KANSAS CITY (AP) — Prosecutors have dismissed charges against a Kansas City area woman accused of beating another woman to death with a baseball bat because of a technical issue.
Hackney photo Jackson Co.
Courtney Hackney, 35, Independence, Missouri was released from jail this week.
Jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict during her second-degree murder trial in the May 2017 killing of 57-year-old Holly Barnett. Several issues then arose scheduling a retrial. Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges, with the intention to refile them later, because a key witness wasn’t available.
The issue was that Hackney, who had already been subjected to trial, did not affirmatively consent to the refiling. Prosecutors determined that made the case subject to a legal doctrine that protects defendants from being tried twice for the same charge.
KENSINGTON — Week 9 brought bracket game action to the Area Game of the Week as the Quinter Bulldogs, who placed 3rd in District 6, payed a visit to District 5 runner-up Thunder Ridge Longhorns. Thunder Ridge entered the game at 7-1, while Quinter’s record stood at 3-5.
The Longhorns where the first to receive the ball and they wasted little time in putting up points as senior Reece Struckhoff scampered for a 55 yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. The ensuing conversion was good, making the score 8-0 in favor of the home team.
The first possession for Quinter resulted in a fumble, recovered by the Longhorns. Several plays later, Struckhoff found Dylan Bice open in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The conversion failed, but Quinter gave up a safety on the next possession, resulting in a 16-0 Longhorn lead less than 3 minutes into the game.
The Bulldogs continued to fight, but struggled to get any offense going throughout the remainder of the first half. Quinter was forced to punt 5 times in the first half, allowing Thunder Ridge to build a 44-0 lead with a minute and a half remaining in the first half. The Longhorns forced another punt to get the ball back with just under a minute. Thunder Ridge turned to a passing attack to try to find another score. They found it with just around 30 seconds left when Dylan Bice found Reece Struckhoff on a 12-yard touchdown pass to put the Longhorns ahead 50-0. That’s how the score would stay, ending the game at the half by the 45-point rule.
Quinter’s offense struggled to get going as star running back Tucker Gillespie finished with 9 carries for 11 yards, he contributed a fumble recovery on defense.
Reece Struckhoff finished with an impressive 218 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 10 carries. He also was 2/4 passing for 78 yards and a score. Struckhoff totaled 7 touchdowns, with his final score being a receiving touchdown. Dylan Bice added 65 yards receiving with a touchdown catch, he also threw for 101 yards and a touchdown. The Longhorn defense grabbed 3 interceptions, including one by Dalton Bice, who also had 2 tackles for loss.
The Quinter Bulldogs end their season at 3-6. The Bulldogs have reason for optimism heading into next season as they only have 2 seniors on the roster and should return a good core of position players.
The Thunder Ridge Longhorns hit the road next week to take on the champion of District 6, Grinnell-Wheatland. The Thunderhawks defeated Northern Valley 44-30 to set up a battle of 8-1 teams with the Longhorns.
An obituary is pending with Koons-Russell Funeral Home.
Donations may be made to Lindsey Shanks Memorial Fund and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland KS 67735.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Every dog has his day, just not at the White House.
Photo courtesy White House
President Donald Trump tweets that the military working dog injured in the raid last weekend that killed the Islamic State leader will leave the Middle East for the White House sometime next week.
And the president appears to have declassified the dog’s name: Conan. That had remained a military secret because of the classified nature of the mission in which Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died.
In announcing the impending visit, Trump again posted an altered image of him presenting a medal to the dog. The Daily Wire had created the image by taking an Associated Press photo of an actual medal presentation by Trump and replacing the human recipient with the canine hero.
“Thank you Daily Wire,” Trump tweeted after midnight Wednesday. “Very cute recreation, but the ‘live’ version of Conan will be leaving the Middle East for the White House sometime next week!”
Conan was hurt after being exposed to live electrical cables but has returned to active duty, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Gen. Frank McKenzie, who leads U.S. Central Command, told reporters the dog was injured when it came in contact with the cables as it pursued al-Baghdadi in a tunnel underneath a compound in northwestern Syria.
