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Month: June 2018

Sunny, hot Tuesday

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Today Sunny, with a high near 94. South southeast wind 6 to 11 mph.

Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 66. South southeast wind 7 to 13 mph.

Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 94. South wind 7 to 13 mph.

Wednesday NightA 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southeast wind 9 to 13 mph.

ThursdayA 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. South southeast wind 9 to 15 mph.

Thursday NightA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.

FridayMostly sunny, with a high near 94.

Kan. man jailed after alleged theft from Tractor Supply Co., chase

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SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a reported theft and damage to property at a business and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 7:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of damage to property and theft at the Tractor Supply Company located 3120 Riffel Drive in Salina, according to police Captain Paul Forrester

Warren -photo Saline Co.

An employee  heard a loud sound at the front door of the store and another employee observed a man kicking the door and breaking a window. The suspect drove off in a Honda Civic before police arrived.

The sheriff’s office located the suspect near Old 81 Hwy and Salemsborg Road. Deputies initiated a car stop but the suspect drove off heading west and drove south on Interstate135 and pulled over near Smoky Valley Road only to drive off once again.

During one of the suspect’s attempted stops, he exited his car and placed a stolen rose bush from the Tractor Supply Company on the side of the roadway and on another stop,  he allegedly threw rocks at a deputy which struck the deputy’s vehicle, according to Forrester.

The McPherson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the chase and used road spikes to stop the car on Interstate135 near Pawnee Road.

Deputies arrested Matthew Warren, 48, of Wichita and he faces possible charges of Flee & Elude, Aggravated Assault LEO, Assault LEO, Obstruction, Improper Driving, Improper Crossover, No Proof of Insurance, and Unsafe Turning or Stopping, according to Forrester.

The total damage and loss is $3,500.

Agency won’t release info about dead Kansas boy

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ child protection agency says it can’t release any information about a dead child because there’s no finding the boy died of abuse or neglect.

Lucas Hernandez

The media filed a records request with the Department for Children and Families for information relating to 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez after a private investigator found the boy’s remains under a bridge and covered with debris.

A state law says the department must provide upon request a summary of its previous contact with a child who dies of abuse or neglect. But the agency says there’s currently no finding that Lucas died of abuse.

Emily Glass is the live-in girlfriend of Lucas’ father. She led an investigator to Lucas’ remains on May 24, months after reporting him missing. Glass had been suspected of abusing the Wichita boy.

16 arrested for blocking door to Kansas governor’s office

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol has arrested 16 protesters who blocked access to Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer’s ceremonial office by sitting outside the door.

The people arrested Monday for misdemeanor criminal trespassing were part of the Poor People’s Campaign. They were protesting over health care issues and environmental problems.

Colyer has opposed expanding the state’s Medicaid coverage for needy residents as contemplated by the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act. The Republican governor was traveling Monday.

The campaign began weekly protests May 21. Each one has started with a rally and ended with a demonstration in which participants have been arrested or cited for blocking traffic.

The patrol said the group violated the terms of its permit for Monday’s rally by sitting in front of Colyer’s office, yelling and singing.

Gov. Colyer appoints Stanley Adams as Director of Broadband Initiatives

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Stanley Adams
KDC

TOPEKA– Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. today announced the appointment of Stanley Adams as Director of Broadband Initiatives at the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Mr. Adams, who previously served as Director of Statewide Broadband Initiatives with the Department of Commerce from 2010 to 2015, will work on continuing to identify broadband needs across Kansas – focusing heavily on broadband access problems facing many rural areas across the state.

“Closing the digital divide between rural and urban Kansas is vital, not just for the residents of those rural communities but for businesses considering locating there,” said Governor Colyer. “Mr. Adams is an expert in the issues surrounding broadband access throughout Kansas and having him onboard to spearhead broadband initiatives will improve the lives of Kansans while helping revitalize our rural communities.”

Over 930,000 Kansans live in rural communities, which is equivalent to over thirty-two percent of the state population. Providing high-speed internet service to the residents of these areas is both critical for improving their lifestyles as well as enhancing economic development efforts to attract new industry to start and grow in rural Kansas.

“It’s difficult to run a successful business of any size – from a local doctor to a large manufacturing plant – without access to high-speed broadband,” said Mr. Adams. “To reverse the population decline in many rural areas, we must be proactive in increasing broadband access across the state.”

This past legislative session, Governor Colyer signed legislation creating a broadband task force focused on mapping locations across the state with problematic broadband access and developing plans to address those needs. Mr. Adams will collaborate with this task force to update those maps which display the level of broadband speed that is available in areas across the state.

Police investigate Kansas bank robbery

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bank robbery.

Police on the scene of the bank robbery investigation Monday-image courtesy Wichita Police

Just after 11a.m. Monday, police responded to Valley State Bank in the 5300 Block of South Broadway in Wichita, According to officer Paul Cruz. Employees told police an unknown suspect entered the bank, brandished a handgun and demanded money.

The suspect fled the bank with cash. Authorities did not release a suspect description or additional details. They hope security camera images will help them identify a suspect.

First Bach’s Lunch on the Bricks set for Thursday

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By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Downtown Hays Development Corporation is sponsoring a free summer concert series at the Downtown Pavilion titled Bach’s Lunch on the Bricks.

The name for the series is a riff on the composer Bach and the fact box lunches will be offered at all the concerts.

