Three-day weather outlook
Month: October 2019
Lake Scott State Park is only place in the world Scott riffle beetle found
KDWPT
PRATT – After a comprehensive review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would not list the Scott riffle beetle, Optioservus phaeus, under the federal Endangered Species Act.
The Scott riffle beetle is a tiny brown and black aquatic insect that was first identified as a distinct species in 1978. Big Spring, a groundwater spring complex in Historic Lake Scott State Park near Scott City, is the only place in the world the insect is known to exist.
An Oct. 4, USFWS news release reported that due to ongoing conservation actions and protections by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, federal protections for the beetle under the ESA were not warranted.
Staff from KDWPT’s Ecological Services Section and Parks Division have been working together to implement conservation actions for the Scott riffle beetle since 2016.
The USFWS also expressed confidence in KDWPT’s ability to continue managing for the beetle in the wild, based on the best available science. The USFWS will continue providing conservation support and guidance, as needed.
Critical to this species is the unique spring habitat where it resides – an area KDWPT continually works to maintain and protect. Based on data collected in 1984 and 2017, management efforts are working, as the population has remained stable for more than 30 years. Additional conservation efforts for the species include population monitoring, deployment of a real-time water quality and quantity monitoring station, and predatory fish removal.
The Scott riffle beetle is currently listed as Endangered under the Kansas Non-game and Endangered Species Conservation Act and lives solely within Historic Lake Scott State Park, providing the species with a level of protection uncommon in other areas. The local geology of the spring and the High Plains aquifer also suggest the unique spring habitat is unlikely to go dry in the foreseeable future.
“Big Spring is an uncommon habitat in an otherwise dry western Kansas,” said KDWPT aquatic ecologist Jordan Hofmeier. “The fact that the Scott riffle beetle has persisted here speaks to the resiliency of the species and the habitat, and the excellent management of the area by the park staff.”
To learn more about the Scott riffle beetle, visit ksoutdoors.com/Services/Threatened-and-Endangered-Wildlife/All-Threatened-and-Endangered-Species/SCOTT-OPTIOSERVUS-RIFFLE-BEETLE.
Kansas man dies after pickup strikes motorcycle
WOODSON COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Monday in Woodson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford pickup driven by Derrick R. Shannon, 45, Humbolt, was traveling slowly northbound on U.S. 75 at 60th Road.
The truck turned right to pull into a field entrance and struck a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Charles Splechter, 61, Buffalo, Kansas, who was northbound in the passing lane.
Splechter was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger on the motorcycle Amy Corban-Morris, 50, Buffalo, Kansas, to a hospital in Topeka. They were not wearing helmets, according to the KHP.
Shannon and a passenger in the truck were not injured.
10 and counting: Your guide to candidates competing for Kan. Senate seat
By STEPHEN KORANDA
Kansas News Service
Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts says he will not run for re-election in 2020, opening the door to a parade of candidates announcing a run or considering jumping into the race to replace him. Multiple Republicans are eyeing the seat, and it could be the first time Democrats have a competitive U.S. Senate primary since the 1990s.
Here’s the rundown of who’s seeking the seat in Washington:
REPUBLICANS
Kris Kobach
Residence: Near Lecompton
Nationally, Kobach is known as a hardliner against illegal immigration. But in Kansas, he’s coming off a 2018 loss for the governor’s office. When he was secretary of state from 2011 to 2019, he pushed for strict voter registration changes, arguing they would help prevent voter fraud. Critics said the rules made it too difficult for eligible voters to register and the requirements were blocked by a federal court. Kobach is a long-time ally of President Donald Trump, and he says he’ll push Trump’s policies and fight what he calls the establishment in Washington. He’s currently working with a private organization attempting to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Dave Lindstrom
Residence: Overland Park
Lindstrom is a former Kansas City Chief turned businessman who’s chairman of the board for the Kansas Turnpike Authority. After his NFL career, Lindstrom owned four Burger King restaurants in the Kansas City area and worked in real estate. Like other Republicans in the race, Lindstrom is voicing his support for Trump and says he’ll bring free-market ideas and a conservative perspective to the Senate.
