We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Month: January 2019

Kansas drought-free for the first time since mid-2017

Posted on
Click to expand

According to the Kansas Water Office, Kansas is officially free of drought for the first time since June 2017.

The U.S. Drought Monitor released the latest maps on Thursday, showing no drought conditions in Kansas.

“Abnormally dry conditions began appearing on the (June 13, 2017) map, and DI-Moderate Drought first appeared on the map (July 18, 2017). Since that time, until (Jan. 1, 2019), drought conditions had affected various portions of KS,” the Kansas Water Office said.

Click HERE for more from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Schlitterbahn mum on plans for park where Kan. boy died

Posted on

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The operators of a Kansas water park where a 10-year-old boy was decapitated aren’t saying whether the attraction will open for the upcoming season.

Photo courtesy Schlitterbahn

Schlitterbahn spokeswoman Winter Prosapio said Friday in an email that the Texas-based company doesn’t have an announcement “at this time” about the park where Caleb Schwab died in 2016 on a 17 story-slide that was billed as the world’s largest.

Work began last year to dismantle the slide — called Verruckt. And prosecutors have charged several people, alleging that shoddy planning and maintenance led to Caleb’s death.

Season passes for 2019 for the Kansas City, Kansas, park aren’t available on Schlitterbahn’s website. But they are available at the company’s four Texas locations, which open for spring break. Prosapio says those locations are a “focus.”

Verla Jean Edwards

Posted on

Verla Jean Edwards, 96, passed away on January 9, 2019 at the Ness County Hospital in Ness City, Kansas. She was born on March 12, 1922 in Ransom, Kansas the daughter of Jesse and Nelle (Giddings) Dieffenbach.

She was a county clerk in Ness County. She was a member of the United Methodist Church and worked in the Thrift Shop. She was involved in the Ness County Historical Society. She married Virgil Klitzke on May 18, 1943 at Dodge City. She married Orvil Edwards on September 30, 1983, in Ness City, Kansas. He died on January 9, 1997.

Survivors include two sons, Fred (Donna) Klitzke of Phoenix, Arizona, Marty (Judy) Klitzke of Ness City; two daughters, Vicki (Randy) Betz of Ness City, Nancy Powers of Kansas City, Missouri; 2 stepsons, Ronald (Roseanne) Edwards of Jetmore, and C.E. Edwards; 15 grandchildren 21 great-grandchildren, and 2 step-grandchildren. She was also survived by three special friends, Donna Metzker, Becky Burrell, and Christy Seib. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, and one daughter, Sandra Seibel.

Funeral service will be on Monday, January 14, 2019, at 10:00 A.M., at the United Methodist Church, in Ness City, Kansas. Burial will be in the Beeler Cemetery. Friends may call at Fitzgerald Funeral Home on Sunday, January 13, from 10:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. with the family present from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Ness County Library or the United Methodist Church.

Norma J. Brown

Posted on

Norma J. Brown, 88, passed away January 8, 2019.

She was born April 3, 1930 in Allison, KS to Arthur and Ruby (Black) Duncan. Norma attended school in Oberlin, graduating in 1948. After graduation, she worked at Duckwalls and then was a secretary at Oberlin Ice & Storage for Bud Kelly until she got married. Norma married Harold Brown on September 26, 1952 in Oberlin, KS.

Norma and Harold lived in the Danbury/Marion area from ’52-’57, then moved to the farm north east of Oberlin until around ’78, when they moved into town. She worked at floral shops for several years. Norma was a life-long member of the Assembly of God Church in Oberlin. She was always ready to lend a helping hand when needed. Norma enjoyed scrapbooking, reading, cross-stitching and crocheting. Most of all, she loved her family and her church.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Ruby; husband, Harold, who passed in 1993 and sisters: Ura and Shirley Ann, who only lived nine months. She is survived by sons: Kevin Brown and wife Jackie of Oberlin, KS and Kent Brown and wife Deb of Oberlin, KS; grandchildren: Jeremy Brown, Justin Brown and wife Talia, Leslie Storer and husband Rex, Natalie Barlett and husband Chris and Chris Brown and wife Stacy; great grandchildren: Eric, Jace, Tyler, Isabel, Skylar, Addyson, Grady, Hannah, Morgan, Kacie, Tristan, Jayce, Zoey and #14 coming in May and great-great grandchild, Ayden.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 2:00 pm at Pauls Funeral Home, Oberlin, KS 785-475-3127. Burial will follow at Oberlin Cemetery. Memorials may be made in her name. Condolences may be left at www.paulsfh.com

Ila F. Siemers

Posted on

Ila F. Siemers, 94, of Russell, Kansas, died on January 10, 2019, at the Bethany Home in Lindsborg, Kansas.

