Betty Jean Byer, 95, died Friday, October 18, 2019 at The Ranch House in Garden City. She was born February 15, 1924 in Lewis, Kansas the daughter of Harold & Syvilla Ann (Strawn) Black.
Betty grew up and attended schools in Cimarron, Kansas. On July 19, 1941, she married Harold “Bud” Byer, Jr. in Cimarron. They lived Southwest of Ingalls, until 1987 when they moved to Garden City. They have lived in Garden City since. A homemaker and farm wife, Betty enjoyed crocheting, gardening, sewing, arranging flowers, and she especially loved to spend time with her family.
Survivors include four daughters Barbara Jean Adams of Garden City, Yvonne Annette Yost of Hays, Kansas, Debra Jane Atkinson of Garden City, & Cynthia Diane Frazier of Centennial, Colorado; five grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. Betty is preceded in death by her husband Bud who died on April 26, 2016. She is also preceded in death by her parents; a daughter Judith Deanne Byer; and two brothers William Black and Robert Black.
A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October 21, 2019 at the Cimarron Cemetery in Cimarron, Kansas. Friends may call from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday and from 9:00 a.m. to Noon Monday all at Garnand Funeral Home in Garden City. The family suggests memorials given to Meals On Wheels in care of the funeral home.
Marjorie Maxine (Nelson) Abell, 91, of Grinnell, died Saturday, October 19, 2019, at the Gove County Medical Center in Quinter.
She was born May 31, 1928, to Walter and Ruby Nelson, and raised on a farm in the Clifton-Clyde area of central Kansas. She attended Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, and graduated with a teaching degree from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. She went on to teach school in Republic, Lebanon, and Hoxie (KS.) On August 17, 1957, she married Robert (Bob) Abell, and together they built their family and became the 3rd generation to inherit and work the Abell family farming and ranching operation in Gove County.
Marjorie was a farm/ranch wife and mother, and returned to teaching as a substitute in surrounding schools for over 40 years. She was a member of the Grinnell United Methodist Church, active in the Kansas Farm Bureau, served on the Board of Directors for the Gove County Medical Center and the High Plains Mental Health Center, and remained active as a 4-H home economics judge at numerous county fairs over the years, including this past summer, and had already accepted invitations to return to several fairs for the summer of 2020.
Marjorie was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Calvin Nelson and Robert Nelson, and her husband Bob.
She is survived by a brother, Chester Nelson of Corpus Christi, Texas, her children, Roger Abell, of Orion, KS, Dwight (Rhonda) Abell, of Oakley, KS, Gordon (Stacy) Abell, of Olathe, KS, Cathleen Abell, of Holcomb, KS, and Charlotte Bailey, of Olathe, KS; seven grandchildren, Hannah Pauls, Laura Holzmeister, Kelsey Brown, Kayla Abell, Wyatt Abell, Ethan Abell, and Nelson Bailey; two (plus one-on-the-way) great grandchildren; and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
In honoring Marjorie’s specific request, cremation was chosen and no formal service will be held. Just as with Bob’s passing in April 2017, the family will be celebrating the life of Marjorie in a private tradition on the family ranch. Marjorie also specifically requested the family dissuade others from traditional gestures of grief support such as flowers, etc. In honoring that sentiment, the family would ask that in lieu of flowers, monetary gifts, cards, etc., that you ‘pay it forward’ as Marj would do – go out of your way to be kind to others, reach out and help someone, donate your time to a community board or charity, clip coupons and send in rebates for others, purchase groceries then make a meal for a family in need, deliver homemade bread to a widow or ‘shut in’, save and send newspaper clippings of interest to friend/family of article’s subject – basically do something, anything, to make someone else’s day a little better, their life a little easier, and remind them they are thought of and prayed for.
The family wishes to extend special gratitude and thankfulness to the team at the Gove County Medical Center for their exceptional respect and compassion during Marjorie’s stay in the swing bed unit; may loved ones of others receive the same loving care Marjorie did.
If you missed out on last week’s Eagle Radio Auction don’t worry, there are still opportunities to bid on several items through the Eagle Radio Online Auction.
Among the items still up for bid includes a 1997 Honda Goldwing GL 1500 Aspencade motorcycle from Day Motorsports.
