JUNCTION CITY — The Junction City Commission has approved the purchase of new video surveillance equipment for the 5th Street Playground Park in the area of the new playground equipment.
Police Chief Dan Breci said it will enhance security in that area and aid in the apprehension of criminals during criminal investigations.
“The cameras could also prevent the open sale of narcotics in the park and surrounding areas. The city has made an investment as well as obtained private donations for the upgrade of Playground Park. and adding these cameras with 360-degree viewing would improve not only perceived security of park-goers but also cause potential criminals to stay out of the park.”
Total cost of the project will be $26,934.75 including installation.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell said Thursday that a Kansas government watchdog that purchased transcripts this week of the testimony of four campaign workers at his federal trial was acting in response to a self-referral last year seeking an investigation by the state agency.
Michael O’Donnell-photo Sedgwick Co.
Jurors in March acquitted O’Donnell on 21 counts of wire fraud, but deadlocked on two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering related to his state and county campaigns. The judge later dismissed the remaining counts at the request of the government.
Docket notices filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court of Kansas indicate the general counsel of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission bought the transcripts of trial testimony of the four friends who testified against O’Donnell.
“This is in response to us asking them to open an investigation,” O’Donnell said Thursday after talking with his attorney. “They just waited until after trial.”
The ethics commission, established by the Legislature in 1974, is a bipartisan citizen commission that administers, interprets, and enforces the state’s Campaign Finance Act and other laws relating to conflict of interests, financial disclosure, and lobbying. Its members are appointed by the governor and other state officials.
Brett Berry, general counsel for the commission that enforces campaign finance law, said Thursday that he can’t confirm or deny any investigation.
O’Donnell said that he has since learned that the agency’s action came in response to a self-referral made last year in an effort to get the commission to investigate the allegations against him before his federal trial.
“I didn’t even break Kansas law, let alone federal,” O’Donnell said. “That was the whole problem and that is why we self-referred because we wanted it cleared up before (trial), and once you turn in a referral you can’t call and say, ‘Never mind, I take it back.”
He contended he has called the commission twice since the trial ended to ask them to clear it up.
O’Donnell noted that Carol Williams, the commission’s former head, testified on his behalf. Williams told jurors that state law leaves payment of staff up to a candidate’s discretion.
In an earlier affidavit, Williams also said that when a questionable expenditure is made by a candidate the matter would usually be resolved by its staff asking the candidate to explain the expenditure and if necessary reimburse the campaign. She said in her 40 years at the commission, she did not recall the federal government prosecuting a state or local candidate for a campaign finance matter.
Prosecutors had alleged that O’Donnell, a former state legislator, took $10,500 of campaign funds to put into his personal checking account or give to friends. But the jury in their acquittal mostly sided with O’Donnell, who argued the funds were legitimate campaign expenditures.
Among the transcripts that the commission purchased are those involving the testimony of Colby Rankin and Jonathan Dennill, two friends of O’Donnell who were given a pair of $1,000 checks following an Aspen ski trip. They told jurors they weren’t sure why O’Donnell gave them the money and then immediately asked for it back. O’Donnell claimed at trial the checks were bonuses for previously unpaid campaign services that the two men used to repay personal ski trip expenses. The counts related to that trip are among those that hung the jury and were subsequently dismissed.
The commission also requested transcripts of the testimony by David Jorgenson and Jack Masterson related to the 21 acquittals connected to a series of checks O’Donnell wrote from campaign accounts. Jorgenson and Masterson had testified they did nothing to earn that money. O’Donnell contended the two had forgotten the work they’d done or were being paid to be on standby, as allowed by the state’s campaign finance law.
The Wichita Republican was elected to the Kansas State Senate in 2012 for a term that ended in January 2017. He did not run for re-election and instead ran for and won a term on the Sedgwick County Commission that began in 2017 and is set to expire in 2020.
VICTORIA — The 37th annual Herzogfest is this weekend in Victoria.
The annual celebration of German Heritage gets underway Friday with the grounds at the Victoria City Park opening at 5 p.m. Numerous vendors will also open at 5p.m. Friday.
The highlight of the evening Friday is the concert featuring the Bart Crow Band. Jaron Bell will take the stage at 7 p.m. with Bart Crow to follow about 9:30 p.m.
There is a full day of events again on Saturday with the 5k color run and the Rods and Reels Custom Car show set for 8 a.m. Breakfast will also be served at 8 a.m.
The Herzog Heritage Market will once again return to the Herzogfest grounds. It marks the third year for the market with items for everyone including food and clothes.
Back again this year is the extremely popular corn hole tournament with registration at 9:45 a.m. The tournament starts at 10 a.m.
The kinderfest will again have fun games for the kids with bounces houses and face painting starting at 10a.m.
