Harold “Dean” Nuss, 84, of Russell, Kansas, died on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, in Houston, Texas.
Dean was born on July 20, 1933, in Milberger, Kansas, the son of Harold and Esther (Blehm) Nuss. He grew up in Milberger and the Russell County area and graduated from Russell High School in the class of 1951. After high school he joined the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1955, achieving the rank of sergeant.
He met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Joanne L. Barnette on April 12 1957, in Champaign, Illinois. From this union Dean and Joanne were blessed with 3 children, sons John Mark and Matthew and a daughter Amy. He received his Bachelors degree from Ft. Hays State University in 1962. During college he worked for Banker’s Mercantile. Later he also worked for Sinclair Oil, General Battery Corporation and Hopper Ford in Russell. He was a longtime member of St. John Lutheran Church, American Legion Post #99 and the Elks Lodge. He enjoyed playing golf and spending time with his special friend Micki Sweeney. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially is 7 grandchildren.
He is survived by his sons John Mark Nuss (Joan) of San Diego, California and Matthew (Ingrid) of Houston, Texas; daughter Amy Dugan (Mike) Omaha, Nebraska; 7 grandchildren Brian, Andrew, Ian, Gillen, Jacob Nuss and Lily and Michael Dugan; sister Karen Kay Gaines (Jack) and special friend Micki Sweeney and her family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Joanne, sisters Dorothy Funk and Marjorie Mighell; brothers in-law Leon Funk and Roger Mighell.
A memorial service to celebrate Dean’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, June 02, 2018, at the St. John Lutheran Church in Russell, Kansas, with Pastor Roger Dennis officiating. Cremation has been selected by the family and inurnment will follow the service at St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Russell. Military honors will be presented by the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240. Family will greet guests from 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. on Friday, June 01, 2018, at the mortuary. Memorials may be given to the American Legion Post #99 or Russell Golf Course and sent in care of the mortuary.
Claire B. Dreiling, 99, formerly of Hays, died Thursday, May 24, 2018 at the Ellis Good Samaritan Society.
She was born October 13, 1918 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee the daughter of Dr. Clarence V. and Ethel M. (Overall) Bruner. After graduating from high school she went on to receive her BS Degree in English from Tennessee Polytechnic Institute and her MS Degree in Home Economics from Vanderbilt University. On March 25, 1944 she was united in marriage to Arthur J. “Art” Dreiling in Chicago, Illinois. They celebrated over 58 years of marriage before he preceded her in death on December 23, 2002.
Claire was a retired junior high and high school Home Economics, English, and Science teacher having taught at Peabody Demonstration School in Nashville, TN, as well as schools in Selden, Hoxie, and Hays. She was a member of numerous bridge clubs, a founder of the Rotary Anne club in Hoxie, and a devout Catholic. She enjoyed decorating for special occasions and holidays, was an excellent seamstress and cook, and she loved to entertain friends and family. She was church choir director, a church organist, and she loved to play the piano and give piano lessons. Golf was a favorite pastime and she loved animals and dancing with her husband.
Survivors include two daughters; Madeline Musick of WaKeeney, Kansas and Cindy Villarreal and husband Ricardo of Ellis, Kansas, four grandchildren; Marlys McConnell, Amanda Johnson, Matthew Hoosier and wife Heather, and Cole Hoosier and wife Vanessa, seven great grandchildren; Christopher McConnell, Julian Jensen, Micah Hoosier, Isaac Hoosier, Nathan Hoosier, Meghan Hoosier, and Katie Grace Hoosier.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Arthur, a son-in-law; Michael Musick, and a great grandson; Andrew McConnell.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 am on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at the Comeau Catholic Campus Center, 506 W. 6th Street, Hays, with Fr. Fred Gatschet officiating. Burial will follow in the St. Joseph Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until service time on Wednesday at the church and a rosary will be recited at 10:30 a.m.
Memorials are suggested to the Ellis Good Samaritan Society or to the Humane Society of the High Plains in care of the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street, Hays.
Condolences and memories of Claire may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.
Iris Lang, left, and her husband, Lloyd, right, are fixtures at events that involve any of their 12 grandchildren in Hays. The Langs, usually joined by one or more of their grown children, are seen here at a regional track meet in Beloit with their oldest son, John.
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Contributing Writer
The month of May is usually busy for most families with school children, what with Mother’s Day, all kinds of end-of-the-school year activities, graduations and Memorial Day weekend all falling in the fifth month of the year.
