We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Late run sends Lipscomb past Wichita State in NIT semis

NEW YORK (AP) — Garrison Mathews is the kind of player only the most die-hard basketball fans would know, his prolific scoring seldom on any sports highlight clips. With the college basketball spotlight blasted on Madison Square Garden, Mathews put the sport on notice and buried a shot in the clutch that sparked madness for tiny Lipscomb.

Mathews swished his ninth 3-pointer of the game in front of an exuberant Lipscomb bench for the lead with 1:10 left in the game to send the Bisons on their way to the NIT championship in a 71-64 win over Wichita State on Tuesday night.

“It was good to just do it for the team and kind of give us a lift,” he said.

He carried them to the NIT final.

Mathews had been buried in obscurity for the ASUN Conference Bisons (29-7), but put on a show on national television in crunch time at Madison Square Garden. He yelled as the shot fell from beyond NBA 3-point range and the Bisons rose from the bench in jubilation. Mathews sealed the win with free throws and finished with 34 points, setting the state for Lipscomb to play for its first NIT championship.

“People should know about us by now,” forward Rob Marberry said. “I think people can finally see Lipscomb’s a basketball school now.”

Wichita State’s Samajae Haynes-Jones stole the ball near the 3-point line and the 6-foot guard exploded for a fast break dunk that turned MSG yellow and gave the Shockers a late double-digit lead. But they faded down the stretch and one of the hottest second-half teams in basketball missed their final 10 shots and over the final 8-plus minutes to head home empty-handed.

Dexter Dennis scored 13 points and Markis McDuffie had 12 for the Shockers.

The Shockers had a solid season under coach Gregg Marshall, six years after he led the program to the Final Four. Marshall led the Shockers to the 2011 NIT championship, a springboard for the most successful era in program history. The Shockers (22-15) made their own sensational run in the NIT, beating the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds, all on the road, just to make it to New York.

“This was a year we could have taken a big dip. I mean, a big dip,” Marshall said. “But we’re in Madison Square Garden playing in April.”

The Shockers had their hands full against the fifth-seeded Bisons.

A year after NIT champion Penn State drew big, rowdy crowds to Madison Square Garden, the arena was nearly empty for the matchup between teams from Kansas and Tennessee. New Yorkers wasted their chance to watch Mathews, named to The Associated Press All-America honorable mention team. Mathews was named ASUN player of the year and averaged 26.3 points in the NIT. He entered with a whopping 2,429 career points and scored 44 points in an NIT quarterfinal win over North Carolina State.

He created open looks by moving without the ball and was a burst of energy in Lipscomb’s first ever game against the Shockers.

Mathews hit three 3s and scored 18 points in the first half to give Lipscomb a 35-30 lead at the break. The Bisons, who lost the ASUN Tournament championship game to Liberty, looked to Mathews every chance they got. He buried a 3 on a fast break off a turnover to bring the Bisons within one, and even his misses worked in their favor. He missed on a long 3, but Ahsan Asadullah scored on an uncontested tip for a five-point lead.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

The NIT was a bit of a mad scientist in the college basketball lab. The 3-point line was extended to the same distance used by FIBA (22 feet, 1.75 inches). The free throw lane matched the NBA and was widened from 12 to 16 feet. The shot clock also reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound instead of the full 30 seconds, as well as other minor changes.

The experimental rules will help the NCAA determine if a marginally more difficult 3-point shot will be effective for college basketball and if widening the lane will reduce physicality and create more driving opportunities.

“The style of play in men’s college basketball is healthy and appealing, but the leadership governing the game is interested in keeping the playing rules contemporary and trending favorably,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball.

UP NEXT

Lipscomb: Faces the winner of the semifinal between TCU and Texas.

Kansas priest accused of abusing a minor asks for trial delay

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A criminal trial of a priest charged with molesting a child has been delayed until at least summer.

Kallal-photo Wyandotte Co.

