Snow developing by 9am. Widespread blowing snow, mainly after noon. High near 33. Very windy, with a northeast wind 11 to 21 mph becoming north northwest 24 to 34 mph. Winds could gust as high as 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 7 to 9 inches possible.
Tonight
Patchy blowing snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 18. Very windy, with a west northwest wind 22 to 32 mph decreasing to 11 to 21 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.
Sunday
Increasing clouds, with a high near 31. West northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 15. Wind chill values as low as 2. East wind 6 to 10 mph.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Angie Kreutzer, who is in her first year as a teacher at Hays USD 489’s Westside program, is February’s Hays Post Teacher of the Month.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Angie Kreutzer, K-3 special education teacher, teaches her students a lesson about harsh words.
She has them crumple up a piece of paper in their hands and then try to smooth it out again, saying nice things to the piece of paper. No matter how hard they try, the students can’t make the paper completely smooth again.
“Don’t add more crinkles to their paper,” Kreutzer said of how she approaches her students.
Kreutzer is in her first year as a teacher at Hays USD 489’s Westside program, which is a alternative program in which the school district offers special services for students in partnership with High Plains Mental Health.
Her compassion toward her students has earned her February’s Hays Post Teacher of the Month honor.
A parent of a 9-year-old in her class in her nomination said, “It has been refreshing to see a teacher who has a passion for helping students who have behavior and mental heath challenges.
“She makes a huge effort to help each child learn in the best way for them, even if it’s not easy for her. Despite her challenges, she always has a smile on her face. She has been open with me about the things she feels would benefit my son in the learning environment.”
“Mrs. K also shows a lot of compassion for the families of her students. Our family recently went through something hard, and she was there with kind words and a hug. She is truly a one-of-a-kind teacher, and I wish there were more of her.”
Kreutzer, 42, is only in her fifth year as a teacher. She worked as a hair dresser, makeup artist and worked in retail. When her daughter was born, she knew she wanted more for her life and her daughter’s. She signed up for college classes right there in the hospital.
“I just wanted to do better and be better for her,” Kreutzer said.
She taught at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Ellis before moving to Westside this year. She said she has truly found what she loves to do at Westside.
“I was actually struggling with this very recently,” she said. “I am not teaching in the traditional sense. I am not up in front of a classroom explaining how to do multiplication because I have so many different kids on so many different levels. They have other factors that are maybe bigger for them than figuring out a multiplication problem. I feel my job is to teach students how to be students.
“I am not teaching in the way I always envisioned myself to be, but I am doing exactly what I think I was meant to be doing in building relationships.”
Kreutzer admitted many of the students who come to the Westside program have not had good relationships with their teachers or good experiences and it is hard from them to trust or like a new teacher.
“I would say the most important part of my job is building relationships and making connections with kiddos who don’t necessarily know how to do that. They struggle with forming bonds and relationships with people outside of their immediate circle,” she said.
Kreutzer said she builds that trust in a variety of ways.
At the beginning of the school year, she gave the students the option of ending the day with a fist bump, a high five or a hug. All of those afternoon goodbyes have now evolved to hugs.
“On Fridays I tell them, ‘I will miss you this weekend,’ and on Mondays I say, ‘I missed you this weekend. Tell me about your weekend. Tell me how you are doing.’ I try to get to know what their likes are, what their strengths are, so that when I am building a curriculum for them, it includes things they enjoy or they are familiar with.”
Kreutzer builds in time to her day for her students to talk to her or tell her stories.
“If they are having a rough day, I stick by them and let them get that all out of their system too. I think consistency is really, really important with these kids. I think showing up for them everyday is so important. I think they sense or know that I love to come to work everyday,” she said.
“I share bits of myself with them. I talk about my kids. They see my pictures, and when we talk about things, I will say that has happened to me. I let them into my life just as much as they let me into theirs. I think building that trust and being there with them and for them everyday is so important.”
Kreutzer has been through some difficult times in her life, and she said she thought that helps her relate with her students. Kreutzer grew up in Hays, but moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and worked at variety of jobs before she had her daughter and went back to college.
She got behind on her rent and was evicted. She was homeless for a time, staying with friends and even sleeping in her car.
“Life leads you in so many different places,” she said. “I do think it is for a reason. If I hadn’t made those mistakes then, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today, although they stunk at the time. But now that I am where I am and I love it, it was all worth it.”
Living in the city, she said she learned not to judge people.
“You have no idea what they have been through,” she said. “You have no idea what they are struggling with and that goes for any classroom. I treated my kids at St. Mary’s the same way. I don’t know if they got in a fight with their mom before they came to school or dad’s sick and hasn’t been to work for a month. You don’t know those things.
