EMPORIA – Hats off to the nearly 600 candidates for December graduation at Emporia State University.
Layne Merle Downing of Hays graduated with a B.S. in Business degree in Management.
Students earning bachelor’s degrees were honored Saturday.
Mark Hutton of the Kansas Board of Regents gave the remarks. Hutton, of Andover, is the founder of Hutton Construction Corporation in Wichita and worked as CEO until 2010. Hutton also served as a State Representative in the Kansas Legislature from 2013 to 2017. Dr. Kevin Rabas, chair of the Department of English, Modern Languages, and Journalism and Kansas Poet Laureate, addressed the graduates as ESU’s 2018 Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor.
Gene PolicinskiUnlike most of Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” designees since 1927, we can be certain none of those featured this year on that iconic, red-framed cover wanted to be there.
This year, Time has four cover images, all recognizing journalists who are imprisoned, facing charges or who died in the pursuit of news on behalf of the rest of us — collectively titled, “The Guardians and the War on Truth.”
The selectees: Jamal Khashoggi, The Washington Post contributor believed killed in Turkey by a Saudi Arabian “hit squad;” the staff of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., which saw five staffers killed by a deranged gunman; Reuters news service reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who have been jailed in Myanmar for a year; and Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, whose news site Rappler, a frequent government critic, faces dubious tax-related charges.
Time said it selected the group “for taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths, for the imperfect but essential quest for facts that are central to civil discourse, for speaking up and speaking out.”
Those words, and that task, are as good a definition of journalism as we might want. The description also puts a lie to the core untruths of those critics who find any excuse to bray — mostly for political gain — about “fake news,” or who claim “alternative facts” when faced with a reality they find uncomfortable or incompatible with pre-conditioned views.
Yes, journalists — as all of us — can at times do an imperfect job. But the vast majority set out each day on that “essential quest for facts.” And in doing so, they act on our behalf, bringing us the information we need for both the decisions we make in our private lives and for the votes we cast as part of the greatest experiment ever seen in self-governance.
These “Guardians” also stand for thousands of men and women in nations around the world who put themselves in harm’s way each day to stand up to tyrants and tyranny. As the magazine noted, at least 52 journalists have been murdered this year for simply doing their jobs. Hundreds more are imprisoned and threatened. The Committee to Protect Journalists notes 262 are now being held and 60 are “missing.”
Journalists killed in the previous year, and more than 2,300 others since the early 1800s are recognized each June in a rededication of the Newseum’s Journalist Memorial, in Washington, D.C. For those who question the motives of all journalists under misleading and inaccurate references to “the Media,” — visit and learn the stories of the men and women noted on that memorial. If your view of journalism and those who practice it doesn’t shift as a result, you’re not really thinking.
The journalists’ stories were intertwined with the second part of Time’s recognition as the most “influential” in 2018 — the ongoing effort to manipulate what is true and “the many ways information is being used and abused across the globe.” In an essay, the magazine’s editor-in-chief said it was “the common thread in so many of this year’s major stories, from Russia to Riyadh to Silicon Valley.”
In the name of those who died, who are wrongly imprisoned or threatened, and in the name of “truth,” the rest of us have an obligation to step away from partisan bickering and disgraceful sloganeering — including that bogus claim by President Trump and repressive regimes worldwide that journalists are “enemies of the people.”
Call for better reporting, but also be willing to support better journalism. Continue to call for investigations and prosecutions whenever a journalist is attacked or killed; don’t settle for a politically expedient decision to excuse or ignore such criminal conduct. Defend journalism and commit to the pursuit of truth, even when it means extra effort to separate it out from misleading and false information.
In the name of those recently recognized for their courage and sacrifice, it’s Time we all did that.
Gene Policinski is president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. He can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter at @genefac.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of Sunday armed robberies in Wichita and have two suspects in custody.
Police on the scene of one of Sunday’s armed robberies-photo courtesy KWCH
On Sunday, three armed robberies between 7:45 and 8:33 a.m. in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz.
The robberies occurred at Kwik Shop, 2760 S. Oliver, the Family Express convenience store 1203 E. Pawnee and the Jumpstart convenience store 1601 S. Hydraulic. The suspects took cash and cigarettes from each location. No injuries were reported in any of the robberies.
Through the investigation WPD Officers and Investigators were able to identify two 17-year-old suspects who have been arrested and booked into the Juvenile Detention Center for three counts of aggravated robbery.
