We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Month: August 2019

Don Wilkinson

Posted on

WaKeeney, Kansas, resident Don Wilkinson passed away at his residence, on Wednesday, August 28, 2019. He was 77 years of age. Don was born April 4, 1942, in Collierville, Tennessee, to Mark S. and Mary Davis (Humphreys) Wilkinson.

Don attended Mt. Pleasant Elementary and Slayton High School, in Mississippi. In 1963, he moved to the San Fernando Valley, in California. Don met Karen Seran there and they were united in marriage August 29, 1964, in Las Vegas, Nevada. To this union, two children, Kim and Don, were born. In 1973, they moved to Colorado, where they enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, and weekend farming. He worked as a welder for thirty years. His last place of employment, before retirement, was Fisher Imaging. In 2003, Don and Karen moved to WaKeeney to enjoy retirement and time with family.

He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years; daughter, Kim (Kenny) Schmidt of Ellis, Kansas; son, Don Jr. (Tracy) of Waverly, Iowa; grandchildren, Scott (Shelby Plank) Fuller of Lawrence, Kansas, Seth (Sierra Cunningham) Fuller of Ellis, and Spencer Fuller of Lawrence; and sisters, Alliene, Sandra, and Flora. He was preceded in death by parents; brothers, James, Joe, Mark Jr.; and sister, Nora.

Funeral service will be 10:30, Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, WaKeeney. Burial will take place at WaKeeney City Cemetery.

Visitation will be Monday evening, from 5:00 to 7:00 at the funeral home in WaKeeney.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Hospice Services, Inc. Donations to the organization may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 North 12th Street, WaKeeney, KS 67672.

Lightning strike blamed for Kansas house fire

Posted on
Photo courtesy Manhattan fire department.

RILEY COUNTY — Lightning is believed to be responsible for Friday morning fire at a home in Manhattan.

Just after 1 a.m. fire crews responded to the blaze at a home in the 2700 Block of Brookville Drive, according to a media release.

The residents heard loud thunder and and felt lightning strike house.

When firefighters arrived, they observed smoke coming from the home. Fire investigators found the blaze in the attic and were able to contain it within ten minutes.

Three people were inside were able to escape without any injuries.

At the time of the fire, a large thunderstorm was moving through Manhattan causing numerous lightning strikes and street flooding. The fire caused a total of $61,000 in damage, according to the fire department.

Labor Day holiday changes trash collection schedule

Posted on

CITY OF HAYS

Due to the observance of the Labor Day on Monday, September 2, 2019, refuse/recycling route collection schedules will be altered as follows:

Monday, September 2, 2019 and Tuesday, September 3, 2019 will be collected on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.

There will be no changes to Wednesday, September 4, Thursday, September 5, and Friday, September 6 routes.

Although collections may not occur on your normal day, collections will be completed by the week’s end. It is anticipated that heavy volumes of refuse/recyclables will be encountered around the holidays. Please make sure your polycarts and recyclables are out by 7:00 a.m., and keep in mind that the trucks have no set time schedule.

Hays customers that may have any questions regarding this notice should contact the Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department at 628-7350.

KBI: Silver Alert canceled for missing 88-year-old Kan. man

Posted on

The Goddard Police Department reported that John Hughes was located by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and is now safe.
———-

SEDGWICK COUNTY – The Goddard Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Goddard, Kan. man.

Hughes courtesy photo

The whereabouts of John Hughes, 88, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.

Hughes has been missing since 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 29, when he left for a medical appointment in west Wichita but never arrived. John was driving a white 1999 Buick Century with the Kansas personalized tag of KSU5454.

Hughes is approximately 5-foot-7 inches tall, 140 pounds and has grey hair and blue eyes. He has memory loss and suffers from coronary heart disease.

 

Authorities believe he is disoriented, as he was last seen Friday morning at a convenience store in Northwest Oklahoma, and reported he was trying to get to Dodge City, Kan.
If you see Hughes, or have information about his whereabouts, please contact 911.

