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Author: Hays Post

Flash flood watch issued for portions for northwest Kansas

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The National Weather Service in Dodge City has issued a flash flood watch from Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning in anticipation of impending rainfall.

The watch includes a large portion of southwest, central and northwest Kansas, including Hays and Ellis County.

Forecasters are calling for multiple period of heavy rainfall early Tuesday morning, with 1 to 2 inches expected in most areas. In areas that receive stronger storms, heavier rainfall can be expected.

There is the potential for flash flooding in low-lying areas and along rivers and streams.

Click HERE for the complete extended forecast and stay tuned to Eagle Radio of Hays in case of severe weather.

The Latest: 29-year-old dead after shooting in Kan. bar parking lot

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a criminal homicide that left a man dead.

Police on the scene of the shooting investigation photo courtesy KWCH

Just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting call at Magoos Bar and Grill located in the 2300 block of S. Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler. Upon arrival, officers located the scene of a shooting, but no victim was located.

Shortly after, the victim identified as 29-year-old Demario Cooks of Wichita arrived by private vehicle at an area hospital with critical injuries and later died, according to Police Captain Brent Allred.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that the Cooks was inside the bar attending a birthday party, and a disturbance occurred between several other men. They moved into the parking lot, and multiple shots were fired, striking the victim.

Investigators have identified one individual who was at the scene. Police located him at a residence in the 1100 Block of North Pershing in Wichita, according to Allred. He had a gunshot wound to his arm and was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.  Police investigators are working to contact others who were at the scene.

This was not a random incident. It the 22nd criminal homicide in Wichita in 2019, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Anyone with information on this crime is encouraged to contact police.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a criminal homicide that left a 29-year-old man dead.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting call at Magoos Bar and Grill located in the 2300 block of S. Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler. Upon arrival, officers located the scene of a shooting, but no victim was located.

Shortly after, the victim from the shooting arrived by private vehicle at an area hospital with critical injuries and later died, according to Wheeler.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that the victim was inside the bar, and a disturbance occurred between several other men. They moved into the parking lot, and multiple shots were fired, striking the victim.

This was not a random incident. Police have not identified the victim or reported an arrest.

Anyone with information on this crime is encouraged to contact police.

Ellis County Commission set to meet in special work session

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The Ellis County Commission will hold a special work session meeting Tuesday to review a number of personnel items.

Among the items on Tuesday’s agenda are the salaries of elected officials, employee insurance and the possibility of contracting out some county services.

The meeting is set for 8:30 a.m. at the Schenk Building at the Ellis County Fairgrounds.

You can find the agenda HERE.

Jerry Lee Brand

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Jerry Lee Brand, age 78, of Quinter, Kansas, passed away on September 27, 2019, at Hays Medical Center, Hays. Jerry was born September 23, 1941, in Lexington, Nebraska, to Walter and Ruth (Wheeler) Brand. Jerry graduated from Lexington High School.

Jerry was united in marriage to Karen Lunz on May 26, 1968, and they were married for 51 years. Jerry and Karen met while both working at Waldbaum’s egg factory. Jerry proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army. Following his military service, he spent several years working on different farms, and 32 years as a production worker for Swift Bullet in Quinter. In his free time, Jerry was an avid fisherman who enjoyed gardening, playing with his dog, helping his neighbors and mowing lawns. He also enjoyed reading the Hays Daily News, Gove County Advocate, National Geographic, and Readers Digest. Jerry also enjoyed watching National Geographic, in addition to watching the Kansas City Chiefs and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Jerry was actively involved with the Church of the Brethren.

Jerry is survived by his beloved wife Karen; his son Robert (Peggy) Brand of Imogene, IA; his daughter Patty Knoll of Great Bend, KS; Grandson Lochlan Jerry Brand of Imogene, IA; Brothers Dean (Pam) Brand of Lexington, NE and DeWayne (Beth) Brand of Kearney, NE; Sisters Bonnie (Rich) Suhr of Pender, NE and June (Jeff) Walker of Lexington, NE.

