taken into custody without injury, according to the release.
The involved officer is on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the investigation. Authorities have not released the suspect’s name, the weapon used or possible charges.
PRATT – A shift in Kansas’ elk hunting season dates and management units will address local landowner concerns of crop damage caused by elk. At their June 21 public hearing at the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) commissioners voted in favor of moving the harvest season opener from September 1 to August 1 and reducing the size of Unit 2 – the unit that includes and provides a protective buffer around Fort Riley – to provide landowners with more options for controlling elk numbers on their land.
A firearms season from August 1-31 will allow landowners to use the open hunting season to remove elk at a time when crop damage can be an issue. And part of the boundary of Elk Management Unit 2 was shifted closer to Fort Riley to allow more options for hunting elk that had taken up permanent residence in an area north of the Fort. Permits valid in Elk Management Unit 2 are restricted to limited draw and hunt-your-own-land elk permits. By shifting the boundary, the area in question becomes part of Unit 3, where an unlimited number of over-the-counter resident and landowner/tenant either-sex elk permits or antlerless-only elk permits are valid.
“Several landowners expressed concern about the number of elk staying north of Highway 24 and south of 22nd Road within the Fort Riley buffer area,” said KDWPT wildlife research biologist Matt Peek. “While the buffer was intended to provide additional protection for elk residing on Fort Riley, these elk were permanently residing on private land miles from the Fort.”
Peek is confident this change will not impact elk residing primarily on Fort Riley, as a minimum buffer of several miles surrounding Unit 2A will still be maintained. As for the August season opener, elk have been on a long but gradual increase in number and distribution in the state, which Peek said is due in large part to landowners who accept elk on their land with the knowledge that they’ll be able to hunt them and maintain them at acceptable numbers.
“This gives landowners an incentive to have elk,” said Peek, “and elk are doing well in the state as a result.”
Listed below are the 2018-2019 elk season dates.
ELK SEASONS – OUTSIDE FORT RILEY
9/1 – 9/30/18: Muzzleloader
9/17 – 12/31/18: Archery
11/28 – 12/9/18: Firearm
1/1 – 3/15/19: Firearm – Extended Season
ELK SEASONS – FORT RILEY
9/1 – 9/30/18: Muzzleloader and Archery
10/1 – 10/31/18: Antlerless-Only Firearm, First Segment
10/1 – 12/31/18: Firearm Season for Holders of Any-Elk Permits
11/1 – 11/30/18: Antlerless-Only Firearm, Second Segment
12/1 – 12/31/18: Antlerless-Only Firearm, Third Segment
Other items the KDWPT Commission voted on during the June 21 meeting included select changes to the Department’s Public Lands reference document and 2018-2019 deer season dates for Fort Riley.
A video recording of the June 21 meeting is now available on ksoutdoors.com.
The next KDWPT Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 2, 2018 at the Gyp Hills Guest Ranch, 3393 SW Woodward Rd., southwest of Medicine Lodge.
Alicia BoorSummertime is known for its heat. Add some rainy days to the mix, and this combination can be the recipe for the development of blue-green algae, according to a toxicologist at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, a part of Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Also known as cyanobacteria, blue-green algae may bloom in fresh water where environmental conditions make it possible for these organisms to grow and replicate rapidly. Conditions typically associated with blue-green algae development include warm weather, lots of sunlight and the presence of nutrients in the water, which often are the result of agricultural runoff.
Steve Ensley, a clinical veterinary toxicologist at Kansas State University, said health problems can arise when animals and people come into contact with the various toxins produced by cyanobacteria. The most prominent problem involves a toxin called microcystin, which affects the gastrointestinal tract and liver. When animals are exposed to this toxin, they may experience vomiting or diarrhea, Ensley said. If the cyanobacteria exposure is severe, it can be lethal and cause liver failure in animals.
Although gastrointestinal problems and liver failure also are possible in humans after blue-green algae exposure, Ensley said irritant effects are more common. Humans often experience skin rashes, sneezing, coughing, irritated eyes, running noses and conjunctivitis after blue-green algae exposure. ”If there is a bloom in a body of water that animals are drinking out of, then we need to move them away from it as fast as we can,” Ensley said. “Fence off that water source if at all possible.
