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Year: 2019

Allen dismissed from Wichita St. basketball team after arrest

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Teddy Allen photo Sedgwick County
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita State has dismissed Teddy Allen after he was arrested last week following a disturbance at a woman’s home.

Athletic director Darron Boatright said Tuesday he and Coach Gregg Marshall wished Allen well but decided his dismissal was best for the basketball program.

Allen was arrested last Thursday after a woman accused him of causing a disturbance at her home, destroying her iPhone and stealing keys before fleeing on foot. He was later charged with domestic violence property crime and petty theft, both misdemeanors. He faces a July 29 arraignment.

Allen, a 6-foot-5 forward, transferred from West Virginia and sat out last season after the NCAA denied his request for a waiver to play immediately. Nicknamed “Teddy Buckets” for his scoring ability, Allen was expected to start this coming season.

Marshall said in a statement that he was disappointed and regretted that he couldn’t help Allen more.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY —  Law enforcement authorities are investigating a member of the Wichita State men’s basketball team after a Thursday arrest.

Just after 3:30 a.m.Thursday, police responded to a domestic disturbance call at a residence in the 1800 block of North Doreen in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

A 23-year-old female resident told police Teddy Allen, 21, a member of the Wichita State University Basketball team, came to the home, battered her, took and broke her cell phone and took keys belonging to another 27-year-old female resident.

Police arrested Allen in the 1700 Block of North Gentry in Wichita, according to the Wichita Police Department Booking report. He was jailed on requested charges that include theft of property or services, domestic violence and criminal damage to property.

He posted bond and was no longer in custody Thursday morning, according to online Sedgwick County jail records.

Allen was the Nebraska Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2017, according to the bio from Wichita State. He sat out last season per NCAA rules after he transferred to Wichita State from West Virginia. He appeared in 35 games for the Mountaineers.

The case will be reviewed by the City of Wichita Prosecutors Office, according to Davidson.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY —  Law enforcement authorities are investigating a member of the Wichita State men’s basketball team after a Thursday arrest.

Teddy Allen, 21, was arrested Thursday in the 1700 Block of North Gentry in Wichita, according to the Wichita Police Department Booking report. He was jailed on requested charges that include theft of property or services and criminal damage to property.

He posted bond and was no longer in custody Thursday morning, according to online Sedgwick County jail records.

Allen was the Nebraska Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2017, according to the bio from Wichita State. He sat out last season per NCAA rules after he transferred to Wichita State from West Virginia. He appeared in 35 games for the Mountaineers.

Dr. Gene Deutscher

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Dr. Gene Deutscher, of North Platte, passed away at Linden Court on Saturday, June 15, 2019, at the age of 78, following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Deutscher was Professor Emeritus of UNL Dept. of Animal Science and the Research Center at North Platte.

Gene was born December 12, 1940, on the family farm west of Ellis, Kansas. He was the youngest of six children born into the German Christian family of Emil and Jennie Deutscher. Gene played basketball and graduated with honors from Ellis High School in 1958 then served two years in the U.S. Army in a Supply and Transportation Company.

In 1963 Gene married Karen Lofstead in Ellis and had three children, Deborah Jo who died at birth, Krystal and Brett. After his divorce in 1987, Gene met and later married Judy Bostwick on August 19, 1989, at the First Lutheran Church in North Platte where they made their home.

Gene’s formal education continued when he attended Kansas State University and graduated with a B.S. in Animal Husbandry. He later entered graduate school in 1968 at Oklahoma State University, earning his Master’s Degree in 1970 and Doctorate Degree in 1972, both in animal breeding and reproductive physiology. Dr. Deutscher went on to accept an Assistant Professor position at South Dakota State University as a beef cattle research scientist. In 1978, after six years at SDSU, he moved his family to Nebraska and joined the University of Nebraska West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte as the first beef cattle reproduction and breeding specialist.

Dr. Deutscher’s research and extension programs emphasized the improvement of cattle production through reducing calving difficulty and calf losses, heifer development, estrous synchronization and new breeding programs, including sexed sperm. His research on using heifer pelvic measurements and calf birth weights to reduce dystocia was internationally acclaimed. Dr. Deutscher went on to become a popular guest speaker at conferences across the U.S., was a consultant in Argentina and Australia, supervised several graduate students as they went on to complete their degrees, and authored a beef handbook bulletin. Over 150 scientific and extension publications resulted from his research.

