SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on numerous charges after an altercation with a sheriff’s deputy.
Pankratz- photo KDOC
Just before 7a.m. Thursday, deputies were dispatched to the 5100 S. Block of Hemlock Place in Wichita for a criminal damage to property report, according to Lt. Timothy Myers.
When deputies arrived, they made contact and arrested Isaac J. Pankratz, a 25-year-old Hispanic man for a felony warrant and criminal possession of a firearm.
As Pankratz was being escorted to Sheriff Investigations, he attempted to take control of the deputy’s firearm in a courthouse elevator. Pankratz was handcuffed behind his back at the time he attempted to gain control of the deputy’s firearm.
As Pankratz was being restrained, he sustained minor injuries to his forehead. Pankratz was transported to Via Christi St. Francis Hospital for medical treatment, according to Myers. Mr. Pankratz was then booked in the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility. Mr. Pankratz is a Registered Violent Offender. He has two previous convictions for aggravated assault, one for burglary and one for theft according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Teams from five universities will join a team from Fort Hays State University on the FHSU campus this weekend for the first Collegiate Leadership Competition in the Heartland Region.
Arrival and check-in will be from 6:30-7 p.m. Friday, April 13, in the Memorial Union’s Black and Gold Room.
“The Department of Leadership Studies at FHSU was honored to be asked to serve as a host site for the Collegiate Leadership Competition,“ said Dr. Jill Arensdorf, chair of the Department of Leadership Studies.
“Hosting has been not only a unique opportunity for the FHSU team to participate in the competition on their home campus, but also for other Midwestern schools to get to experience the innovative and beautiful Hays campus and city of Hays,” she said.
The other competitors are the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs; Dodge City Community College; Emporia State University; Iowa State University, Ames; and Washburn University.
“Developing skills through multiple hands-on learning opportunities is a best-practice in education,” said Arensdorf. “FHSU chose to have a team in the competition to give students a skills-based learning experience about leadership.”
The competitions, which involve a series of activities, each followed by a debriefing session, will be Saturday, April 14, in the Black and Gold Room. The activities involve groups and their appointed leaders solving simple physical problems under conditions that make the tasks much more involved.
“The activities for the individual competitions are kept under wraps, even from the host campus’s logistics coordinator,” said Kaley Klaus, instructor of leadership studies at FHSU, who is also the logistics coordinator for the competition.
“So I can’t really say much about them,” she said. “But the competition is grounded in the idea of ‘deliberate practice.’ You practice how to drive, play a sport, cook, how to do math, etc. This competition gives students the opportunity to deliberately practice the leadership skills we teach them in academic leadership programs.”
Collegiate Leadership Competition is a nonprofit college leadership program founded in 2015. The CLC’s regions are the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, New England and Ohio Valley.
The Department of Music and Theatre and the International Piano Series at Fort Hays State University will host the Manno-Dean piano duo. The concert will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 15, in Sheridan Hall’s Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
The duo, Dr. Terrie Manno, professor of piano at Minnesota State University Moorhead, and Dr. Michael Dean, associate professor of music at Oklahoma Baptist University, is in its seventh season of performing.
They have entertained nationally and abroad with a repertoire that spans more than 400 years of music and features works by Aaron Copland, Manuel Infante, Witold Lutoslawski, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Johann Strauss and Nancy Beach.
Manno, a native of southern Calif., earned undergraduate and master’s degrees from California State University, Fresno, and received a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Arizona.
“She is a dedicated teacher and scholar who has spent the past three decades teaching and developing as an educator,” said Dr. Irena Ravitskaya, associate professor of music and theatre at FHSU. “Manno is an avid scholar on how musicians’ brains learn and process information, helping her students cultivate and deepen the mental focus they need for successful performance,” she said.
Dean earned undergraduate degrees in piano performance and mathematics from Minnesota State University before serving at OBU. He earned a master’s and doctorate degree from the University of Oklahoma.
“He serves as east district co-president of the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association and maintains an active schedule as a workshop clinician, adjudicator and faculty member,” said Ravitskaya.
In 2011, Dean was awarded the Promising Teacher Award for instructional excellence by OBU.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A man left partially paralyzed when gunfire erupted as he and three others were robbing a suburban Kansas City gun shop has been sentenced to life in prison for killing the shop’s owner.
De’Anthony Wiley, 23, won’t be eligible for parole for 25 years under the sentence ordered Thursday. He says he’s “deeply ashamed.”
He pleaded guilty in February to first-degree felony murder and other charges in the 2015 death of 44-year-old Jon Bieker.
Bieker, a Garder, Kansas resident spent most of his early life in Trego County
The robbery of Bieker’s Shawnee, Kansas, gun store turned deadly when one of the robbers punched his wife. Bieker then emerged from a back room with a gun. Bieker was killed and three of the robbers wounded in the ensuing gunfight.
Wiley was the final robber sentenced to life imprisonment.