Roger Marshall
Residence: Great Bend
Roger Marshall was reelected last year to represent Kansas 1st District in Congress, a seat he first won in 2016. In Congress, Marshall has been a reliable supporter of President Trump and his agenda. He worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist before joining Congress. Marshall says if elected he will continue to push for a border wall with Mexico and will confirm strict constitutionalists to the United States Supreme Court. He says what differentiates him from other conservatives in the race is a concern for the national debt, which he argues can be addressed by strengthening the economy, lowering health care costs and having fewer Americans on welfare.
Bryan Pruitt
Residence: Manhattan
Pruitt is a Wichita native who worked as a conservative political commentator and political consultant based in Washington, D.C. He has now returned to Kansas for the campaign. If elected, he would be the first openly gay senator from Kansas. Pruitt agrees with other conservatives in the race on major issues, but says the party needs to talk differently about abortion and should nominate more diverse candidates.
Susan Wagle
Residence: Wichita
Wagle is the first woman to become president of the Kansas Senate (2013-current). A conservative who has been a vocal critic of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, Wagle and Kelly have clashed on issues like Medicaid expansion and tax policy. Wagle touts her years of work in support of abortion restrictions approved by Kansas lawmakers. She’ll continue serving as Senate president while campaigning for the U.S. Senate. Wagle is a cancer survivor, and counts health care issues among her top priorities, saying government health care isn’t the answer to challenges in the industry.
Filed paperwork to run or explore the race:
- Gabriel Mark Robles, from Topeka
DEMOCRATS
Barry Grissom
Residence: Leawood
In 2010, President Barack Obama picked Grissom to serve as U.S. attorney for Kansas. Grissom highlights his experience, as well as prosecutions of people who plotted to bomb the Wichita airport and Fort Riley. As an attorney, Grissom says he has fought against racism and unfair wages. He’s also campaigned for loosening laws on marijuana, saying it’s not a good use of taxpayer resources.
Usha Reddi
Residence: Manhattan
Reddi serves on the Manhattan city council and was an elementary-school teacher before taking a leave to campaign for the Senate. Reddi says she’ll push for economic policies that benefit working Kansas families. She’s a sexual abuse survivor who went public with her account because she says she’s met many women with similar experiences. If elected, Reddi would be the first Hindu person to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Other Democrats who have filed paperwork to run or explore the race:
- Adam Smith, from Mission
- Robert Leon Tillman, from Wichita
Editor’s note: This story will be updated as new people enter the race or, as in the case of Democrat Nancy Boyda on Oct. 10, drop out of the race.
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda or email [email protected].
Kansas home robbery suspect shot victim, took jacket and ran
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have made an arrest.
Just before 2a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a shooting at a residence in the 1500 Block of North Gentry in Wichita, according to Captain Brett Allred.
Investigators learned that a suspect identified as Shaeland Billingsley, 25, Wichita, pointed a handgun at a 49-year-old man inside the home and demanded money.
Billingsley then allegedly shot the victim in the leg, took his jacket and fled on foot, according to Allred.
A short time later, officers located Billingsley a couple of blocks away. He was wearing a ballistic vest. Police arrested him without incident. They also recovered a handgun, the victim’s property and drug paraphernalia.
Inside the home at the time of the robbery were a 70-year-old woman, a 60-year-old man and another woman, according to Allred.
Billingsley is being held on requested charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal possession of a firearm.
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Kan. man hospitalized after crash with combine header on trailer
SHERIDAN COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 11a.m. Monday in Sheridan County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 GMC Sierra driven by Thomas W. Fernow, 58, Albuquerque, NM., was eastbound on U.S. Hwy 24 five miles east of Hoxie towing a combine header on a trailer.
The trailer tongue broke and the trailer with combine header crossed the center line and struck a westbound 1999 Peterbilt semi driven by Edgar Terrazas-Leyva, 20, Garden City, head-on.
EMS transported Terrazas-Leyva to the Sheridan County Health Complex. Fernow and a passenger were not injured. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
Records: Members of suspended KU fraternity urinated on members
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Newly released documents say that members of a now-suspended University of Kansas fraternity struck, urinated and spat on some new members who were suspected of cooperating with an investigation into hazing.
The media has obtained the heavily redacted documents about Delta Upsilon after filing a records request.
