A former Hays woman who has been charged with mail fraud for allegedly trying to gain millions from her former employer’s estate is set to change her plea in federal court in March.
Wanda Oborny was scheduled to be in U.S. District Court in Wichita for a hearing on Feb. 19. However, her attorney has filed an notice intent for Oborny to change her plea. Her next court date has been set for 10 a.m. March 1 in Wichita.
Oborny was a bookkeeper for Hays resident Earl O. Field. Oborny alleged 98-year-old Field signed a codicil to his will shortly before his death in 2013, leaving half of his $20 million estate to her with a quarter of the estate going to Fort Hays State University and the rest going to Field’s attorney, Joseph Jeter.
The original will left the bulk of the estate to the FHSU Foundation for use in providing scholarships. After a lengthy court battle, the Kansas Supreme Court refused to hear Oborny’s appeal in November.
This left in force a lower court’s decision Oborny or someone on her request forged Field’s name on the codicil to the will. As a result, the bulk of the $20 million estate will go to the Foundation.
Oborny’s attorney has not responded to a request for comment.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 23- year-old former volunteer volleyball coach at the University of Kansas is charged with several burglaries and thefts of items such as underwear and swimming suits.
Yee -photo courtesy University of Kansas Athletiecs
Skyler Yee was charged Wednesday with 15 total counts, including four felony counts of burglary.
Douglas County District Court records show the break-ins occurred four times between December 2017 and January of this year at two addresses in Lawrence.
Yee was released on bond after a court appearance Wednesday. He was ordered to have no contact with the Kansas volleyball team and members of a Lawrence youth volleyball club.
Yee has served as a volunteer assistant volleyball coach for several years. He resigned in mid-January.
Defense attorney Casey Meek said Thursday Yee maintains his innocence.
GREAT BEND – A curious student-body assembled in a sea of purple at Eisenhower Elementary School on Thursday, unknowing the tremendous surprise one of their classmates was about to receive. Opening remarks by Eisenhower Principal, Laurie Harwood, were quickly eclipsed by a troupe of adults wearing mouse ears and performing silly antics to excite the audience. Students would soon realize that “Team Owen” was about to be granted the wish of a lifetime.
“Today is a momentous occasion as Owen will be surprised with the news that his one-true wish will be coming true. We hope that his wish experience will bring him and his family a much-needed break from the realities associated with his condition. We are also extremely grateful for the support of Great Bend Schools and the Eisenhower Elementary community. Today is a true testament to the caring nature of the state of Kansas and we couldn’t be more excited for Owen,” said LuAnn Bott, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas.
Lori Likes, representing Fee Insurance Group out of Hutchinson, was one of the wish grantors on-site to help deliver the good news.
“It was an absolute joy meeting our Wish Kid, Owen and his family,” said Likes. I fell in love immediately with his little freckled face and his big smile. It was an eye opening experience watching Owen and his family interact. They were all so on point as to Owen’s needs. I learned a lot that day about Owen, it was easy to see what gives him joy in life. Since that initial meeting, I have been able to stay up to date with Owen as one of his many followers on social media. We were all completely overjoyed with tear-filled eyes when Make-A-Wish was able to make Owen’s wish come true.”
“Owen and his family are very deserving of this dream-come-true trip to Disney World,” said Khris Thexton, USD 428 superintendent. “We are humbled by Owen’s strength, determination and joy. Including the Eisenhower family in this big announcement gave our family at USD 428 the chance to cheer-on the Klug family; we couldn’t be more excited for them!”
Laurie Harwood, Eisenhower Elementary School principal, worked behind the scenes with Make-A-Wish and the family to ensure the day would be a success. Students, staff and faculty were asked to wear purple because it is the designated color for Epilepsy Awareness as well as the color of the “Team Owen” shirts that have been produced locally.
About Owen:
Owen is an 11-year-old 5th grader at Eisenhower Elementary in Great Bend. He lives in Odin with his dad Gavin, mom Kiley, little brothers Dexter and Blake, and dog Brutus. Owen enjoys anything that involves biking, swinging, spinning, music, and jumping. He loves people, especially his teachers, bus driver, caretakers, friends, and family. He is a sweet, laid back boy who spreads happiness and inspiration wherever he goes.