“If someone is having a rough day or a rough week, I don’t think its my job to come down hard on them without trying to understand why. I don’t think any kid wakes up in the morning and says, ‘I am going to go to school today and make my teacher’s day awful’ or ‘I am going to disrupt as many students as I can today. That’s my goal.’ I don’t think any kid ever does that. When it happens, there’s a reason.”
Kreutzer said maybe a student is hungry. She keeps granola bars on hand.
“Being compassionate about it … ‘I know you are having a rough day. I am sure there is a reason why. If you want to talk to me about it, great. If you don’t ,that is OK too, but let’s figure out a better way to handle this or let’s go take a break and reset and try to have a better day.'”
Kreutzer is working with young children, and sometimes they have trouble putting words to their emotions. Kreutzer tries to help the children learn about that part of themselves. She might see a child with a face strained in frustration and anger, and she might say, “I think you might be feeling angry becuase your face looks like this.”
She tries to offer options for the children to positively deal with that emotion, such as choosing to read in a quiet place or talking to a friend.
Kreutzer said she thought treating children with compassion through trauma informed education programs is not only important in a program such as Westside’s, but also in the mainstream classrooms. She said she thought trauma is much more prevalent among children than most people realize.
“I don’t think it is getting worse,” she said. “I think we are finally talking about it.”
TRAVEL ALERT:
I-70 is now OPEN in both directions from the Colorado border to Salina.
Roads are still snowpacked and icy. SLOW DOWN and take your time out there! We want you to get where you’re going safely. Stay updated at kandrive.org.
7:15 p.m.
Blizzard Warning has been canceled.
TRAVEL ALERT:
I-70 West Bound ONLY now open at Hays
I-70 East Bound ONLY closed from Colorado border to Hays
I-70 closed in both directions from Hays to Salina
US-183 and US-283 have also reopened in Northwest Kansas.
Even though roads are starting to reopen in NWKS, conditions are still snowpacked and icy in spots.
SLOW DOWN, keep the cruise off, buckle up and give our plows room to work! Condition and closure updates available at kandrive.org.
5:30 p.m.
TRAVEL ALERT:
I-70 West Bound ONLY has reopened at Oakley
I-70 East Bound ONLY closed from CO border to Oakley
I-70 closed in both directions from Oakley to Salina
Expect conditions to be snowpacked and icy! More closure and condition info available at kandrive.org.#kswx
2:45 p.m. Highway 183 is closed north of Hays to Nebraska border.
1:45 p.m. ROAD CLOSED:
I-70 is closed between Goodland and Salina because of blizzard conditions.
Stay updated on road conditions and closures in your area at kandrive.org.#kswx
Hays High wrestlers went 4-2 in the opening round of state on Friday at Harman Arena. All six wrestlers will still be competing on day number two of the 5A tournament.
160: Kreighton Myers: Won by decision 4-2 then lost in the semi-finals 4-2 in overtime.
170: Chase Voth: Lost by Fall then won by Fall (1:40).
182: Gavin Meyers: Won by Fall (1:25) in the first round and also semifinals with a 1:02 pin. He then lost in the semifinals 4-3.
195: Cole Schroeder: Lost by Fall then won by Fall (2:36).
220: Gavin Nutting: Won by Fall (0:30) then lost by major decision 17-2.
285: Logan Schulte: Won by Fall (4:43) then lost by Fall.
Wrestling resumes at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
The Hays High Indians finished the regular season off with Abilene on Friday night on Senior Night. It was the second meeting of the season between the two teams with the Cowgirls and Cowboys each picking up wins in the first contest. Like the games on Thursday night, Friday’s results did not have an impact on the sub-state standings.
Girls
#4-4A Abilene 52 – Hays 40
Hays and Abilene traded the lead three times in the first quarter with neither team building a two possession lead. Abilene led 11-10 heading into the second quarter before the Indians tied the game for a third time at 14. Hays however never could take the lead in the second quarter. Trailing 20-18 the Indians went scoreless on back to back possession. Abilene built the lead to five in with a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the first half to lead 24-19.
Highlights
Abilene led the second half and pushed their advantage as high as 13 in the third quarter. The Indians closed the gap back to nine in entering the fourth quarter but trailed again by ten with six minutes remaining. Hays once again chipped away at the lead and trailed 44-40 with 2:38 left. Abilene left the door open for Hays with a turnover, missed shot and two missed free throws, but Hays couldn’t walk through. The Indians missed two shots and turned it over twice during the next ninety seconds. Abilene made all eight of their free throws in the final 1:08 to win 52-40.