Jerry was preceded in death by both parents, Walter and Ruth Brand; and daughter-in-law Jessica Knoll.

Funeral service will be held on Thursday, October 3, 2019, at the Church of the Brethren in Quinter, KS. Pastor Keith Funk will be officiating. Burial will follow at the Baker Township Cemetery, Quinter.

Visitation will be Wednesday evening from 5 pm to 7 pm at Schmitt Funeral Home, Quinter.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Jerry Brand Memorial Fund. Donations may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 S Main St. Quinter, KS 67752.

Keith Leroy Roush

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Keith Leroy Roush passed away Sunday, September 29, 2019 at his home in Wilson, Kansas at the age of 79.

He was born on October 21, 1939 to Harvey Lee Roush, Sr. and Elma Marie (Killian) Roush in Lincoln, Kansas. Keith was a graduate of Vesper High School. He was united in marriage to Rose Mary Ahlquist on June 24, 1961 in Sylvan Grove, Kansas. They were blessed with three children: Rob, Barbara, and Beverly.

Keith was a carpenter and a school bus driver for USD 112. He was a member of the Lions Club in Wilson. Keith enjoyed collecting rocks, camping, and bingo; but what he really loved was fishing, especially ice fishing, and spending time with his grandkids.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Rose Roush of Wilson; son, Rob Roush and wife Carol of Lincoln, NE; daughters, Barbara Evans and husband David of Ottawa, KS and Beverly Vopat and husband Valan of Ellsworth, KS; brother, Harvey “Butch” Roush Jr. of Vesper, KS; sisters, Betty Zelenka of Minneapolis, KS and Jeanette Feldkamp of Vesper, KS; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Keith is preceded in death by his parents, Harvey and Elma; and sister, Helen Stephens.

Keith was a hardworking, loving, and dedicated family man. He loved what he did and did what he loved. Although he will be greatly missed, his life, his love, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of his family and friends.

Funeral Services will be held at the First Baptist Church in Wilson on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 10:00AM. Visitation will be held on Wednesday at the funeral home from 1:00PM until 8:00PM with the family receiving friends from 6:00PM until 8:00PM. Visitation will also be held on Thursday at the church from 9:00AM until service time.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Ellsworth County Cancer Fund, and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, PO Box 533, Wilson, KS 67490. Condolences may be left for the family at www.plumeroverlease.com

Waltraud ‘Susie’ Butler

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Waltraud “Susie” Butler, age 77 of Plainville, passed away on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at the Hays Medical Center, in Hays, Kansas. Susie was born to Friedrich and Adelheid (Jockschat) Stuttfeld in Essen, Germany on March 19, 1942. She attended school in Germany and graduated from high school before moving to Zurich in 1968 and later making her permanent home in Plainville in 1977. She married and later divorced Richard Butler. They had two children: Jutta and Dick.

Susie worked as a CNA for the Plainville Hospital for over 30 years and retired in 2007. She enjoyed spending her time with friends, cross stitching, and reading her bible. She was a member of the Assembly of God Church in Stockton. Her faith and family were her priorities; she loved spending time with her family, especially the grandchildren.

Susie is survived by her children, Jutta Smee and husband Gary Handler of Liberty, MO and Dick Butler and wife Christina of Plainville; grandchildren, T.J. and Dyson Butler, Caden Hunt, Stephen Smee, Johnathan Smee, and Stephanie Crawford; great-grandchildren, Chalel, Jaithyn, and Zahya Crawford, and Eleanor Louise Smee.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Friedrich and Adelheid Stuttfeld; and brothers, Gustauv and Fritz Stuttfeld.

Susie was a woman of deep love and devotion. Her faith in God was not only a constant source of strength for herself, but also for her family and friends. Although she has now gone home to be with her Lord, her memories and kind and caring ways will live on in our hearts for all eternity.

