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Month: January 2019

16-year-old killed during Kansas robbery was armed

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 16-year-old boy who was fatally shot during a Wichita gas station robbery was armed.

Police on the scene of the armed robbery investigation -photo courtesy KWCH

A police report lists the teen’s death as a justifiable homicide. Police say a 42-year-old customer pulled out his gun and fired multiple shots Friday after he was robbed. Three others suspected of participating in the robbery then fled.

Police say the robbery is related to an earlier robbery at a Family Dollar Store in which three people held up an employee at gunpoint and took money and cigarettes. A 17-year-old has been arrested in the robberies and police continue searching for two other suspects.

In Kansas, killings are justifiable when a person reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to prevent death or extreme harm to themselves or others.

Hays VFW Stars and Stripes Breakfast Jan. 13

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Come get an awesome breakfast at the Hays VFW, 2106 Vine, Sun. Jan. 13, at 7:30 a.m.

Tickets at the door are:
Adults- $9.00/ in Advance $8.50
Kids(5-12)- $4.00/ In Advance $3.50
Kids under 5 eat free.

Menu:
Bacon, Eggs, Hash Browns, Pancakes, Sausage, Gravy, Toast, Coffee, and Orange Juice. ALL YOU CAN EAT!!!

Sponsor is Hays High Chamber Singers.

Sharon A. Barraza

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Sharon A. Barraza, age 57, passed away on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at the St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas.

She was born on January 8, 1961 in Gallup, New Mexico, the daughter of Raymond and Grace Etcitty Warner. A resident of Scott City, Kansas, since 1999 moving from Mariano Lake, New Mexico, she was a retired dietitian aide and worked for Park Lane Nursing Home.

She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of Scott City. She was a US Army Veteran from 1980 until 1983 with the rank of SP4.

Survivors include her Two Sons – Jonathan Warner of Scott City, Kansas, Carlos Barraza of Scott City, Kansas, Three Daughters – Terri Warner of Garden City, Kansas, Crystal Morgan of Crownpoint, New Mexico, Lisa Barraza of Scott City, Kansas, Ex Spouse Roy Barraza of Mexico, Five Brothers – Leon Warner, Standing Rock, NM, Raymond Warner JR, Smith Lake, NM, Virgil Warner, Gallup, NM, Harold Warner, Farmington, NM, Dan Etcitty, Mariano Lake, NM, Nine Sisters – Lana Nez, Zuni NM, Rose Warner, Crownpoint NM, Elaine Morgan, Crownpoint NM, Sonya Largo, Crownpoint, NM, Raquel Warner, Mariano Lake, NM, April Warner, Gallup, NM, Yvonne Long, Casamero Lake, NM, Helen McCay, California, Eunice Brown, Dilkon, AZ, and Fifteen Grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her Parents, Three Brothers – Hubert Warner, Van Warner, Paul Warner, Four Sisters – Ruth Warner, Janice Brown, Karon Warner, and Lavern Warner.

Memorial Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the First Baptist Church in Scott City, Kansas with Rev. Kyle Evans presiding.

Memorials in Lieu of Flowers may be made to the Sharon Barraza Memorial Fund in care of Price & Sons Funeral Homes.

There will be no calling times.

2 Kan. felons jailed after counterfeit cash investigation

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DICKINSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects in connection with counterfeit cash.

Nuss -photo Dickinson Co.
Loomis-photo Herington Police

On Wednesday, police began an investigation involving counterfeit u.s. currency at 1207 North C Street in Herington, according to Police Chief Brian Hornaday.

During the search of the residence, police arrested Nathan David Nuss, 41, Herington, on suspicion of Felony Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer. When the search warrant was executed investigators located methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and county money.

Hornaday said as a result of the investigation Nuss was also arrested on suspicion of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Criminal Use of Weapons. He was transported to the Dickinson County jail where he remains jailed without bond pending a first appearance in District Court.

In connection with the investigation, police also conducted a search for Ashley Brook Loomis, 30, Herington.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Thursday she was located in Herington and taken into custody, according to Hornaday.

Nuss and Loomis have previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Netflix issues warning about ‘Bird Box Challenge’

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Netflix has issued a warning to viewers against a challenge meme that has gone viral after the success of the horror film “Bird Box.”