Dr. Deutscher retired in 2000 and at his University retirement celebration was quoted as saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Gene cared about people and always tried to do research and education programs that would help ranchers improve cattle production.

In 2013 he established the Gene Deutscher Fellowship in Beef Cattle Reproductive Physiology Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation, which with the help of others, will fund one or more fellowships to Animal Science graduate students participating in research being done at the West Central Research and Extension Center.

Gene was a committed believer and Christian throughout his life. He was an active member of Messiah Lutheran Church where he served on church council and the finance committee, was treasurer of the building fund, organizer of the stained glass window project and Endowment Fund Chairman. While a member of First Lutheran Church, Gene served 11 years in Christian Education. He was also Scholarship Chairman of Elks Lodge #985 for 10 years and a member of the American Legion.

During his retirement years, Gene liked raising and selling Gelbvieh-Angus cattle and enjoyed driving his pick-up through pastures just to check on them. He also enjoyed tending to his vegetable garden and sharing his produce. Gene looked forward to attending Husker football games with his family and friends and liked taking vacations with Judy and their kids and grandkids.

Along with all his work, research and dedication to beef reproduction, Gene will be remembered as a loving, caring and compassionate Christian man.

Gene is survived by his wife, Judy, of North Platte; children, Krystal (Jak) Konrad, of Phoenix, Arizona and Brett (Mary) Deutscher, of San Jose, California; grandchildren, Devynn and Cassidy Deutscher; sisters, Alberta Breit and Hermine Burg, both of Long Beach, California; as well as other family.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant daughter; brothers, Verlin and Emil, Jr. Deutscher; and sister, Carol Keller.

Funeral Service will be 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 18, 2019, at Messiah Lutheran Church with Reverend Rebecca Mangelsdorf officiating. Burial will follow at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday with family greeting friends from 4-6 p.m. at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore, which is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Gene Deutscher Fellowship in Beef Cattle Reproduction Fund or Messiah Lutheran Church Endowment Scholarship Fund to help others. Online condolences may be shared at odeanchapel.com.

Properties in Ellis, Schoenchen sold at Ellis County tax sale

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By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission auctioned off two properties Tuesday morning in Ellis County District Court as part of a sheriff’s tax sale.

In all, there were six properties eligible for foreclosure because of lack of payment for three or more years.

The first property, 212 W. 10th in Ellis, previously owned by Refugio Delarosa, sold for $6,5000 Tuesday.

The other property that sold Tuesday was located at 119 Cheyenne in Schoechen for $5,700. The property previously was owned by Anthony Loreg.

A second property, owned by Delarosa at 208 W. 12th St. in Ellis, did not sell. A second property in Schoenchen owned by Loreg at 0 Church St. also did not sell.

Property at 1201 Ash in Victoria, owned by Candice Kay Funk-Loffredi, also did not sell.

Also in Ellis, the property at 1309 Fauteux also did not sell.

The buyers are responsible for back taxes in 2017 and 2018.

County Counselor Bill Jeter said the county plans to continue to have one tax sale a year going forward.

UPDATE: Sunflower Bank issues after reports of fraud in Salina

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Copy of the malware message that appeared on the Sunflower Bank website Monday. Image from Salina Police Department

UPDATE 3:30 p.m. Tuesday:

Statement from Sunflower Bank regarding reports of fraud in Salina:

There have been recent reports of fraud in Salina, Kansas and a malware message appearing to come from Sunflower Bank was shared in the news.

We take our security, and the security of our customers very seriously. Upon learning of these reports, we immediately reviewed our security protocols to confirm the issue was not present in our environment. We actively monitor our environment 24/7 to ensure security protocols remain effective. The message that was shared appears to be from pdfmaker-live and is not associated with Sunflower Bank or its websites. Learn about removing this plug-in from your browser here:https://www.myantispyware.com/2018/09/20/how-to-remove-install-pdf-maker-com-pop-up-ads-chrome-firefox-ie-edge/.

We ask that our customers review their accounts regularly and reach out to us if they see anything that looks out-of-the-norm. Combatting fraud is a united effort and our customers are good at partnering with us to help identify and tackle situations as they arise.

