SHERMAN COUNTY— One person was injured in an accident just after 9p.m. Sunday in Sherman County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Chevy Silverado driven by Nancy Ann Wilson, 60, Aurora, Co., was eastbound on Interstate 70 pulling a homemade trailer near the Goodland exit.
For unknown reasons, the trailer came unhooked from the Silverado and rear-ended the pickup causing it to roll unknown amount of times. Both vehicles came to rest in the south ditch.
EMS transported Wilson to the hospital in Goodland. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas man who fatally shot an argumentative robbery victim has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Reese photo Jackson Co.
Twenty-seven-year-old Danzel Reese of Kansas City was sentenced Thursday for involuntary manslaughter and first-degree robbery in the 2010 fatal shooting of Lance Rutter.
One witness told police the original plan was to rob a drug dealer. But when the dealer didn’t show up, the witness returned to a vehicle, where he got a call from Reese saying he was “just gonna rob anybody.”
The witness says he then saw Reese point a handgun at two people on a porch and fire once.
The surviving victim told police that he handed his wallet to one suspect, who then took off running. The man said Rutter was shot when he argued with the other suspect.
Fort Hays State wrapped up a two game road trip in Colorado in Sunday against University of Colorado – Colorado Springs. The Tigers trailed by ten points twice in the first half and didn’t score their first basket for nearly seven minutes but find a way to win against the Mountain Lions 75-68.
Aaron Nicholson played all 40 minutes and hit a three pointer that three pointer with 1:11 left in the game that increased the Tiger lead to 72-68. Nicholson then forced turnover on the next possession and Nyjee Wright kissed shot off the glass for a 74-68 advantage.
The Tigers trailed by ten in the first half at 15-5 and 23-13. A 13-4 run got FHSU back within one at 27-26. The Tigers trailed 33-32 at halftime. Jake Hutchings hit a three to open the second half and give the Tigers their first lead of the game. The Mountain Lions took the lead back with under six minutes to go and led 62-59 with 5:30 left. Aaron Nicholson hit a three pointer for a 64-62 lead, a lead the Tigers would never give back.
Jared Vitztum led the Tigers with 17 points. Aaron Nicholson and Nyjee Wright each scored 14. Jakes Hutchings scored 13 points, all in the second half. Devin Davis added 11 before fouling out.
The Tiger defense held UCCS to 39% shooting and 23% on threes. The Mountain Lions had been shooting 49% from the field and 38% on threes through two games.
SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend vehicle crash that may have been a suicide attempt.
Just after 11:15 a.m., police responded to a rollover accident at Kellogg and Edwards in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
A 2010 white Ford F250 was westbound on Kellogg in the center lane being driven by a 19-year-old woman and occupied by a 15-year-old male passenger.
Without warning or reason, the truck veered hard to the right and crashed into the concrete barrier over Edwards, causing the truck to flip on its side and slide to a stop. EMS transported both occupants to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
When medical crews contacted the occupants, the woman was unconscious, and the boy made comments of wanting to harm himself. Through further investigation, it was learned the boy and woman grabbed the steering wheel of the truck together and turned it abruptly, in an apparent suicide attempt.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings erased a 20-0 halftime deficit with touchdowns on each of their four drives in the second half, fending off the Denver Broncos by forcing three straight incomplete passes in the end zone over the final 10 seconds to preserve a 27-23 victory on Sunday.
This was the first time in five years — a span of 100 games including the playoffs — that an NFL team won after trailing by 20 or more points after two quarters.
Kirk Cousins went 29 for 35 for 319 yards and three scores for the Vikings (8-3), overcoming a system-wide failure in the first half that included a lost fumble of his during a sack that led to one of three field goals by Brandon McManus for the Broncos (3-7).
