PAWNEE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Friday in Pawnee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Jeep Wrangler driven by Evan William Hopkins, 16, Garden City, was eastbound on K156 one mile east of Rozel.
The Jeep traveled left of center, entered the north ditch, hit a field entrance, went airborne, rolled end over end and came to rest on the driver’s side.
Hopkins and a passenger in the vehicle Todd A. Hopkins, 53, Garden City, were transported to Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned. Todd Hopkis died of his injuries. Both were wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
Attorney General Sessions during Friday afternoon’s event at the Law Enforcement Training Center
RENO COUNTY — United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in Reno County Friday afternoon to speak to law enforcement and cadets of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.
Sessions was the guest of Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, who praised Sessions for his work:
Sessions says the uptick in the crime rate is something that needs to be addressed. He spoke on the vigilance of the U.S. Attorney’s office and the support law enforcement has from the president:
Sessions also announced a $100,000 grant to the Wichita Police Department that will allow the department to purchase better technology, including 67 body cameras.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities have been investigating alleged arson at the Barton County County Detention Facility.
Zachariah Dittrick -photo Barton Co.
According to Sheriff Brian Bellendir, on August 20, two inmates in the Barton County Detention Facility damaged a light fixture to gain access to the wiring.
They then intentionally caused a direct short and managed to ignite small pieces of paper. They then took larger pieces of paper and started a larger fire adding plastic food trays and other items from their cell. The detention staff quickly noticed the fire and gained entry to the cell.
The Great Bend Fire Department responded, and the fire was quickly brought under control. The actions of these inmates placed sheriff’s office personnel as well as the general jail population at risk.
Because the fire had intentionally been set in an occupied building, Sheriff’s Office personnel contacted the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office to assist in the investigation. After conducting interviews of the inmates, the Fire Marshall determined aggravated arson charges should be sought.
The two inmates including 35-year-old Zachariah Dittrich were placed under arrest immediately and booked on charges of aggravated arson-a level three felony. The case was sent to the County Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Criminal charges were filed by the Barton County Attorney’s Office and the incident was placed on the court docket for a preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday, September 13, 2018.
The Sheriff’s Office delivered Zachariah Dittrick to the district court for the proceeding. An assistant county attorney advised the court he had only recently been assigned the case. The case had been under review by County Atty. Amy Mellor.
According to the sheriff, Mellor was not in her office this week and no subpoenas had been issued in the case and the State could not proceed.
The State’s Attorney requested a continuance. Defense Attorney Don Anderson moved the case be dismissed. The Hon. Richard Burgess granted the motion to dismiss without prejudice. Judge Burgess further stated if the State wished to refile the case they must do so by summons only.
Dittrick was returned to the jail where he is being held on an aggravated battery charge only.
The Sheriff’s Office has received no documents as of this time, recharging Dittrick with the arson.
At approximately 5:20 p.m. Sept. 13, a Grand Junction Police officer was dispatched to a report of a runaway. The reporting party stated that when she arrived home from work that afternoon, she discovered that her 15-year-old son, as well as his belongings, were missing from the hotel at which they had been staying.
The reporting party spoke with other occupants of the hotel to ask if they had any information. She discovered that another occupant of the hotel, who she was familiar with, had possibly left the area that day, telling staff he was considering a return to the Front Range, where he had family. An additional witness claimed to have seen the 15-year-old male get into a vehicle, described as a red SUV, with the other male earlier in the day and leave the hotel. The tenant, identified as Samuel Jumps, age 27, was discovered to have a felony warrant out of Arapahoe County for a sex offender registration violation.
Jumps
Continued attempts to contact the 15-year-old via his cell phone were unsuccessful. The victim was entered into a national database as a missing and endangered person as the investigation continued.
It was determined that Jumps drives a red Mercury Mountaineer, and registration and license plate information was obtained. The registered owner of that vehicle was contacted and stated that he had spoken to Jumps earlier in the day, and that Jumps told him that he was planning to travel to South Carolina.
