DOUGLAS COUNTY —On Saturday morning, members of the Douglas County Search and Recovery Dive Team recovered the body of a five year old child that was believed to be the third passenger in the vehicle that entered the river Friday, according to Officer Drew Fennely.
No one else is believed to have been in the vehicle, and the recovery operation in the river was completed.
On Saturday morning, authorities were unable to provide an update on the condition of the one-year-old or the adult female pulled from the river Friday. The investigation into this incident is ongoing, according to Fennely.
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DOUGLAS COUNTY —First responders were on the scene of a water rescue Friday afternoon in Douglas County.
First responders on the scene Friday in Lawrence-photo courtesy KCTV
Just after 1:15 p.m., emergency personnel responded to the south bank of the Kansas River, northwest of the intersection of 6th Street and Vermont Street, for reports of a vehicle in the river, according to officer Drew Fennely.
Officers with the Lawrence Police Department arrived on scene and immediately entered the water to assist the occupants of the vehicle. Officers were able to locate an adult female in the water, and assisted her to the bank of the river. Officers also located a small child in the water and assisted the child out of the river. Both individuals were transported to local hospitals, where they continue to be treated. No update on their condition is available at this time.
Information was received that indicated there may be another occupant inside the vehicle. Officers assisted personnel from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical in attempting to locate the vehicle in the water. After unsuccessful attempts to locate any other occupants, the Douglas County Search and Recovery Dive Team was called in to assist in locating the vehicle and any other occupants. Friday evening, the vehicle was retrieved from the river, but no other occupants were inside the vehicle at the time of recovery. Investigators still believe there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time it entered the river.
Due to diminishing and unsafe light conditions, search and recovery efforts were discontinued for the night. Officers will remain on scene overnight, and the public is asked to avoid the area. Saturday morning, search and recovery personnel will return to the scene to continue recovery operations for any additional vehicle occupants. No timeline can be established for how long the recovery effort will take.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing at this time. It would be premature to speculate whether or not this was an intentional act, as investigators work to determine the events leading up to the vehicle entering the river. Further updates will be provided on Saturday as they become available.
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DOUGLAS COUNTY -First responders were on the scene of a reported water rescue Friday afternoon in Douglas County
At 1:15 p.m., a vehicle was reported to be in the Kansas River near 6th street and Massachusetts in Lawrence, according to Officer Drew Fennelly. Emergency responders pulled two individuals from the water and they were transported to area hospitals.
Information received indicates there may have been additional occupants in the vehicle, according to Fennelly. Dive team personnel were on the scene assisting.
PRATT – If you’ve looked at Kansas’ 2018 Fishing Forecast or followed the Weekly Fishing Reports at ksoutdoors.com, you know that Kansas anglers have enjoyed amazing fishing this year. But have you ever wondered how this happens? The revenue from the fishing license you purchase, along with funding from the federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR), pays for the operation of four fish hatcheries operated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT).
Kansas hatcheries at Meade, Pratt, Milford and Farlington have produced more than 100 million sport fish already stocked into Kansas waters this year.
Sport fish may be stocked as fry (less than one-half inch long), fingerlings (1-3 inches long), intermediates (6-8 inches long), or adults, depending on stocking requests, available pond/raceway space and workforce resources available. Fisheries biologists use data gathered through sampling efforts, angler and creel surveys and consider lake conditions when making annual stocking requests.
In 2018, the following sport fish have been stocked for your enjoyment in public waters in Kansas:
If you purchased a trout stamp this year, you helped with the purchase of 58,591 rainbow trout that were stocked into more than 30 designated trout waters across the state between Jan. 1 and April 15, 2018. And a new schedule of trout stockings will begin Nov. 1, 2018 when the trout season re-opens.
In addition to the channel catfish raised at our hatcheries, KDWPT also purchased 76,000 catchable-sized channel catfish from private hatcheries in Kansas. These fish were stocked into lakes enrolled in the Urban Fishing Program, which provides high-quality fishing opportunities close to home for anglers living in our larger cities.
