DETROIT (AP) — Under pressure from U.S. safety regulators, Ford is recalling about 2 million F-150 pickups in North America because the seat belts can cause fires.
The recall covers certain trucks from the 2015 through 2018 model years.
The company says it has 23 reports of smoke or fire in the U.S. and Canada, but it’s not aware of any injuries. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the fires last month after getting five reports. Fires destroyed three trucks.
Ford says some seat belt pretensioners can generate excessive sparks when they tighten the belts before a crash. That can ignite gases inside a support beam and cause insulation and carpet to catch fire.
Dealers will remove insulation and install heat-resistant tape. Owners will be notified starting Sept. 24.
Rose Neuburger, 95, formerly, of Hays, died Saturday, September 1, 2018 at Regency Care Center at Monroe in Monroe, Washington.
She was born August 30, 1923 in Ogallah to Ambrose and Eugenia (Baumgartner) Weber.
She married Norbert Neuburger on July 7, 1943, in Jacksonville, Florida. They were owners of Neuburger’s Bakery. While living in Hays she was very active in the Adoration Chapel.
Survivors include two sons; Gary and wife Judy, Cibolo, TX, Pat and wife Kathy, Las Vegas, NV and a daughter; Cindy Lang and husband David, Monroe, WA, 9 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband; 2 sisters, Mary and Regina; one brother, Robert and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, September 8, 2018 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 201 W. 13th St., Hays, KS 67601. Burial will follow at the St. Joseph Cemetery, Hays.
Visitation will be held on Friday, September 7, 2018 from 5-7:00 P.M. and Saturday, from 9-9:30 A.M., both being held at Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel & Crematory, 2509 Vine St., Hays.
A Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Adorers Rosary will be recited at 5:00 P.M. with a parish vigil service at 5:30 P.M., both at the funeral home on Friday.
Memorials are suggested to Holy Family Elementary School and can mailed or left with the funeral home.
Condolences may be sent by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected].
Melody Lynn Morgan, 67, passed away on September 1, 2018 at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas. She was born on December 9, 1950 in Hays, Kansas the daughter of Don and Mary (Fuller) Ellis.
She was a homemaker. She married Frank Ervin Morgan on Saturday, August 8th, 1970, in Ogallah, Kansas. He preceded her in death on June 21, 2016.
Survivors include three sons, Scott Morgan, Phillip Morgan, and Walter Morgan all of Ness City; two sisters, Mary Kay Kauffman – Garden City; Leah Crowley – Stockton; and three grandchildren, Craig, Mia, and Colten Morgan; a very special niece that was like a daughter to her, Patty Barfield – Alton and three very special great nieces, Saralyn, Kimber, and Skylar, that called her grandma.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank; two brothers, Donald and Kenneth Ellis, and a sister Barbara Hoffman.
Funeral service and inurnment will be on Friday, September 14, 2018, 11:00 A.M., at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery, WaKeeney.
Memorial contributions may be given to the Veterans Memorial and Park, Ness City or the Melody Morgan Funeral Fund.
John L. Wehrli passed away on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at Solomon Valley Manor in Stockton, Kansas at the age of 92. He was born on June 5, 1926 in Barton County, Kansas, on the family farm just north of Beaver, to the late Rudolph Jacob and Laura Mary (Frederick) Wehrli. He grew up in Barton and Russell counties graduating from Bunker Hill High School with the Class of 1945. On August 14, 1947 he was united in marriage to Geraldine Lantz in Russell, Kansas. They were blessed with two children, Gerald and Dereth.
John was a hardworking man who loved and cared for his family. A “Jack-of-all-trades,” over the course of his life, he drilled water wells, was a cable tool driller, welder, blacksmith, police officer, and deputy sheriff. As an avid outdoorsman, and Lifetime Member of the NRA, he always enjoyed hunting, fishing, and working his birddogs. Well, at least dogs he hoped would be birddogs, even if they hadn’t been raised to be. Although the dogs didn’t always know what they were doing, he loved them and they loved him, and he never missed a chance to take them on every excursion he could think of. For family outings it was not uncommon to spend entire days in search of shark teeth and arrowheads in the countless chalk bluffs and flint hills that make up so much of his beloved Kansas landscape. John was also quite an accomplished dancer in his day. A lover of all types of music, he was just as comfortable with polka or waltzing to Lawrence Welk, or country dancing or two-stepping to his favorites from Hee Haw.