In July 2018, the university found the fraternity guilty of endangering new members during the fall 2017 semester. The documents show that the chapter’s counsel didn’t fight the hazing allegations during a hearing but argued that it wasn’t as big of a deal as the university was making it out to be.
The hearing ended with the university suspending the fraternity from campus through the fall semester of 2023. At the time, the Delta Upsilon International Fraternity had been planning to close the chapter and restart it later.
FHSU’s Brown named MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior kicker Dante Brown earned MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this year on Monday (Oct. 14) after his performance in the 19-3 win over Emporia State last week. Brown also earned the honor following Fort Hays State’s Week 3 41-38 overtime victory at Washburn.
Brown accounted for 13 of Fort Hays State’s points in a 19-3 win over Emporia State. He made all four of his field goal attempts, with his longest being 42 yards. Three of the four field goals were in the first half, helping FHSU build a 16-0 lead by halftime. After Emporia State kicked a field goal in the third quarter, Brown pushed the margin back to 16 with his fourth field goal of the game. Brown’s performance also allowed him to take over the all-time lead in field goals made at FHSU, now with 41. He passed Wes Simoneau (1997-2001) for the career record.
Brown is now a seven-time recipient of this honor over the past two years. He earned the honor five times last year.
Brown joins Northwest Missouri State tight end Marqus Andrews (Offensive Athlete of the Week) and Central Missouri linebacker Kolesen Crane and Northwest Missouri State linebacker Sam Phillips (Co-Defensive Athletes of the Week) as recipients of the conference honors this week.
News From the Oil Patch, Oct. 14
By JOHN P. TRETBAR
Crude futures prices were down more than three percent in morning trading Monday (10/14). The benchmark Nymex contract dropped to $52.93 per barrel and London Brent dipped to $58.65. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson gained a dollar and a quarter on Friday, and starts the week at $45 a barrel
Baker Hughes reported 712 active drilling rigs nationwide, an increase of two oil rigs and a decline of one natural gas rig. Texas saw an increase of six rigs last week, while Oklahoma and New Mexico were each down one.
Independent Oil & Gas Service reported seven active rigs in eastern Kansas, which is down four, and 25 west of Wichita, down one from last week. Regulators approved 32 permits for drilling at new locations across Kansas last week, including one in Ellis County and two in Stafford County. Independent reports 26 newly-completed wells across the state, 15 in eastern Kansas and 11 west of Wichita, including one dry hole completed in Ellis County.
The government says U.S. operators had their best production ever, pumping 12,573,000 barrels per day for the week ending Oct. 4. That’s up 193,000 barrels per day from the week before, and is 73,000 barrels per day better than the previous record set Aug. 23.
The Energy Information Administration said inventories were up 2.9 million barrels from the week before, but remain at the five-year average for this time of year.
EIA reported crude-oil imports of 6.2 million barrels per day, down 67,000 barrels per day from the week before. The four-week average is down nearly 17% from a year ago.
The attacks last month on Saudi oil facilities prompted the steepest fall in almost 17 years in OPEC production. According to a survey by S&P Global Platts, the drop in Saudi output, combined with the effects of U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, dropped OPEC production by 1.48 million barrels per day last month. The group has other problems. Two members, Ecuador and Qatar, are pulling out of the cartel. Last week its Secretary General invited all 97 oil-producing countries in the world to join the so-called “OPEC-plus” alliance that has been managing the world’s oil supply for nearly three years.
Saudi Arabia will soon return its oil patch to full production after a years-long agreement to cap production and prop up prices.. The CEO of Saudi Aramco told CNBC they will return to what he called “maximum sustained capacity” of 12 million barrels per day by the end of November. He said Aramco’s revenues were not reduced in the wake of the recent attacks.
Saudi Aramco is moving forward with plans for a public stock offering, with some shares available before the end of the year. The Wall Street Journal reports the state-owned oil company could sell 1% to 2% of its shares on Saudi Arabia’s domestic exchange as soon as November. Aramco is poised to release its prospectus later this month.
Russia’s top oil exporter Rosneft is hoping end-run U.S. sanctions by conducting business in the European currency. Reuters reports Rosneft has now set the euro as the default currency for all its new export contracts, including for crude oil, oil products, petrochemicals and liquefied petroleum gas. The company ships about 2.4 million barrels of crude oil per day.
