CORRECTED: Wetter is the former, not current, manager of the theater. Hays Post apologizes for the error.
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By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
NORTON — The former manager of the Norton Theater Association and a former employee of Norton Community Schools was arrested Wednesday on a charge of indecent liberties.
The post indicated Jeremy Wetter’s bond had been set at $50,000, and had been posted.
According to Wetter’s personal Facebook page, he was a cook at Norton junior high/high school between 2010 and 2015. He worked as a substitute teacher and crossing guard during the same time. Norton Superintendent Phil Wilson confirmed Wetter was a former employee and last worked for the district in 2015.
According to Wetter’s page, he also taught instrumental music at Northern Valley Schools in Almena from 2004 to 2009.
The Norton County Attorney was contacted for this story, but was unavailable for comment.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of western Kansas.
The advisory is in effect from noon Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, the NWS said.
Forecasters are calling for snow ranging from 2 to 6 inches, with the highest amounts along and north of Highway 50.
North winds between 15 and 30 mph Friday night and Saturday morning could lead to light to moderate blowing and drifting, the NWS warned.
“Expect snow covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving,” the NWS said, noting there is a “high uncertainty” of the actual amount of snow on the way.
A complete obituary is pending with Koons-Russell Funeral Home.
Donations may be made to Wallace County Community Foundation for the Track Project and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland KS 67735
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting that critically injured one person.
Law enforcement officers investigate the scene Thursday -photo courtesy Wichita Police
Just after 1 p.m. Thursday, police came to the Sedgwick County Department of Corrections, 905 North Main in Wichita to arrest a suspect wanted on a felony warrant for aggravated assault, according to Deputy Police Chief Troy Livingston.
Officers and members of the U.S. Marshals Service approached the suspect, who was in a vehicle. Officers knew he would be carrying a weapon, according to Livingston.
As police issued commands, the suspect put the vehicle into reverse and collided with a U.S. Marshals’ Dodge Durango.
The suspect’s vehicle then traveled forward, hit a sign and put the officer in a bad position. Livingston didn’t know if the officer was actually hit by the car, pinned or about to be pinned by the vehicle.
The officer fired shots. The 29-year-old suspect was hit multiple times, according to Livingston.
After hitting the sign, the suspect’s vehicle hit a pillar in front of a business, collided with steps and traveled across the street where it embedded into a wall.
The 29-year-old suspect was in serious condition at a local hospital. The officer, a 13-year veteran of the police force, also received injury, according to Livingston, and was being treated.
Police were also questioning a second person reported in the vehicle with suspect.
Police have not released the suspect’s name or the identity of the injured officer.
The Harlem Globetrotters will return to Salina and this time they will have a hometown hero on the team – Hannah “Mighty” Mortimer.
As the 17th female player in the team’s 92-year history, Mortimer has wowed fans near & far with her ball-handling skills, energetic playing style and hustle. She will be welcomed back to Salina as a full-fledged member of the World-Famous Harlem Globetrotters on February 4 at 7 p.m. at Tony’s Pizza Events Center.
Mortimer graduated from Southeast of Saline High School. She attended Brown Mackie Junior College in Salina, where as a college freshman and sophomore, she was named All-Region XI and led the region in scoring, three-point, and free throw percentage. Following her stint at Brown Mackie, Mortimer walked-on at Wichita State University where her hard work ethic and savviness with the ball earned her a scholarship to play with the Shockers. Mortimer graduated with honors and earned a degree in Psychology at WSU.
After graduating from WSU, Mortimer gained Internet notoriety by sharing videos of her basketball dribbling & spinning abilities. These videos were shared by regional and national news outlets. See her videos here.
Mortimer was also the subject of a short student-produced documentary in 2016 called “The imPOSSIBLE Shot,” which can be seen here:
Tickets for the Harlem Globetrotters game start at $24 and are available at tonyspizzaeventscenter.com, the Tony’s Pizza Events Center box office or by phone at 888-826-SHOW (7469). Groups of 10 or more qualify for discounts, call 785-833-5174 for details.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating Kansas felon for a home burglary.
Zobel -photo Saline Co.