The first concert will be noon to 1 p.m. Thursday. A box lunch of a cobb salad will available from Gella’s Diner at a cost of $10. To guarantee a box lunch, email DHDC at [email protected] or call 785-621-4171 by 5 p.m. today. A limited number of lunches will be available without reservations the day of the event. Payment needs to be made to the DHDC.

People are also welcome to bring their own lunches out. The Madd Matter Frame Shop will provide water.

Kay Werth with the Hays Symphony Orchestra worked with the DHDC to organize music for the series.

The first performer will be Polka on the Plains with Joe Dolezal.

Sara Bloom, DHDC executive director, said the music series will present diverse music styles.

“The beauty of the music series is people are going to be able to hear everything from polka to jazz to orchestral to rock ‘n’ roll to just a guy with a guitar,” Bloom said. “We really wanted to make this series eclectic, so not matter what your music preference was there would be something for you.

“We also wanted to make it eclectic so we could expose people to different kinds of music they maybe hadn’t been exposed to before. We are also encouraging families to come out and have their kids listen to different types of music they maybe have not been exposed to.”

There is seating along the rock wall of the pavilion, but if you want a chair, you will need to bring your own.

“We want this to be a community gathering time,” Bloom said. “We want this to be a fun time to gather with the community, talk, visit and enjoy music.”

The concert series will continue on the first and third Thursdays in June and July and first, third and fifth Thursdays in August.

The complete list of performers for the series are below.

Thursday, June 7

Joe Dolezal & friends

Polkas on the Plains

Thursday, June 21

High Plains Double Reed Consort

Bassoons in the Breeze

Thursday, July 5

Tom Pfeifer – Acoustic Guitar

“Back Porch” Songs & Stories

Thursday, July 19

Vadre

instrumental funk-jazz-electro

Thursday, August 2

Brad Dawson/Luke Johnson

Jazz Duo

Thursday, August 16

Ralph Thummel, Susan Bowles, Kay Werth

Your favorite vocal duets

Thursday, August 30

Ion & Mike Slattery

Slattery Irish Duo

This story was updated 10:05 a.m. Tuesday, June 5.

UPDATE: Westar identifies 2 workers who died of severe burns

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Google image

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTy– Two Westar Energy employees died Sunday night from injuries at Jeffrey Energy Center.

Operations supervisors Craig Burchett, of Overbrook, and Jesse Henson, of Manhattan, were critically injured when a piece of equipment with high pressure steam behind it apparently failed, according to a media release from Westar.

“Our Westar employees work very closely together and form strong bonds,” said John Bridson, Westar’s senior vice president of generation. “All of us who worked with Craig and Jesse are grieving and thinking of their families as we cope with this loss.”

The incident at the energy center happened about 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Burchett and Henson were transported by helicopter to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where they were treated for severe burns.

Jeffrey Energy Center, north of St. Marys, is Westar’s largest power plant with three generating units. All three units are shut down while the full circumstances of the incident are reviewed. The company will resume operations at the plant when it can safely do so.

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POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — Two workers severely burned in an accident at the Westar Jeffery Energy Center have died, according to Westar media relations manager Gina Penzig.

The accident occurred just after 11 a.m. Sunday at the facility in the 2500 Block of Jeffrey Road near St Marys in Pottawatomie County.

A helicopter transported the two workers to the University of Kansas Hospital. Immediate family members were notified Sunday. Names of the workers have not been released.

The circumstances of the incident are under review. Westar released no additional details.

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POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — Two people were injured just after 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the Westar Jeffrey Energy facility in the 2500 Block of Jeffrey Road near St Marys in Pottawatomie County.

 According to Westar media relations manager Gina Penzig, the workers were severely burned  and transported by helicopter to the University of Kansas Hospital. Immediate family members have been notified.

The circumstances of the incident are under review. Westar released no additional details.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —Authorities are investigating an accident with injuries at the Westar Energy facility in the 2500 Block of Jeffrey Road near St. Marys, Kansas in Pottawatomie County.

Google image

Westar media relations manager Gina Penzig was working to get details.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Sheriff identifies Kan. man who died after rollover crash into creek

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SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities have identified the victim in Friday’s fatal rollover crash into a creek.

First responders on the scene of Frida’s fatal crash-photo courtesy WIBW TV

Just after 11:45 p.m. Friday, a vehicle driven by Ricky L. Leece, 63, of Topeka, was westbound on SW University Boulevard.

The vehicle left the right side of the road, struck a concrete culvert and flipped over into a creek, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.

Upon the deputies’ arrival, they located the overturned vehicle in a creek with the top portion of the vehicle submerged under several feet of water with the driver trapped inside.  Leece was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was not wearing a seat belt, according to Stallbaumer.

Ellis Co. Commission to discuss fireworks at Monday meeting

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By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

With the Fourth of July holiday exactly one month away, the Ellis County Commission will consider allowing fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county.

For the past three years, the commission has approved a resolution allowing residents to set off fireworks, according to Director of Fire and Emergency Management Darin Myers.

Myers said the Ellis County Fire Department did not respond to any fireworks-related incidents in 2017.

Myers will also present the commission with the fire rating improvements for the city of Schoenchen and discuss an updated memorandum of understanding between the county emergency departments and RPM Speedway.

The commission will meet as the Public Building Commission at 5 p.m. with the regular meeting to follow at the Ellis County Administrative Center at 718 Main St.

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