COLBY — The Jan. 31 Colby Community College Thirsty Thursday art show will feature large sculpture by Fort Hays State senior art student Ashley Smith and works by Colby High School advanced art students. The exhibition will be open from 6-8 p.m. in the Cultural Arts Center gallery.
Originally from Hays, Smith has been influenced by Vincent Van Gogh, Claes Oldenburg, FHSU professor Toby Flores, and current FHSU graduate student Kurt Breshears.
“I love the fluidity of Van Gogh’s work, and try to replicate those movements in my sculptures,” Smith said. “I enjoy Toby’s flexibility in his works, from humor to large scale, and everything in between. His blacksmithing skills are admirable, and he is a very down-to-earth professor. I admire the size sculpture that Claes Oldenburg creates on everyday objects. I strive to follow him in size, but with works that reflect myself more so. And I admire Kurt’s work because he is creating big works in the studio under the same intentions that I am.”
Refreshments will be served at the come-and-go event.
Thirsty Thursday is hosted the third Thursday of each month during the academic year by the CCC art department. There is no admission charge.
Shutterstock.comBy ERIC TUCKER and CHAD DAY Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Roger Stone, a confidant of President Donald Trump, was arrested in the special counsel’s Russia investigation in a pre-dawn raid at his Florida home on Friday and was charged with lying to Congress and obstructing the probe.
The seven-count indictment against Stone, a self-proclaimed “dirty trickster,” is the first criminal case in months from special counsel Robert Mueller.
It provides the most detail to date about how Trump campaign associates in the summer of 2016 were actively seeking to politically benefit from the release of hacked material damaging to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. It alleges that unnamed senior Trump campaign officials contacted Stone to ask when stolen emails relating to Clinton might be disclosed.
The indictment does not charge Stone with conspiring with WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy website that published the emails, or with the Russian officers Mueller says hacked them. Instead, it accuses him of witness tampering, obstruction and false statements about his interactions related to WikiLeaks’ release. Some of those false statements were made to the House intelligence committee, according to the indictment.
CNN aired video of the raid at Stone’s Fort Lauderdale home, showing FBI agents in body armor using large weapons and night-vision equipment, running up to the home and banging repeatedly on the door.
“FBI open the door!” one shouts. “FBI, warrant!” Stone could then be seen in the doorway in his sleepwear before he was led away. He is expected to appear in court later Friday.
Stone is the sixth Trump aide charged in Mueller’s investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign and the 34th person overall. The investigation has laid bare multiple contacts between Trump associates and Russia during the campaign and transition period and efforts by several to conceal those communications.
Well-known for his political antics and hard ball tactics, Stone has reveled in being a Washington wheeler-dealer dating back to the Nixon administration. He has also pushed several conspiracy theories and was an early and vocal supporter of Trump’s candidacy.
The case against Stone comes weeks after Trump’s former national security adviser was castigated by a judge in open court and just hours before Paul Manafort, his ex-campaign chairman , was due in court on allegations that he had lied to Mueller’s prosecutors.
Stone was one of Trump’s earliest political advisers, encouraging both his presidential runs. He briefly served on Trump’s 2016 campaign, but was pushed out amid infighting with then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Stone continued communicating with Trump on occasion and stayed plugged into the circle of advisers — both formal and informal — who worked with and around Trump.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s press secretary, told CNN Friday the charges brought against Stone “don’t have anything to do with the president.”
According to the indictment, many of those conversations involved WikiLeaks. The indictment lays out in detail Stone’s conversations about stolen Democratic emails posted by the group in the weeks before Trump, a Republican, beat Clinton. Mueller’s office has said those emails, belonging to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, were hacked by Russian intelligence officers.
The document says that by June and July 2016, Stone had told senior Trump campaign officials that he had information indicating that WikiLeaks had obtained documents that could be damaging to Clinton’s campaign.
After the July 22, 2016, WikiLeaks release of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee, the indictment says a senior Trump campaign “was directed” to contact Stone about additional releases and “what other damaging information” WikiLeaks had “regarding the Clinton campaign.” The indictment does not name the official or say who directed the outreach to Stone.
Another Trump campaign official cited in the indictment is Steve Bannon, who later became Trump’s chief strategist in the White House. Bannon, referred to as a “high-ranking Trump Campaign official,” exchanged emails with Stone in October 2016 about WikiLeaks’ plans for releasing hacked material. The indictment quotes from those emails, which had previously been made public by news outlets.
