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Month: July 2019

Wichita opens wetlands park in migratory bird resting spot

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WICHITA (AP) — Wichita has opened a 91-acre wetland park in an area where thousands of migratory birds stop each year.

The Wichita Eagle reports that visitors to the Pracht Wetlands Park can walk over galvanized-steel boardwalks and watch birds behind two observation points that are similar to duck blinds. Eventually there will be a half-mile loop of boardwalk circling the northern half of the park with multiple observation points and an observation tower.

The total budget for the project is around $7.5 million. The City Council representative for the area, Bryan Frye, says that just under $2 million has been invested in it so far.

Just to the west of the park, a major new retail-and-restaurant development is in the works. Frye described the project as “an eco-tourism opportunity.”

William Dean Cole

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William Dean Cole, age 90, passed away on July 7, 2019 at his home in Lenexa.

Rosary and Parish Vigil will be held at Fitzgerald Funeral Home on Thursday, July 11, 2019, 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian burial will be at Sacred Heart Church on Friday, July 12, 2019, 10:00 a.m. followed by burial in the Bazine Cemetery.

ACLU of Kansas selects Google manager as its new director

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TOPEKA (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has named a Google manager and former U.S. State Department employee as its new executive director.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Nadine Farid Johnson takes over Monday. The ACLU of Kansas has fought legal battles with the state over voting rights issues, the ability of transgender residents to alter their birth certificates and rules restricting protests at the Statehouse.

Former Executive Director Micah Kubic resigned last year to lead the ACLU of Florida.

Johnson has been a manager at Google for two years, overseeing diversity and inclusion initiatives on the company’s Los Angeles campus. She worked for the U.S. State Department from 2011 to 2017 and developed policy on the Middle East and North Africa.

Robert Eugene Moorman

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Robert Eugene Moorman, 80, was born on February 19, 1939 to Ralph Bradford Moorman and Edith (Shults) Moorman in Nickerson.

He passed on July 5, 2019 in Dodge City.

Bob lived in Nickerson until graduation from high school in 1957. After his graduation he joined the National Guard in Hutchinson. He also attended DeVry Institute in Chicago, Illinois where he learned to become a radio and television repairman. He then joined the United States Army as a radio repairman and served a tour in Germany.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Richard Lyle Moorman.

He is survived by; sister, Linda Chenvanej, Thailand; brother Russell Moorman, Nickerson; six nieces and nephews; eleven great nieces and nephews; two step daughters, Pam Perez and Kathy Murray.

Cremation has taken place and no services are planned at this time. A private inurnment will be held at a later date.

Bradley Slagle

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Bradley Slagle, age 63, passed away on July 8, 2019. Funeral service is planned for Thursday evening, July 11, 2019, 7:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, Ness City with inurnment to follow in the Buda Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 from 6-8 p.m. Memories and words of support may be left for the family at by writing in the guest book on this page.

An obituary is pending with Fitzgerald Funeral Home..

Gail Ellen Keller

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Gail Ellen Keller, age 60, passed away June 14, 2019, at her home. Gail was born July 18, 1958 in Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of George M. and Carolyn Mae (Crouch) Huber.

Gail, a resident of Great Bend since 2001, coming from Kansas City, Mo., devoted her life to caring for others, being employed by Cherry Village as a CNA and CMA, and later working privately as an in home care giver. She held a special place in her heart for animals, especially her two cats.

Survivors include her mother, Carolyn Mae Huber; and two brothers, Thomas C. Keller and wife Diane of Liberty, Mo., and James K. Keller and companion Robin F. Murphy of Liberty, Mo. She was preceded in death by her father, George M. Huber.

A service of remembrance will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, July 12, 2019, at First Southern Baptist Church Annex, 3301 19th St., Great Bend. Please use the alley for parking. Memorials are suggested to the Golden Belt Humane Society, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Timothy Harlan Parr

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Timothy Harlan Parr, 63, passed away July 3, 2019, at his home in Junction City. Tim was born May 5, 1956, at Great Bend, to Harlan and Mary Lou (Fulgroat) Parr.

Tim, a resident of Junction City, coming from Great Bend, was a machinist working previously at Plating, Inc. and Rice Engineering. He served his country in the U.S. Army, earning the rank of PFC.

Survivors include one daughter, Tiffany Parr of Hutchinson; two brothers, Randy Parr and wife Lisa of Great Bend, and Gary Parr and fiancée Julie Sanders of Great Bend; and two sisters, Sue Miller of Lakewood, Col. and Cheryl Smith and husband Russ of Liberal.

Graveside services and inurnment will be held 1:00 p.m. Friday, July 12, 2019, at Great Bend Cemetery, Great Bend, with Pastor Dwight Dozier. Military Rites will be conducted by Ft. Riley Honor Guard and American Legion Riders Post 180. Memorials have been suggested to Timothy Parr Expense Fund, in care of Bryant Funeral Home

Gary Linn Seemann

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Gary Linn Seemann passed away at home in Great Bend, KS on July 5th, 2019 at the age of 66.

Gary was born in Smith Center, KS on November 30th, 1952. He and his family moved to Levant, KS in 1959. Gary served with the United States Army beginning in 1971 until he was distinguishably discharged in 1977. After the Army, Gary worked for AT&T from 1978 to 2010 when he retired.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Ernst & Rosalie Seemann.