McKenzie said the dog has worked with special operations forces for four years and taken part in about 50 missions. He said such working dogs are “critical members of our forces.”
When Trump first posted the altered image on Twitter of him presenting a medal to the dog, it came with an all-caps tweet of “AMERICAN HERO.”
The image was derived from a photo taken at a 2017 East Room ceremony to present retired Army medic James McCloughan with the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of 10 men during the Vietnam War. The Medal of Honor is the most prestigious military decoration awarded to U.S. service members.
Cale A. Prewo, age 18, of Grinnell, passed away Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at Swedish Medical Center, Englewood, CO. He was born July 11, 2001, to Gary and Jill (Bloom) Prewo in Colby. He was a farmer and student.
Cale is survived by his parents, Gary and Jill, and his brothers: Craig Prewo and Cory (Daisy) Prewo of Grinnell, and nephews, Camdyn and Carson Prewo.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents: Acquiline and Bertha Prewo and John “Buddy” and Beula Bloom: Uncle Mike Bloom and infant Uncle Donnie Prewo.
Funeral Mass: 10:30 AM, Monday, November 4, 2019, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Grinnell. Visitation: 3 – 8 PM, Sunday, November 3, at Parish Center with vigil service at 7:00 PM. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery. Memorials: Grinnell/Angelus CYO and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Grinnell and may be sent to Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 221, Oakley, KS 67748.
Savannah Pfeifer, HHS senior and member of HHITA, drives an electric car during the HHITA open house last week.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Parents and family members got the chance to feel the pull of a corner and the grip of track during the Hays High electric car program open house last week.
The annual open house lets the students show off the cars to their loved ones and current and potential sponsors.
Last year, one of the Hays High Industrial Technology Association’s cars won the state championship, but with each year comes a new car and new challenges.
Quentin Rupp is a senior on the team and vice president of HHITA this year. He said the team’s state-winning car last year reached speeds of between 20 and 25 mph. This is in a vehicle that weighs less than 100 pounds. Drivers can weigh no more than 190 pounds. Weights are added during competition if drivers weigh less than 180 pounds.
The upper classmen get the first shot at racing. Students have to be at least 16 to race the cars. The students compete for most laps in an hour; ties are broken with the fastest lap.
The team’s most common challenges are flat tires or a chain popping off in the middle of the race, Rupp said.
The cars each have three tires, two batteries, a chain and motor. Each car is fabricated from scratch each year.
“We are always working on them, always improving them,” he said. “We try to build a new one every year to improve our ability, and then we get rid of the older ones, so we can keep getting better and better as we go on.”
The students weld their own frames. Leon’s Welding bends some of the metal for the students, but the rest of the metal work is done by students.
“I like working hands-on and welding,” said Rupp, who has been on the team since his freshman year, “so I have worked on fabricating a lot of these cars, and I just enjoy racing.”
He added, “It’s the speed and adrenaline that gets me going. It’s just fun to drive.”
Rupp said the team of about 30 students has had to up its game in the last couple of years as the competition has been getting tougher.
“Last year, we had to make some improvements to the car,” he said. “When they work and you win, it’s really fun.”
Rupp plans to take technical training to the next level after graduation by attending Dodge City Community College or NCK-Tech and pursuing a degree in welding. His dream is to own his own fabricating business.
Chris Dinkel, career technical education teacher, said the open house puts the students in the limelight.
He said the students can learn a variety of skills in the program that can be applied to careers after graduation. They learn design processes, materials and processes through construction, as well as electrical and mechanical skills.
“There are a lot of different technologies that can stir the students’ interests,” he said. “We try to use as many of those type of applications.
“[We] get the kids thinking about problem solving — how the car performs and about changing and manipulating that system in order to get it to preform at higher efficiency.”
Students who have aspirations to be in the industrial fields, such as welding and fabrication, work side by side in this program with students who want to go on to college to be mechanical or electrical engineers.
“There is nothing more inclusive than an electric car program where they can do the design process and complete the project, engineer it for a specific application and move into where their interests are,” Dinkel said.