John is survived by his wife Geraldine Wehrli of the home in Stockton; son Gerald Wehrli and wife Pat of Plainville; daughter Dereth “DJ” Claycamp of Goodland; grandchildren Lonnie Claycamp, Christopher Wehrli and wife Jackie, and Adam Wehrli and wife Michelle; and great-grandchildren Savannah Wehrli, and twins Cole and Riggins Wehrli.
He was preceded in death by his parents Rudolph and Laura Wehrli, and sister Josie Mae Sellens.
Although denied service in the military because of injuries sustained as a young man, John was a true patriot, a lover of his country, and a supporter of our fighting men and women. With a heart that pumped red, white, and blue until the very last second, he lived a life of love, honor, integrity, and service to his family, friends, neighbors, community, and country. So, with the same grace that God has shed on the country John loved and called “home,” we rejoice, as he is now crowned with eternal goodness and welcomed to his eternal home.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, September 8, 2018 at Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home in Stockton. Burial will follow at the Stockton City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00pm on Friday at Main Street Christian Church in Stockton with family receiving friends from 6:00-7:30pm.
Eagle Communications is looking for a team player and leader who has a desire to create a great customer experience. This position is responsible for planning, implementing and managing the billing operations, reporting, managing customer terms and conditions, financial forecasting and assisting with budget preparation for the Broadband division. Responsibilities include designing, implementing and enforcing policies and procedures, providing business intelligence to other departments as well as recommending effective billing processes and other related operational functions. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced, team environment and have an attention to detail then this position is for you.
Experience & Requirements:
This Hays, KS based position requires 2+ years of experience working in an accounting or finance-related field. Computer proficiency, including billing software systems and advanced functions of Excel are preferred. The candidate should have a general knowledge of fair credit practices, accounting principles and collection regulations. This position requires attention to detail, ability to prioritize work, problem-solving skills and excellent verbal & written communications skills.
Responsibilities:
Set priorities and design strategies for the billing system including researching & resolving problems; identifying billing system improvements along the way
Meet billing operational standards by contributing information to strategic plans and reviews; implementing production, productivity, quality, and customer service standards
Design, maintain and control reporting templates, systems and processes. Provide reports and business intelligence in support of sales, operations, financial and management requirements
Ensure all database information is consistent to ensure delivery of accurate information to other departments and conducting and managing system audits for and with various departments
Manage collections policy, process and vendor relationships; make recommendations to overall policy and procedure to reduce bad debt expense
Manage billing system admin staff and month end closing procedures to support the accounting department. Prepare and manage annual budget processes.
Monitor and report on division’s key performance indicators, tracking product and service trends, and service count data
Create training for onboarding new hires and provide ongoing education of billing system procedures and best practices
Salary:
Compensation is commensurate with experience, which will consist of salary and bonus along with a competitive benefits package including health insurance, 401K, paid vacation, and employee stock ownership plan.
Other Information:
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The selected candidate will be required to pass a criminal history background and motor vehicle check. Eagle Communications is an employee-owned company and an EEO employer.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — One of Republican Kris Kobach’s main opponents said Wednesday that he is not qualified to serve as Kansas governor because of his tough stance against illegal immigration and because he promises to pursue state policies meant to discourage it.
Johnson County Bar Association Gubernatorial Debate -photo courtesy Kobach for Governor campaign
Independent candidate Greg Orman, Republican Kris Kobach and Democrat Laura Kelly faced off Wednesday during the Johnson County Bar Association Gubernatorial Debate.
Orman, a Kansas City-area businessman, said Kobach’s stance on immigration shows that the Republican does not understand agriculture or how it depends heavily on immigrant labor. Orman made his comment during perhaps the sharpest exchange for the major candidates’ first forum of the fall campaign at a hotel in a Kansas City suburb.
Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, has made illegal immigration a key issue in his campaign after more than a decade of advocating action by states and local communities. He was an early backer of President Donald Trump, advising both his 2016 campaign and the White House on immigration and homeland security issues.