“ If livestock and/or pet owners are worried that their animals could potentially be exposed to blue-green algae, then they should regularly check for signs of its development, Ensley said.
“There is some confusion between the blue-green algae blooms and other vegetation on water,” he said. “If a blue-green algae bloom occurs, then it looks like blue or green paint was spilled on the surface of nonmoving water.” With warm weather and rainy days on the rise, the risk of blue-green algae blooms may not slow down soon.
“It’s going to be a concern until we get into cooler weather, so it may be a problem until September as long as the weather stays warm and we continue to get rainfall. Rain causes lakes and ponds to become enriched with an excess amount of nutrients, like phosphorus and nitrogen, causing the bacteria to bloom at a more rapid pace.”
Water samples for blue-green algae identification can be submitted to the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. When collecting a water sample, the laboratory recommends using gloves to prevent skin contact. Collect about 20 fluid ounces — or 500 milliliters — in a clean, leak-proof container, and include any visible scum. Keep the sample refrigerated, not frozen. Samples should be shipped to the laboratory in an insulated box with a cold pack. For more information, please contact the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at 866-512-5650 or email [email protected].
Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910
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Wednesday
Protect & Serve: Hays Fire Department Interim Chief Ryan Hagans
Ryan Hagans was on the Eagle Morning Show to talk about outdoor cooking safety for the summer.
Gas grilling should be done outside and at least 10 feet from the house:
Whether you’re using a grill or a deep fryer, use common sense:
Chief Hagans also wants to remind every one to have a wonderful Independence Day and to be careful with those fireworks!
Cottonwood Extension District Agriculture Agent Stacy Campbell
Stacy made his monthly visit to the show to talk about local agriculture.
What too much rain do to the wheat harvest:
Open class market wheat show:
Thursday
Bob Schwarz & summer intern Logan Wolfley – Bob Schwarz Financial
Bob Schwarz joined the Eagle Morning Show on Thursday morning to let people why the need financial advice and where they can get it.
Current state of the market:
What is the fiduciary rule?
Germans from Russia Convention: Kevin Rupp and Leonard Schoenberger
Leonard and Kevin joined C.D. & Mike on the Eagle Morning Show to talk about the 49th International Convention of the American Society of Germans from Russia
The convention is July 30th-Aug 2nd. Here’s Kevin on some the speakers you can hear at the convention:
The theme of the convention is “The Storm” here’s why according to Kevin:
To buy tickets online, visit: www.ahsgr.org or give Kevin Rupp a call at 785-656-0329
Friday
Hays City Commission Recap – City Manager Toby Dougherty, Vice Mayor Henry Schwaller and Becky Kiser
On Monday, the Kansas Supreme Court issued a ruling that effectively said the state’s public schools could open in the fall. Yet the same decision left local district officials with continued, long-term uncertainty.
Funding for local school districts remains an ongoing uncertainty, even after a court ruling this week. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
The high court’s decision could lead to continued fighting over school funding and the topic will likely serve as political fodder in state elections.
“To me, it’s no different than where we were six months ago,” said Justin Henry, the superintendent at Goddard Public Schools. “If anything, it gives you a chance to hit pause and maybe restart.”
The long wait for the court’s decision — it said the state still needs to send more money to local districts, but has a year to come up with a fresh plan — also caused districts to hold off on some financial decisions until after Monday’s ruling. That included union contract negotiations. Now those districts have much less time to plan a budget.
“In the perfect world, you would want to have your contract settled with your teaching staff before they leave in May and that would allow you the opportunity to plan the remainder of your budget throughout the summer,” Henry said. “It’s almost impossible to present and ratify a contract when there’s so much uncertainty until you get to the end of June.”
Other districts started planning their budgets at the end of the school year, assuming the Legislature’s funding plan would remain intact.
“You have to move forward with your planning, so we do that based on the resources we had,” said David Smith, the chief of public affairs at the Kansas City, Kansas, school district. “It’s just a realization that things may change, you just go with the resources that you have.”