This year has been especially hectic for Lloyd and Iris Lang.
The Hays couple use the words “blessed” and “fortunate” while describing their marriage of 46 years. And why not?
All five of their grown children and their families live in the Hays area, so Lloyd and Iris get to enjoy their 12 grandchildren at the drop of a hat.
The Lang children grew up working together with their parents on there family farm east of Hays, a family tradition Lloyd said he remembers from his childhood as well.
“We’ve been very lucky,” Iris said. “They were able to bond together growing up, and now all the first cousins have that opportunity, too.”
Following their college careers, the five Lang siblings either stayed in Hays to raise their families or returned home within a few years afterward.
Lloyd said he and Iris “were surprised with a couple of them coming back to Hays,” but definitely pleased.
“We are so blessed that they are all here,” Iris added.
With the Langs’ four oldest grandchildren all attending high school at Thomas More Prep-Marian this past year and another there in junior high, their parents and grandparents have been busy attending musical, scholastic and athletic events.
“Junior high sports, varsity sports, jayvee sports, we enjoy the all,” Lloyd said,
In the span of just a couple of weeks this month, three of the Langs’ grandchildren qualified for state competition in two different sports, and another won a state forensics title. They celebrated grandchildren’s promotions from kindergarten, sixth grade and eighth grade. And last weekend, their two oldest granddaughters graduated from Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, carrying on a long family tradition.
All five of Lloyd’s and Iris’ children are TMP-Marian alumni, following in the footsteps of their dad (St. Joseph Military Academy) and mom (Marian High School), predecessors of TMP-Marian.
Elly and Halle – daughters of the Langs’ two oldest sons, John (and his wife Stacey) and Greg (Lanae) – sat next to each other at graduation and will both continue their education at Kansas State University this fall.
During the graduation ceremony, Halle and her younger brother, Ethan, both were honored with special awards. Halle was a finalist for the Medal of Excellence, the highest honor given to a student at TMP, and Ethan earned the leadership award for the junior class. Elly won a state title in forensics earlier this month and will be busy this summer before heading off to college. She was one of four TMP students to qualify for competition at the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference in Baltimore, Md., in June.
If you think all that’s a lot to keep track of, add this to the Langs’ schedule.
Ethan qualified for two running events for this weekend’s Class 3A State Track and Field Championships in Wichita. He will compete in the 1,600-meter run today, as well as the 3,200-meter relay. Running one of the legs on that relay is cousin Lucas, John’s youngest son who just finished his freshman season.
Of course, Lloyd and Iris will be in the stands watching their grandsons compete in Cessna Stadium. They were hoping to make a stop in Newton on their way to Wichita to watch Halle, a member of the TMP girls’ soccer team the past four years, in the state semifinals. But the Monarch girls lost in the state quarterfinals at Topeka Tuesday, ending a stellar career for Halle, who helped her team win three regional titles in four years.
Grandpa and Grandma Lang will have plenty of youth baseball and softball games to attend this summer. Their three younger children, Mark (and wife Amanda), Gwen Hodges (Daniel) and Kevin (Tasha), have six children ages 1 to 7, most who are already involved in a lot of activities, too.
Then this fall, Ethan and Lucas will be joined in high school by another cousin, Lance, who will be a freshman. Lance, Mark’s oldest son, was a standout athlete in eighth grade this past year, and there is a possibility those three cousins could all run on the same relay team in 2019.
Ethan’s younger sister, Mia, also will be at TMP this next year, as a seventh-grader in the junior high school.
But that’s next year.
Lloyd and Iris have to concentrate on one year, one month, one week, one day at a time. And today is state track.
The couple plans to enjoy this event much like they did 20-some years ago when Greg was winning state championships as a sprinter at TMP, then went on to enjoy an All-American career at Fort Hays State University.
“No matter what happens,” Iris said of the state meet, “I think it will be really exciting.”
Top Democrats in the Kansas House and Senate will request investigations into the use of no-bid state contracts, but the proposals will need the approval of some Republican lawmakers to advance.
The Kansas Department of Revenue used a no-bid process, called prior authorization, to award a multi-million dollar contract that outsourced some information technology services earlier this spring.
A Wichita Eagle story found the no-bid process had been used more than 1,000 times since 2011.
“This is about the public’s right to know how their money’s being spent, how their most confidential and private information is being protected and to ensure that state government runs the way it’s supposed to,” Ward said.
Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation into no-bid state contracts. Rep. Jim Ward- photo Kansas News Service
Another top Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, said he’ll request an audit of the contracting process. That proposal would need the approval of the Legislature’s audit committee, or at least the Republican chairman of the committee, if it’s deemed to be a small audit.
The probe would “see whether they’re, number one, legal, and number two, if they’re at all appropriate or ethical,” Hensley said.
A spokesperson for Republican Senate President Susan Wagle said she couldn’t be reached to comment on the proposals. Republican House Speaker Ron Ryckman’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Revenue Secretary Sam Williams defended the process this week in a newspaper column, saying it made sense to use a no-bid contract to ink a deal with software provider CGI because the agency already had a relationship with the company.
“Starting from scratch and building a completely new system would have cost taxpayers significantly more,” Williams said.
He said the Eagle story found more than 1,000 instances of no-bid contracts being used, but open-bid contracts were used almost 6,000 times.
Williams said the agency had followed all applicable rules when using the no-bid process.
“Prior authorization is a legitimate state procurement process defined in statute for this very type of circumstance,” Williams said.
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for KPR a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.
Eight Fort Hays State University students have been awarded the Noyce Teacher Leader Scholarship for the 2018-2019 academic year.
The program aims to expand the workforce in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by training teachers of science and mathematics for middle and high schools. The program also works closely with the Southwest Plains Regional Service Center to recruit and retain science and mathematics teachers for rural and western Kansas.
Scholarships are funded through the National Science Foundation from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, created by the family of Noyce, who was a co-founder of Intel.
Students are listed alphabetically by hometown.
BRIGHTON, Colo. (80602): Diana Sabados is a junior majoring in mathematics education.
DELPHOS (67436): Trisha Kiser is a senior majoring in chemistry education.
DODGE CITY (67801): Chantal Solorzano is a sophomore majoring in biology education.
GARDEN CITY (67846): Alexis Meinert is a junior majoring in mathematics education.
JUNCTION CITY (66441): Kathryn Westerhaus is a sophomore majoring in biology education.
LIEBENTHAL (67553): Joshua Stark is a sophomore majoring in chemistry education.
NORTON (67654): Lane Bigge is a senior majoring in mathematics education.
WINONA (67764): Lauren Zerr is a senior majoring in mathematics education.
PRATT – Finally! Summer is here and the boating season officially kicks off over the Memorial Day weekend. Kansas reservoirs will be busy with anglers, sailors, skiers, and just plain ole cruisers this weekend and for the next three months. Being on the water is a fun and relaxing way to enjoy the warm weather but boaters must adhere to basic safe boating practices to ensure everyone returns to the boat ramp safe and sound.
The first rule is to wear a life jacket. Kansas law requires all youth 12 and younger to wear U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets when on a boat. While boaters 13 and older are not required to wear life jackets on the water, a serviceable life jacket must be readily accessible for each person on board. U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that 85 percent of those who drowned in boating accidents last year were not wearing life jackets.
Simply wearing a life jacket can save your life, and today’s life jackets are more comfortable, cooler and lighter than the bulky orange jackets most boaters are familiar with. Innovative options, such as inflatables, allow for mobility and flexibility during boating activities such as fishing, paddling or hunting.
The second rule is to drink moderately, or better yet, avoid alcohol altogether while boating. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. It is legal to drink while boating, but it is not legal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or greater. And there’s a difference between drinking on land and drinking in a boat. Sun, wind, noise, vibration, and motion – “stressors” common to the boating environment – intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) officers will be patrolling waters this weekend looking for unsafe boaters and administering boating under the influence checks.
“There are so many easy steps to ensure boating this weekend – and the rest of the summer – is done in a safe and enjoyable way,” said Chelsea Hofmeier, Boating Education coordinator for KDWPT. “Wear your life jacket, leave the alcohol on shore, be aware of your surroundings, and make sure everyone on board your boat knows the safety procedures.”
The Kansas Boater Safety Education course is offered three ways – a home study packet, online or in a classroom. Go to www.ksoutdoors.com, click on “Boating,” then “Boating Education” to learn more. Not only will the course help you be safer on the water, you might also get a discount on your boat insurance.
Boat safe this Memorial Day weekend and enjoy the wonderful water recreation opportunities our Kansas lakes offer.