A detective with the Grand Junction Police Department was able to make contact with Jumps via his cell phone. Jumps denied knowing where the 15-year-old boy was, and stated he was currently driving through the state of Kansas. Through numerous conversations, Jumps continued to deny having any knowledge as to where the boy was, and eventually agreed to drive to the nearest law enforcement agency to let officers search his car.
During this time, another detective was able to reach the victim via his cell phone, and determined that he was in Ellis and was unharmed. The boy was contacted and picked up by local law enforcement. Meanwhile, Jumps was contacted at a gas station in Hays by law enforcement who were aware of this investigation and had a description of the vehicle in which Jumps was suspected to be traveling. Jumps was detained and ultimately held on a GJPD warrant for kidnapping and false reporting to authorities.
“We commend our officers and detectives for their diligent work in locating the victim in a matter of hours, so that he could be reunited with his family. We’re grateful for the information shared by witnesses, as well as the cooperation of law enforcement agencies across state lines who assisted in bringing this incident to resolution,” the GJPD said in a news release.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced the dates and locations for its 2018-19 Championships. The MIAA will crown 17 champions, including 10 in women’s sport and seven in men’s sports. Five championships will be conducted at neutral sites with the remaining sites being held on campuses.
Women’s Soccer is the first championship of the season on Wednesday, October 31. First-round matches will be at campus sites with the semifinals on Friday, November 2 and the championship match on Sunday, November 4 at the campus of the highest remaining seed.
The MIAA Cross Country Championships will be held in Emporia, Kansas at the Jones Park Cross Country Course on Saturday, November 3. The final fall MIAA Championship is volleyball, which begins on Tuesday, November 6 at campus sites. Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10 will be the semifinal and final matches on the campus of the highest remaining seed.
Winter Championships get underway with Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field. The indoor championships will be hosted in Maryville, Missouri at the newly completed Hughes Family Fieldhouse on Friday, February 22 and end on Sunday, February 24.
A change to the championship schedule will be for Men’s and Women’s Basketball. The championships move to five days, beginning on Wednesday, March 5 and will include 20 teams playing at Kansas City’s historic Municipal Auditorium. The basketball championships conclude with a men’s and women’s team cutting down the nets on Sunday, March 10.
Women’s Bowling wraps up the Winter Championships on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. Springfield, Missouri’s Andy B’s will host this year’s championship.
Golf starts off the 2019 Spring Championship schedule on Monday, April 22 and ends on Wednesday, April 24. The Women’s Championship will be played at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta, Kansas. Men’s Golf will hit the course the same days at a site still to be finalized. The Oklahoma City Tennis Center will be the site of the 2019 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships on Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28.
The MIAA Softball Championship will be held on Wednesday, May 1 through Saturday, May 4 with a location still to be finalized. Walton Stadium in Warrensburg, Missouri will be the site of the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships starting on Friday, May 3 and ending Sunday, May 5.
The final MIAA Championship of the season will be baseball. The Baseball Championship is set to open on Thursday, May 9 with the final day on Sunday, May 12 at Al Ortoani Field in Pittsburg, Kansas.
“The MIAA is one of the strongest Division II conferences in the country and a big reason why is the quality championship venues we provide for our student-athletes each year,” explained MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy. “This year’s line-up of championship sites will provide a first-class championship experience to some of the nation’s most talented students.”
All MIAA Championships will be streamed live on the MIAA Network. The complete list of the 2018-19 MIAA Championship schedule, dates and locations can be found here.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Friday denied an allegation of sexual misconduct from when he was in high school, seeking to defuse a potential threat to his confirmation as a handful of key senators remained silent on whether they would vote for him.
In a statement released by the White House, Kavanaugh said: “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.”
Senate Republicans insist Kavanaugh’s confirmation remains on track. But the allegation has inflamed an already intense political battle over President Donald Trump’s nominee. It also pushes the #MeToo movement into the court fight, less than two months before congressional elections that have seen a surge of female Democratic candidates.