The challenge involves fans blindfolding themselves and then trying to navigate surroundings.

Netflix offered this tweet Wednesday.

Leola June (Kear) (Epard) Sohl

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Leola June (Kear) (Epard) Sohl, 83, of Salina, passed away Dec. 30, 2018. She was born May 29, 1935, to Murray and Clara (Seigal) Kear in her great grandparents’ sod house, the Porter Collins Home, south of Brewster. June attended grade school in Brownville and graduated from Brewster High School in 1953. She married George Epard, May 27, 1953, and to their union was born two sons, Marc and Jay Epard. The family traveled south to north custom harvesting until they took over George’s family farm southeast of Colby.

June married Stan Sohl, Feb. 28,1983, and moved to Salina. They ran June and Stan’s Heirlooms Antique Store at Fifth and Walnut in Salina, and regularly traveled across several states doing antique shows. June was past president of the National Milk Glass Collectors Society. Throughout her life, June enjoyed gardening. She was known for her pickles and took great pleasure in baking and cooking, especially during the Christmas season. She was an avid duplicate bridge player until her death.

Survivors include: sons, Marc Epard (Kathy Porsch) and Jay Epard; brother, Larry Kear (Betty); stepsons, Duane and Mark Sohl; stepdaughters, Jeanine Eldar (Ilan) and Martha Bertolino (Tom); stepdaughter-in-law, Terri Sohl; grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

June was preceded in death by: her parents; husbands, George Epard, and Stan Sohl; and stepson, Glen Sohl.

Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 901 Neal, Salina, with the Rev. Lori Persigehl officiating. A reception will follow at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in June’s name to Hospice of Salina, or Salina Regional Health Center, in care of Ryan Mortuary, Salina.

No. 5 Tigers gear up for Top-15 battle with Central Missouri

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FHSU Athletics

After playing at home for the entire month of December, the fifth-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team will head out on the road for the first time in 39 days Thursday (Jan. 3) when the Tigers travel to Warrensburg, Mo. to take on No. 15 Central Missouri. First tip between the Tigers and Jennies is set for 5:30 p.m. from the UCM Multipurpose Building.

In just its second true road game this season, Fort Hays State will look for revenge against Central Missouri after the Jennies ended FHSU’s run in the regional semifinals last season, 66-59. The Jennies went on to win the national title, winning all five other postseason contests by 10 or more points.

The win gave UCM a 15-12 lead in the all-time series with Fort Hays State. The home team has dominated the series, with the Tigers winning just three of 11 games in Warrensburg (3-8) while winning eight of 10 in Hays (8-2). The Tigers are 10-10 against UCM under Hobson, including a 2-5 mark on the road. UCM has won two straight against FHSU, one shy of its longest winning streak in series history.

The Tigers rank first in Division II with just 9.8 turnovers per game while compiling a turnover margin of +11.7 so far this season, second-best in the country. they rank in the top 10 nationally in eight other categories, including assist/turnover ratio (1.55, second), blocked shots per game (5.5, eighth), fewest turnovers (108, third), free throw attempts (309, sixth), free throw makes (227, third), personal fouls per game (13.1, ninth), scoring margin (29.9, fourth) and win percentage (10 undefeated teams remaining).

A win Thursday would be Tony Hobson’s 217th career victory at Fort Hays State University, tying him with Helen Miles for the most coaching wins as a Tiger in program history.

Fort Hays State is 35-36 in games played in Missouri under Hobson. This is the first Thursday contest for the Tigers this season. Fort Hays State is 35-14 on Thursdays under Hobson.

Tatyana Legette is averaging a double-double in league play through two MIAA contests this season, putting up 19.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest against No. 24 Emporia State and Nebraska-Kearney last month. Kacey Kennett has scored in double figures all three times she has laced them up against Central Missouri, averaging 14.7 ppg against the Jennies. After scoring in double figures just once in her first 39 games as a Tiger, Whitney Randall has scored 10 or more points in four consecutive contests, tied for the longest stretch of double-digit performances for any Tiger this season (Kennett).