Of course, revenue from license sales and WSFR fund much more – including management and research activities, law enforcement, grounds maintenance, habitat enhancement and education. WSFR funding for fisheries programs comes from excise taxes on fishing equipment, boats and motors, and motorboat fuel. It is allocated to the states based, in part, on the number of licensed anglers in each state.
License and WSFR revenue has not only supported the programs necessary to have safe, productive and enjoyable fishing opportunities in Kansas, it’s also resulted in more than 109 million fish stocked into Kansas waters so far in 2018. And more fish will be stocked this summer and fall.
Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
In the hurricane’s aftermath, workers race to help stranded victims. They are aided by drones which fly overhead and capture images which direct the rescuers to the people who need them. If only there was a practical way to keep multiple drones powered and in the air. That vision inspired two entrepreneurs who are building such a system in the middle of Kansas.
Jean Harrison and Kim Ringwald are the founders of H & R viZion in Great Bend. They were inspired by the notion of what drones – sometimes called unmanned aerial vehicles – could do.
Jean grew up in Stafford County, married a farmer, and worked in Great Bend after he passed. Kim grew up in a Navy family. When her dad went overseas, she and her mom stayed at her grandparents’ farm near the rural community of Bison, Kansas, population 255 people. Now, that’s rural.
Eventually Kim’s family settled at Ellinwood. Kim married and later moved to Great Bend where she met Jean. They worked at the same business and became longtime friends. Now both are retired.
“I was at home watching what was happening with Hurricane Harvey,” Kim said. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused $125 billion in damages and multiple fatalities. Kim saw a rescue worker struggling to unload a drone and other equipment at the disaster site. “Helicopters were trying to rescue flood victims by lowering baskets to them, but it took hours to find the victims,” Kim said.
Kim thought to herself that there had to be a better way to power and deploy drones to help this situation. She sat down at a TV tray and started drawing designs, one after another. “I took the idea to Jean, and she said, `I think this will work,’” Kim said.
After lots of research, the two women formed an LLC to develop and commercialize this concept. Using the initials of their last names and an eye-catching version of the word vision, they named it H & R viZion – spelled with a Z. “Catch the viZion” is a company motto.
Essentially, the business is finalizing development of portable drone charging stations which help to keep multiple unmanned aerial vehicles in the air. “Presently drones can only fly 30 to 35 minutes,” Jean said. Their onsite charging station could service multiple drones and allow a fleet of drones to be kept in the air 24-7. Jean and Kim are now seeking investors to help grow their company.
What are the possible applications of such technology? “We’re a couple of farm girls,” Jean said. “At first, we thought about agriculture.” She remembered a bad winter storm when a friend’s cattle were scattered and drones could have helped locate them. Drones would also be helpful in finding and checking cows which might be calving and need assistance.
Other possibilities are virtually endless. In the case of an aforementioned natural disaster, drones can provide the aerial view to safely and quickly find victims and identify problems. It’s safer to have a drone check a damaged roof than ask a person to go up on the roof, for example. Drones could be used for surveillance, inspection, construction, transportation, insurance, law enforcement, and national defense purposes also.
In October 2017, the Kansas Small Business Development Center hosted an event called Encountering Innovation where innovative small businesses could present their concepts to representatives of potential federal customers, primarily the Department of Defense. H&R viZion made a presentation at that session. “We have moved to high tech materials for our final models,” Jean said. “With the round of investment we’re currently raising, we will then be ready to manufacture our product and make our dream a reality.”
Another round of Encountering Innovation will be held in October 2018 in Johnson County. For information on that session, see www.encounteringinnovation.com.
Whether assisting with natural disasters, aiding homeland security, inspecting bridges or helping with business applications, aerial views can be extremely important. We commend Jean Harrison and Kim Ringwald for making a difference with innovative technology. It is helpful to catch the viZion from above.