The New Yorker magazine reported that the alleged incident took place at a party when Kavanaugh, now 53, was attending Georgetown Preparatory School. The woman making the allegation attended a nearby school.
The magazine says the woman sent a letter about the allegation to Democrats. A Democratic aide and another person familiar with the letter confirmed Friday to The Associated Press that the allegation is sexual in nature. Two other people familiar with the matter confirmed it concerned an incident alleged to have occurred in high school. They were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The AP has not confirmed the details of the incident alleged in The New Yorker’s account.
Rallying to Kavanaugh’s defense, 65 women who knew him in high school issued a letter saying Kavanaugh has “always treated women with decency and respect.” The letter was circulated by Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
65 women of bipartisan backgrounds who knew Judge Kavanaugh in high school: “For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect” & has “stood out for his friendship, character, and integrity” #SCOTUShttps://t.co/9dT54BC2qMpic.twitter.com/5QtcPfwjX5
“We are women who have known Brett Kavanaugh for more than 35 years and knew him while he attended high school between 1979 and 1983,” wrote the women, who said most of them had attended all-girl high schools in the area. “For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect.”
The show of support for Kavanaugh was organized by his former law clerks. Three women reached by AP said they were first asked to sign the letter on Thursday.
The swift pushback comes after the Senate Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of California, notified federal investigators about information she received about the nominee.
Feinstein won’t disclose the information publicly, but the FBI confirmed it has included it in Kavanaugh’s background file at the committee, now available confidentially to all senators.
Kavanaugh’s nomination has divided the Senate and the new information complicates the process, especially as key Republican senators, including Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, are under enormous pressure from outside groups seeking to sway their votes on grounds that a Justice Kavanaugh might vote to undercut the Roe v. Wade ruling. One activist group favoring abortion choice, NARAL, called on Kavanaugh to withdraw from consideration.
The Judiciary Committee, which has finished confirmation hearings for Kavanagh, still plans to vote next Thursday on whether to recommend that he be confirmed by the full Senate, a spokesman said.
The White House called Feinstein’s move an “11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation.”
Collins held an hour-long phone call with Kavanaugh on Friday, her spokeswoman confirmed. It had been a previously scheduled follow-up to an initial visit that Kavanaugh made to her office in August. It was not immediately clear if they discussed the new information.
If Collins or Murkowski should vote for Kavanaugh, he is likely to be confirmed. Every other Republican in the Senate is expected to vote yes — and some Democrats from Trump-won states may join them — though it remains to be seen if the misconduct allegation will cost him any support.
Feinstein said in a statement Thursday that she “received information from an individual concerning the nomination.” She said the person “strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision.”
The FBI confirmed that it received the information Wednesday evening and included it in Kavanaugh’s background file, which is maintained as part of his nomination. The agency said that is its standard process.
Feinstein’s statement that she had “referred the matter to federal investigative authorities” jolted Capitol Hill and threatened to disrupt what had been a steady path toward confirmation for Kavanaugh by Republicans eager to see the conservative judge on the court.
Feinstein, who is up for re-election this year, has held the letter close. Democratic senators on the panel met privately Wednesday evening and discussed the information, according to Senate aides who were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Some senators, including the No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, learned about the information for the first time at the meeting, according to one of the aides.
A spokeswoman for Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., declined to confirm reports that the congresswoman had forwarded a letter containing the allegations to Feinstein. The spokeswoman said the office has a confidentiality policy regarding casework for constituents.
A White House spokeswoman, Kerri Kupec, said the FBI has vetted Kavanaugh “thoroughly and repeatedly” during his career in government and the judiciary.
She said Kavanaugh has had 65 meetings with senators — including with Feinstein — has sat through over 30 hours of testimony and publicly addressed more than 2,000 questions. “Not until the eve of his confirmation has Sen. Feinstein or anyone raised the specter of new ‘information’ about him,” she said.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the second-ranking Republican and a member of the committee, was also skeptical.
“Let me get this straight: this is statement about secret letter regarding a secret matter and an unidentified person. Right,” he tweeted.
Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was unaware of the information until it was made public, according to a GOP committee aide. Kavanaugh has undergone six federal background checks over his time in government, including one for the nomination, the aide said.
Dennis Mullin, Kansas Board of Regents Chairman, with Dr. Tisa Mason at Friday’s inauguration ceremony at Fort Hays State University.
FHSU University Relations
Proclaiming a theme of “Unlocking Untapped Potential,” Dr. Tisa Mason was inaugurated today as the 10th president of Fort Hays State University in a ceremony in Gross Memorial Coliseum at Fort Hays State University.
She noted that the inauguration is for her a personal and a professional privilege, citing the six and a half years she spent as Fort Hays State’s vice president of student affairs before leaving to be president of Valley City State University in Valley City, N.D.
She said of her previous time at Fort Hays State, “It was during that time that I came to know and love the students, the faculty, the staff, the city and the unique personality of this place.”
“For six and a half years,” she said, “Fort Hays State challenged me and supported me, showing me over and over again the power of hard work and commitment, the value of personal investment, the importance of true community, and the transformative change that happens through innovation.”
“For 116 years,” she continued, leading into the first of three videos that were part of her inauguration address, “these pillars, these lessons I’ve learned, have stood at the core of Fort Hays State University. They are the secret of our ongoing success. They are the ingredients that set us apart. They are the definition of who we are. Our journey has shaped us. Our history has built us. But our story is still being written.”
A transcript of her remarks follow. The address, and the videos that were part of her presentation, are available online at www.fhsu.edu/potential.
Leading into the third and final video, Dr. Mason said, “Today is a formality, but it is not a celebration of me. It is a celebration for us – an inauguration not of a person, but of an institution. Today is our opportunity to pause and reflect on the things that make Fort Hays State University so special: Our spirit of hard work. Our remarkable community. And our enduring legacy of innovation.”
Transcript of Dr. Mason’s prepared remarks
Regent Mullin and members of the Board, thank you for the wonderful investiture ceremony and especially for your support and the trust you have placed in me to join my colleagues in leading this incredible University. It is truly an honor. I proudly accept the responsibility to serve and wholeheartedly pledge to relentlessly pursue the very best for Fort Hays State University.
Wow. I have to tell you the audacity of this moment is surreal. I am truly humbled.
I wish to express my gratitude to a select few. To the inauguration committee and the facilities staff: thank you for planning and flawlessly executing a very personal and memorable set of inaugural activities. I am so extremely grateful.
Heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has spoken so graciously on my behalf and sent notes of congratulations.
My amazing parents, Doug and Arlene Mayer, are here today. I am also joined by my brother-in-law Mac Mason. Other members of my family are joining us virtually. There is nothing more potent in pursuing and achieving dreams than the love and support of a family. Thank you so much for sharing this day with me.
To my mom: Thank you for being an incredible role model, source of strength and inspiration, and my best friend.
I am so fortunate to have a loving and dedicated husband in Bill Mason. Bill, I thank you for being you and especially for always putting me first – changing your career plans and following me all over the country so I could do the work I was called to do. You support me without question and make it possible for me to have so much with little regard for yourself. I hope a small part of you recognizes that this is your day too. I am truly blessed to have you in my life.
I also want to extend a very personal thank you to my many friends and colleagues who have traveled far to be here today representing so many moments in time on my journey both to and back to Fort Hays State University. Please know how grateful I am and that you fill my heart with joy.
Welcome everyone and thank you for being present today as we celebrate this remarkable university. Throughout its 116-year history Fort Hays State University has been blessed with a community that consistently rallied its support around her, a committed faculty and staff, engaged students, and a strong legacy of presidents. It is on the shoulders of the nine presidents who served before me – as well as Regents, legislators, civic and business leaders, and alumni – that we share this privileged journey forward.
To everyone in this room today, to every member of our global community, to all who have been or will be impacted by our work, it is on your behalf that I proudly accept the responsibility to serve, to lead and to give all that I can to fulfill the mission of Fort Hays State University.
