Year: 2019
Judge: Videos don’t clear officers in Kansas suspect’s death
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that videos from white officers’ body cameras do not show conclusively that a black suspect reached for a gun in a pocket of his shorts before Topeka police shot him to deathin September 2017.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree said this week that the video footage was “equivocal, at best” in a ruling that allows attorneys for suspect Dominique White’s family to question two officers.
White’s father filed a civil rights lawsuit in June 2018 on behalf of himself and White’s four young children against the city, Officers Michael Cruse and Justin Mackey and five unnamed officers. The family contends that White’s shooting wasn’t legally justified.
The city has asked to have the lawsuit settled in its favor and dismissed before a trial, arguing that the officers’ use of deadly force was reasonable, so that neither they nor the city can be sued for damages. The local district attorney declared the shooting justified, and an internal police review said the officers followed department procedures.
“But, a reasonable jury could conclude that Mr. White momentarily lost his balance after spinning out of Officer Cruse’s grasp, then moved his hand consistent with a running motion, but did not reach for his pocket,” Crabtree wrote in his decision.
Police were responding to reports of gunfire near a park when they confronted the 30-year-old White. He was armed and just months out of prison after being prosecuted for burglary and illegal gun possession. Officers shot him as he fled.
Attorneys for the city and the officers argued that Cruse and Mackey did not need to be questioned by the White family’s lawyers because the body camera footage showed that White reached for a gun in a pocket.
But Crabtree disagreed, saying in his decision that “the videos alone” from Cruse and Mackey’s body cameras do not establish that White reached for a gun. The judge said he would have to rely on Cruse’s and Mackey’s statements to reach that conclusion.
“The court has viewed both videos multiple times and finds the videos equivocal, at best, on whether Mr. White reached for his gun,” Crabtree wrote.
The judge also said lawyers for the White family could seek information from the city about statements Cruse and Mackey made about their decisions to fire their weapons.
The Post Podcast: First Call for Help launches fundraising campaign for transient housing program
With burglaries on the rise, authorities warn of imposter utility workers
SALINA — Salina Police are warning the public to be aware of an incident involving a person posing as a gas utility worker.
Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said Friday that police recently received a report from someone in south Salina who said a man dressed as a utility worker came to her door and asked whether her house had gas. The woman thought it odd that there was no utility truck around the neighborhood at the time. The timing of the incident is in line with recent burglaries in the area, he said.
Forrester encourages people to make sure people are who they claim to be. He said to ask for identification and make sure there is a truck matching the company the alleged utility worker claims to represent. Additionally, if you are still unsure, call Westar and Kansas Gas Service, as they will let you know if they have workers in your area, Forrester said.
The Post Podcast: DHDC Executive Director on upcoming events in Hays
Missouri denies license renewal for lone abortion clinic
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri’s health department has declined to renew the abortion license for the state’s lone clinic, but a court order allows the St. Louis Planned Parenthood affiliate to perform the procedure — for now.
The state notified the clinic of its decision Friday morning before a court hearing. St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer said a preliminary injunction he previously issued to allow the clinic to continue perform abortions would remain in place for now.
Stelzer said he would issue a written order outlining next steps, but he was not sure if the order would come on Friday.
Missouri’s health department allowed the clinic’s license to perform abortions to lapse effective June 1. Rulings by Stelzer allowed the clinic to continue to perform abortions temporarily after the clinic took the state to court over the dispute.
Stelzer had told the state it couldn’t simply let the license lapse but had to renew or deny it.
“The Court does not believe that an ‘official action’ can include non-action,” Stelzer wrote in a June 10 ruling granting a preliminary injunction.
He gave the health department until Friday to decide.
According to Planned Parenthood, no state has been without a functioning abortion clinic since 1974, the year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.
Health department officials have cited concerns at the clinic, including that three “failed abortions” required additional surgeries and another led to life-threatening complications for the mother, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing a now-sealed court filing.
Planned Parenthood leaders say top-level care is provided at the clinic, and the license fight is just part of an effort by an anti-abortion administration to eliminate the procedure in Missouri.
Missouri is among several conservative states, emboldened by new conservative justices on the Supreme Court, to pass new restrictions on abortions. Officials in those states are hopeful that federal courts will uphold laws that prohibit abortions before a fetus is viable outside the womb, the dividing line the high court set in Roe.
Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation on May 24 to ban abortions at or beyond eight weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for medical emergencies but not for rape or incest.
Planned Parenthood appeared to escalate its fight with Missouri on Thursday when it stopped performing one of two state-mandated pelvic exams for women seeking abortions. The health department requires a pelvic exam during a consultation at least 72 hours before the procedure, and a second exam at the time of the abortion.
Dr. Colleen McNicholas, an abortion provider at the clinic, said the preliminary exam is invasive and unnecessary.
The number of abortions performed in Missouri has declined every year for the past decade, reaching a low of 2,910 last year. Of those, an estimated 1,210 occurred at eight weeks or less of pregnancy, according to health department data.
In fact, more Missouri women are getting abortions in Kansas than in Missouri. Information from the state of Kansas shows that about 3,300 of the 7,000 abortions performed there last year involved Missouri residents.