MANHATTAN – The TMP-Marian baseball team could not overcome an early deficit as they fall to Sabetha 10-5 in the 3A State Baseball Championship game Friday at Toiton Family Stadium in Manhattan.
Championship game Sabetha 10, TMP 5
The Blue Jays, in only their second year of high school baseball jumped out early on the Monarchs scoring three runs on three hits in the first inning.
TMP got one run back in the bottom of the inning after Tate Garcia walked and came into score on an error by the Sabetha shortstop. But the Monarchs left the bases loaded. Runners left on base in the game would come back to haunt the Monarchs who stranded 12 runners on base in the game.
Leading 3-1 Sabetha added four more in the second and led 10-1 through four innings.
TMP’s bats came alive in the fifth and sixth innings scoring two runs in each inning but it wasn’t enough as the Blue Jays when their first ever state baseball championship.
Monarch starter Tate Garcia suffered the loss allowing seven runs – four earned – in an inning and a third.
Cole Zimmerman was 3-for-3 at the plate for the Monarchs with an RBI. Luke Ruder also drove in a run with a triple in the sixth.
TMP finished the season 23-2. Sabetha finished 23-3.
Semifinals: Riley Co. 0, TMP 2
The Monarchs got to the title game by defeating Riley County in the semifinal game earlier in the day Friday.
Starter Chase Werth allowed just three hits in seven shutout innings and Cole Zimmerman and Trenton Mayo each drove in a run in the win.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Wichita third-grade teacher who dealt cocaine out of her home has been sentenced to probation.
Jones-photo Enders Open Magnet Elementary School.
Heather Jones, 49, was granted probation Thursday but will serve a 60-day jail sanction as a condition of her probation.
Jones pleaded guilty in March to distributing cocaine and using a phone for drug sales or purchases. Other drug distribution charges were dismissed.
Sedgwick County District Court Judge Bruce Brown granted the request for probation after hearing testimony from several women who said she was a gifted educator and generous friend.
Jones had taught in the Wichita school district for nearly 10 years when she was arrested in July 2017. Prosecutors said she sold more than 100 grams of cocaine to an undercover Sedgwick County Sheriff’s detective.
MEDICINE LODGE, Kan. (AP) — Law enforcement authorities say a police chase that went through three counties started over $67 in stolen gas.
Barber County undersheriff Dusty Brewer says officers were called to a Casey’s General Store in Medicine Lodge Wednesday because of the stolen gas.
Ehrlich -photo KDOC
The chase began after officers spotted the suspect’s truck a short time later. With speeds reaching 100 mph, the truck went into Pratt and Kingman counties.
Eventually the truck hit and embankment and the driver, 35-year-old Robert Lee Ehrlich, fled into a field.
Kingman County Sheriff Randy Hill says officers searched fields for hours before the search ended.
Eventually, Ehrlich was seen on a dirt road and arrested without further incident.
Brewer said Ehrlich faces multiple charges and has four warrants from different counties.
Ehrlich has 9 previous convictions for Aggravated and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Gustav “Gus” Sauer, age 78, Hays, KS, passed away on Thursday, May 24, 2018 at the Good Samaritan Society-Hays. He was born on October 16, 1939, in Ellis, KS to Adam and Augusta (Hoffman) Sauer. He married Patricia “Pat” Staab on November 4, 1961, in WaKeeney, KS.
Gus was a lifetime farmer. He enjoyed woodworking, polka music and dancing. He was a member of the Sunflower Polka Club.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Pat of Hays; two sons, Randy (Nichole) Sauer of Hays, and Kevin Sauer and his companion (Gretchen Moreno) of Hays; sister, Anna Kingham of Norton; three grandchildren, Alyssa (Kevin) Schulte of Hays, Dylan Sauer of Kansas City, and Courtny Sauer of Hays; three great-grandchildren, Kendall, Avyn and Spencer Schulte all of Hays. Gus also leaves behind a loving extended family with numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents; five brothers, Ernest, Adam, Ludwig, Rudy and Alfred Sauer and four sisters, Marie and Martha Armbrister, Minnie Kingham and Louise Powell.
Funeral services for Gus will be held on Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 10:00 AM at the Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel & Crematory, 2509 Vine St., Hays, KS 67601. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Hays.
Visitation will be held on Monday, May 28, 2018 from 5-8:00 PM at Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel.
