FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man wanted on felony warrants after a standoff in Finney County.
Morales photo Finney Co.
On Wednesday afternoon, police were called to the area of 112 W. Kansas Avenue in Garden City for a disturbance involving a woman running into the store and a man, later identified as Javier Morales, chasing her, according to Sergeant Lana Urteaga.
Officers were able to track Morales to an apartment building at 1309 N Main Street in Garden City.
Officers were notified Morales held two outstanding Felony Warrants out of Ford County for Possession of Amphetamines, Possession of Methamphetamines, Aggravated Domestic Violence Battery, Aggravated Battery, and Possession of Paraphernalia, according to Urteaga.
The area was secured at 1:30 PM. The Garden City S.W.A.T. team made entry into the residence around 3p.m. and Morales came out of the residence just after 4p.m.. without incident.
The 1300 block of Main Street was not accessible to the public from 1:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. The Garden City Police Department notified the school district of the situation. The schools in the area were not locked down. Horace Good Middle School exited the school from alternate doors located away from the incident following the release of school, according to Urteaga.
Finney County EMS was on scene as a precaution. However; there were no injuries reported during this incident. An affidavit will be filed with the Finney County Attorney’s Office requesting the charge of Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.
SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have made an arrest.
Akers photo Sedgwick Co.
Just after 9:30p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a disturbance call at a motel in the 5700 Block of West Kellogg in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.
Officers located a 25-year-old man with multiple stab wounds and a 26-year-old woman with a minor hand injury. EMS transported the man to a local hospital for treatment. He remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Investigators determined a suspect identified as 31-year-old Garrett Akers of Douglas arrived at the motel room occupied by his 26-year-old ex-girlfriend, a 25-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man. A physical disturbance ensued and Akers pulled a knife, stabbed the man and fled on foot.
Police arrested Akers and he is being held on requested charges of aggravated battery.
After earning their first win of the season on the road in exciting fashion, the Hays High Indians return home for a week four matchup with the Garden City Buffaloes.
Last Friday the Indians picked up a 13-12 overtime win over Liberal to improve to 1-2 on the season.
If you missed any of the action you can check out the highlights below with our Sounds of the Game.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bomb threat at the hospital in Great Bend.
Just after 3p.m. Thursday, the Great Bend Police Department was dispatched to University of Kansas Hospital Great Bend Campus, 514 Cleveland, in reference to a bomb threat.
Some areas of the hospital were evacuated and the rest of the building was placed on lock down. Emergency personnel from the GBPD, Barton County Sheriff’s office and Kansas Highway Patrol, along with hospital staff, conducted a search of the building and the property.
No suspicious items were located in the area.
Anyone with information about this crime, or any other crime, is asked to call the Great Bend Police Department at 620-793-4120 or Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300.
The St. John’s Military School (SJMS) campus now has a new, though somewhat similar mission.
SJMS closed at the end of the school year in May. On Thursday, leaders of Saint Francis Ministries and SJMS announced a collaboration that they say will create a positive, empowering future for the school’s Salina campus.
Saint Francis Ministries has agreed to take over the SJMS campus and will lead a collaborative effort to establish future plans for the property. The campus will become part of the long-time Salina-based nonprofit that provides child welfare and adult services in six states and internationally.
Additionally, SJMS’s history and mission will be honored on the campus with the establishment of a historical museum in Linger Hall.
Clark speaks to those assembled. Photo courtesy Saint Francis Ministries
The collaboration was announced Thursday afternoon on the SJMS campus. More than 50 community leaders and representatives were on hand in the campus’ Teardrop for the announcement.
William J. Clark, St. John’s president and CEO, welcomed the crowd and announced the merger.
“Today, St. John’s Military School and Saint Francis Ministries officially announce the merger of St. John’s with Saint Francis. Upon this merger, St. John’s will be officially renamed the St. John’s Ministries and School,” Clark said. “As a component of Saint Francis Ministries, the new St. John’s will strive to help, educate, and develop youth and families alike, providing a holistic approach to healing, hope, and education.”
Britegam talks about the impact SJMS had on the lives of thousands of young men, including himself.