Owen had his first seizure at 6 months of age after an uncomplicated birth. The next few years were full of testing, several different medication trials, procedures, surgeries, and a lot of questions. Owen, at his worst, had over 250 seizures a day. Because of the severe intractable epilepsy he was enduring, Owen lost a number of developmental skills such as sitting independently, clapping, and walking in a walker. Owen was finally clinically diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome when he was 6 years old.
Dravet Syndrome is characterized by severe, chronic, intractable epilepsy, oftentimes paired with global developmental delay, sensory impairment, orthopedic conditions, and many other issues.
Owen takes his daily struggles in stride. He loves life, and his smile lights up the lives of everyone who knows him. He is so tough, so resilient, and so deserving of a granted wish!
About MAKE-A-WISH
Make-A-Wish® Missouri & Kansas creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey.
Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in 50 countries worldwide. The local chapter is headquartered in Ballwin, Missouri and serves every community in Missouri and Kansas.
Since 1983, Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas has granted more than 8,350 wishes to local children with critical illnesses. For more information about Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas and how you can transform lives, one wish at a time, please visit our website (mokan.wish.org) and connect with us on Facebook (makeawishMOKAN), Twitter (@makeawishMOKAN), Instagram (@makeawishMOKAN) and YouTube
(MakeAWishMOKAN).
On Tuesday, Eric Wayne Clayville of Goodland was sentenced by the Honorable Blake A. Bittel, 23rd Judicial District Judge to 60 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections consecutive to a Sherman County felony case with a sentence of 27 months in KDOC for a total of 87 months in KDOC.
Clayville was convicted of attempted aggravated indecent solicitation with a child and four counts of interference with law enforcement on Dec. 21 in Trego County District Court.
The WaKeeney Police Department, the Trego County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol all assisted in the investigation of this case. The case was prosecuted by the Trego County Attorney Christopher Lyon.
— Office of the Trego County Attorney
CORRECTED: 3 p.m. Thursday to clarify charge per the Trego County Attorney’s office.
SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and asking the public for help with more information.
Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH
Just after 8:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting call at the Genesis Health Club parking lot in the 3700 Block of East 13th Street North, according to officer Paul Cruz.
A citizen discovered an injured victim and provided aid until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim dead just before 9p.m., according to Cruz.
Investigators determined the victim identified as 22-year-old Lorenzo Wade of Wichita died from a gunshot wound.
Police are working to determine exactly where the shooting occurred, according to Cruz. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
WASHINGTON — Democrats including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York are calling for a Green New Deal intended to transform the U.S. economy to combat climate change and create thousands of jobs in renewable energy.
The freshman lawmaker is teaming up with veteran Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts on the plan, which aims to eliminate the U.S. carbon footprint by 2030.
At least five Democratic presidential hopefuls in the Senate — Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont — co-sponsored the resolution.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez / shutterstock.com
Markey predicted more Democrats would sign on and said even some Republicans may back the plan.
“This is now a voting issue across the country,” he said. “The green generation has risen up and they are saying they want this issue solved” as one of the top two or three issues in the 2020 election, Markey said.
As outlined Thursday, the nonbinding resolution sets a goal to meet “100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable and zero-emission energy sources,” including dramatic increases in wind and solar power.
While setting lofty goals, the plan does not explicitly call for eliminating the use of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, a nod to pragmatism that may disappoint some of Ocasio-Cortez’s strongest supporters.
Even so, the Green New Deal goes far beyond the Clean Power Plan proposed by former President Barack Obama. President Donald Trump has scrapped Obama’s plan, which imposed emissions limits on coal-fired power plants, as a job-killer.
The Democrats are likely to meet resistance to their proposal in Congress, especially in the Republican-controlled Senate. Trump, who has expressed doubts about climate change, also is likely to oppose it.
The announcement of the Green New Deal came as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tapped eight Democrats to serve on a special committee to address climate change. Ocasio-Cortez was not among those named to the panel, which is chaired by Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla. Ocasio- Cortez said Pelosi invited her to join the panel but she declined, saying she wants to focus on the Green New Deal and other committee assignments.
Pelosi said Thursday she hadn’t seen the Green New Deal proposal but welcomes “the enthusiasm” of its backers.
“I welcome the Green New Deal and any other proposals” to address climate change, Pelosi said. She said she also wants to hear from the new climate committee, which she said will “spearhead Democrats’ work” on climate issues.
The resolution being introduced Thursday marks the first time Ocasio-Cortez and other lawmakers have attached legislative language to the Green New Deal, a concept that until now has been largely undefined other than as a call for urgent action to head off catastrophic climate change and create jobs.
Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement that the plan will create “unprecedented levels of prosperity and wealth for all while ensuring economic and environmental justice and security.” She calls for a “World War II-scale mobilization” that includes high-quality education and health care, clean air and water and safe, affordable housing.
Answering critics who call the plan unrealistic, Ocasio-Cortez says that when President John F. Kennedy wanted to go to the moon by the end of the 1960s, “people said it was impossible.” She also cites Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society and the interstate highway system begun under Dwight D. Eisenhower as examples of American know-how and capability.
While focusing on renewable energy, Ocasio-Cortez said the plan would include existing nuclear power plants but block new nuclear plants. Nuclear power does not emit greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming.
The resolution does not include a price tag, but some Republicans predict it would cost in the trillions of dollars. They denounced the plan at House hearings on climate change on Wednesday.
“If anyone thinks that decarbonizing America is going to save the planet, they’re delusional,” said Rep David McKinley, R-W.Va.
The Green New Deal would be paid for “the same way we paid for the original New Deal, World War II, the bank bailouts, tax cuts for the rich and decades of war — with public money appropriated by Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Government can take an equity stake in Green New Deal projects “so the public gets a return on its investment,” she said.
A coalition of labor, economic justice, racial justice, indigenous, environmental and community organizations announced support Thursday for the Green New Deal.
“Now that this resolution is released, we’re taking the fight to districts across the country to build the political and public support for the Green New Deal, and get thousands of organizations signed on to back the resolution,” said Stephen O’Hanlon, spokesman for the Sunrise Movement, which has pushed for the Green New Deal and staged protests at the Capitol, including a sit-in at Pelosi’s office.
Democrats have found a new base—professional, suburban women. However, they had better not forget their working-class roots. Here in Kansas, Democrats won big last year with Governor Laura Kelly and Congresswoman Sharice Davids. Paul Davis nearly defeated Steve Watkins to flip the 2nd District as well. All three candidates ran solid campaigns—but their appeal was to different blocs of voters.
Michael A. Smith is a Professor of Political Science at Emporia State University.
Davids represents the new wave. She won as part of a national, Democratic strategy to win back the U.S. House by targeting districts won by Hillary Clinton. She campaigned to professional women who worry about the future of the U.S. Supreme Court, the public schools, and their own daughters. It worked, but the KC-area 3rd is the only Congressional district like that, here in Kansas.
Kelly’s campaign was quite different. Instead of an entrenched incumbent, she ran against the outrageous Kris Kobach, who was so arrogant, he did not build a campaign organization. Apparently under the impression that he could win with President Trump’s endorsement, Fox News appearances and machine gun Jeeps, Kobach conceded the get-out-the-vote “ground game” to Kelly. Could she have beaten a tougher opponent, such as former Governor Colyer?
Kelly did hit all the right notes. In addition to the big turnout of professional women, particularly in the KC area, she also won back the Davis-Trump voters: those who backed Paul Davis for Governor in 2014 and Donald Trump in 2016. Paul Davis himself won back some of these, but not quite enough– some split their tickets between Kelly and Davis’ opponent, Steve Watkins.
Trump-Kelly voters are Kansas’ answer to the under-reported phenomenon of Obama-Trump voters, prevalent in other states. Nationwide, two voters backed Obama in 2012 and then Trump in 2016, for every one that switched from Mitt Romney in ‘12 to Hillary Clinton in ‘16. They are mostly working class, white, and live in rural or exurban areas just outside small cities not unlike Topeka. Their issues include deep worries about the loss of working-class jobs in their areas, as well as the epidemics of opioids, methamphetamine, and suicide that are ravaging their communities, their grown children, and their grandchildren– particularly the ones that do not graduate from college. These horrors are fed by despair about the future and the shortage of good health care outside large, urban areas and college towns.
Obama-Trump voters are a tiebreaking 5-15% of the electorate across America’s manufacturing “rust belt”: Great Lakes states, plus the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. They decided the last three presidential elections. Yet when I asked about them at a recent Dole Institute symposium, the Democratic consultants fell silent.
Even the panel’s Republican consultant said they were “hard to imagine”. Only the nonpartisan journalist and the exit pollster seemed aware of them. These voters are neither liberal, nor conservative. Their issues are very different from the ones that energize Davids’ supporters.