Most school districts expressed support for the court’s decision and the Legislature’s efforts in the last session to raise school funding. They were also eager to continue the push for more money.
There was the possibility that the court’s decision could have forced a special legislative session if the court found the state’s school funding plan fell short of a constitutional mandate. While that was the court’s judgement — saying the legislature failed to account for inflation when calculating the plan to increase the annual school funding budget by over a half billion in five years — the court ruled that the Legislature would have another year to get the amount right.
The ruling removed the possibility of imminent school closures. But school districts still face uncertainty about the future of school funding. Kansas Secretary of State and Republican candidate for governor Kris Kobach wrote on twitter that the state needs a constitutional amendment to take the school funding issue out of the court’s hands.
Uncertainty about the future of state funding beyond the approaching school year is causing trepidation for school officials looking to make long-term plans.
Chad Higgins, the superintendent for the Maize Unified School district northwest of Wichita, said he has more confidence in his district’s finances than he has had in years. But the looming school funding questions cool that enthusiasm.
“We can grow some things, but to create significantly new programs that will be beneficial to students that are also going to be expensive — I think we’re going to be reluctant to do that just yet,” Higgins said.
Stephan Bisaha reports on education for the Kansas News Service. Follow him on @SteveBisaha.
From left: Special Olympics track athletes Kacey Dannels and Joseph Reed along with coach Noalee McDonald-Augustine, all of Hays, will travel to Seattle Sunday to compete in the USA Games. Courtesy photo
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
The ARC of the Central Plains has the rare honor to send two athletes and a coach Sunday to Seattle for the Special Olympics USA Games.
Kacey Dannels and Joseph Reed, both of Hays, will compete in track and field events and Noalee McDonald-Augustine will be the track and field coach for the Kansas team.
Forty-two athletes were selected from Kansas to participate in the Seattle games July 1 to 6. The athletes must complete a lengthy application to be considered to compete. Both Hays athletes also raised money toward their trip costs.
The national summer games are only conducted every four years. The athletes will stay in an “Olympic Village,” watch other athletes compete, watch firework and do limited sightseeing.
Brent Kaiser, ARC programs and activities director, said it was unusual for a community to have two athletes as well as a coach selected for a games.
“These two have been a huge part of our program and all of the different activities that we do,” Kaiser said. “They show up to practice all of the time and, for the most part, on time. They do a good job of being leaders on our team, so it is really cool to be able to see them be able to move on and compete at the next level.”
Dannels, 25, has participated in athletics through the ARC for five years. She will compete next week in the javelin, 100 meters, shot put and 4X100 meter relay.
Reed, 20, has participated in ARC athletics for two years. He is a distance runner and will compete in the 10,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 3,000 meters and 4X100 relay.
Dannels said she enjoyed participating in Special Olympics because she has the opportunity to spend time with her friends and see people with disabilities do what other people get to do.
Reed said, “I like to hang out with friends and help other people too.”
McDonald-Augustine said both Reed and Dannels have been dedicated to track and other sports through ARC.
Dannels also participates in bowling, volleyball, basketball and softball. Reed plays volleyball, basketball, softball and soccer.
Both athletes also participate in the ARC’s 5K club, which is coached by McDonald-Augustine. Dannels was one of the athletes who requested the club be formed.
A group of about 12 athletes plus volunteers run or walk three times a week, training year round. They participated in the Susan G. Komen, Dash for Disabilities, Turkey Trot, Wild West, Eisenhower Prairie Fire and Bill Snyder runs, among others.
“It is not like any other sport where they have a season,” McDonald-Augustine said. “They practice once a week, and then they’re done. They are really committed.”
McDonald-Augustine said she tries to start participants at whatever level they are at, even it is walking, and encourages them to build on their times and distances. Reed has been working in the 5K Club toward participating in a half marathon.
“You can certainly see a difference,” she said. “When we have new members who join the 5K Club or people who are thinking about it, they’ll say, ‘I can’t run that far’ or ‘I can’t walk that far,’ ‘How long is a 5K?’ I will say 3.1 miles. ‘Oh there is no way I can do that.’ We will say, you don’t have to do that today. All you have to do is the workout we give you today. We will build from there. When they compete and actually finish their first 5K, they say, ‘Yeah! I didn’t think I could do it. I finished!'”
