SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a report of shots fired near East High School in Wichita and have made an arrest.
Just after 11a.m. Monday, police responded to a report of a disturbance with shots fired near the intersection of English and Poplar in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Authorities near the scene of Monday’s investigation at East High School in Wichita- image courtesy Wichita police
Officers on the scene did find numerous shell casings in the area. Investigators learned that several individuals involved with the disturbance got into a white SUV type vehicle and traveled northbound on Poplar, according to Davidson. Other witnesses told police that additional individuals involved ran to the west into the east side of East High School in the 2300 Block of East Douglas.
The school resource officers locked the school down for approximately an hour as a precautionary measure.
Police did locate the individuals who went into the east side of the school. They were not armed, according to Davidson. Some were teens but it is not clear if they are students.
Police booked a 16-year-old boy into the Juvenile Detention Facility for criminal discharge of a firearm and juvenile in possession of a firearm, according to Davidson. Investigators also located the white SUV seen leaving the area at the time of the shooting.
No damage or injuries have been reported as a part of the incident.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on felony charges after a Sunday high-speed chase.
Skinner-photo Barton Co.
Just after 1a.m. Sunday, a Barton County Deputy attempted to stop a 1995 Chevrolet Camaro in the 100 block of Southeast 20 Road for a speeding violation, according to sheriff Brian Bellendir.
When the deputy turned to stop the vehicle the suspect continued west at a high rate of speed. Sheriff’s deputies pursued the Camaro for approximately 10 miles before the suspect pulled into a rural residence in the southwestern part of Barton County and attempted to flee on foot. Deputies captured the driver identified as James Skinner, age 51, Great Bend.
He was arrested and booked into the Barton County Jail for felony flee and elude, felony obstruction and numerous traffic violations. Skinner was released on $5000 bond.
Skinner has eight previous convictions including for theft, drugs, battery, flee and attempt to elude and taxation, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Linda BeechThe Cottonwood Extension District invites the public to a retirement reception in honor of Linda Beech as she retires after 39 years of dedicated service as an Extension educator for K-State Research and Extension.
The reception will be held on Friday, May 18, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Commission Chambers in the lower level of the Ellis County Administrative Center, 718 Main Street in Hays. Presentations will be given at 5:30 p.m.
Beech will retire at the end of May from the Cottonwood Extension District, having previously served as an Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in Hodgeman, Stevens, Finney and Ellis Counties. During her career, Beech has been recognized as a skilled teacher, an award-winning writer and a respected leader who has made a positive difference for Extension clientele in northwest and southwest Kansas.
Cards and letters in honor of Linda Beech’s retirement may be sent to the Cottonwood Extension District- Hays Office, 601 Main Street, Hays, 67601.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal fire.
Just after 8:30p.m. May 1, sheriff’s deputies attempted to serve a warrant to search a home in the 2000 Block of West MacArthur in Wichita, according to Captain Jose Ocadiz with the Wichita Fire Department.
Scene of the fatal May 1, fire -photo courtesy KWCH
Investigators believe that when deputies arrived, a woman at the home identified as 48-year-old Kimberly Shock intentionally set a fire at the residence. She died of her injuries over the weekend, according to Ocadiz.
In addition to Shock’s fatal injuries, a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s department officer was treated for smoke inhalation and a 36-year-old man at the residence suffered second-degree burns to his right arm and hand. He was released from the hospital late last week, according to Ocadiz.
Authorities did not release details on what prompted the search warrant or the relationship between the 36-year-old man and Shock.
This is the fourth fire fatality in Wichita in 2018. There were six in 2017, according to Ocadiz.
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. military officials want to limit congressional efforts to address child-on-child sexual assaults on bases, even as new data show the problem is larger than previously acknowledged.
Members of Congress demanded answers after an Associated Press investigation revealed that many reports of sexual violence among military kids on installations languish, leaving both victim and offender without help.
With lawmakers drafting legislative fixes, military officials have offered a clear message during congressional briefings: We can handle this.
The pushback against legislative efforts comes as the Army acknowledged that it had investigated 86 more sex assault reports than initially disclosed to AP, most of them confirmed as crimes.
After adding those new cases, AP’s count of juvenile-on-juvenile sexual assault reports on bases reached nearly 700 over a recent 10-year period.
Journalism students gather for a photo prior to competing at the Kansas Scholastic Press Association State Journalism Competition on May 5 in Lawrence. Hays had a good day as the group brought home the state championship for Class 4A. Courtesy photo
Hays High School won the Class 4A Sweepstakes Award for garnering the most overall points at the state journalism contest on May 5 in Lawrence.
The state championship performance was a result of 14 students placing in the top six spots at the event, which is sponsored by the Kansas Scholastic Press Association.
