Colonel John David Smith, 72, USAF, Retired, passed away June 24, 2019 at his home, near Rose Hill, Kansas.
He was born May 28, 1947 to Mary Lou Rumsey Smith and the Late Virgil Smith of Larned. John was a graduate of Larned High School and University of Kansas.
On October 1, 1977 he married Jill Terrill of Red Bank, New Jersey. They had three sons; Bryan of Bluffton, South Carolina, Mike of Lenexa, Kansas and David of Andover, Kansas. Following their divorce; John Married Kylynn Gray of Wichita.
After his retirement from the Air Force; John worked for Flight Safety of Wichita as a Flight Instructor. He also, donated his time counseling prison inmates and disadvantaged students in the Wichita area.
Survivors include; his mother, Mary Lou Smith; a brother Vance (Susan) of Larned; three sons, Bryan, Mike and David and three grandchildren; Alexandra, Maddox and Natalie.
He was preceded in death by; his father, Virgil Smith.
Cremation has taken place and a memorial service with Military Honors will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday at Beckwith Mortuary Chapel with Pastor Bill Stapleton presiding.
Memorials may be given to the Santa Fe Trail Center in care of Beckwith Mortuary, P.O. Box 477, Larned, KS 67550.
SALINA —On the heels of a $1 million donation from the Salina Regional Health Center, Kansas Wesleyan announced Wednesday that the Jack and Donna Vanier family is providing its own $1 million gift to help create a new, state-of-the-art Nursing Education Center, according to a media release from the school.
An artists rendering of the KWU nursing center courtesy KWU
The building, located at 135 E. Claflin Avenue in Salina will be the first new instruction-only facility on campus in 50 years. In total, the renovation plans have an estimated cost of $4.5 million.
Once that capital is raised, construction is anticipated to begin late this fall, with a targeted completion date of December 2020.
“We are so pleased and honored to be given the opportunity to help with this project. The work that Dr. Thompson, his board and faculty, and everyone at Kansas Wesleyan have done in order to provide their students with a real hands-on and needs-based education is tremendous! Our decision to support the program for the school was an easy one,” John Vanier said.
The 13,400-square-foot, two-story building will house a performance lab, simulation suite, testing area, large classrooms, a multi-media conference room, student study area, a student lounge, and faculty offices.
The simulation and clinical laboratories give students hands-on practice in bedside care, simulated patient scenarios and collaborative learning opportunities with other health care disciplines, all leading to a comprehensive nursing education, preparing graduates to go into immediate practice after passing national board certification testing and licensing.
The renovation is designed to handle educational facilities for 80 nursing students – 40 each in the junior and senior classes. Kansas Wesleyan nursing students spend freshman and sophomore years with basic studies and enter concentrated nursing education their final two years.
KWU President and CEO Dr. Matt Thompson said this significant gift from the Vaniers not only jump-starts the fundraising campaign for the total renovation, but demonstrates the family’s magnanimous generosity and commitment to the community.
“It is difficult to put into words how grateful we are for this major support; however, it is easy to find the words that illustrate how much the Vaniers help build their own community by ensuring quality and depth of nursing care for all residents,” Dr. Thompson said. “We are appreciative of the Vanier family’s commitment to KWU and the region. Our goal is to educate nursing students to fill a critical need in our local health care facilities. It is our commitment to meet that challenge, and the Vaniers are role models in helping us provide the tools to do exactly that.”
The nursing program at KWU was established in January 1988 after the Asbury Hospital program was moved to the university. The Department of Nursing Education initiated an associate degree in nursing in 1989, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program in 1990.
Starting in 2014, the need for major program revisions was identified. In the summer of 2015, new full-time nursing faculty with advanced nursing degrees were hired. In 2017, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree was converted to a Bachelor of Science with a major in nursing degree so that new curriculum ideas could be implemented and evaluated separately from the former BSN degree. The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
KWU also offers an RN to BS nursing degree online program for students who are licensed RNs wanting to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
This in not a church sponsored event, rather just 10 Christians (from three different churches) in Hays wanting to bring in a great pastor and have a revival.