Coach Alex Hutchins
Jaycee Dale led the Indians with 14 and Brooke Denning scored 10. Hays finishes the regular season at 13-7 while Abilene improves to 18-2. The Indians will play at home next Wednesday against Kapaun to open postseason play.
Boys
#6-4A Abilene 51 – Hays 43
The score was more like a baseball game through the first six minutes of the contest. Trailing 6-5 Hays finally found some rhythm on offense. Hays scored the final six points of the quarter to lead 11-6. Abilene led 15-14 before Trey Adams dumped to field goals and TJ Nunnery drained a right corner three for a 21-15 lead. The Indians thought did score for the final 2:15 of the half and Abilene answered with eight straight points for a 23-21 lead at the halftime.
Highlights
Hays led just once in the second half. The Indians trailed by four when Nunnery hit another basket and Braiden Meyers nailed a left corner three off a behind the back pass from Tradgon McCrae. The three pointer gave the Indians what proved to be their last lead of the game at 26-25. Abilene quickly took the lead back and started on a 7-0 run. The Cowboys led by seven entering the fourth quarter and by nine early in the fourth quarter. Hays could only close the gap back down to six with 1:40 remaining and then again with :46 left. Abilene made seven of their nine fourth quarter free throws to win 51-43.
Coach Rick Keltner
TJ Nunnery scored a game high 15 to the lead the Indians who have dropped four straight and finish the regular season 9-11. Abilene ends the season at 17-3. Hays will be on the road Thursday to play Salina Central to open post season play.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A public pensions funding bill has passed the Kansas Legislature unanimously but touched off partisan sniping.
The measure sent Friday to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly requires the state to make an immediate $115 million payment to its pension system for teachers and government workers. It represents a payment the state shorted the system in 2016, with interest.
The vote Friday in the Republican-controlled House was 117-0. The GOP-dominated Senate approved it earlier this month, 40-0.
Kelly said it’s encouraging that lawmakers are fixing “past mistakes” but called on GOP leaders to “offer reasonable ideas” to avoid future problems.
Senate President Susan Wagle and House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, both Wichita Republicans, fired back by criticizing Kelly’s budget proposals.
Wagle said Kelly “continues to point the finger” instead of leading.
SMITH CENTER — Smith County Attorney Tabitha Owen announced this week that her office has completed the review of the Dec. 15 shooting incident involving troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol and a juvenile.
The investigation determined that on the morning of Dec. 15 Smith County Sheriff’s personnel responded to a 911 call in rural Smith County. Officers were informed of an attempted murder and notified that the juvenile was armed and had fled on horseback. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Kansas Highway Patrol in locating the suspect. Smith County Deputies and KHP troopers spent the next few hours attempting to locate and apprehend the suspect.
Eventually, the officers made contact with the suspect who had ridden a horse into a wooded-draw in on a large tract of farm ground. KHP identified themselves and attempted to negotiate a peaceful surrender with the juvenile. The negotiation continued for approximately two hours. During the negotiation, law enforcement heard three gunshots coming from the juvenile’s location. Later, the juvenile began to run toward a team of KHP troopers, he then raised his arms and fired a gun at the KHP team. Two troopers returned fire, striking the juvenile. The juvenile was taken into custody by the KHP and taken by ambulance for medical treatment. The investigation of the case was turned over to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).
On Jan. 11, the KBI turned over the results of the investigation to the County Attorney. Owen said that her office reviewed the conduct of the two Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers that discharged their weapons, as well as the conduct of the juvenile. Owen announced that the juvenile has been charged with eight separate crimes, including: one count of Attempted Murder in the First Degree (Level 1 Person Felony), one count of Aggravated Kidnapping (level 1 Person Felony) and six counts of Aggravated Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer (Level 6 Felonies). Owen further announced that the conduct of the law enforcement officers involved has been determined to be justified as both self-defense and defense of others, and her office would not be seeking any criminal charges against those officers.
The KBI will continue handling the investigation of this case. Anyone with information related to this crime should report that information directly to the KBI. The charges are allegations of criminal conduct only. Any person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a Court of law.
— Office of the Smith County Attorney
DICKINSON COUNTY— One person died in an accident just before 2:30a.m. Friday in Dickinson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Spark driven by Scott Q. Chronister, 33, Abilene, was eastbound in westbound lane Interstate 70 five miles east of Abilene.
The Chevy collided head on with a westbound 2013 Dodge Ram driven by Larry J. Pawlowski, 64, St. Louis, Missouri. Both vehicles rolled.
