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Month: February 2019

Fort Hays State grad named president of Salina chamber

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Eric Brown. Photo courtesy Salina Area Chamber of Commerce
SALINA — The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced Eric L. Brown has been appointed to lead the chamber as its new president and CEO. Brown will succeed Don Weiser, who announced his retirement earlier this year after 43 years with the Chamber.

Brown is currently the Vice President of Economic Development and his first official day in his new role will be May 1. As President and CEO, he will help set the future direction of the Salina business community through economic development, public policy, and continuation of the excellent Chamber programs and services that membership has come to expect.

“I’m humbled and thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce,” said Brown. “It is an exciting time to be in Salina and I look forward to working with the board of directors, staff, business community, and community partners to capture and expand on Salina’s momentum.”

Brown has been with the Chamber since 2011 and has served in three economic development related roles; prior to his time on Chamber staff, he worked for Kansas State Polytechnic and The Arnold Group.

“Eric has worked diligently over the last eight years to further his professional education and hone his skills as a Chamber Executive. He is passionate about Salina and Saline County businesses, and brings the enthusiasm, knowledge, and leadership needed to keep the chamber at the forefront of everything happening in our community,” said Joyce Volk, Salina Area Chamber of Commerce Board Chair. “In addition, he is well-acquainted with leaders in Salina, understands the business climate in our community and across Kansas, and those strong relationships will enable him to move the chamber forward very effectively.”

Brown received his undergraduate degree from Fort Hays State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Kansas Wesleyan University. He holds a Workforce Development Professional Certification from the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, is a graduate of the US Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management and was also awarded the 2014 Carol D. Ahlvers, Ph.D. Distinguished MBA Alumnus Award from Kansas Wesleyan University. Brown and his wife, Danielle, have two children and have called Salina home since 2006.

Evelyn E. Ferguson

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Lifelong Phillips County resident Evelyn E. Ferguson earned her wings and went to her eternal home to join her life companion, Orval, on Thursday, February 21, 2019 at the Phillips County Retirement Center, Phillipsburg at the age of 87.

She was born north of Long Island, Kansas in Phillips County the daughter of Oscar N. and Elizabeth (Taylor) Ross.

Evelyn was united in marriage to Orval L. Ferguson on June 19, 1949 in Almena, KS. He preceded her in death on June 9, 2011.

Those left to treasure her memories are her children, Kent of Glade and Melody Murdock and husband, Max of Concordia; her 3 grandchildren, Justin Murdock & wife, Megan of Concordia, Brandon Murdock and Fiancé, Anne of Salina and Kaci Ferguson and Fiancé Nick of Auckland, New Zealand; 6 great grandchildren, Taley & Tracer Murdock, Nash & Hollis Murdock and Kate & Claire Jack; 3 sisters, Phyllis Halderman and husband, Lynne of Alma, NE, Wilma Ross of Holdrege, NE and Loretta Atchison and husband, Gill of Phillipsburg, Kansas; and brother, Maynard Ross and wife, Carol of Alma, NE.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 25, 2019 in the First Lutheran Church, Phillipsburg, with Pastors Dave Hutson and Joel Hiesterman officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery, Phillipsburg.

Mrs. Ferguson will lie in state from noon until 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Lutheran Church.

James Harvey Sears

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James Harvey Sears, 92, passed away on Monday February 18, 2019 at the Smith Center Health & Rehab Center in Smith Center, KS.

Jim was born south of the North Solomon River to Otto and Vera (Cronn) Sears March 25th, 1926. Jim went to first grade at Pleasant View Country School. The family moved to Cedar, Ks, where Jim graduated from the Cedar Grade School, he went to Cedar High School for three years.

Cedar High school was closed, he then went to Gaylord High School one year and graduated from Gaylord High School in 1943. Jim was the Standard oil and gas man for 35 years, he loved guns and became a very talented Gun Smith, he repaired guns from all over the United States, he never advertised, it all occurred by word of mouth. Jim also kept “many” lawn mowers running in the home area.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, Doris, Lila and Nina.

Survived by one sister, Betty and two brothers, Harold and Gib; many nieces and nephews.

Click HERE for service details.

Elvyn John Slavik

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Elvyn John Slavik, 99, passed away on Saturday February 16, 2019 at the Smith Center Health and Rehab Center in Smith Center.