All web users should be cognizant of devices they are using, make sure systems are updated regularly, and be cautious of online requests. These are common best practices to avoid falling victim to fraud and other scams:

10 Things You Can Do to Avoid Fraud

Phishing: Don’t take the bait

OnGuardOnline: Tips to help you stay safe and secure online

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SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are assisting with an investigation of alleged fraudulent use of Sunflower Bank customers accounts.

As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the Salina Police Department had received 49 individual calls from Sunflower Bank customers whose accounts had been compromised, according to Salina Police Captain Gary Hanus.

The Saline County sheriff’s office had received six calls from residents living outside the Salina city limits whose accounts had been compromised, according to Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander.

The cases appear to be related to those with which the police are dealing.

Both Hanus and Melander said their agencies are writing outside agency assist reports for law enforcement in the locations where the crimes occurred.

Hanus also said he was aware of transactions on Sunflower accounts in Wichita, the suburbs of Wichita, Hutchinson, and one location in Texas.

In some instances, Sunflower customers’ debit card information was used for purchases and in others, Sunflower Bank ATMs were used, according to Hanus.

Both Hanus and Melander said they did not know the total number of Sunflower customers affected nor the total amount lost by Sunflower customers.

Hanus said law enforcement personnel believe a redirect malware on the Sunflower Bank website was at least partially to blame for the breach. He provided a screenshot of a message that appeared on the Sunflower Bank website. The message has since been taken down.

Hanus encouraged all persons to check their financial accounts regularly for suspicious activity.

Grow Hays director shares challenges in Ellis Co. with Victoria City Council

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Doug Willams, director of Grow Hays, shared with the Victoria City Council the challenges facing Ellis County as the population is forecasted to trend significantly downward in the coming decades.

Population declines create more urgent need for business development, Williams tells council

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

VICTORIA — During Monday night’s Victoria City Council meeting, Grow Hays Director Doug Williams shared with the group a few of the challenges facing western Kansas as the area is forecasted to trend toward an older and small population.

“The reality is western Kansas is dying,” Willams said. “We have an aging population, we are not retaining our young people, we are attracting less and less outside investment, and we have diminishing natural resources. If we believe in 20 years we are going to be pumping as much oil in Ellis County as we are now, we fooling ourselves and it’s a slow, but steady progression.”

Williams noted population decline as a primary driver in the concerns facing the county, sharing with the council results of a Wichita State University population projection study.

Looking at 2024, the charts showed a much higher average age throughout western Kansas, increasing even higher in 2034 until, by 2064, the average age would be roughly the same as it is now, he said.

But at that point, the population of the area is projected to be significantly lower.

Many of the counties in the area, by that time, are expected to be 59 to 95 percent lower in population.

“Only one county on there projects an increase, and that is Ellis County,” Willams said.

“What’s happening is the counties out in western Kansas are dying. Those people are moving to Hays. They are moving here for health care or various reasons,” he said. “Or they are moving elsewhere.”

He then shared that while that might seem good for Ellis County when looking at the population of the trade area, the larger loss is concerning.

“The current population, of that trade area, is 80,000 people,” Willams said. “If you look at that worst-case scenario, they project that same trade area will be 52,000 people — or 35 percent fewer people — to come to Hays to shop, to eat and for kids to go to Fort Hays State.”

The best-case scenario is that the area population stays even, but even that is concerning when looking at a 40-year projection he said.

“We can be like Nero and play our fiddle and do nothing and let it happen or we can try to be positive and do some things about it,” Willams said.

He urged the council that if action is taken now, the trend could change, calling for a greater sense of urgency in addressing the problem through development and recruitment including long-term investments that may not have near-term returns.

“And we can have a good neighbor policy, which means we help Trego County, we help Rooks County, we help Phillips County, whatever the case may be, because we are all in this boat together,” Williams said.

Entrepreneurship is key to reversing the trend, Williams told the council. He detailed several Grow Hays programs being offered over the summer to help spark business development in Ellis County.

Those programs, he said, can help increase business interest in Ellis County, including a housing development program that helps buyers secure funds to rehab area houses.

Details of the programs can be found on the Grow Hays website.

Willams also asked the council for funding from the city.

“We haven’t requested public funding for the last couple of years, from any public agencies,” Williams said. “We were trying to get our act together and show we provide value.