The governor of California over the weekend approved a ban on pipelines and other oil-and-gas infrastructure on state property, which they hope will deter energy development on adjacent federal lands. Governor Gavin Newsom also formally renamed the office of the state’s chief energy regulator, amid scandals involving runaway fracking permits and conflict of interest charges.
It cost a record $8 a barrel to ship West African crude to Asia, roughly four times the average for January through August. Bloomberg says the spike is driven by another attack on an oil tanker, as well as U.S. sanctions on a Chinese shipping firm.
Total rail-freight traffic was down another seven percent, but oil-by-rail showed a slight uptick. Operators moved 12,592 rail tanker cars laden with petroleum and petroleum products according to the latest weekly numbers from the Association of American Railroads. That’s a half a percent higher than the same figure a year ago. The cumulative total so far this year is up more than 16% from last year.
A senior scientist at the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS), who specializes in high-resolution seismic exploration, has been elected president of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, an international research and education organization. According to an announcement from The University of Kansas, Rick Miller’s work at the KGS has led to advances in the investigation of earthquakes, land subsidence, detection of tunnels and subsurface mines, and assessment of dam and levee stability.
Ross Eric Fabin
Ross Eric Fabin, 58, passed away October 12, 2019, at his home in Great Bend. He was born September 13, 1961, to George E. and Jeannette (Ruggels) Fabin.
A lifetime Great Bend and Ellinwood resident, Ross was the owner and operator of All Things Chopped in Great Bend, fulfilling his lifelong love of motorcycles. He was also a drug and alcohol counselor. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and being in the outdoors.
Survivors include, his father, George Fabin of Great Bend; three brothers, Mark Fabin of Salina, Craig Fabin and wife Rita of Kansas City, MO, and Brad Fabin of Angola, IN; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Jeannette Fabin.
There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 19, 2019, at Bryant Funeral Home.
Memorials have been suggested to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Recreation for the benefit of Cheyenne Bottoms, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.
Gerald Lee Ambrosier
Gerald Lee Ambrosier, 72, passed away October 12, 2019 surrounded by his daughters Tammy and Becky. Gerald was born January 23, 1947 in Graham County, Kansas, to Alva and Doris (Hendershot) Ambrosier. He was one of eight children.
Gerald attended school in Hill City and spent his entire life in Graham County. On May 25, 1968, he married Carmen Clary. The couple were blessed with two daughters, Tammy and Becky. They later divorced. Gerald owned his own business for a time, Gerald’s Backhoe and Roustabout Service. Later, he farmed for area farmers and worked in the oilfield.
In Gerald’s younger years, he was a member of the Pioneer Saddle Club and a volunteer fireman. Special times included taking his girls to the rodeo, every night. Trips to New Jersey to visit Tammy were highlights for Gerald as they travelled to surrounding cities sightseeing. Becky, Dale and granddaughter Emma were his fishing buddies usually at Swank Lake.
Gerald was always available to help Becky and Dale at a moment’s notice and at times took care of the house and the yard while the family was gone. He could also be seen
assisting her with the gardening, more so when it came to picking the produce raised! Gerald enjoyed gambling particularly with his sister, Helen in Oklahoma. This past summer, Gerald and Sharon took a trip to Colorado to visit some of her family. He especially enjoyed family reunions and the many shenanigans with his nieces and nephews and all the family.
He was preceded in death by his parents: Alva and Doris; two sisters: Helen and Pauline, and three brothers: Gene, Dennis, and Robert.
He is survived by his daughters: Tammy Ambrosier of Pennington, New Jersey and Becky Schulz and husband Dale of Hill City, and longtime companion Sharon Goffinski, Hill City; two brothers: Darrell and wife Pat of Almena and Eldon and wife Betty of Norton; granddaughter, Emma Schulz of Hill City; grandsons: Micah and wife Maddie Schulz of Durham, North Carolina and David Achterberg, Wausau, Wisconsin and many others who considered him grandpa and numerous nieces and nephews. Gerald will be missed by all who knew him.
Click HERE for service details.
Edward J. Olejniczak
July 17, 1935 – October 13, 2019
An obituary is pending with Plumer Overlease Funeral Homes.
Click HERE for service details.