Memorial contributions can be made to Hays Plaza Apartments, 1005 W. 28th St., Hays, KS 67601
RUSSELL – During the Russell Community Garage Sale on Sat., June 2, over 30 individuals, non-profit organizations and businesses will be offering a great opportunity for shoppers to enjoy a day of bargain hunting and treasure seeking. The Russell Community Garage Sale will feature traditional and multi-family garage sales, baked goods and refreshments, in-store sales and more. Registered participants may have additional days or hours, but all participants will be open Saturday.
Garage Sale Guides, including a detailed map of all registered participants, will be available starting Tuesday, May 29. Each participant’s sale dates and hours will be listed, as well as a general description of their items. Guides may be picked up at Encore Antiques & Collectables (590 S. Fossil), Advantage Realty (811 N. Kansas) or KRSL Russell Radio (1984 N. Main).
All proceeds from registrations directly benefit Russell Community Theater.
RCT, Advantage Realty and KRSL Russell Radio have partnered to sponsor the Russell Community Garage Sale. Printing and outreach support were provided by Russell County Economic Development & CVB, Russell County GIS & Mapping and Office Products, Inc. – Russell.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on a 5-year-old Kansas boy who was reported missing in February (all times local):
3p.m.
WICHITA —The Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office has identified the body of an unknown child discovered Thursday evening in Harvey County as 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez.
According to a media release, the boy’s identity was confirmed through an autopsy and dental records. A thorough exam of evidence continues, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Lucas’ stepmother, 27-year-old Emily Glass, has been arrested and booked into Sedgwick County jail for felony obstruction of justice. She is being held on a $250,000 Bond, according to the jail booking report. Lucas has been missing since Feb. 17.
Lucas’ body was discovered under a bridge near Southeast 96th Street and Woodlawn in Harvey County. Glass had taken a private investigator to the location. The private investigator had been hired by Lucas’ family.
The private investigator called the WPD to report the discovery of what he believed was Lucas’ body. The WPD and Harvey County Sheriff Office officials arrived at the scene.
WPD officials have interviewed the private investigator, David Marshburn of North Carolina, who said he arrived earlier this week. Marshburn told WPD investigators that Glass led him to the boy’s body on Thursday.
WPD Chief Gordon Ramsay said the investigation into Lucas’ disappearance continues; anyone with information related to the case should call WPD Homicide Detectives at 268-4181.
The WPD has mobilized significant personnel and volunteers and searched thousands of acres to find Lucas. Ramsay thanked the numerous volunteers and groups who have contributed to the search.
2p.m.
A small, decomposing body found under a bridge in rural central Kansas is likely that of 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez, a Wichita boy who has been missing since February, police said Friday.
An autopsy to be performed Friday will confirm the body’s identity but “it is likely Lucas,” Wichita police chief Gordon Ramsay said at a news conference.
Law enforcement officers were called to the scene in Harvey County Thursday night after Lucas’ 27-year-old stepmother, Emily Glass, led a private investigator to the remains under the bridge on a gravel road near the town of Sedgwick, about 20 miles north of Wichita.
Ramsay said there were other details that indicate the body is Lucas, but that police cannot share that information.
The investigator, David Marshburn, called police about the body, and officers met him and Glass at the scene. Ramsay said Marshburn was hired by Lucas’ family. Marshburn told local media that Lucas’ paternal grandmother first contacted him for assistance.
Marshburn told police he arrived in Wichita from Smithfield, North Carolina, this week.
Pressed as to how Marshburn was able to locate the body so quickly when police have been searching unsuccessfully for months, Ramsay would only say that police are bound by “very strict rules” that do not apply to private citizens.
Glass was jailed Thursday on suspicion of felony obstruction of justice, but no charges are expected to be filed this week. She is being held on a $250, 000 Bond, according to the Sedgwick County Booking report.
Investigators are awaiting results of the autopsy later Friday before they can make a positive identification.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said in an emailed statement Friday that his office will review early next week the results of the autopsy currently being conducted, as well as evidence gathered by law enforcement throughout this investigation.
When asked if other arrests are possible, Ramsay said only that the investigation is still “very active.”
Glass reported Lucas missing from their home on Feb. 17. Glass told police she last saw Lucas playing in his bedroom before she took a shower and fell asleep. He was gone when she woke up from her nap. She has not been charged in the boy’s disappearance, but Bennett had previously said she is a person of interest in the case.
The boy’s father, Jonathan Hernandez, was not at home when Lucas disappeared. Glass cared for her daughter and Lucas while he worked out of state for weeks at a time. Lucas’ biological mother didn’t live in the Wichita area when he disappeared.