To stand before you today is not just a professional privilege, it is a personal one. As many of you know, this remarkable institution has been immensely formative in my own journey. For six and a half years, I had the opportunity to serve this community as the vice president for student affairs. It was during that time that I came to know and love the students, the faculty, the staff, the city and the unique personality of this place.
For six and a half years, Fort Hays State challenged me and supported me, showing me over and over again the power of hard work and commitment, the value of personal investment, the importance of true community, and the transformative change that happens through innovation.
For 116 years, these pillars, these lessons I’ve learned, have stood at the core of Fort Hays State University. They are the secret of our ongoing success. They are the ingredients that set us apart. They are the definition of who we are. Our journey has shaped us. Our history has built us. But our story is still being written.
Our theme today is “Unlocking Untapped Potential.” I hope that phrase resonates with you as strongly as it does with me. It is a refinement of our mission and our vision, our past and our future. The specifics may change shape, but that vision remains. It is why we exist. Together, all of us are here to unlock the untapped potential of our students to empower our campus, our community and our world for even greater success.
Take for example this letter recently written to a freshman seminar instructor by Logan – a May 2018 graduate. And I know in my heart the essence of this letter could have been written to anyone who teaches at Fort Hays State.
Logan writes:
“I just wanted to reach out to let you know that I am doing well. My life is busier and fuller than I ever could have imagined. And through it all, I have never forgotten what you did for me. During freshman seminar, we took a self-evaluation quiz. Afterwards, I met with you in your office, where we learned that the evaluation gave me a 25-percent chance of ever earning a college degree. I was devastated. Until I heard your response: ‘That’s a bunch of BS.’ Those words gave me motivation like you wouldn’t believe. You gave me confidence that I could actually graduate. You even gave me a graduation tassel to keep me focused on that goal.
“This past May, I received a Bachelor of Science degree in geology, with a minor in business administration, and a certificate in geographic information systems.
“I never thought I would be half as successful as I have already been, and each time I achieve something new in my career, the first thing I think of is my time at FHSU, sitting in your office, scared that I would never graduate. I think of the motivation and confidence you provided that put me in the position I am in today.
“That graduation tassel still hangs on my wall as a reminder of all the opportunities I had because you invested in me.”
Every single day, we are investing in students with the personal care and innovative education that will become the foundation for their success.
These aren’t just words, they are our reality. Take the student who wrote that letter. While Logan was a student at Fort Hays State, he used all of the same technology that he now uses in his career – from powerful microscopes to proprietary software to oil well data and more.
Logan had incredible opportunities to get hands-on experiences through classes that brought him out into the field to study rock formations and mapping. Immediately after graduation, he got a job working with a consulting company where he does on-site geology work on drilling rigs.
Today, innovation at Fort Hays State University looks like Logan. Innovation looks like Leadership 310 teams bringing community-changing service-learning projects to every corner of the globe. Innovation looks like the Forsyth librarians teaming up with faculty from new media studies to give access to modular smart classrooms that will enable students to stand inside life-size 3D models, to manipulate interactive data visualization, and to experience interactive exhibits where students can walk through history or a virtual art gallery. Innovation looks like a state-of-the-art applied technology building, where students are learning the latest in metal working, robotics, electronics and more. Innovation looks like our Maker Van, promoting STEM learning opportunities for students and teachers throughout Western Kansas. And that just scratches the surface.
Fort Hays State University truly is transforming students through innovation in education. We are creating a ripple effect that spreads throughout the state of Kansas and ultimately impacts students, families, industries and communities around the world.
Today is a formality, but it is not a celebration of me. It is a celebration for us – an inauguration not of a person, but of an institution. Today, is our opportunity to pause and reflect on the things that make Fort Hays State University so special: Our spirit of hard work. Our remarkable community. And our enduring legacy of innovation.
Together we thrive. Thank you for joining me to celebrate our bright future as we continue to write this transformative story together.
Gerald Dean Mannen, 79, Derby, formerly of Hays, died Thursday, September 13, 2018 at the Derby Health and Rehabilitation Center.