Packers defeat Chiefs 27-20 in preseason finale

Posted on

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – The Packers defeated the Chiefs 27-20 in the teams’ preseason finale, but the play of the game came from Kansas City safety Harold Jones-Quartey during a dead ball in the fourth quarter.

After Packers running back Dexter Williams scored the deciding touchdown with 6:24 to play and Sam Ficken nailed the PAT, a fan raced onto the field as the teams prepared for the ensuing kickoff. Jones-Quartey aided security by making the tackle.

Reed, Denver’s defense throttle Cardinals 20-7

Posted on

DENVER (AP) – Malik Reed had a pair of sacks and Denver capped a strong summer by the second-string defense in the Broncos’ 20-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night in front of a sparse crowd.

Reed, an undrafted rookie from Nevada who earned a spot as Von Miller’s backup with a terrific training camp, finished the preseason with a team-best four sacks.

He dumped Brett Hundley for an 8-yard loss and Drew Anderson for 9 as the Broncos built a 10-0 halftime lead on the strength of Kevin Hogan’s 6-yard TD toss to Fred Brown .

Rookie linebacker Justin Hollins also had a big game for Denver, sacking Hundley on Arizona’s third snap and harassing Anderson with an unblocked pressure and a pass deflection on consecutive snaps.

Safety Su’a Cravens, who’s had some shaky moments this summer, forced and recovered a fumble by tight end Caleb Wilson for Denver, which finished 2-3 in a preseason dominated by backups.

Broncos new quarterback Joe Flacco played in just two games, totaling 30 snaps and four drives as he prepares to begin his second chapter in Denver following 11 seasons in Baltimore. Flacco sat out the Broncos’ last two exhibitions, meaning he’ll have a nearly three-week break before playing again when Denver opens the season at Oakland on Sept. 9.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, the No. 1 overall draft pick, played in three preseason games but sat out the finale with most of Arizona’s starters.

Anderson’s 28-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Richardson pulled the Cardinals to 10-7, but the Broncos responded with a four-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.

Khalfani Muhammad, who had run seven times for minus-1 yard to that point, reeled off runs of 9, 12 and 52 yards, setting up Devontae Jackson’s 2-yard score.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio said he wanted to see separation from Hogan and rookie QB Brett Rypien, but he really didn’t get his wish. Hogan was 12 for 23 for 138 yards, a TD and two interceptions, including a desperation pass at halftime after Fangio called timeout with a second left. And Rypien was 8 of 11 for 86 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

MALVEAUX-McMANUS

Broncos K Brandon McManus was 9-for-9 in the preseason, including field goals of 50 and 33 yards Thursday night, before Cameron Malveaux blocked his 54-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter.

STRONG START

Cardinals linebacker Denis Gardeck had a strong start, recording tackles on four consecutive plays on Denver’s first drive. He finished with a game-high eight stops.

FAMILY MATTERS
The Broncos are set to exercise late owner Pat Bowlen’s plan of succession after a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by his brother. Brittany Bowlen, 29, is planning to return to the team in a senior management position following her wedding in September, beginning a process she hopes will lead to her taking over as the franchise’s controlling owner.

INJURIES:

Broncos S Shamarko Thomas (hamstring) was injured on the kickoff coverage, and Denver WR Steven Dunbar Jr. (rib) went out in the second half.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Open season at home against Detroit on Sept. 8.

Broncos: Open season at Oakland on Sept. 9.

August rainfall is Hays more than 7 inches higher than normal

Posted on

Rainfall totals for the month of August continue to add up as the rainy month winds down.

According to the K-State Ag Research Center, Hays received another 0.44 inches of rain Thursday night, bringing the official August total to 10.24 inches of precipitation.

The average August rainfall total is 2.97 inches.

For the year, the Research Center has measured 24.78 inches of rain. The average precipitation through the month of August is just more than 17.5 inches.

And August might not be done yet. There is a chance for additional storms or showers Friday and Saturday. Click HERE for more on upcoming weather predictions.