He was born the son of Antone & Agnes (Dolechek) Slavik on August 10, 1919 in Diagonal, IA.

He is survived by his wife Doris Slavik of the home; a daughter Elaine (Larry) Pfiefer of Marysville, KS; 2 grandchildren.

Click HERE for service details.

Lynn Dee (Pfaff) Easterberg

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Lynn Dee (Pfaff) Easterberg passed away on Saturday, February 16, 2019 in Plainville, Kansas. She was born on April 8, 1980 in Ransom, Kansas to Robert “Blaine” and Nikki (Gross) Pfaff. Lynn graduated from Plainville High School in 1998 and then enlisted in the United States Army Reserves, while with the reserves she was deployed to Qatar in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and served a total of 8 years in the reserves. Lynn was very proud to serve her country. Lynn is the mother of three children: Braylon Gage Bittel, Chasey Rae Bittel, and Oaklynn Kay Easterberg.

Lynn enjoyed participating in school and community plays. She entertained her family with skits, requiring family participation, and with dance routines. Lynn liked sports, especially softball and volleyball, and going to the lake. She loved animals and had some very “different” pets. Lynn always had a smile and she never knew a stranger. She was a hard worker and did her best at whatever she did.

Lynn is survived by her parents, Blaine & Nikki Pfaff of Plainville; son, Braylon Bittel of Plainville; daughters, Chasey Bittel and Oaklynn Easterberg of Plainville; step-daughter Jlynn Easterberg of Plainville; brother, Cody Pfaff and wife Heather of Plainville; her Paternal Grandmother Shirley Pfaff of Jetmore; a niece and nephew; and several uncles, aunts and cousins. She was preceded in death by Paternal Grandfather Robert Pfaff and Maternal Grandparents Bob & Rose Gross

Although our hearts are weighing heavy during this difficult time, we can find comfort in knowing that Lynn is at peace in Heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ. We all have so many memories, stories, and wonderful times with her. We will always remember her smile as bright as sunshine. Her fun-loving and beautiful spirit will endure forever.

A funeral services is planned for Friday, February 22, 2019, at the Christian Church of Plainville, at 10:30 A.M. Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 21, 2019 from 2:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Braylon & Chasey Bittel and Oaklynn Easterberg’s Education Fund or a portion will go to a mental health fund to be named at a later date and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd, Plainville, Kansas 67663.

Kan. man held on $100K bond for alleged sex crimes with teen

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SEDGICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

Miller -photo Sedgwick Co.

A 15-year-old girl reported to police in Cheney an incident that allegedly occurred to her and a man she knew in April of 2018, according to Wichita Police officer Charley Davidson.

On Wednesday, police arrested 39-year-old Timothy M. Miller on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the Sedgwick County booking report.

He remained in jail Friday on a $100,000 bond, according to online jail records.

Now That’s Rural: Dusty Turner, Cedar Vale

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Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

BY RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

Let’s go to a party. No, not a birthday party or bowl game party. This is a special event in a very rural community. This party is helping to promote peace in the world, one personal encounter at a time.

Last week we learned about Dusty Turner, organizer and promoter of annual motorcycle rallies including one in Cedar Vale, Kansas. These yearly motorcycle rallies have brought dozens of people to Cedar Vale and raised money for local community needs. These rallies are promoted through an online forum of Moto Guzzi motorcycle enthusiasts.

The fun of the motorcycle ride and the interaction with the community has been a win-win relationship. “The mayor of Cedar Vale said she has seen an uptick in civic pride because outsiders are showing an interest in their little town,” Dusty said.

This motorcycle rally worked so well that it sparked another idea. In addition to the Moto Guzzi online site, Dusty was on another website which had a political subforum. As sometimes happens with discussions on the Internet, it became a site of bitter conflict. “People hate each other over politics,” Dusty said. The atmosphere of the discussion was toxic. He wondered if something could be done about it.

“I’m half Lakota,” Dusty said. “In our history, there were tribes who were at war with each other, but once each year they would call a truce and get together for a few days,” he said. “I wondered if this would work for us.”

Dusty decided to try this far-fetched idea with those on the website. In 2018, he invited the people on the website to come to Cedar Vale for a face-to-face gathering. “We need to get out of our echo chamber and meet face-to-face,” he said.

He scheduled this gathering for September. Remarkably, people came.