The trial of Rev. Scott Kallal was set to begin April 15 in Wyandotte County District Court. But a hearing last week, the court granted Kallal’s request for more time. A status conference is set of June 7.

Kallal was charged in in 2017 with two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He has pleaded not guilty.

He was suspended from public priestly ministry in 2017 as associate pastor at Holy Spirit Church in Overland Park.

In January, Kallal was on a list of 22 priests the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said have had substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors made against them in the past 75 years.

Lady Indian soccer defeats Dodge City in OT

By JEREMY McGUIRE
Hays Post

DODGE CITY, Kan.-80 minutes of soccer just wasn’t enough for the Hays High Lady Indians as they travelled to Dodge City for their Western Athletic Conference opener on Tuesday. Hays faced a very defensive minded Red Demons team who packed at least 7 players in the box most of the night.

The Lady Indians had scoring opportunities in regulation but couldn’t convert on a penalty kick and free kicks outside the box. The game went to overtime and with 2:16 left a Dodge City penalty gave Hays High their second penalty kick of the game. Maggie Robben took the kick and found the back of the net to give the Lady Indians the 1-0 golden goal victory.

Hays improves to 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in WAC. They will be back home on Thursday to host Liberal with a 4pm start at Hays High.

Trump: Census ‘meaningless’ without citizenship question

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year out from the start of the 2020 census, Census Bureau officials set out to demonstrate the importance of the head count for all Americans. President Donald Trump offered a different message, saying the count will be “meaningless” if it doesn’t include a citizenship question.In a tweet Monday, Trump blamed “Radical Left Democrats” for opposing the “all important” question on citizenship.

On Tuesday, a Democratic-controlled House panel voted Tuesday to subpoena documents and a witness related to the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

The vote was 23-14, with Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan being the only Republican to join with Democratic lawmakers in the vote.

Democrats say they want specific documents that will determine why Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross decided to add the question. They say the Trump administration has declined to provide those documents despite repeated requests. The vote is the latest example of the ways Democratic lawmakers are using their majority to aggressively investigate the inner workings of President Donald Trump’s administration.

Ross said the decision in March 2018 to add the question was based on a Justice Department request to help it enforce the Voting Rights Act.

The official counting begins on April 1 next year. To mark the date one year out, Census Bureau officials held a briefing Monday to begin raising awareness and project confidence that they’re up to the monumental task.

Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham declined to answer a question about the president’s tweet, saying “we really want to restrict our comments to talking about the great job we’re doing, where we are and how it’s going to help this nation.”

Dillingham noted that the census for the first time will give people the chance to respond online. People can also respond by telephone and mail. He cited how easy it will be to provide requested information and to assure that the information will be secure and confidential.

“But probably the message we really want to emphasize is how important it is,” Dillingham said. “We now live in an information age where accurate data improves the quality of our lives and supports our thriving economy.”

Image courtesy U.S. Census Bureau

The decennial census is used to help determine how about $675 billion in federal dollars is distributed each year. State and local governments use it to make decisions about where to locate schools and health clinics and provide social services and improve roads and bridges. The survey results are also used to distribute electoral college votes and congressional district seats.

The citizenship question has been caught up in litigation in federal courts, where lower courts have ruled that the administration’s haste to include the question violated federal law and the Constitution.

Trump tweeted that without a citizenship question, the “Report would be meaningless and a waste of the $Billions (ridiculous) that it costs to put together!”

Against the advice of career officials at the Census Bureau, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross decided last year to add the citizenship question to the survey for the 10-year headcount, saying the Justice Department requested the question to improve enforcement of the federal Voting Rights Act.

The Supreme Court is hearing the Trump administration appeal of a federal judge’s ruling in New York that the decision violated federal law. Since then, a judge in California has said a citizenship question also would violate the Constitution.

A resolution of the citizenship matter is needed soon to allow the government to start printing the census questionnaire.