Cousins hit Stefon Diggs for a 54-yard touchdown pass that brought the crowd noise to a deafening level and cut the lead to 23-20. McManus went wide right from 41 yards on his fourth attempt, and Cousins found Kyle Rudolph wide open for a 32-yard score on the next possession with 6:10 left. Both of those throws by Cousins came off bootleg rollouts to his left, the type of passing play he has long thrived on.
Brandon Allen, the fill-in quarterback after the injury to Joe Flacco and the impending debut of rookie Drew Lock, admirably drove the Broncos to the cusp of a comeback of their own with a drive that included three fourth-down conversions.
With first-and-goal from the 4, but only 10 seconds and no timeouts remaining, Allen had three chances at the winner. Trae Waynes knocked down the first one, Jayron Kearse had a hand on the second one and the last try for Noah Fant sailed past the rookie tight end after he and Kearse tussled for position.
The Broncos have not scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter for six straight games. The last team guilty of such a severe second-half collapse was Atlanta on Oct. 26, 2014, when a 21-0 lead at home turned into a 22-21 victory for Detroit. According to Sportradar, this was only the 14th time in NFL history that a 20-plus-point halftime deficit turned into defeat.
HORRID HALF
The Vikings hardly could have played more poorly over the first two quarters. They punted on their first four possessions and already trailed 10-0 when they finally got a first down, finishing with just 47 total yards in the first half. With the deficit at 17-0, Cousins hit Diggs for a 34-yard gain that was wiped out by a holding penalty on left tackle Riley Reiff, who had a particularly difficult time against the pass rush.
The Broncos drove 90 yards for their first touchdown, a third-and-goal throw to tight end Troy Fumagalli for his first career score. They spiced up their play calling with repeated success, using a 38-yard reverse pass by Courtland Sutton to fellow wide receiver Tim Patrick. Sutton kept the ball on two more end-around plays during that drive, including a fourth-and-1 run from the 7 to set up their second touchdown.
One break went Minnesota’s way, an ominous end to Denver’s momentum. The kickoff after the field goal that followed the fumble by Cousins was fumbled and lost by Ameer Abdullah at the 17 by Josey Jewell with 60 seconds left. Allen’s pass for Noah Fant on the next play was intercepted by Andrew Sendejo, preventing the Broncos from taking a four-score lead.
INJURY REPORT
Broncos: FB Andy Janovich, who bulled his way into the end zone on a third-and-goal run from the 1 in the second quarter, hurt his elbow while being tackled at the end of a short reception and did not return.
Vikings: SS Harrison Smith hurt his hamstring in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. LB Ben Gedeon suffered a concussion in the first quarter and was done for the day. Four other starters were already inactive: Adam Thielen, RG Josh Kline (concussion), NT Linval Joseph (knee) and FS Anthony Harris (groin).
UP NEXT
Broncos: Facing a stretch of four road games in five weeks that began here in Minnesota, the Broncos play at Buffalo next Sunday. They’ve lost their last two road games against the Bills in 2017 and 2011.
Vikings: After the second-latest bye week on the schedule in team history — in 1991, they were off the weekend of Dec. 1 — the Vikings return to action on Dec. 2 at Seattle. This is their second straight year with a Monday night game on the road against the Seahawks in December.
Sunday grass fire in Reno County-photo courtesy Hutchinson Fire Dept
RENO COUNTY — For the second day in a row, the Hutchinson Fire Department was on the scene of a grass fire.
On Sunday, crews responded to the 3300 block of 95th for a grass fire. According to HFD, all units were on the scene and battling strong northerly winds.
There is no word yet on any damage or evacuations.
On Saturday firefighters battled a large fire that started in the 5200 block of East 4th Avenue. The fire spread quickly and passed 17th Avenue before being brought under control. Crews worked to save several homes in the East 17th Avenue area, but an out building was lost in the fire.
Officials did not report any injuries. More than 30 fire units were called to help fight the fire.
Leavenworth Detention Center is owned and operated by CoreCivic, the biggest private operator of prisons and detention centers in the United States. CREDIT REBEKAH HANGE / Kansas News Service
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The head of a giant private prison company says his firm is prepared for the “worst case scenario” should a Democratic presidential candidate win the 2020 election and attempt to abolish private involvement in the prison sector.
CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger addressed such a potential scenario in the company’s latest earnings conference call last week when asked about the number of top Democratic presidential candidates who favor ending federal private prisons. He said Tennessee-based CoreCivic remains upbeat that the company would continue to earn money in such a scenario and noted the federal government currently does not have the infrastructure to house inmates without relying on private facilities.
“In worst case scenario, knowing half our business is with the states, nothing is going to change,” Hininger later said in a Friday phone interview with The Associated Press, echoing comments he made on the earnings call.
On the call, he said CoreCivic had reported $509 million in earnings for the third quarter.
He said that CoreCivic would still earn money should the federal government ever end its contract, saying his company would be able to sell or lease its real estate if that were to occur — stressing that such an effort would likely take years to phase-out and approval from Congress on appropriating enough funding to build new facilities and resources.
The company operates 51 correctional and detention facilities including the Leavenworth Detention Center in northeast Kansas. They own 44 with a total capacity of roughly 73,000 beds. This has resulted in the company becoming the largest private owner of real estate used by U.S. government agencies.
“We think that an option could be if there is a big push not only at federal but at state level to eliminate use of the private sector to provide real estate and services,” Hininger said. “That maybe the option that they ask us to consider is to either buy our existing assets or capacity or lease our facilities.”
Top private prison firms across the country have been closely watching the growing backlash from the top Democratic presidential contenders — ranging from former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — who strongly favor ending federal private prisons.
These companies recently formed an advocacy group known as the Day 1 Alliance to rebut the criticism. Meanwhile, unease in the industry continues to linger about negative public opinion on private prisons.
For example, in a recent SEC filing, Florida-based GEO Group noted that resistance to private prisons “could result in our inability to obtain new contracts or the loss of existing contracts, impact our ability to obtain or refinance debt financing or enter into commercial arrangements.”
Hininger also added on the call that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals do not own or operate any detention centers, making them reliant on private companies like CoreCivic to house detainees. But even if the federal government became opposed to privatization, Hininerg said state governments are increasingly showing more interest in the area.
“In the last two years, we’ve had contracts with Ohio, Vermont, Wyoming, South Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky. These are states with both Democratic and Republican governors, both ends of the spectrum,” Hininerg told AP on Friday. “They’ve engaged us with solutions and I don’t see that changing.”
CoreCivic’s involvement with ICE, however, has come under fire from the left as one of two private companies that operate migrant detention centers for ICE. According to CoreCivic’s financial statements, ICE detention accounted for 25 percent of the company’s $1.8 billion in total revenue in 2018.
CoreCivic has defended contracting with ICE by countering that it doesn’t run facilities for immigrant children separated from parents, but it does have ones that detain adult immigrants, as well as one center that houses migrant mothers and their children together.
In 2016, then President Barack Obama’s administration announced the Federal Bureau of Prisons would no longer use private prisons and unveiled a plan to phase-out of the contracts. That decision was quickly overturned after President Donald Trump took office.
Jack Holmes, 87, of Russell, Kansas passed away on Friday, November 15, 2019, at the Russell Regional Hospital in Russell.
Jack was born October 26, 1932, in Wichita, Kansas. He was the only child of Earl and Anna (Singer) Holmes. At the age of 6, Jack and his parents moved to Russell. He graduated from Russell High School 1950.
Jack was united in marriage to Elaine Covington November 1, 1953, in Phillips, Texas. This union was blessed with three children; Tami, Julie and Tim. They made their home in Sterling, Colorado; Cambridge, Nebraska; Farmington, New Mexico; Pratt, Kansas; and returned to Russell in 1974.
Jack was an Oil Pumper for Getty Oil for over 35 years. After Chevron Texaco purchased the company, he remained working for three more years before retiring in 1987. He was an active member of the Calvary Chapel, Assembly of God Church.
