Since our first Leadership Day Camp was a huge hit, we decided to have another! if you couldn’t make it to the first one or want to come to another, you are in luck! Registration closes Friday June 21.
Cottonwood Extension District
601 Main, Hays
Author: Hays Post
Governor requests ‘major presidential declaration’ for Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly is seeking a major presidential declaration for public assistance for 63 Kansas counties recovering from record rainfall and severe weather.
The declaration would cover damage from record rains and numerous tornadoes beginning April 28 through May. The Public Assistance program helps pay for restoration of public infrastructure and other damage caused by the severe weather.
The request filed Monday follows one Kelly sent in May seeking a federal disaster declaration. That provides federal money for shelter management, water rescues, human services support and other needs.
The following counties are listed in Monday’s request:
Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gray, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jefferson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Norton, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Riley, Rush, Russell, Saline, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson.
News From the Oil Patch, June 10
By JOHN P. TRETBAR
The weather in Western Kansas was responsible for some big swings in the weekly rig counts from Independent Oil & Gas Service. John Morrison of IOGSI tells us many of the state’s drilling contractors were unable to move their rigs because of wet field conditions. The weekly rig report for May 30 showed showed a 62% drop in the number of active drilling rigs in Kansas. The total in Western Kansas dropped by 15 rigs, the exact number added to the list of rigs that were awaiting their next location assignment. Last week, Independent reported a big increase in active drilling rigs in Kansas, as operators were finally able to move those rigs that were stuck in the mud. West of Wichita, there are 20 active rigs, up 12. That’s about equal to the number that dropped off the “pending” list. Drilling is underway at one lease in Ellis County.
Baker Hughes reported the largest weekly decline in active oil drilling rigs in six weeks. The count last week was 975 active rigs, a drop of eleven oil rigs. The count in the Permian basin of Texas and New Mexico was down by six rigs.
Regulators approved 18 permits for drilling at new locations across Kansas last week, all of them in Western Kansas, including one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. That’s 382 new permits so far this year statewide.
Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 15 newly-completed wells in Kansas last week, three east of Wichita and 12 in the western half of the state. Operators completed two wells in Barton County and one in Russell County. So far this year we’ve seen 670 new well completions.
The Kansas Geological Survey reports a slight dip in monthly statewide crude-oil production, from 2.8 million [[“two point eight million”]] barrels in January to just under 2.5 million [[“two point five million”]] in February. Barton County producers added nearly 118-thousand barrels in February, Ellis County notched 182-thousand, the total in Russell County in February was 110-thousand, and Stafford County pumped nearly 79-thousand barrels.
The Kansas Corporation Commission reports 81 new intent-to-drill notices filed during the month of May, down from 106 in April and well below the 143 intents filed in May of last year. There were three new intents filed last month in Barton County, five in Ellis County, two in Russell county and two in Stafford County.
The government reported record U.S. weekly crude oil production of 12.378 million barrels per day for the week ending May 31. That’s 104-thousand barrels per day more than the week before.
U.S. crude oil inventories increased for the second week in a row. The Energy Information Administration said stockpiles grew by 6.8 million barrels over the previous week to about six percent above the five-year seasonal average.
America’s largest oil hub is growing even as producers and traders look to move surging West Texas production to the coast for export. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. petroleum industry is planning to add about 4.8 million barrels of storage capacity and as many as seven new pipelines to move oil to and from the hub in Cushing, Oklahoma.
Using natural gas and carbon dioxide to enhance oil recovery is not new, but it is now emerging for the first time in U.S. shale fields. Drillers in Texas are pushing natural gas under high pressure into older wells, and then capping those wells, in the hope of releasing oil still trapped in the rock. This is good news for the Texas patch in two ways: it reduces the flaring of natural gas, and it increases oil production by anywhere from 30 to 70 percent in oil wells where production had been slipping.
Industry consultant Rystad Energy is raising its U.S. production forecasts, with new records expected in May and at year’s end. By December they’re predicting average output of 13.4 million barrels per day. The prediction for May tops 12.5 million barrels per day. Both figures would be all-time records.
Search on for Kansas suspect in weekend shooting
ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — Law enforcement authorities are searching for a 31-year-old convicted felon who is a suspect in a shooting in Atchison.
Police Chief Mike Wilson said Kevin Maxey Jr., of Atchison, is wanted after a 42-year-old Atchison man was shot Sunday morning near a city park.
Wilson says officers raided Maxey’s home Sunday evening but he wasn’t there.
The victim, whose name wasn’t released, suffered two gunshot wounds. An updated condition wasn’t available Monday.