Michael Platt Jr., an assistant secretary at the Commerce Department, said in a letter obtained by The Associated Press the department believes “the rush to issue a subpoena is premature.” Platt said the department’s staff is working at full capacity on “both its normal business and its multiple Congressional engagements, and I believe your one-day response demand is inconsistent with your constitutional obligation to accommodate the department.”

“We respectfully request adequate time to consider your letter and requests,” Platt wrote Monday.

Suspect in killing of Kan. teen accused of shooting at officer

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — An 18-year-old who was named as a person of interest in the killing of a suburban Kansas City teen has been charged with shooting at an officer.

Bibee -photo Johnson Co.
Police at the scene of Friday’s fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV

Matthew Lee Bibee Jr. was charged Tuesday with attempted capital murder, attempted first degree murder, attempted aggravated robbery, battery against a law enforcement officer and battery. None of the charges appear related to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Rowan Padgett on Friday in Olathe.

Police say Bibee was wounded Sunday in an exchange of gunfire with officers who were responding to an armed robbery attempt in which shots were fired. Bibee was treated at a hospital before he was taken to jail. No one else was hurt.

Bibee’s bond is set at $1 million. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.

Kan. medical marijuana advocates laying plans for next legislative session

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Advocates for legalizing medical marijuana in Kansas are preparing to push their cause again, as the year’s legislative session winds down without much action on several bills related to the issue.

Courtesy image

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has said she would support a “well-regulated” program, and the idea of introducing medical marijuana in Kansas appeared to gain momentum after voters in neighboring Missouri approved it in November.

This year’s legislative session in Kansas is scheduled to end next week, with a short return in May that will focus on passing the final budget, and so far only one medical marijuana bill has been given a vote, The Wichita Eagle reports . The House last week approved a bill that would provide a legal defense for medical use of CBD oil with up to 5 percent THC, which is the ingredient in the cannabis plant that produces a high.

Lisa Sublett, founder of the advocacy group Bleeding Kansas, said she and other advocates want a legislative committee to study medical marijuana during the summer and make recommendations before the next session begins in January.

“I hope we get an interim committee to in-depth study the issue and give us a chance to answer objections and concerns with actual data and to bring in experts,” she said.

Sublett said the bill approved by the House this session is an incremental step toward full legalization, but it’s largely symbolic because it doesn’t legalize production of CBD oil in Kansas and federal law allows only for interstate sales of CBD derived from hemp — a form of cannabis — with 0.3 percent or less THC.

A bill introduced this session that would allow much broader legalization of production, sales and use of medical marijuana has not received a hearing.

Some doctors oppose the legalization of medical marijuana because they don’t know how safe it is and say cannabis products should have to undergo the Food and Drug Administration approval process. Law enforcement groups also oppose its introduction, saying it would be impossible to keep legal medical marijuana from being diverted for illegal use.

Kansas Sen. Tom Holland, a Democrat from Baldwin City, said pressure might be growing as more nearby states approve legalization.

Missouri’s health department is formulating rules so the first patient applications for medical marijuana can be issued in June and the first dispensary licenses granted by the end of the year. Voters in Oklahoma did the same last June and a petition is circulating in Nebraska to get medical marijuana on the ballot next year. Colorado was one of the first states in the country to legalize medical marijuana.

“Once again Kansas is sticking out,” Holland said. “People are very cognizant of that. … It’s growing from a ‘Gee, that would be nice to have access to,’ to ‘boy they’re demanding it’ and they’re starting to get really frustrated Kansas isn’t keeping up with the rest of the nation.”

Alberta ‘Bertie’ Louise (Forbes) Sites

Alberta “Bertie” Louise (Forbes) Sites was born on April 4, 1938, in Osborne County, Kansas and passed away on March 31,2019 at Homestead Assisted Living in Manhattan, Kansas at the age of 80.

She lived her younger years in Osborne County. Later, the family moved to Benkleman, Nebraska. After Alberta’s father died in a plane crash in 1945, Alberta’s mother, Gladys, and the children moved to Covert, Kansas, to be near the Roenne family. In 1949, the family moved to Rexford, Kansas where Alberta and her three brothers attended school.