Reed and Dannels also each have practice at least one time per week for the sports they are involved in when they are in season.
The sports and 5K Club help promote physical fitness among the athletes, but McDonald-Augustine said Special Olympics is important for the athletes in other ways as well.
“It gives them the opportunity to one—compete against other individuals of similar ability levels,” she said. “It allows them to have social interaction with not just individuals within their own community, but athletes from around the state. They learn competition. They learn hard work, the value of practice. And it is just a good time. They love meeting up with friends from various towns and being able to catch up with them and see what’s happening.”
Both Reed and Dannels also have jobs. Dannels works at McDonald’s and is cross-trained at a variety of work stations. Reed has a small lawn mower business.
McDonald-Augustine has been a Special Olympics coach for 27 years. She coaches every sport the ARC offers and is an ARC board member. This will be her first time coaching at nationals.
McDonald-Augustine, educational consultant for the Smoky Hill Education Service Center, first became involved in coaching Special Olympics when she was attending college at Fort Hays State University. A couple of students in her residence hall who were already volunteers asked her if she would scrimmage with the ARC’s basketball team.
She strongly encouraged others to volunteer to coach Special Olympics. She said you don’t have to play or know how to coach a sport to be a volunteer.
“We’ll train you,” she said. “It is really about being there and being a friend and getting to know the athletes. It is well worth the experience and your time for sure.”
For more information on volunteering for ARC of the Central Plains, click here.
TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Commerce has again been recognized by Area Development magazine with one of its Silver Shovel awards. The Silver Shovel award honors state economic development agencies that drive significant job creation through innovative policies, infrastructure improvements, processes, and promotions that attract new employers and investments in new and expanded facilities.
This year’s award marks the tenth year the Kansas Department of Commerce has been recognized with a Silver Shovel Award. The agency has also earned a Gold Shovel award, presented annually to the states that have achieved the most success in terms of new job creation and company investment, in 2013.
“Smart companies from very diverse industries continue to discover Kansas as an excellent place to locate and expand their operations,” said Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. “We are honored to once again be recognized by Area Development magazine with a Silver Shovel award for our achievements in economic development, and we will continue pressing forward with pro-growth policies that make Kansas the best choice for business.”
For this year’s award, the Kansas Department of Commerce was recognized for the scope and breadth of its Top 10 Projects which resulted in significant job creation and investment within the state. Based on the number of high-quality jobs per capita, amount of investment, number of new facilities, and industry diversity of the 10 submitted projects, Kansas qualified for a Silver Shovel award in the “Fewer than 3 Million Population” category.
Economic development projects submitted to the magazine for consideration included:
“Kansas has long been a transportation/logistics hub, so it’s no surprise that three of the big projects that earned Kansas a 2018 Silver Shovel award fall into this category,” said Geraldine Gambale, editor of Area Development. “Hundreds of other new jobs in the healthcare facilities and food products sectors also contributed to the state’s recognition by Area Development.”
A report on the 2018 Shovel Award winners is published in the Q2/2018 issue of Area Development and posted online at www.areadevelopment.com/shovels.
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RILEY COUNTY — Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a mobile home park in Manhattan.
Photos courtesy Manhattan Fire Department
Just after 3:30 p.m., fire crews responded to report of a shed fire at the Redbud Estates, 2500 Farm Bureau Road, according to a media release. The fire spread rapidly and two nearby homes also caught fire.
A family safely escaped one home. The other home was unoccupied. A dog died in the fire.
One firefighter was treated heat exhaustion. Officials have not released the cause of the fire.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas police sergeant has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for sex crimes.
Delgado has been jailed in Harvey County
Former Valley Center officer Thomas Delgado was sentenced Friday. He pleaded guilty in May to sexual exploitation of a child, sexual battery, official misconduct, attempted sexual battery and harassment by telecommunications device.
Delgado, in court, apologized and said he has “lost everything.”
