RILEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a child sex crime and have made an arrest.
On Saturday, police arrested Vincent Lee Ulibarri, 34, of Phoenix, for the alleged rape of a minor in Manhattan, according to the Riley County police department arrest report.
Ulibarri is being held on a $75,000 Bond on requested charges of rape and aggravated indecent liberties involving someone under the age of 14.
Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Very windy, with a south wind 22 to 27 mph increasing to 31 to 36 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph.
Widely scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms are expected. Large hail and damaging winds possible from a few storms. #kswx pic.twitter.com/CFzLwTaJT1
— NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) April 30, 2018
Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Very windy, with a south wind 26 to 31 mph decreasing to 20 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph.
Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. South southwest wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Tuesday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
WednesdayPartly sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 10 to 13 mph.
Wednesday NightA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
ThursdayMostly sunny, with a high near 75.
NEW YORK (AP) — T-Mobile and Sprint reached a $26.5 billion merger agreement Sunday that would reduce the U.S. wireless industry to three major players — that is, if the Trump administration’s antitrust regulators let the deal go through.
The nation’s third- and fourth-largest wireless companies have been considering a combination for years, one that would bulk them up to a similar size as industry giants Verizon and AT&T. But a 2014 attempt fell apart amid resistance from the Obama administration.
The combined company, to be called T-Mobile, would have about 127 million customers. Consumers worry a less crowded telecom field could result in higher prices, while unions are concerned about potential job losses.
In a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure acknowledged that getting regulatory approval is “the elephant in the room,” and one of the first things the companies did after sending out the deal’s news release was to call Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
The companies stressed that they plan to have more employees following the combination, particularly in rural areas, than they do as stand-alone companies now.
They also emphasized that the deal would help accelerate their development of faster 5G wireless networks and ensure that the U.S. doesn’t cede leadership on the technology to China.
And they said the combination would allow them to better compete not only with AT&T and Verizon but also with Comcast and others as the wireless, broadband and video industries converge.
“This isn’t a case of going from 4 to 3 wireless companies — there are now at least 7 or 8 big competitors in this converging market,” T-Mobile chief executive John Legere said in a statement. He would be the CEO of the combined company.
The all-stock deal values each share of Sprint at slightly more than 0.10 T-Mobile shares. Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s parent, would own about 42 percent of the combined company. Japan’s SoftBank, which controls Sprint, would own 27 percent, and the remainder would be held by the public.
The companies said they expect the deal to close by the first half of 2019 and would result in about $6 billion in annual cost savings.
Investors have been anticipating a deal like this for some time. In addition to the thwarted attempt three years ago, the two companies were poised to combine in October, but the deal was called off after what analysts said was a disagreement over control of the combined company.
The deal will have to be reviewed by the Justice Department and the FCC.
National carriers had not been able to get a deal through under President Barack Obama. But the FCC in September deemed the wireless market “competitive” for the first time since 2009, which some analysts say could make it easier to present a deal.
The 5G aspirations are at the heart of the agreement, and the new technology could allow companies to provide faster service to people’s homes.
Sprint’s Claure likened going from 4G to 5G to switching from black-and-white television to color. The combined company plans to invest up to $40 billion in its network in the first three years, which executives said would drive more hiring and better service for customers.
Sprint has a lot of debt and has posted a string of annual losses. It has cut costs and made itself more attractive to customers, BTIG Research analyst Walter Piecyk said, but hasn’t invested enough in its network and doesn’t have enough airwave rights for quality service in rural areas.
T-Mobile, meanwhile, has been on a yearslong streak of adding customers. After the government nixed AT&T’s attempt to buy the company in 2011, T-Mobile led the way in many consumer-friendly changes, such as ditching two-year contracts and bringing back unlimited data plans.
Consumers are paying less for cellphone service thanks to T-Mobile’s influence on the industry and the resulting price wars.
Verizon and AT&T have been expanding their video-content businesses, while cable companies have been moving into wireless. That allows a single company to combine home and wireless internet and use content to support the communications businesses.
Comcast, the cable giant that finished buying NBCUniversal in 2013, offers customers wireless service by reselling access to Verizon’s network. So does another dominant cable company, Charter.
KID
TOPEKA—Ken Selzer, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance, wants Kansans to know that new Medicare identification cards for beneficiaries do not include changes to current coverage or benefits.
“When Kansans begin receiving new Medicare cards after June 2018, the only change is they will have new identification numbers,” Commissioner Selzer said. “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is required to remove Social Security Numbers from beneficiary IDs.”
