RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged kidnapping and robbery.
Just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, police arrested Derrick Smith, 19, Manhattan, in the 100 block of Courthouse Place in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.
Smith was jailed on a Riley County District Court warrant for aggravated kidnapping and two counts of attempted aggravated robbery. He is being held on a bond of $75,000.00. Police released no additional details early Thursday.
UPDATE, 12:20 p.m.: The suspect in question has been identified, according to the Trego County Sheriff’s Office.
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The Trego County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the community’s assistance to identify a suspect believed to be trespassing and hunting illegally.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Trego County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 743-5721 or email Undersheriff Jim Grayson at [email protected].
NEW YORK — Janet Jackson joins her brother Michael and the Jackson 5 as members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, earning induction on Thursday along with Stevie Nicks and the top fan vote-getter, Def Leppard.
Radiohead, the Cure, Roxy Music and the Zombies will also be ushered in next spring at the 34th induction ceremony. It will be held March 29 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Jackson’s induction comes after her third time as nominee and many saw it as overdue, given her prowess as a hitmaker with “All For You,” “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Nasty,” “Together Again” and “What Have You Done For Me Lately.”
Her career has suffered from the fallout after the infamous 2004 Super Bowl appearance where her bare breast was briefly exposed. Jackson became eligible for the rock hall in 2007 and wasn’t nominated until 2016.
Jackson / Shutterstock.com
The Roots’ Questlove, in a social media post earlier this year, said her exclusion had been “highly criminal.” He cited the influence of her 1986 album “Control,” which he said set off the New Jack Swing trend.
“This was no one’s kid sister,” he wrote.
It will be Nicks’ second induction into the rock hall, since she’s already there as a member of Fleetwood Mac. She launched a solo career in 1981 with her duet with the late Tom Petty, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” Other hits followed, including “Edge of Seventeen,” ”Stand Back” and “I Will Run to You.”
Def Leppard earned more than half a million votes from fans, which are incorporated into more than 1,000 ballots from artists, historians, industry professionals and past winners in deciding who gets honored. The British heavy metal band with a pop sheen were huge sellers in the 1980s on the back of songs like “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”
Frontman Joe Elliott said he was initially ambivalent toward the honor until Jon Bon Jovi suggested it would change his life.
“When I look at the list of who’s in, it’s just obvious you’d want to be in that club, isn’t it?” he told Billboard earlier this year. “When you think that every band that means anything in the world, starting from the Beatles and the Stones and any artist that influenced them — your Chuck Berrys, your Little Richards, etc., etc. — then of course you want to be in. Why wouldn’t you?”
Def Leppard, Nicks and Roxy Music were voted in during their first years as nominees. Other 2019 nominees who didn’t make the cut included LL Cool J, Devo, Rage Against the Machine, MC5, John Prine, Todd Rundgren and Kraftwerk.
There’s some question about whether Radiohead will shrug its collective shoulder as a nominee. The English band seemed like generic grunge rockers on their initial hit “Creep,” but with the album “OK Computer” and beyond have become consistent sonic pioneers. Among its rock hall class, Radiohead has the most impact on the current music scene.
In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood said “I don’t care” when asked about the rock hall. Bandmate Ed O’Brien said, “culturally, I don’t understand it. I think it might be a quintessentially American thing.”
The Cure and frontman Robert Smith resist their initial label as goth rockers, champions of fans who like black makeup, black clothes and darkly romantic songs. They have a durable catalog of hits, including “Friday I’m in Love,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Pictures of You” and “Let’s Go to Bed.”
Roxy Music came out of the 1970s progressive rock scene and had hits with “Love is the Drug” and “More Than This.” Dapper member Bryan Ferry had a successful solo career and Brian Eno has been an influential producer.
The heyday of British rockers the Zombies’ career was the 1960s, with big sellers “She’s Not There” and “Time of the Season.”
The hall will announce ticket sales for March’s ceremony next month. HBO and SiriusXM will carry the event.
JACKSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on numerous charges after a high speed chase.
Blaire-Serna-photo Jackson County
Just before before 8a.m, Tuesday, a sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a 2009 Chevy Impala on U.S. Hwy 75 near 110th Road in southern Jackson County for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.