Delgado was arrested after his then-wife reported concerns about his contact with teenage girls. He resigned after his arrest in 2017.
Inaugural VIRTUAL Golden Egg Hunt: Win Wild West Fest VIP tickets! Made possible by JD’s Country Style Chicken.
Hidden somewhere in Hays Post stories is the first Virtual Golden Egg! The egg is posted as a picture in articles published no earlier than June 29. Click on the Golden Egg, fill out the entry form and be entered for a chance to win TWO VIP tickets for Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows at the 2018 Wild West Festival. The winner will be announced Tuesday.
The actual Eagle Golden Egg Hunt will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 4. Click HERE for details!
City of Eureka on Thursday- Photo courtesy Kansas National Guard
GREENWOOD COUNTY —Residents of a Kansas town where a tornado injured eight people and damaged dozens of homes are making progress on the cleanup. The county emergency management department reported volunteers have 90 percent of the debris cleaned up, according to their twitter account.
Update: Volunteers and workers currently have approximately 90% of debris cleaned up.
— Greenwood County Emergency Management (@gwcountyem) June 29, 2018
The Red Cross is providing food and has set up a shelter in a church where residents and volunteers can cool off. State officials also are helping residents obtain critical documents, such as birth and marriage certificates.
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Volunteers checking in at the Matt Samuels Community Building on Thursday-photo Greenwood County Emergency Management
EUREKA, Kan. (AP) — Residents of a Kansas town where a tornado injured eight people and damaged dozens of homes are starting to clean up the mess.
The state Adjutant General’s Department says in a news release that more volunteers are needed in Eureka after more than 300 people showed up on Thursday to help. The twister that hit the town of about 2,400 residents Tuesday night has been classified as an EF-3 with winds of at least 136 mph. Nearly 80 homes were damaged and at least 10 were destroyed. The high school also was damaged.
The Red Cross is providing food and has set up a shelter in a church where residents and volunteers can cool off. State officials also are helping residents obtain critical documents, such as birth and marriage certificates.
Irene Mae Hrabik, 90, Hays, died Thursday, June 28, 2018 at HaysMed.
She was born March 9, 1928 in Bunker Hill, Kansas the daughter of Adam and Laura (Stoppel) Hilgenberg. She was united in marriage to Lee G. Hrabik in Wilson, Kansas and they were blessed with three children before they later divorced. She was a custodian and housekeeper working at Hadley Hospital, St. Anthony’s Hospital/Hays Medical Center, and High Plains Mental Health Clinic. Her hobbies included going to garage sales, crocheting, sewing, embroidery, flower gardening, and she was an excellent cook who was known by her family and friends for her delicious fried chicken on Sundays. She was very hard working and she collected angels, salt and pepper shakers, and birds from Mexico, and she loved spending time with her family and grandchildren.
Survivors include a son; Jay Hrabik and wife Jane of Lyons, Kansas, two daughters; Lona Werth and husband Bernie and Linda Hammersmith and husband Gary, all of Hays, a sister-in-law; Blanche Hilgenberg of Hays, eight grandchildren; Shelly Jones and husband Matt, Adam Hrabik, Aaron Hrabik, Carol Gorges and husband Russell, Robert Blatcher and wife Alicia, Melissa Weaver, Scott Werth and wife Chanell, and Dustin Werth and wife Megan, a granddaughter-in-law; Rose Hammersmith, and eleven great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers; Leroy “Shot” Hilgenberg and Albert Hilgenberg, and by a grandson; Dean Hammersmith.
A celebration of Irene’s life will be at 10:00 am on Monday, July 2, 2018 at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 2703 Fort Street, Hays, with Pastor Marie Sager officiating. Burial will follow in the Dubuque Lutheran Cemetery southwest of Dorrance, Kansas. Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 7:00 on Sunday at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street, and from 9:00 am until service time on Monday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice of HaysMed, in care of the funeral home. Condolences and memories of Irene may be shared with the family at www.haysmemorial.com.
Just before 10p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to the 400 block of North Crestline in reference to a disturbance with weapons.
Today
