Virginia L. Eklund, 96, of Hutchinson, Kansas, and former Natoma, Kansas, resident, died on Saturday, November 09, 2019, at the Good Samaritan Village in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Services are pending at this time. Please check back later for a full obituary and funeral service date and time.
Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell and Natoma, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.
CHEYENNE COUNTY — Crews were busy fighting grass fires Saturday in Cheyenne County that prompted Governor Laura Kelley to issue a verbal disaster declaration.
The first grass fires were reported just after 11:30 a.m., according to Ryan Murry, Cheyenne County Emergency Management Director.
They ultimately had to battle several grass fires across the county. Just after 5 p.m., Murray said the fires were contained. Crews continued to monitor hot spots and the Kansas Forrest Service continued to drop water on those hot spots.
Burn scar from a long-lived fire between St. Francis and Wheeler in Cheyenne county, KS on Saturday November 09, 2019. Burn scar is ~4 miles long and ~2 miles wide. #KSwx #NEwx #COwx pic.twitter.com/5OqRQ2VaDF
— NWS Goodland (@NWSGoodland) November 9, 2019
There is no word on the number of acres burned. The fires may have started by a semi driving by on the highway with a mechanical issue, according to Murry. The cause of the fires is still under investigation.
@GovLauraKelly issued a verbal disaster declaration for Cheyenne County due to grass fires which were sparked along US-36 by the City of Saint Francis. Local officials have evacuated several homes and residents have been alerted for the potential of evacuation if the need arises. pic.twitter.com/TMeKM04L3p
— KDEM (@KansasEmergency) November 10, 2019
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A former Lawrence police officer convicted of threatening another driver with a gun on a suburban Kansas City highway in a case of road rage has lost his peace officer’s license.
The license for 53-year-old Jeffrey Brian Holtzman was revoked last month.
Holtzman was sentenced in August to 12 months’ probation for the October 2018 incident. He pleaded guilty in June to a reduced charge of criminal threat.
The victim told police that he was driving on Interstate 435 near Interstate 35 when he honked at Holtzman for suddenly slowing down. The victim says Holtzman then pulled alongside him and pointed a handgun at him and his passenger.
Holtzman resigned from the Lawrence Police Department the following month.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before midnight Friday in Sedgwick County.
A Buick LeSabre driven by a 59-year-old man was eastbound on East Mt. Vernon at Bluff, according to office Kevin Wheeler. The vehicle left the road and struck a utility pole.
The driver was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by the Wichita Fire Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other occupants in the vehicle, and no other vehicles were involved in the collision, according to Wheeler. The accident remains under investigation. Wheeler did not release the driver’s name.
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s cross country team posted a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships Saturday (Nov. 9). It is the Tigers’ best finish at the regional meet since 2006 when the Tigers placed fourth in the South Central Regional in Warrensburg, Mo. Fort Hays State totaled 144 points in the race that featured 27 teams and 192 individuals.
With the strong performance, the Tigers made a firm case for an at large bid into the 2019 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships. The top three teams in each of eight regions earn an automatic bid, with 10 more teams being selected from the remainder of the top-finishing teams across the country. FHSU will learn its fate when the full national championship field is announced on Monday (Nov. 11).
Three runners earned All-Region status for the Tigers, with all five scorers finishing in the top 46. Reed Rome finished 19th to earn All-Region honors, completing the 10-kilometer course in 31:21.4. Israel Barco (31:30.5) and Seppe van ‘t Westende (31:30.8) earned two of the final four spots on the All-Region podium, placing 22nd and 24th, respectively. Justin Moore navigated the course in 31:30.8, good for 33rd place. Robbie Schmidt turned in a time of 32:05.6, finishing 46th.
Host Missouri Southern captured its second consecutive regional title with a team score of 52 points, placing five runners in the top 20. Northwest Missouri State finished second, followed by Augustana in third. MSSU’s Gidieon Kimutai won the race for the second year in a row, turning in a time of 29:14.5.
After finishing fourth at the conference championships two weeks ago, the Tigers were the third-highest MIAA finisher Saturday. FHSU comfortably defeated Nebraska-Kearney, Pittsburg State, Central Missouri, Emporia State, Missouri Western, Washburn and Rogers State.
Complete FHSU Results
Place – Name – Time
19 – Reed Rome – 31:21.4
22 – Israel Barco – 31:30.5
24 – Seppe van ‘t Westende – 31:30.8
33 – Justin Moore – 31:50.5
46 – Robbie Schmidt – 32:05.6
49 – Peter Franklin – 32:15.8
65 – Kaleb Crum – 32:34.9
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s cross country team wrapped up its 2019 schedule with a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships Saturday (Nov. 9). Missouri Southern hosted 32 teams and 223 runners in the six-kilometer race at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. The Tigers accumulated 371 points on the day.
Brooke Navarro led the Tigers with a time of 22:38.11, good for 36th place. Abigail Stewart finished 42nd after crossing the line in 22:43.17. Tessa Durnell moved up seven spots from her regional finish a year ago, placing 81st with a time of 23:17.89. Averi Wilson turned in a time of 23:51.59 to finish in 104th place, while Emily Salmans rounded out the top five in 115th place (24:01.93).