Republicans may nominate better candidates next time. Kobach and his ego are now out of elected office, along with unpopular, former Governor Brownback. If the Republicans deny the embattled Trump a re-nomination, Democrats will no longer be able to tie Republican opponents to him, as did Davids. Nor can Democrats build a majority with just upper-income, suburban districts.
Kelly’s victory in manufacturing-heavy, competitive or Republican-leaning counties like Shawnee and Sedgwick is a good start. If they succeed, Kansas Democrats can become an example for the nation.
Michael A. Smith is a Professor of Political Science at Emporia State University.
UPDATE, Thursday 12:45 p.m.: The Decatur County Sheriff has reported that 19-year-old Makayla Wray, using the alias Malika Ford, was last seen in Hays. She was seen with a 17-year-old male also wanted for questioning in connection to a series of recent burglaries.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 475-8100.
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OBERLIN — The Decatur County Sheriff’s Office is attempting to locate 19-year-old Makayla Wray for questioning. The sheriff is seeking information about several burglaries that have taken place across multiple counties.
She was last seen in Norton.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 475-8100.
Carol Jean (Hardy) Reinhardt, 92, Bison, Kansas, died Wednesday, February 6, 2019, at Locust Grove Village, La Crosse, Kansas.
Mrs. Reinhardt was born January 26, 1927, in Great Bend, Kansas, the daughter of Carl Harold and Elizabeth Jeannette (Rothweiler) Hardy. She was a lifelong resident of Rush County, Kansas. A 1944 graduate of Bison Rural High School, Bison, Kansas, she attended Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas, and was a 1962 graduate of Fort Hays Kansas State College, Hays, Kansas. She was a homemaker, farm wife, and business teacher for Otis Rural High School, and Otis-Bison High School, Otis, Kansas, for 28 years.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church, the UMW, and sang in the church choir, all of Bison, Kansas. She was a former member of the Village Club, and Bison State Bank board of directors, both of Bison, Kansas.
On October 31, 1949, she married Lowell F. Reinhardt at the United Methodist Church, Bison, Kansas. He preceded her in death January 7, 1961.
Survivors include: two sons, Don Reinhardt (Jan), Bison, Kansas, and Gregg Reinhardt (Maggie), Great Bend, Kansas; two granddaughters, Elizabeth Pinkston (Jason), Larned, Kansas, and Amy Blackburn (Mitchell), Bison, Kansas; six great grandchildren, Jaidyn, Grady, Leah, and Keirstin Pinkston, and Lander and Lux Blackburn; and one brother, Don Hardy, Bison, Kansas.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and one brother, Francis Hardy.
Memorial service will be Saturday, February 9, 2019, at 10:00 A.M. at the United Methodist Church, Bison, Kansas, with Pastor Angie Vertz officiating.
In lieu of flowers or plants, the family requests memorials to the United Methodist Church, Bison, Kansas.
The Kansas Department of Transportation will host a public meeting regarding an upcoming multi-phase reconstruction project on a portion of I-70 in Gove County. The meeting will take place on Friday, Feb. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the KDOT sub-area located at 4677 U.S. 40, Grainfield.
The project area covers a 9-mile area starting one mile west of the K-23 spur near Grainfield and ending four miles east of K-211. KDOT will be replacing the pavement on the eastbound lanes in 2019 and westbound lanes in 2020. Project work will also include pavement replacement at the east and westbound rest areas near Grainfield, construction of new right-of-way fencing, lighting installation at exits 95 and 99, and reconstruction of the box structure carrying county road 62 under I-70 into two new span bridges. Gove Road 62 is expected to be closed for several months during the bridge reconstruction. Temporary closures will also occur at exits 95 and 99 as well as the K-23 and K-211 bridges over I-70.
KDOT engineers will be available to outline the construction phasing, provide details on the official state detour and answer questions regarding access to county roads. Construction is expected to begin in March 2019.
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].
Candidate for the Hays USD 489 superintendent position Michael Gower said he believes in the three Rs — relationships, relationships, relationships.
Gower is the third of four candidates interviewing for the top job at USD 489. He interviewed Wednesday. Herington superintendent Ron Wilson will interview Thursday, and Keith Hall, USD 489 interim director of finance, and Jamie Wetig, Ashland superintendent, interviewed last week.
The school board is set to vote on its selection for superintendent at its meeting Monday.