Wilson said about 20 people had gathered in the area when an argument broke out, primarily between two people. He says the victim apparently was not involved in the argument and was standing in the area when the shots were fired.
Maxey has been imprisoned for aggravated robbery, aggravated battery and Contraband: Non firearm, etc non employee, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
1 killed after small plane crash into grain bin north of Kansas City
BUTLER, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot has been killed after a small plane crashed into a grain bin in western Missouri.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the Cessna C425 departed from Vero Beach, Florida, and was headed to the Butler Memorial Airport when it crashed Monday morning. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the pilot was the only person aboard the plane. The pilot’s name wasn’t immediately released.
The Bates County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that multiple agencies responded and secured the scene. The post said they are waiting for federal investigators. No details have been released about the cause of the crash.
Butler is about 55 miles north of Kansas City.
Marion Leroy Burris
Marion Leroy Burris, 90, died March 26, at Almost Home, Great Bend, Kansas. He was born October 22, 1928, in Mildred, Kansas, the son of Edgar Ernest and Gladys June (Jayne) Burris.
Marion served in the United States Army following WWII.
A longtime Hoisington resident, Marion worked in the oil field his entire life starting as a roughneck, then a tool pusher, and retiring as Vice President of Operations from Chief Drilling.
Marion loved spending his free time fishing, gardening and tending his lawn, reading, and woodworking. He was a great storyteller and loved reminiscing with his children.
On August 13, 1950, he married Helen Lucille Flott in Emporia, Kansas. She preceded him in death on July 5, 2013.
Survivors include; six children, Tom Burris and wife Susan of Riverside, MO, Donna Ash and husband Pete of Blanchard, OK, Kathy Burke and husband Ed of Antelope, CA, Kerry Underwood and husband Pat of Blanchard, OK, Mark Burris and wife Sonja of Ruston, LA, and Troy Burris and wife Cindy of Bushton; brother, Ed Burris and wife Margaret of Marble Falls, TX; a special nephew, Jim Burris and wife Millie of Hoisington; 17 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, and 7 great-great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and brothers, Clarence, Paul, and Hugh Burris.
Cremation has taken place and a private family service will be held at a later date in Hoisington Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Almost Home in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.
Wichita PD joins national group to fight violent crime
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita Police Department will join a national partnership aimed at fighting violent crime.
Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said Monday that Wichita is one of 10 U.S. cities chosen for the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Public Safety Partnership.
Under the program, Wichita police will receive training and technical assistance from federal and state crime-fighting agencies.
Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said in a news release the program establishes federal partnerships with state, local and tribal agencies to pursue violent criminals. The effort will target gun crime, drug trafficking and gang violence in Wichita and Sedgwick County.
UPDATE: Missing teen located ‘safe and sound,’ Norton PD reports
UPDATE, 1 p.m. Monday: A missing teenager has been located.
According to the Norton Police Department, the 15-year-old was found “safe and sound” on Sunday.
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By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Norton police are searching for a teenager missing since Friday.
Mason Galvan, 15, Norton, is described as 5’4″, 110 lbs. With black hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen at 7:30 p.m. leaving the Norton swimming pool and was last known to be wearing a red Jordan brand hoodie, black shorts and a black shirt with “Washington D.C. printed on it with lime green lettering.
Norton police had no other information available Saturday mid-afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Norton Police Department at 785-877-5010.
Jean Nyland
Erma Jean (Vahle) Nyland, daughter of George & Gertrude (Russell) Vahle, passed away at the Logan Manor in Logan, Kansas on June 7, 2019, at the age of 93.
She was born in Harlan County, Nebraska on November 27, 1925. Her education began in country school District 53 where she spent her first year, then 2nd – 8th grade in District 26. Her freshman year of high school was in Long Island, KS and she completed her sophomore – senior years in Orleans, NE, graduating with the class of 1943. Jean attended teacher’s college in Kearney, NE and earned her degree through correspondence so she could begin teaching. At 17 years old she taught 21 kids, 1st – 8th grade, in Harlan County, NE, country school District 26, for two years and then taught in District 60 for two more years.
Jean worked her way through high school and college for room and board. During high school she lived with Daisy Peterson, working at her care facility where she helped with the patients and also helped deliver babies. Throughout her life she had various jobs in addition to teaching: three years as a nurse’s aide, five years at Valley Hope, sixteen years at Van Diest Wholesale, thirteen years at the Prairie View Community Center and ten years as Prairie View’s City Clerk. She enjoyed each and every job and all of the many friends she made throughout her working years.