He was born August 2, 1939 in Oakley, Kansas the son of Richard David and Helen Valeria (Bloom) Mannen.He was a 1957 graduate of Oakley High School.
Survivors include a sister; Patricia Chvilicek of Derby, a nephew; Leonard Chvilicek and wife Teresa of Derby, and a great niece; Taylee Chvilicek of Derby.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Inurnment will take place at a later date in the Oakley Cemetery, Oakley, Kansas.Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.Condolences and memories of Gerald may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.
Groups throughout Fort Hays State University – whether it be a student organization, department or team – have a new way to gain financial support of their needs. As the fundraising arm of the university, the FHSU Foundation has evolved its annual I Fed the Tiger campaign into a year-round online crowdfunding platform, which has launched in conjunction with the inauguration of the university’s 10th president, Dr. Tisa Mason.
“Launching I Fed the Tiger with inauguration seemed like a natural way to allow the Tiger family to honor President Mason and to welcome her back home to Fort Hays State,” said Jason Williby, FHSU Foundation president and CEO.
Williby
The crowdfunding site – www.ifedthetiger.com – is live and offers fundraising campaigns for the Student Emergency Assistance Fund, as well as the need for additional football helmets and new Tiger Marching Band uniforms.
President Mason created the Student Emergency Assistance Fund in 2013 while serving as FHSU’s vice president for student affairs. The fund supports students facing financial adversities, which impact their ability to stay enrolled at Fort Hays State, their health or overall well-being.
“The Student Emergency Assistance Fund is close to President Mason’s heart, and football and the marching band help unite our community,” said Williby. “I strongly believe that donor support of Fort Hays State and the funding needs featured on ifedthetiger.com will change lives.”
I Fed the Tiger empowers FHSU organizations to share their fundraising projects with the campus community, alumni, family and friends of the university in a convenient online approach – each for approximately a month’s time.
“This will make an incredible impact on the projects our students are passionate about,” said Williby. “Every year, student organizations raise funds to carry out their goals and fulfill their needs. I Fed the Tiger streamlines that process and allows each member of a group to quickly and easily share their group’s initiative with their network and gain the needed support.”
Gifts to the featured campaigns may be made at www.ifedthetiger.com. New campaigns will launch throughout the year on the website to help FHSU’s various organizations achieve their goals.
To learn more about the Fort Hays State University Foundation and the funding needs of Fort Hays State, visit https://foundation.fhsu.edu, call 785-628-5620 or email [email protected].
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita police officer who says he was wrongly accused of raping a woman last year is suing the city’s police chief for defamation.
Wichita Police Chief Ramsay-courtesy Wichita PD
Marlon Woolcock contends in a lawsuit filed Sept. 5 that Chief Gordon Ramsay damaged his reputation and hurt his chances of becoming an FBI agent by saying after Woolcock was arrested that his actions weren’t in line with department’s conduct standards.
Prosecutors declined to file charges against Woolcock in the case.
City attorney Jennifer Magana said Thursday neither the city nor the chief would comment on the lawsuit.
Woolcock is currently a patrol officer for the Wichita department. He is seeking more than $75,000 in damages.
Woolcock is suing the woman who accused him of rape, and she has filed counterclaims against him.
Kansans were part of a corn and sorghum trade mission to Peru in August. Pictured (from left): Kyler Millershaski of MK Farms Inc., Lakin; Wayne Cleveland, Texas Sorghum Producers; Jerry Long, Long Farms, Clifton; Thad Geiger, Geiger Farms, Troy; Sue Long, Long Farms, Clifton; Pat Damman, Pat Damman Farms, Clifton; Earl Roemer, Nu Life Market LLC, Scott City; Amy France, France Family Farms, Marienthal; Dr. Joe Hancock, Kansas State University; Max Tjaden, Tjaden Farm, Clearwater; Marri Tejada and Ana Ballesteros, U.S. Grains Council; and Suzanne Ryan-Numrich, Kansas Department of Agriculture.