The Latest: 2 dead, 2 hospitalized after crash near Kansas casino

Posted on

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Thursday in Sedgwick County.

Fatal crash scene in Sedgwick County photo courtesy KWCH

A 1991 Volvo 740 driven by James D. Mortimer, 57, Harper, was southbound on Hydraulic and ran the stop sign at 119th Street South according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department.

A westbound 2009 Ford Edge driven by Vicki L. Kraft, 60, Peck, Kan. T-boned Volvo which split into two pieces and traveled into a field.

Mortimer and a passenger in Volvo Michael John Horn, 29, Wichita, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Sumner County EMS transported a passenger in the Volvo Selena M. Dennis, 49, Winfield to Wesley Medical Center.  Kraft was transported to St. Francis Medical Center, according to the sheriff’s department.

 

———-

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Thursday in Sedgwick County.

A vehicle driven by James D. Mortimer was southbound on Hydraulic and ran the stop sign at 119th Street South, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department.

A westbound vehicle driven by Vicki L. Kraft t-boned Mortimer’s vehicle which split into two pieces and traveled into a field.

Mortimer and a passenger in his vehicle Michael John Horn were pronounced dead at the scene.

Sumner County EMS transported a passenger in Mortimer’s vehicle Selena M. Dennis to Wesley Medical Center.  Kraft was transported to St. Francis Medical Center, according to the sheriff’s department.

Authorities released no additional details early Friday.

————-

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two people are dead and two others are injured after a crash near the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, approximately 17 miles south of Wichita.

The accident happened around 1:30 p.m. Thursday and involved two vehicles. Names of the victims and details about what caused the accident have not been released.

One of the injured people is in critical condition. The other person’s injuries are being called serious.

 

Former Kan. county attorney sentenced for theft, lying to FBI

Posted on

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The former Linn County Attorney was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in prison for stealing $75,000 worth of electronics and equipment that belonged to the county, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution and a fine totaling $11,000.

John Sutherland, 69, Mound City, who served as county attorney for approximately 20 years before leaving the job in January 2017, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of lying to federal investigators. The crimes took place from sometime prior to January 2009 until Sutherland left office.

“The defendant abused the public trust,” McAllister said. “He used his elected position as county attorney to steal more than $75,000 from the Linn County taxpayers who had placed their trust in him as the county’s top law enforcement official. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were approximately 9,750 people in Linn County in 2018. The median household income was $46,576. That means the defendant stole property worth far more than most Linn County residents earn in a year.”

According to the government’s sentencing memo, the defendant had the county pay for seven cellular phones that were not used to conduct county business.

In his plea, Sutherland admitted that on Feb. 6, 2019, FBI agents found 13 items stolen from Linn County when they searched Sutherland’s office at the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office. At the time, Sutherland was working as an Assistant District Attorney. One of the items was a stolen Apple laptop computer.

When FBI agents interviewed him, Sutherland denied any wrongdoing and made other false statements. For instance, he claimed that an Apple TV 64 GB video-streaming device the county purchased for about $220 had been destroyed. FBI agents found the device intact at Sutherland’s residence.

In his plea agreement, Sutherland agreed to surrender his license to practice law.

Joyce Richardson

Posted on

Joyce Dee (Hays) Richardson, daughter of Otto and Pearl (Strutt) Hays, was born on August 24, 1936, on a farm southwest of Alton, Kansas, in Mt. Ayr Township in Osborne County, Kansas. She passed away on August 28, 2019 at Solomon Valley Manor in Stockton, Kansas, at the age of 83.

Joyce received her elementary education at Pleasant Plain School, Osborne County. She attended Natoma Rural High School graduating in 1954. The summer before she was a senior she began working at the Do-Drop Inn restaurant in Stockton. She continued working there on weekends until she graduated and then began working there full time, however, she decided that wasn’t what she wanted to do with her life. She returned to the farm and began working for her uncle and aunt, Van and Marjorie Strutt. In March of 1955 she began working for the United States Department of Agriculture, in the ASCS office in Osborne. She then worked in the County Treasurer’s office, the County Agricultural Extension Office, back to the County Treasurer’s Office as Deputy County Treasurer and then became County Treasurer of Osborne County. She then began working in Stockton as the Deputy County Treasurer of Rooks County. In 1966 she began working as secretary in the Stockton school system until her retirement in 1995.