Clark then invited Salina banker Larry Britegam, who has been associated with SJMS for more than 50 years, to speak on behalf of the SJMS Board of Trustees. Britegam is the vice-chair of the SJMS trustees.
Britegam said that 52 years ago this month, he was an eighth-grade student marching around the teardrop and going through a hard time in his life.
“In 1967, there was more dirt out here than there were beautiful bricks and beautiful buildings as there are today, but the mission of the school was the same and the core values of those who established this school never wavered over the years. Its impact on young men became life-changing and I personally experienced that,” Britegam said.
“I feel compelled to tell you that I stand here today representing thousands of alumni scattered throughout the world who also love this school and what it did for each and every one of us. But through hard times, as has been the situation over the last 10 years at St. John’s, comes change and through our hard times we learned it doesn’t mean the end, but simply different,” he said.
Britegam noted that both SJMS and Saint Francis Ministries were started by the Episcopal Church.
“How ironic is it that these two storied institutions are now together fulfilling the mission of helping children and families in need? This campus will once again become very vibrant. From a board of trustees standpoint, we could not be happier for Saint Francis Ministries, along with their board, for becoming the new tenant of this beautiful campus,” Britegam said. “We know we’re leaving this special place in the hands of a very special group of people.”
Smith talks about the common history of the two Episcopal institutions. Photo courtesy Saint Francis Ministries
The Very Rev. Robert N. Smith, Saint Francis dean, president and CEO, then talked about the shared history of the two organizations.
“Our institutions have a shared history that goes back to the very founding of Saint Francis and goes back to the earliest days of St. John’s,” Smith explained. “Mize Hall that sits here on campus is named after former Bishop Robert Mize Sr. That Bishop Mize was the father of the future Bishop Mize, our Father Bob, who founded Saint Francis. Our Father Bob was a student here at St. John’s. His family was involved beyond his father in the life of St. John’s. Father Bob who had a vision for how it was that his ministry could serve children and families was supported by another priest of the Episcopal Church who was also educated here at St. John’s as a young man, Father Peter Francis.”
The focus for St. John’s campus will be creating a ministry that addresses important needs, while honoring the values of both organizations, Smith said in a news release from Saint Francis Ministries.
Davis addresses the crowd.
Salina Mayor Trent Davis also was among the dignitaries who spoke during the announcement event.
“When I think of Salina, I think of a city of great first impressions. You come here and you see a beautiful downtown, a nice airport, a beautiful campus,” Davis said as he gestured to the SJMS campus. “But in my 20 years here, I see Salina as a community of second chances. The mission here will definitely be that of a second chance.”
Clark said he was excited for the next steps that will occur in the 131-year history of St. John’s.
“The mission of St. John’s lives on in this new partnership, and we have been encouraged by Saint Francis’ commitment to continue our mission of serving youth and families,” he noted in the news release. “The devotion of Saint Francis to youth and families is undeniable. Saint Francis is the perfect partner to carry forward the St. John’s mission. I am excited about what the future will bring and am honored to be moving forward with such a fine organization.”
Saint Francis will partner with the Salina community, local businesses and other organizations to determine potential uses for the campus, located at 110 W. Otis Ave. Under consideration are plans to consolidate Saint Francis’ Salina offices on the campus.
“As we work on the future of St. John’s campus, all options will align with the Saint Francis mission to provide healing and hope to children and families,” Smith said. “One area of passion for us is to find innovative solutions, such as a residential workforce program, to help address the growing numbers of children aging out of foster care who need ongoing support and guidance.”
Such a program would provide training in soft skills needed to be successful in the job market, and also would provide skills training to meet the needs of area businesses, Smith said. Young people aging out of the foster care system face challenges that can make their entry into adulthood difficult, and Saint Francis has been considering for some time ways in which that transition can be better supported.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on the criminal case involving an Army solider charged with distributing explosives information online (all times local):
5p.m.
A prosecutor says an Army soldier charged with distributing information about making explosives online is a Satanist who wanted to overthrow the U.S. government.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mattivi said during a federal court hearing Thursday in Kansas that 24-year-old Jarrett William Smith had a specific plan to overthrow the government and told the FBI he was distributing information on explosives “for the glory of his Satanist religion.”
