Betty Juanita Leerskov Brenner, 99, of Russell, Kansas, died on May 06, 2019at the Brookdale East Senior Living Center in Wichita, Kansas.
Betty was born on May 10, 1919, in Atwood, Oklahoma, the daughter of Oscar M. and Maggie (Slaten) Bishop. Betty grew up in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. She met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Leo Noble “Swede” Leerskov on December 02, 1939, in Bowlegs, Oklahoma. From this union Betty and Leo were blessed with two daughters Yvette and Brenda. Her great pleasure was being a wife, mother and homemaker. She also enjoyed her avocation as a master seamstress and was employed in the fabric department at Bankers Mercantile in Russell for many years. In 1979, Leo died, after 40 years of marriage. Betty was fortunate to find love again and was united in marriage to Leo Brenner on February 17, 1984, and he also preceded her in death in 1986. Betty was a longtime member of First Baptist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church in Russell. She was very active participating in church groups and committees, Russell American Legion #99 auxiliary, Russell V.F.W. #6240 auxiliary and TOPS. She loved spending time with her many friends, sewing, knitting, ceramics, arts and crafts. She enjoyed attending performances at the Russell Community Theater, dancing with her husband and spending time and taking care of her family.
Surviving family include her two daughters Yvette Leerskov Ehrlich and husband Mel of Bakersfield, California and Brenda Leerskov of Wichita, Kansas; sister Kitty Kingsley of Santee, California, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, both husbands, 3 brothers Gladstone, Alvin and Oscar M. Bishop and two sisters Foye Paasch and Dessie Griffith.
A celebration of Betty’s life will be held at 1 P.M. on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas, with Reverend Paul Ellis Jackson officiating. Burial will follow at the Russell City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. on Monday, May 13, 2019, at the mortuary, with family greeting guests from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. Monday evening. Memorials may be given to the Russell Senior Center or Russell Community Theater and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.
Moving the retailer into the shopping center will require major changes to the facility with the retailer moving into a 15,364-square-foot space on the south side of the facility.
Construction is set to begin June 3.
“We will losing both entrances on the south end … access to Harbor Freight will only be the exterior facing Vine,” said Branson Hoffman, Big Creek Crossing marketing director.
“It definitely is a difficult thing, but we felt it best to serve an exterior entrance at this time. … It serves us a better option for future development,” Younger said.
Moving the entrances and changing the flow of traffic will be a challenge, but there will be signs around the facility to help make sure people know where to go, Younger said.
Restrooms and office space will be permanently relocated on the north side of the building, a move seen as positive by the center’s management.
“It gives us a little bit more of a better location,” Younger said.
During construction, a temporary restroom will be placed in the former Vanity location, while the new office and restrooms are being built in the former Regis space, Younger said.
But the moves are seen as generally positive, if inconvenient in the short term.
“You can expect little things like that, but it’s nothing that we are not able to work around,” Younger said, noting occasionally construction may impact traffic flow.
Layout showing the location of Harbor Freight in Big Creek Crossing. (Click to expand. Photo Courtesy Big Creek Crossing)
“While there may be a few growing pains here and there, we definitely think that the pros in this situation outweigh the cons.”
The addition will also create a major change to the layout of the facility, but Younger said it will be beneficial to Big Creek Crossing.
“We are adding a little more value to our shopping center. As anybody can tell you, the retail environment has been evolving and has been changing here over the past decade and with those changes we are adopting as well,” he said.
According to the Harbor Freight, the company is currently adding two new stores every week and Younger said it doesn’t just bring value to Big Creek Crossing, but to the community as well.
“We are extremely excited about Harbor Freight moving in. The fact that we are bringing more employment opportunities, more tax revenue to the city is something that we like to do. It’s definitely a big deal.”
Younger hopes to the location will drive even more regional traffic to Hays.
“We feel this entity is something that would be in high demand here in western Kansas,” he said. “We feel that there is going to be immense support from the public.”
Other Big Creek Crossing tenants are eager to see how this will increase traffic to the facility, even as it is a departure from what they are familiar with.