A memorial service will be held at the First Christian Church of Plainville on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 10:30 AM. Memorials are suggested in lieu of flowers to Susie Butler designated for a memorial bench in Plainville’s City Park and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd St, Plainville, KS 67663.

Police: Kan. felon gave officers fake name before arrest

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BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a weekend arrest.

Bowers photo Barton Co.

Just after 4p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the Super 8 Motel, 911 Grant Street in Great Bend in reference to a suspicious subject on the property, according to a media release.

Upon Officers arrival, they made contact with the subject later identified as 35-year-old Leroy Bowers inside the business. He initially provided officers with a false name. Officers were able to identify Bowers, who was wanted on five warrants. Bowers was placed under arrest, and found to be in possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.

Bowers was transported to the Barton County Jail, where he was booked and confined on his five warrants, along with his new charges.

He has previous convictions for burglary, theft and obstruction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He had been out of prison since December 2017.

 

Patricia Claire ‘Pat’ (Hoffnagle) Berry

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Patricia Claire “Pat” (Hoffnagle) Berry, daughter of Clair and Marie (Kaiser) Hoffnagle, was born September 29, 1930, in Denver, Colorado, and passed away at the Good Samaritan Society nursing home in Hays, Kansas, on September 28, 2019, at the age of 88.

Pat grew up in Denver and graduated from East High School with the class of 1948. She joined the U.S. Navy in 1952 and served at the U. S. Naval Station, Treasure Island, San Francisco, California, until honorably discharged upon her marriage. On July 15, 1954, she and Delbert “Red” Berry were united in marriage in Denver, Colorado, and made their home in California until Delbert completed his service in the Navy. In 1955, they moved to Kansas where Delbert farmed with his father, and they lived on Bow Creek in Graham County for a short time before relocating to Lenora. After retirement, they moved to Norton.

Pat was an active member, Past Worthy Matron, and Past Worthy Grand Matron of The Grand Chapter of Kansas (1991-1992), of the Order of the Eastern Star. She served the Lenora community as a Brownie Scout Leader, a 4-H Community Leader, a member of the Lenora Library Board, a member of the Northwest Kansas Circulating Library Board, and a member of the Harmonson-Redd American Legion Post #63. A member of the Episcopal Church from her young adulthood, Pat was also active in the United Parish in Lenora for many years.

Pat worked as the Lenora High School secretary in the 1970s and 1980s, until choosing to devote more time to the travel required by her responsibilities to The Grand Chapter of Kansas. In retirement, she and Delbert traveled in the United States and internationally; and wintered in Arizona near her niece’s and nephew’s families for many years. Pat dearly enjoyed time spent with family and many friends.

Survivors include: daughter, Dawn Berry, Hays, Kansas; nieces and nephews Thea and Bob Cable, San Tan Valley, Arizona; Ron and Arlene “Skip” Ancker, Mesa, Arizona; Steve and Joni Berry, Lenora, Kansas; Janet and David Oswalt, Lenexa, Kansas, Elizabeth and David Epperson, Minnetonka, Minnesota; John and Annette Berry, Los Angeles, California; sister-in-law Ann Berry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 18 grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and other relatives and friends.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, sister Vivian, and husband Delbert.

FUNERAL SERVICE – Friday, October 4, 2019 – 10:30 A.M.
PLACE – Lenora United Parish Church – Lenora, Kansas
VISITATION – Thursday, October 3, 2019 from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Enfield Funeral Home in Norton.
INTERMENT – Lenora South Cemetery – Lenora, Kansas

Memorials are suggested to The Alzheimer’s Association; Braden’s Hope for Childhood Cancer; and The Grand Chapter of Kansas, Order of the Eastern Star, OES Scholarships.

Police: Cougar captured after escape from Kansas zoo

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UPDATE 2 p.m. Monday

INDEPENDENCE — Police reported just after 1 p.m. Monday that a cougar on the loose after escaping from the zoo has been captured. According to a social media media report from the Independence Police Department, the animal is safely back in its enclosure.