Marcie A. Unruh, age 48, passed away on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at the Scott County Hospital in Scott City, Kansas. She was born on November 1, 1969 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of Bruce & Mary Reimer Barkman. A resident of Scott City, Kansas since 2001 moving from Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, she was a homemaker.
She was a member of the Scott Mennonite Church in Pence, Kansas.
On January 14, 2001 she married Cameron Unruh in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. He survives.
Survivors include her Husband – Cameron Unruh of Scott City, Kansas, Two Sons – Alaric Unruh & Brycen Unruh of the home, Father – Bruce Barkman of Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada, Five Brothers Glenn Barkman of Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada, Warren Barkman of Dugald, Manitoba, Canada, Sheldon & Justina Barkman of Waterville, Nova Scotia, Trevor & Val Barkman of Blumenort, Manitoba, Canada, Bevan & Mandy Barkman of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Parents in Law – Steven & Phebe Unruh of Scott City, Kansas, Step Grandmother – Rosalee Barkman of Whitemouth, Manitoba, Canada, Numerous Nieces, Nephews, Aunts and Uncles.
Funeral Services will be held at the Scott Mennonite Church in Pence, Kansas at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 17, 2018 with Charles Nightengale and Daniel Koehn presiding.
Memorials in lieu of flowers may made to the Marcie Unruh Memorial Fund in care of Price & Sons Funeral Homes.
Interment will be in the Scott Mennonite Church Cemetery in Pence, Kansas
Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Sunday and 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Monday at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Scott City.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Thursday released the following statement after the House Agriculture Committee released its version of the 2018 Farm Bill.
“We continue to be committed to working on a Farm Bill for all farmers and families. With low commodity prices, worsening conditions in farm country, and unmet needs in communities across the country, we need to get this Farm Bill right. We’re working together as quickly as possible to produce a bipartisan bill that can pass the Senate and be enacted into law.”
Photo courtesy Rep. Roger Marshall
“This has been a long time coming, and I am thrilled to have this bill released, and for it to be considered by the committee in the near future. I have heard my producers loud and clear. They want certainty; they want assurance that Washington is still working for them, this bill proves that we are listening,” Rep. Roger Marshall said.
The Senate Agriculture Committee has held nearly 30 hearings and business meeting during the 115th Congress, including nine hearings on all titles of the 2014 Farm Bill.
William O. Marcotte, 71, of Salina, passed away Monday, April 9, 2018. He was born Oct. 19, 1946 in Plainville, to Melvin and Eula (Miller) Marcotte. He married Sheila Unrein, June 22, 1996.
Bill had a deep love of his faith, country and family. He was an avid golfer and loved to fish and hunt. He served in the Navy from Oct. 1965-Oct. 1969. Bill retired from Hawker Beechcraft in 2012.
Survivors include: his wife, Sheila of the home; children, Jon Marcotte (Cindy) of Sacramento, Calif., Chris Bell (Rhonda) of Beverly, Wayne Bell of Minneapolis, and Kendra Alter (James) of Kansas City, Kan.; grandchildren, Christina Small (Robert) of Salina, Seth Bell (Lindsay) of Ottawa, Amber Bell (Shawn Anderson) of Roxbury, Jordan Bell of Minneapolis, and Bella Alter of Kansas City, Kan.; siblings, Leverett Marcotte, Gail Marcotte, Helen Wheeler (Paul), Carol Williams (Delbert), Pamela Dietrich (Delbert), and Theresa Mohn (Kenny); great-granddaughter, Dilexi Small; and a great-grandson due in May.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at Ryan Mortuary, Salina, with a Vigil at 7:30 p.m.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 13, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1000 Burr Oak Lane, Salina, with Fr. Keith Weber as celebrant. A rosary will begin at 12:30 p.m. Burial will follow at All Saints Cemetery. Reception at the church following the burial.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to VFW Post #1432, or First Tee, Salina, in care of Ryan Mortuary, 137 North Eighth Street, Salina, KS 67401.
Alice Allen, of Hutchinson, 99, died April 9, 2018. She was a longtime resident of Graham County, Kansas.
The daughter of John and Sarah (Mackey) Kerr.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph A. Allen, one son, a stepbrother and infant grandson.
Survivors include: three daughters: Norma (Bill) Imel of Paola, Marie (Ed) Sharpe of Hill City and Linda Naiman of Hutchinson; 11 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren and 6 great-great grandchildren.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal accident.
Just after 9p.m. Monday, a 2008 Jeep driven by Megan Robl, 28, Salina, was eastbound in the 300 Block of East Iron Street in Salina, according to police captain Paul Forrester.
The jeep hit a 67-year-old William Higle attempting to cross the street. Higle was transported to the hospital in Salina in critical and later transferred to a hospital in Wichita. He died late Wednesday, according to Forrester.
No charges have been filed in the case according to Forrester.
Early this past Sunday morning, at the last minute, Kansas legislators passed a school funding bill of more than $500 million. The Supreme Court must still rule on its constitutionality, but the frantic maneuvering of last week allows Kansans to understand a lot about state politics as we head toward the end of the session and the 2018 elections.