“Our tenants are excited about another tenant moving in,” Younger said. It is a little unorthodox compared to what they are used to but, “It is our brave step into the ever-evolving world of the shopping center.”
This announcement is another feather in the cap in the rehabilitation of the center in recent years.
“When we really look at how far we have been able to come here, especially in the past two to three years, between the Starbucks and the HaysMed location that we have built,” Younger said. “The first Glik’s in the state was opened in our center back in 2016, with the addition of Gordman’s, the addition of Dollar Tree, now the addition of Harbor Freight, we are definitely making progress and we are very excited about that, in a community mindset as well, just being able to bring in that extra tax revenue, to bring in that extra employment and extra places of draw for individuals out in western Kansas to stop here in Hays. That’s a very big win for everybody.
“We definitely take it as a victory, but there is a lot more work that we recognize that we need to do,” he added. “We will take a moment and celebrate this addition to our center, but the work definitely goes on.”
“The 15,000-square-foot store will stock tools and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools, and more,” the company said in a news release Tuesday.
“The timeline is tentative, but we are extremely hopeful for a July 30 grand opening,” Younger said.
Joan Dechant, age 67 of Hays, Kansas passed away Monday, May 6, 2019 at her home in Hays.
She was born February 14, 1952 in Bison, Kansas to Joseph J. and Caroline (Hammerschmidt) Kisner. On May 4, 1974 she married Lawrence Dechant in Pfeifer, Kansas.
Joan worked at the Hays Pathology Lab and did medical transcription for Hays Medical Center, Dr. A. Christine Kelly and numerous other medical offices. She was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hays.
She is survived by her husband, Lawrence of Hays; two sons, Jesse Dechant and Joshua (Alyssa) Dechant all of Hays; two sisters, Caroline Perrer of Mississippi and Kay Kisner of Wichita; one granddaughter, Marley Dechant of Hays as well as another granddaughter expected in September 2019.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Harold “Hank” Kisner.
Funeral services will be 10:00 AM Thursday, May 9, 2019 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Burial will follow in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Pfeifer, Kansas.
Visitation will be Wednesday 4 PM – 8 PM and Thursday 9 AM – 9:30 AM all at Brock’s Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601.
A combined parish vigil and rosary service will be Wednesday at 6:30 PM at the funeral chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Styles Dance Centre Scholarship Fund.
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]
MONTGOMERY COUNTY —One person died in an ATV accident Monday in Montgomery County.
The ATV driven by Jacob M. Morse, 29, was traveling on the north side of the state lake in Montgomery County, according to sheriff Robert Dierks. The ATV struck a tree.
A private vehicle transported Morse to Labette Health where he died. Authorities released no additional details early Tuesday.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged kidnapping and have a suspect in custody.
Daniel Withrow-photo Sedgwick Co.
At approximately 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, police responded to an abduction call at the White Glove Inn, 11430 W. Kellogg in Wichita, according to Captain Brent Allred.
Upon arrival, a 30-year-old woman reported her 8-year-old daughter had been playing outside of the inn an 8-year-old cousin.
An unknown man contacted her 8-year-old daughter and pulled her into a storage shed against her will. The girl screamed for help and the suspect fled the area on foot.
Investigators worked diligently on this case, which led to the identification and arrest of 39-year-old Daniel Withrow. Officers arrested Withrow at his residence early Monday morning without incident and booked him on one charge of kidnapping, according to Allred.
Withrow is sex offender after a conviction in 1999 for aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the KBI offender registry.
The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office later this week.
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Just before 2:30p.m., a Buick passenger vehicle driven by 19-year-old Christian Bocanegra of Wichita was northbound on McLean at 9th Street in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.
The vehicle left the road and struck a light pole. The driver was transported to a local hospital where he died.
Speed is believed to have been a factor in the accident, according to officer Charley Davidson.
By STEPHANIE ECKROAT Ellis & Trego Farm Bureau County Coordinator
The Ellis County Farm Bureau and the Ellis County Emergency Management Services teamed up on Sat., April 27 to hold a Farm Rescue and Extraction Training at the Kansas State University Research Center.