After high school, she attended Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. This is where she met the love of her life, Donald Sites. They were married August 25, 1957, in Rexford, and moved to the farm south of Grinnell where they lived the rest of her life. Alberta and Donald were inseparable. They enjoyed traveling. After retirement, they traveled to at least 84 countries. When telling stories of her travels, people would ask her where the most beautiful place on earth was, her response every time, was western Kansas. She loved being a farmer’s wife, spending many hours working outside with the family working with the cattle, gardening, or doing whatever needed to be done. Alberta was very active in the Grinnell United Methodist Church and the local Extension Homemaker Units (EHU). Alberta had many hobbies that she enjoyed with her husband. They traveled all over the U.S. and Canada searching for unique antique items and patent models. They moved the Grinnell Train Depot to the north Oakley 1-70 exit and turned it into a museum. Alberta’s favorite treasures were the lightning rod ball collection, the windmill weight collection, the barbed wire collection, and the cast iron seat collection. She was very proud that she held the Powder-Puff Barbed Wire Splicing Championship for a few back-to-back years. Donald and Alberta had celebrated 61 years of marriage last year.

Alberta and Donald were blessed with a son, Dalen, in 1958, and a daughter, Marla, in 1961. Dalen is a veterinarian and lives in Mohave Valley, Arizona with his wife Deann. Their child, D’adra, was Alberta’s first granddaughter. D’adra lives in Phoenix, Arizona and is a Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist. Marla (Webster) lives in a rural area near Olsburg, Kansas with her husband Lynn. Marla works at Covetrus in the Manhattan, Kansas office. Lynn and Marla gave Alberta and Donald two more granddaughters, Codie and Callie. Codie lives in Topeka, Kansas and will be graduating from Washburn Law School this May. Codie and her fiancé, Tanner Swartz, are planning an August 10, 2019, wedding. Callie lives in Manhattan, Kansas and attends Kansas State University. She is majoring in Kinesiology and plans to attend Physical Therapy school in the future.

Alberta was preceded in death by her father Lewis Willard Forbes and her mother, Gladys Alberta Roenne Forbes. In addition to her children and grandchildren, Alberta is survived by three brothers; Lewis Forbes (wife Hazel) of Madera, California; Duane (wife Connie) of Mesa, Arizona, and Marion (wife Marlene) of Fresno, California.

Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 am Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home in Oakley. Burial will be at the Grinnell Township Cemetery, Grinnell. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials: Alberta Sites Memorial Fund in care of Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 221, Oakley, KS 67748.

Online guestbook: www.kennedykosterfh.com

Norma Mae (Spacil) King

Norma Mae (Spacil) King, 86, peacefully passed away Monday, April 1, 2019 at Woodhaven Care Center in Ellinwood, Kansas. Norma was born May 11, 1932 to Ernest Frank and Alice Marie (Batchman) Spacil at the family homestead on the Barton/Stafford County line. She attended St. Joseph Catholic School in Ellinwood and Sacred Heart Academy in Wichita. While attending Sacred Heart, Norma entered the sisterhood at the Dominican Convent where she took her initial vows as a Novitiate. A short time later she left the convent and returned to graduate from Sacred Heart. She went on to receive her Registered Nursing Certificate from St. Rose School of Nursing in Great Bend and worked as an RN for Drs. White, Swan, Evans and Hill.

On January 12, 1957 she married Kenneth Ballard King in Ellinwood. They were married for 58 years before Kenneth passed away on August 31, 2015.

Norma was a member of Prince of Peace Parish, St. Patrick Catholic Church and it’s Altar Society. Her Catholic faith was important to her and she was an active member of the Daughters of Isabella, serving as Vice Regent, Regent and Past Regent. In recent years, she was welcomed to and enjoyed celebrating weekly Mass with the Sisters of the Dominican Convent.

