Three-day weather outlook
Year: 2019
SPONSORED: Rural Water District seeking water treatment plant operator
Rural Water District No. 1 Ellsworth County, Kansas (a/k/a Post Rock Rural Water District) is hiring a full-time Water Treatment Plant Operator.
To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume and three professional references to Ms. Leslee Rivarola at [email protected] or by mail to Post Rock Rural Water District, 103 N. Douglas, Ellsworth, KS 67439.
To learn more about this opportunity, please visit our website at https://postrockrwd.com
Otis-Bison All School Reunion scheduled for July 19 and 20
OTIS — The Otis-Bison 2019 All School Reunion will be July 19 and 20.
Check out the schedule below or click HERE for more information.
Wichita State lands $33M contract for Army missile program
WICHITA (AP) — Wichita State University’s aviation research program has landed a $33 million contract for the Army’s high-speed missile program.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the three-year contract calls for the National Institute for Aviation Research to make the missiles lighter and cheaper while improving performance.
Wichita State interim president Andy Tompkins said in a news release Tuesday that the contract will give students, both undergraduates and graduates, “an advantage no other university in the country can match.”
The university previously was awarded a three-year, $23.5 million Air Force contract develop technology for automated, in-service inspection of military aircraft.
UPDATE: Twitter outage resolved
UPDATE: As of just before 3 p.m., Twitter had begun restoring service to users after an hourlong outage.
Social media platform Twitter is experiencing a global outage that reports say began approximately 1:45 p.m. Thursday.
The site Down Detector reports Twitter is down across the world on both desktop and mobile devices.
Click HERE to see the outage map.
Moran intros VA housing legislation in honor of Kansas veteran
OFFICE OF SEN. MORAN
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) – both members of Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – introduced the Paul Benne Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019 to expand Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) eligibility for seriously injured or ill veterans. This legislation is named after Spring Hill, Kan. native, Army Colonel (Ret.) Paul Benne, MD, MPH.
U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), David Roe (TN-01) and Mike Levin (CA-49) introduced companion legislation, the Ryan Kules Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019, in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 2013, Col. Benne developed a medical condition that led to his retirement from the U.S. Army after 23 years of service. Col. Benne was rated 100 percent disabled at the time of his retirement. In 2016, Col. Benne was fitted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for a wheelchair and applied for an SAH grant, as neither the Benne’s home nor vehicle could accommodate his new wheelchair. After more than a year of navigating the VA, Col. Benne and his wife, Christine, contacted Sen. Moran’s office for assistance. Within three months of Sen. Moran’s office working with Col. Benne to engage the VA, Col. Benne was given a favorable decision on his adaptive housing claim and provided SAH grants.
This legislation – developed to prevent future difficulties similar to those Col. Benne faced while trying to access an SAH grant – would give seriously ill veterans priority consideration for SAH grants, with the definition of “seriously ill” to be determined by the secretary of the VA; would double the maximum number of awarded grants from 3 to 6 per veteran; and would increase the number of authorized applications per Fiscal Year from 30 to 120.
“This legislation will serve veterans who may need similar assistance to that received by Colonel Benne by expanding SAH eligibility qualifications for seriously ill or injured veterans,” said Sen. Moran. “This modernized and expanded grant program will allow veterans to utilize vital SAH grants in a way that best fit their needs – providing greater support and improving the quality of life for many of our nation’s veterans. Thank you to Colonel Benne and his wife, Christine, for their decades of selfless service to our nation and for their advocacy, resiliency and willingness to share their story, which will undoubtedly help many veterans in the future.”
“Many veterans carry wounds from their service that make everyday life more challenging,” said Sen. Sinema. “That is why our bill is so important; it breaks down barriers and helps veterans access the specially adaptive housing benefits they’ve earned.”
“Sen. Moran is good about putting veterans first,” said Army Colonel (Ret.) Benne, MD, MPH. “This SAH grant has given me the ability to stay at home and my family the ability to better care for me. As my disease continues to change, the ability to change my surroundings will be met with this legislation.”
“We are pleased with the introduction of S. 2022,” said Paralyzed Veterans of America Executive Director Carl Blake. “This legislation is very important to PVA members because it will provide critical improvements to the Specially Adaptive Housing benefits that help them live healthy, productive lives in homes that meet there needs in their communities. We look forward to its swift passage.”
“S. 2022 will improve the quality of life for many wounded warriors and their families by helping ensure their homes fit their abilities,” said Wounded Warrior Project CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington. “We are grateful to Sen. Jerry Moran for sponsoring this bill and to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for co-sponsoring, and we thank them both for their leadership and great fidelity to our nation’s wounded warriors.”
“Wounded warriors face unique challenges in recovering from their injuries,” said Wounded Warrior Project Combat Stress Recovery Program Director Former U.S. Army Capt. Ryan Kules. “The Specially Adapted Housing benefit has helped me tremendously, and renewing this benefit every 10 years will help ensure wounded veterans’ homes can be adapted as our needs change throughout our lives.”