It will be held in a huge building at exit 153 on I-70. It is air conditioned.
For more information contact John Pyle at 785-498-9066.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The organization sponsoring a mock state legislature for boys is apologizing after this year’s teenage governor proposed eliminating women’s right to vote.
The American Legion Boys State of Kansas Leadership Academy said in a statement that the student’s pretending to issue an executive order repealing the constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote does not reflect the organization’s values.
The Boys State Legislature voted down the proposal in both its Senate and House of Representatives.
The teenager from Leavenworth made the proposal in the final moments of his term during the annual Boys States gathering at Kansas State University on June 2-7.
Spokesman Brad Biles says the student ignored staff members who told him not to introduce the executive order.
During the six-hour standoff, many photos and videos were shot and posted showing locations of officers and special response unit personnel. Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper took time to address the balance of free speech with the safety of his officers. “At my agency we have absolutely nothing to hide. I am open, I am transparent, I try to let the community know everything that we are doing,” Hooper said. “A lot of the success or failure of an emergency response team is based on appropriate tactics.”
Hooper says such video or photos on social media could be used against law enforcement and put them and the subject in more danger. “In a tactical situation, with people videotaping us, it would not be uncommon for the suspect in this incident last Thursday, for example, to be watching us or monitoring social media,” Hooper said. He gave an example of a similar situation where a person was providing live video of the standoff. Dispatch was letting law enforcement know that their movements were being put on social media.
Hooper says access to social media by those who may have a hostage, or are in a standoff, could be used against law enforcement. Hooper added that negotiations can hinge on keeping the subject calm in a hostage situation. “There’s often times when we’re negotiating with them we have officers in place, but we don’t want the suspect to see that because we don’t want to put any undue pressure on him or we don’t want to force him into anything rash,” Hooper stated.
Hooper says the use of social media has reached the point where the police department is constantly monitoring it so officers can determine if safety is being compromised. “We now have to monitor that,” Hooper said. “We are at our command post and we are seeing what things are going out on social media, we’re seeing if somebody’s Facebook-living it.” Hooper says he has to use resources to make sure they can prevent their officers from being placed in harm’s way adding there have been times during an emergency situation where he has discussed social media with Sheriff Randy Henderson to determine if their officers are being put in danger.
Not only can a person put an officer in danger by giving up tactical information on social media, but it can also be a crime if the information is given to a subject intentionally.
RENO COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 1a.m. Wednesday in Reno County.
The sheriff’s department reported a southbound Union Pacific train struck a Mitsubishi Eclipse that was struck on the tracks at 82nd Street and Old 61 Highway.
The train conductor Calen Knipp told authorities they did not see the black vehicle stopped on the tracks.
The vehicle registered to Tawnya Sallee of Hutchinson was unoccupied, according to the sheriff’s department.
An investigation determined the driver did not navigate the turn correctly and the front two wheels of the vehicle left the roadway. The driver was unable to get the vehicle back onto the roadway, turned on the flashers and left it on the railroad tracks.
Knipp and the train’s engineer Dean Forsberg were not injured.
SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a series of burglaries.
Spencer Schroeder photo Sedgwick Co.
Just after 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, police responded to an alarm call at the A-Ok Pawn Shop in the 1500 block of south Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers located a broken glass window on the business, damaged property inside and property was missing from the business.
Investigators determined 24-year-old Spencer Schroeder of Wichita was involved in the burglary. Schroeder was located in the 1500 block of south Broadway and arrested without incident. Investigators believe he may be involved in several other burglaries, according to Davidson.
Schroeder remains jailed with a bond of $25,000 on requested charges of burglary, destruction to property and theft.
Mary Alice (Fleming) Craven, 87, of Hays, Kansas, and formerly of Russell, Kansas, passed away Sunday, June 23, 2019 at the Hays Medical Center.