Gower is the superintendent at Phillipsburg and Logan. His daughters both teach in the Hays school district. Michaela Gower teaches fifth grade at Roosevelt Elementary School, and Mindy Gower is a third-grade teacher at O’Loughlin Elementary School.
In part because of his family connection and close proximity to Hays, Gower said he was familiar with the Hays school district. He said his daughters were concerned about the turnover in leadership within the Hays school district and urged their father to apply for the superintendent job. He said he thought he could bring more stability to the position.
“I am a western Kansas person, and I believe in this area of the state, and I want to see it succeed. If I am hired, I am not going anywhere,” he said. “I will stay here as long as they’ll have me.”
Gower and his wife are also graduates of Fort Hays State University. Gower has a master’s degree and a superintendent endorsement from FHSU.
“I just wanted to stretch myself a little bit,” he said. “I have been at Phillipsburg now for about 20 years as a teacher, principal and superintendent. I have always admired the Hays district and just felt that is some place I would like to be.”
Gower took on the additional responsibility as superintendent at Logan six years ago.
Despite leading two districts, he tries to visit and interact with the students and staff in each of the districts’ buildings each week.
“I try to get in each building and see the students, interact with the students and the teachers,” he said. “That helps remind me of why I am actually doing this job. … Our main reason of being in education is to work with kids and to do what is best for kids.”
Kathy Rome, KNEA UniServ director, attended the public meet-and-greet with Gower on Wednesday and she asked about his relationship with teachers and the teachers’ unions in Logan and Phillipsburg. Rome acknowledged she had not been called in to assist with negotiations in either of Gower’s districts in recent years.
The Hays school board reached impasse with teachers in negotiations last year over a pay, and a federal meditator had to be brought it to resolve the dispute.
“We have always come to an agreement sooner or later. I think it has been mutual respect,” he said of past negotiations in his district. “We have been able to see both sides — see what works for the teachers and what also works for the district so both districts could stay in a good financial setting, but also compensate teachers and well enough you are able to keep quality people at both districts.”
After two failed bond attempts in the last three years, the Hays school board has been discussing attempting a third bond to address some of its many facility needs.
Gower said he did not have any experience with bonds as a superintendent.
“You have to be visible in the community and get input from stakeholders and teachers and staff as well,” he said. “Look at what has and hasn’t worked. The last two haven’t, so what can we do differently? Back to the teacher negotiations, if we can find common ground somewhere, we can get enough people to support it.”
Gower said he did not think the latest $29 million plan that would include HVAC improvements at the HHS, an expanded cafeteria at HMS and an expansion at Roosevelt Elementary School went far enough to address the district’s facility needs. However, he acknowledged that may be what the district is able to pass.
“That would be my job,” he said, “to try and unify the voters, the parents, the stakeholders, the board and get everybody behind the bond, but I also understand you don’t just keep beating your head against the wall and doing the same thing. If the other two didn’t pass, then you do have to adjust and look at something different.”
He said even with a 10-year plan, the district is going to have a group of students that will make it all the way through school before they see more improvements in facilities. He also noted construction costs are only going to increase with the passage of time.
He said he supported the development of a long-range facilities plan.
The Hays school board also has had some high-profile votes recently that have been split, most notably the votes to purchase the Oak Park Medical Complex that will be renovated for use by Early Childhood Connections.
Gower said he will try to educate the board on the facts, but in the end, every board member has their own vote.
“Really the voters need to speak,” he said. “If the voters think board members are against whatever the case may be — these board members are against the bond or these board members aren’t supportive — then those voters need to get out and support board candidates they do think will support what they want.”
Four Hays school board seats are up for election in November. They include the seats held by Luke Oborny, who has filed for re-election, Mandy Fox, Greg Schwartz and Paul Adams.
Although his districts are different in size compared to the Hays district, he said he thought the districts were much the same, but with different faces.
He noted the Hays district is working on student social and emotional development as part of the KESA accreditation process, just as Logan and Phillipsburg are.
Phillipsburg High School has initiated a Passion Project in response to KESA requirements. Students are periodically paired with staff members at PHS, including classified staff, such as maintenance or custodial workers. The students are split into groups and learn skills from the adults. It could be how to fix a car, how to bake a cake or how to play a guitar.
“You might identify better with a custodian than you do with a teacher,” he said. “It just builds relationships throughout the school building. …
“It is all about relationships. All of that stuff we are talking about is a fancy way of say build relationships. I believe in the three Rs — relationships, relationships, relationships.”