Col. Benne, a Spring Hill, Kan. native and University of Kansas School of Pharmacy graduate, served on both Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth during his 23 years of service in the United States Army, most recently as chief of the Department of Public Health at Irwin Army Medical Hospital on Fort Riley. He and his wife, Christine, reside in Manhattan, Kan.
KHP: One fatality over July 4 holiday
KHP
TOPEKA – The Kansas Highway Patrol is releasing its Independence Day Holiday Activity Report.
The reporting period for the holiday ran from 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 7, 2019.
KHP personnel assisted 1,151 motorists over the holiday reporting period and worked one fatal crash.
Information in the table is compared to data from both 2017 and 2018. The reporting period for 2018 was shorter than that of 2017 and 2019.
HPD: Hays man arrested after police find 6 lbs. of meth in vehicle
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Hays Police Department and the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office coordinated efforts to arrest a Hays man for suspected distribution of methamphetamine.
On Sunday, July 7, at approximately 1 a.m., Fernando Amezquita, 43, Hays, was arrested along U.S. Highway 56, west of Dodge City, after authorities reported finding approximately 6 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle.
Amezquita was arrested for distribution of methamphetamine, and three counts of child endangerment, since his three young children were passengers in the vehicle at the time of his arrest. He was then booked into the Ford County Jail. Bond was set at $150,000.
This operation represented a coordinated law enforcement effort to combat drug violence and reduce the accessibility of illegal drugs impacting western Kansas.
— HPD
Suspect who fired at officers during Hutch standoff formally charged
HUTCHINSON — The main suspect involved in the June 20 shooting that led to a six-hour standoff is out of the hospital and has been formally charged by the state.
Brendan Jones is charged with aggravated battery, criminal possession of a firearm and felony interference with law enforcement.
Also charged in the case is 18-year-old Tyson Samuels. He is also charged with aggravated battery for the wounding of Jacob Foley.
Samuels and Jones are accused of being at a home in the 300 block of West Eighth and planning to fight with the victim. During the course of that fight, a handgun was pulled from a fanny pack, and Jones allegedly fired several shots. Foley was struck by a bullet in his left thigh.
Later in the morning, police got word that Jones was at a home in the 300 block of West 16th, where the standoff occurred. Samuels eventually surrendered, but Jones got to the door and allegedly began shooting at officers. Ten officers returned fire, striking Jones.
Jones was taken to a Wichita hospital for treatment of his wounds. He is now back in Reno County on a bond of $750,000. More charges could be coming after the KBI completes its review of the shooting.
Wyoming wolf confirmed to be roaming in northern Colorado
DENVER (AP) — Wildlife officials have confirmed at least one gray wolf from Wyoming was spotted in northern Colorado.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said Wednesday the animal reported near Walden in Jackson County was a male from the Snake River wolf pack.
It was wearing a radio collar and was last recorded Feb. 12 around South Pass in west-central Wyoming.
Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Rebecca Ferrell says biologists were unable to confirm whether a second animal reported in Grand County was also a gray wolf.
Gray wolves were native to Colorado but were hunted to near extinction by the 1940s. The most recent previous confirmed wolf sightings in the state were also near Walden, in 2015.
About 6,000 of the animals live in the Northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest and Western Great Lakes.
High-speed chase through Ellis County leads to two arrests
By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
A chase that began near Hays led to the arrest of two individuals and the recovery of a stolen vehicle following a high-speed pursuit that ended in Ness County.
At 1:57 p.m. Tuesday, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper attempted to pull over 2009 Chevy Impala on Interstate 70 near the Highway 183 Alternate exit, according to Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod Hileman.
The Impala was clocked at 99 mph, and when the trooper ran a check on the license plate, it was found to have been stolen.
Initially, the driver of the Impala, Ian M. Sinnett, 39, Salina, stopped the vehicle on U.S. 183 Alternate. However, neither Sinnett nor a passenger in the vehicle, Valerie Jo Waggoner, 37, Salina, would comply with officer commands, and Sinnett again started driving south.
They traveled on U.S. 183 to County Line Road then began turning west and south on various county roads while being pursued until around 2:30 p.m. when the vehicle came to a stop at the intersection of GG Road and Kansas Highway 4, Hileman said.
After stopping, the suspects complied with officers and were taken into custody.
Sinnett was found to have two active warrants from Reno County and has a criminal history that includes theft and burglary dating to 2014.
In 2017, he was convicted of felony theft stemming from two separate felony cases that were charged against him after he tried to sell automotive parts that he had stolen to the brother of the victim.
He was released on parol on March 25, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.
Along with the 2017 convictions, Sinnett was also found guilty of falsely reporting a crime in 2015 and theft in 2014.
He has also been arrested several times for alleged parole violations in Saline County.
The police pursuit is expected to lead to Sinnett being charged with allegedly fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, along with several traffic and speeding violations, according to Hileman.