The defending National Champions returned three All-MIAA performers, including the league player of the year and a first team All-American in leading scorer Paige Redmond. The Jennies are in the middle of the pack in the MIAA in scoring average this season, totaling 73.4 points per contest, while ranking second-to-last with 66.5 points against each night. UCM drills 9.2 three-pointers per game, ranking second in the conference. The UCM offense is very reliant on the five starters, with all five averaging at least 8.5 points per contest and the bench chipping in just 10.1 points each night. Redmond ranks in the top five in the MIAA in both scoring (16.1 ppg) and assists (4.0 apg), while both Morgan Fleming (15.0 ppg) and Megan Skaggs (14.4 ppg) also sit in the top 10 in the league in scoring.

Tigers on the road for first time since November in test against Mules

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Ryan Prickett / FHSU Athletics

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State heads out on the road for the first time since late November when it plays at Central Missouri on Thursday night (Jan. 3) in Warrensburg. Tipoff is set for 7:30 pm, which follows the women’s contest at 5:30 pm. FHSU enters at 8-3 overall, 2-0 in the MIAA, while Central Missouri is 7-4 overall, 0-2 in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State is on a six-game win streak entering Thursday night’s contest. All six of those wins were inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. FHSU has not won away from home yet this season, going 0-2 in true road games and 0-1 in neutral site contests so far. Fort Hays State’s last win away from Hays was in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City last year, and the last true road win was at Northeastern State on February 8, 2018. FHSU is 0-4 in true road games since that win at NSU.

The teams make their only meeting of the season in Warrensburg for a second-straight year. UCM won last year’s game 81-66, putting the game away early with a 24-point halftime lead.

Central Missouri enters Thursday on a two-game win streak after non-conference wins over Mid-America Nazarene and Avila University to close out December. The Mules look for their first conference win after dropping road games at Southwest Baptist and Washburn in early December to open MIAA play. Central Missouri is 6-0 at home so far this year.

Ruth Kelley Hayden

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Ruth Kelley Hayden, 97, of Atwood, died Saturday, December 29, 2018, at the Rawlins County Health Center. Ruth was born in Atwood, June 22, 1921, to Irene (Henderson) and Alonzo W. Kelley. She attended Atwood Grade School and graduated from Atwood High School in 1939. She earned an associate of arts degree from Cottey College in 1941 and a bachelor’s degree from Kansas University in 1943. On March 28, 1943, she married Irven W. Hayden Jr. at the Atwood Methodist Church. Ruth and Irv were blessed with seven children and 72 years of marriage, most of them spent in Atwood.

Ruth was a homemaker interested in writing, history and travel. While raising her family, she was a columnist for the Atwood Citizen-Patriot, producing “That’s Livin’” from 1956-1963 and the feature series “Interesting People” from 1959-1961. She published two volumes of Rawlins County History, The Time that Was. Ruth and Irv were founding members of the Rawlins County Historical Society and members of the Kansas State Historical Society. Ruth was an agent for Atchison Travel and Arrow Travel in the 1970s and ‘80s.

Ruth was a member of the Atwood United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women, Chapter AX of P.E.O. International, the Town and Country Guild, Union HDU and the KU Alumni Association. She served on the board of directors of the Second Century Fund and on the scholarship committee of the Hanson Foundation. She was a Girl Scout, Boy Scout and 4-H leader.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sisters and brothers-in-law, Mary (Pat) Maley and Lonnie (Bob) Frick; son Thorne Hayden; daughter Sally Hayden; son-in-law Mike Dennison and granddaughter Belle Hayden.

She is survived by five children, Mike (Patti) Hayden, of Lawrence, Kelley (Marta Heffner), of Reno, NV, Tom (Carol) Hayden, of Halfway, OR, Katy (Bob Tricks) Hayden, of Ellis and Paul (Tara) Hayden, of Atwood; five grandchildren and eight nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be 5-7:00 p.m. Friday, January 4, 2019, at Baalmann Mortuary, Atwood. Funeral Services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the Atwood United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery, Atwood. Memorials are suggested to Second Century, in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For condolences or information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com.

Robert J. Pfeifer

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Robert J. Pfeifer, 91, Hays, died Wednesday, January 2, 2019 at HaysMed.

Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced by Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.

KZ Country Cheesy Joke of the Day 1/3/19

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khaz cheesy joke logo 20110802

A man was walking home alone late one foggy night, when behind him he hears:

BUMP!… BUMP!… BUMP!…

Walking faster, he looks back and through the fog he makes out the image of an upright casket banging its way down the middle of the street toward him.