The vendors will also open at 10 a.m. with free swimming at 11 a.m. and the jam session at bingo at 12 p.m.
Eagle Med will conduct a helicopter landing and a safety demonstration at 3 p.m. followed by the Polka Mass and the Wes Windholz Polka Band.
The day comes to a close with performances by Candice and the Business Casual and DOC.
Scott Alan Stein, 32, passed away August 7, 2019, at the University of Kansas Health System – Great Bend Campus. He was born January 4, 1987, in Dodge City to Alan & Tracey (Ward) Stein. He married Tara Ruiz on December 1, 2018, in Great Bend. She survives.
Coming from Dodge City in 1995, Scott was a Great Bend resident. He worked for Blackhawk Sandblasting & Coating as a painter. He served in the Army for 12 years, and was honorably discharged in January 2019 at the rank of Staff Sergeant. He served 3 tours in Iraq, Cuba and Afghanistan. He was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus and Lake Barton Golf Club. He also was an Ahearn donor and a ticket holder at K-State. He loved golf, bowling, and softball and was also an avid Chiefs and Royals fan.
Survivors include, his wife, Tara of the home; his future son, due on Christmas Eve, Cohen Scott Stein; his yorkie, Calvin; his father, Alan Stein and stepmother Cindy; mother-in-law, Chris Goodpasture of Great Bend; father-in-law, John Ruiz and stepmother-in-law Valerie of Great Bend; brothers, Cody Smith and wife Heather of Dodge City; sisters, Lindsey Ferguson and Mariah Stein, both of Great Bend; brother-in-law, Eric Ruiz of Great Bend; sister-in-laws, Jordan Vsetecka and Shaylee Ruiz, both of Great Bend; grandmother, Norma Ward of Dodge City; nieces, Sierra Ferguson, Jordyn Rains and Kylee Rains; nephews, Bowen Smith, Davan Smith, Easton Smith, and Dylan Ferguson; many aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his mother, Tracey Ward.
Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at Bryant Funeral Home, with Vigil Service and Knights of Columbus Rosary at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 14, 2019, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Great Bend, with Father Don Bedore presiding. Interment will be in the Great Bend Cemetery North, with Military Rites conducted by the Ft. Riley Honor Guard. Memorials are suggested to the Great Bend American Legion or Knights of Columbus, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.
GREENE COUNTY, Mo. — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect identifies as 20-year-old Dmitriy Andreychenko who was armed and wearing body armor and military-style clothing outside a Walmart in Springfield, Mo.
Just after 4 p.m. Thursday, Springfield police officers were dispatched to 3150 W. Republic Road, a Walmart Neighborhood Market, according to a media release.
An armed white male in his 20s was detained by an armed off-duty fireman until officers arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody.
No injuries were reported, and no shots were fired.
Suspect in the incident at the Springfield Walmart photo courtesy KYTV
Lt. Mike Lucas said that the man walked inside the Walmart carrying a “tactical rifle” and another gun. Lucas said the man had more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
“His intent obviously was to cause chaos here, and he did that,” Lucas said.
Andreychenko is being held on requested charges of first-degree terrorist threat, according to online jail records.
Ellis County Realizes Tangible Benefits in Preparedness
On July 19, Ellis County Director of Fire & Emergency Management Darin Myers completed the Executive Fire Officer Program and was recognized at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
United States Fire Administrator G. Keith Bryant, Chief Myers and National Fire Academy Superintendent Tonya Hoover
“On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners and all his fellow department heads at Ellis County, I want to congratulate Chief Myers for his achievement,” said County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes.
“Darin’s multi-year work to complete this program is more than simply a feather in his cap. The research projects he undertook as part of the Executive Program have had a direct benefit to Ellis County’s preparedness for wildland fires and other emergency situations.”
As part of his Executive Development coursework, Chief Myers negotiated an automatic aid agreement between Ellis County Fire District #1 and the City of Hays that resulted in improved fire insurance ratings for many areas of the county.
For his course in Community Risk Reduction, Chief Myers performed research on outdoor warning sirens that lead to implementation of new technology across multiple local jurisdictions. And in conjunction with his Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency Management, Chief Myers worked on improving training and disaster exercises for Ellis County staff.
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Attending Fort Hays State University is a family tradition for Isaiah Blackmon. So even when contemplating a change in majors, he knew he would continue his education at his hometown university.
Experience from summer construction jobs during high school led him down a different path than he had intended when he started college in 2016. Now a year and a half from graduation, Blackmon says that switching his major to construction management was life changing.
After just one year in the applied technology program, the Hays native landed a summer internship with McCownGordon Construction out of Kansas City, Mo. He had never even heard of the company before it participated in a career fair at FHSU’s Center for Applied Technology last fall.
