SHERMAN COUNTY — Four people were injured in three separate accidents just after midnight Thursday in Sherman County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Freightliner semi driven by Herman A Massey, 43, St. Matthews, SC, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Goodland in the passing lane when it struck a bull. The accident prompted two additional accidents.
A westbound 2013 GMC Sierra driven by Christopher Dejiacomo, 53, Carlton, Georgia, and a 2015 Ford F150 driven by Michael Lee, 49, Evansville, Indiana, both struck the bull that had just been hit by the semi.
The Sierra then crossed the median and ended up in the eastbound lanes of the interstate. The Ford rolled an unknown number of times.
Massey, Lee, a passenger in the GMC Angela Dejiacomo, 51, Carlton, Georgia, and a passenger in the Ford Shelly Lee, 51, Evansville, Indiana, were transported to the hospital in Goodland.
The KHP reported no other injuries. All five were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
Hays High athletics will open the Maroon and Gold Kickoff Classic on Friday at Lewis Field Stadium to preview the 2018 fall sports. The evening is sponsored by the Hays High Athletic Booster Clubs. The action will actually start at Hays High School as the volleyball team will scrimmage at 4:00.
Students and the public are invited to a meal from 6:00 to 8:30 on the west side of Lewis Field Stadium. Hays High students will be fed free of charge. A free will donation will allow everybody else to eat.
Soccer introductions will start at 6:40 and then scrimmage from 7:00 to 7:45 with the dance team performing midway through the scrimmage. The band along with the volleyball, cross country, football, tennis, cheerleader and golf teams will all be introduced during the soccer scrimmage.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Court records say a Wichita State University student who’s accused of taking more than a dozen up-the-skirt videos of women on campus also filmed unsuspecting people at a church and in a shopping mall parking lot.
Dayvault -photo Sedgwick County
A Sedgwick County judge released the affidavit Tuesday in the case against 29-year-old James Dayvault.
He’s charged with six criminal counts, including sexual exploitation of a child. His defense attorney couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The affidavit says Dayvault came under police scrutiny last summer after he was spotted placing his cellphone “inches away” from the buttocks of a bikini-clad girl who was playing with her cousin in a north Wichita neighborhood. The children were 5 and 7.
A search of Dayvault’s cellphone and computer led to charges.
Three candidates for the position of Fort Hays State University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs search will visit FHSU and the Hays community in September.
Dr. C. David Moon, professor of political science and special assistant to the provost at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, will visit from Tuesday, Sept. 4, to Thursday, Sept. 6.
Dr. Neal Schnoor, senior advisor to the chancellor for executive affairs at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, will visit from Monday, Sept. 10, to Wednesday, Sept. 12.
Dr. Jeff Briggs, currently serving as FHSU’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, will conduct his candidate visits on campus from Sunday, Sept. 23, to Tuesday, Sept. 25.
Moon earned a B.A. in political science in 1979 from Austin College, Sherman, Texas. His M.A. in government, 1983, and his Ph.D. in government, 1986, were both earned at the University of Texas, Austin.
Schnoor earned his B.F.A. in education in 1990 from Wayne State College, Wayne, Neb. His Master of Music, 1996, and his Ph.D., 1999, were both earned at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His Ph.D. is in education administration, curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in music education.
Briggs earned both his B.S. in physical education, 1983, and his M.S. in health, physical education and recreation, 1984, from Fort Hays State. He earned his Ed.D. in kinesiology in 1992 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Each candidate will meet with various constituent groups over the course of three days and will include meetings with the Search Committee, faculty, students, staff, administration and more, as well as campus and community tours. The search committee will notify the various groups by email of their times with the candidates.
The provost and vice president for academic affairs, the chief academic officer of the university, reports directly to the president and is a member of her Executive Leadership Team.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has rejected a 21-year-old Topeka man’s claim of self-defense in the fatal shooting of another man.
Zachary Buck-Scrag-photo Topeka Police
Zachary Buck-Schrag was seeking immunity from prosecution, claiming he shot 37-year-old Travis Larsen in self-defense in January.
Shawnee County District Judge Mark Braun rejected the motion Wednesday and bound Buck-Schrag over for trial on four counts, including first-degree murder.
Buck-Schrag contended Larsen and another man threatened him and a friend by flashing an ammunition clip and making unfriendly remarks. Buck-Schrag said he showed the people in the other car a gun as Larsen’s car pursued his. Eventually, Larsen’s car hit Buck-Schrag’s vehicle and Buck-Schrag fired four times, hitting Larsen in the head.