Glass was found not guilty in May in an unrelated case accusing her of child endangerment involving her own 1-year-old daughter. Prosecutors alleged she smoked marijuana before driving the child to a restaurant.
Lucas was reported missing the day after that trip.
A court document related to that case said Lucas was frequently seen with bruises and cuts before he disappeared. The Sedgwick County juvenile court document indicated the state of Kansas was told at least twice that Lucas was being abused and was living in a dysfunctional and violent situation.
___
10:40 a.m.
Police say the stepmother of a 5-year-old boy missing since February led a private investigator to a body that detectives believe is the missing child.
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said at a news conference Friday that Emily Glass showed David Mashburn where the remains were hidden, under a bridge on a gravel road in Sedgwick, about 20 miles north of Wichita.
Ramsay says Mashburn contacted police. Police retrieved the body and arrested Glass on Thursday.
Ramsay says police believe the body is that of Lucas Hernandez.
Glass is being held on suspicion of interfering with a law enforcement officer and obstruction.
The stepmother reported Lucas missing Feb. 17, saying she fell asleep after a shower and woke up to find him missing.
___
10:30 a.m.
Police say a decomposed body found under a bridge in rural central Kansas is probably a 5-year-old boy who has been missing since February.
Lucas Hernandez
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said at a news conference Friday that investigators believe the body found a day earlier on a county road about 20 miles north of Wichita, is Lucas Hernandez.
Emily Glass, Lucas’ stepmother, was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of interfering with a law enforcement officer and obstruction.
Glass reported Lucas missing Feb. 17, saying she fell asleep after a shower and woke up to find him missing. She has not been charged in his disappearance.
Glass was acquitted in May of a child endangerment charge after authorities say she smoked marijuana before driving with her 1-year-old daughter in the car.
___
Glass-photo Sedgwick Co.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The stepmother of a 5-year-old Wichita boy whom she reported missing in February was jailed Thursday evening, hours after a small, as-yet unidentified body was found under a bridge in a nearby county.
Emily Glass, the stepmother of Lucas Hernandez, was at a site in rural Harvey County hours before the body was found, Sedgwick County District Attorney Mark Bennett said. She was later booked into jail on suspicion of interfering with a law enforcement officer and obstruction.
Authorities have not identified the body, which was found under a bridge on a gravel road near the town of Sedgwick.
“When we arrived, there was a body underneath a bridge up there that appears to be a small human, but it’s unrecognizable,” Harvey County Sheriff Chad Gay said. No children have been reported missing in Harvey County, he said.
Glass reported Lucas missing from their home on Feb. 17. Glass told police she last saw Lucas playing in his bedroom before she took a shower and fell asleep. He was gone when she woke up from her nap. She has not been charged in the boy’s disappearance, but Bennett has said she is a person of interest in the case.
The boy’s father, Jonathan Hernandez, was not at home when Lucas disappeared. Glass cared for her daughter and Lucas while he worked out of state for weeks at a time. Lucas’ biological mother didn’t live in the Wichita area when he disappeared.
Glass was found not guilty in May in an unrelated case accusing her of child endangerment involving her own 1-year-old daughter. Prosecutors alleged she smoked marijuana before driving the child to a restaurant.
Lucas was reported missing the day after that trip.
A court document related to that case said Lucas was frequently seen with bruises and cuts before he disappeared. The Sedgwick County juvenile court document indicated the state of Kansas was told at least twice that Lucas was being abused and was living in a dysfunctional and violent situation.
———–
SEDGWICK COUNTY — The stepmother of 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez who has been missing since February is back in jail.
Just after 10:30p.m. Thursday Emily Glass was booked into jail, according to the Sedgwick County booking report. The requested charges included interference with law enforcement officer and obstruction. There was no bond listed, according to the booking details.
Law enforcement authorities have not confirmed that a body found in Harvey County Thursday is the missing boy.
The body was found under a bridge on a gravel road. Sedgwick County District Attorney Mark Bennett says Glass had been in the area hours earlier. Authorities have not released any information on the remains.
Glass reported Lucas missing from their home on Feb. 17. She told police she discovered he was missing after she woke up from a nap.
The boy’s father, Jonathan Hernandez, was not at home when his son disappeared.
On May 16, Glass was released from jail after she was found not guilty of child endangerment in an unrelated case involving her own daughter.