“I called it the Peace Party,” Dusty said. “We had 25 people come from across the country.” Believe it or not, they came from places such as Chicago, Dallas, LA, Portland, and as far away as Canada and New Zealand. These were people who were already interacting anonymously online but had never met in person. In many cases, they were on polar opposite sides of the political spectrum, and had engaged in bitter online exchanges.

For this gathering, Dusty used the same model as his motorcycle rallies. The participants were called Adventure Riders. They interacted with local citizens, camped and ate together, and had time to spend with each other. Just as with the motorcycle rallies, a portion of the proceeds went to local needs and jars were set out to collect donations.

“We raised about $1,000 for the community,” Dusty said. However, it was not the financial results which Dusty found most impactful.

His most meaningful aspect was seeing people connect on a personal basis. “I watched people who had called each other names for years shake hands and give each other a hug,” Dusty said.

This initiative also exposed these participants, many of whom come from urban settings, to rural life. “I am introducing these sophisticates to small town America so they can see why people in rural America feel left behind,” Dusty said. “I’m trying to raise a little money for Cedar Vale and expose these city people to real small town America.”

“We are reconnecting and learning how to communicate with each other again,” Dusty said. It went so well that there is interest in holding this gathering annually. Dusty is seeking support to make this happen.

“We are doing something fun and interesting, and it is working,” he said. “It’s not just me, other people are involved.” This remarkable gathering is happening in the rural community of Cedar Vale, population 526 people. Now, that’s rural.

Let’s go to a party. No, not for a birthday or bowl game. This is a party which intends to overcome division and help people find common ground. We salute the Adventure Riders and the community of Cedar Vale for making a difference by hosting this remarkable gathering. To them I say: Party on.

All Fur and Games benefit for WPAR

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Join us Saturday, April 6, 2019,  7 PM – 10 PM, for an evening of games and raffles to benefit the Western Plains Animal Refuge!

All Fur and Games will be held at The Venue in Thirsty’s Brew Pub & Grill, 2704 Vine, Hays.

You can sit back for some bingo, show off your bag tossing skills, test your trivia knowledge, or compete against others in video and party games to win prizes donated by our sponsors. Appetizers will be provided, and drinks will be available for purchase.

Tickets are available for a suggested donation of $20 for individuals and $100 for groups of six. You can get tickets through Eventbrite, at our office, or at the door.

KHP identifies Kansas woman who died in crash, fire

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 2a.m. Friday in Sedgwick County.

First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Toyota Camry driven by Brooke L Spainhower, 24, Wichita, was westbound on Kansas 254 at Oliver.

The driver failed to negotiate the curved and struck end of the bridge rail. The vehicle caught on fire.

Spainhower was pronounced dead at the scene. Seatbelt usage was unavailable due to the fire.

NW Kan. agencies earn Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants

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Kelly

Governor Laura Kelly, on behalf of the Kansas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, announced Wednesday the 2019 grant awards for the Federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. The grant program is a partnership among federal, state and local governments to create safer communities and improve criminal justice systems.

“I’m pleased to announce these important grants available to improve the safety of Kansas communities and families,” said Kelly. “Our law enforcement offices, nonprofits and community health organizations do much to keep our citizens safe. I commend them for their work and look forward to continuing to partner with them to improve many aspects of our criminal justice system.”

Northwest Kansas agencies receiving grants include Norton County, Rawlins County and Scott County.

The JAG program provides funds to criminal justice system partners in addressing crime and improving public safety. The KCJCC established four primary areas for distributing these funds that include; reducing recidivism, improving law enforcement technology and officer safety, improving victim services and supporting projects that enhance the functionality of the Kansas criminal justice information system.

The Governor also announced the Federal Residential Substance Abuse Treatment of State Prisoners Grant Program (RSAT) grant award. The Kansas Department of Corrections was awarded $119,046 by the KCJCC. The funds are used for treatment of adult inmates.

The KCJCC also awarded the Kansas Bureau of Investigation $716,746 from the Federal National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) grant program. The goal of the program is to improve the quality of the criminal history record information in support of background check systems.

The Kansas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (KCJCC) oversees the criminal justice federal funding made available to Kansas through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The KCJCC is representative of the Governor, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Corrections, the Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

A total of $3,283,907 was awarded to 41 agencies.

 

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