She was married to Donald L. Richardson, July 14, 1962, at the First Methodist Church in Osborne. They moved to Stockton in August of 1963 living in their mobile home at the Maddy Trailer Court. In August of 1965 they purchased their home at 211 South 12th Street. After Don passed away February 17, 2011, Joyce remained living there until June of 2014 when she moved to Stockton Estates. In October of 2017 she moved to Solomon Valley Manor.
Joyce loved genealogy and has scrapbooks for all of her family. They include parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, and nephews.

Her greatest accomplishment of all her work about her family was becoming a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution; something she had worked on most of her adult life. Joyce also enjoyed playing her guitar, oil painting, reading, traveling (especially to the mountains), and shopping.

Joyce is survived by nieces and nephews Robert (Carol) Parker of Plainville, Mary (Robert) Miller of Stockton, Jill (Michael) Roth of Savannah, MO, Edward (Nancy) Brummer of Natoma, Connie (Tracy) Brummer of Stockton, Jennifer Brummer of Plainville, Jeanette (Jason) Miller of Hutchinson, Elizabeth “Betsy” (Jarrod) Selenke of Peyton, CO, Peggy (Benney) Wise of Stockton, Sandra Staton of Webster, Becky Shunn of Stockton, Richard Neushafer of Salina, Mark Neushafer of Enterprise, and Pamela (Rich) Sexton of Denver, CO; sister-in-law, Colleen Richardson of Webster; brothers-in-law, Edward Brummer and Ben Neushafer of Enterprise, Kansas; and many great-nieces and great- nephews.

Joyce is preceded in death by her husband Donald Richardson; parents, Otto and Pearl Hays; sisters, Loretta Parker and Bertha Brummer; and brothers-in-law Harry Parker, Junior Velgruth, and Earl Richardson; and sisters-in-law, Ann Neushafer and Viola Velgruth.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, September 3, at 2:00 P.M. at Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home in Stockton with burial to follow at the Stockton Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 from 12:00 P.M. until service time at 2:00 P.M.

Memorials are suggested to Solomon Valley Manor and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 North First, Stockton, KS 67669.

Profar homers, A’s hold off Royals 9-8 to take 4-game series

Posted on

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Jurickson Profar homered and drove in three runs, Seth Brown added two RBIs and the Oakland Athletics held off the Kansas City Royals 9-8 on Thursday to cap a four-game series victory.

Everybody in the A’s starting lineup had a hit or drove in a run, bailing out starter Chris Bassitt after a dismal performance. Bassitt failed to survive the fifth before turning the game over to Yusmeiro Petit (4-3), who was just about the only effective pitcher all the afternoon.

Fellow relievers Jake Diekman and Liam Hendriks gave up back-to-back RBI singles in the eighth, then Hendriks gave up a two-out RBI single to Ryan O’Hearn in the ninth. But the former Royals reliever bounced back to strike out Bubba Starling and earn his 17th save.

Glenn Sparkman (3-10) also failed to make it through the fifth for Kansas City, allowing seven runs, nine hits and a walk. He also hit a pair of batters in losing his fifth straight decision.

Sparkman gave up a leadoff single to Marcus Semien, another hit to Matt Olson and plunked two batters – one of them sending home a run – in staking Oakland to a 1-0 lead.

Bassitt served up a leadoff since to Whit Merrifield, then let Jorge Soler drill a 1-0 pitch out of the park. The homer was the 37th of the year for the slugging Soler, moving him within one of matching Mike Moustakas for the single-season franchise record.

Sparkman breezed through a perfect second and third before making a mess of everything else.