Surviving family include his beloved wife of 66 years, Elaine of the home, Tami (David) Hoffman of Golden, Colorado and Son, Tim Holmes of Wichita, Kansas; four grandchildren Julie King, Denver, Colorado, Jenny (Joel) Maxwell, Arvada, Colorado, Justin (Maggie) Hoffman, Arvada, Colorado, Lauren (Alex) Lievestro, San Diego, California; five great-grandchildren Elise and Ava King, Sherman Oaks, California and Zadie, Zyla and Zaxton Maxwell, Arvada, Colorado.
Jack was proceded in death by his parents Earl and Anna Holmes and their daughter Julia Elaine Holmes.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 A.M., Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell. A private burial of ashes will follow at a later date.
A Memorial has been established with Hoffman Family Foundation benefiting Rays of Grace Primary School in Kirugu, Uganda Africa. Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, 610 N. Maple, Russell, Kansas 67665 who is facilitating these arrangements.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — The University of Missouri-Kansas City says the removal of a controversial work of art from the school’s fine arts building display was long planned and not a response to complaints.
The work is a statement on the current unrest in Hong Kong and features a depiction of an altered, torn Chinese flag, with yellow stars arranged to form a swastika. On the image is written “#CHINAZI.” The other half of the image depicts a yellow raincoat and gas mask with the words “FREE HONG KONG.”
Chinese students complained Thursday to the art department and asked that the piece be removed.
It was removed, but the university said Friday in a statement that student artwork is displayed on three-week cycles, and the piece had already been set for removal on Thursday.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 43-year-old Kansas City man previously freed from prison in a case of mistaken identity is facing a possible return to confinement after pleading guilty to illegal possession of a firearm.
Jones photo Johnson Co.
Richard Anthony Jones pleaded guilty Thursday. He wasn’t allowed to have weapons because of prior felony convictions for burglary and robbery.
Jones was released from prison in 2017 after his conviction for snatching a woman’s purse at a Kansas Walmart in 1999 was overturned, in what became known as the “ doppelganger case.” Supporters said another man, who looked like Jones, was the likely robber. Kansas paid Jones $1 million in 2018 for his wrongful imprisonment.
Prosecutors say officers found handguns on Jones during two confrontations in February and March. Jones faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
It’s sign up time for Ellis Food Pantry free Christmas Food Boxes.
ELLIS – Residents of USD 388 Ellis who might want the help that a food box brings may sign up through the deadline on Friday, November 22, by calling 785-726-1278.
Those registered for boxes may shop for free Christmas gifts to give to their children ages 13 years and younger on either Saturday, November 23, or on Monday, December 2, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Ellis Food Pantry, 210 Madison.
Pickup and/or delivery of the Christmas boxes will be Wednesday, December 18, from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1009 Washington, Ellis.
The two operators of about a dozen well-known Kansas City restaurants sought bankruptcy protection within days of one another, with both saying the restaurants will remain open for business.
On Saturday, Bread & Butter Concepts LLC, which owns and operates Gram & Dun on the Country Club Plaza, Urban Table in Prairie Village and the Stock Hill steak restaurant just south of the Plaza, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Kansas. And on Thursday, HRI Holding Corp., which owns Leawood-based Houlihan’s Restaurants Inc., a casual dining chain, filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware.
Houlihan’s operates 47 restaurants, including Houlihan’s, J. Gilbert’s and Bristol Seafood Grill, in Kansas, Missouri and 12 other states. The company was founded in 1992 and is owned by affiliates of York Capital Management, an investment management company that bought Houlihan’s about three years ago.
Houlihan’s plans to sell its assets to Landry’s LLC, a Houston-based restaurant group, for $40 million, according to its bankruptcy filing. Landry’s made a “stalking horse” bid for Houlihan’s, establishing a floor for other offers that might emerge.