She was very active in her children’s lives and activities and served in Camp Fire as a Bluebird and Camp Fire Leader, Board President and Camp Chu-Wa-Ni Director. She also served with the Boy Scouts in Pack 120 as a Den Mother, Den Leader Coach and Committee member, and with the Cheyenne District of the Kanza Council as a Committee Member, Cub Chairman and Key Three Member. She was a recipient of the Silver Fawn Award.

Norma is survived by her children, James King and his wife Diane, Pittsburg, Karen Smith, Great Bend, Lori Jacobs and her husband Paul, Great Bend, Martin King and his wife Julie, Lenexa, and Jason King and his companion Kendra Beakey, Great Bend; and 11 grandchildren, Alyssa and her husband Matt Cook, Nichole and her husband Shiloh Walker, Jayme King and her fiance’ William Dorr, Dustin Rhodes and his companion Lora Saul, Andrew and his wife Amanda Jacobs, Alexander Jacobs and his fiance’ Becky Tolle, Austin Jacobs, Adam Jacobs, Haley and her husband Ian Evans, Spencer King, and Hayden King. Additional survivors include seven great-grandchildren, Cameron and Donovan Cook, Tripp Walker, Gaige Gunderson, Zoey and Kason King, and Isabella Rhodes; one sister, Marilyn Brehm, Phoenix, Arizona; and special friends Ken and Lisa Edgett, Great Bend, and Margaret Bartholomew, Great Bend. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Norma was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and brothers Ronald Spacil and Raymond Spacil.

Visitation will be held from 12:00 to 9:00 p.m., with an Altar Society Rosary at 4:00 p.m., and Vigil Service with Daughters of Isabella Rosary held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 5, at Bryant Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, at Dominican Sisters of Peace Convent in Great Bend with Father Don Bedore celebrating. Burial will be at Lakin Comanche Cemetery in Ellinwood. Friends may call from 12 to 9 p.m. on Friday at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials are requested to Dominican Sisters of Peace or the Daughters of Isabella in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Mabel M. Bender

Mabel M. Bender, 87, passed away April 2, 2019 at River Bend Assisted Living, Great Bend. She was born Feb. 10, 1932 at Claflin to Henry & Anna (Christians) Riemann. She married Oscar Bender Aug. 29, 1954 at Salina. He died Oct. 1, 2002.

Mabel had been a resident of Great Bend since 1946, coming from Claflin. She graduated from Great Bend High School and Salt City Business College, Hutchinson. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Great Bend, and held former employment at First National Bank as a bookkeeper. She enjoyed Bingo, crocheting, knitting, quilting and spending time at the baseball fields.

Survivors include, one son, Douglas “Doug” Bender of Great Bend; one sister, Ruth Ummen of Great Bend; eight grandchildren, Benjamin McDowell of Denver, CO, Heath McDowell of Garden City, Blake McDowell of Provo, UT, Tommy McDowell of Dumas, TX, Danica Bender of Emporia, Laura McDowell of Dumas, TX, Dalton Bender of Great Bend and Audrianna Bender of Great Bend; and eight great-grandchildren. Additional survivors include her two dogs, Shadow a Miniature Collie and Howie a Pekinese. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Oscar Bender; two brothers, Willis Riemann and Albert Riemann; one sister, Opal Cox; and one grandson, Brandon Bender.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday, April 5, 2019 at Bryant Funeral Home, with family present from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 6, 2019 at First Presbyterian Church in Great Bend, with Rev. Kathie Luke and Pastor Mike Joiner presiding. Interment will be in the Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Great Grandchildren’s Education Fund, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Police: 23-year-old dead after Kansas drive-by shooting

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a criminal homicide that left a 23-year-old dead.

Just after 8:30p.m. Monday, police responded to a drive by shooting call in the 1200 Block of North Minnesota in Wichita, according to Captain Brent Allred. A citizen called 911 after hearing gunshots in the neighborhood. At the scene, police found the black male victim outside a residence with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Allred. “The shooting was not a random incident,” he said.