Profar went deep and Josh Phegley had an RBI single during the A’s three-run fourth, then Oakland tacked on three more runs off Sparkman and reliever Josh Barnes to take a 7-2 lead in the fifth.

Bassitt nearly gave it all back. Over the span of five batters in the bottom half, the right-hander plunked one, gave up a single to another, was victimized by an error and walked the bases loaded. Then, with the bases loaded, Cheslor Cuthbert came within a foot of hitting a tying grand slam – he wound up with a two-run double instead that drew the Royals within 7-5.

Oakland tacked on another run in the sixth before the Royals got within 8-7 in the eighth. Soler came to the plate with the go-ahead run on first, but Hendriks struck him out to preserve the lead.

ODD PLAY

The A’s added a run in the ninth when Corban Joseph popped foul with one out and runners on second and third, and Cuthbert made a nifty catch falling into the third base dugout. But under Rule 5.06(b)(3), both runners are entitled to advance a base, sending Brown home from third.

A’S SUMMON NEUSE

Infielder Sheldon Neuse was called up by the Athletics to replace Khris Davis, who is on paternity leave. The 24-year-old Neuse hit .317 with 27 homers for Triple-A Las Vegas. “Looking at the numbers, it’s a really good season,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He has a really good approach, hits the ball to right-center field, has shown some power and is a little more versatile this year, too.”

CHAPMAN OUT OF LINEUP

A’s third baseman Matt Chapman was out of the starting lineup after taking a pitch off his helmet from the Royals’ Jakob Junis in the first inning Wednesday night. “He’s got a little bit of a headache,” Melvin said, “but I haven’t heard anything that would suggest that it’s a concussion-type thing.”

UP NEXT

Left-hander Brett Anderson (10-9, 4.08 ERA) takes the mound Friday night when Oakland visits the Yankees to start a three-game set between playoff contenders. Eric Skoglund (0-0, 3.60) makes his second big league start this season when the Royals host Baltimore starting Friday night.

BOOR: Help is available for high stressors in ag industry

Posted on
Alicia Boor

When looking at hazardous occupations in the world, agriculture is consistently in the top ten. There are many factors that go into this: the large equipment, working long days and longer evenings, and the repetitive heavy labor that just wears down the body over time.

Additionally, there is an alarming statistic that is on the rise thus making agriculture even more dangerous.

According to the Center for Disease Control, professions that are ag related sadly have the highest rate of suicides in the US. In July of 2016, 84.5 out of 100,000 in Ag took their lives compared to a national average of 13.4 per 100,000. The disparity is disturbing and unfortunately the number is on the rise with the uncertainty in agriculture at this time.

Agricultural occupations are unique in the job market and many of the factors that make it unique also make them much more stressful.

The higher stressors include: engaging in dangerous activities much of the time, the lack of control on conditions such as input pricing, commodity pricing, and weather. These all play into whether a producer can pay his bills. Sustained higher levels of stress can cause depression, fatigue, anxiety, and other triggers that cause a greater propensity of attempting suicide. The negative stigma of mental health issues can also make it difficult for producers to feel that they can reach out for help.

There is help available specifically to the agriculture community, assistance from individuals who understand a producer’s lifestyle and are ready to help.

The Kansas Agriculture Mediations Services at (800) 321-3276 can help producers with several programs in place. They will gather information from you and can connect you with financial advisors, legal advice, lawyers, and can also connect people with mental health facilities close to your location. One phone call can get you in touch with many people that can help your unique situation.

Also, the National Suicide hotline is (800) 273-8255 and provides 24/7 free and confidential support.

Some people do not want to talk on the phone. You can also text 741741, or chat online at imalive.org.

Most of all, watch out for your family and friends. If you feel that something is wrong, ask.

It is also good to implement strategies that can help daily. Some practices you can implement are: Taking a walk, get a massage, try guided restful breathing practices, listen to relaxing music, or just take 10 minutes to write down your blessings. Positive thoughts and practices can go a long way to improving an outlook on life. And most of all, if you need help, seek it. Your friends and family need you.

Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File