Chronister was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Martin Becker Carlson Funeral Home
Pawlowski and a passenger Yanghee April Choi-Pawlowski, 56, St. Louis, Missouri, were transported to the hospital in Salina. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A suburban Kansas City man who is charged with first-degree murder told investigators that he didn’t seek medical care for his ailing mother before she died weighing just 58 pounds and suffering from open bed sores, according to court records.
McManness -photo Johnson County
Raymond McManness, 51, of Olathe, Kansas, also faced a charge of mistreatment of a dependent adult in the death of 75-year-old Sharon McManness. He was jailed on $1 million bond. Zach Thomas, an attorney for McManness, declined to comment Thursday.
His mother, who had dementia, was pronounced dead in January in her Olathe home after McManness called police to report that she wasn’t breathing. Police described her as “very emaciated” and said one of her bedsores was “open to the bone,” according to the charging documents released Wednesday.
McManness told police that he was his mother’s primary caregiver and that she refused to be treated by doctors. He said he had been living with her but moved out about six months before she died because she kept him awake at night. He told police he checked on her before and after work, bringing her food as she became bedridden and forcefully opening her mouth in an attempt to get her to eat on the day before she died, the documents say.
Weeks earlier, McManness went to the Kansas Department of Aging and was told he needed to take his mother to a doctor, the records said. But he told police he didn’t take her “because he was busy due to the holiday season, and he was scared because he had not been taking adequate care of her,” according to the records.
Police who searched her home found no medications, no clean clothing, no working telephone and minimal food. They found dog feces and urine throughout the house. Court records say soiled clothes that appeared to be cut off the victim were found in a trash can in the driveway.
Preliminary findings from the medical examiner’s office said the woman likely died from an infection caused by bed sores. She also was malnourished and dehydrated, and the examination showed she had bruising on her jaw area, wrists and the upper part of her head.
In preparation for this weekend’s blizzard, Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty has declared the City of Hays to be under a Phase 1 Winter Storm Traffic Emergency. During a Phase 1 Winter Storm Traffic Emergency, it is unlawful to park a vehicle on any street designated as an emergency snow route.
The City of Hays Public Works Department and Hays Police Department are requesting your assistance with snow removal along emergency snow routes. Please take the appropriate measures and move your vehicle from the snow route at this time. Should you take no action and allow your vehicle to remain parked on an emergency snow route, you risk receiving a citation and/or having your vehicle towed at your expense.
This Phase 1 Winter Storm Traffic Emergency shall remain in effect until such time that the Hays City Manager deems the Winter Storm Traffic Emergency terminated.
Since winter precipitation continues to fall and conditions are expected to worsen through the weekend, the Hays Police Department is asking that motorists avoid travel if at all possible. Those that must travel are advised to do so with caution and are encouraged to give themselves extra time to reach their destination. Please remember to drive slow, pay attention to vehicles in front of you, and allow for extra stopping distance. The public’s cooperation is greatly appreciated throughput this winter storm.
Below is a link to the City of Hays website that has a map of the snow routes:
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A conservative Kansas legislator has apologized and said he has asked that he be removed as a sponsor of a bill calling same-sex marriages a “parody” after his LGBTQ daughter posted a letter to him on Facebook that ended with, “Shame on you.”
Rep. Ron Highland
Republican state Rep. Ron Highland of Wamego said in a letter Thursday to his hometown newspaper that he should not have signed on to the bill because it contained “hateful language” that he does not condone, The Manhattan Mercury reports . The bill seeks to prevent the state from endorsing any policy in line with what it calls the “LGBT secular humanist religion.”
Highland’s letter came hours after the Facebook post from his daughter, Christel Highland , a Kansas City-area artist, mother and “partner to the love of my life.” In her letter, she told her father that, “It is time for you to change.”
“I love you, I always will, in spite of your flaws,” she wrote. “I cannot, however, condone your cruel actions. Shame on you.”
She said in the post that her father had not responded to an email she sent him on the subject. Her post was first reported by The Topeka Capital-Journal .
Highland is a retired veterinarian who was first elected to the House in 2012, and he serves as chairman of its Agriculture Committee. He previously has served as Education Committee chairman.
The proposed “Marriage and Constitution Restoration Act” has drawn the strong condemnation of LGBTQ-rights advocates and lawmakers and most of its nine pages are a polemic against same-sex marriage. It was introduced after Kansas elected its first two openly LGBT lawmakers to the House last year.
Christel Highland did not immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking comment Friday, and her father declined to comment when approached by a reporter at the Statehouse.
But in his statement, Ron Highland said he trusted the bill’s primary sponsor before seeing the text but that it “goes against our Lord’s command to love our neighbors.”