Police have received a description of possible suspect vehicles and have located one of them. They are looking for a second vehicle but have not released additional details, according to Allred.

Police believe one of the individuals involved is a gang member. The victim’s name has not been released while authorities work to contact family.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call police.

Governor, Kansas Senate leader spar over Medicaid expansion

Topeka – On behalf of thousands of Kansans struggling to secure affordable healthcare, Governor Laura Kelly held a press conference Tuesday morning calling on the Kansas Senate leadership to allow a vote on Medicaid expansion this week.

“By design, the legislation I presented was very similar to a plan that passed the legislature in 2017 with strong bipartisan support. That’s why I’m disappointed with Senate leadership for blocking the debate and the committee process,” Governor Kelly said. “Now with the regular session winding down, “halfway there” isn’t good enough.”

Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle issued her own statement against Medicaid expansion.


 

Almost two weeks ago, a bipartisan coalition in the Kansas House passed Medicaid expansion. Governor Kelly applauded this coalition during Tuesday’s press conference, recognizing their strength and determination in moving Medicaid expansion forward.

“I have always endorsed efforts to carefully study issues before taking action,” Governor Kelly said. “But when it comes to Medicaid expansion, “study” is a code word for “stall.” The House did what’s right for Kansas – I’m calling on the Senate to do the same.”

During Tuesday’s press conference, Governor Kelly outlined the timeline of Medicaid expansion in recent years. In 2011, Governor Sam Brownback asked Kansans to wait until after the 2012 Presidential Election to act on Medicaid. After the 2012 election, Kansas still failed to act. Brownback then insisted Medicaid could not be expanded until the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Supreme Court upheld the ACA in 2015. Kansas still did not act. When the Legislature overwhelmingly approved Medicaid expansion in 2017, Brownback vetoed the bill.

In a media release from the governor’s office, she reminded that by not expanding Medicaid, Kansas has forfeited over $3.2 billion of our tax dollars to other states. The economic benefits of expansion have been clearly documented. The governor noted in the press conference that there have been 300 published studies and reports on the positive impact of Medicaid expansion in other states, including:

• A reduced poverty rate;
• A growth in the number of healthcare related jobs, spurring economic growth;
• A healthier, insured population;
• A significantly lower level of uncompensated care for health facilities.

Medicaid expansion passed the Kansas House of Representatives on March 21. The governor released her plan on January 29, 2019. Neither chamber held hearings on the bill or scheduled a floor vote.

🎥 Following repairs, alley trash collection resumes Monday

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Alley collection of trash and recyclables in Hays will resume April 8.

The city implemented a temporary curbside-only pickup March 18 due to deteriorated conditions in alleys caused by snow, frost and rain.

“We had trash trucks getting stuck and some areas were completely impassible for a period of time,” said Jesse Rohr, public works director. “That forced us to go curbside for a short period of time. However, we’ll get back to normal collections starting Monday.”

Two crews have spent the last two and half weeks improving the alleys. The majority of the work has been completed and Rohr expects it to be done next week. Ongoing alley maintenance will continue for the next couple of months.

A road grader and a tractor with a box plate on the back are being used to smooth out tire ruts, “knocking the ruts down and getting the rock back on the surface of the alleys that has been driven below the surface,” Rohr explained. Rock is also being added to the alleys.

During the temporary change in pickup sites, some blue polycarts were not moved by residents from alley to curbside and the bins are overflowing, with more trash bags on the ground.

Rohr says communicating notice of the temporary change to 7,000 refuse customers was a “big challenge on short notice.”

“People who call who say they weren’t aware of it and their trash is full, we’re going and taking care of it. Just like if they say they need assistance moving their cart, we’re helping with that.”

As workers have seen overflowing polycarts and blue bags for recycling still in alleys the past three weeks, they’ve also taken care of those.

“Our solid waste crews have done a great job,” Rohr added.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File