On October 31, 1947, Jean married the love of her life, John Nyland of Prairie View, KS. The couple spent a short time in Topeka, KS before moving back to Prairie View. Later on they purchased the family farm and lived there until Jean moved into town in 2002.
In 1948 Jean was baptized and became a member of the Prairie View Reformed Church. She taught Sunday school, bible class, and Gleaners for church. She also volunteered her time and skills with the Lone Prairie 4-H Club for several years, teaching knitting, crocheting and sewing.
Although Jean & John had no biological children, their nieces & nephews were their family. Every summer the kids took turns spending a week with them; their home was always open to everybody. Sharing stories and spending time with her brothers and sisters, their kids and extended families was the most important thing in the world to Jean.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John; brothers: George, Jr., Darrell & wife, Barbara, and Donald Dean; and sister, Joanne Fruehling & husband, Lloyd; brother-in-law, Virgil Anderson; and nieces & nephews: Jonah Kay Vahle, Maranda Lynn Kester, Trevor James Vahle, Sandra Jean Fruehling, and Zoee Lynn Sproul.
Survivors include her sister, Marilyn Anderson of Kearney, NE; sisters-in-law, Beulah Vahle of Long Island, KS and Janice Vahle of Phillipsburg, KS; many nieces & nephews, great and great-great nieces & nephews, along with many friends.
Funeral services will be held Wed. June 12 at 2:00 p.m. in the Prairie View Reformed Church with Pastor Lew VanDerWege officiating. Burial will follow in the Prairie View Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5:00 to 9:00 Monday & 9:00 to 9:00 Tuesday at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, with the family receiving friends from 6:00 to 7:00 Tuesday evening.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Church or the Prairie View Community Center.
Supreme Court rejects Kansas challenge to regulation of gun silencers
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to federal regulation of gun silencers Monday, just days after a gunman used one in a shooting rampagethat killed 12 people in Virginia.
The justices did not comment in turning away appeals from two Kansas men who were convicted of violating federal law regulating silencers. The men argued that the constitutional right “to keep and bear arms” includes silencers.
The court’s action in the silencer cases was among dozens of orders in pending appeals, including decisions to add an international child custody dispute and four other cases to next term’s docket. The justices also will hear cases dealing with a death row inmate in Arizona, racial discrimination claims against Comcast by an African American owned media company, environmental cleanup at a Superfund site in Montana and a dispute between Intel Corp. and a retired Intel engineer.
The court also rejected an appeal from a Yemeni man who has been held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base for more than 17 years. But Justice Stephen Breyer said “it is past time” for the court to decide whether indefinite detention at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba is legal.
In the silencer cases, Kansas and seven other states joined in a court filing urging justices to hear the appeals. The states said the court should affirm that the Second Amendment protects “silencers and other firearms accessories.” The other states are: Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
President Donald Trump’s administration asked the court to stay out of the case and leave the convictions in place.
Shane Cox, owner of a military surplus store Tough Guys, was convicted of making and transferring an unregistered silencer, and customer Jeremy Kettler was convicted of possessing one, all in violation of the 85-year-old National Firearms Act. Both men were sentenced to probation.
Meanwhile, police are trying to determine a motive for the deadly shootings in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Authorities have said that city employee DeWayne Craddock opened fire in a municipal building on May 31. Police say Craddock was armed with two semi-automatic handguns, a silencer and extended ammunition magazines.
Craddock later was killed in a shootout with police.
Lucille M. (Ingram) Smith
Lucille Marie Ingram was born March 1, 1933, the only child born to Lester C. Ingram and Dorothea E. (Rateuke) Ingram. She died on June 6, 2019 in Wichita Kansas, at the age of 86 years, 3 months and 5 days.
She was baptized December 1, 1935 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church by Rev. Carl F. Pohlman. Lucille was confirmed in the Lutheran faith March 30, 1947 by Rev. Ludwig Scholl, and remained a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church throughout her lifetime.
A life-long resident of Goodland, Kansas, she received her education at the first Central Elementary School, Grant Junior High, and Sherman Community High School.
On August 30, 1953, Lucille and Robert L. Smith were married at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. He was stationed at the US Naval Base at Alameda California. He was discharged July 1, 1955 at which time they purchased their home at 1117 College Ave., where she continued to live after his death on January 30, 2006.
To this union three children were born; daughter Eunice, and sons Timothy and Thomas.
Lucille sang in the church choir, taught Sunday school and was also the Sunday school treasurer. She belonged to Luther League and later she and her husband were sponsors for Luther League. She worked in the archive room at the church for several years.
She baby-sat for children from 1962 through 1965. She and Robert opened their home to foster children for fourteen years from 1969 through 1983.