This bike looks new and is in great shape. Features include saddle bags, a trunk, a fairing, and is pearl white in color. The bike has 58,555 miles and was a local trade. The retail price of this motorcycle is $5,895. For more information on this motorcycle, call Day Motorsports at 785-743-5723.
Getting away from their high-stress jobs, a couple spent weekends
relaxing in their motor home. When they found their peace and quiet
disturbed by well-meaning but unwelcome visits from other campers, they
devised a plan to assure themselves some privacy.
Now, when they set up camp, they place this sign on the door of their
motor home:
“Insurance agents. Ask about our term-life package.”
“The Gold Star families have liked this stop in Plainville the best.”
Nola Fritz, Gold Star mom and display manager
Nola Fritz, a Gold Star mother from Verdon, Nebraska, heaped praise on the small town and residents of Rooks County following Friday morning’s opening ceremony of “Remembering Our Fallen.”
The national traveling display is in honor and memory of military personnel who died in the line of duty, in training, and as a result of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) since 9/11.
Also participating in the ceremony were Brigadier General David Weishaar, Kansas National Guard, and Col. Thomas O’Connor, Jr., Fort Riley, who dined privately afterwards with the Gold Star families and other dignitaries.
“We must always remember the genesis of freedom that we enjoy today as Americans, is rooted in these heroes and their sacrifice,” said O’Connor, Jr. “It is my commitment that we will honor and remember your loved ones as we are doing here today,” added Weishaar.
Fritz manages and travels with the basketball court-sized pictorial display. Her oldest son, First Lt. Jacob Fritz, 25, and a West Point graduate, was executed while an Iraq POW on Jan. 20, 2007.
What was most appreciated by the Gold Star families, Fritz said, is the pen pal correspondence started between them and students of all ages in Rooks County.
Some of the communication was email and some of it was in a hand-written letter.
“They all got to connect with a class and they had the chance to meet the class today and take a picture with them,” said Sheila Hachmeister, a Plainville Ambassador member who chaired the weekend event.
“We’ve got a lot of people from the eastern part of the state. A couple who now lives in Ohio flew in to meet their class. Another soldier’s family flew in from North Carolina. Although they are Kansas families, we’ve kind of had them from all over.”
The Rooks County students also made red, white and blue fabric wreaths that decorated the main stage for the attending Gold Star families to take home. Another 70 wreaths will go to Kansas families whose sons and daughters are also on the towers.
None of the K-12 students was alive on 9/11.
“They’ve seen some clips on TV,” said Leona Breeden, a social studies teacher at Plainville Grade School. She explains to her 4th, 5th and 6th graders where she was on that fateful day – teaching in Hoxie.
“I talk about it in terms of what we did as a school then,” Breeden said, “and then we talk about the fact that these are real places and real people they hear of on the news that the U.S. is trying to help.”
Breeden’s 6th grade class was pen pals with the parents of Hays native Bryan Nichols. Jerry and Cindy Nichols now live in Palco. Jerry is a Vietnam veteran.
Leona Breeden, Plainville teacher and Gold Star family
“Ironically enough, I lost my nephew in Afghanistan, so he is also on these towers,” Breeden said, “and they are both pictured on the exact same tower, my nephew and Bryan.”
“We think there was some divine intervention there maybe that we got chosen to be his pen pal family.”
Bryan Nichols, 31, a 1998 graduate of Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, was killed August 6, 2011, one of 30 American troops who died in Afghanistan when their Chinook helicopter was shot down.
Also aboard the helicopter was Dave Carter, 47, a 1982 graduate of Hays High School whose family is now in Colorado.
The Nichols have been interviewed numerous time by the media about their son and his mission.
Jerry and Cindy Nichols, Palco, parents of Bryan Nichols who was killed in 2011.
“Cindy and I have a direct connection through Bryan as well as the other people that were lost on the same mission that day,” said Jerry Nichols. “It’s just very emotional being here and seeing the magnitude of people who lost their lives in defense of 9/11.”
The Nichols met with a Kansas City family Friday whose son served with Bryan.
“We kind of keep in touch with those members that were with Bryan, especially his crew area,” said Cindy. “But this is amazing community outpouring. I didn’t realize it could be this big.”
