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Pauline Vise (Schoenberger)

Pauline Vise, 78, of Oakley, died Thursday, July 25, 2019. She was born February 13, 1941, in Oakley, to Leo and Rosa (Dechant) Schoenberger. Pauline enjoyed playing Bingo, fishing and playing cards. She especially enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Pauline was preceded in death by her parents and husbands, Robert Dean Schiltz, Sr. and Dwight Vise and siblings, Robert Schoenberger, Joseph “Bud” Schoenberger, Francis Burris, Frank Schoenberger and Marie Gottschalk.

She is survived by her children, Brenda Krontz, Robert Dean Schiltz, Jr., Janet Boeger, Sharon Zerr, Connie Schiltz and Tamera Kaltenbach; siblings, Helen Trout, Marvin Schoenberger, Leo Schoenberger and Louise Ashbridge; 21 grandchildren, over 50 great grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren.

Visitation is 5-7:00 p.m. Sunday, July 28, 2019, at Baalmann Mortuary, Oakley. Funeral service is 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 29, 2019, also at the mortuary, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, Oakley. Memorials can be made to Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 204, Oakley, KS 67748. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

Late rally lifts Bat Cats past Larks at NBC World Series

WICHITA – Chase Gibson laced a two-out, two-run double into left field off reliever Carlos Tevera in the top of the ninth inning to break a 3-3 tie and lift the Great Bend Bat Cats to a 5-4 victory over the Hays Larks Sunday night at the NBC World Series at Eck Stadium.

Jerrod Belbin hit a triple to lead off the bottom of the ninth and scored on Griffon Everitt’s sacrifice fly to deep center field to pull the Larks (33-11) within a run, but Jimmy DeLeon lined out to the shortstop and Grant Lung grounded out to second base to end the game.

The Larks closed out first week pool play 1-1 and now needs Great Bend to beat the Waco (TX) Missions Monday to advance to bracket play on Tuesday.

Frank Leo Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Bat Cats (23-15) struck first with two runs in the third. Following a lead off error by second baseman Grant Lung and a hit batter, Ryan Monson hit a run-scoring double and Duante Freeman drove in a run on a ground out.

The Larks scored three in the fourth to take the lead. Alex Strachen, George Sutherland and Mikey Gangwish all singled to start the inning. Following a Max McGuire popup, Jerrod Belbin, who finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, cleared the bases with a three-run double.

Dawson Pomeroy doubled in the fifth for Great Bend to tie the game 3-3.

The Larks had a chance to take the lead in the eighth when pinch hitter Enzo Bonventre led of the inning with a double but punch runner Griffin Everitt never advanced any further after Jimmy DeLeon hit a fly out to right, Wyatt Divis popped up to left field and Alex Strachen lined out to shortstop.

Drew Marrufo (1-2) worked a 1-2-3 eighth but walked two of the first three batters in the ninth and suffered the loss. Tavera got Tyson Cheatum to fly to right field for the second out before Gibson lined a 2-2 fastball for what proved to be the winning runs.

Rustin Hays made the start for the Larks and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Nash Neff struck out four and walked three in 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Trevor Munsch struck out five in 1 2/3 innings.

Tanner Howe (5-2) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and picked up the win in relief for the Bat Cats. Starter Jarrett Seaton allowed three runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and now walks over the first seven innings.

Man who shot 2 Kansas police officers in 1985 paroled

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who shot two Kansas police officers in 1985 is expected to be released from prison sometime around Aug. 1.

Lawton photo KDOC

Ithiel Lawton shot officers Randy Horn and Pat Reed of Topeka  during a family dispute at Lawton’s home. Both officers survived but left the department soon after being injured.

Lawton said at the time that voices from his television told him to protect himself from the officers.

Before the shootings, Lawton was hospitalized 20 times in the previous 16 years for paranoid schizophrenia.

Family members told the Kansas Parole Board in recent years that Lawton’s mental health has improved.

The review board recently granted parole to Lawton, who is now 77.

Lawton is serving 20 years to life in prison at El Dorado Correctional Facility.

Kansas man accused of abuse after DUI arrest with child in car

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a Kansas man for child abuse charges after a DUI arrest.

Barrios photo Sedgwick Co.