Buck-Schrag pleaded not guilty. Wednesday’s ruling doesn’t prevent Buck-Schrag from claiming self-defense in his trial.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Former Thomas More Prep-Marian and Fort Hays State softball standout Maddie Holub has been hired as the new pitching coach at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
“I am very excited to welcome Maddie to the Herd,” coach Megan Smith said in a release from the school. “She is a talented young coach who has proven that she can lead a pitching staff to high levels of success. Her work ethic and commitment to excellence will be a great addition to our program.”
Smith was hired on July 25th after spending the previous nine years at the University of Kansas.
“I am humbled and excited to be joining coach Smith and coach Lyon at Marshall,” Holub said in the release. “The tradition and culture of the softball program, and the university as a whole, is something I cannot wait to be a part of. I want to thank coach Smith and Marshall University for welcoming me into the Herd family.”
Holub will be the pitching coach for the Thundering Herd and brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the team. She spent the past four seasons as the pitching coach at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Fla. While working with the Lions, Holub helped the squad to back-to-back NCAA Division II postseason appearances including reaching the World Series in 2018.
The Lions never won fewer than 37 games during her tenure, and saw Stephanie Adkins win back-to-back Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. Saint Leo also had five pitchers in a three-year span named all-conference. Her pitching staffs’ ERAs stayed below 2.04, highlighted by a 0.93 staff ERA in 2016 that garnered the National Statistical Championship, and averaged 16 shutouts per season.
Prior to coaching at Saint Leo, Holub assisted at her alma mater Fort Hays State. The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 13 in the country during her time on staff. Holub also coached overseas in Collecchio, Italy, with the Collecchio Softball 17U and 10U squads. While in Italy, Holub focused on pitcher development and conditioning while assisting with game management.
During her playing days at Fort Hays State, Holub was a dominant performer in the circle and at the plate. She is still her team’s all-time record holder in career hits (255), runs scored (183), RBI (160), home runs (46), wins (77) and strikeouts (974). Her name appears in the top-10 in many other categories. She tossed seven no-hitters and shared in an eighth, and also contributed two perfect games. The four-time all-conference performer was honored as the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Player and Pitcher of the Year in her senior season of 2013.
The health and human performance major earned her bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University in 2013.
William “Bill” McDaniel, age 67, passed away on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 peacefully at his home in Concordia. He was born May 7, 1951 in Concordia, Kansas to Harland and Alberta (Baltazor) McDaniel.
Bill was a 1969 graduate of Concordia High School. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 1973 from Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas.
He married Linda Wood on June 11, 1977 in Abilene, Kansas and she preceded him in death on April 19, 2004. Bill later married Mandy Kearn on, May 18, 2013 in Concordia, Kansas, she survives of the home.
Bill was a farmer in the Concordia area until 2005 and he also worked as a Concrete Finisher for Coonrod and Associates, Wichita, Kansas for over 30 years.
He was a member of the local American Legion Post #76, VFW Post # 588 and Moose Lodge.
He loved coming home to see his little buddy, helping others, visiting friends, and most of all spending time with his beloved family.
Bill is survived by his wife, Mandy McDaniel, Concordia, KS.; son, David McDaniel, Salina, KS.; Daughter, Jessica McDaniel, Concordia, KS.; son, Zakary Romo (Adrianna), Hays, KS.; son, Alexander McDaniel, Concordia, KS.; sister, Cathy White (Greg), Clay Center, KS.; brother, Jim McDaniel, Topeka, KS.; sister, Karen Eubanks (Jerry), Concordia, KS.; sister, Glenda Weaver (Richard), Aurora, KS.; brother, John McDaniel (Deb), Grosse Point, MI.; sister, Debra Benson (Jeff), Salina, KS.; brother, Michael McDaniel, NE., many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his 1st wife, Linda, parents, Harland and Alberta, brother, Tony McDaniel, sister-in-law, Diana McDaniel, brother-in-law, Jason Kearn.
Cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life Service will be held 12:00 P.M., on Sunday, August 26, 2018 at the American Legion Post # 76, Concordia, Kansas.
Memorial contributions may be given to the Hope Lodge, 1120 Pennsylvania Ave., KC, MO. 64105 or Meadowlark Hospice, c/o Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.