A celebration of Ila’s life will be held at 11 A.M. on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, at the Otterbein United Methodist Church in Russell, with Pastor Michael Eurit officiating. Family will greet guests the day of the service at the church from 9:30 A.M. to service time.

Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Martha Marie (Keller) Armbrister

Posted on

Martha Marie (Keller) Armbrister died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019 at age 95 at Good Samaritan Society in Ellis, Kansas. Martha was born June 8, 1923 in rural Trego County, Kansas to Frank and Carrie (Wendling) Keller. She was the fourth of seven children. She attended schools in Ellis and graduated in 1942. She was a life-long member of St. John’s Lutheran Church rural Ellis.

After graduation, she worked as a clerk at the local grocery store. She married Joseph Armbrister on Nov. 1, 1945 at St. John’s. Together, they operated a farm and ranch northeast of Ellis. While they lived on the farm, Martha enjoyed gardening, sewing, and cooking and baking for her family. In 1950, Martha and Joe welcomed a daughter, Wilma Jean Armbrister. Five more children followed, with Wayne Joseph in 1951, Jeanette Kay in 1953, Darrell in 1957, Donna Mae in 1958 and Jean Marie in 1959. In 1977, they retired from farming and moved into Ellis.

Martha also devoted a considerable amount of time to taking care of her mother, Carrie, with whom she remained close. Joe and Martha spent countless hours on a remodeling project of the kitchen at St. John’s. Joe passed away on Nov. 26, 1983, after which Martha enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren, singing in her church choir, and participating in the ladies quilting organization at St. John’s. She was active in the Ladies Auxiliary at the Veterans of Foreign Wars for many years as well as in Ellis High School alumni activities. Martha was best known for her baking, cooking and canning abilities. Her specialties were strudel, hemmitschwengers, chicken gravy, and dill pickles. Martha entered an assisted living facility in Hays in 2007, and moved into Good Samaritan in October 2012.

Preceding Martha in death were her children Wilma, Jeanette, Darrell, and Jean, and her husband Joe, her mother Carrie and father Frank, brothers Oscar and Arthur, sisters Freda, Irene, and Helen, and daughters-in-law Terry and Kimberly.

She is survived by her sister Minnie Keller of Ellis, son Wayne of Burlington, CO and daughter Donna (Tom) Benoit of Damar, KS, grandchildren Jonathan Armbrister of St. Louis, MO, Jennifer (Jason) Stallman of Hutchinson, KS, Matthew (Becky) Benoit of Damar, KS, Haley (Jeff) Gonzales of Monte Vista, CO, Molly Armbrister of Denver, CO, Rebecca Benoit of Wichita, KS, and Randall Benoit of Palco, KS, her great-grandchildren Emmie and Madalyn Stallman of Hutchinson, Tyler and Sophia Armbrister of St. Louis, MO, Brooke and Ryan Benoit of Damar, KS, and Hannah Leiker of Casper, WY, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 10 AM Monday, January 14, 2019 at St. John Lutheran Church 394 St. John-St. Andrew Rd.  Ellis, KS. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be Sunday 5 PM – 7 PM at Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E 17th in Ellis. Monday visitation will be at the church 9:30 until service time.

A prayer service will be 7 PM Sunday at the funeral chapel.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]

Hansen grants fund nursing equipment, scholarships at Fort Hays State

Posted on

FHSU University Relations

Nursing education at Fort Hays State University has been helped by two separate grants from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan.

The university’s Department of Nursing was granted $250,000 for equipment for its simulation lab and $150,000 for a scholarship that will help place graduates of the department in northwest Kansas.

“We are so thankful for the support the Dane G. Hansen Foundation has provided for our students” said Dr. Jenny Manry, chair of the department.

Among the equipment for the simulation lab are 20 Reality Works Babies, said Manry. The babies mimic infants and track how often they are fed, have their diapers changed and cry.

Other funding was for a Pediatric Hal manikin that has facial movements, cries, sweats, suffers seizures and produces heart and lung sounds. Additional equipment included a fetal heart monitor, a 24-week newborn manikin and funding to record activities in the simulation lab.

The video system will allow students to visualize themselves in practice and get feedback on ways to improve performance.

“This equipment will allow students to practice skills and learn assessment techniques in a safe environment before graduating and practicing in rural Kansas,” said Manry.

“We have many students who graduate and practice in rural areas,” she said. “The opportunity to work with specialized pediatric simulation equipment will increase students skill level and confidence in real life situations.”

