SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman arrested for making false accusations about her daughter’s father that prompted a search for him on Father’s Day is scheduled for court Wednesday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office.
Ronetta Ann Clement-photo Sedgwick County
Ronetta Ann Clement, 34, Wichita, alleged that her child’s father had placed the couple’s 2-year-old child in danger, according to Wichita Police Captain Brent Allred.
Clement told police Sunday that the father was refusing to return custody of the child and that he made homicidal and suicidal statements, according to Allred. Based on the information an attempt to locate was placed for the man and the child so police could check their welfare and further investigate what had actually occurred.
Detectives and officers worked overnight Sunday and through the day Monday to locate them. Late Monday afternoon following a second interview with Clement, detectives learned information that contradicted what she told police Sunday, according to Allred.
On Monday evening, police were able to locate the child with her grandmother and check her welfare and she appeared to be fine.
By RANDY GONZALES FHSU University Relations and Marketing
When he enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard in 1999, uppermost in Fred Mize’s mind was serving his country. Now a master sergeant, he is thinking about ways to better provide for his wife and six children when he retires from the military.
Fort Hays State University is offering a unique associate degree program that will give Mize and other military members like him the opportunity to do just that.
Kastle
This fall, Fort Hays State will be the only university in the nation to offer the Associate of Applied Science in Technology and Leadership degree option for service members and veterans from all branches of the military. FHSU restructured existing technology and leadership programs into one and added a technology education requirement that utilized military training and experience.
FHSU already has a partnership with the Army that uses soldiers’ professional military education as part of this degree program, allowing degree completion in a shorter time span.
This particular associate program will award up to 36 credit hours (of 60 required) for military training and experience, including six hours of transfer credit using military leadership course substitutions. In addition to the associate degree, the program will award a certificate in leadership studies upon completion. Learning options include on campus, online or a mixture of both.
“Looking at the different degree programs online, that one piqued my interest because it’s leadership based,” Mize said. “In any profession, that’s important.”
With the credit for military experience, the AAS degree can be completed in one year, a bachelor’s degree in two more years and a master’s degree in an additional year. Dr. Seth Kastle, an Army veteran and assistant professor of leadership studies at FHSU, took the initiative to restructure the degree program.
“This degree is an accelerated first step for service members in attaining civilian credentials that will help them find meaningful employment after their time of service,” Kastle said. “They have been working in their fields for years. They have been practitioners of leadership since before they were old enough to purchase alcohol.”
The program caught the attention of Command Sgt. Maj. Bryant Potts, the top noncommissioned officer for the U.S. Army’s 95th Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Okla.
“I think it’s a great concept,” said Sgt. Maj. Potts. “There are a lot of folks who are continuing their education while they are still serving. Fort Hays State having this degree option is great.”
In addition to the opportunity to earn three degrees in four years, service members also receive an added benefit in continuing their education.
“In the military, as you get degrees, that fulfills a major requirement to advance your career,” Kastle said.
Mize, who plans to retire from the military in four years, said this new degree will positively impact him and his family.
“It’s something that’s been lacking for many years,” Mize said. “Soldiers like myself, with my experience, if I don’t have a degree to back that up when I retire, I wouldn’t be very marketable in the civilian world even though I have so many years of leadership experience. With a degree backing it up, we’re earning what we deserve.”
Marjorie Joy “Marge” Akers, 87, Hays, died Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at home surrounded by her family.
She was born October 14, 1931 in Bush City, Kansas the daughter of Wilmer and Esther (Burlingham) Cassity. She was a graduate of Garnett High School and attended Pittsburg State University and Halstead Nursing School. On December 29, 1951 she was united in marriage to Dale Akers, and they celebrated over 67 years of marriage. She was a homemaker and worked as a ward secretary and activities director at Hadley Hospital. Marge loved her family, was very proud of them, she loved life, and never knew a stranger. Her family described her as a great mom and caregiver.
Marge is survived by her husband; Dale of the home in Hays, a son; Col. Gregory Akers and wife Jaye J. of Russell, a daughter; Debbie Moeckel and husband Doug of Topeka, a brother; Bob Cassity and wife Margie of Hoisington, two sisters; Vera Storer of Hays and Helen Miller of Garnett, four grandchildren; Stuart Moeckel and wife Summer of Madison, Benjamin Moeckel and wife Lindsey of Edmond, OK, Jacob Akers and wife Casey Kilpatrick of Philadelphia, PA, and Sarah Stilling and husband Ross of Annandale, VA, six great-grandchildren; Brennan Moeckel, Braxton Moeckel, Brantley Moeckel, Sophia Moeckel, Holden Stilling, and Quinn Stilling, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother; Herman Cassity, and two sisters; Jeane Lankard and Nina Ruth Cassity.
Memorial services will be at 10:00 am on Monday, June 24, 2019 at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Wayne Abrams officiating. Private family inurnment will be at the Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery in WaKeeney. The family will receive friends from 9:30 am until service time on Monday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of HaysMed. Condolences and memories of Marge may be shared with the family at www.haysmemorial.com
M & D Excavating, Inc. continues to perform multiple sanitary sewer point repairs throughout the city of Hays. An updated location map is below showing the proposed repair locations.
All work is scheduled to be completed by July 12.
Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public. The traveling public should use caution and if possible avoid areas of construction.
For more information, call the Office of Project Management at (785) 628-7350 or the contractor, M & D Excavating at (785) 628-3169 or (785) 650-3802.
Wichita Public Schools is considering adding explicit protections for transgender students and staff this year.
Public speakers told the district’s school board on Monday that they want to see the nondiscrimination policy updated to include gender identity as a protected class. Some were activists; others were moms.