The cards are being mailed in a state-by-state sequence that includes Kansas cards mailing sometime after June, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The new ID cards are to be distributed throughout the United States by April 2019.
The Kansas Insurance Department does not regulate regular Medicare, but it does regulate Medicare Supplement plans.
Commissioner Selzer offers these tips to beneficiaries receiving new IDs:
ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman admitted in court that she mistreated an elderly man she was supposed to be caring for at an Atchison residential care facility.
On Friday, thirty-eight-year-old Tammy Puckett of Leavenworth pleaded guilty to mistreatment of a dependent person.
Atchison County Attorney Jerry Kuckelman said that Puckett was employed at Medicalodge in Atchison. He said in March she didn’t provide for the physical and mental needs of an 80-year-old man who was dependent on her. The details of the neglect were not released.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 15. Puckett is out of jail on $15,000 bond.
RENO COUNTY — A Kansas woman convicted of aggravated indecent liberties with a child in Saline County in 2006 is in trouble for failing to register as a sex offender on four different occasions in Reno County.
Kristen L. Bauman, 36, Hutchinson, is also charged with a fifth count of unlawful acts — using a computer system, namely, Care.com — to execute a scheme with the intent to defraud or obtain money by asking for employment as a babysitter by fraudulent means. That could be concerning, considering her criminal past.
These crimes occurred in December of 2017.
Bauman is free on bond as her case moves to a waiver-status docket.
By Dewey Terrill
GEARY COUNTY —The Geary County Sheriff’s Department rescued two youth at Milford Lake Sunday afternoon.
According to Sheriff Tony Wolf, the girls, ages 8 and 13 from Junction City, were on a raft in the East Rolling Hills area.
The raft was pushed out by the wind onto the lake. A passer by’s boat was used to rescue the girls, who were returned to their parents in the East Rolling Hills area.
The girls were checked by EMS and there were no injuries.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say the crash that killed a 37-year-old off-duty officer has also claimed the life of his 9-year-old son.
Police say the crash happened around 8:15 p.m. Friday when a pickup truck pulled out in front of a motorcycle operated by Officer Stacy Woodson. The officer’s son was riding on the back of the bike.
The 35-year-old driver of the truck has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Police Lt. Tim Myers says Braeden Woodson died as a result of the injuries he suffered in the crash.
Woodson was a 16-year veteran of the Wichita Police Department.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Authorities have identified the off-duty Wichita Police Department (WPD) Officer fatally injured on Friday evening in an accident at 21st Street North and 167th Street West in Wichita as 37-year-old Stacy Woodson.
According to police, Woodson was operating the motorcycle and his 10-year-old son was a passenger. The boy remains in critical condition at a local hospital.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of investigating the accident.
Woodson was a 16-year-veteran of the WPD. He is remembered for his leadership, professionalism, and selflessness.
“He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and WPD family,” WPD Chief Gordon Ramsay said. “Our thoughts and prayers continue for Stacy’s family, friends, and others affected by this tragedy.”
In lieu of flowers and cards, please send donations for the family in Woodson’s name to:
The Honore Adversis Foundation
477 N. Seneca St.
Wichita, KS 67203
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SEDGWICK COUNTY —An off-duty Wichita Police Department (WPD) Officer on Friday evening suffered fatal injuries in an accident.
The off-duty officer was operating a motorcycle at 21st Street North and 167th Street West and was involved in an accident with a truck, according to a media release. The off-duty officer was pronounced dead at the scene.
His ten-year-old son was a passenger and was transported to an area hospital with critical injuries.
“The WPD family is greatly saddened by this tragic news,” WPD Chief Gordon Ramsay said. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Officer’s family and those affected by this awful accident.”
The accident is being investigated by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.
The Officer’s name is being withheld at this time out of respect for his family
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man shot during an attempted robbery at a Wichita restaurant has been convicted of attempted murder for shooting the restaurant’s owner.
A Sedgwick County jury found 27-year-old Reginald Kane guilty Friday of that and other charges in the June 2017 confrontation at Ruben’s Mexican Grill in Wichita.
Prosecutors say Kane entered the restaurant as it was closing and demanded money. The owner, Ruben Acosta, testified that Kane took the money and was leaving when he suddenly turned and fired at Acosta.
Acosta also was armed and fired back, wounding Kane. Acosta spent three weeks in a coma and says he likely will never be able to use one of his arms again.
Kane’s attorneys contended the gunman’s face was completely covered and no one had a clear description of the shooter.