Carol Sue Albers, 80, of Grinnell, died Wednesday, August 22, 2018, in Quinter, KS. She was born February 19, 1938, in Grinnell, KS, to J.E. and Gertrude (Schwarz) Moore. On June 22, 1957, she married George Albers and to this union fifteen children were born. Carol was a homemaker and also had worked as a waitress at Mittens for 17 years. She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, the Altar Society and the Salina Diocese’s Council of Catholic Women. Carol enjoyed spending time volunteering at the Grinnell-Angelus Area Heritage Center, the Grinnell Senior Center and for the Gove County Medical Center Auxiliary.
Carol was preceded in death by her parents; husband George; brother John Moore; sister Gretchen Anderson; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She is survived by her children Nicholus, Denice (Bill) Jehring, Angie (Greg) Heinrich, Bea Albers, Merl (Stephanie), Julian R. (Tammy), Loren (Amy), Kent (Vickey), Eva (Carey) Crispin, Faye (Todd) Cyr, Hope (Duane) Weninger, Tranda (Chris) Morrissey, Trudi Albers, Veronica (James) Hartman, and Ivan; sisters, Jeanne Mann, Helen Nieman, Priscilla Moore and Iris Peterson; brothers, Joe, Pat and Mike Moore; fifty nine grandchildren and twenty seven great grandchildren.
Visitation will be 5-7:00 p.m. Friday, August 24, 2018 at the Immaculate Conception Parish Center in Grinnell, KS with a Vigil at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 25, 2018 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Grinnell. Memorials are suggested to the church, Moore Family Library or the Grinnell Senior Center, in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 204, Oakley, KS 67748. Online Condolences: www.baalmannmortuary.com
CINCINNATI (AP) — The nation’s largest grocery chain will be plastic-bag free at all of its nearly 2,800 stores by 2025.
Kroger Co., which orders about 6 billion bags each year, will begin phasing out their use immediately at one of its chains based in Seattle, a city that has been proactive on reducing plastic use.
Dillons, based in Hutchinson, is a division of the Cincinnati-based Kroger Co.
The company operates 2,779 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia, serving almost 9 million people daily through two dozen different grocery chains.
Kroger is seeking customer feedback and will be working with outside groups throughout the transition.
It will begin phasing out plastic bag use Thursday at its QFC stores in and around Seattle. It expects to be plastic-bag free at the chain next year.
Kroger has not confirmed when Dillons will make the transition.
“We listen very closely to our customers and our communities, and we agree with their growing concerns,” said Mike Donnelly, Kroger’s chief operating officer. “That’s why, starting today at QFC, we will begin the transition to more sustainable options. This decision aligns with our Restock Kroger commitment to live our purpose through social impact.”
There is a broader shift under way at major U.S. corporations to reduce waste. Disney, Starbucks, Marriott and McDonald’s are getting rid of plastic straws. McDonald’s said this year that it will use only recycled or other environmentally friendly materials for its soda cups, Happy Meal boxes and other packaging by 2025. Dunkin’ Donuts is phasing out polystyrene foam cups by 2020. Ikea plans to eliminate single-use plastic products from its shelves by 2020.
BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) — A Mexican man charged with killing an Iowa college student worked on a dairy farm for years under a false name just a few miles from where the young woman was allegedly abducted while running last month, his employer said Wednesday.
Rivera -photo Poweshiek County
Cristhian Bahena Rivera was a good employee who showed up on time to take care of the cows and got along well with his co-workers, said Dane Lang, manager of Yarrabee Farms in Brooklyn, Iowa.
The 24-year-old kept coming to work after Mollie Tibbetts disappeared July 18, and “nobody saw a difference” in his demeanor, Lang said. His colleagues were stunned Tuesday to learn that he was not only the suspect in Tibbetts’ death, but that he had a different real name than what he went by on the farm, he said.
“Our employee is not who he said he was,” Lang said at a news conference at the farm. “This was shocking to us.”
When Rivera was hired in 2014, he presented an out-of-state government-issued photo identification and a matching Social Security card, he said. That information was run through the Social Security Administration’s employment-verification system and checked out, he said.
Rivera’s defense attorney, Allan Richards, acknowledged Wednesday that his client received his paycheck under a different name and that he was uncertain of his immigration status. He said he was prepared to argue that his client was in the country legally, noting that he came to the U.S. as a minor and had worked and paid taxes for years.
“He showed up every day, and he did his job. He was patted on his back. They turned a blind eye to the reality of documentation,” Richards said.
Tibbetts courtesy photo
Rivera made his initial court appearance Wednesday on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student.