Two kayakers near Hell Creek Bridge at Wilson Lake.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
On the map: Wilson, Kansas Distance from Hays: 50 miles Drive time: 48 minutes
On my travels across Kansas, I have been to the Irish Festival in Chapman, the Scottish Festival in McPherson, Midsummer’s Festival (Swedish) in Lindsborg and, of course, Octoberfest in Hays.
Wilson is not shy about promoting its Czech heritage. In that vein, it commissioned a 20-foot-tall Czech egg, which stands in the center of town.
Christine Couch Slechta, Czech egg painter and designer of the giant Czech egg in Wilson.
Christine Couch Slechta was this year’s Czech Festival grand marshal. An art teacher, Slechta was the artist who designed the giant 7,000-pound fiberglass Czech egg.
Although she does not have any Czech heritage, she is known for her Czech egg art. Slechta, a long-time Wilson resident, learned the art from a Czech descendant who lived in Wilson. She gave me the lowdown on the eggs.
The eggs were originally given by young ladies to young gentlemen in Czechoslovakia during the Easter season. Symbols on the eggs indicated strength and positive outlook for the future. Slechta paints chicken, goose and ostrich eggs in both traditional Czech patterns and modern designs. The designs are painted first, and then the egg is punctured to empty the contents.
Czech immigrants settled in the Wilson area in 1874. Last weekend, the community celebrated its annual Czech Festival.
Giant Czech egg in Wilson.
If you have a fine ear for polka, this definitely where you want to be. Young ladies also wear traditional dress to practice Czech folk dances.
I don’t think this is Czech at all, but one of the featured events at the Czech Festival is toilet bowl races. Toilet bowls are mounted on old push lawnmower frames. One person rides, and the other person “drives” through an obstacle course. I have to give the people of Wilson points for creativity. It was a spectacle, but a bit anticlimactic. Even souped-up toilet bowls don’t go too fast.
If you are in Wilson for Czech Festival or during any other time of the year, there are a couple of foods you need to know about. One is the kolache. This is a sweet bread roll with a topping of fruit preserves. The other are case noodles. I was told this dish varies, depending how Czech you are. They are dough triangles containing cottage cheese and onion. They are usually boiled. Some serve them almost like a soup.
So I sampled both of these at Made from Scratch diner. They had a buffet and abbreviated menu due to all the visitors for Czech Fest, but look for a regular diner menu of stick-to-your ribs homestyle cooking, which includes gigantic bierocks and scrumptious pie. Don’t forget the homemade ice cream.
Enjoy the atmosphere of a 1950s soda fountain at Grandma’s Soda Shop and Diner, 2524 E. Owens, where you also can order kolaches and bierocks.
Antique threshing board on display at the Midland Railroad Hotel in Wilson.
The Historic Midland Railroad Hotel, 414 26th St., offers steaks, sandwiches and pasta in the downstairs Sample Room, so named because the hotel was a popular stop on the Union Pacific route from Kansas City to Denver and businessman used the hotel to show off their wares.
The Drummer’s dining hall on the ground floor is available as an events venue. The hotel also offers special dinner events. Check their website for details.
The limestone three-story hotel was built in 1899 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel underwent an extensive $3.2 million renovation and reopened in 2003 with an interior reminiscent of its 1920s glamor. Today, the hotel has 28 rooms decorated with mission-style furniture, but with modern amenities like satellite TV.
Film buffs may recognize the building as a backdrop in the 1973 film “Paper Moon,” starring Ryan O’Neal and daughter Tatum.
Wilson’s round jail.
Also on the National Register of Historic Places is the town’s circular stone jail. The circular limestone structure was built as a water tower in 1907. It was used as a jail until 1963 to hold prisoners until they could he transported to the county jail.
Unfortunately, one of the iconic Wilson landmarks, the limestone Wilson Opera House, built in 1901, burned in 2009. You can still see the shell of the building on Old U.S. 40 just down the street from the giant Czech egg. The opera house used to serve as the community’s historical museum, the Museum of Memories. The community hopes to resurrect the opera house by using the old stone to create a new pavilion.