BUMP!… BUMP!… BUMP!…

Terrified, the man begins to run toward his home, the casket bouncing quickly behind him.

FASTER… FASTER…

BUMP… BUMP… BUMP…

He runs up to his door, fumbles with his keys, opens the door, rushes in, slams and locks the door behind him. However, the casket crashes through his door, with the lid of the casket clapping…

Clappity-BUMP… Clappity-BUMP… Clappity-BUMP…

…on his heels, the terrified man runs.

Rushing upstairs to the bathroom, the man locks himself in. His heart is pounding; his head is reeling; his breath is coming in sobbing gasps.

With a loud CRASH the casket breaks down the door.

Bumping and clapping toward him.

The man screams and reaches for something, anything, but all he can find is a bottle of cough syrup!

Desperate, he throws the cough syrup at the casket…

and,

The coffin stops.

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

NW Kan. fire departments among those receiving grant dollars

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Office of the State Fire Marshal

TOPEKA — Seventy volunteer and part-time fire departments across the state received funds this year through the Kansas Firefighter Recruitment and Safety Grant Program administered by the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM). The grant awards will be used by fire departments for the purchase of safety gear, washer/extractor machines for cleaning bunker gear, start-up of Junior Firefighter programs and physical costs for firefighters with no insurance or ability to be reimbursed by their department.

Northwest Kansas departments receiving grant dollars included:

• Colby Fire Department
• Ellis County Fire Department
• Greeley County Fire Department
• Grinnell Rural Fire
• Norton Fire District #12
• Osborne County Rural Fire District #2
• Russell City Fire Department
• Ness County Fire District #3
(A full listing is below.)

This program was made possible with the 2018 State of Kansas budget passed by the state Legislature. Last year, 36 departments were awarded grant funds with the previous grant budget of $200,000. The OSFM was able to award grant funds to nearly twice as many departments this year, with the funding being doubled to $400,000.

Volunteer and part-time fire departments face recruitment and retention challenges because they do not have the funding to provide safety equipment. Without new equipment provided by the recruiting fire department, potential volunteers are faced with not only donating their time but also providing their own safety gear, sharing gear with others, or doing without. There is also a proven increase in cancer diagnoses for firefighters, which can be caused by prolonged exposure to carcinogens, particulates and biohazards. The proper gear, regular cleaning of that gear and equipment, along with preventative healthcare is crucial for a firefighter’s health and well-being.

This year, over $1.3 million in requests from 79 departments were submitted. Fire departments received approximately $310,000 to be used for safety gear and $90,000 for 26 washer/extractor machines. Due to the high number of requests, OSFM will be requesting the 2019 Legislature continue funding this important grant.

“We’ve seen, by the sheer number of requests for this funding, the need is high among our volunteer and part-time fire departments,” Doug Jorgensen, State Fire Marshal, said. “It is simply unacceptable to ask Kansans, not only to volunteer their time as first responders in smaller communities, but to also sacrifice their safety by not giving them the tools they need to protect and serve their communities as volunteer firefighters. This grant allows us to assist in providing some of the funds needed to provide safety equipment the departments otherwise could not afford.”

For more information on the Kansas Firefighter Recruitment and Safety Grant Program, visit https://firemarshal.ks.gov/agency-resources/kfrsg.

Edited to include Ellis County in list of grant recipients.

Public meeting planned for bridge project south of Russell Springs

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KDOT

RUSSELL SPRINGS — The Kansas Department of Transportation will host a public meeting regarding the upcoming construction and closure of K-25 south of Russell Springs for a bridge replacement project this spring. The meeting will take place on Thursday, Jan. 10, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Logan County Road Shop, 519 Armstrong, Russell Springs.

KDOT engineers will outline the construction phasing, provide details on the official state detour and answer questions regarding access to county roads. Construction is slated to begin in February and be completed by mid-October. Traffic will be detoured using U.S. 40, U.S. 83 and K-96.

The meeting location is ADA accessible. Persons in need of a sign language interpreter, an assistive listening device, large print or Braille material, or other accommodations to participate in this meeting should notify Lisa Mussman at (785) 877-3315 or [email protected].

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