Just after 1a.m. Friday, police arrested 24-year-old David Barrios who was driving in Wichita.

 Officers booked him into the jail for DUI, driving while license canceled or suspended, driving with an unrestrained passenger under the age of 14, for unsafe turning or stopping, failure to give a proper signal and for not wearing his seat belt, according to the Sedgwick County booking report.

 Barrios posted bond and was no longer in custody Saturday afternoon.

Kansas felon going back to prison for armed bank robbery

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 154 months in federal prison for armed bank robbery, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Hameke photo KDOC

Damon Hammeke, 26, Leavenworth, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Nov. 21, 2017, he robbed the Country Club Bank at 2310 South 4th Street in Leavenworth. He entered the bank wearing a white jacket and black mask and carrying a handgun. He left the bank with money.

Two days later, an officer in Tonganoxie attempted to stop him for a traffic offense. Hammeke fled, leading police on a high-speed chase through Tonganoxie, Basehor, Lansing, Leavenworth, Platte County, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., before they were able to stop him.

He has previous convictions for drugs and flee or attempt to elude law enforcement, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Bauer heaves ball over CF wall, KC beats Indians

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In a startling scene, Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer suddenly heaved the ball from just past the mound over the center field wall while being taken out of the game Sunday in a 9-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

It was not clear whether Bauer was upset with his performance or that manager Terry Francona was pulling him. An All-Star last year, Bauer (9-8) had just allowed a two-run single to Nicky Lopez that gave the Royals a 7-5 lead with one out in the fifth inning.

When Francona emerged from the dugout, Bauer turned, took a couple steps and fired the ball over the 410-foot mark.

Bauer, whose quirky pregame routine includes a lot of long toss, put that practice to use as he let fly. Shortstop Francisco Lindor incredulously watched while second baseman Mike Freeman flinched as Bauer wound up. Rookie center fielder Oscar Mercado had his back turned and was looking at the wall when he saw the ball land, and quickly spun around, trying to figure out what happened.

As Francona reached the mound, he and Bauer appeared to exchange words. Francona pointed Bauer toward the dugout, then followed closely behind him. They both disappeared into the tunnel. They later emerged, separate but both fuming.

Danny Duffy (5-5) picked up the win, though he was hardly stellar. He allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits in six innings. Duffy had lost 10 straight decisions to the Indians, dating to May 6, 2015, the most consecutive starts and decisions lost by a Royals pitcher against any opponent.

Trailing 5-3 coming into the inning, the Royals chased Bauer after Lopez’s hit put KC ahead. Ryan O’Hearn, Cheslor Cuthbert and Meibrys Viloria also had RBIs in the inning.

Almost a mirror image of Saturday, the Indians jumped on the Royals starter Sunday as well. Duffy gave up singles to Francisco Lindor and Mercado to start the first. Carlos Santana, back after a couple of days off with shoulder tightness, hit a drive that got up in the wind and carried into the Cleveland bullpen for a three-run homer. On Saturday, it was a grand slam before the first out was made.

UP NEXT

Indians: Following an off-day on Monday, RHP Shane Bieber (10-3, 3.44 ERA) will face RHP Justin Verlander (13-4, 2.86 ERA) as the Houston Astros start a three-game series in Cleveland. Bieber threw his second shutout of the season and his career, blanking the Blue Jays in his last outing.

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (7-9, 3.95 ERA) will face Toronto’s Thomas Pannone (2-4, 6.39 ERA) as the Blue Jays and Royals open a three-game series in Kansas City. Keller is riding a career-best four-game winning streak. He defeated the Atlanta Braves with seven shutout innings in his last outing.

Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill speaks for first time since return

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Tyreek Hill was contrite but repentant in his first comments since he was banished from the Kansas City Chiefs following an audio recording in which his then-fiance accused him of hurting their son.

Hill during Sunday’s press briefing photo courtesy KC Chiefs

The star wide receiver declined Sunday to discuss the specifics of his case, which wound to a conclusion late last week when the NFL declined to punish him for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. But he did apologize for the precarious situation he left the Chiefs in this past offseason.

“I’ve learned to just appreciate those around me,” Hill said after the Chiefs’ second workout of training camp at Missouri Western. “I feel like I take that for granted sometimes, being a professional athlete. I tend to not stay humble, you know what I’m saying? I still love my kids and I still love my family, but I feel like sometimes I take all of those things for granted.”