“Since the declaration of ‘The War on Terror,’ we’ve lost almost 7,000 heroes,” Fritz reminded the crowd in Andreson Memorial Park, “and there will be more. We currently have on the towers 70 percent of those that voluntarily gave their life for freedom.”
Plainville High School sophomore Benjamin Hansen reads names on the towers.
Plainville High School sophomore, Benjamin Hansen is 16 years old. He was one of many local volunteers reading the more than 5,000 names currently listed on the pictorial towers.
He admits he was a little nervous when he took his turn at the podium, but “this whole experience and seeing all these pictures and those names and reading more about them on there” has helped make it real.
The ‘war on terrorism’ has been discussed in a couple of Hansen’s classes.
“It’s just surprising that happened here,” he says of the airplane terrorist attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Penn. 18 years ago. “And think of all those security measures that have changed.” Now Hansen understands why.
Two Plainville residents have also died, both as a result of PTSD. Navy corpsman Andy Brown, 27, died Feb. 17, 2017. Lynn Pfaff was part of the 388th Medical Logistics unit of the Army Reserves. She died Feb. 16, 2019.
“I think people are shocked when they walk up to the towers,” said Hachmeister. “They’re very visual. They’re going to punch you in the face.”
Each person is shown wearing their military uniform in a formal picture. A second inset picture shows them in an informal setting, with family or enjoying a favorite hobby.
“We want them to be remembered because that’s how we keep them alive,” Hachmeister said.
Sheila and her husband Ken Hachmeister of rural Natoma have two sons serving in the military. Jared is a 2017 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy currently stationed in Pensacola. Seth is currently a West Point cadet at the U.S. Military Academy.
The Hachmeisters were in Philadelphia for the Army-Navy football game this last fall and happened to walk past the display at Independence National Park, on which they quickly found the picture of Bryan Nichols.
Hachmeister approached Fritz and asked how to get it to Plainville, a town with a population of just 1,500 people.
Nearly a year later, the memorial display and its entourage were escorted Thursday into Plainville by the American Legion Riders Chapter 173, Hays.
During her speech Friday, Hachmeister thanked all the Rooks County residents and many others who pulled together to host the event.
The memorial remained open 24/7 until the closing ceremony Sunday afternoon.
The Plainville stop was the first in Kansas (west of Kansas City) for the national display. It made its debut at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2017 and has so far traveled to 29 states.
Flags line U.S. 183 into Plainville
Fort Riley First Infantry Division Band
Fort Riley First Infantry Division Color Guard
Quentin Meyers, Plainville mayor
Emcee Roger Cooper, Plainville
Pointing to a loved one’s pictures and name
Andy Brown, Plainville
Bryan Nichols, Hays
David Carter, Hays
Derrick Lutters, Goodland
Jacob Fritz, Verdon, Neb.
Gold Star Families posing for a group picture.
Military killed in combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan are pictured on 29 beige background towers.
Finding names on each tower
Military who died on training and goodwill missions.
Military who succumbed to the wounds of PTSD and completed suicide.
Kansas National Guard static display on Friday
Plainville High School sophomore Benjamin Hansen reads names on the towers.
Gold Star families wore IDs with a yellow lanyard.
COLFAX COUNTY, New Mexico —Two people from Great Bend died in an accident Sunday in Colfax County, New Mexico.
Fatal plane crash Sunday in New Mexico photo courtesy KOB TV
Just before 9a.m. Sunday, multiple 911 calls were made regarding a plane down between Zebs and True Value, according to the Angel New Mexico Fire Department.
The Angel Fire Fire Department and additional first responders were on scene immediately and the fire was extinguished by 9a.m.
There are 2 confirmed fatalities identified a Richard Schenk, 65 and Anne Schenk of Great Bend.
Schenk was an experienced commercial rated pilot, according to the fire department.
The cause of the accident is under investigation by the NTSB and the FAA. No cause has been determined at this time.
TOPEKA – Mating season and the quest for more secure habitat have deer on the move this time of year, increasing the chances of deer-vehicle collisions.
Typically, the greatest number of deer-vehicle crashes are in mid-November when the rut, or mating season, peaks. In addition to the rut, deer are also on the move in mid-fall seeking new food sources and shelter as crops are harvested and leaves fall from trees and shrubs, leaving them less secure than in their summer habitats.