He didn’t know much about the Department of Applied Technology at FHSU, either, before checking it out his sophomore year. While considering whether or not his current major (athletic training) was for him, Blackmon called on his experience in the construction field while looking at his options.
He spoke to professors in the Applied Technology Department, enrolled in some construction classes, and “after one semester, I was hooked,” he said.
Students taking classes in the applied technology building this past year witnessed firsthand the success of Fort Hays State graduates.
The general contractor for the art and design building across the street from the Center for Applied Technology is Paul-Wertenberger, a local construction company owned by two FHSU alumni, Steve Paul and Bob Wertenberger. Fort Hays State’s newest academic building – scheduled to open this fall – is the latest of several campus buildings that Paul-Wertenberger has either built or remodeled.
Paul and Wertenberger graduated in the late 1970s and started their own company soon afterward. The applied technology program has changed a lot from the days of industrial arts, and it has seen a significant growth in recent years – from 117 majors in 2012 to 190 last year.
A couple of reasons for that growth was the addition of the construction management emphasis in 2012 and the addition of the 58,000-square-foot, two story CAT facility, which opened in 2017.
The degree has several areas of study: construction technology, construction management, engineering design technology, manufacturing technology, and technology and engineering education.
“We give them the foundational skills, and they are the ones who go out and find their niche,” said Kris Munsch, assistant professor of applied technology.
The variety of curriculum and options for job opportunities was attractive to Blackmon.
After a summer of working as a project engineer intern for McCownGordon on a job in Topeka, Blackmon will return to campus with a lot of enthusiasm.
He is a member of the Tiger football team that has won back-to-back MIAA conference titles, and he will have a much better understanding about commercial construction.
“I had always done residential construction, so I didn’t know what commercial was like until this internship,” Blackmon said. “I like the big projects and the idea of being able to put a lot into something and watch it progress. Seeing what goes into estimating and scheduling really opened my eyes.”
Blackmon also will continue promoting Fort Hays State, much like his family before him. Numerous members of his family are FHSU alumni, dating back two generations.
“The environment at FHSU was just right for me, not too big, not too small,” he said. “Now that I found what I want to do, there are so many great opportunities here.”
Blackmon earned the internship after impressing McCownGordon representatives at the 2018 campus career fair. He interviewed with several companies at the fair and got the internship offer from McCownGordon just a few days later.
That came as no surprise to Munsch, Blackmon’s advisor.
Each semester, Munsch awards one of his students the “Hustle Award.” Blackmon won the award last spring.
“That’s the only verb you need to know when describing that award,” Munsch said, “and Isaiah fits that so well. He never wants to know what the minimum is of an assignment. He’s a hard worker, and he will apply that no matter where he goes.”
WASHINGTON – A Kansas man who traveled to the Philippines and had sex with minor females there was sentenced to over 84 years in prison today, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister.
Schultz photo Harvey Co.
Anthony Shultz was charged by complaint in July 2016 and pleaded guilty to three counts of producing child pornography in July 2018 before U.S. District Judge Eric F. Melgren of the District of Kansas.
According to admissions made in conjunction with the guilty plea, Shultz engaged in sex acts with minor females in the Philippines. He videotaped his sexual encounters with two minors and transported the videos to his home in Kansas. Shultz would also sell the videos online. One of the girls was only 12 years old at the time; the other was 15 years old. In one of the videos, Shultz is seen giving the 15-year-old money after having sex with her. Shultz also produced child pornography of an 8-year-old girl in the Philppines by communicating on Skype with the child’s mother and directing the mother to expose the child’s genitals and live-stream it on web camera.
Earlier this week, I was visiting with my daughter who has 3 school age kids. Her challenge of the day was to move the bedtime up as the first day of school approaches. That’s right folks, school bells will be ringing soon. Families with kids adapted to a summer schedule filled with ball games, camp, swimming lessons and 4-H activities and now the schedule is about to change again.
With the start of school, it is the perfect time to call a family meeting and get everyone on board with the new routine.
Research shows that kids ages 3 to 6 need 10 to 12 hours of sleep each day. As youngsters begin pre-school or the early grades it is important to have a set bedtime with a routine that encourages success. Perhaps you want to target 8 p.m. as bedtime. If so you will want to begin the wind down process around 7. Perhaps a warm bath and bed time story would help your child to relax. Planning what will be worn the next day or eaten for breakfast also encourages a less hectic morning when the alarm goes off.
Whatever you want to adopt as a routine, now is a good time to start working toward your final goal. If the summer schedule has been lax, start moving the bedtime up a few minutes each day until your target is reached. That should help make the first day of school a success.