The Chiefs were poised to make their first selection in the NFL draft when the graphic, secretly taped audio of Hill and Crystal Espinal aired on a local TV station. The Chiefs quickly suspended the two-time All-Pro from all team-related activities and, uncertain of Hill’s future with the organization, used a second-round pick on speedy wide receiver Mecole Hardman.

Hill remained barred from the team during voluntary summer workouts and the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp, even after the local district attorney decided there was not enough evidence to pursue charges.

The NFL was still weighing whether to punish Hill under terms of its personal conduct policy when it sent investigators to Kansas City late last month. During an eight-hour session, Hill supplied the league with his side of the story, laying out the facts from his point of view.

″(Commissioner) Roger Goodell and his team did their thing. They dug in, got all the facts, and I’m very appreciative of those guys as well,” Hill said. “The meeting was long. It was probably the longest meeting of my life. It was crazy. What I was trying to get across was just the facts, man.”

The NFL ultimately decided late last week that it would not punish Hill, and the Chiefs immediately announced that his team-issued suspension was lifted and he would be reporting to training camp.

He was not available to reporters during check-in day Friday, nor did Hill speak following the Chiefs’ first practice Saturday. But he was carried to the practice field by a chorus of fans chanting “Tyreek! Tyreek!” in what could only be described as a groundswell of support.

It was a 180-degree turn from the sentiments most fans had just a few months ago.

“The love feels good, to come back out here and get a chance,” Hill said. “I’m on a new journey as far as me growing as a father and as a human.”

There is still an ongoing investigation by the Kansas Department for Children and Families, and Hill said he could not discuss that case. Nor would he discuss the specifics of a recent sit-down that he had with Clark Hunt, the Chiefs’ chairman and the most visible face of the ownership family.

Hill did acknowledge learning a lesson he hoped to pass on to younger players.

“You can look at me and tell I’ve been through a lot,” he said, “even when I first came into the league. I had a bad history. Just be thankful for the ones around you, stay humble and grounded, love your parents and your kids — if you have kids — and just work hard.”

Hill caught 12 touchdown passes and set a franchise record with 1,479 yards receiving last season, earning his third Pro Bowl trip in as many seasons. It’s a big reason why the Chiefs were interested in signing him to a long-term deal as he entered the final year of his rookie contract.

Where those talks now stand remains in question.

“It was good having him back out there,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said Sunday. “He is an intelligent kid. He picked up right where he left off. “He’s doing a heck of a job.”

As Trump expands deportation powers, immigrants prepare

CHICAGO (AP) — A sweeping expansion of deportation powers unveiled this week by the Trump administration has sent chills through immigrant communities and prompted some lawyers to advise migrants to gather up as much documentation as possible — pay stubs, apartment leases or even gym key tags — to prove they’ve been in the U.S.

Image from facebook broadcast during the arrest in Kansas City earlier this week when federal immigration officers trying to arrest a Mexican man smashed a car window and dragged him from the vehicle in front of his girlfriend and two young children. He was quickly deported.

But the uncertainty about how the policy might play out has created confusion and made it harder to give clear guidance to immigrants. Attorneys and immigrant rights groups gave conflicting advice about whether to carry these documents.

The new rules will allow immigration officers nationwide to deport anyone who has been here illegally for less than two years. Currently, authorities can only exercise such powers within 100 miles (161 kilometers) of the border and only target people who have been here less than two weeks.

Critics say the new policy will embolden Immigration Customs and Enforcement officers to indiscriminately round up immigrants, depriving them of a chance to make their cases before a judge or consult with a lawyer. Some have called it a “show me your papers” trope on a national scale, and roughly 300,000 immigrants living in the country illegally could be affected by the expansion, according to one estimate by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.

Attorneys immediately began advising immigrants to start compiling documents that prove they had been in the country for at least two years — anything showing a consistent presence in the United States. But they don’t have to necessarily carry it with them.

“We’re operating absolutely blind at the moment,” said David Leopold, an immigration attorney in Cleveland.

For years, immigrant rights groups have advised people without legal status to not carry any identification with a place of origin on it so it doesn’t come back to hurt them in immigration court. Without the possibility of ever getting a day in court, questions loomed.