Kansas has an abortion clinic in Overland Park, a Kansas City suburb just 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the state line.
The nearest clinic to St. Louis is in Granite City, Illinois, less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) away. Illinois does not track the home states of women seeking abortions so it’s unknown how many Missouri residents have been treated there.
Seven Hays High players named to all-state baseball, softball teams
Sports in Kansas has named their 5A All-State softball and baseball teams with seven total Hays High Indians included on the list.
Jaysa Wichers and Kaitlyn Brown were each on the honorable mention list. Wichers batted .321 on the season driving in 20 runs and scored eight times. She hit six doubles and two home runs. Wichers was also the team’s primary pitcher throwing 103 innings. Brown hit at a .424 pace with 15 runs scored, four runs driven in, and five doubles. Both graduated in May.
The full 5A All-State softball team can be found at https://kansas-sports.com/ks/news/?id=11413&t=2019-sports-in-kansas-5a-all-state-softball-team.
Trey Riggs was named first team pitcher. Riggs went 6-2 for the 19-2 Indians. He threw 45 innings and held opponents to a .165 batting average and boasted a 1.71 ERA. Riggs struck out 52 batters, walked 11 and hit two. He was also a force at the plate batting .400, driving in a team high 31 runs and scoring 20 times. His senior season saw five doubles, a triple and three home runs. He struck out six times while walking thirteen times and was hit by three pitches.
Brock Lummus made the list as second team catcher. The to be senior hit for an average of .333 with 25 runs driven in and scored ten times. He notched eleven extra base hits which included six doubles, two triples and three home runs. Lummus walked fourteen times, struck out on nine occasions and was hit three times.
Palmer Hutchison was named second team as a utility player. The Kansas City Kansas Community College signee batted .403 with a team high 30 runs scored and drove in 16. He hit seven doubles, two triples and two home runs. Hutchison was hit by eight pitches during the season, walked another twelve times and struck out in just five at bats. He also had a great season on the mound going 7-0 with a 51 strikeouts and walking only 11 in 40 2/3 innings of work. His ERA was 2.58 on the season. Hutchison and Riggs each had six wins on the mound during the 2019 season. The last time Hays High teammates both had six or more wins in a season was 2006 when Andy Lewton and Clayton Karst each had six. Blake Schmidtberger and Justin Shelton did it in 1998 with six each. Joe Hillebrand and Travis Zimmerman did it in 1995 with 7 wins each.
Cody Petersen and Dylan Dreiling were each named on the honorable mention list. Petersen hit .309 with 23 RBI, scored 26 runs, one double and four home runs. Dreiling, who will be a sophomore, hit for a .323 average. He scored 17 runs, drove in 21 and hit four home runs and an additional four doubles. Dreiling walked fifteen times and was struck out only three times.
The full 5A All-State team can be found at https://kansas-sports.com/ks/news/?id=11420&t=2019-sports-in-kansas-5a-all-state-baseball-team.
H.D. ‘Spec’ Woods
The family of H.D. “Spec” Woods is sad to report that he has passed away. His death occurred Friday, on June 14th at 7:00 AM in Bishop Spencer Place of Kansas City, Missouri.
He was 94. Born December 11, 1924 and raised during the “Great Depression” in Lubbock, Texas, Spec joined the Army Air Corps right out of high school. He used the GI Bill when he returned home to go to college at Texas Tech. There he met & married the “love of his life” Margaret (Peg) Johnson. He & Peg moved to Hays in the summer of 1952 to raise their family, and he partnered with Richard R. “Dick” Starr to form Woods & Starr Architects.
Together they made a lasting, physical statement for modern architecture in both Hays and western Kansas that will last for decades. In love with flying, both Spec & Peg became private pilots. They traveled far and wide but always preferred to be at home, in Hays. He resided in Hays continuously until April of this year when he relocated to Kansas City to be closer to his family.
In his final days, he was surrounded by 3 generations of his descendants, and he left a lasting memory of steadfast love for all of us. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peg who passed away December 18, 2012, by his parents, and by all the aunts and uncles of his own generation. He was indeed the last one standing.
He is survived by his son Cris Woods and his wife Corine (Price, also from Hays) of Kansas City, Mo., his daughter Patti Revell of Plano, Texas, his 5 grandchildren Faye, Beth, Steve, Kati and Ben, and his 2 great-grandchildren, Maxx and Jimi. We miss him already.
The family is planning a private inurnment ceremony at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery at WaKeeney on Thursday, June 27th, 2019.
Visitation will be held the next day beginning at 1:00 PM with a “Celebration of Life Ceremony” to follow at 2:00 PM, Friday, June 28th at The First Presbyterian Church, 2900 Hall, in Hays. With the presentation of the US Flag by the Hays V.F.W. Post No. 9076. All of Spec’s friends are welcome.
The family suggests memorials to High Plains Mental Health Center, Hays, Kansas.
Services are entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601. Condolence can be sent to [email protected] or can be left at guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com
Kansas man who surrendered after standoff charged in mother’s death
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his mother.
Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced Thursday that David Wood Jr., 43, Topeka, is charged in the death of 69-year-old Kyong “Carol” Wood. He is also charged with felony interference with law enforcement.
Investigators say the victim was found dead Sunday inside her home. Kagay says she died from blunt force trauma.
David Wood was arrested after a nearly five-hour standoff. He surrendered when police fired tear gas into the house.
Wood is being held in the Shawnee County Jail and on $1 million bond.
Rooks Co. unemployment rate spikes to nearly 5% in May
KDOL
Preliminary estimates reported by the Kansas Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.5 percent in May. This was unchanged from April and up from 3.3 percent in May 2018.
“Kansas added 600 jobs in May with contributions from both the public and private sectors,” said Secretary Delía García. “Additionally, the previous month’s estimate for April was revised upward by 500 jobs. This puts the average monthly job growth over the last three months at 2,100.”
The jobless rate in Ellis County rose slightly, from 2.3 percent in April to 2.4 percent in May. Rooks County, which has seen a pair of significant economic blows with the woes of the Dessin Fournir and Plainville Livestock Commission, had a steep increase. Unemployment there jumped from 3.6 percent in April to 4.8 percent in May, by far the highest jobless rate in western Kansas.
Only Linn and Atchison counties in eastern Kansas had a higher unemployment rate in May than Roos County.
Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 600 from April. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, increased by 100 from the previous month.
“Kansas gained jobs in May despite the above average rainfall that contributed to a slowdown in construction projects. Offsetting these losses were gains in state government and retail trade. Overall, job growth is picking up after a slow start to the year,” said Senior Labor Economist, Tyler Tenbrink.
Since May 2018, Kansas gained 12,900 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs and 10,300 private sector jobs.
Learn the ‘How Tos of Internships’ for businesses
Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association will hold its monthly meeting from noon to 1 p.m. August 14 at the Fort Hays State University Robbins Center (Eagle Communication Hall), One Tiger Place. Registration is from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m., with a short business meeting starting at 11:30 a.m.
The program for the August meeting will be “How Tos of Internships,” presented by Karen McCullough and Lisa Karlin with FHSU Career Services. The program will be submitted for SHRM continuing education credits. WKHRMA members can RSVP at wkhrma.shrm.org. The deadline to RSVP is noon on August 9.
WKHRMA is an affiliate chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), a local professional organization for persons engaged in personal or human resource management.
For more information on WKHRMA, visit wkhrma.shrm.org.
Vollbracht oil painting workshop at Hansen Museum
LOGAN – The Dane G. Hansen Museum’s Continuing Education Program is pleased to offer a David Vollbracht Oil Painting Workshop July 11-13, 2019. David will demonstrate oil painting techniques and teach how composition, color, and brushwork enhances painting style.
Classes will be held in the Hansen Museum Community Room, Logan, KS from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.
One morning, David will take the class outdoors for plein air sketching. Back in the classroom, David will guide students in turning these sketches into paintings. On the final day of the workshop, David will critique students’ work.
Registration fees for this workshop are $180.00 with discounts available to Patron and Sustaining members of the Dane G. Hansen Museum. A list of supplies required for the workshop, as well as more information, is also available by calling 785-689-4846, emailing [email protected], or at www.hansenmuseum.org. Please return registrations to the museum by July 9, 2019.
The Dane G. Hansen Museum is open Monday through Friday 9-12 & 1-4; Saturdays 9-12 & 1-5; Sundays & Holidays 1-5. We are closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The Museum is handicapped accessible and admission is always free thanks to the generous support of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. For more information or if you have questions, please contact us at 785-689-4846.
This weekend’s Hays-area garage sales
Hays-area garage sales
Scroll to the bottom for a map of garage sale locations. Hays Post offers FREE garage sale listings weekly. Having a garage sale next weekend? Click HERE to submit your information.
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1700 Wheatland, Hays
Friday June 21st 4-dark, Saturday June 22nd 8-12
Name brand Boys (L-XL), Women’s/Juniors (S-L), Men’s (XL) clothing and shoes. DVDs and Blu-ray movies (lots), many misc excellent quality household and misc items
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503 W. 39th, Hays
Friday June 21st – 11am-6pm and Saturday June 22nd 8am-12pm
Lots of clothing and shoes in all sizes – women’s, men’s, and girls (newborn-size 10/12). Home decor, kitchen items, barstools, grill, vases, books, adult Halloween costumes, lots of kids toys, booster car seat, kids bikes, kids table, scooter, doll stroller, and so much more.
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308 W. 37th, Hays
Friday, June 21 10 a.m.-?
-Name brand Teen and adult clothing (NIKE, Adidas, PINK, Miss Me) -Household items -Bread machine -Teaching supplies/resources -Coach purses/wallets -Misc. items
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1706 Anthony Drive, Hays
3 day event, Thurs./Fri., June 27th and 28th from 10 a.m until 6 p.m. and Sat., June 29th, 8 a.m. until noon
Toy tractors, glassware, china hutch, treadmill, edger, misc. tools, pole saw, file cabinets, safes, numerous miscellaneous items
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