By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

NESS CITY — Last week, the Ness County Sheriff’s Department made three drug-related arrests on K96 finding various narcotics, paraphernalia, large amounts of currency and firearms.

Ness County Sheriff Brandon Mitchell attributed the arrests to a new K9 unit — along with some good timing and training.

“It’s actually a little bit of both,” Mitchell said. “We obtained a K9 unit earlier this year and that has assisted in most of these drug busts on the highways.”

Along with the highway arrests, Mitchell said there have been many arrests in the county.

“We have also done a lot of search warrants in the county, but that has just been investigations of our patrol sargeant and helping our other deputies and our undersheriff.”

Mitchell attributes the four small highways that run through the county as a main cause of the trafficking, as people avoid Interstate 70 and other major highways in an effort to avoid detection.

“I believe that people transporting narcotics and other illegal activities are happening on the smaller highways because they believe they can avoid the interstates and or avoid apprehension this way, and we are doing our best to up our patrols and try to catch what is coming through the county,” he said.

But turning the knowledge of illicit activities into arrests is a function of training, according to Mitchell.

“These guys are really good at interdiction stops,” he said. “When they make a traffic stop, whether it is for speeding or any kind of traffic violation, they are looking for indicators that would contradict what their story is telling you.”

Some examples he gave included a suspect saying they are on a long trip, but having no luggage in the car, or getting different stories from the driver and passenger.

He said the trip itself can be an indicator if, for example, the driver said they are traveling from Kansas City to Denver.

“We know that Denver to Kansas City is an I-70 trip, one way, it is the easiest way there,” Mitchell said. “If they are going out of their way to hide, then it starts to raise suspicion.”

Once a stop is made and indicators of deception are noticed, Mitchell said the K9 undersheriff is called in to confirm or deny suspicions.

“That’s where a lot of this is coming from, the guys are just doing a good job and knowing their job well,” he said.

The first highway drug arrest was made on Tuesday, June 25, at approximately 4:45 p.m. at K96 at W Rd.

“During the stop, K9 Bach was deployed and a probable cause search was conducted. Deputies recovered over $11,000 in U.S. currency, cocaine, marijuana edibles and drug paraphernalia,” according to a department announcement.

A male suspect was arrested and transported to the Ness County jail, where he is being held on a $50,000 bond.

The second arrest was made just a day later at approximately 4:09 p.m. when Ness County patrol deputies initiated a traffic stop on K96 at milepost 109.

“During the investigation, K9 Bach was deployed and indicated a probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted. The search produced cocaine, narcotics scale, and $400 in U.S. currency,” a release from the department said. “One male suspect was arrested and booked into the Ness County jail for charges of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, driving while license suspended/canceled/revoked and possession of drug paraphernalia.”

The third incident occurred on Saturday.

“On (June 29), Ness County Sheriff’s deputies initiated a traffic stop on K96 eastbound at W Rd,” an announcement from the department said. “During the investigation, K9 Bach was deployed and indicated the odor of narcotics in the vehicle. A probable cause search was conducted. Deputies found a hidden compartment containing a loaded handgun with the serial numbers removed, four baggies of methamphetamine and a glass pipe used to smoke methamphetamine.”

In that case, two suspects were arrested and taken to the Ness County jail on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm with altered identification and several traffic violations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOPEKA – It was a winning weekend for some Kansas Lottery players after $36,000 in prizes were won in draw games across the state.

One $20,000 Lotto America ticket was sold in the June 29 drawing. The winning ticket was sold in the northwest region of Kansas.

The northwest region includes the following counties: Cheyenne, Sherman, Wallace, Logan, Thomas, Rawlings, Decatur, Sheridan, Gove, Norton, Graham, Trego, Phillips, Rooks and Ellis.

Also in the June 29 drawing, there was one $4,000 Lotto America All Star Bonus winner and two $1,000 Lotto America winners. All three winning tickets were sold in the northeast region of Kansas.

The northeast region includes the following counties: Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan, Riley, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Atchison, Geary, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson, Osage, Douglas, Franklin, Miami, Morris and the northern half of Lyon.

In the June 28 Mega Millions drawing, one $10,000 Mega Millions ticket was sold in the northeast region of Kansas.

The lucky winners have 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prize.

The Kansas Lottery encourages all winners to sign the back of their tickets and to put their tickets in a safe place until they are ready to claim their prize.

— Kansas Lottery

 

Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:

---

EL DOS  1002 41st St., Hays – June 27

A routine inspection found nine violations.