“We feel like we are now and that’s why we have gone back to the public sector to ask for funding,” he said. “Victoria has been good enough to fund us in the past at a level and we would ask for that level to start again in your 2020 budget.”

Council members are expected to consider the funding request at their next meeting. In the past, Victoria has funded Grow Hays, formerly he Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development, at a $1,000 level.

As he was wrapping up his presentation, Williams shared a final thought with the council.

“We have to recognize we are in a battle and the clock ticks,” he said. “We have some time to do something about it, but if we don’t, there is a tipping point out there someplace where it won’t make any difference.”

USD 489 BOE opts against decreasing Hays High School tech fee

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By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post 

The Hays USD 489 school district voted to keep the Hays High School technology fee the same despite a recommendation from the administration to drop the fee by $25 for the coming school year.

The HHS technology fee is $50, but the administration recommended decreasing the fee to $25 to match the Hays Middle School fee.

Superintendent John Thissen said the administration was following the direction the board had given several years ago to decrease student fees.

Board member Greg Schwartz balked at the move.

“I think we are going to find out that we don’t have an endless supply of money this year even though we are getting a bunch more,” Schwartz said. “With everything else we have been presented thus far, I don’t know that it will be a good time to start cutting those fees.”

He said he would like the district to look at the possibly cutting fees in other areas.

Schwartz said the fee at HHS was initially set at $50 at the high school because that was the deductible on the insurance for the original devices that were used for HHS one-to-one computer program. The district later decided to self-insure its devices.

He said the district has many facility issues that need to be addressed through the capital outlay fund.

“No one ever addressed the big elephant in the room, which was technology, which accounted for about 20 percent of the capital outlay budget. This is one way to offset that,” he said.

Schwartz said he would be in favor of making HMS’s fee the same as the high school’s.

“If they have to be taken home because they are a necessity, that is a small price to pay for the use of a laptop or an iPad for a complete year,” he said.

Board member Lance Bickle said he also supported keeping the fee the same He noted the Thomas More Prep-Marian technology fee was $140. He said he supported looking at cutting in other areas.

The district decreased its workbook/material fee from $135 to $90 in 2018.

The district already decreased the driver’s education fee by $25 this year. Driver’s education fees in-district students for this summer were $225 and cost for out-of district students were $275. The program had a balance of about $80,000, and the administration recommended the fee change to reduce the surplus over time.

Here is a list of other fees for 2019-20.

  • Workbook/material fee at $90
  • HHS Activity Fee $66
  • HMS Technology fee $25
  • HMS Activity Fee $62

Food fees

  • Elementary Breakfast $1.70
  • Elementary Lunch $2.70
  • Middle School Breakfast $1.70
  • Middle School Lunch $2.85
  • High School Breakfast $1.70
  • High School Lunch $2.95
  • Reduced Breakfast $0.30
  • Reduced Lunch $0.40
  • Adult Breakfast $2.20
  • Adult Lunch $3.65
  • Extra Milk $0.40

In other business, the board:

• Reauthorized its FY2019 budget. The district received more special education funds than expected because of a higher student count. The district needed the authority to spend the money it received. The change will not affect local taxes.

• Approved the district’s worker’s compensation and cyber liability insurance renewal and renewal of the district’s participation in the Kansas Educational Risk Management Pool.

• Approved a 5 percent cost increase for all districts participating in the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative. This includes Hays, Ellis, Victoria and La Crosse. This will amount to $110,000 per year for Hays.

• Approved the renewal of the district’s membership in the Kansas Association of School Boards and the KASB Legal Assistance Fund. Total renewal cost was $15,144.

• Thanked Superintendent John Thissen for his service. This was Thissen’s last school board meeting. He will be replaced by new Superintendent Ron Wilson on July 1.

Clara Maxine Nelms

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Clara Maxine Nelms, 88, passed away June 17, 2019 at Diversicare, Larned.

She was born September 30, 1930 in Larned to Eli and Celie Webber Skelton.

A lifetime area resident she was a bank teller for First National Bank, Larned. She was of the Christian Faith and a member of the First Christian Church, VFW Ladies Auxiliary, and was the past president of Christian Women’s Fellowship, all of Larned.

On July 29, 1955 she married Ray Nelms at Larned, he preceded her in death on December 11, 1990.