Photo courtesy Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo

Authorities have not released details on the escape or where the animal was found. There have been no injuries reported.

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INDEPENDENCE (AP) — Officials at a southeast Kansas zoo say a cougar is on the loose after escaping from the zoo.

The cougar escaped Monday morning from Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence.

The zoo said in a news release that park officials and police officers are searching for the animal. They urged citizens to be cautious and not approach the cougar if they see it.

Details on how the cougar escaped have not been released.

Independence is about 113 miles southeast of Wichita.

Kansas governor’s warnings open Medicaid expansion review

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has opened a review of options for expanding Medicaid in Kansas with warnings against work requirements and a limited expansion.

The Governor’s Council on Medicaid Expansion before their first meeting on Monday-photo courtesy office of Kan. governor

Kelly gave opening remarks Monday at the first meeting of a council she appointed to provide the Republican-controlled Legislature with policy guidance ahead of next year’s expected debate on the issue.

Kelly said she wants the council to develop “guiding principles” for lawmakers. She described work requirements and a limited Medicaid expansion as ideas that haven’t worked well in other states.

The governor took office in January pushing to expand the state’s Medicaid health coverage for as many as 150,000 additional residents. An expansion plan passed the House, but conservative GOP leaders blocked it in the Senate, expressing concerns about its potential costs to the s

Kansas mother, boyfriend arrested for death of 2-year-old

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a child and have made two arrests.

Aviles photo Sedgwick Co.

Just after 11a.m. Sunday, police responded to a residence in the 1100 Block of Munnell in Wichita where a two-year-old boy was not breathing, according to Captain Brent Allred. Despite efforts by police, fire and EMS crews, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators found the child had extensive bruising all over his body. This led to the arrest of the boy’s mother Stephanie Avilas, 24, for alleged aggravated child endangerment and her boyfriend Bernardo Gonzalez-Mejia, 31, Wichita for alleged child abuse, according to Allred.

Berardo Gonzalez-Mejia photo Sedgwick Co.

The mother had called 911. She was on an errand and not home at the time and the boyfriend had contacted her about the child not breathing. Gonzalez-Mejia and the 2-year-old were home alone at the time of the incident.

An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death. That will determine if additional charges will be filed, according to Allred. He did not release the boys’s name.
Two other children in the home a 6-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl are in police protective custody, according to Allred.

There was one report from the Department of Children’s Familes in 2015 on the family. It did not involve abuse, according to Allred.

Harriet B. Wittig

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Harriet B. Wittig, age 88, passed away on Monday, September 30, 2019 at her home in Leoti, Kansas. Harriet was born June 20, 1931 in Jerome, Kansas, the daughter of William John & Edith Mae (Garner) McLean. A resident of Leoti since 1976 moving from Oklahoma, she was a homemaker and custodian for Wichita County School System.

Harriet was a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Scott City, Kansas

In the 1950’s she married Freddie Hammons. On May 30, 1978 she married Virgil Wittig at Larned, Kansas. Virgil passed away on September 7, 2017 in Tribune, Kansas

Harriet’s surviving family include her Seven children – Marvin Hammons of Alderson, Oklahoma, Gary Hammons of Garden City, Kansas, Margaret Hammons of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, Sharon Paxman of Tribune, Kansas, Donnie Hammons of Blytheville, Arkansas, Dell Hammons of Pennsylvania, Keith Hammons of Carnegie, Oklahoma, Two step children – Tammy Banta of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, Connie Stiles of Altoona, Kansas, One sister – Eunice Maurer of Chino, California, Thirty-three grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and friends.

Funeral services will beheld at 11:00 am Thursday, October 3, 2019 at Leoti Cemetery in Leoti, Kansas with Pastor Warren Prochnow officiating.

Burial will be in Leoti Cemetery in Leoti, Kansas

Friends may call from1:00 pm until 5:00 pm Wednesday at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.

Memorials may be given to the Wichita County Library in care of the funeral home.

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