Augustana won the regional with a team total of 41 points. U-Mary, winners of the last two Central Region titles, finished second. MIAA champion Pittsburg State placed third. Ida Narbuvoll of U-Mary won the race with a time of 20:08.11.
After placing sixth at the MIAA Championships, the Tigers were the fifth-best league program this week, defeating Missouri Western, Emporia State, Washburn, Northwest Missouri State, Rogers State and Newman.
Complete FHSU Results
Place – Name – Time
36 – Brooke Navarro – 22:38.2
42 – Abigail Stewart – 22:43.2
81 – Tessa Durnell – 23:17.9
104 – Averi Wilson – 23:51.6
115 – Emily Salmans – 24:02.0
141 – Carson Pierce – 24:35.7
158 – Mya Navarro – 24:59.7
SEDGWICK COUNTY —Minimum-custody inmate Kyle Ingels who was placed on escape status at Tuesday evening after he walked away from the Wichita Work Release Facility is back in custody, according Randall Bowman with the Kansas Department of Corrections. The KDOC Enforcement, Apprehensions and Investigation unit located him at 11 a.m. Saturday.
On Friday, the Kansas Department of Corrections offered a reward to help locate Ingels.
Ingels is currently serving a 60-month sentence for several convictions in Neosho County including theft, forgery, drug possession, and endangerment of a child. Engels had a prior drug conviction from Neosho County in 2007.
The KDOC has not released further details on his capture.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY —Minimum-custody inmate Kyle Ingels was placed on escape status at approximately 6:48 p.m., Tuesday, after he walked away from the Wichita Work Release Facility, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Ingels, a 32-year-old white male, left for work at 10:30 a.m. and was reported missing when he did not report back to the facility following work Tuesday evening. Ingels was last seen wearing a red hoodie with black writing on the sleeves, blue jeans, black boots, and a black baseball cap.
Ingels is currently serving a 60-month sentence for several convictions in Neosho County including theft, forgery, drug possession, and endangerment of a child. Engels had a prior drug conviction from Neosho County in 2007.
Ingels is 6 feet tall, 198 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair.
Anyone with information on Ingels can call the Kansas Department of Corrections at 620-221-6660, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.
The walk-away is currently being investigated. New information will be released as it becomes available.
The Wichita Work Release Facility, a satellite unit of the Winfield Correctional Facility, is an all-male, minimum-custody state prison with a population of 250.
KHF
TOPEKA — Kansans of all ages who love history are encouraged to express that interest in the two essay contests presented by Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas. The cash prizes have increased in both contests this year. Winners will be announced and recognized as part of the 102nd annual meeting of Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas in Topeka on Friday, January 31, 2020.
The annual Olive Ann Beech Kansas Factual Story Contest, sponsored by Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas, was begun in 1931 to encourage preserving factual, unpublished happenings and anecdotes from today and yesterday. The contest is open to everyone, one entry per person. Stories must be true and unpublished, take place in Kansas, and limited to 750 words. Entries are submitted electronically via email by 5 p.m. Friday, December 20, 2019, to Cindy Stillings, Kansas Historical Foundation (KHF), [email protected]. Submissions should use “Beech Memorial Contest” in the subject line, and include the author’s name, mailing address, and phone number.
This essay contest is named for aviation’s Olive Ann Beech, of Wichita, who provided essay contest winners with cash awards for more than 30 years. The Beech essay contest cash awards are: first place, $300; second place, $250; third place, $150; and $100 each for two honorable mentions. Entries will be judged on quality of writing and interesting anecdotal stories of Kansas.
The Mamie Boyd Kansas! Say It Above a Whisper Contest, sponsored by Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas, began in 1936 as a way for students to celebrate and express pride in the state. The contest is open to Kansas students in eighth through 12th grades, one entry per person, and limited to 250 words. Entries are submitted electronically via email by 5 p.m. Friday, December 20, 2019, to Cindy Stillings, Kansas Historical Foundation, [email protected]. Submissions should use “Boyd Essay Contest” in the subject line, and include the author’s name, school, grade, mailing address, and phone number.
Kansas newspaperwoman Mamie Boyd coined the phrase used for the contest title. The Boyd essay contest cash awards are: first place, $300; second place, $250; third place, $150; and $100 each for two honorable mentions. Past essays have described interesting and strong-hearted Kansans, the state’s vast grain crops and grasslands, diversities in population, and the emotions and pride called to mind by the state’s unique beauty. Entries will be judged on quality of writing, originality, creativity, and sincerity in expressing pride in the state of Kansas.
Colleen K. Taylor, age 69, of Hays, Kansas passed away Saturday, November 9, 2019 at Hays Medical Center.