Burdett Loomis, Professor, Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Science, University of Kansas
#1. In contrast to 2017, when Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning joined with House Speaker Ron Ryckman to provide steady, even bold, leadership to override Governor Sam Brownback’s veto of income tax increases, the Senate remained adrift and leaderless up through the last moments of the 2018 regular session. President Susan Wagle remained incapable of leading her chamber, and Sen. Denning this year accompanied her in various strange and unproductive maneuvers that could well have derailed stopped the legislative process, despite the clear need to address the Supreme Court’s mandate on school funding.
After delaying the proceedings to demand passage of an unwise, unpassable constitutional amendment to strip the Court’s authority to require school funding, Denning joined Wagle to offer a low-ball, $250 million school finance figure that the Court would have rejected out of hand. Last year’s statesman, cited as a “best state legislator” by Governing magazine, took an unproductive, far-right turn in addressing the session’s top issue.
#2. Under pressure, bipartisan coalitions narrowly prevailed in both chambers. In the House, some Democrats opposed the final education bill because it did not spend enough, but the moderate Republican-Democratic coalition squeaked by. Notably, Speaker Ryckman provided the 63rd vote, as moderate Republicans made the difference.
#3. Although Governor Jeff Colyer endorsed the $500 million-plus House bill, he offered little leadership in pressing the Senate to make a deal. Sam Brownback did receive a bit of credit for suggesting $600 million in his January State of the State address, but that merely reflected the session-long conventional wisdom that $500-600 million would be a minimum to satisfy the Court.
#4. Governor Colyer, by backing the House bill, differentiated his position from that of Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has been consistently willing to confront the Court and create a constitutional crisis. Colyer is saying, in essence, “I’m conservative, but I’m not willing to throw the state under a bus.” Kobach would drive the bus.
#5. Election threats failed. Senate President Wagle weighed in, threatening Senate chairs if they voted for the bill, and she and her Chamber of Commerce allies conjured up the vision of legions of far-right primary candidates who would receive generous funding to oppose House Republicans’ supporting the $500 million figure. These threats may be real, but 2018 scarcely seems a year to encourage GOP challenges in either primaries or the general election.
#6. Finally, and unsurprisingly, the school finance legislation has proved technically deficient, in that it appropriates $80 million less than the Legislature originally assumed. Given the pressure-cooker politics of the session’s last few days, this is understandable, but it demonstrates the dangers of rushed legislation. Rather than make a bunch of head feints, the Senate could have carefully worked the bill, but its leadership chose not to.
In a session with few notable leaders and increasing rancor, passing a funding package is significant. The bruising process demonstrated, however, that (a) the Kansas Legislature has not abandoned its highly partisan, unproductive ways of the 2011-2016 period and (b) the 2018 state legislative elections will be extremely important for the direction of the state.
Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor at the University of Kansas.
WASHINGTON —Former Kansas congressman and current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mike Pompeo faces questioning today at a Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
The questioning begins the process of his nomination to be Secretary of State. Watch the replay here.
Among the 19 candidates currently running for governor of Kansas, Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach, independent businessman Greg Orman and Republican Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer are the most widely known – Kobach by a lot – but Democratic State Sen. Laura Kelly is most popular among the people who know who she is.
That’s according to a poll by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University. The survey sample was taken from contacts through random landline and cellphone numbers. Of 1,405 Kansas residents age 18 and older who were contacted, 367 completed the survey. The result is a 5.12-percent margin of error, meaning a 95-percent probability that the findings vary no more than plus or minus 5.12 percent from the value that would be found if the entire population of adult Kansas residents were surveyed.
The poll, conducted from March 19 to April 2, asked two questions. The first listed the 19 candidates asked respondents if they knew each candidate.
Among all the candidates, 85.2 percent knew of Kobach, 56.7 knew of Orman and Colyer’s name was recognized by 54.8 percent. At the bottom of the recognition list was Libertarian Ethan Randleas and Republican Dominic Scavuzzo, each at a rounded off 3.3 percent.
The second question asked respondents to rate the candidates they knew using a scale from zero to 10, with zero meaning highly negative and 10 meaning highly positive.
Kelly, currently the minority whip in the Kansas Senate, and three other Democrats topped that scale, Kelly with a total positive rating of 52 percent – 28.6 highly positive (nine or 10) and 23.4 percent somewhat positive (six through 8). Josh Svaty, former state representative, was second at 51.6 percent (25.8 and 25.8); former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer was third at 47.3 percent (16.3 and 31.0); State Rep. Jim Ward, Kansas House minority leader, was fourth at 36.2 (11.7 and 24.5).
Orman was fifth, 9.9 and 23.7 for a total positive rating of 33.6.
The top Republican, Emporia physician Jim Barnett, had a total 31.3-percent positive rating, 3.9 percent highly positive and 27.4 percent somewhat positive.
Police Chief Tracy Heath said Thursday the baby’s father took her to a Wichita hospital on April 1 after she quit breathing. The girl died on April 5.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal accident.