Soil organic matter is an indicator of how healthy a soil is and serves many important functions. The higher the organic matter the better the soil is. OM, as we typically call it, comes from plant residue and roots that have been broken down and decomposed by soil microorganisms. Only about 10% of organic material is converted to stable OM, so it takes a lot of plant residue, roots and time to increase the amount in the soil significantly. This is especially true in warmer and drier climates where the amount of material that can be grown is limited and the OM is mineralized quicker by the microorganisms.
Originally western Kansas soils had fairly high OM levels, between 3.5 to 4%, because they formed under prairie vegetation that supplied organic material from both the top growth and the roots. We usually don’t think about roots supplying organic material but they actually provide about four times more than the plant material on the soil surface.
OM is a reservoir of nutrients that are mineralized by microorganisms and released in the soil that plants can use. For each percent of OM in the soil about 25 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds of P2O5, and 3 pounds of sulfur become plant available annually. In high OM level soils this can lead to significant fertilizer savings. The warmer the soil temperature the more nutrients are released, so summer crops benefit more from OM mineralization than winter crops.
OM behaves like a sponge and increases the water holding capacity of the soil. It can and hold up to 90 percent of its weight in water. This is especially important in drier climates where soil moisture is almost always the most limiting factor when it comes to crop yields.
High OM soils have a higher percentage of stable soil aggregates which don’t break down, consolidate or condense when it rains. This improved soil structure increases the pore space in the soil which helps the soil take in more water. It also decreases runoff and erosion.
It is not easy, and it takes years to see a significant improvement, but there are ways that we can increase OM levels in the soil.
Here are just a few:
It makes economic sense to do what you can to maintain and improve organic matter levels in your soils. The higher the organic matter the less fertilizer you will need because more plant nutrients are released in the soil. High OM soils can help keep a crop growing and healthier longer during prolonged dry periods because of the higher water holding capacity. In some years this can be the difference between growing a profitable crop and not growing one so it can affect the bottom line.
Consider using these practices on your operation to build and maintain organic matter levels in your soil.
For more information about this or other soil health practices you can contact me at [email protected] or any local NRCS office.
Dale Younker is a Soil Health Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jetmore.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Female inmates at the Topeka Correctional Facility are training service dogs to assist individuals with disabilities in more than 30 states.
KSDS Assistance Dogs has partnered with the women’s prison to offer the Pooches and Pals program since 2009.
Eleven dogs graduated from KSDS Assistance last week, all of which spent time in the women’s prison, said the nonprofit’s executive director Glenda Keller. The dogs were matched with people with disabilities in six states, she said.
Inmates teach the dogs practical tasks, such as opening a door and pulling a wheelchair.
The nonprofit trains the inmates to guide the service dogs. Participants can progress from an apprentice, to a secondary and then a primary.
Stephani Simon became involved in Pooches and Pals four years ago. Now, she’s president of the group in the women’s prison.
She called the program a comforting way to give back.
She said she’s learned patience, communication and leadership through the initiative. Simon said it has helped her rise above her past.
Clara Crosser recently earned “primaryship,” which allows her to take the lead on a dog’s progress.
Crosser said she takes pride in helping in the program because the dogs could potential save someone’s life.
“I have some time to do and I wanted to better myself, build myself up,” she said. “They (the dogs) heal you as much as you help them.”
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas agency says lawmakers approved an unconstitutional bill that may result in the state paying back $42 million to a former pizza magnate.
The Kansas Department of Revenue is accusing lawmakers of using a tactic attacked by transparency advocates and making other questionable moves to include more than one topic in the measure, which would violate the state constitution.
The agency’s argument comes as Gov. Jeff Colyer and lawmakers preach transparency values. Colyer and the Legislature have both tried to increase open government this year.
The 2016 law gives businessman Gene Bicknell a chance to fight a years-long dispute with the state over a $42 million tax bill stemming from the sale of hundreds of Pizza Hut franchises he owned.
HAYSMED
A Stars and Stripes Breakfast will be held Sunday, May 6 from 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon at the VFW, 2106 Vine in Hays. Tickets must be purchased in advance in order to benefit Hospice.
The all-you-can-eat menu includes pancakes, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, biscuits, gravy, toast, coffee and juice.
Advance tickets are $8.50 for Adults. $3.50 for children 5-12 and children under 5 eat free. Tickets at the door are $9.00 for Adults, $4.00 for children 5-12 and children under 5 eat free.
Advance tickets are available from Hospice at 623-6200 or 1-800-248-0073. You can also email [email protected] or [email protected] for tickets or information.
HaysMed Hospice focuses on comfort and quality of life when a cure is not possible, honoring the wishes of the person and their family. They provide services in Ellis, Rooks, Russell and Rush counties.
