Christine Marie McNeill, age 63, passed away on November 20, 2018 at her residence in Garden City, Kansas. She was born on June 25, 1955 in Newton, Kansas the daughter of Henry Jr. and Charlene (Casey) Hill.
She Graduated from Newton High School in 1973 and received an Associates Degree from Hutchinson Community College in 1975.
On September 27, 1975 she married William McNeill at the St. Mary Catholic Church in Newton, Kansas.
She was a member of the Garden City community since 1996 after leaving McPherson, Kansas. Christine was also a member of St. Dominic Catholic Church and Our Lady of Guadalupe of Newton.
She loved being a grandma, mom, visiting family, making crafts, sewing, landscaping, reading, and always putting others before herself.
Other survivors include:
Two Children Adam McNeill of Newton, Kansas
Shannon and Geordy Kreutzer of Leoti, Kansas
Five Grandchildren Zane McNeill, Nevaeh Graham
Gage Kreutzer, Truett Kreutzer, Gentry Kreutzer
Mother Charlene Hill of Newton, Kansas
Four Siblings Teresa Hill-Sauerwein of Newton, Kansas
Cindy and Tom Shimerda of Omaha, Nebraska
Ron Hill of Santa Marie, California
Brenda and Phillip Blaufuss of Newton, Kansas
She was preceded in death by her father, grandparents.
Rosary will be recited on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady Of Guadeloupe Catholic Church Of Newton, Kansas.
Mass of the Resurrection will be held on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadeloupe Catholic Church of Newton, Kansas
Interment will follow in the St. Mary Catholic Cemetery in Newton, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 620 N. Main St. Garden City, Kansas 67846.
Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 65. Windy, with a northwest wind 14 to 19 mph increasing to 23 to 28 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 31. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. West wind 5 to 11 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Rain, mainly after 1am. Low around 30. Windy, with an east wind 8 to 13 mph becoming north 20 to 25 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Sunday
Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 7am, then gradually ending. Areas of blowing snow between 7am and 10am. High near 35. Windy, with a north northwest wind 23 to 28 mph decreasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Les KnollYup, miracles do happen. What better subject and proof than President Donald J. Trump.
Just maybe a higher power intervenes.
Miracle number one was Trump winning the presidency back in 2016. Miracle number two is his survival against all odds.
No president in this country’s history has been hated by more people and mostly just for who he is. It’s all about feelings and emotions. What Trump does to make America great again is meaningless to half this country. Conservatives and most Christians love the man, but the many other elements against him are overwhelming. Yet he survives.
Trump has survived a press that obviously has chosen not to be a free one. I concur with many others that most media “are enemies of the people.” Trying to tell us how to vote during elections against Trump with fake news, even lies, is not what is supposed to happen in a democracy.
Since day one, 95% of media is negative toward our president 95% of the time. Case in point, even small town newspapers like our local one, print the same horrific stuff that we read in the New York Times and Washington Post.
It defies logic for mainstream media to claim they are accurately reporting about our current president. If Trump is making America great again in a number of ways, and facts prove it, how is it that most news is negative? That in itself proves media is the enemy of Trump – and the people who voted for him. End of debate on that score.
From day one, Democrats in Congress vote against Trump on all issues. Now, following the election, along with being obstructionists, there is even more talk of subpoenas and impeachment. Dems will do anything and everything, obviously, to destroy this presidency.
No president has been under the microscope like this one. What Dems want to do to a Trump presidency rises to the level of one of the most outrageous and unconscionable agenda’s in American political history.
Media and their partner in crime the Democrat Party top the list of Trump’s enemies, but there are many more who want to take him out. Speaking of the Democrat Party, no other existing president has had to put up with a past president like Obama publicly chastising Trump on everything.
A partisan U. S. Department of Justice, in the tank for Hillary and Obama, created a Special Counsel with unheard of unlimited powers. Rush Limbaugh describes the Robert Mueller investigation as political prosecution of Trump. It’s an investigation looking for a crime simply because of dislike for Trump, with no evidence a crime has even been committed. Clearly a witch hunt.
Hard to believe, but there are Never Trumpers who are Republicans. I’m embarrassed to admit my own Arizona senators, that being Republicans John McCain and Jeff Flake, despised Trump and worked hard against him. Even Republican House Majority Leader Paul Ryan, half the time would not cooperate with Trump and a good case can be made that Ryan’s lack of good leadership in the House led to Dems taking over the majority, thus impeachment in the works.
Most, in and around D.C. are Democrats, as evidenced by Trump only getting 5% of their votes in 2016. Federal government workers are not pro Trump.