Gary is survived by his loving wife of twenty-three years, Joy (Stephens) Seemann. They were married on May 17th, 1996. He is also survived by his brother Craig, of Colby; sister Lisa (Bert) Ree, of Schoenchen, KS and brother Kelly, of Amarillo, TX. Gary is lovingly remembered by his children, Jenni (Mark) Penka, of St. Francis, KS, Eric (Whitney) Seemann, of New Braunfels, TX, JC (Beth) Zahradnik, of Anthony, KS, Amanda (Nathan) Franklin, of Atwood, KS, Brian (Wendy) Seemann, of Manhattan, KS, & JT (Becca) Zahradnik, of Muscatine, IA. Gary’s pride was his fourteen grandkids, Kierstyn, Kierra & Brody Penka; Noah & Grace Seemann; Camden & Corbin Franklin; Clarksly, Carter, Monroe, & Deacon Zahradnik; and Genevieve, Isaiah, & Juliet Zahradnik.

Visitation is 4-6:00 p.m. Friday, July 12, 2019, at Baalmann Mortuary, Colby. Funeral Service is 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 13, 2019, at the Berean Church, Colby, with burial in Beulah Cemetery. Memorial funds have been set-up in his name with AWANA and Star of Hope and can be sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For condolences or information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

Grand Ole Opry tours get updated with new immersive film

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By KRISTIN M. HALL
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The backstage of the Grand Ole Opry, a radio staple since 1925, is a place where you might run into your favorite country star, drop a letter in a singer’s mailbox or take a peek inside a dressing room where an impromptu jam session is happening.

Every year, 1 million people come to the Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, to see a performance, or event, or take one of the backstage tours that allow fans to see behind the red curtain on the “show that made country music famous.”

And a new feature this year on those tours is an immersive film that explains the history of the unique institution while showing video clips of over 100 different artists on stage. The 14-minute film is hosted by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood and is projected onto three screens inside the new Circle Room, which is the first stop for fans on the Opry’s daily tours.

Country singer Jeannie Seeley is coming up on her 52nd year as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, one of only three living female artists who have been members longer than 50 years. The singer who had a hit with “Don’t Touch Me” in 1966, has seen the radio program, the Opry House and its tours transform and be updated over the years.

“It is so alive. It is so realistic,” said Seeley of the new film. “I think the pacing they did creates that excitement.”

The film is projected onto thousands of reflective threads that make up the screens, and the movement of the threads, as well as the curve of the screen creates a sense of dimension. Brooks and Yearwood seem almost like they are standing on a replica of the circle of wood that artists stand in on the real Opry stage.

“It struck me how difficult it is to represent so many eras and so many people and cover 94 years,” Seeley said. “It struck me how well they did that.”

The film features archival footage of iconic stars from Roy Acuff, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash and Reba McEntire, and clips of artists like Carrie Underwood and Darius Rucker being surprised with an invitation to become Opry members. The daytime tour also features a guided tour throughout the venue, including Studio A where “Hee Haw” was filmed, the dressing rooms and the stage.

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If you go:

Grand Ole Opry: 2804 Opryland Drive, Nashville, Tennessee. https://www.opry.com/ Daytime tours start about every 15 minutes, seven days a week, starting at 9:30 a.m. Cost is $33 for adults, $28 for children.

Police: Woman throws snake at woman in carjacking

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GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Police say a woman stole a vehicle after throwing a nonpoisonous snake at the driver, then crashed through barricades set up for a pole vaulting exhibition in a South Carolina city.

In a news release, Greenville Police identified the suspect as 29-year-old Hilmary Moreno-Berrios. They she was hurt in Friday’s crash, and released from the hospital on Monday.

Authorities say Moreno-Berrios demanded a woman’s keys and threw a live, black snake at her. They say she then drove the stolen SUV with the snake still in it into barriers set up for the Liberty Bridge Jump-Off.

Moreno-Berrios is charged with carjacking, malicious damage to property and five traffic violations. It wasn’t known if she had a lawyer.

Police say the snake was released in nearby woods.

Former Sebelius aide running for Congress in Kansas 2nd

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Abbie Hodgson. Courtesy photo

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A one-time speechwriter for former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius says she will begin a campaign on Tuesday for an eastern Kansas congressional seat.

The Kansas City Star reports that Democrat Abbie Hodgson will seek the party’s nomination to challenge freshman GOP Rep. Steve Watkins in Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District, which includes Lawrence, Topeka and Leavenworth.

The 37-year-old Hodgson is a former Kansas House Democratic staff member who has spent the past two years working in Washington, D.C., for Pew Charitable Trusts. She has moved back to Kansas and says she will step down from her position with Pew’s State Strategy Group.

Hodgson in 2017 criticized the treatment of women in the Statehouse and revealed that lawmakers relied on underage interns as designated drivers following lobbyist-hosted cocktail hours. Her disclosures were among the events that spurred efforts to reform the Legislature’s sexual harassment policies.

Hodgson, who grew up in Manhattan, Kan., said her campaign will focus on health care, agriculture, trade policy and the financial well-being of Kansans.

“When I talk to voters when I walk down Kansas main streets you don’t get that sense of optimism from people,” she said. “They don’t feel like they have enough money in their savings accounts to weather a crisis.”

The 2nd District has not elected a Democrat since 2006 and is not currently considered a 2020 target for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Hodgson said she has met with EMILY’s List, a national group dedicated to electing Democratic women. The organization hasn’t made an endorsement, but spokesman Benjamin Ray said the group is “excited to see a strong candidate like Abbie Hodgson step up.”

Watkins’ spokesman Jim Joice said EMILY’s List promotes an “out-of-touch radical agenda.”

The 42-year-old Watkins defeated former state legislative leader and former candidate for governor Paul Davis last year.

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