“Wet weather this year may cause some deer to cross roads in new places and the additional vegetation growth could make deer harder to see until they are in the road. The approaching breeding season increases deer movement, and the cooler weather, along with young deer dispersing to find new home ranges, mean more deer may be crossing the roads.” said Levi Jaster, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Big Game Coordinator.
According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, 10,734 (16.5 percent) of the 64,933 vehicle crashes reported in 2018 were deer-related (crashes in which a deer and vehicle actually collided, or the presence of a deer was a contributing circumstance). Although crashes involving deer occur throughout the year in every Kansas county, the highest number of crashes typically occur where there are the most vehicles. Sedgwick County had 418 deer-vehicle crashes reported in 2018, the most of any county, while Butler County followed with 384 reported deer-vehicle crashes.
Ellis County reported 131 deer-vehicle crashes.
“In addition to potentially causing human injuries and loss of life, deer collisions often cause significant vehicle damage that can lead to large expenses for the vehicle owner if not properly insured,” said Shawn Steward, Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA Kansas. “Of the animal strikes reported by AAA Insurance policy holders during the five year period between 2014 and 2018, the average cost per claim was nearly $4,300.”
“If you are unfortunate enough to have a deer enter the highway in front of your car, it is best to hit the animal and not swerve to avoid it,” said the KHP’s Lt. Adam Winters. “Often, we find more serious crashes occur when you swerve to miss the deer, potentially losing control of your vehicle, leaving the road or veering into oncoming traffic.”
The agencies recommend the following to help motorists avoid crashes with deer:
Be especially watchful at dawn and dusk, when deer are more active.
If you see one deer, watch for others, as they seldom travel alone.
Reduce speed and be alert near wooded areas or green spaces, such as parks and golf courses, and near water sources such as streams and ponds.
Deer crossing signs show areas where high numbers of vehicle/deer crashes have occurred in the past. Heed these warnings.
Use bright lights when there is no oncoming traffic and scan the road ahead of you to watch for deer.
Don’t swerve to avoid hitting a deer—the most serious crashes sometimes occur when motorists swerve and collide with another vehicle or run off the road and hit an obstacle.
Always wear a seat belt and use the appropriately-fitted child safety seats—they are your best defense should you be involved in a crash.
Honk your horn with one long blast. A long blast on your horn may frighten large animals, such as deer, away from your vehicle. The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) advises against relying on devices such as deer whistles and reflectors, which have not been proven to reduce collisions with animals.
If you do strike a deer, here are some additional tips:
Slow down, move your vehicle to the shoulder if possible, and call for law enforcement. KHP dispatch can be reached at *47, Kansas Turnpike at *KTA, and local law enforcement at 911. Make sure you tell the dispatcher if the animal or your vehicle is still in the road.
If you hit a deer or other animal, do not worry about removing the animal. Law enforcement can remove the animal from the road when they arrive. Don’t go near a wounded animal. A frightened and wounded animal can be unpredictable.
Turn on your hazard lights and remain buckled up inside your vehicle. You are more protected this way, should a secondary crash occur.
If you must be outside your vehicle, make sure it is as far off the road as possible, and do not stand between your vehicle and another one. Keep children buckled, and in car seats in the vehicle. Be vigilant and watch traffic to ensure they aren’t getting close to you.
Anyone involved in a vehicle-deer crash resulting in personal injury or property damage that totals $1,000 or more is required to immediately report the crash to the nearest law enforcement agency. Failure to report any traffic crash is a misdemeanor and may result in suspension of driving privileges.
A salvage tag is required to remove a deer carcass, or any part of the carcass, from the crash site. Tags can be issued by KHP troopers, sheriff’s deputies, or KDWPT game wardens.
Education: Graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with an emphasis on Public Relations and a certificate in Leadership.
Do you have a student currently attending USD 489 schools?
I have three children attending USD 489 school district. A third grader, seventh grader and a senior in high school.
Qualifications?
I have served on the USD 489 Board of Education for the past four years and have a good understanding of district needs and operations. Through my work experience, I’ve learned skills of budgeting, planning, sense of team, and accomplishing goals. I also understand the value of every individual to reach those goals I feel my service record up to this point in time proves I am a man of integrity. My voting decisions are based on what I feel is the best decision for our children and our district.
