LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Firefighters are preparing for their annual rescue of Santa Claus from a downtown Lawrence rooftop.
Santa is expected to “land” Friday night on the roof of Weaver’s Department Store. Firefighters then will use a ladder truck to climb up and rescue him.
Once on the ground, Santa will listen to the Christmas wishes of children and pose for pictures. Youth also can make crafts for their families.
The event coincides with the Lawrence holiday lighting ceremony.
SMITH CENTER – George C. Black, age 91, passed away on Friday November 23, 2018 at the Deseret Health and Rehab Center in Smith Center, KS. He was born the son of Frank & Lena (Edell) Black in Lebanon, KS.
Survivors are his daughter, Sharon of Smith Center, a niece and three nephews.
Arrangements are pending at Simmons-Rentschler Mortuary.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The company that owns a duck boat that sank on a Missouri lake in the summer, killing 17 people, has settled the first of several lawsuits filed in the accident.
William Bright, 65, and his 63-year-old wife, Janice, of Higginsville, Missouri, were among those killed in the July 19 accident on Table Rock Lake. Their three adult daughters filed suit soon after.
Adam Graves, an attorney for the family, told the Kansas City Star that the settlement with Ripley Entertainment was finalized Thursday, and that his clients were satisfied with the settlement.
“One of the first things Ripley said when they came into mediation was, ‘We are a family company, and we value family,’ ” he said.
Terms were not disclosed. A Ripley spokeswoman declined immediate comment.
Three others named in the suit will remain defendants. They are Ride the Ducks International LLC, a division of Ripley; the captain of the duck boat, Kenneth Scott McKee; and the driver on land, Robert Williams, who died when the boat sank.
The amphibious boat known as Stretch Duck 07 went down amid turbulent waters as a strong storm hit the Branson area. The duck boat tours begin on land with a tour of the town known for its country music shows before a short excursion on Table Rock Lake.
A federal grand jury this month indicted McKee. He is accused of several violations of federal law overseeing boat captains, including not properly assessing incoming weather before taking the boat out on water, failing to tell passengers to use flotation devices, and other violations. The federal investigation is ongoing.
The Brights were visiting Branson for their 45th wedding anniversary. The lawsuit said the company and operators of the boat had warning that a storm was approaching when the boat entered the lake at 6:55 p.m., about 20 minutes after the National Weather Service had issued a severe storm warning for the Branson area
The lawsuit is among several filed over the accident. Nine of the victims were from one Indianapolis family. In addition to the Brights and Williams, other victims included a couple from the St. Louis area, an Illinois woman who was taking her granddaughter on a trip to Branson, and a father and son from Arkansas.
Seven others were injured.
CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Mart’e Grays and Dee Bekelja each scored 12 points and No. 16 DePaul beat Kansas State 79-59 on Friday in the Cancun Challenge.
Bekelja scored 10 of her points in the first half as DePaul jumped out to a 45-20 advantage and Grays’ 3-pointer with 6:30 remaining extended the lead to 69-47.
Ashton Millender added 11 points for DePaul (3-1), which plays No. 14 Syracuse on Saturday. The Blue Demons were 12 of 40 from 3-point range, while Kansas State was just 2 of 12.
DePaul outscored Kansas State 18-6 at the end of the first quarter for a 21-12 lead, and the Blue Demons built a lead as high as 29 points in the third quarter.
Jasauen Beard scored 14 of her 17 points in the second half for Kansas State (3-2), and Peyton Williams had 10 points and six rebounds.
TOPEKA (AP) — Authorities say a semidriver who rolled his rig on the Kansas Turnpike told officers he was distracted by a toothache.
The Kansas Turnpike Authority said the 49-year-old driver from Olathe wasn’t hurt. But The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that traffic was blocked for nearly two hours early Friday after the wreck in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 in Shawnee County.
The accident report says the driver became distracted by a toothache, rested his hand on his chin and drifted off the road onto the shoulder. The driver then overcorrected, crossed the highway, saw he was going to strike the wall between the turnpike’s eastbound and westbound lanes and overcorrected again. That caused the rig to fall onto its side, blocking off all three of the highway’s westbound lanes.
LONG ISLAND — Two people from Nebraska were injured in an accident at approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Phillips County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Dodge pickup driven by Jeffery Arthur Hester, 34, Harvard, Neb., was westbound on Kansas 383 just west of Long Island when the passenger-side wheels entered the north ditch.