If you live close enough to school can your children safely walk or bike to school? Research shows that starting your day with some physical activity (i.e. walking to school) encourages better concentration and behavior in the classroom. If your schedule allows it, do a trial run with your child; either walking or biking on a safe route to the front door of the school.
Here’s hoping your school year gets off to a great start!
Donna Krug is the District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or [email protected]
FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged school threat and have made an arrest.
Just before 8a.m. Thursday, police received a call from a concerned parent with information about a possible threat of violence to the High School in Dodge City, according to a social media report.
Officers immediately responded and followed up on the information provided. After investigating the information, they arrested a 13-year-old high school student without incident.
Criminal threat charges will be filed with the Ford County Attorney’s Office, according to police.
I have a 22-month-old grandson, Alex. It seems like yesterday he was born. Every time I see him he is different. In late September of last year my wife and I got to keep Alex for a week while his parents were on a trip. Then he was just a little over a year old. We had a pretty good idea about what all he wanted.
Recently, my wife and I desperately wanted to have some time with Alex, so we talked my son and daughter-in-law into “loaning” him to us for a week. But this time, in July of 2019, we knew we were dealing with a different person.
As the time came near, I think my wife and I both got more and more nervous. We knew Alex now had opinions; he was a lot more mobile; and half his life was no longer spent sleeping. Indeed, most of his life was consumed with zooming around.
We met my son and daughter-in-law in Salina, took “possession” of Alex (or perhaps he took possession of us), and away we went. My daughter-in-law, Caley, gave us a bag full of stuff for Alex.
I realized then how much this was going to be like camping. As with a camping trip, the biggest thing that you have to do is plan it, and then get everything set up.
We pulled out a crib, put it in the appropriate place, put sheets on it and got out blankets (it was the equivalent to his tent). We put in his favorite blanket, his Teddy bear, and the things he likes to sleep with (the equivalent of his sleeping bag).
We set up a video machine, so we could watch his movements while he was asleep and hear him if he became upset. We began planning food choices.
We started making plans for “entertainment”: there would be trips to the Sternberg Museum, the library, the municipal swimming pool, the county fair, walks with the dogs, trips to the park, playing throughout the house, reading books, and the like.
We had to child proof the house by putting locks on cabinets and by placing fragile things out of reach.
Finally, it was that first night. We got him fed, and kind of like camping, hoped that he liked what we fixed. We had spent the day rushing around trying to be sure he was happy, and not missing his parents too much. He seemed to be adjusting better than we.
After dinner we had our first bath. Caley had given us some pretty good instructions about what he likes to have happen. On knees, we played with him in the bathtub.
Finally, the ultimate test: rocking him to sleep and getting him into bed. We had one surprise when we picked Alex up. Caley announced that Alex was no longer on the bottle! We were not allowed to use a bottle.
But we got him to sleep, and kind of like that first day of camping, it was such a relief, yet still kind of a restless sleep that night as I kept one eye on the monitor and listened for Alex.
The rest of the week went great. Sure we had some small meltdowns here and there, but overall it was great. My wife had to carry the water during the day, but early in the morning and after work I was able to pitch in and spend a lot of quality time with Alex. I took a Friday off work, so he and I could just spend some quality time together.
It did remind me of camping. So much of the work of camping is just getting ready to go. You are packing food, bedding, and tents. You are planning for good weather, and for bad weather. You bring bandages and first aid kits, and then you venture out. Just like with camping there are bruises, cuts, bites and burns. As you go camping, your car is just full of stuff. You wonder if you need all of that or if you have overcompensated. But then, you are camping and having a great time.
Let me turn this to the law for a moment. A lot of times when I visit with a family, and we talk about what their goals are, some are very specific and some are general. Those decisions are not always easy.
But for many families the tough part is “getting in the weeds.” There is so much stuff that we need to gather together: deeds, bank account statements, investment information, titles, lists of property, and much more. In fact, I can tell you that most of the time that our office spends is involved in gathering information, listing that information, and getting that information transferred and/or titled correctly. Drafting of the actual documents is not the most time consuming thing. It is all the other stuff.
Why? Just like it is with Alex or with camping, you never know what is going to happen. All that stuff, and all the precautions that we put in the documents, is so that if something happens we are prepared. All the stuff we have to gather together is so that we do not have problems later on.
Planning can be exasperating. I understand that. For some families it is more exasperating than others. For many families, they just have never organized anything before.
I have to admit I was amazed at my daughter-in-law’s organization. Almost everything that we needed was in the pack. Oh, we still needed the “tent,” and some other camping tools, but most everything else was there available for us.
So, estate planning is like camping. A lot of the work that you do is just getting ready before you actually spend that first night. Do not get discouraged. With a good guide you will be able to get everything together, and enjoy the “trip.”
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