She is survived by; a sister, Virginia Sallee, Great Bend; and a brother, Dale Skelton, Grand Junction, Colorado.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; three sisters, Erma Skelton, Verna Moorehead, Zesper Franz; and four brothers, Russell Skelton, Bob Skelton, Glenn Skelton, and Leo Skelton.

Graveside service will be 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 21, 2019 at Larned Cemetery, Larned, with Pastor Damon Bradley presiding. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, June 20, 2019 at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned.

Memorials may be given to the First Christian Church in care of Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, KS 67550.

2 hospitalized after 2-vehicle crash in Ellis County

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Two people were injured in an accident just after 7 a.m. Tuesday in Ellis County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Honda Civic driven by Austin M. Chart, 20, Salina, was pulling off of Campus Drive turning left onto U.S. 183.

The KHP said the vehicle pulled out in front of a 2005 Nissan Xterra driven by Nicholas A. Silva, 20, Phenix City, Ala.

Chart and Silva were transported to Hays Medical Center. Silva was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Police investigate after 15-year-old Kansas girl shot in the leg

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BUTLER COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a reported accidental shooting that sent a Kansas girl to the hospital.

On Saturday, police responded to a hospital in Andover where a 15-year-old girl had been shot in the lower leg, according Police Chief Michael Keller.

After interviewing individuals at the hospital, investigators then obtained a search warrant to investigate where the shooting occurred in the 400 Block of West 10th Street in Andover.

Investigator learned an 18-year-old boy at the residence was handling a gun. He didn’t know it was loaded. The gun fired and struck the girl in the leg.

The girl was later transferred from Andover to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, according to Keller. The Butler County District Attorney will review the case to determine any possible charges.

Norton County lake added to algae warning list

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Two lakes upgraded to warning status

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, has upgraded two public health watches to public health warnings for two Kansas lakes. Marion Reservoir in Marion County and Keith Sebelius Reservoir in Norton County now have public health warnings. Other lake statuses released June 13 remain unchanged.

Current Warnings:

Marion Reservoir, Marion County
Keith Sebelius Reservoir, Norton County
Big Eleven Lake, Wyandotte County
Jerry Ivey Pond, Saline County
Overbrook City Lake, Osage County

When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

  • Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.
  • Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.
  • Water contact should be avoided.
  • Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.
  • Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.
  • If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.
  • Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.

Current Watches:

Atchison County State Fishing Lake, Atchison County
Marion County Lake, Marion County

A watch means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop.  People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.

During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

  • Signage will be posted at all public access locations
  • Water may be unsafe for humans/animals
  • Avoid areas of algae accumulation and do not let people/pets eat dried algae or drink contaminated water.
  • Swimming, wading, skiing, and jet skiing are discouraged near visible blooms
  • Boating and fishing are safe. However, inhalation of the spray may affect some individuals. Avoid direct contact with water, and wash with clean water after any contact.
  • Clean fish well with potable water and eat fillet portion only.

KDHE samples publicly-accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.

Kansans should be aware that blooms are unpredictable. They can develop rapidly and may float around the lake, requiring visitors to exercise their best judgment. If there is scum, a paint-like surface or the water is bright green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.

For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm.

Longtime Kan. newspaper publisher named KDOT communications director

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Jeanny Sharp / KDOT

TOPEKA — Jeanny Sharp has been named the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Director of Communications by Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz. In her new position, she will lead the communication team members at Headquarters in Topeka and at the District offices across the state.

Previously, she was Public Affairs/Communications Director for the Kanas Department of Corrections. Before joining the State of Kansas, Sharp was in the print, digital and special event media business. She served as editor and publisher of the Ottawa Herald for more than 16 years. Most recently she was the marketing solutions director for the Hutchinson News as well as Regional Sales Director for GateHouse Media for numerous publications in central and western Kansas.

“It is an honor to work with the professional team at KDOT who are working hard to accelerate planned transportation projects,” Sharp said. “I’m excited to be part of the talented communications team at KDOT, which are essential to keeping Kansans informed on transportation highways, byways and ways to keep them safer while navigating the Sunflower State.”

A native of Manhattan, Sharp has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and master’s in business administration from Ottawa University. She is a board member of the Kansas Newspaper Foundation and is a past president of the Kansas Press Association. She was honored with the Gaston Mentoring Award from the Kansas Press Association in 2012 for her commitment to training the next generation of journalists.

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