KDA
MANHATTAN — In late August, the Kansas Department of Agriculture participated in a trade mission to Peru, where the team promoted U.S. grain through seminars and meetings with some of the largest end users in Peru. The seminars were organized by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and U.S. Grains Council.
The team representing Kansas on the trade mission included: Pat Damman, Pat Damman Farms; Thad Geiger, Geiger Farms; Jerry and Sue Long, Long Farms; Max Tjaden, Tjaden Farm; Earl and Barbara Roemer, Nu Life Market, LLC, Scott City; Amy France, France Family Farms, Marienthal; Kyler Millershaski, MK Farms Inc., Lakin; and Suzanne Ryan-Numrich, KDA international trade director.
Millershaski and Roemer had the opportunity to share about corn and sorghum production practices in Kansas. Other topics covered at the seminars and meetings included livestock nutrition as well as export shipping and logistics.
“While things are getting sorted out on the Hill, it puts tremendous pressure on agricultural organizations to start new conversations,” stated France. “It’s humbling and challenging to work on behalf of the U.S. farmer. I look forward to seeing how relationships grow between the U.S. and Peru.”
Historically, Peru has been a strong customer for Kansas grain farmers. In the past five years, Kansas has exported over $186 million in goods to Peru with the top export being cereal grains, primarily corn.
“While in Peru, the team was able to meet with two of the largest end users of corn. Both had recently started using distillers’ grains in their feed rations and were pleased with their results,” said Ryan-Numrich. “Peru is a very price sensitive market and both companies shared their plans to purchase grain sorghum from the U.S. when the price is right.”
The trade mission was organized by KDA, USDA FAS and the U.S. Grains Council. It was funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration using a State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant. KDA strives to encourage and enhance economic growth of the agriculture industry and the Kansas economy by exploring and expanding both domestic and international marketing opportunities. The Kansas Ag Growth Project identified both corn and sorghum international market development as key components for state growth. For information on this or other international trade missions, please contact Suzanne Ryan-Numrich at [email protected] or call 785-564-6704.
SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with the death of a 4-month old child.
Franklin -photo Sedgwick Co.
On Saturday, police in Haysville responded to report of a child having a seizure in the 400 block of Sarah Lane in Haysville, according to a media release.
Sedgwick County EMS transported the 4-month old child to a local hospital in critical condition.
Doctors discovered the child had internal injuries. The child died on Thursday according to the release.
On Thursday, Haysville Police arrested 32-year-old Andrew W. Franklin, according to the Sedgwick County arrest report.
Just before 7:30p.m. deputies booked Franklin into jail on requested charges of First Degree Murder and Child abuse, according to the jail booking report.
Police will present the case to the district attorney on Monday. Police did not release any additional details.
Franklin has previous convictions for theft and burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with the death of a child.
On Thursday, Haysville Police arrested 32-year-old Andrew W. Franklin, according to the Sedgwick County arrest report.
Just before 7:30p.m. deputies booked Franklin into jail on requested charges of First Degree Murder and Child abuse, according to the jail booking report.
Police are expected to release additional details Friday.
Franklin has previous convictions for theft and burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling 1.2 million big pickup trucks and SUVs mainly in North America because of power-assisted steering problems that have been cited in a number of accidents.
GM says the power steering can fail momentarily during a voltage drop and suddenly return, mainly during low-speed turns. Such a failure increases the risk of a crash. The company says it has 30 reports of crashes with two injuries, but no deaths.
The recall covers certain 2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups as well as Chevy Tahoe and Suburban SUVs. Also affected are 2015 Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon SUVs.
Dealers will update the power steering software at no cost to owners. No date has been set to notify customers, but GM says the software is available now, so owners can contact dealers to schedule repairs.
More than 1 million of the trucks are in the U.S., and most of the rest are in Canada and Mexico. There’s a small number in other countries.
GM recalled 2014 model year trucks last year for the same problem.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Jeep Wrangler driven by Evan William Hopkins, 16, Garden City, was eastbound on K156 one mile east of Rozel.