Like other extracurricular activities, Dinkel said the electric car team builds character.
“We try to build the type of student and the type of person we want to see in society,” he said. “We do that by trying to put them around people that can [be] models …”
The program sprung from grants from the Green Energies Act in 1995. Although federal money has gone away, HHS has been able to sustain the program through local donations and sponsorships.
“This was just too good of stuff for kids not to be exposed to,” Dinkel said.
The program is in need of sponsors for this year. If you would like to be an electrical car sponsor, you can contact any of the students in HHITA, Dinkel or an administrator at HHS at 785-623-2600.
FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating an alleged sexual assault and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.
Just after 9:30p.m. Wednesday, police were called to St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City for a reported rape, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga. The woman told police that she was at her vehicle parked near Garden City Community College and was approached from behind by an unknown male suspect who forced her into the vehicle and sexually assaulted her, according to Urteaga.
The suspect at the time of the attack was described as wearing black sweat pants, a grey hooded sweat shirt, a black t-shirt and a dark baseball cap. He was approximately 6-feet tall with an athletic build with black, messy, curly hair, according to Urteaga.
Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to contact police.
The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced the regional and statewide winners of its 2019 Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day poster contest.
Northwest regional winners included Colt Raudis, age 7 of Hays, Jerome Beighler, age 9 of Phillipsburg and Peyton Gower, age 13, also of Phillipsburg. Each received a bicycle from the Kansas Turnpike Authority and helmet from Safe Kids Kansas. The prizes were awarded by representatives from KDOT and the Kansas Highway Patrol during presentations at the students’ schools.
Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day is a nationwide effort to increase roadway safety and reduce traffic fatalities. A total of 434 kids across Kansas, ages 5-13 took the time to think about traffic and participate in the contest, which is in its 18th year.
— KDOT
Trooper Tod and Jerome BeighlerJerome’s artworkTrooper Tod and Peyton GowerPeyton’s artwork
Hays native Henry Schwaller IV is running for re-election to the Hays city commission after being encouraged to do so by some constituents.
Schwaller, the owner of a real estate investment firm and instructor of entrepreneurship and management at Fort Hays State University, thought about it a lot before making his decision.
“Their logic was there’s a lot on the city’s plate – water and other projects. I was told they thought my seniority and my knowledge would be helpful in moving the city forward,” Schwaller says.
Although he admits his memory isn’t perfect, his believes his familiarity with the city is helpful.
“If we’ve approached a problem before, I’d like to know why haven’t we fixed it, or how is this different. Having that knowledge of where we’ve been and how we’ve gotten here is important.”
Schwaller, 53, is adamant that local officials are not politicians.
“We’re problem solvers. People come to us and say I need my street fixed, my alley fixed. Whether it’s a water issue or economic development, really, local elected officials are problem solvers.”
One problem yet to be resolved is a long-term water supply for Hays.
“We continue to pursue our long-term water option (R9 Ranch) in Edwards County and that has been an issue for the city since its inception but certainly since the late 1980s.
“We’re much closer than we were when I started (on the commission) and certainly much closer than we were in January of this year.
“Now with the master order from the (Kansas Dept. of Agriculture) Division of Water Resources, we are moving ahead. There are some stumbling blocks along the way, but we’ll get through them.”
Schwaller was first elected in 1999 and served until 2007. He was reelected in 2009 and has served since then.
He understands some people may think he’s been on the city commission too long.
“But I approach each meeting as if it were my first. I do my homework. I make sure I know what’s on the agenda. I talk to as many people as possible.
“I think people find that refreshing and also that I’m not afraid to take a viewpoint that may not agree with the majority.”
The most important thing the city does well, according to Schwaller, is creating financial stability through a balanced budget and paying cash for its projects.
Schwaller says the city is not doing enough to prevent the “brain drain” of local college graduates from FHSU and NCK Tech.