Burnt metal, wood and nails left from the 2009 Wilson Opera House fire.
Almost all of the historical items in the former museum were lost to fire or water damage. After almost 10 years, a new museum, the Wilson Heritage Museum, has opened in the former Wilson World newspaper office, 411 24th St.
The museum has been open for less than a year, and had many visitors during the Czech Festival this weekend. The museum contains items from Wilson schools, business, veterans and churches. In addition, the museum has a small collection of items commemorating the community’s Czech heritage, including dolls in traditional dress and Czech glass. In a tribute to the fire, the museum has on display a piece of molten debris that was salvaged from the opera house fire.
Also of note are two military monuments in the community. The Wilson Cemetery at 1916 Second St. features a granite statue of Civil War Union soldier, and a metal lion’s head that once filled horse troughs. In 1919, the community dedicated the World War I monument in Legion Park that features a U.S. infantry soldier.
Kansas Originals is not in Wilson, but just north of Interstate 70 at the Wilson exit. The store is run by the Post Rock Opportunities Foundation, a nonprofit corporation. Its missionis to provide marketplaces for the work of Kansas artists, craftsmen and food producers and to promote tourism, according to its website.
This is more than a tourist trap. It houses a variety of handmade products, such as jewelry, blown glass and wood products. You can also pick from a variety of Kansas-made food products, like popcorn, salsa and sauerkraut. A bookworm, I always make a quick perusal of the book section, which features Kansas authors and topics. The store carries fiction, non-fiction, guidebooks and children’s books.
Boater at a dock at Wilson Lake, just below the dam.
We can’t talk about Wilson without talking about the 9,000-acre Wilson Lake. The Wilson I-70 exit will take you to the east end of Wilson State Park and is the best access to the dam. You can also access the Minooka Park section of the lake via I-70 exit 199 Dorrance and the Wilson Wildlife Area via exit 193, Bunker Hill.
You will need a state park pass to legally enter the state park. You can buy a year-long State Parks Passport for $15.50 when you pay your annual tags and taxes for your vehicle. You can also self-pay day passes or buy yearly passes for slightly more at a park office. The annual passes are good for any state park.
With its picturesque cliffs, Wilson is a popular spot with kayakers. There are plenty of places along the shoreline to put in, and the water is fairly clear for a Kansas body of water.
However, you do not have to have a boat to enjoy Wilson, the state park is internationally known for its 25-mile Switchgrass Bike Trail, which winds throughout the park and will take you through native grasses and wildflowers and near impressive rock features. There are shorter loops for those who aren’t up to riding the whole trial. You can hike and run sections of the trail, but it is recommended you go counterclockwise to bikers to avoid crashes.
A swallow takes off from a nest under Hell Creek bridge at Wilson Lake.
The trail head is at Switchgrass campground on South Shore Drive west of the Hell Creek Bridge. I picked up a Wilson Lake guide, printed by the Wilson Lake Area Association at Kansas Originals at the Wilson exit, which contains a state park map.
Wilson also offers both natural and paved hiking trails. The Cedar Trail in the Otoe area is a one-mile paved loop.
The second-annual Lovegrass Music Festival will be Aug. 10-12 at Lovegrass campground at Wilson Lake. It will feature country, bluegrass and folk music. For more information, contact Aimee Riegle at [email protected].
I usually shoot pictures rather than creatures; however, in addition to being a good locale for white bass and striped bass, the state park offers 8,069-acres of public hunting at Wilson.
If you travel to Wilson Lake dam via K-232, you will be on the Post Rock Scenic Byway, giving you beautiful views of the Kansas short-grass prairie and worth an afternoon drive in and of itself.
If you reach the dam, you will be fairly close to Lucas via Kansas Highway 232. Lucas, north on K-232, is worth a stop as well, but that adventure will be for an upcoming Day Trippin’. If you do decide to take the byway north to Lucas, look for faces carved into the region’s iconic post rock fence posts thanks to artist Fred Whitman.