There is indisputable evidence our Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation unethically and illegally tried to prevent a Trump presidency. When that did not happen those agencies took measures to destroy his presidency. A miracle Trump survives.
For good measure, let me throw in to the mix, the fact that most of higher education is anti Trump and indoctrinating students to be liberals, not conservatives, consequently anti Trump. Social media like Facebook and Google are obviously anti conservative as well. Liberal Obama judges do everything they possibly can to obstruct Trump’s executive orders. The beat goes on and on!
The obstacles appear to be insurmountable but miracles, obviously, do happen. He survives!
Donald J. Trump will be one for history books like no other president.
PRATT COUNTY — Two teenagers were injured Thursday in an ATV accident in Pratt County.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a John Deere Gator driven by 16-year old Carson Thomas of Clearwater was driving the Gator on Southeast 1st Street just West of 70th Avenue in Pratt County at around 3:00 p.m. when he lost control and entered the north shoulder and overturned.
Thomas and a passenger, 19-year old Jake Thomas of Wichita were thrown from the Gator and sustained injuries and were transported to Pratt Regional Medical Center.
Shelly Huser, Victoria Elementary fifth-grade teacher, has been named November’s Hays Post Teacher of the Month.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
VICTORIA — Shelly Huser, a 22-year veteran teacher, learned firsthand how hurtful bullying can be.
Her brother, Ross, is physically and developmentally disabled. He was bullied when they were kids. She remembers the uncomfortable stares, the things people would say.
“The ‘retard’ word still makes me cringe when I hear it,” she said.
Huser, 48, shares that story with her fifth-graders on their first day with her at Victoria Elementary School in hopes they will learn to be kind to each other. She has an all-star board with pictures of her family on it. Her parents also used to bring her brother to games at the school, so many of the kids have been able to meet him.
“You don’t know what other people are going through,” she said.
It was this core of kindness and caring that earned Huser this month’s Hays Post Teacher of the Month award.
She was nominated by Shauna Chance. Both of her sons have been in Huser’s class.
“Ms. Huser is an amazing teacher,” Chance wrote in her nomination. “She has been part of the Victoria Elementary School that went above and beyond to care for the children in need of extra attention. … She makes learning fun and memorable. She is patient and supportive. My son tells me every day how amazing of a teacher she is. She makes each kid in class feel special.”
Huser has been at Victoria for 16 years, and also taught for a time at Otis-Bison.
Her fourth-grade teacher — Mildred Hladek at WaKeeney Elementary School — inspired her to be a teacher.
“She had baskets of extra papers on her windowsill, and we could take them if we wanted to. I would take those papers home, and my poor brother had to be my student. I had a classroom, and he would be my student. From that time on, that is what I wanted to do. I love it. I can’t imagine doing anything different.”
However, Huser almost left the profession after student teaching for a kindergarten class.
“When I did my kindergarten student teaching, I thought, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ Because they couldn’t cut, they couldn’t hold pencils, they couldn’t do things. I think I went home everyday and cried and thought, ‘What have I done? I have wasted four years of my life, and I don’t want to do this.’ ”
She was able to student teach a fourth-grade class during inter-term, and she realized that was the student level with which she really wanted to work.
Her fifth-graders are on the cusp of junior high, and Huser said she really enjoys seeing the children grow during her year with them.
“They come in dependent on me, but they leave independent, and I like that whole transition where they are able to figure things out on their own,” she said.
Huser’s two big words for her class are expectation and accountability.
“I am going to expect you to do it, and then I’m going to hold you accountable to get it done,” she said.
When her students come into the fifth-grade, they sign a job contract that includes Huser’s expectations of them. They have time-card pay. If they do their job, they get time outside to play.
Her favorite aspect of teaching is the “ah-ha” moment.
“I think it is probably when the lightbulb comes on for kiddos when they really get it — whatever I am teaching or some kind of skill. That is probably the most fun, when they finally figure it out and are excited about that,” she said.
Huser covers many subjects in her classroom, but one of her favorites is social studies. The students study Native Americans, explorers, the American Colonies and the Revolutionary War.
Huser tries to give the students hands-on learning activities. They kids do explorer talk shows, a Revolutionary War ABC book and make brochures to convince people to move to the Colonies.
“I feel I try to get them back into that time and put themselves there,” she said. “I think that helps them understand it more.”
Huser said she struggled with the subject when she was an elementary student. She was very nervous about reading aloud in class. Instead of listening to the other students, she focused on only her text.
“As I got into high school, I really had to study and work hard because it didn’t come very easy for me,” she said. “I think that helps kids too, because I struggled with things, so I am able to help them if they have those problems.”