Arrangements and a complete obituary is pending with Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601
FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State (7-2, 7-2 MIAA) vs
Northwest Missouri State (8-1, 8-1 MIAA)
Saturday – 2 pm
Lewis Field Stadium
Game Day Sponsor – American Family Insurance – Brian Ruder Agency
Game Theme – Senior Day (Tiger seniors recognized 20 minutes prior to kickoff)
Following an 0-2 start to the season, Fort Hays State Football is still alive and well in the NCAA playoff picture after rattling off seven straight wins to a current record of 7-2. Their playoff hopes will be put to the test on Saturday (Nov. 9) when No. 12/14 ranked Northwest Missouri State (8-1) comes to Hays for a battle of premier MIAA programs. The Tigers take a No. 24 ranking by D2Football.com into the game, which kicks off at 2 pm inside Lewis Field Stadium.
LISTEN LIVE: FHSU vs. Northwest Missouri State on KJLS Mix 103.3
Northwest Missouri State has been one of the premier programs of NCAA Division II for two decades. The Bearcats have made 15 straight NCAA Playoff appearances and have won six national titles in that stretch. Northwest Missouri ran the table unbeaten in 2015 and 2016 for back-to-back national championships, but Fort Hays State’s rise to prominence disrupted Northwest Missouri’s run of four-straight MIAA titles in 2017 when it went into Maryville and won 13-12. That marked a change in power at the top of the conference as FHSU completed a perfect 11-0 regular season the following week.
Fast-forward to 2018. The Tigers had to make a trip to Maryville once again in Week 10. Entering at 7-2 with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Tigers delivered again by just one point, edging the Bearcats 17-16. That pulled the Bearcats back into a tie with the Tigers, both at 8-2, and both went on to NCAA Playoffs representing the MIAA as co-champions of the conference. It marked the first time in 23 years that a team left Maryville with consecutive wins at Bearcat Stadium.
Fast-forward to 2019…this weekend. The teams enter the meeting in Hays with the same records as last year, NWMSU at 8-1 and FHSU at 7-2. However, this time the teams have company at the top of the MIAA standings with Central Missouri still unbeaten at 9-0 and Missouri Western at 7-2. All four teams are among the top 10 in the latest NCAA Super Region 3 rankings, so postseason play for all hang in the balance going into the final two weeks of the season.
Can the Tigers pull off something historic on Saturday? They look to become the first team since 1996 to win three consecutive regular season games against the Bearcats. The last team to accomplish the feat – Pittsburg State from 1994 to 1996. In fact, Pittsburg State held a nine-game win streak over NWMSU in regular season games from 1983-1996, up to the early beginnings of NWMSU’s Division II dominance. Pittsburg State was also the last team to defeat the Bearcats in three straight meetings, winning both regular season and playoff meetings in 2004 and then the 2005 regular season meeting.
The Tigers have not defeated the Bearcats in Hays since 1977. The sample size is not overly large at six-straight wins for NWMSU at Lewis Field. The Bearcats have won all five meetings between the teams in MIAA play in Hays, the last being a 28-7 win in 2016 during their undefeated run to the national title.
The Tigers and Bearcats own the top two scoring defenses in the MIAA. Northwest Missouri limits its opponents to 18.8 points per game, compared to 21.2 allowed per game by FHSU. However, FHSU has held opponents under 10 points in a game four times this year, while NWMSU has only done that twice. That is pretty significant considering the MIAA boasts nine teams with a scoring average above 30 points per game. Northwest Missouri State averages 48 points per game, while FHSU averages 36.8 per game.
Chance Fuller continues to trigger the Tiger offense. He enters the game ranked eighth in NCAA Division II for passing yards (2,748) and passing yards per game (305.3). He is third in the nation with 30 passing touchdowns, which is now just four shy of the single-season record of 34 set by Shawn Behr back in 1995. He has three receiving threats with over 600 yards this season in Harley Hazlett (717), Manny Ramsey (670), and Layne Bieberle (625). The trio has combined for 22 of Fuller’s 30 passing touchdowns.
Charles Tigner leads the Tiger ground game with 692 yards, averaging 76.9 per contest. D.J. Hickman adds 52 yards per game.
Defensively, Drew Harvey has 74 tackles to lead the Tigers. Tanner Hoekman (69), Jordan Starks (65), and Kolt Trachsel (62) are all north of 60 tackles as well. Isaiah Creal-Musgray leads the team in pass breakups with seven, while Sheldon Schmidt leads in sacks with three.
HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man convicted of inappropriate contact with an 11-year-old girl was denied a non-prison sanction at sentencing Friday.
Donovan Hall, 29, was sentenced to a little more than five years in prison after entering a guilty plea to aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The contact occurred March 7 and again on July 21, 2018.
Hall’s attorney asked for a departure in the case, trying to get him some sex offender treatment. However, the state was opposed and wanted Hall sent to prison. Hall told the court he needs help and will get treatment in prison, but wanted a chance while on some form of probation.
Reno County District Judge Trish Rose agreed with the state, citing the disparity in age and the fact Hall told the child not to tell anyone. She ordered the sentence be served in prison.
Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps last week’s dramatic win over the Vikings and previews Sunday’s game in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans.
The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX (96.9-FM), at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.