“I must admit it was a mistake, and apologize,” he said.
Christel Highland responded with a Facebook post Friday morning: “Now I have to write another letter,” followed with a heart emoji.
The anti-LGBTQ marriage bill was part of a package of six measures introduced by conservative Republicans. None of them are expected to get even a committee hearing.
They include bills that would impose a $3-per-entry tax on admissions to sexually oriented businesses, require anti-pornography filters on all devices sold in Kansas that provide internet access and to give social media users a right to suein Kansas courts if their political posts on social media are deleted or censored.
The bills have been promoted in various state legislatures by activist Chris Sevier , who once made news for trying to marry his laptop as a way to publicize his opposition to same-sex marriage. Rep. Randy Garber, a Sabetha Republican, agreed to sponsor the package of bills in Kansas.
Sevier has pushed the bills this year in Missouri, where some lawmakers have complained that the meetings with him were uncomfortable. The Kansas City Star reported that Missouri Senate Administrator Patrick Baker sent an email Thursday to the entire Senate and staff with the subject line “security concern” and a picture of Sevier.
Moderate to heavy snow and near-blizzard conditions are possible with a winter storm system that is forecast for this weekend. The storm system will begin to affect western Kansas tonight and spread eastward across the state through tomorrow.
Current forecast predictions indicate that there will be a mixture of rain, freezing rain or drizzle before the snow begins across portions of the state. Widespread heavy snow coupled with northerly wind gusts as high as 45-55 mph will cause blowing snow throughout the day on Saturday, hindering travel conditions due to limited visibilities. Snow totals are expected to range from 1-6 inches across much of the state, with locally heavier amounts possible, especially in western Kansas.
Gov. Laura Kelly has issued a declaration of disaster emergency to expedite use of state resources and personnel to assist with response and recovery operations in affected counties if needed.
“Due to upcoming severe winter weather, I’ve declared a disaster emergency to make sure state assistance is readily available if needed,” said Kelly. “I encourage all Kansans to stay warm and safe during the snow storm in the coming days. Avoid travel if possible and keep an eye on the weather forecast as the storm moves and develops.”
The Kansas Division of Emergency Management will activate the state emergency operations center on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7 a.m. through midnight, with additional staffing, if needed, into Sunday. Agencies in the SEOC will include the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Highway Patrol, and Kansas National Guard. Additional support agencies will be contacted as needed.
The Kansas National Guard will activate and preposition thirteen Stranded Motorist Assistance Response Teams to assist local public safety agencies reach stranded motorists if local resource capabilities are exceeded. Each team will consist of four Guardsmen and two High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles.
Kansans are urged to change or delay their travel plans until the storm moves through. If you must travel, be sure your car’s gas tank is full and you have an emergency kit. Vehicle emergency kits should include blankets, flashlights, batteries, a cell phone charger, hand-warmers, high-energy food snacks, bottled water, necessary medications, a snow shovel, flares and other emergency supplies. Make sure your cell phone is charged and someone is aware of your itinerary, including expected time of arrival.
On the road, remember the following:
* Allow extra time for delays and slower traffic speeds.
* Buckle up and properly secure children in safety seats.
* Increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. Ice and snow significantly increase your stopping distance.
* Accelerate and brake gently. A light foot on the gas is less likely to make wheels spin on ice and snow. Braking is best accomplished by pumping the pedal. If your vehicle has an anti-lock braking system, it is very important that you understand how to use it. Read the owner’s manual or check with a dealership for more information, and practice using it correctly.
* Make turns slowly and gradually, especially in heavily traveled areas (e.g. intersections that may be icy from snow that melted and refroze).
* Visibility is very important. You must be able to see out, and other drivers must be able to see your vehicle. Clean frost and snow off all windows, mirrors, and lights. Use headlights as necessary.
* If your car loses traction and begins to slide, steer into the swerve, or in the direction you want to go. Anticipate a second skid in the opposite direction as the car straightens out.
If you are stranded in a winter storm, do not panic. Stay in the vehicle, keep fresh air circulating through a downwind window, run the motor sparingly, turn on the dome light, and make sure the vehicle’s tailpipe is clear of snow. Stimulate circulation and stay awake by moving arms and legs.
If you leave the car, work slowly in the snow to avoid over-exertion and the risk of a heart attack. If you have a cell phone, call a Kansas Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (47), or *KTA (582) while on the Kansas Turnpike.
For an updated list of road conditions go to the Kansas Department of Transportation web site at https://kandrive.org. Winter road conditions are accessible by dialing 5-1-1 from your mobile phone anywhere in Kansas; outside Kansas call 1-866-511-5368 (KDOT).
Today