Hays scored 37 points to beat out Chanute with 32 and Piper with 29. Within the Class 4A division, 20 schools managed to score at least one point or better.
This is the third time in the last four years that Hays has won the overall championship. Last year, the team finished second, narrowly losing to Chanute by three points.
At the state competition, students compete in 21 categories with points awarded to six placers for each individual contest. Five points is award for first; four points for second; three for third, and one point for up to three honorable mentions.
The University of Kansas hosted the day of the competition at the Memorial Union. Nine different categories, such as editorial writing and sports writing, took place on the day of the contest. Students used notes provided in prompts to inspire their writing and cartooning entries.
Earlier in the week, students submitted hundreds of other entries – in 12 different categories – to an online contest that featured design, photography and online categories.
. “I am so very proud of these students and what they have accomplished this year,” adviser Bill Gasper said. “I have been blessed with outstanding students and I am very grateful for their dedication and hard work. Winning state is a great achievement and these students deserve a ton of recognition.”
In addition to the state championship, Hays High was awarded All-Kansas for the school’s newspaper as well as the newspaper’s online edition. All-Kansas is the top award given by the Kansas Scholastic Press Association.
“As you can see, our students have the ability to excel as individuals as well as work successfully in a team environment to produce outstanding publications,” Gasper said. “It’s been a great year and I hope the Hays community is equally as proud of these kids as I am.”
Those who placed at the state competition include:
DIGITAL ENTRIES Infographics
Honorable Mention – senior Tana Herreman
Multimedia Storytelling
Second – senior Abby Balman, juniors Isabelle Braun, Alyssa Underwood and Kaitlyn Brown
Honorable Mention – junior Jacob Maska and sophomores Madison Weber and Allison Hillebrand
News Page and Design
Honorable Mention – senior Lacey Gregory
WICHITA – Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland is proud to announce that $26,500 in scholarships has been awarded to eight Kansas Girl Scouts.
Recipients include:
Ashton Baxa, Osborne – Osborne High School, Class of 2018; Plans to attend Hutchinson Community College; George & Jayne Smith Scholarship – $3,000
Analyse Claude, Hays – Hays High School, Class of 2018; Plans to attend The University of Kansas; George & Jayne Smith Scholarship – $3,000
These scholarships, made possible through the George W. and Jayne S. Smith Scholarship Fund, recognize the leadership and service exhibited by Girl Scouts. Jayne Smith served as executive director of the Wichita Area Girl Scout Council for 28 years before retiring in 1979, and both George and Jayne Smith volunteered thousands of hours in support of Girl Scouts.
“These dedicated Girl Scouts exhibit courage, confidence and character, and make the world a better place,” said Liz Workman, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland. “Thanks to the generosity of George and Jayne Smith, $26,500 in scholarships will benefit local girls who have worked hard to make a difference in their communities.
”In addition to receiving a George and Jayne Smith Scholarship, Maureen “Reeny” Botros, 18, of Wichita earned her Gold Award and accepted Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland’s $2,500 Gold Award Scholarship. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, Botros created Catwalk Coding, a series of weeklong technology camps aimed at elevating the conversation around girls’ success in STEM fields without compromising their feminine identity.
“Girl Scouts fosters a sisterhood of women and girls bonded by a shared aim to benefit their community through character development and service. Girl Scouts empowered me to take the initiative, to take action, to constantly ask ‘Why not me?’,” Botros said.
The Girl Scout Gold Award recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through Take Action projects that have a sustainable impact in their communities and beyond.
To learn more about the Girl Scout Gold Award and Girl Scout Scholarships, go to kansasgirlscouts.org.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Body camera footage shows that law enforcement ignored the advice of SWAT team members when they entered a suburban Kansas City home and fatally shot a mentally distressed woman.
Howard- photo courtesy Johnson County sheriff from a June 2017 arrest
The Kansas City Star reports that it obtained 23 hours of footage tied to the Aug. 23 shooting of 26-year-old Ciara Howard in Olathe after suing.
It shows that officers had been briefed that she was acting irrationally and had access to her boyfriend’s handgun when they arrived to arrest her on a warrant. It was for walking away from the county’s adult residential center where she’d been required to report after her latest conviction. None of them were for serious or violent offenses.
Olathe police said in a statement that Howard’s death was a “tragedy for everyone involved.”
The Ellis County Commission will discuss a recent computer outage and plans for the future at Monday’s commission meeting.
The commission will also continue discussions on reported lead poisonings and issues in the Noxious Weed Department.
The commission will meet as the Public Building Commission at 5 p.m. with the regular meeting to follow at the County Administrative Center at 718 Main Street.