Despite a few emergency calls thought out the day, the event was well attended by emergency personnel from the area.
Don Hauschild, RN, MICT presented “Deadly Harvest”, a program centering around the dangerous results of farm accidents. Hauschild has over 30 years of experience in the emergency medical field beginning his career as a medic in the military. Currently he is employed with Ascension-Via Christi Hospital as a patient follow-up nurse for the emergency rooms in the Wichita area.
Dr. David Fitzhugh, Associate Professor, Fort Hays State University, spoke to the group about the dangers of farm chemical exposure. His presentation highlighted the dangers, responses and treatments as a result of exposure to anhydrous and organophosphates.
Karin Rasmussen, Kansas AgrAbilty Project, talked about options for disabled farmers and ranchers that have been physically challenged as a result of accidents that happen on the farm.
The afternoon session included volunteer victim simulating real life accidents on the farm. The actors were volunteers from the Collegiate Farm Bureau Club and the Radiology Department from Fort Hays State University as well as the Nursing Program of North Central Kansas Technical College.
Emergency personnel were given various scenarios and required to work together as a team to solve the problem and treat the patients.
The hands-on opportunity to work on real farm equipment was very valuable as many of the personnel have not had experience dealing with farm implements. The equipment for the scenarios were provided by local implement dealers.
Various other businesses in the Ellis County area contributed to the event.
Farm accident rescue training April 27
FHSU students with Collegiate Farm Bureau and the Radiology Dept. along with NCK Technical College nursing students, portrayed accident victims.
Mark D. Arthur Jr. died peacefully, May 2, 2019 at his home in Russell, Kansas. He was born February 7, 1940 in Odessa, Texas, to Mark D. and Ruby M.(Vanderlip) Arthur. He is survived by his children, Danica L. Hoffman (David) of Emporia and Mark David Arthur (Brenda) of Hays, grandchildren Aidan, David Christopher and Ethan Hoffman; Ashly Rollo (Jordan), Rachael, Elizabeth, Joshua and Gabriela Arthur, and his dear friend, Dolores Wren.
Mark graduated from Great Bend High School in 1958 and from Southwestern College, Winfield, KS in 1962. He married the love of his life, Judith Kathryn Wedel (deceased), December 17, 1961. He graduated with his law degree from Washburn University, Topeka KS in 1964 and moved to Russell to join the law firm Holland, Thompson & Arthur in 1965.
Mark was active in the leadership of Kiwanis for many years. He received the Kiwanis International Distinguished Governor award while serving as District Governor (1977-78), was elected to the International Board of Trustees (1980) and to Vice-President of Kiwanis International (1983-84).
Mark also helped establish The Russell Community Theatre where he enjoyed both acting and directing. He loved to hunt and fish, bird watch, read, eat gourmet meals and dance with his beautiful wife, Judy, throughout their 56 year marriage. He will be greatly missed.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM, Friday, May 10, 2019 at the Trinity United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held Thursday, May 9, 2019 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. A private burial will take place Friday morning. A Memorial has been established with the Russell Community Theater. Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Republican senators are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss a new White House immigration plan.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway describes the plan as “fairly comprehensive,” saying it aims to beef up border security and maximize merit-based immigration. Conway says it will cover other changes favored by Trump, including ending some family migration and visa lottery programs.
Conway says the plan could also touch on the plight of thousands who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
The proposals are being developed by senior adviser Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. A previous attempt by Trump to reach a comprehensive immigration deal with Congress collapsed.
Trump put immigration at the center of his presidential campaign, including a promise to build a wall on the U.S-Mexico border.
Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly has all-but finished the first of four annual battles with the Kansas Legislature and she had some wins and she had some losses. And the Republican-dominated Legislature? We’re not going to know whether it won or lost until next year’s elections are tallied.
It was 1:34 a.m. Sunday when the House adjourned, and the Senate? Well, it stretched to about 3:08 a.m. before senators headed to their cars after most of the bars had closed in Topeka to start calculating whether they did anything that will assist them in winning re-election.