Do you support USD 489 trying for another bond issue? What do you think that bond should include? If you don’t support a bond issue, how do you think the school district should address its infrastructure needs?
I support a bond. What it should entail I leave up to the voters. A bond is the only way the district can address aging facilities and it is the process the state has developed specifically for projects like new buildings and major facility upgrades. Some support a large bond and fixing all issues for the next 20-30 years while others favor small bonds closer to $25 million (average cost of a new elementary building) and hopefully continuing these as they become paid off. Both concepts have advantages and disadvantages the decision should truly lie in the voters as to what direction they would like to proceed. My goal would be to encourage communication, feedback, and education with voters so we can begin to make progress.
What would you do to secure the financial health of the school district?
I am very pleased with changes that have already been made and feel the district is in a good financial situation. Knowing the dire financial position of the district was one of the reasons I sought election. If tough choices had to be made, I wanted to be a part of them. I have been very pleased with our overall budget the last few years, and we have been able to put money into our contingency fund. This has been achieved through increased funding from the state and following wise guidance and planning from our administration. Through a created culture of financial responsibility with staff we have been able to cut expenses and still meet the needs of the district. Just remember the district’s yearly budget was never designed or intended by the state to replace buildings. A bond process was designed to fill that need.
The Hays school board is at impasse with its teachers for the second year in a row. What would you do to improve relations with teachers?
Build trust! Treating negotiations as a legal proceeding where we both fight to gain something for our side continues to have the same outcome and strains relations. I would like to see us take a whole new approach and move back to interest-based bargaining. I see this as a difficult road since trust between the board and teachers just isn’t there, but even before this term is over, I hope to help move us in a whole new direction.
Do you support the district’s current one-to-one technology policy? If not, what would you propose?
As proven in my prior votes on the board, I support the district’s one-to-one technology policy. Technology is advancing so fast and is becoming such an intricate part of our day-to-day lives. Student success especially after high school requires an understanding of technology. Whether students are moving into a career, college, military, etc. technology is a significant part of the daily job function. I feel removing technology would put our students at a disadvantage and removing a wonderful educational tool that can expand learning methods and opportunities.
How would you support the district in its work to improve student performance?
We already have some of best educators and administrative leaders in the state. As a board I feel our job would be to help define the goals or objectives in line with KESA standards and then let our team go to work and ensure that we don’t get in the way.
Is there anything else you would like to add about you or your campaign?
I would greatly appreciate your vote and support! I love quotes and one of my favorites is from Gandhi. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” I originally sought election to the school board to bring about change. I feel we have a good start and am excited what the next four years could bring. I encourage anyone whom might still have questions to reach out to me.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a high-speed chase and arrest.
Lauren Ortiz photo KDOC
On Saturday after, a deputy turned around on a Jeep Liberty that was speeding eastbound on NW 35th from NW Button Road in Shawnee County, according to Captain Danny Lotridge.
As the deputy was attempting to stop the vehicle, the driver turned south onto NW Dawdy Drive, heavily accelerated and began to flee from the deputy.
The fleeing vehicle hit an occupied vehicle at NW 33rd Place and Dawdy Drive. The two occupants of this the Pontiac G8, were not injured. The driver and passenger of the Jeep were taken into custody without incident.
The driver of the Jeep was identified as Lauren A. Ortiz, 29, Topeka. She had an outstanding felony arrest warrant out of Jefferson County for theft and was driving on a suspended license.
The passenger of the Jeep was identified as Anterio Deshazer, 30, Topeka.
During the investigation deputies determined the license plate on the Jeep Liberty had been altered and did not belong on the vehicle. The Jeep was reported stolen from Leavenworth, KS. During a search of the Jeep deputies located a credit card reader machine and numerous fraudulent ID cards, social security cards, checks and counterfeit money.
Lauren Ortiz is being held on requested charges that include Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Flee and Elude, Driving While Suspended, Possession of Counterfeit Money and multiple traffic violations. She has previous convictions that include forgery, identity theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Anterio Deshazer was questioned by detectives and released.
Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office will continue to investigate the fraudulent documents found in the Jeep.
Betty Jean Byer, 95, died Friday, October 18, 2019 at The Ranch House in Garden City. She was born February 15, 1924 in Lewis, Kansas the daughter of Harold & Syvilla Ann (Strawn) Black.