In a court filing, Houlihan’s chief restructuring officer, Matthew Manning, attributed the filing to “various industry headwinds,” including senior management changes, expensive leases and a tight labor market.
Coincidentally, the founder and CEO of Bread & Butter Concepts, Alan L. Gaylin, is a former Houlihan’s executive. The two bankruptcy filings were unrelated, although the same industry headwinds may have been a factor in Bread & Butter’s filing.
Bread & Butter ran into lease problems recently with The Oliver, another restaurant it operated on the Plaza. After negotiations for a new lease with the Plaza’s owner fell apart, the restaurant closed earlier this year.
The Stock Hill steak restaurant just south of the Plaza. Credit Dan Margolies / KCUR 89.3
The company’s bankruptcy attorney, Sharon Stolte, said Bread & Butter’s current restaurants, along with its separate catering service, event venue and Happy Belly Food Truck, will remain open while Bread & Butter seeks to restructure its debts.
“Our plans are to reorganize and to do it as quickly as possible,” she said.
Bread & Butter got its start nearly a decade ago when it opened BRGR Kitchen + Bar in Prairie Village. It recently sold its various BRGR restaurants, as well as its Taco Republic restaurant, to the parent company of Louie’s Wine Dive.
In a declaration filed with the bankruptcy court, Gaylin said two of his business partners, both Texas residents, suffered financial reverses in the oil industry and were no longer able to fund Bread & Butter’s losses or underwrite its losses.
Bread & Butter listed about $4.1 million in assets and $5.1 million in liabilities.
In a statement, the company said, “We have every intention of coming out on the other side a much stronger company, and one that will be in Kansas City for another ten years and beyond. We will continue to operate as usual with no interruptions to our service, or our continuing commitment to our customers.”
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
One hundred years ago in Hays, on Nov. 17, 1919, a fire and resulting gas explosion killed six residents and two firefighters.
At least 42 people were hospitalized with severe burns, four in critical condition, and another 100 or so residents suffered injuries.
“Blast From Bursting Tank Imperilled [sic] Lives of Hundreds” reads the secondary headline of the Nov. 20, 1919 issue of The Ellis County News, which called the gasoline and oil fire at the Standard Oil Company “the most disastrous and tragic event in the history of Hays.”
The two firefighters, Nick Arnhold, 34, and Steve Tourtillotte, 44, are the only two personnel known to have died in the line of duty in the history of the Hays Fire Department, according to Ryan Hagans, fire chief.
(Courtesy National Fire Protection Association)
Much of the research about the disaster was done by two 30-year Hays firefighters, Richard Shubert, who died last year, and Ralph Burns, Jr., who passed away in 2008.
The men, aided by other volunteers, researched the history of the Hays Fire Department from its beginnings in 1878 through 1995 when the compilation was published.
“That’s how we, the members of the fire department, keep this event in the back of our minds,” says Hagans.
“You gotta know where you came from. The fire service is a family. Everybody likes to know their own family history, but it also teaches us the hows and whys of what we do today.”
A memorial plaque on the side of the Hays Fire Department building, 1507 Main.
A memorial plaque honoring Arnhold and Tourtillotte was installed in 1991 on the south exterior of the Hays fire station on Main Street.
Several years ago each shift made a presentation about the event to teach the firefighters about it and why the department operates differently today, a section labeled “Lessons Learned.
“There are advancements in firefighting technology, changes in building construction, implementation of fire and life-saving codes, building codes, zoning regulations,” Hagans said.
“All of that comes into play now because tragedy happened.”
News reports from The Ellis County News and the Hays Free Press recounted the catastrophe three days later in their newspapers dated Nov. 20, 1919.
The fire was started shortly before 7:30 a.m. by a vehicle backfiring in the garage of the Standard Oil Company, located in what today is the 200 block of East 10th Street next to the railroad tracks in downtown Hays.
The fire spread to three gasoline storage tanks in the garage, which began exploding.