“I almost think the idea, Kris, that you think that we need to rid of all immigrants in Kansas — all illegal immigrants in Kansas — just disqualifies you to be governor,” Orman said. “It’s clearly a red meat issue for your base, but ultimately, it just demonstrates you don’t understand how the ag economy works.”
Both Orman and Kelly are vying for votes from GOP moderates who dislike Kobach’s conservative politics, including his longstanding embrace of tough immigration policies. They have emphasized other issues, such as support for public schools for Kelly and promoting economic growth for Orman.
Both Orman and Kelly said illegal immigration is a federal issue requiring comprehensive reforms to immigration laws from Washington — echoing statements made in the past from major Kansas business and agriculture groups.
Kobach defeated Gov. Jeff Colyer in the Republican primary last month, and Orman picked up the endorsement of Colyer’s ex-campaign chairman, a former Kansas Farm Bureau president. Orman said aggressive attempts to deport illegal immigrants would hurt rural Kansas, particularly dairy and meatpacking businesses.
But Kobach brushed off the criticism and said states should discourage illegal immigrants from settling within their borders. He has promised that if he is elected governor, he will issue an executive order requiring state agencies and their contractors to use the e-Verify system to check workers’ legal status, something he’s done with his own office.
He also has promised to pursue legislation that would cut off state funding to cities and counties that restrict law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
Kobach said Orman is suggesting that someone isn’t qualified for governor for wanting to “have the illegal population leave the state and open up jobs for Kansans” is “180-degrees wrong.”
“I’d be the first governor who’s actually tried to do something about the problem,” Kobach said. “We have to look out for the American worker.”
Kobach also has promised to seek the repeal of a 2004 law that helps young people living in Kansas illegally to go to state colleges by allowing them to pay the lower tuition rates reserved for legal state residents. Kobach contends the law subsidizes the educations of illegal immigrants, to the detriment of taxpayers.
Like other supporters, Kelly said the law makes higher education affordable to young people brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents after they’ve made Kansans their home for years.
“I have voted for that, and I’ll vote for it again, if I need to,” Kelly said. “Those kids would be dropping out of college because they couldn’t afford it.”
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a condition that causes the joints to be crooked and stiff at birth, was the diagnosis provided when Duaine and Joan Foley’s son, Ward “Scarman” Foley, was born with clubfeet and clubbed hands, without hip sockets and many muscles and tendons, and with very little chance to live.
At the age of 2, he learned to walk with the help of specially-made braces that were required to be worn 24 hours a day. By the time he was 24 years old, Foley had survived more than 30 surgeries. After agonizing rehabilitation and years of ridicule and humiliation, his strong will to live has been tested many times over the years. He was severely burned in a 400-degree fryer, was beaten up by teenagers he was trying to help, and, at age 24, was hit and nearly killed by a drunk driver.
The journey hasn’t always been smooth, and thankfully it hasn’t prevented Foley, also known as “Scarman” from doing what he was ultimately meant to do in this life: raise awareness and inspire people from all walks of life, with all types of stories, to accept and love themselves. This Sunday, September 9, the first-ever Scarfest Kansas will be held at the Norton United Methodist Church, and the event, which will feature superscar speakers, pizza, and games and activities for all ages, will serve to unite and allow those in attendance to celebrate their scars, their disabilities, their differences, their lives, and the lives of all others.
For the past 40 years, Ward “Scarman” Foley has presented over 1,200 speeches worldwide, and has sold or donated tens of thousands of books while trying to spread hope throughout the world. “I was taught from an early age that while there is a lot I’m not able to do, there is a lot I am able to do,” Foley says. Foley says one of his greatest accomplishments in life was not overcoming his birth defects and the physical pain from surgeries and assorted mishaps, but rather it was surviving the accompanying bullying and humiliation that ultimately allowed him to learn to accept and love himself.
From this acceptance came the creation of Scarman, a blank doll that would allow children to draw their own scars on in hopes of beginning to love and accept themselves just the way they are. “Scarman was created from some of my scars, but he represents all of us,” Foley says. “We all have scars. Some we can see and some we can’t. Scarman is about empowering children and adults alike to see a glimmer of hope in the darkest of places. Especially from within.”