Lucille worked as Secretary of Emmanuel Lutheran Church for five years from 1966 to 1971, donating much of her time. She was employed by USD #352 as a Secretary of Central Elementary and North Elementary Schools for twenty-one years, from 1974 until her retirement on June 1, 1995.
She was preceded in death by her husband and her parents.
She is survived by her children; Eunice (Rick) Schroeder, Hugoton, Kansas, Timothy (Pat) Smith, Goddard, Kansas, and Thomas (Tammy) Smith, Denver, Colorado; four grandchildren; Nathan (Mead) Schroeder, Topeka, Kansas, Laura (Jesse) Phillips, Green Ridge, Missouri, Christopher (Monica) Smith, Kuna, Idaho, Sarah (Joe) Zelaznik, Carson City, Nevada, three step-grandchildren, Michelle Harper, Ashley, and Patrick Arnold, all of Wichita; eight great-grandchildren; Tambre, Alayna and Havley Phillips, Jaxon and Ryne Schroeder, Fox Smith, and Isaiah and Sloane Zalaznik; sister-in-law Mona Helfrich, many nieces and nephews, and countless friends.
Lucille was very proud of all the achievements of her children and grandchildren; she enjoyed working on family genealogy; she worked with the Sherman County Historical Society on the histories of Main Street buildings and recorded histories of long-time residents of Sherman County, and she loved working with her flowers and in her garden.
Funeral services for Lucille will be held on Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 10:00 AM MT at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Goodland with Pastor Tim Glendening officiating. Burial will follow in the Goodland Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.
Memorials may be designated to Northwest Kansas EMS or to Donor’s Choice and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.
Online condolences for the family may be left at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.
Funeral services have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.
Rosa Elizabeth (Betty) Sitz
Rosa Elizabeth (Betty) Sitz went to her heavenly home on June 6, 2019, at Morton County Senior Living nursing home. She was born to Johan and Anna (Dietz) Dienes on July 31, 1915, in Trego County, Kansas.
She married Hubert Gustave Sitz on May 14, 1937. Of this union was born four children; Rudolph, Annetta, Carl and Louise.
Betty and Hubert came to Elkhart, Kansas, in the 1980’s. She worked in restaurants and after Hubert’s passing in 1984 she started doing in-home care. She loved taking care of people. Betty was an avid reader and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. She was a member of Christ Lutheran Church and loved going to church to visit and sing. She always had a big smile for everyone.
Betty leaves behind; her children and their spouses, Rudolph Sitz of Wilson, Oklahoma, Annetta Kelley and husband Gary of Sedan, Kansas, Carl Sitz and wife Maria of Dodge City, Kansas, and Louise Kee of Elkhart, Kansas; 25 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and 16 great-great-grandchildren.
Betty is preceded in death by her husband, Hubert; parents; four brothers, Marion, Burt, Benjamin, and Alfred; three sisters, Lena, Martha, and Freda; two daughters-in-law, a granddaughter-in-law; and a great-grandson.
Funeral service will be Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at 10:00 AM at Christ Lutheran Church in Elkhart, Kansas, with Reverend Ervin A. Daugherty, Jr. officiating. Graveside service will be Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at 5:00 PM at the Wakeeney Cemetery in Wakeeney, Kansas. Friends may call Tuesday, June 11, 2019, from 10:00 AM until 8:00 PM, with family present from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM, at Garnand Funeral Home in Elkhart. The family requests memorials may be given to Christ Lutheran Church or Morton County Senior Living Community in care of Garnand Funeral Home, PO Box 854, Elkhart, KS 67950.
Gary L. Stewart
It is with great sadness to announce that on Sunday, June 2nd, 2019, Gary Lee Stewart, loving father and brother, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at his home in Goodland, at the age of 57.
Gary was always known as the life of the party. His smile and laugh are one of the first things that people remember of him. He had many occupations throughout his life, including carpenter, mechanic, and pressman. But, his greatest accomplishment was being a husband, to Michele, and a father to his two beloved children.
Gary will be forever missed, remembered, and survived by his son Jarrod (Calie) and daughter Jordan (Neal), his sisters Valerie (Randy) and Sharon, his sister in law Molly (Dave), his grandchildren Brian, Amberleigh, and Bella, his dog Lola, and his best friends, that are too many to name.
A celebration of Gary’s life will be held at noon on Sunday, June 16th, 2019 in Crestone Colorado at his fathers’ cabin. Bring your own beer and your best stories/memories of Gary. It’s what he would have wanted.
Online condolences for the family may be left at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.