But an attorney for Smith said he is only an internet “troll” who was “spouting off online” and sharing widely available information.
Smith pleaded not guilty to two federal charges of distributing explosives information and a third alleging he threatened to set fire to the home owned by a far-left-leaning “antifa” member. A federal magistrate ordered him detained until his trial.
___
By JOHN HANNA
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal grand jury in Kansas has indicted an Army soldier on charges that he distributed explosives information and threatened to set fire to a home.
The indictment charged Jarrett William Smith with two counts related to the explosives and one count linked to trying to gain entry to a home and injure someone listed only as D.H. The indictment alleges he made the threat from Kansas to Michigan.
The 24-year-old private first class and infantry soldier from South Carolina is stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was initially charged in a criminal complaint on Monday. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing Thursday afternoon.
His defense attorney, Rich Federico, declined to comment.
An FBI affidavit filed in support of the initial charges alleged Smith discussed his plan to kill far-left-leaning “antifa” activists and described how to build a bomb that could be triggered by calling a cellphone. It accuses him of posting on Facebook that he was interested in traveling to Ukraine to fight with a paramilitary group known as Azov Batallion. That affidavit had also alleged Smith suggested targeting an unidentified major news network with a car bomb.
Smith has been assigned to Fort Riley since June after serving at Fort Bliss, Texas, beginning in November 2017. He entered the Army from Conway, South Carolina, as an infantryman and completed training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He has not deployed.
Television station WPDE reported that when Smith was a 15-year-old student, he appeared on the “hit list” of another teenager who tried in September 2010 to blow up a high school in Socastee, South Carolina. The indictment makes no reference to that incident.
The station reported that Christian Helms, then 14, brought a gun and other weapons to the school, firing a shot at the school resource officer. Helms had also brought pipe bombs to the school in his backpack and had a list of 13 students who were his intended targets. Smith was among them.
WPDE-TV released a video interview recorded in 2011 in which they interviewed Smith and his father after Helms was sentenced to six years. In it, Smith said he was often bullied at school because of his cleft pallet.
His father, Chris Smith, told the station that the teenager who targeted his son idolized the two killers in the Columbine high school attack in 1999.
LEBANON – Peggy Ann Elske, 70, passed away on Thursday September 26, 2019, at her home in Lebanon,KS. She was born on June 3, 1949, in Seattle Washington.
Arrangements are pending with Simmons-Rentschler Mortuary.
DONIPHAN COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) made three arrests Wednesday evening related to a fight that occurred at a weekend party in Doniphan County.
Vandeloo has two previous drug convictions and one for Circumvention of Ignition Interlock Device, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections
The KBI was requested by the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office to assist in investigating a confrontation that occurred at a party at 159 Monument Rd. in Doniphan County on Sunday, Sept. 22.
During the overnight party, a 42-year-old white male received serious head injuries during an altercation with other party attendees. He was transported by a family member to a residence in the 1600 block of Jayhawk Dr., in Atchison, where police and EMS were called around 4:20 a.m. Sunday morning. The injured man was transported by EMS to a local Atchison hospital. He was later transferred to a Kansas City area hospital where he remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Then, on Wednesday evening, Sept. 25, KBI agents served several search warrants and arrest warrants connected to the case. At 6 p.m., 44-year-old Scott A. Vandeloo, of Atchison, was arrested at 1712 Prairie View Rd. in Platte City, Mo. He was arrested for aggravated battery, and booked into the Platte County Jail.
At approximately 7 p.m., 22-year-old Brian A. Spillman Jr., of Atchison, was arrested for aggravated battery after surrendering at the intersection of Mineral Point Rd. and Monument Rd. in rural Doniphan County. Then, at around 8:30 p.m., Matthew C. Scherer, 30, of Atchison, was arrested for aggravated battery when he surrendered at the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office at 219 S. Main St. in Troy, Kan. Both Spillman and Scherer were booked into the Leavenworth County Jail.
Assisting in these arrests were the Atchison Police Department, the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Platte County Sheriff’s Office. The Doniphan County Attorney is expected to prosecute the case.