Huser recently resigned as the Victoria Junior High volleyball coach after 16 years. Her record was 132-52. Her team won the CPL tournament this year and placed in the top three nine of the 16 years.
“It was not necessarily about winning,” she said. “We did win a lot because of the talent. It was the teamwork part of things. Kids got along. Even when they weren’t friends off the court, they got along on the court. We stress that and being coachable and having a good attitude.”
Huser also enjoyed being able to coach her own daughters. Kristen, 23, is now the Victoria High School girls basketball coach. Kristen is coaching Huser’s youngest daughter, who is a 15-year-old freshman. She had all three of her children in class.
“How many moms get to do that?” she said.
Although it was a very difficult decision to leave coaching, Huser said she feels she made the right choice. Kristen is expecting a child, and Huser said she looks forward to being a grandma in April.
Over her career, she said teaching has changed.
“Kids have changed, and times have changed,” she said. “I feel like anymore I am still teaching the regular subjects, but there are a whole lot of life skills that I think teachers are doing more of. My theme in here is humble and kind. I fell like we are spending more time on those kind of things maybe more than math and reading.”
Every day, Huser has an MVP that helps lead the class. The MVP holds the door for the class as they go to assembly each morning. The students are supposed to say “thank you.”
“They’ll count and tell be, ‘Ms. Huser, I got 15 thank yous,'” she said. “I think it is those little things. That, again, is holding each other accountable.”
A cattle truck rolled over on Interstate 70 on Thursday, closing the road for a time.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Peterbilt semi driven by Jason Buttenhoff, 45, Chapman, was eastbound on I-70, just west of Yocemento, when the vehicle left the roadway into the median and rolled onto its side.
Buttenhoff was transported to Hays Medical Center for treatment. The KHP reported he was not wearing a seat belt.
Seniors Avery Fox (left) and Emily Hilderbrand planned a walkout Tuesday morning to protest the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke protections for transgender people. CELISA CALACAL / KCUR 89.3
By CELISA CALACAL Kansas News Service
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dozens of Oak Park High School students walked out of class Tuesday in protest of the Trump administration’s plans to roll back Title IX protections for transgender people.
“They’re trying to take my joy with myself away,” transgender senior Avery Fox told the crowd in North Kansas City. “And they’re trying to take yours away too.”
In 2015, Oak Park crowned its first transgender homecoming queen. The school district recently built gender-neutral bathrooms in several of its schools, and Oak Park has a number of private bathrooms for transgender, non-binary and gender nonconforming students to use.
Dozens of students walked out of Oak Park High School Tuesday morning in support of transgender rights. CREDIT CELISA CALACAL / KCUR 89.3
Fox, who identifies as a transgender man, said he’s afraid rights and protections will be removed from Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans gender discrimination in education.
“It goes without saying: If they’re trying to erase one part of the LGBT community, who’s to say they won’t try to erase us all,” he said.
Tuesday also marked the annual observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors people who were killed because of anti-transgender violence.
Senior Emily Hilderbrand, who helped plan the walkout with Fox, said they were influenced by a New York Times article from October that reported the administration’s intentions to define gender as a condition determined by one’s genitalia at birth.
“We got very angry,” Hilderbrand said. “We felt like that was very much kind of an infringement onto just human rights because everyone deserves to have their identity valid.”
There are currently no statewide anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in Missouri, although the ACLU is challenging that in a lawsuit. And the Missouri Supreme Court is considering two cases — one involving a transgender teenager and the other a gay man — that could determine whether the Missouri Human Rights Act applies to discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Fox said he is specifically concerned with the Missouri law that only allows a person to change their gender on their ID if they have medical documents proving they have undergone gender-reassignment surgery.
“Not all of us can afford surgery,” Fox said. “Not all of us have the chance to get it. Not all of us have supportive parents who will let us have that. And some of us just don’t choose to do it. And even if we choose not to have the hormones or not to have the surgery, that doesn’t mean we aren’t the gender we say we are.”
Hilderbrand said the administration was receptive to the walkout when students first approached them with the idea last month.
Fox also noted the support from school administrators and teachers.
“The support that comes from them really does make it possible to be yourself,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about people seeing you as different.”
Assistant Principal Casey Vokolek said the administration tries its best to support its students. He said that, as a school, it’s important that students learn how to be vocal about their beliefs.
“Being able to express your opinions in a healthy, safe way — have your voice be heard — is an important life skill,” he said.
Celisa Calacal is a news intern with KCUR 89.3. You can reach her at @celisa_mia.
Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Company
117 East 11th – Downtown Hays, Kansas
Seasonal Sandwich: Cheese Frenchees
Deep Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a Cracker Crust,
Served with your Choice of a Cup of Soup for Dipping. $9.95
Add 0.95 for any substitution. Pair with No. 68 Ellis Co. Pale Ale.
Seasonal Sandwich: Tuna Melt
Tuna Salad Served with Pesto Spread on a Thick Slice of Toasted Sunflower Multi-Grain Bread, Topped with Grape Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and Swiss Cheese. Served with a Mixed Green Salad. $9.95
Add 0.95 for any substitution. Pair with No. 08 Lemon Ale.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Joanna Gaines, known for her cozy-yet-cool designs including open-concept floor plans, farmhouse sinks and sliding barn doors, admits having to scale back on the vision of her own home in Waco, Texas, to allow her children to add personality to their own spaces.
“In the past it was hard,” she said recently in an interview, having to shift her thinking to, “This is their space. This is what makes them come alive, I need to encourage that.”
Gaines says this principle especially applies to her two oldest children, son Drake, 13, and daughter Ella, 11.
“In the main spaces I get to do my thing and incorporate some things that they love but for their rooms, especially this year, there’s stuff they’re wanting in their room that I wouldn’t put in there originally, but now it’s fun to watch their room evolve into their personality and give them the freedom to do it.”
She remembers that she, too, had her own flair growing up.
“I was into cats. I had cat posters everywhere and my mom let me do it,” she said.
She and her husband, Chip, are planning on a return to TV. The couple confirms they are in discussions with Discovery about creating a lifestyle-focused network.
In the meantime, Gaines writes about how she makes a house a home in her new book, “Homebody” (Harper Design), sharing examples from her own farmhouse in Waco, Texas, and homes she’s worked on.
She recently talked about design in an interview with The Associated Press.
AP: When you see an empty room, what’s the first thing you think about when it comes to decorating?
Gaines: I think, ‘OK, how are people going to be walking in and out? What’s the pass-through?’ I want the traffic. I kind of just try to figure out the footprint and then I start thinking about, ‘Where do you put the sofa? Where do you fit the chair or a coffee table?’ Then from there I start adding the bookshelves, stuff on the wall. But I think for me the seating is important because that’s where everyone is congregating. That’s the most important thing.
AP: You also find interesting pieces that either show a person’s personality or a family heirloom. What if someone doesn’t have any of that but wants to add some interesting pieces to their home that aren’t so cookie cutter?
Gaines: I think people need to know that it takes time. You can find things at flea markets, antique stores or even online. It becomes like a treasure hunt.
AP: You seem to like neutrals and black and white. What are your thoughts on color in design?
Gaines: I love the contrast of black and white and I think it’s timeless and no matter what style or genre, black and white can fit into that. I love to implement color with rugs and pillows and art. But if I’m working with clients who love color, I’m all about a colored sofa or piece of furniture. For me, I love a neutral palette, I think it’s calming. But I like keeping it simple and layering colors in later so then when I’m tired of it, I can shift that out simply with a pillow.
AP: When you do have a client who has a different style than you do, is that a fun exercise?
Gaines: It’s so fun. To me, it’s a way of getting things out through other people. For me, we’re staying at the farmhouse, so it’s a fun way to try out other styles.
AP: What about decorating for the holidays? Do you like themes? What do you like?
Gaines: Thinking about the farmhouse, I love just layering in the textures and so it’s really simple. Obviously the tree, the garland and the stockings, but simple, subtle colors. That’s when there’s red, the pillows, the throw blankets, the tree skirt. The holidays can be really busy and home is a place where we can unwind and rest. If there’s too much clutter, I think it’s hard for all of us to feel at ease. I try to keep it minimal but bring in the reds and greens.
AP: That brings up the question of clutter. You want decorative accents but when is it too much?
Gaines: A lot of this is gut instinct. What I feel is enough may not be enough for others. I think when you’re looking at your space and you feel like, ‘OK, I think I’ve got it,’ you can stop.
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Online: https://www.magnolia.com/
Marie (McKie) Hewett, beloved daughter of Sam and Martha McKie, was born in Gaylord, Kansas on January 3, 1916, and peacefully passed away at her home in Norton on November 19, 2018, at the age of 102.