The scholarship program’s $150,000 is designed to help place graduates from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the Registered Nurse to BSN program, the Master of Science in Nursing and the Doctor of Nursing Practice program into positions in Northwest Kansas.

Students will be able to apply the final year of their programs by submitting letters of employment from an employer in Northwest Kansas and a letter from their academic advisers.

In addition, said Manry, students will meet with an interview committee to discuss why they desire to work in northwest Kansas. Each student accepting a scholarship must agree to work in Northwest Kansas for a minimum of two years.

“This is a great opportunity for students in Northwest Kansas who have a desire to return to school,” said Manry. “This scholarship will provide funding to help pay off student loans upon completion of the program.”

Scholarship amounts vary by program. Graduates from the undergraduate BSN pathway can receive $10,000. Undergraduate RN to BSN graduates are eligible for $7,000.

Graduates of the MSN in nursing administration track are eligible for $10,000 grants.

Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates are in two tracks. Graduates of the BSN to DNP track, the nurse practitioner licensure program, are eligible for $25,000 grants, and students who start the DNP program with MSN degrees already in hand are eligible for $12,000 grants with the two-year commitment.

The Hansen Foundation’s service area comprises the 26 Northwest Kansas counties stretching from Cheyenne down to Wallace County, east through the top three tiers of counties and then into the eight-county block from Jewell and Republic down through Ellsworth and Saline.

HR group’s speaker will discuss ‘From Workplace Violence to the New Normal’

Posted on

Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association will hold its monthly meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Robbins Center (Eagle Communication Hall), One Tiger Place.

Registration is from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m., with a short business meeting starting at 11:30 a.m. The program for the February meeting will be “From Workplace Violence to the New Normal” presented by Lamar Roth, Excel Industries.

The program will be submitted for SHRM continuing education credits. WKHRMA members can RSVP at wkhrma.shrm.org. The deadline to RSVP is noon on Feb. 8.

WKHRMA is an affiliate chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), a local professional organization for persons engaged in personal or human resource management. 

BOOR: Consider the unborn calf when feeding supplements

Posted on

Alicia Boor
Can you feed your pregnant cows so their steer calves gain more weight and more heifer calves get pregnant?  Recent research suggests that proper supplementation pays off.

As winter forage quality declines and cow nutrient demands increase, wise operators feed protein supplements to assure healthy calves plus cows that will rebreed rapidly. But protein supplements are expensive, so we usually feed only what the cow needs to stay healthy.

New research, though, suggests that this strategy of minimizing input costs may overlook the impact supplements have on the future performance of the unborn calf.

Recent research has shown that properly supplementing the cow can increase profitability of the calf she’s carrying. In one study, steers born from cows that received protein supplement while grazing winter range produced an extra 60 pounds of carcass weight per animal compared to steers from non-supplemented cows.

In other studies, the pregnancy rate of heifers calved from cows that received protein supplements while grazing corn residue or winter range was higher than heifers from non-supplemented cows. And steers from these supplemented cows graded choice more often.

This outcome, where supplementing protein to the cow improves the performance of her calves later in life is called fetal programming. It is thought to occur partly because cow nutrition affects development of fetal organs and muscles, which is highest during the last third of gestation. Since most winter feeding and grazing programs use forages that are low in protein, adequate supplementing can pay big dividends.

As your cows approach calving time, don’t overfeed but also don’t scrimp on the protein. Feed what is needed, both for the cow and her calf.  You’ll be money ahead.

Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910

Kan. man enters plea in hit and run that killed bicycle rider

Posted on

RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man accused of murder in a fatal 2017 hit-and-run accident entered pleas in the case Thursday.

Lukone-photo Reno Co.

The state amended count one in the case from first-degree murder to second-degree murder and 19-year-old Taylor Lukone entered a no contest pleas to that charge and two others, including failing to stop at an accident and interference with law enforcement.

Just after 1 a.m. September 21, 2017, police were called to the report of a bicyclist later identified as 51-year-old Jose Lopez, who had been struck by a vehicle in the 1200 Block of East 4th Street in Hutchinson. The vehicle fled the scene.

Parts of the suspect’s car were left at the scene of the collision, according to police.

Lukone was driving to get cigarettes and spotted Lopez riding his bicycle. He reportedly got angry over the way Lopez had supposedly treated his mother and others. Lukone intentionally struck Lopez and drove away.

Police found the car in front of a residence in the 800 block of East 6th Street in Hutchinson.  Lukone initially claimed his car had been stolen, but later changed his story and admitted he left it there.

Sentencing in the case is set for Feb. 15.

The first count alone has a sentencing range between nine and 41 years in prison.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File