Just before 1:30p.m. Wednesday, a woman arrived at her in the 700 Block of Meadowbrook in Salina and noticed clothing under the walk-in door of the garage, according to police Captain Paul Forrester.
When she opened the door she found 36-year-old Cole Zobel III, nude from the waist down. He was also holding a backpack and wearing the homeowner’s Pittsburgh Steelers cap.
Curtis called police and they took Zobel into custody on requested burglary and theft charges, according to Forrester.
Zobel has previous convictions for criminal damage to property and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
SHAWNEE COUNTY– Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting.
Police on the scene of the Wednesday shooting investigation -image courtesy WIBW TV
Just before 3p.m. Wednesday, police responded to 715 SW Taylor in Topeka in reference to a shooting, according to a media release.
Upon arrival officers found an adult male victim identified as 22-year-old Adrian Jones suffering from at least one gunshot wound. EMS transported the him to a local hospital where he later died.
Detectives interviewed all witnesses and parties involved and have not made an arrest. There are no outstanding suspects and the public is not in any danger, according to the release.
Police will forward the case to the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Grow Hays recently appointed four new board members to serve in 2019. The newly elected board members are Brian DeWitt, Cory Eberle, Gina Riedel and Dustin Schumacher.
“When selecting board members we attempt to choose individuals that have specific skills and experience in areas that are critical to Grow Hays in the coming year. This year’s selections reflect that objective,“ said Doug Williams, Grow Hays executive director.
Karen Dreiling will serve as Board Chair, Eddie Herrman as Vice-Chair and Ron Fields as Past Chair. Others rounding out the 13 member Board are Joannah Applequist, Lance Bickle, Joseph Boeckner, Mary Martin, Bob Muirhead and Deron O’Connor.
“Whether you are starting a new business, expanding an existing business, adding to your workforce, need to find financing, or just do not know where to start on a problem, Grow Hays is here to assist,” Williams added. “Give us a call to find out how we can assist you in your business success.”
To contact Grow Hays, call 785-628-3102 or go online to www.GrowHays.com.
Note: Ron Fields is the news and information director for Hays Post.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have found a missing 70-year-old man dead with his dog at his side after his pickup truck became stuck in the mud in rural Kansas.
Dannie Smith, of Topeka, hadn’t been seen for five days when his body was found Wednesday afternoon on a low-maintenance road in Jackson County, near the Shawnee County line.
Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse says Smith was known to drive to the reservation in Jackson County to purchase cigarettes. Morse said Smith was reported missing Sunday because he hadn’t been seen since Friday. An autopsy is planned.
His chocolate Labrador retriever, named Bear, was determined to be in good health.
Hays city commissioners will decide Thursday whether to approve a resolution for improvement of East 41st Street from Home Depot east to Vineyard Park.
A 3/4-cent sales tax was enacted April 1, 2005, for the Home Depot Transportation Development District (TDD), which currently includes Home Depot, IHOP, Hampton Inn, Town Place Suites by Marriott, the former JT Travel Plaza and a yet-to-be developed area for 47,000 square feet of retail space.
The TDD tax outperformed projections allowing for the 2004 TDD bonds financing the Phase I improvements to be called early and completed in January 2018.
Special Counsel Kevin Wempe with Gilmore & Bell has determined the 3/4-cent TDD sales tax could continue until March 2027 to fund a portion of Phase II improvements.
Phase II includes grading, pavement, storm sewer and waterline along East 41st east of Home Depot to Vineyard Park.
According to Kim Rupp, city finance manager, the TDD has collected a total of $2,730,214 over the last 163 months, averaging $247,000 annually the past three years.
“Adding in an estimate for the newly developed property in the district, which includes a hotel and travel plaza, we project that TDD sales tax revenue to increase to $282,000 per year. Based on these provisions, we agree that the current annual TDD sales tax collections would support debt service,” Rupp wrote in a memo to the commission. The undeveloped property is not included in the estimate.
A low bid for the improvement project, $692,133.50 by Paul-Wertenberger Construction of Hays, will also be considered.