Marie lived with her parents on a farm north of Densmore during her school years. She attended Pikes Peak Rural Grade School until her graduation from the 8th grade in 1929. Marie went on to attend Densmore High School and graduated in 1933. In 1934, Marie began her career as a school teacher at the Pikes Peak Rural Grade School where she taught for 11 years. On November 30, 1935, Marie married the love of her life, Francis Hewett in Mankato, Kansas. They made their home in Norton in 1948, where Marie and Francis were the owners of the Center Café for 22 years.
Marie enjoyed going to auctions, watching tv, reading, and collecting dolls. She loved her cats, but her greatest love was her family, especially her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
Survivors include: one son, Raymond, and wife, Karren Hewett, Aurora, Colorado; one daughter, Linda, and husband, Pat Donovan, Norton, Kansas; one brother-in-law, Joe, and wife, Mary Hewett, Longview, Texas; one sister-in-law, Irene Hewett, Dayton Beach, Florida; her caregiver and friend of 11 years, Bobbie Stewart; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; several other relatives and friends.
Marie was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one sister, Lula Faye Beach Spaulding, daughter, Janet Keiswetter, and son-in-law, Boyd Keiswetter
FUNERAL SERVICE – Saturday, November 24, 2018 – 11:00 A.M.
PLACE – Enfield Funeral Home – Norton, Kansas
VISITATION – Saturday, November 24, 2018 from 10:00 A.M. until service time.
Karen Sue Bishop, 78, passed away November 21, 2018, at Medicalodges of Great Bend. She was born January 11, 1940 at Russell County, Kansas to August & Adelia (Depiesse) Schremmer. She married Paul R. Bishop on August 24, 1968 at Great Bend. He died May 9, 2016.
A resident of Great Bend, Karen was a member of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and Altar Society. She was a former secretary of the Hoisington Horse Shoe Club and a cook for USD 428 for 20 years. She loved to fish, camp and play cards.
Survivors include, three brothers, Ron L. Schremmer and wife Betty, Bill J. Schremmer and wife Bonnie and Gene E. Schremmer and wife Cheryl; two sisters, Patricia A. Proksch and husband Richard and Lois L. Klug and husband Leon, all of Hoisington; sister-in-law, Helen Schremmer of Great Bend, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul R. Bishop; two daughters, Cherie Bishop Phillipi and Tammy Bishop, and two brothers, James A. and wife, Mary Katherine Schremmer and Earl L. Schremmer.
Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday, November 23, 2018, at Bryant Funeral Home, with Altar Society Rosary at 4:00 p.m. and Vigil at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, November 24, 2018, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Great Bend, with Father Don Bedore presiding. Interment will be in the Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Kans for Kids or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.
Margaret “Mae” Van Eaton, 93, of Oakley, died Tuesday, November 20, 2018, at the Logan County Manor, in Oakley. She was born August 2, 1925, in Rozel, KS, to John and Elizabeth (Bott) Boese. On January 18, 1941, in Larned, KS, Mae was united in marriage to Gerald “G.W.” Van Eaton, her husband of 75 years, until his passing on November 16, 2015. They moved to a farm South of Monument, KS in 1947, where Mae cared for their children and was a farm wife. They later moved to Mingo and then Oakley. She enjoyed playing the organ and going to card parties. Mae was a member of the Monument Mothers Club and the Willing Workers.
Mae was preceded in death by her parents; husband G.W. Van Eaton and sisters, Hulda Haberman and Dorothy Boese.
She is survived by her daughters, Geraldine Van Eaton, of Hays, KS, Joyce (Charlie) Homm, of Oakley, KS and Marjorie (Darryl) Dohm, of Grinnell, KS; son, Steven (Pam) Van Eaton, of Monument, KS; as well as five grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
Visitation is 5-7:00 p.m. Thursday, November 22, 2018, at Baalmann Mortuary, Oakley. Funeral Service is 10:00 a.m. Friday, November 23, 2018, also at the Mortuary, with burial to follow in the Oakley City Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Logan County Manor for the activity fund or renovations and can be sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 204, Oakley, KS 67748. For condolences or information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The Manhattan City Commission has approved a plan to convert half of its energy use to wind power.
The Mercury reports that the commission Tuesday backed a 20-year agreement with Westar Energy for the 300-megawatt Soldier Creek Wind Farm in northeast Kansas, a project that will be complete in the fourth quarter of 2020.
The city has paid Westar about $2.6 million a year for the past five years. Officials say the agreement with Westar will save the city $50,000 a year for the next 20 years.
Kansas State University has entered the same agreement with Westar.
Christine Marie McNeill, age 63, passed away on November 20, 2018 at her residence in Garden City, Kansas. She was born on June 25, 1955 in Newton, Kansas the daughter of Henry Jr. and Charlene (Casey) Hill.