Mary Alice was born March 7, 1932, in Ellsworth County, Kansas. She was one of five children born to Hazen and Edith (Bailey) Fleming. She grew up in Ellsworth and graduated from Ellsworth High School. She then attended Ft. Hays State University where she graduated with a degree in Nursing.
Mary Alice was united in marriage to Harold Dean Craven on June 10, 1956 in Ellsworth. This union was blessed with three children; David Allan, Michael Dean and Lois Lee. They made their home in Ellsworth until 1965 when they moved to Russell. Then in 1975, they moved to Hays. Harold preceded her in death on January 28, 1996.
Mary Alice was a Registered Nurse for St. Anthony’s Hospital in Hays for over 23 years before retiring. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Hays. In her spare time she enjoyed sewing, tending her flowers in her garden, oil painting, bird watching and going to the Hays Senior Center.
Mary’s surviving family include her two sons, David Allan Craven (Rosalyn) of Hays, Kansas and Michael Dean Craven (Darla) of Hays, Kansas; sister, Dorothy Lacey of Abilene, Kansas; five grandchildren, Chad LaRue, Dennis Craven, Jeremy LaRue, Toni Craven and Frances Lamb. Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harold; daughter, Lois; son-in-law, David LaRue; three brothers and grandchild, Shawn Asavadilokchi.
Celebration of Mary’s Life will be held at 10:30 A.M., Friday, June 28, 2019 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell. Burial will follow at the Russell City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Thursday, June 27, 2019 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, with the family present to greet friends from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.
MANHATTAN — Authorities are investigating the cause of a Wednesday morning fire in Manhattan.
photo courtesy Manhattan Fire Department
Just before 4:30 a.m., fire crews were called to a blaze in the at the Colonial Gardens Mobile Home Park in the 3000 block of Tuttle Creek Boulevard, according to a media release.
The fire in the park’s clubhouse was extinguished within 30 minutes despite limited access to fire hydrants, according to the release. Fire crews used a shuttle to bring water to fight the blaze.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alabama-born drummer Jerry Carrigan, who was in the first rhythm section for FAME Studio in Muscle Shoals and later an in-demand session player in Nashville, Tennessee, died at age 75 in Chattanooga.
His cousin, Tom Carrigan, said he learned of Carrigan’s death last Thursday, but he didn’t know the exact date of his death.
Carrigan was just a teenager when he and his friends David Briggs, who played piano, and Norbert Putnam, who played bass, helped to create the Muscle Shoals sound under the guidance of producer Rick Hall. Putnam said they played on some of the earliest FAME records, including Arthur Alexander’s “You Better Move On,” whose songs caught the attention of The Beatles.
That led to Carrigan getting to play in the Muscle Shoals backup band that opened for The Beatles on their first U.S. concert in Washington D.C. in 1964, said Putnam.
Later the three Alabama musicians moved to Nashville, where they became some of the most in-demand session players in Nashville, a group which is commonly called the Nashville Cats. He became a prolific musician, playing for Elvis Presley, George Jones, Kenny Rogers, Porter Wagoner and more.
Putnam said Tuesday that the Nashville session musicians in the ’70s had to be versatile and Carrigan worked on everything from big band music to composer Henry Mancini to JJ Cale and Tony Joe White.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum lists some of his credits as Bobby Bare’s “Marie Laveau,” Waylon Jennings’s “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line,” George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Middle Aged Crazy,” Jerry Reed’s “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” Charlie Rich’s “Behind Closed Doors,” Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” Ray Stevens’ “Everything Is Beautiful,” and Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie.”
Colonel John David Smith, 72, USAF, Retired, passed away June 24, 2019 at his home, near Rose Hill, Kansas. 
Mary Alice (Fleming) Craven, 87, of Hays, Kansas, and formerly of Russell, Kansas, passed away Sunday, June 23, 2019 at the Hays Medical Center.