The pickup then traveled across the roadway and entered into a broadside skid, continuing into the southbound ditch and rolling. Hester was ejected from the vehicle, which came to rest on its wheels.
Hester, who the KHP said was not wearing a seat belt, was transported to Norton County Hospital for treatment.
A passenger in the truck, a 15-year-old male, also was transported to the hospital for treatment. The teen was wearing a seat belt, the KHP said.
Due to impending wintry weather, Fort Hays State University will open residence halls earlier than planned.
Residence halls will be open to students returning from Thanksgiving break at 3 p.m. Saturday.
“As we are opening early, please note that limited desk and dining services will be available,” the university said in a social media post Friday.
The winter storm is expected to create hazardous driving conditions. Click HERE for more.
The residence halls will open on Saturday, November 24th at 3p.m. due to inclement weather that may it may not cause travel delays.
As we are opening early, please note that limited desk and dining services will be available. pic.twitter.com/VlpjLFSFBD— Fort Hays State Univ (@FortHaysState) November 23, 2018
Mona Rhea Jeffries, age 84, died on November 23, 2018 at the Homestead Assisted Living in Garden City, Kansas. She was born on July 7, 1934 in Scott City, Kansas the daughter of Wade Hampton and Letha Adalene Phillips Burgess.
On August 12, 1954, she married Maurice Dean Jeffries in Garden City, Kansas. He survives.
Other survivors include:
Three Children N. James Jeffries of Leoti, Kansas
Cynthia and Kenneth Becker of Garden City, Kansas
Stephanie and James Fontenot of Garden City, Kansas
Two Brothers Keith and Jean Burgess of Scott City, Kansas
John and Roberta Burgess of Ransom, Kansas
Three Grandchildren, Six Great Grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, L. Max Burgess; two sisters, Eleanor Kuttler and Sharon Fuller; one grandson, Trax Jay Fontenot.
Cremation has been selected and there will be no calling times.
Memorial services will be held at the Price and Sons Funeral home of Scott City at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 1, 2018.
Memorials in lieu of flowers are suggested to the Mona Jeffries Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 620 N. Main St. Garden City, Kansas 67846.
TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas is offering a special Black Friday deal to outdoor enthusiasts.
As part of the national #OptOutside movement, the state will waive admission fees at its state parks for the day, although visitors will still have to pay for fishing, overnight camping and other activities.
Additionally, park visitors who take a selfie can enter to win a free night’s stay at a state park cabin.
Some Kansas parks also planned activities. Kanopolis State Park and Tuttle Creek State Park offered guided bike rides, while Prairie Dog State Park had a 2-mile “Turkey Trot.”
Outdoor gear retailer REI started the initiative in 2015, announcing it would close its stores on Black Friday to encourage people to experience nature instead of waiting in long lines at cash registers.
Today’s Special at Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Company
117 East 11th – Downtown Hays, Kansas
FRIDAY: FISH TACOS Blackened Tilapia, Gella’s Fresh, Homemade Guacamole and Cheddar Cheese Split Between Three Warm Corn Tortillas and Served With Both Gella’s Red and Green Salsas. $9.50
Seasonal Entree: Intoxichops
Honey and Beer Brined Pork Chop Marinated in American Hefeweizen,
Grilled and Topped with Caramelized Roasted Apples.
Served alongside Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
and French Fried Green Beans. $13.95
Pair with No. 55 Ft. Fletcher American IPA.
Find out more about the award winning Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Company at our Website and at Facebook.
AP Retail Writer
NEW YORK — Amazon says a technical error on its website exposed the names and email addresses of some customers.
The online retail giant says it has fixed the issue and emailed those affected. Amazon says its website and systems were not hacked.
An Amazon spokesman did not answer additional questions, like how many people were impacted or whether any of the information was stolen.
Avivah Litan, a senior analyst at Gartner, says email addresses can be used by bad actors for what’s known as phishing: contacting people by email and trying to trick them into providing additional sensitive information, like their passwords or Social Security numbers.
The disclosure from Amazon comes as it gears up for the busy holiday shopping season. The Seattle-based company is expected to grab as much as half of all online sales by the end of this year, according to Bain & Co.