(Courtesy State Fire Marshal)
At 8:15 a.m., the final and biggest explosion sent a 200-gallon gasoline barrel flying two blocks to the north through the residential area, showering flaming oil and debris onto a crowd of spectators gathered to watch the spreading fire.
The nearby Farmers Cooperative Union Elevator, filled to capacity, was also completely engulfed by fire.
“Fire Threatened Entire Eastern Portion of City. Flames Visible More than Forty Miles” read a subheadline in the News.
The residents killed were Phillip Sargent, Mrs. Lewis Miller, Miss Elizabeth Buchholz, Mrs. Peter Heronime, Peter Rheim and Miss Mary Stressler.
Three homes were also destroyed.
Total property loss was estimated at $60,500.
Approximately 16 Hays firefighters responded to the scene with two hose carts and one chemical wagon. Mutual aid was provided by the Ellis and La Crosse fire departments.
The State Fire Marshal of Kansas, L.T. Hussey, issued a report about the fire within a 1919 annual Kansas fire statistics summary to Gov. Henry Allen.
A deputy from Hussey’s office was dispatched to the scene in Hays “while the ruins were still burning.”
“This fire, or fires, rather, was the result of the too common error of keeping automobiles in a building adjacent to oil storage tanks. … I am convinced of the need of stringent regulations regarding the location of gasoline and oil storage plants, also the handling of gasoline and oil from these plants,” the report read.
Hussey added that as a result of the Hays fire, his department was deluged with requests from all over Kansas for regulations covering the storage of large quantities of gasoline and oil near the residential or business sections of towns.
The National Fire Prevention Association changed its codes to require all flammable liquids storage tanks at all automotive service stations to be stored underground. Modern zoning regulations now keep industrial/business districts separated from residential areas.
Less than a year after the tragedy the city of Hays purchased its first mechanical fire truck on April 15, 1920. The first motorized fire truck, a REO Speedwagon, was purchased new in 1921.
The REO was tracked down by Shubert in Wichita Falls, Texas, and returned to Hays in July, 2016.
Among the advancements in the last 100 years is firefighting foam, which would most likely be used on such a fire today, according to Shane Preston, HFD deputy chief.
“We’d use a little bit of water, but we’re mostly going to foam now,” Preston says. “Technology in foam has advanced so much it does really help separate the fumes from the ignition source.”
Foam is carried on each of the department’s fire trucks.
Advanced technology is used in other areas including monitoring equipment, thermal imaging cameras and the trucks themselves.
Fire training is also more technical.
When Preston started his career 18 years ago, “we were taught you put the wet stuff on the red stuff,” he smiled. “That was Firefighter 101.”
“Now it’s more, we gotta look at what the smoke’s doing, what we’re going into, what the building is telling us, and knowing what kind of equipment we bring.”
The term firefighter is misleading, contends Hagans, who has more than 20 years experience. “We do so much more than fight fire.”
Hays firefighters spend more than 300 hours a year training.
In partnership with the Ellis County Fire Department, they learn specialized rescue techniques for situations including high buildings and trench and grain bin collapses.
The FAA mandates training at the Hays Regional Airport. HFD recently participated in a drill assessing emergency response to an airplane crash at the airport.
Fire inspections of buildings are conducted year-round as well as fire prevention education.
All Hays firefighters are also EMTs. The on-duty shift responds to calls with Ellis County Emergency Medical Services.
Another tribute will be made to Arnhold and Tourtillotte when a street sign is soon erected at the entrance of the new Hays Regional Fire/Rescue Training Facility in south Hays. A classroom is currently under construction.
Hays Fire Department personnel Lisa Beilman, Allison Friesen, and Ryan Hagans, along with City Attorney John Bird contributed information and research to this story.
CORRECTION at 8:20 a.m. Nov. 18, 2019: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated this fire caused the only civilian deaths in Hays. Three Hays residents died in a house fire in 1997, according to information in the Hays Daily News. Hays Post regrets the error.