“Carry some limited amount of paperwork,” said Houston-based immigration attorney Mana Yagani. “I would advise them to have a copy of that at a lawyer’s office and at a friend that they trust.”

Still, others keep up the adage of to say and carry nothing.

“Don’t carry anything and exercise your right to remain silent,” said longtime Chicago activist Rosi Carrasco.

The National Immigrant Justice Center, based in Chicago, encouraged immigrants to create a safety plan, keeping key documents in a central location and giving trusted friends access, along with making plans to pick up children from school in an emergency.

The expansion, which is certain to face lawsuits, has already raised potential issues.

Critics worry the rules will give ICE officers free rein. They point to an instance in Kansas City earlier this week when federal immigration officers trying to arrest a Mexican man smashed a car window and dragged him from the vehicle in front of his girlfriend and two young children. He was quickly deported.

And they also cite the case of an 18-year-old American citizen from Dallas who was detained for more than three weeks after being apprehended at a Texas checkpoint where authorities are currently allowed to exercise expedited removals of people in the country illegally. He was arrested because authorities suspected he was in the country illegally.

The American Civil Liberties Union has vowed to sue, as has the American Immigration Council, which said the expansion threatens due process.

Trump administration officials touted the change as a way to deal with the lack of detention space as it grapples with a surge of migrants from Central America at the southern border. It is the latest in a series of tough measures the president has taken to crack down on immigration, including hardening of asylum rules and forcing migrants to wait in Mexico before coming into the U.S.

ICE Acting Director Matthew Albence called the expansion “an important tool to more efficiently remove illegal aliens encountered in the interior and alleviate resource constraints ICE faces with detention space and in immigration courts,” according to a memo sent to all ICE employees Wednesday.

Albence said it was critical that the use of the expanded powers be applied consistently and well-documented. He said training would be required for any official before exercising the authority. He also offered more specific guidance, which ICE declined to make public.

For the time being, Antonio Gutierrez, 30, has prepared an emergency plan and retained an attorney. He’s been living in the country illegally for nearly 20 years.

Gutierrez crossed the border from Mexico illegally when he was 11 but was rejected for protection from deportation in an Obama-era program for young people because he was charged with driving under the influence.

He gathered up papers, including letters from acquaintances and his rejection from the Obama program, in a safe spot at home in Chicago. While other members of his family have been able to get legal status to remain in the U.S., he hasn’t.

“Being organized allows me a sense of safety,” he said.

Advocates said they differed on whether it was necessary to physically have documents available at all times. To some, it’s more important to talk to a lawyer and understand their legal rights.

This is an especially big challenge because the vast majority of immigrants don’t have attorneys. Only 14 percent of immigrants who are detained have a lawyer when they go to court, according to a 2016 American Immigration Council study.

“We’re really mindful of not wanting to create alarm unnecessarily,” said Daniel Sharp, legal director at the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles. “Our first advice to everyone is to get informed, obtain legal consultation and understand your right to remain silent, rather than carrying around a big stack of papers.”

Governor appoints three members to Capitol Preservation Committee

Kansas capitol building

OFFICE OF GOV.

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly appointed Will Lawrence and Sharon Wenger, and reappointed Jennie Chinn to the Capitol Preservation Committee.

“I know the addition of Will and Sharon, and Jennie’s continued service on the Capitol Preservation Committee will guarantee beauty and restoration practices at the Statehouse,” Kelly said. “I am proud to appoint Kansans who have special knowledge regarding the unique history of the building in hopes that they will continue to make this landmark outstanding.”

Will Lawrence, Lawrence, currently serves as chief of staff to the governor. Previously, Lawrence worked as the chief of staff for Kansas Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley. He has also worked as an attorney in private practice. Lawrence graduated from Washburn University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and received his juris doctorate from the Washburn University School of Law.

Sharon Wenger, Topeka, currently serves as senior fiscal analyst in the Kansas Legislative Research Department. Previously, Wenger served as the director of the Bureau of Epidemiology, assistant secretary, and assistant to the director of Health at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Wenger received her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas State University.