Charles E. “Chuck” Vsetecka, age 96, of Victoria, KS, passed away on Friday, December 14, 2018 at Via Christi Village-Hays.
He was born on July 10, 1922 in Sargent, NE to Frank and Rose (Seda) Vsetecka. On August 27, 1946 he was united in marriage to Estelle M. Schmidtberger. To this union they had three children. Estelle passed away on May 1, 1976 after 29 years of marriage. Chuck then found love again and married Leona J. (Herrman)-Schuckman on June 17, 1977. To this union brought four step-children. Leona passed away on November 6, 2018 after 41 years of marriage.
Chuck retired as a Chief Master Sergeant (CMSSgt) from the United States Air Force. He enlisted during World War II and also served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He was very proud of his military career. After retirement from the military, he was a Crop Adjuster for the Cimarron Insurance Company. He enjoyed farming as well as assisting area farmers with their crop insurance needs. Chuck was an avid gardener. His backyard would be full of fruits and vegetables during the summer and fall months. He enjoyed traveling with his wife and would spend time dancing to polka music at the dance halls on the weekends. Above all, Chuck admired his family. From family barbecues and holidays, he loved being around his family and enjoying a cold beverage. His grandchildren would always refer to him as, “PoPo.” He will be dearly missed by his family.
Chuck’s memberships included, The Basilica of St. Fidelis Catholic Church, VFW Post #1751 & Past Commander, Knights of Columbus 3rd Degree and Knights of Columbus 4th Degree Assembly all of Victoria. He was a member of the American Legion of Hays and a member of AFA-Air Force Association. He served on the City of Victoria from 1980-1987.
Survivors include one son, Charles F. Vsetecka of Almena, KS; two daughters, Cheryl McNamara of Bonner Springs, KS and Michelle Schuckman and her husband Dominic of Newton, KS; two step-sons, Dominic Schuckman and his wife Michelle of Newton, KS and Samuel Schuckman of Ashville, NC; two step-daughters, Theresa Wasinger and her husband John of Hays and Martha Boardman and her husband Rob of Hays; 15 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren and a loving extended family.
He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Estelle M. Vsetecka and second wife, Leona J. Vsetecka; one brother, Frank “Swede” Vsetecka; three sisters, Rose Pechanec, Bessie Swanek and Mary Cecil.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 A.M., December 19, 2018 at The Basilica of St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria. Burial will follow with military honors provided by the Victoria VFW Post #1751 at St. Fidelis Cemetery, Victoria.
Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., Tuesday and from 9:30 to 10:45 A.M., Wednesday, all at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary, 412 Main St. in Victoria.
A combined Victoria VFW, Knights of Columbus 3rd & 4th Degree and Christian Mothers rosary will be recited at 6:30 P.M., followed by a parish vigil service at 7:15 P.M., all at the mortuary on Tuesday. The 4th Degree Knights of Columbus will stand honor guard from 6:30-7:30 P.M.
Memorial contributions can be made in his loving memory to DAV-Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301. Contributions can be mailed or left with the mortuary.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary, 412 Main Street, Victoria, Kansas 67671.
Condolences can be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or can be sent via e-mail to [email protected].
Today Sunny, with a high near 56. South wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. South wind 6 to 13 mph.
Tuesday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Tuesday NightMostly cloudy, with a low around 29. East southeast wind around 6 mph becoming west northwest in the evening.
WednesdayA 20 percent chance of rain after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Windy, with a west wind 6 to 11 mph becoming north northwest 16 to 26 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph.
Wednesday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 33. Breezy.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal accident.
First responders on the scene of the accident-photo courtesy WIBW TV
Just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday December 11, police responded to an injury accident at SW 6th Street and SW Mulvane in Topeka, according to Lt. Aaron Jones.
A moped driven by 67-year-old Daniel Manning was involved in accident with another car.
Manning was cared for at a local hospital and later transferred to a regional hospital and died this weekend, according to Jones.
Next of kin notifications have been made. It is unknown at this time how much or if the accident contributed to his death.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities reported Sunday that missing 11-year-old boy has been found and is safe, according to a social media report from Wichita police.
Joan Ibarra -photo courtesy Wichita PD
Just after 10:15a.m. Thursday, Joan Ibarra walked away from Hamilton Middle School, 1407 South Broadway in Wichita, according to office Paul Cruz.