Through the years, Foley’s journey to spread his message of hope, courage, and self-acceptance, while providing support, friendship, and unconditional love, has allowed him to accomplish great feats and meet people from all walks of life. In 1986, Foley rode his bicycle across the United States, from California to Alabama, for a surprise visit to his aunt, Mary Kay Woodyard. As a show of appreciation to Woodyard – who now resides in Norton – for helping him in his journey to self-acceptance, Foley pedaled his way along while his friend, Steve, followed closely behind in a car. The journey was demanding, but nothing was about to stop Foley from achieving the success of his cross-country ride.
Cars honked and people waved as Foley approached the final few blocks. Police officers on motorcycles led the way, and a news crew was waiting on Woodyard’s front porch excited to point out Foley as he rode up to her house. With a warm embrace, Foley realized what an accomplishment he’d managed to achieve. A dream had become a reality.
A year after his cross-country journey, Foley again made the headlines when he rode his bike across Canada in order to raise awareness for Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita. In August of 2015, he embarked on his third cross-country journey, Ride with Hope, to bring his message of acceptance, hope, and love across the pond to England. His ride began at Bristol Harbor, in Bristol, England, and ended in Hyde Park, in London, where he met with families from all over Europe.
“I cannot express the importance for children and their parents to know one another,” Foley told the Norton Telegram before embarking on his journey. “Meeting others with the same condition and challenges is truly joyous. It helps people to feel far less isolated and to have greater reasons to be hopeful as they join together to support one another. Families who felt frightened and alone now feel as if they’re part of one large, loving family.”
Donations received through the establishment of a fundraising campaign to support the logistics of Ride with Hope also aided in the purchase of Scarman dolls and coloring books for children. Over the years, Foley’s Scarman dolls have gained worldwide notoriety, and have been given to thousands of children in over 40 different countries. Appropriate for all ages, his 20+ page Color Me Scarman coloring books further promote his message of hope and acceptance. Foley’s 164-page memoir, Thank My Lucky Scars, has positively impacted and influenced countless lives locally, and the book has been enjoyed by many Norton Junior High School students as part of their MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) Reading Class curriculum.
While this Sunday’s Scarfest Kansas is the first of its kind in northwest Kansas, Scarfest events have been held worldwide for many years. Scarfests are one-day festivals which bring families together to share their stories, make new friends, and bring hope and awareness to one another. Past Scarfest events have been held in San Diego, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Atlanta, Ga.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Dallas, Texas, while international Scarfest events have been hosted in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Fort St. John, Canada; Bogota, Colombia; London, England; Paris, France; Munich, Germany; Mexico City, Mexico; and Madrid, Spain.
Scarfest Kansas will begin this Sunday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m., and will be held at the Norton United Methodist Church, 805 West Wilberforce, in Norton. An afternoon of fun has been planned, and those of all ages are invited to come enjoy pizza, superscar speakers, games, and activities. The Norton Police Department and Norton City Fire Department will also be on site with a police car and fire engine youngsters may look at and sit in. Throughout the afternoon, those in attendance will unit to celebrate their scars, their disabilities, their differences, their lives, and the lives of others. The event will end at 6 p.m.
For more information about this Sunday’s Scarfest, e-mail Ward Foley at [email protected] or call 785-871-0219.
The 2018 Young Readers’ Conference is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Fort Hays State University Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
The event — which is themed “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” — is limited to the first 300 students.
David NorlinAn August 29 news story featured the Current First District Congressman’s chief of staff, Brent Robertson, calling Alan LaPolice, “a perennial joke candidate.” The psychological term for this is projection. Simply put, one accuses others of being what he sees, or fears, in himself.
What’s the evidence that the Congressman’s surrogate-pointed remarks have 3 fingers pointing back at himself? Why, Marshall’s column the previous day. He proclaims proud cosponsorship of the Congressional STOP act. STOP aims to fortify schools and apportion funds to “behavioral health” and early reporting of potentially violent persons. To be fair, this at least initiates action for school safety.
But.