Waggoner also has a criminal history, having been convicted of theft and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia in 2014. She was discharged from parole on August 22, 2016, but was arrested in Septemeber of last year for allegedly driving while being a habitual violator and no proof of insurance or vehicle registration.
“What happens now is up to the county attorneys,” Hileman said.
The recovered vehicle was confirmed to have been stolen from Lawrence on June 10 by Lawerence police Sgt. Amy Rhoads.
“Two subjects, one male and one female that I met earlier in the day on the northeast side of Topeka, were staying at the Days Inn in Lawrence,” the report said.
“While I was in the bathroom, the female subject yelled that they were taking my car to go to McDonald’s. Before I was able to tell them no, they grabbed my keys from a table in the room and left with my car and did not return.”
The victim believed at the time they might be heading to Portland, Ore.
“The car was a gift from my father who passed away a little over two years ago,” the report said. “It was his pride and joy. I’m a disabled man with congestive heart failure.”
Creamer’s dance troupe brings home hardware from Dallas nationals
DALLAS — Dancers from Jackie Creamer’s The Dance Studio won numerous awards at the Legacy Dance Championships this week in Dallas.
Earning awards for their performances were:
First Overall Mini Duo, Hit The Road Jack: Anaya Creamer, Kenley Callahan
First Overall Junior Duo, Fabulous: Ruby Fields, Izabel Schmidt
First Overall Teen Duo, Two: Lauren Wagner, Adelyn Wagner
First Overall Senior Duo, Lay Me Down: Jenna Romme, Jillian Lowe
First Overall Mini Small Group, Expensive: Anaya Creamer, Kenley Callahan, Alexa Seib, Allie Gier, Jenny Molstad, Addison Karlin
First Overall Petite Small Group, Girls Will Be Girls: Anaya Creamer, Kenley Callahan, Delia Dixon, Alexa Seib, Arianna Ayarza
First Overall Junior Small Group, Awoo: Molly Buckles, Elizabeth Cunningham, Ruby Fields, Sienna Lummus, Lillian McGaughey, Annika Nichols, Leah Reed, Izabel Schmidt, Jaci Schmidt
First Overall Senior Small Group, Byegone: Avery Jones, Jillian Lowe, Jenna Romme, Ella Voth, Lauren Wagner, Kassidi Yost, Samantha Zimmerman
First Overall Junior Large Group, Heavy In My Arms: Jenna Brull, Molly Buckles, Elizabeth Cunningham, Ruby Fields, Briley Haynes, Makayla Koerner, Katie Linenberger, Sienna Lummus, Lillian McGaughey, Mykayla Romme, Izabel Schmidt, Jaci Schmidt, Kyla Schmidt, Aliya Seib, Adelyn Wagner, Nevaeh Weigel
First Overall Teen Line, Game Of Survival: Hannah Durham, Ruby Fields, Avery Jones, Makayla Koerner, Katie Linenberger, Jillian Lowe, Sienna Lummus, Lillian McGaughey, Jenna Romme, Mykayla Romme, Izabel Schmidt, Jaci Schmidt, Kyla Schmidt, Adelyn Wagner, Lauren Wagner, Nevaeh Weigel, Kassidi Yost, Shyanne Yost
First Overall Teen Production, What Are You Looking At: All Company Members
These dances received the National Championship in the Showdown of the Legends.
• Mini Small Group, Expensive, National Champions
• Petite Small Group, Girls Will Be Girls, National Champions
• Junior Small Group, Awoo, National Champions
• Teen-Senior Line, Game of Survival, 1st Runner-Up
Jillian Lowe was named Miss Senior Legacy, and Adelyn Wagner was named Miss Junior Legacy.
The studio also was the Legacy Award for highest-scoring studio in both the 12 & younger and 13 & older categories.
In the Top Ten, The Dance Studio received 11 first overall, 10 second overall, four third overall, four fourth overall, two fifth overall, one sixth overall, two seventh overall, one eighth overall, one ninth overall, and one tenth overall, totaling 37 dances placing in the Top Ten in their category.
— Submitted / photos courtesy Jackie Creamer’s Dance Studio except where noted
Oklahoma favored to win 5th straight Big 12 title
IRVING, Texas (AP) – Oklahoma is the favorite to win another Big 12 football title, according to the conference’s preseason media poll released Wednesday.
The Sooners have won the league the last four years and 12 Big 12 championships overall. Oklahoma also made the College Football Playoff three of the past four seasons.
Texas was picked second by media covering the league. The top two teams will meet in the conference championship game on Dec. 7. The Longhorns lost to the Sooners in the title matchup in 2018.
Iowa State, TCU and Oklahoma State round out the top five picks.
The Big 12 will have four new head coaches in 2019 with Les Miles at Kansas, Chris Klieman at Kansas State, Matt Wells at Texas Tech and Neal Brown at West Virginia.