(Click to enlarge)
Other Jan. 10 agenda items include a request for annexation of 23.310 acres of property on the west side of the Highway 183 Bypass and West 33rd Street by owners Robert and Sondra Swift; a pool reimbursement request of $19,668.70 from the Hays Recreation Commission for one-half of the 2018 pool operating loss; and a report from Mehran Shahidi, Sister Cities Advisory Board member, about his recent trip to China.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.
NORTON — The Norton County Hospital and police are warning of a potential telephone scam in the area affecting patients.
“The callers are identifying themselves as representatives of Norton County Hospital and asking for information such as name, date of birth and social security number prior to issuing a survey about the patient’s experience,.” the Norton Police Department reported in a social media post. “Please know that Norton County Hospital will not call and ask for personal details such as these over the phone. If you are suspicious of a call, please do not provide personal information and notify Norton County Hospital and local law enforcement.”
The NPD also reported that movie prop money also has been found the area.
“The money comes in all levels of denomination. These bills look extremely realistic and need to be closely inspected. All have printing which identify the money as prop or play money, but if produced for payment in a low light setting or to a cashier with a long wait line, the printing could be easily overlooked,” the department said. “Please keep an eye out for this and as always, feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.”
After a whirlwind transition, Gov.-elect Laura Kelly will be sworn in as the 48th governor of Kansas on Monday, and Kansans will have their first glimpse of how she grasps the key levers of governance.
H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.
Having assisted former Gov. Mike Hayden in his transition of 1986-87, I experienced first-hand how high political expectations and rigid time constraints confront a new administration.
Governors rise and fall on the quality of appointments they make to top positions, and Kelly has set a high bar for herself. She has stated her administration will be “diverse, dynamic, and highly skilled. People who know what they’re doing. Highly-skilled people will be our No. 1 choice. We need really top-notch managers.”
Remember that former Gov. Sam Brownback started off his administration with a cast of partisans and ideologues, many with limited competence. A budget director associated with Americans for Prosperity could not keep his numbers straight. A securities commissioner purged nonpartisan staffers and used his office as a political campaign. A social welfare agency head vowed to transform social services with religious fervor and lasted less than a year.
The short transition will challenge Kelly to assemble an administrative team that is not only skilled but also rises to her ideal of a bipartisan path forward.
Kelly brings a wealth of experience to the budget process, having served on the Senate Ways and Means Committee for 14 legislative sessions, most of those as the ranking minority member. She has reviewed the budgets proposed by four governors, two Democrats and two Republicans, but has never had to put together her own budget from scratch.
The new governor will want to address her top priorities, education and Medicaid expansion, but also begin to repair other state services that have been allowed to deteriorate over the last eight years. In doing so, will she be able to keep spending in line with tax revenues, not only for year one, but also for years two, three, and four?
Be assured that Republicans will be gaming Kelly on taxes. Their siren call will likely begin with “return the windfall.” Of course, estimating any “windfall” resulting from national tax reform of 2017 is guesswork at best, and to whom any windfall should be returned is completely unknown. Kelly should not hesitate to remind these gamers of her newly acquired veto pen and of her top priority for tax reform—phasing out the sales tax on food.
Kelly may be less well acquainted with borrowing, the third leg of state finance, and will be besieged by debt wizards and highway lobbyists who see more debt as the answer to any budget squeeze. Self-described “conservative” Republicans compiled an appalling record on borrowing over the last eight years, repeatedly pushing current obligations onto future generations and issuing historic levels of tax-supported debt dramatically out of line with surrounding states. They swept the proceeds of long-term highway debt to pay for a disastrous tax experiment instead of highway improvements. The governor should proceed with caution here.
Every new governor is easily diverted by the many dozens of meritorious and conflicting claims for state action of one kind or another. Kelly’s disciplined campaign demonstrated her ability to keep a focus on key issues, while attracting a broad political coalition. Maintaining that discipline will constantly test her governorship.
Kansans see their governor as the face of state government and should expect Kelly to chart new direction for the state. She is also challenged to depart from discredited practices in governance of the last eight years.
H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University and served with former Kansas Governors Bennett and Hayden.
NORTON — The former manager of the Norton Theater Association and a former employee of Norton Community Schools was arrested Wednesday on a charge of indecent liberties.