The “Blessing Box” mini-food pantry is available to anyone in the community. It is located in the parking lot of Hays Christian Church, 22nd and Marshall. Courtesy photo
Drivers traveling east on 22nd Street in Hays may have noticed a small box that has gone up in the parking lot of Hays Christian Church, 22nd and Marshall.
The “Blessing Box,” which went up April 27, is a mini-food pantry available to anyone in the community. It was the brainchild of one of the church’s members, Carolyn Smith.
Smith said she got the idea from perusing similar boxes online promoting community book exchanges and food pantries.
Smith, who is a longtime daycare provider in Hays, said she is very aware that children are going hungry in Hays. She believes sometimes people are ashamed or their pride gets in the way if they have to fill out forms to get “handouts.”
“People who are down on their luck, and maybe they’re embarrassed to ask for help, they can go by and get what they need,” she said. No one is going to be there to see them.
The box contains non-perishable food items, which currently include canned vegetables and boxed items such as macaroni and cheese, as well as paper products. The box is checked and restocked every other day. So far, individual donors have kept the box well stocked, she said.
The box, which measures 2 feet wide by 2 feet high by 2 feet deep, is made of wood and has a sloped tin roof. It is mounted on two wooden posts. It has a plexiglass door on the front that allows people to see the contents inside. She said that all of the building materials were donated.
Smith said the box was built by the father of one of her daycare students, and he included features specifically designed to make the box rodent proof.
Anyone is free to add to the items in the box, she said, although the items will change as the weather does. “Obviously, we don’t want things going bad in hot weather or freezing in cold weather.”
Smith expressed her gratitude to the church for providing a convenient, visible and easily accessible location for the box.
“It’s there for the community, and I just want people who need something to go by and be blessed.”
Janett M. Cook, age 74, of Hays, Kansas passed away Friday, May 4, 2018 at Hays Medical Center. She was born February 7, 1944 in Great Bend, Kansas to Rudolph and Mollie (Radke) Hickel. On March 6, 1964 she married Ronald “Squeak” Cook .
She was a homemaker and loving mother. She was also an avid vegetable and flower gardener. Each day was made complete by her cat Kaydee following her every move around the house.
She is survived by her husband, Ron “Squeak” Cook of Hays; a daughter, Tyla Weber and husband Mike of Lee’s Summit, MO; a brother, Norman Hickel and wife Merlinda of Great Bend, KS and extended family, Jeremiah, Kayci, Ben, Ella, Jack, Max and Oliver Schumacher.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Todd Cook in 1990; three brothers, Rudy, Eddie, and Eldon Hickel and a sister, Cleora Tiede
Private family services will be at a later date. Arrangements in care of Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Humane Society of the High Plains and may be sent in care of the funeral home.
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]
Patrick “Pat” Walters, age 86, of Catharine, KS passed away Friday, May 4, 2018 in Catharine. He was born March 20, 1932 in Catharine to Anthony and Ludwina (Polifka) Walters. H emarried Connie Nagel on Nov. 23,1972 in LaCrosse, Kansas.
Pat was a oilfield production superintendent working for Slawson Oil and Double Eagle both in Ness City, KS. After his retirement from the oilfields he worked as a courier for Hays Path Lab. He was a US Army veteran serving during the Korean War stationed in Japan. He was a member of St. Catherine Church, 3rd Degree Catherine Council Knights of Columbus and a 4th degree Bishop Cunningham Assembly Knight. He was a lifetime member of the Hays VFW and a member of the Hays American Legion. Pat was an avid sports fan especially Notre Dame football and Kansas Jayhawks basketball.
He is survived by his wife, Connie of the home; three sons, Christopher Walters of Merriam, KS, Todd Walters and wife Michelle of Hanston, KS and Mike Walters of Ness City; four sisters, Sr. Ann Walters of Fond du Lac, WI, Katy Perino and husband Les of Holt, MI, Sr. Rose Walters of Fond du Lac, WI and Nettie Kuhn Verdi of Norton, KS; a brother, Thomas Walters of Catharine and four grandchildren, Macie, Kaylee, Bryce and Lauryn Walters all of Hanston.
He was preceded in death by four brothers, Delbert, Dan, Marvin and Herb Walters and a sister, Delores Giebler.
Funeral services will be 10 AM Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Catharine, KS. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with military honors courtesy of the Hays VFW Honor Guard.
Visitation will be Monday 4 pm – 8 PM at Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601 and Tuesday at the church from 9 AM until service time at the church.
A combined parish vigil service and Catherine Council Knights of Columbus rosary service will be Monday at 7 PM all at the funeral chapel.
Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Catherine Catholic Church, TMP-Marian or Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ness City.
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]