“They may go away for a couple years and want to come back. What can they come back to? So it’s imperative that we focus our efforts in the next three to five years on building homegrown businesses through entrepreneurship and by focusing on the needs of our existing businesses, whether to retain or to expand them. Because when you talk to many of these employers, and some of them pay incredibly well, they cannot find talent.”
The top two city commission candidates will serve for four years, while the third-place vote-getter will serve for two years.
Advanced voting is underway. The election is Nov. 5.
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A Roman Catholic diocese in Kansas City says three people who accuse a former Wyoming bishop of sexual abuse are credible.
The three have raised allegations against Bishop Joseph Hart over the past year.
Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, spokesman Jack Smith says two allege abuse in Wyoming but a review board considered only alleged abuse in Missouri.
Hart was a priest in Kansas City, Missouri, before moving to Wyoming in 1976 and eventually becoming bishop. Several people allege Hart sexually abused them as children.
Hart has denied the allegations and his attorney, Tom Jubin, did not return a message Wednesday seeking comment.
The Missouri diocese has reached legal settlements with at least 10 alleged victims. The Wyoming diocese says it has substantiated six allegations.
First Round Bracket Play
Class 1A
Jackson Heights 42, Wabaunsee 0
Pittsburg Colgan 57, Bluestem 0
Smith Center 35, La Crosse 14
Valley Heights 60, Jefferson North 34
Class 2A
Garden Plain 61, Fredonia 7
Humboldt 70, Central Heights 8
Riverton 44, Oskaloosa 14
Silver Lake 68, Jayhawk Linn 8
Southeast 12, Osage City 6, 2OT
Class 3A
Columbus 33, Anderson County 20
Frontenac 34, Girard 0
Galena 44, Burlington 40
Class 4A
Goddard 32, Rose Hill 14
Class 5A
Olathe West 49, Topeka Seaman 28
Class 6A
BV North 40, SM South 0
Class 8-Man Division I
Attica/Argonia 38, Sedan 32
Caldwell 46, Cedar Vale/Dexter Co-op 30
Canton-Galva 46, Chase County 0
Hodgeman County 54, Moundridge 0
Lebo 58, Goessel 8
Little River 54, South Gray 0
Madison/Hamilton Co-op 57, Solomon 0
Medicine Lodge 58, Burden Central 12
Ness City 23, Macksville 8
South Central 47, West Elk 0
Spearville 48, Pratt Skyline 26
St. Francis 46, Washington County 0
Wichita County 88, Victoria 66
Class 8-Man Division II
Axtell 52, Lakeside 0
Centre 56, Altoona-Midway 0
Crest 52, Marais des Cygnes Valley 12
Frankfort 54, Rock Hills 8
Hanover 48, Pike Valley 0
Hutchinson Central Christian 54, Ingalls 6
Minneola 50, South Haven 0
Norwich 22, Otis-Bison 6
Osborne 56, Wallace County 8
South Barber 70, Bucklin 20
St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 50, Onaga 0
St. Paul 64, Hartford 0
Sylvan-Lucas 52, Triplains-Brewster 8
Thunder Ridge 50, Quinter 0
Waverly 62, Marmaton Valley 14
Class 6 Man
Golden Plains 60, Pawnee Heights 8
Weskan 58, Ashland 54
Non-Bracket Games
BV Randolph def. Southern Cloud, forfeit
Burlingame 38, Peabody-Burns 26
Chase def. Burrton, forfeit
Chetopa def. Rural Vista, forfeit
Doniphan West 47, Tescott 0
Iola 38, Parsons 28
Kinsley 44, St. John 20
Kiowa County 48, Central Plains 0
Logan/Palco 64, Dighton 6
Osawatomie 26, Baxter Springs 14
Oswego 24, Oxford 14
Pretty Prairie 28, Stafford 18
Rawlins County 62, Lincoln 14
Remington 34, Neodesha 13
Satanta def. Fairfield, forfeit
Udall 45, Flinthills 18
Wakefield 58, Southern Coffey 36
Wellsville 36, Royal Valley 26
Wetmore def. Linn, forfeit
Wilson def. Greeley County, forfeit