First, being one of 33 cosponsors of a bill introduced more than a year before does not mean you crafted the legislation. Second, it has not been passed by the Senate, so is not actual law. Third, fortification does not necessarily mean safety, since ‘one entry’ guarantees a choke point, where large numbers can be taken out in a single burst. Fourth, money to identify early violence doesn’t begin to address the multi-billion-dollar need for truly sufficient mental health care.
Fifth, and most important, there is nary a word here about making the public at large safer from guns: for example, automatic background checks, common-sense gun registration, and banning bump stocks and assault weapons.
In short, this attempt at public relations is a joke.
Anyone who has heard Alan LaPolice knows his grasp of the issues, his vision across party lines for real change in Kansas and the country, his rejection of big-money influence, and his pointedly sharp ability to cut through the brown matter, clarify green policy, and re-establish respect for the red, white, and blue.
If you have heard him. That is exactly what the Republican establishment does not want you to do. That is exactly why the Congressman refuses to debate in the First District. That is why he appears only in venues like small-town nursing homes. That reveals both arrogance and fear.
Alan LaPolice is not the joke candidate. And if you vote thinking he is, well, the joke will be on you.
David Norlin is Chairman of the Salina Planning Commission, former President of Salina Access TV, and a former College Director of Broadcasting and English Department Chair. He has twice run for Kansas State Office.
Randy ClinkscalesI am getting to the age that sometimes I look back on my life at the all the twists and turns. I know that all my “experiences” helped make me who I am today, and I am sure I am a better person for it. But, I really do not think I would want to go back and relive those events again.
I do not want to get into detail about my life, so let me pick on my grandmother again. She and my grandfather were married in the midst of the Depression. My grandfather was thankful that he got a job hauling crushed rock for the roadways in the Hill Country of Texas. My grandparents were thankful that they had a farm and could produce some of their own food such as eggs, pork, and beef. They knew that others were not so lucky.
My grandparents always recalled their blessings. This despite the fact that my grandmother’s father was murdered when she was only 18, that she and my grandfather had two boys that were both hemophiliacs, and who died because of hemophiliac-related illnesses; that my grandfather was involved in a bad train wreck and broke his neck; and on and on and on. Along the way, my grandfather was County Clerk for several terms, served as Sheriff of Hill County, Texas, became a policeman, and eventually Assistant Chief of Police in River Oaks, Texas.
I am sure that my grandparents had no idea where they ended up would have so many turns along the way.
I want to share this with you because I see this in estate planning. Years ago, when I was doing estate planning, people would come in and just tell me who they wanted to leave their property to. We would do a simple will.
Even today, I see some of that done with Legal Zoom and other online products. Also, I see it done in estate plans drafted by “big” law firms – you go through a series of questions, and they draft a set of documents for you.
What has changed? You have changed. I have changed.
How? We are living longer. We have more opinions about what we want and do not want. As an example, I know that I want my family to use every effort to keep me out of a nursing home for as long as possible. I have very definitive ideas about end of life and what is acceptable with me, and what is not acceptable to me. I have strong opinions about if I develop Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, and what I want to happen going forward.
I also know what I do not know. I do not know what is going to happen to me. I do not know what is going to happen to my family. I do not know what is going to happen to my health. I do not know what is going to happen to my finances.
But, I know that, given the right questions, I can make a plan. I also know that I need to be sure that that plan is flexible.
I would respectfully suggest to you that life is not a straight line.
Many times, particularly if I am dealing with a client that may be in some type of health crisis, I explain to that client and their family that we do not know what all is going to happen. The purpose of my office, the purpose of many elder law attorneys, is to not have a “check the box” solution. It is to be able to tell the client where to turn through the maze of growing older.
You know it used to be this: You retired, you went on Social Security, and then you died. It is just not that simple anymore. And, that is not a bad thing. We have people, obviously, well beyond 65 that are thoroughly enjoying not only life, but are an integral part of our society.
Life is not a straight line. It is not a “check the box” about what happens when I die. It is much more than that.
As I said at the beginning, I have enjoyed my journey, but I do not know that I could have faced it all if I knew what was going to happen next. Don’t you feel the same?
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
The recall covers certain trucks from the 2015 through 2018 model years.