He was last seen in the area of Harry and Broadway and was wearing black pants, and gray sweater. He is Hispanic approximately 4-foot-8, 80 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas astronaut says he’s ready for his next mission after a failed space launch in October.
Hague -NASA image
Hoxie native Nick Hague will embark on a six-month stay with two other crew members at the International Space Station. The scheduled launch aboard a Soyuz MS12 spacecraft is set for Feb. 28.
Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch will join Hague in the launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
On board the station, they will participate in about 250 research experiments and technology demonstrations made possible by micro-gravity conditions inside the station.
Ovchinin was also aboard the initial failed rocket set to launch on Oct. 11, 2018. Shortly after launch that day, the rocket’s booster malfunctioned in a rare failure for the Soyuz rocket. Hague and Ovchinin successfully aborted the mission and made a “ballistic descent” back to Earth in a capsule.
“Essentially the rocket came apart underneath us,” Hague said at a news conference Wednesday.
Hague said he’s looking forward to the new mission even more than his previous one, in part because of the addition of Koch to the crew. She and Hague were part of the same astronaut class at NASA.
“What we’re doing is making advancements for all of humanity,” Hague said.
Hague, Ovchinin and Koch will return to Earth in October 2019.
The 10th annual Community Christmas Dinner will be held on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, at the Hays VFW. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The dinner and venue are both donated by the VFW, and the Christmas meal is available to the community at no cost.
“Ten years ago, the Community Christmas Dinner began with the vision to bring the community of Hays together to eat a Christmas meal, and to return to the true reason for the season — celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The season of Christmas can quickly become a time of losing focus of why it is truly celebrated, overshadowed by the busyness of the holiday season. The Community Christmas Dinner offers a time to refocus on the birth of Christ, and it is a means to walk out the love of Christ,” the group said in a news release. “The Community Christmas Dinner offers opportunities for the community members of Hays to serve others by volunteering at the dinner, as well as for people to be served by the provision of a Christmas meal and a loving, peaceful environment. As 1 Corinthians 13:8 states, ‘Love never fails,’ and the Community Christmas Dinner is a lasting example of this love. It stands upon this Word now, as it has since 2008 when the dinner first began at the Kansas National Guard Armory. The first meal was prepared and served in roasters donated by community members, and approximately 100 people were served at the first meal, including volunteers. The following year, the dinner was served at the VFW, where it has been hosted since. Over time, the number of people served has increased, as well as the number of volunteers. The VFW has donated the venue and the meal, and the men of the VFW have donated their time in preparing and serving the meal. The Community Christmas Dinner has been a collaborative event with a lasting impact, with the focus on celebrating Christ during this season.”
For those wishing to volunteer, volunteer opportunities will be available on Christmas Day prior to the meal, during the meal, and after in decorating and cleaning the VFW Hall. Volunteer opportunities can include directing traffic, greeting community members, filling and providing drinks, assisting with carrying plates, clearing tables, delivering meals, washing dishes, cleaning after the event, and other miscellaneous tasks that arise. Desserts for the meal are also provided by community members, and these remain needed at this time.
For any community members wanting meal delivery, wishing to volunteer or wishing to provide desserts, contact the Community Christmas Dinner using the following information:
785-625-5528 (through Dec. 19)
785-259-9735 (Dec. 20 through Dec. 24)
email: [email protected]
WICHITA — A Kansas man accused in the shooting death of a man at a mobile home in Wichita has been found guilty.
Milo -photo Sedgwick Co.
On Friday, a jury in Judge Ben Burgess’ Sedgwick County courtroom found Keeshaun Milo, 29 of Wichita, guilty of first-degree murder in the December 2, 2016 shooting of Michael Hamilton in the 3800 block of S. Meridian, according to a media release from the Sedgwick County Attorney.
Police responded to the shooting at 11:30p.m. that night and found 45-year-old Michael T. Hamilton with gunshot wounds to his upper body, according to officer Charley Davidson. Hamilton was transported to a local hospital and died.
Milo and James Welborn were arrested for the shooting death that was in connection with a drug deal dispute and fight, according to police.
Milo is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11th, 2019.
The statistical summary indicates that the pregnancy rates among Kansas resident females aged 10-19 dropped by 1.6 percent from 2016 to 2017. Rates among females 10-17 and 15-17 as individual age groups also dropped in 2017. However, pregnancy rates among females aged 18-19 years increased 3.2 percent.