=
Rose M. “Rosie” Hardman, 82, passed away Monday, September 23, 2019, in Plainville, Kansas. She was born May 29, 1937 in Sturgis, South Dakota to John Theodore and Ruth Constance (Hoff) Thummel. When she was one and a half years old, the family moved to Plainville, Kansas and lived in that area until she wed.
While living in Plainville, Rose did cooking, housework and child care for Creta Hilgers making $2.00 a day. She then worked five years at Shag’s Cleaners as a presser. She enjoyed her time at each place and thought the world of those she worked for. Rose saved enough to pay for her wedding to Dwayne Hardman on February 12, 1961.
Rose and Dwayne spent the next 58 years enjoying their life together. Thirty-one years were spent on the farm south of Lenora and then they lived twenty-seven years in Hill City. To their union four children were born: Diana, Christine, John and Dorothy.
Rose was an active member and officer in the Homemaker’s Club in her neighborhood for 20 years. She also joined the North Star Club and wrote their news for the Hill City Times for many years. Lots of hours were spent at the typewriter at home, much to the joy and admiration of her children.
Rose was very creative, including writing poetry that was published throughout her life. She was able to sew and alter anything placed before her and won many purple ribbons at the county fair. Rose was a fantastic Avon Lady. She grew an amazing garden every year. Since she was a fabulous cook, all the area salesmen would schedule their visits around lunch time because they knew Dwayne would ask them to stay for a meal with Rose! She also drove the truck at harvest time for Dwayne for many years.
Rose’s passion was antique shopping. She had an antique business in Hill City for twelve years and attended hundreds of auctions. Some of her children’s prized possessions are the pieces Rose personally found that were “just right” for each child and given to them at Christmas.
Rose was active at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church where she led the singing for most of her time in Hill City. She also enjoyed the prayer meetings that were held at her house on a regular basis.
Rose was preceded in death by her parents, John and Ruth Thummel; daughter, Christine Hardman; sisters: Vera Kruse and Grace Thummel and brother Jon Thummel.
Rose is survived by her husband Dwayne; children: Diana (Tom) Baumann, Hays, John Hardman , Lenora and Dorothy (Mark) Heim, Hoxie; brothers: Mark (Melinda) Thummel Plainville and Ralph (Melinda) Thummel, Hays; sisters: Elizabeth Striggow, Hill City, Sister Mary Jo Thummel, Concordia, Theresa Kriley, Stockton and May Munk, Hays; grandchildren: Kaci (Kyle) Kirmer, Quincy Scott, Joel Scott, Steiner Scott, and Cole Peters; and great grandchildren: Aaron Smith and Karter and Kaleb Kirmer. Rose’s love for family and friends and her deep faith in God will be the things we remember and cherish. They serve as an example a life well lived.
SEWARD COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident just before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Seward County that resulted in an arrest.
A 1997 Chevy Tahoe driven by a 25-year-old woman was westbound in the 600 Block of East 2nd Street in Liberal at a high rate of speed when she lost control, left the roadway and struck a fence before the vehicle rolled 1/4 time onto its side before coming to rest back on its wheels, according to Police Captain Robert Rogers.
When officers arrived they located the driver trying to flee the scene in her vehicle. She was taken into custody for alleged DUI, according to Rogers.
A 3-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy had been ejected from the vehicle and suffered minor injuries. They were treated and released on scene by Seward County EMS. A 5-year-old boy was found to not have any injuries. The driver and two adults declined to be evaluated. The driver was the only occupant properly restrained, according to Rogers.
The vehicle sustained disabling damage and was towed from the scene. The Seward County Attorney is expected to file charges in the case.
Jorge Vazquez, age 66, Hays, Kansas passed away Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at Hays, Medical Center.
Funeral services will be 10:00 AM Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hays. Inurnment will follow in the church cemetery with Military Honors courtesy of the Hays VFW Honor Guard.
Memorial visitation will be on Tuesday 9 AM until service time at the church. A Secular Franciscan rosary will be at 9:30.
A complete obituary is pending with Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine, Hays, KS 67601