While the indictment provides some new insight into the Trump campaign, it deals largely with what prosecutors say were Stone’s false statements about his conversations with conservative writer and conspiracy theorist, Jerome Corsi, and New York radio host, Randy Credico. Corsi is referred to as Person 1 in the indictment, and Credico as Person 2.
The indictment accuses Stone of carrying out a “prolonged effort” to keep Credico from contradicting his testimony before the House intelligence committee. During that effort, prosecutors note that Stone repeatedly told Credico to “do a ‘Frank Pentangeli,'” a reference to a character in “The Godfather: Part II” who lies before a congressional committee.
Stone is also accused of threatening Credico. The indictment cites several messages, some of which have already been public, that Stone sent to Credico last year. On April 9, Stone called Credico a “rat” and a “stoolie” and accused him of backstabbing his friends. Stone also threatened to “take that dog away from you,” a reference to Credico’s dog, Bianca.
“I am so ready. Let’s get it on. Prepare to die (expletive),” Stone also wrote to Credico.
The indictment had been expected. Stone has said for months he was prepared to be charged, though he has denied any wrongdoing. A grand jury for months had heard from witnesses connected to Stone. And the intelligence committee last year voted to release a transcript of Stone’s testimony to Mueller as a precursor to an indictment.
Attorney Grant Smith, who represents Stone, did not return a phone message seeking comment Friday.
Stone has publicly denigrated the Mueller investigation and echoed the president’s descriptions of it as a witch hunt. But he has long attracted investigators’ attention, especially in light of a 2016 tweet that appeared to presage knowledge that emails stolen from Podesta would soon be released. Stone has said he had no inside information about the contents of the emails in WikiLeaks’ possession or the timing of when they’d be released.
Stone has said he learned from Credico that WikiLeaks had the emails and planned to disclose them. Stone has also spoken openly about his contacts with Corsi.
Credico hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing. Last year, Mueller’s prosecutors offered a plea agreement to Corsi that would have required him to admit that he intentionally lied to investigators about a discussion with Stone about WikiLeaks. But he rejected the offer and denied that he lied.
In a tweet Friday, Podesta wrote that it was now “Roger’s time in the barrel.” That was a play on Stone’s own words. Stone had tweeted cryptically before the Podesta emails were disclosed that it would soon be Podesta’s “time in the barrel.”
Dr. Hendratta Ali, Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences at FHSU Fort Hays State University’s Dr. Hendratta Ali has been awarded a $97,000 Geoscientists Without Borders grant by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists Foundation to conduct humanitarian geoscience work exploring for groundwater in metamorphic basement rocks in Cameroon.
SEG foundation through the Geoscientists Without Borders program has a mission of supporting the humanitarian applications of geoscience around the world. The goal is to make a significant difference in the lives of those in need.
Dr. Ali’s project is titled “Geophysical Investigation of Fault Zone Aquifers and Water Quality Assessment in Nkoteng”. This means that participants will investigate the use of similar geophysical techniques that are used to find petroleum in oil fields to find water in these basement rocks. If aquifers are located in the rocks, boreholes will be drilled into the rocks to access the water. Participants will then apply biogeochemical methods to test for water quality and determine whether it is safe for human use. This grant will also support the training of students in practical and humanitarian use of geophysics and geological methods, important skills that students will need after graduation.
In fall 2018, Dr. Ali was also co-awarded a linked project $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to study waters in a tropical estuary and was honored with the Outstanding Educator award by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists in October 2018 at the SEG International Annual meeting in Anaheim (CA).
BUNKER HILL – Smoky Hills Public Television’s local program, The Kansas Legislature, will kick off this Friday, January 25 at 7 p.m. hosted by Michael Walker, director of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University.
State Representatives Troy Waymaster (R-Bunker Hill) of the 109th District and Ken Rahjes (R-Agra) of the 110th District will be our guests this Friday.
The show airs during the legislative session, which gives the legislators and viewers the opportunity to discuss up-to-date issues. For each show, legislators from the SHPTV viewing area are invited to participate in the LIVE call-in program.
“Smoky Hills Public Television has been airing this production for approximately 35 years,” said Larry Calvery, Smoky Hills Public Television General Manager. “We bring local state representatives and senators to our studio in Bunker Hill, where we give our viewers a chance to get their legislative questions answered. The Kansas Legislature is another great local production we bring to our viewers each year!”
The Kansas Legislator will air on Fridays at 7 p.m.
To find a list of legislatures that might be on the show each week, go to www.shptv.org where you will find the 2019 season schedule.
GarrisonTosha Garrison, APRN-C, joined the team at Hess Clinic in December.