Investigators say they believe Rivera was in the country illegally when he abducted Tibbetts as she went on an evening jog, killed her and dumped her body in a cornfield. A judge on Wednesday agreed to increase his bond to $5 million from $1 million after prosecutor Scott Brown noted he was a potential flight risk who was charged with a “heinous crime.”
Rivera sat stone-faced through much of the hearing, wearing a striped jail jumpsuit, handcuffs and speaking only briefly through a Spanish-speaking interpreter.
His attorney, Richards, lashed out at President Donald Trump for publicly declaring his client guilty at a rally Tuesday night in which he called the nation’s immigration system a disgrace. He said his client was a hard worker with the equivalent of an eighth-grade education, had no prior criminal record and deserved the presumption of innocence and a fair trial.
“Sad and Sorry Trump has weighed in on this matter in national media which will poison the entire possible pool of jury members,” Richards wrote in a court filing.
Trump noted the arrest at the rally in West Virginia: “You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in, very sadly, from Mexico and you saw what happened to that incredible, beautiful young woman. Should’ve never happened. Illegally in our country.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have lodged an immigration detainer for Rivera, a move that means the agency has probable cause to believe he is subject to deportation.
Yarrabee Farms is a small family farming operation that dates back to 1860 and has been owned for six generations by the Lang family, which is prominent in the community, farming circles and Republican politics. Dane Lang said the farm had received dozens of disturbing phone calls and messages since the employee’s arrest, including threats to kill his dog and burn down his buildings.
“This is a scary situation,” he said.
His father and farm co-owner Craig Lang, a former president of the Iowa Farm Bureau who ran earlier this year for state agriculture secretary, said the farm was cooperating with investigators and had already turned over Rivera’s hiring records. He said now was not the time to debate immigration but to grieve the loss of Tibbetts, who was about to start her junior year studying psychology.
Rivera led investigators Tuesday to a body believed to be Tibbetts in a cornfield about 12 miles (19 kilometers) southeast of Brooklyn, where she was last seen, police said.
Rivera allegedly confessed to following her and then panicking when she threatened to call police. He told authorities that he blacked out and then dumped her bloody body in the secluded location.
Investigators have not released the cause and manner of Tibbetts’ death and did not release any information following an autopsy conducted Wednesday.
Rivera’s Facebook page described him as being from Guayabillo, a community of less than 500 people in the Mexican state of Guerrero. It’s about a three-hour drive from the resort city of Acapulco.
Authorities said they zeroed in on Rivera after obtaining footage from surveillance cameras in Brooklyn. The footage showed a Chevy Malibu connected to Rivera that was driving back and forth as Tibbetts was running in the area.
A conviction on first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole in Iowa, which does not have the death penalty.
Hays USD 489 finished several large infrastructure projects this summer.
The district completed a $782,000 HVAC project at Hays High School.
The work added rooftop units for the main gym, auxiliary gym and wrestling room. Controls for other parts of the high school also were completed.
This is the first phase of a multiphase project to improve the HVAC systems at high school. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $4 million to $5 million. The gyms were chosen as the first phase, because they are used the most during the summer.
Also at the high school, a new section of concrete was laid in the parking lot. The district replaces concrete as it has money available in its capital improvement budget.
The district also replaced a water main at the high school. A main break temporarily closed the high school last spring.
A $42,000 project was completed to install LED lighting at Roosevelt Elementary School. The district hopes to save on electricity costs and replacement bulbs by going to longer-lasting LED fixtures.
The district also continues to work on security upgrades.
Some exterior locks were upgraded this summer.
The district received $57,700 from the state toward a $250,000 project to upgrade all of the interior locks in the district. That work will be done this fall.
The district received parts to complete the audio portion of its new buzz-in system on Monday. The entrances to all USD 489 schools will now be locked during school hours. Visitors will need to ring a doorbell at the school entrance. They will be able to talk to personnel in the office, who can buzz them into the building.
The district hopes the buzz-in system upgrades will be paid for through a USD 489 Foundation for Educational Excellence fundraiser this fall.
“I think just about everything that was planned was completed,” Superintendent John Thissen said. “We were very pleased with the jobs that were done.
One exception is the playground project at Wilson Elementary School. The school is still waiting on new playground equipment to arrive.
The school received a $5,000 from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation for the project. The total cost of the equipment will be about $78,000. The district paid for the playground surfacing, and the Wilson Home and School Association has been saving for years toward the replacement of the aging equipment and will cover the rest of the cost.
Thissen said he thought the equipment would be shipped in the next several weeks. Once the equipment arrives, the turnaround to install it should be fairly short, he said.