Medicaid expansion, which was Kelly’s primary issue throughout her campaign and during the legislative session, didn’t happen. The House passed the bill, the Senate refused to even debate it for fear it would pass, and we’re in for another year when more than 100,000 Kansans (the estimates vary widely) won’t have health care, or, more precisely, the caregivers and hospitals mostly in rural areas won’t be paid for that care for Kansans.
And after passing a too-big tax bill during the regular session, lawmakers in the just-ended veto session passed a smaller measure that Kelly probably won’t sign, and we’re down to either a veto of the measure or maybe-but-unlikely allowing it to become law without her signature.
Oh, and yes, we’re in for a summer of debate over whether the tax measure passed 27-13 in the Senate and 83-41 in the House that will mean smaller checks written to the state next year is a tax “cut” for some Kansans or just a reaction to federal tax law changes the Legislature didn’t have anything to do with, making the bill Kansas taxpayer “protection,” or something else altogether.
All we know for sure on the tax issue (adjustment?) is that the state will receive smaller checks from corporations with international operations and that relatively poor Kansans will see no drop in their tax bills.
The budget? Well, best we can tell for now is that it apparently is big enough that the Kansas Supreme Court won’t close down schools next fall, and small enough that even with millions spent to rebuild state government there will still be money in the bank for next session. A little more money for highways, more money for social service and health care for the poor and elderly and raises (2.5 percent) for state employees that wouldn’t make a good tip at a restaurant.
The state’s higher education industry gets more money to hopefully hold down tuition increases and, well, a lot of other smaller, more targeted spending that ought to be locally important in many parts of the state and the legislators who represent them.
The whole story? No. Not for weeks will we see just how the session changed any Kansans’ lives. At this point, there is more spending, there are some bridges that will be given new names, there are prison employees who are looking at raises as high as 15 percent in hopes it will keep them in their jobs, and there is a boost in the amount of income the poor elderly can have and still receive care in their homes.
In the next few weeks, we’ll find out just what happened and to whom, and how the governor casts those changes and how legislators describe their actions with an eye on just what they can use for bullet points on their campaign palm cards next year.
But at least lawmakers are home until the May 29 sine die adjournment, when we see just what happens to their tax bill and whether Kelly line-item vetoes some of that 400-plus page budget she will receive this week.
And then we’ll know how she did…
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com
Commencement for NCK Tech, Hays campus, will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the campus of Fort Hays State University.
Preceding the commencement, nursing pinning will take place at 9:30 a.m. The doors will open for pinning at 8:30 a.m. Guests for the commencement ceremony will be able to enter at 10:30 a.m. There are no tickets required for either event; however, seats are available on a first-come basis.
NCK Tech, Hays campus, will confer approximately 110 certificates along with over 60 associate of applied science degrees. Nearly 70 nurses will receive recognition and pins during the pinning ceremony.
Connie Marie Dawson, 73, of Oakley, died Sunday, May 5, 2019 at Gove County Medical Center, Quinter. She was born December 1, 1945, in Colby, KS, to Leonard and Elizabeth (Schurr) Swart. She married Dennis Dawson on April 18, 1964. Connie was a member of the Sun Beam Club and enjoyed quilting. She was a bookkeeper and secretary.
Connie was preceded in death by her parents and favorite Uncle George, and Mildred Schurr.
She is survived by her husband Dennis; brother Terry (Carol) Swart; chosen daughter Michele Dawson, chosen granddaughter April (Ryan) Sidesinger, and great- grandchildren Lennox and Hadley Sidesinger.
Visitation is 5-7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at Baalmann Mortuary, Oakley. Funeral Service is 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 8, 2019, also at the Mortuary. Memorials are suggested to the Oakley Library or Baalmann Mortuary to help with funeral expenses, and can be sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 204, Oakley, KS 67748. For condolences or information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com
Betty Juanita Leerskov Brenner, 99, of Russell, Kansas, died on May 06, 2019at the Brookdale East Senior Living Center in Wichita, Kansas.