“We are encouraged by the continued decline in the teen pregnancy rates for several Kansas counties and the state overall,” said Rachel Sisson, MS, Director of the KDHE Bureau of Family Health. “KDHE remains committed to working closely with local partners and communities to identify, support and spread strategies and interventions that are making a difference.”
The 2017 Kansas pregnancy rate among females 15-17 years of age (9.5 per 1,000 female age-group population) compares favorably with the Healthy People 2020 (HP 2020) national target of 36.2 pregnancies per 1,000 female age-group population. The state pregnancy rate for females aged 18-19 (48.9 per 1,000 age-group population) also compares favorably with the HP 2020 national target of 105.9 pregnancies per 1,000 female age-group population.
While Kansas had lower teen pregnancy rates than the national targets, the state’s birth rates for females aged 15-19 were lower than the national rates from 1996 to 2006.
Since 2008, teen birth rates in Kansas have remained higher than the U.S rate; however, both Kansas and the U.S. teen birth rates have been declining since then. In 2017, the Kansas rate was unchanged from 2016, while the preliminary U.S. rate for 2017 is not yet available.
Back row, left to right: Tabitha Brotherton, KRR Senior Program Manager, Darla Raile, St. Francis Elementary Principal, Sen. Rick Billinger, Andrew Hysell, KRR Director, Rob Schiltz, St. Francis Superintendent, Kattie Aldaco, KRR Program Coordinator, Dave Morrow, St. Francis High School Principal. Front row, left to right: Aurora Meyer, Ryder Zimmerman, AJ Arensdorf, Zarik Enfield, students at St. Francis Elementary School
KRR announces $122,680 grant for K-3 literacy services
ST. FRANCIS — A new program helping students read at grade level, a prospect with life-changing benefits, is coming to St. Francis, Kansas.
Supt. Robert Schiltz announced that St. Francis Elementary School has been awarded a grant for the 2018-2019 school year to take part in the Kansas Reading Roadmap (KRR), a program already underway in 63 sites across the state.
KRR works with public schools to make sure all children are reading at grade level by the second semester of the third grade. Longitudinal studies show that children reading at grade level by the fourth grade are four times more likely to graduate high school on time.
In January, St. Francis Elementary School will launch the after-school program designed to help children in grades K-3 raise their reading proficiency. Targeting, but not limited to, striving readers, the program aligns afterschool instruction with what students are taught during the school day.
“In my 32 years with the district, I think this may be the best academic opportunity we’ve had,” Schiltz said. “In time, we expect this to help our state assessments and our ACT scores to go up, and for this to ensure no student leaves our district as a struggling reader.”
Directing the reading program at St. Francis will be Program Coordinator Kattie Aldaco, a 2008 graduate of St. Francis schools, who most recently served as a paraeducator at St. Francis High School.
KRR used the grant award ceremony at St. Francis to announce the release of its annual report for the 2017-2018 school year. The report can be viewed at www.readingroadmap.org/kansas.
“Over the past several years we have developed a program that is really successful at driving achievement,” said KRR Director Andrew Hysell. “We are excited to partner with St. Francis Elementary School to produce the kind of data-driven progress we’ve seen at other schools across Kansas.”
Recent evaluation shows that KRR afterschool participants are five times more likely to achieve grade-level reading than their peers, as measured by school-administered assessments.
“Rural schools are the backbone of so many Kansas communities,” said Sen. Rick Billinger, who attended the announcement. “The return on investment from the Reading Roadmap in a school like St. Francis, there’s just no way to calculate it.”
Students identified through screening as needing additional support in literacy will meet after school, Monday through Thursday, for individualized programming aligned with in-school instruction. They will improve their skills through stories, songs, poems and reading activities, receive a healthy snack and engage in active Healthy Kids sessions. As an extension of the school’s intervention system, progress in the afterschool program is monitored by school data.
One feature of KRR is an eight-session series called Literacy-integrated Family Engagement (LIFE) that brings parents and siblings of students in the program to the school to support children’s reading. Participants eat a meal together and engage in relationship-strengthening activities centered around literacy.
KRR also provides curriculum and support for a summer enrichment program that helps combat “summer slide,” when many students experience atrophy in their reading skills. On average, students lose two months of reading skills during the summer break.
KRR is a partnership between local schools, the Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN), and the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). Through a multi-year partnership with KRR, participating schools and Boys & Girls Clubs have dramatically increased reading proficiency among third graders.
ESU