Jennie Chinn, Topeka, will serve as chair of the committee. Chinn is the executive director of the Kansas State Historical Society and has served on the committee for several terms. Previously, Chinn served as education division director and interim executive director of the Historical Society. She graduated from the University of California with a bachelor’s degree in humanities and a master’s degree in folklore and mythology.

The committee approves all proposals for renovation concerning all areas of the state Capitol building, including the Capitol’s visitor center and the grounds surrounding the Capitol. The group works to preserve the proper décor and to assure the art and artistic displays are historically accurate. The group also oversees the reconfiguration or redecoration of committee rooms throughout the building.

Gladys Marie Connor

Gladys Marie Connor, 84, died July 24, 2019. She was born Feb. 19, 1935 in Hays, KS. the daughter of Charles and Mattie (Thiel) Connor. She was an RN at the former Mercy Hospital in Denver, CO.

She is preceded in death by her sister, Sister Patricia Connor. She is survived by her sisters, Karen Vail, Salina, Kay (Joe) Religa, Brookville and Loretta Blackwill, Quinter; and brothers, James Connor, Tulsa, OK. and Larry Connor, WaKeeney.

The family will hold private interment services at the Christ the King Catholic Cemetery in WaKeeney, Ks.

Suspect jailed for shooting that left 3 injured, Kansas airman dead

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating have made an arrest in the Saturday shooting  that left a 20-year-old McConnell Air Force Base airman dead  and three other  injured,

Markeithen McClaine photo Sedgwick Co.

Just after 2 a.m., police responded to a disturbance with shots fired at the Horizons East Apartment complex located in the 500 block of North Rock Road, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.

Upon arrival, officers found a 20-year-old  who was shot and was unresponsive in the parking lot. Officers rendered aid until medical personnel arrived, who continued life-saving measures. The man was shortly after pronounced deceased. Police have not released his name.

Two of the three other victims included a 21 year-old-man and a 22-year-old man.. They were transported to a local hospital where they were treated and released for non-life threatening injuries. A 19-year-old woman was also transported by private vehicle to a local hospital with a gunshot wound. Her injury is considered to be serious, but she is expected to survive.

 

Police on the scene of the shooting investigation early Saturday photo courtesy KWCH

Late Saturday, police reported  the arrest of 25-year-old Markeithen McClaine on requested charges of 1st Degree murder and three counts of aggravated battery, according to Wheeler.

The preliminary investigation revealed that a party was being held at one of the apartment units. There was a disturbance that occurred in the parking lot and shots were fired by the suspect.

The base “is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our airmen,” according to a statement from Col. Richard Tanner, commander of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing.

 

The Associated Press Contributed to this report.

 

 

Hays PD to host fourth annual Community Night Out

community night out HPD, hays police
Courtesy Hays Police Department

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

On Aug. 1, the Hays Police Department will host the fourth annual Community Night Out from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hays Aquatic Park as a way to show thanks to the community for their support of the department.

“We have always stressed community involvement,” said HPD Chief Don Scheibler. “It’ an opportunity for us to say thank you and an opportunity to interact with the community in a positive way.”

During the event, the department will provide hot dogs and hamburgers for the first 1,000 attendees.

Scheibler said between 800 to 1,400 people have attended previous events, which allow the community to have fun with the officers and engage with them in an informal setting.

“It gives the opportunity to see the police officers, not as guys in uniform who are enforcing the law and writing tickets, but to see officers down there in T-shirts and swimsuits,” he said.

Deputy Chief of Police Brian Dawson agreed it is important for the community to engage with officers in a positive way.

The event allows the HPD “to give thanks to the community that supports us and give them an event where they can come down and feel appreciated and have a good time,” he said. “We have a great community that gives us a lot of support throughout the year and it’s one way to give back to them or appreciate them or recognize them for that.”

Having a good relationship with the community helps the department to serve that community, Scheibler said.

“The officers take care of the community and in our time of need the community will take care of us,” he said. “That kind of mentality, trying to be involved in all different levels has always been a priority of the Hays Police Department.”

The event is sponsored by the City of Hays, Walmart, Hays Recreation Commission, Pepsi, Heartland Building Center, Fraternal Order of Police Hays Lodge 48, Phaze 2 and Nex-Tech.

“We have numerous community partners,” Scheibler said, noting that the department is approached by local businesses and community organizations each year to continue hosting the event.