Transgender students shared their own stories of discrimination.
Transgender Wichita middle school teacher Kendall Hawkins has advocated for better protections for transgender students in the district. STEPHAN BISAHA
High school student Alec Strouse said being required to change in the women’s locker room had a severe impact on his mental health.
“I was severely bullied in there,” Strouse told the board. “Multiple times I did stay home because I was afraid of the comments that I got.”
If Wichita does add gender identity to its policy, it will join several school districts across the state that have done the same this year. Manhattan added the protections in May; Olathe made the changes in March.
De Soto did so three days earlier. Students from two of De Soto’s high schools asked the board to update its policy.
Transgender teens are three times more likely to attempt suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a third are bullied.
Topeka Public Schools board member Peg McCarthy thinks growing youth suicide numbers — and the increasing support for transgender rights — is causing districts to add more protections for those students.
“We know that transgender students in particular are one of our must vulnerable groups,” said McCarthy, who is also a psychologist working with transgender patients.
Topeka Public Schools has included transgender students in its nondiscrimination policy for about a decade.
Not all school districts have moved toward transgender rights. Derby Public Schools allowed transgender students to use the bathroom that fit their gender identity, but reversed that policy in 2017.
The Kansas Association of School Boards advises against districts updating their policy to include specific language protecting transgender students. It thinks those students are already included in federal Title IX protections, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex by education programs receiving federal funding.
Wichita Public Schools board member Ben Blankley said that updating the policy is needed to make a clear statement of support for transgender students and staff.
“To implement it at the local level seems to be the strongest statement we can make,” Blankley said. “These kids do exist. These kids do matter.”
Wichita’s superintendent Alicia Thompson will put together a report on the district’s nondiscrimination policy. The board will use that as a starting point for any discussion about adding new language.
District middle school teacher Kendall Hawkins said she’s been talking to the board for months about the issue. Hawkins said she hasn’t been discriminated against as a transgender employee working at Mead Middle School.
But she said students in her school’s gender and sexuality alliance organization told her they have been. One of the most common problems is staff referring to transgender students by the wrong names or pronoun.
Hawkins said the district is behind on supporting transgender students.
“Our students are the ones paying the price for it,” Hawkins said. “We’re seeing issues with attendance and academic progress those students are having.”
During Wichita’s board of education meeting, some speakers opposed changing the policy. Out of the 10 public commenters, three said they are afraid of students being indoctrinated.
“Jesus loves them,” Wichita resident Jeanne Garrelts told the board, referring to transgender students. “But he does have standards of right and wrong.”
An email phishing scam circulating online should be avoided.
Some Eagle customers might have received a request for password information from sender Eaglecom Support (see screen shots below) with the subject line “One Time Confirmation.” The emails are an attempt at phishing, where scammers pretend to be a reputable company in an effort to trick the recipient into handing over information such as password or financial information.
Eagle Communications reminds its customers that we will never contact you for password information and any requests for that or other private information via email should be ignored or deleted.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas teen who rescued a boy from raging flood water in May will be recognized as a hero.
Flooding photo courtesy city of Park City
Just before 3p.m. May 26, police responded to report of a submersion at Hap McLean Park in Park City, according to police Witnesses said a 12-year-old boy had ridden his bicycle around the closed gate at the low water bridge, near the park’s entrance at Hydraulic.
The rapid and deep water swept the boy away from his bicycle and down the swollen creek. Geffrey Lopez, 16, saw what happened, and ran to an overhanging limb some 100 yards downstream.
He was able to grab onto the boy and pull him from the water. EMS checked the boy and released him to a parent at the scene.
On June 25, the Park City Mayor and Police Chief will recognize his bravery at a city council meeting
Don Lode, 72, passed away June 17, 2019 in Larned, KS. He was born January 25, 1947 in Great Bend, KS.
Don graduated high school in New Mexico and moved to Larned where he worked for his grandfather at the Don Do Café. Don eventually purchased the Don Do and built a new restaurant across the street in 1984. He volunteered on the Larned Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Don later moved to Colby and was the General Manager of Village Inn. Don had recently retired from the Village Inn in Colby, KS.
Don was a Green Beret in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Don was an avid golfer and will be missed by his golfing buddies. He often took his family to the lake and loved to camp and fish. Don was quick witted and loved to make people laugh. “Laughter lightens your load and lifts your heart into heavenly places.” (176, Jesus Calling – Sarah Young, June 17)
He is survived by his lifelong friend, Sam Lode; children, Scottie (Ken) Wilson, Kissamic, FL, Misti (Travis) Devine, Larned, KS, Desire-e (Chad) Wark, Rexford, KS, Shaly (Eddie) Niemeyer, Colby, KS; brother, Douglas Lode, California and nine grandchildren.
Private family inurnment will be at a later date.
Memorials may be given to the Pawnee County Humane Society in care of Beckwith Mortuary, Box 477 Larned, KS 67550.
SMITH COUNTY — The ambassador of the country of Lebanon, Gabriel Issa, visited Lebanon, Kansas, this weekend for a Cedar-of-Lebanon Tree planting ceremony.
Click below for more from the Embassy of Lebanon in Washington.
GRUNDY COUNTY, MO— Friends have established an online fundraiser to assist a Trenton, Missouri police officer who was shot June 14 during a struggle over her gun while transporting a prisoner to St. Joseph.
Twenty-four-year-old officer Jasmine Diab is a single mother to a 5-year-old, according to the fundraiser. She remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Daviess County prosecutors charged the inmate identified as 38-year-old Jamey Griffin with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and shooting a weapon at or from a vehicle, according to online jail records.