Garrison grew up in Oberlin and graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2002.
“She is glad to be in Western Kansas because she loves the area and the people. Diabetes treatment has always been a passion for Tosha, along with caring for and respecting the whole person,” the clinic said in a news release. “Meeting new patients and new people while listening to their concerns and working diligently to find a solution to their problems is one of Tosha’s favorite parts of being a nurse practitioner. She enjoys educating and involving patients in the self-care of their chronic medical conditions. Patient involvement in their treatment is a high priority for Tosha.”
Just before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, police contacted two suspects identified as 39-year-old Brian Mitchell and 35-year-old Krystal Anderson both of Wichita outside of a residence in the 5100 block of east Funston, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Police spoke to them regarding an ongoing investigation of an aggravated robbery case which occurred on January 15.
A 41-year-old female victim reported while in the parking lot of The Smoke Shop, 4703 E. 13th Street, a suspect pointed a gun at her and took her purse, according to Davidson. There were no injuries reported.
Through the investigation, both Mitchell and Anderson were identified as involved in the armed robbery.
Police arrested Mitchell for two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, aggravated assault and traffic charges. They also arrested Anderson for aggravated assault and theft.
The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
ABILENE – A Kansas woman was ordered Wednesday to repay more than $2,500 to the Kansas Medicaid Program after being found guilty of Medicaid fraud-related charges, according to Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
Loomis has two previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections
Ashley Loomis, 29, of Abilene, pleaded no contest in November and was found guilty in Dickinson County District Court of one felony count of making a false claim to the Medicaid Program and one felony count of conspiracy to commit making a false claim to the Medicaid Program.
On Wednesday, Dickinson County District Judge Benjamin J. Sexton ordered Loomis to repay $2,532.85 to the Kansas Medicaid Program. Judge Sexton also sentenced Loomis to 24 months probation with an underlying prison sentence of 16 months. Convictions such as this one may also result in a period during which the defendant is prohibited from being paid wages through a government health care program.
An investigation by the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division revealed that Loomis’ mother, Dawn Penrod, billed Medicaid on Loomis’ behalf for services provided as a personal care attendant to Penrod, who is a disabled person, while Loomis was incarcerated between August 2014 and October 2015. There were approximately 352 hours billed to Medicaid while Loomis was incarcerated in either Dickinson County, Harvey County or Pottawatomie County jails.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A 41-year-old man who raped a Kansas sheriff’s deputy has pleaded guilty to a second rape in Missouri.
Luth -photo Jackson Co.
William Luth pleaded guilty Thursday and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attack on an Independence, Missouri, woman in February 2016.
The sentence will run concurrently with a 41-year sentence Luth received for attacking a Johnson County, Kansas, sheriff’s deputy in October 2016.
Prosecutors charged Luth and another man, Brady Newman-Caddell, in the both crimes.
The Missouri woman was attacked as she slept, with her 2-year-old daughter on the bed next to her. No suspects were identified until DNA was found after the Kansas attack.
Newman-Caddell on Wednesday asked to withdraw his guilty plea in the Kansas case and go to trial.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence woman has pleaded no contest in a drug-deal robbery in which a 17-year-old was shot and critically wounded.
Parnell-Photo Douglas Co.Hormell -photo Douglas Co.
19-year-old Ardyn Pannell, of Lawrence, entered the plea Wednesday to counts of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.
An attempted second-degree murder case is pending against Pannell’s former boyfriend, 19-year-old Michael Hormell, of Lawrence. The affidavit says Pannell and Hormell set up a January 2018 drug buy with the victim at a Lawrence park. But authorities say their plan was to rob him. Pannell is accused of pulling the trigger. The victim was flown to a hospital in critical condition with a chest wound but survived.
RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged forgery.
David Voter -photo KDOC
Just after 2a.m. Thursday police arrested David Voter, 48, of Manhattan was arrested in the 900 block of Thurston in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.
He is being held on a $10,000 Bond for two counts of forgery.
He has two previous convictions for aggravated battery and criminal damage to property in Marshall County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
John Edmond Morrell, died Wed., Jan. 23, 2019. He was born May 31, 1956.
Services will be held Mon., Jan. 28, at 10:30 a.m. in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 508 Railroad Ave., Atwood, Kansas, with Fr. Norbert Dlabal officiating. A Rosary will precede the service at 10 a.m.
Interment will be in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Highway 36, Atwood.
Baalmann Mortuary, 304 E. 8th St., Oakley, Kansas is in charge of arrangements.