“I’m really appreciative of the of the city commission and the city manager’s office for supporting us in this venture and recognizing the importance of community police and the relationship between our citizens and the police department,” he said.

The department also funds a portion of the event.

“The community really comes together to help us do this, but there are some expenses that we pay for out of our budget,” Scheibler said.

The Community Night Out is a part of a number of community events hosted by the department through the year, including Coffee with a Cop and Cookies with a Cop, along with the department having a presence at other community events such as the March to Main and the Ellis County Fair.

“It’s a community effort, we are only as good as the community that helps us out, and we have a great community,” Dawson said.

“Building those relationships, with the young especially, those are the future of the community and they should have a positive outlook and positive view of their police department,” Scheibler said.

 

 

 

Democrat governor getting to shape Kansas’ top court

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court’s chief justice plans to retire before the end of the year, allowing first-year Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to leave a bigger mark on the state’s highest court than her conservative Republican predecessors.

Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court, Lawton Nuss with his wife, Barbara Nuss, January, 2019.
NOMIN UJIYEDIIN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

Chief Justice Lawton Nuss announced Friday that he would step down Dec. 17 after serving on the court since 2002 and as chief justice since 2010. During Nuss’ tenure as chief justice, GOP conservatives increasingly criticized the court as too liberal and too activist for the state over rulings on abortion, capital punishment and public school funding.

His announcement came a little more than two weeks after Justice Lee Johnson, another target of criticism on the right, announced plans to retire in September. That means Kelly will have two appointments to the seven-member court since she took office in January when conservative GOP Govs. Sam Brownback and Jeff Colyer had only one appointee between them during the previous eight years.

Both justices voted repeatedly to direct legislators to increase education funding in recent years and were part of the 6-1 majority that declared in April that the state constitution protects access to abortion as a “fundamental” right. They also voted to overturn death sentences in capital murder cases, though Nuss concluded that the death penalty law itself is constitutional.

Kelly’s choices won’t have to gain support in the Republican-controlled Legislature or from its conservative leaders because lawmakers have no role in high-court appointments under the state constitution. Many GOP legislators expected to push to change the selection process after the Legislature reconvenes in January, but they won’t be able to enact changes before Kelly replaces Johnson and Nuss.

“Gov. Kelly and her political allies on the bench are clamoring to pack the high court before the Kansas people, through their elected representatives, have a chance to reform the process,” said state Sen. Ty Masterson, a conservative Wichita-area Republican who advocates having the state Senate confirm court appointees.

A commission led by lawyers will screen applications for the two high-court vacancies, hold public interviews and submit finalists’ names to Kelly.

Explaining the timing of his departure, Nuss noted in a letter to Kelly that Kansas governors and legislative leaders traditionally serve no more than eight years and, “By those measures alone, certainly, it is time I depart.”

In an Associated Press interview, Nuss, a former Marine, said he and his wife want to work on veterans issues, such as establishing specialized courts to treat veterans who run afoul of the law. He said he discussed that topic with fellow veterans about a month ago in Washington.

“I’m very passionate about it and if I step away from being on the bench, then I can go further and speak out more forcefully on those issues,” he said.

Nuss’ retirement automatically will elevate the next senior justice, Marla Luckert to chief justice. Both she and Nuss were appointees of moderate Republican Gov. Bill Graves.

Johnson and three other justices were appointed by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Justice Caleb Stegall, the only dissenter in the abortion case, was appointed by Brownback.

Justices face a statewide, yes-or-no vote every six years on whether they should remain on the Supreme Court, and its rulings in recent years inspired campaigns to oust all of them except Stegall. They all narrowly failed, including one against Nuss and three other justices in 2016.

Kansas law would have allowed Nuss to stand for retention again in 2022 and serve through 2028.

“I spend about 70 hours a week in my job,” Nuss said. “It just becomes time, in my view, after almost 10 years, to say, ‘That is enough, let someone else take over.'”

Before being appointed to the court, Nuss served in the Marines for four years before attending law school at the University of Kansas and practicing law in the central Kansas town of Salina for two decades. He also has an affinity for cowboy poetry and has judged state contests.

“He’s been in the arena, doing difficult work on behalf of Kansans,” Kelly said. “And he has done it well.”

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