Honestly, my next road trip is still up in the air, but I will definitely see you on the road soon!
The burned out shell of the Wilson Opera House.
Other links to check out while you are planning your trip:
ABILENE, Kan. – The TMP-Marian volleyball team went 1-2 in Abilene Thursday. The Monarchs beat Concordia 25-10, 25-18 then lost to Smoky Valley in three (25-19, 18-25, 18-25). They closed the night with a two-set loss to the host Cowgirls (24-26, 16-25).
Paris Wolf and Emilee Lane led the Monarchs with 17 kills each. Kassidi Yost recorded eight blocks and had 25 assists while Jillian Lowe recorded 28 digs.
“Always great competition in Abilene” said head coach Natausha Dreher. “While we walked away with two losses, we saw a lot of great things.”
“We need to get everyone healthy then we will be able to see even more (great things). Emilee Lane really showed her strength on the outside. Our defense battled hard and has show great tenacity.” said Dreher.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Johnson County prosecutors say they will seek a death sentence for a 24-year-old man charged with raping and killing an Overland Park woman.
Korrey Raine White Rinke-photo Johnson Co.
Korrey Rinke is charged with capital murder in the August 2016 killing of 46-year-old Julianna Pappas.
Rinke is accused of raping Pappas, beating her to death and leaving her body in a wooded area.
Rinke was arraigned on rape and capital murder charges Thursday afternoon in Johnson County District Court. His attorneys entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Court of Appeals has struck down as unconstitutional a 2013 change in the state’s workers’ compensation law.
A three-judge panel ruled Friday that the change approved by the Legislature in 2013 too severely limits an injured worker’s right to obtain a legal remedy for an injury.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office did not immediately say whether it plans to appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court.
The case involved Howard Johnson III, who injured his back while working at U.S. Food Service in 2015.
His injury occurred after the change took effect on Jan. 1, 2015. The revised law used a version of an American Medical Association guide which greatly reduced the amount of settlements workers could be awarded.
GREAT BEND – Samuel Clayton Shoaff, 89, passed away July 12, 2018, at Cherry Village Nursing Home, Great Bend. He was born June 11, 1929 at Hardtner, Kan., to Charles L. Sr. and Ruth A. (McCabe) Shoaff. He married Betty F. Hanzlicek, May 22, 1955 at Wilson, Kan. She died December 22, 2013.
Samuel was a Great Bend resident coming from Russell in 1952. He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge and the American Legion Argonne Post #180 all of Great Bend. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War, obtaining the rank of Staff Sargent, and then worked as a parts-man until he retired.
Survivors include, one son, Brian K. Shoaff and wife Laura of Hays; two sisters, Barbara Majernik of Ulysses, and Dorothy Stephens of Las Vegas, Nev.; one brother, brother, George Shoaff of Las Vegas, Nev.; two granddaughters, Morgan Shoaff of Brooklyn, N.Y and Alexa (Shoaff) Wiens of Hutchinson. He was preceded in death by brother, Charles Shoaff, Jr.
Memorial Graveside Service will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, August 10, 2018, at Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery in WaKeeney, with Rev. Delbert Stanton presiding. Military Rites will be conducted by the Ft. Riley Honor Guard. A reception will be held 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, August 11, 2018, at First United Methodist Church, Great Bend. Memorials are suggested to the Kansas Honor Flight or Kindred Hospice, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Police say a Chinese missionary who had just arrived in Kansas City this week was shot to death for no apparent reason by an 18-year-old who went on a shooting spree while high on drugs.
Hudson -photo Jackson Co.
The victim, Xindong Hao, was shot Wednesday while taking a walk. Prosecutors charged Curtrail Hudson on Thursday with second-degree murder. Court documents indicate investigators believe Hudson was high on PCP when he started shooting at people in a south Kansas City neighborhood where Hao happened to be walking.
Hao brought his wife and four children to Kansas City to join fellow missionaries at the International House of Prayer.