• During the inspection, a prep cook opened the door on the outside and stepped out and closed the door. He then spent three minutes outside and then opened the door and came back in and went directly to the cooking line and placed gloves on his hands and grabbed raw chicken and placed it on the flat top grill.
• In the north walk-in cooler, there were six tilapia fillets that were in reduced oxygen packaging.
• In the walk-in cooler, there was a food grade, 5-gallon bucket, that had raw shrimp and raw chorizo being stored in the same container. No evidence of leaking was noticed.
• In the south walk-in cooler, there was a head a cabbage that had been cut in half with no date of when it was cut.
• In the north walk-in cooler, there was a container of fully cooked beef with a date of 6/20/19.  In the mak-table on the cooking line, there was a container of fully cooked pork that had a date of 6/19/19.
• The establishment’s menu had the Consumer Advisory present but did not have the Asterisk present on the menu items that could be undercooked.
• North of the walk-in cooler, on a shelf, there was a non-food grade (Sterilite) container that had iodized salt present in the container.
• Below the prep table, in the kitchen, there is a solid metal shelf that had two shredding attachments to a floor mixer that had dried food residue present along the back side of the blades.
• Directly next to the ware-washing machine there is a shelf that had clean plates present. There was a spray bottle of grease cutter that was being stored directly next to the plates with the nozzle pointed towards the clean plates. No Evidence of leaking was observed.

---

TRYYAKI 2814 Vine, Hays – June 27

A joint inspection found nine violations.

• In the walk-in cooler, a reduced oxygen package of fish was thawing.  The package did not have a cut in it.
• A metal pan had raw fish in it, and it was being stored above a plastic storage container of raw ginger that had a lid. No leakage was detected.
• In the walk-in cooler, on the middle shelf, a plastic container of cooked chicken was being stored below a plastic container of raw chicken. No leakage was detected.
• In the walk-in cooler, raw beef in a baggie was being stored next to a raw chicken baggie. No leakage was detected.
• Upon entering the kitchen two bus tubs of fried chicken pieces were sitting out. The center of the chicken was 113 F.
• In the mini fridge below the sushi prep area, a container of imitation crab meat had an internal temp of 46 F. In the make table, a container of chopped cabbage had an internal temp of 63 F. Two bags of chopped lettuce, one opened one not, had an internal temp of 58 F. In the back up storage of the make table a metal pan of fried chicken wings had the date of 6/22, and the internal temp was 53 F. Next to that was a pan of cooked shrimp with the date of 6/26 and an internal temp of 49 F. Also in the same area a metal pan of egg wash had an internal temp of 53 F. In a 30 minute period the ambient air temp never fell below 50 F. In a big metal bowl next to the wok was a mixture of raw chicken and batter. The internal temp of the chicken was 52 F.
• No sanitizer test strips were present.
• Hung up and stored as clean one of three rubber spatulas had a sticker on the food contact surface.
• In the ware washing area three spray bottles had liquid in them; green, yellow and orange. The bottles were not labeled.

---

Hickok’s Steakhouse 3402 Vine, Hays – June 12

A follow-up inspection found one violation.

• During the inspection there was a server who washed and dried her hands then started to grab a salad plate and placed spring mix on the plate using her bare hand.

---

Arctic Glacier 711 Canterbury, Hays – June 25

A routine inspection found no violations.

---

Augustine’s Bakery 1305 Main, Hays – June 25

A courtesy inspection found three violations.

• On the back oven, there was an open tub of coleslaw with an internal temperature of 54 F. at 1:15 p.m.
• There were three measuring cups with pits and inclusions that are not easily cleanable.
• In the ware washroom, there was a bag in box degreaser on a solid plastic shelf directly over the top of single-use food grade bags.

---

The Golden Q 809 Ash, Hays – June 25

A follow-up inspection found no violations.

---

JR’s Snacks and Vending 310 E 11th, Hays – June 25

A routine inspection found no violations.

---

Let It Rise 1100 Main, Hays – June 25

A licensing inspection found no violations.

---

Old Chicago 383 Mopar, Hays – June 25

A follow-up inspection found one violation.

• In the back hallway storage area, there were one of four cans of sliced tomatoes that had a Class 2 Dent present on the bottom seam of the can. This dent affected the bottom seal of the can.

---

Taco Bell 1730 Vine, Hays – June 25

A follow-up inspection found no violations.

OFFICE OF CONG. MARSHALL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – First District Kansas Congressman Roger Marshall (R-Great Bend) will be in western Kansas this week for a series of town hall meetings during the Congressional holiday break.

Click on the link for information specific to each town.

July 2nd 8:00 A.M. – Clark County Town Hall – Ashland Community Center

July 2nd 10:00 A.M. – Meade County Town Hall – Chuck Wagon Restaurant

July 2nd 12:00 P.M. – Gray County Town Hall – The Shepherd’s Center

July 2nd 2:00 P.M. – Hodgeman County Town Hall – Hodgeman County Health Center

July 3rd 8:00 A.M. – Greeley County Town Hall – Melven O Kuder Senior Center

July 3rd 10:30 A.M. – Wichita County Town Hall – Wichita County Business Care Center

July 3rd 12:00 P.M. – Scott County Town Hall – Bryan Conference Center

July 3rd 3:00 P.M. – Lane County Town Hall – Lane County Courthouse

July 3rd 4:30 P.M. – Ness County Town Hall – Leisure Years Center

July 5th 9:00 A.M. – Rush County Town Hall – Golden Belt Telephone

July 6th 8:00 A.M. – Pawnee County Town Hall – Larned City Hall