The driver, later identified as Michael Todd Belaire-Serna, 36, Topeka, allegedly failed to stop and fled from the deputy southbound into Shawnee County.
The deputy continued the pursuit which led to the area of Topeka Blvd. and NW Independence Avenue where the deputy terminated the pursuit.
KHP Troopers and Shawnee County Deputies assisted with the search for the driver and vehicle.
Later in the day, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Dispatch was contacted by Belaire-Serna who stated he had reported his car stolen in Topeka.
Topeka Police went to meet with Belaire-Serna to take a stolen vehicle report. Topeka Police took Belaire-Serna into custody and released him to Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Blaire-Serna was convicted on a drug charge in November 2018 -photo KDOC
Belaire-Serna was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of Felony flee and elude, reckless driving, felony interference with law enforcement, and driving while revoked. He is also being cited for numerous traffic offenses. Belaire-Serna’s vehicle was recovered in the 1900 of NW Fillmore Street in Topeka and impounded.
Blaire-Serna has four previous drug convictions including two in November.
Manley R. Mainus Jr. was born in Wellsboro,PA June 2,1960 to June and Manley Mainus and passed away December 10,2018 in Colby,KS he graduated from Galeton,PA.
Manley loved being with his family going fishing with his 2 sons and grandchildren! He was a very giving man would help anyone even if he didn’t know them and was a hardworking man! His family will greatly miss him.
Survivors include his two sons Eddie and Evan Mainus of Colby,KS five brothers Bruce Mainus of Ulysses,PA. Mike Mainus of Tucson,AZ. Harold Mainus of Franklinville,NY. Wayne Mainus of Santa Fe,NM and one sister Lorraine Close of Galeton,PA and five grandchildren
Funeral Services are scheduled for Friday December 14,2018 at 11:00 am at the first baptist church-615 west Webster street with a luncheon following the service.
Goodland resident Mary Lou (Hartzler) Isernhagen died on Monday, December 10, at the age of 92.
Mary Lou, the daughter of Ray and Hallie Hartzler, was born November 30, 1926. She grew up on the Sherman County Farm as her father was the manager.She attended country schools for first and second grade and then transferred to Central and Grant Elementary Schools. As a senior at Sherman County Community High School, Mary Lou was recruited to teach in one of the numerous Sherman County country schools.She graduated in 1943.
During World War II, Mary Lou took training in Kansas City with the National Weather Service and then worked briefly in Washington, DC, plotting weather information on maps for the analysts. She was called back to Goodland to help care for her ailing father and started dating her future husband, Ray Isernhagen, before he was drafted. Mary Lou and Ray were married on October 16, 1945 while he was on leave before he shipped out for Germany. During Ray’s absence, Mary Lou taught in four different county country schools.
Upon Ray’s return to Goodland, Mary Lou and Ray started their family with the births of three daughters, Bonnie, Susan, and Marsha.Ray worked at Soil Conservation and farmed the land inherited from Mary Lou’s mother and Mary Lou worked in a variety of jobs including as an aide for first grade Team Teaching, a para professional at Goodland High School and ten years with the Migrant Summer School. In her earlier fifties, Mary Lou decided to return to college as a non-traditional student at Kansas State University earning a BS in Education in 1979.After graduation, she taught special education for twelve years in USD #352 and retired in 1991 with a total of twenty-five years of working with children in Sherman County.After her retirement, Mary Lou worked with Stephen Ministries and became a Parish Ministry Associate fulfilling her devotion to the Lutheran Church.
Mary Lou and Ray loved to work with children.They fostered 5 children and were devoted to Sky Ranch in Colorado frequently taking Goodland Lutheran children to camp there. In the summer Ray hired young men to work for the Soil Conservation program and they continued to touch base with Mary Lou after Ray’s passing.
As a third generation Sherman County resident, Mary Lou was extremely proud of her heritage and dedicated endless hours immersed in family history as well as Sherman County history.In conjunction with Judy Vignery, a book was compiled with this history of the Goodland Municipal Airport.The Sherman County Historical Society benefited from Mary Lou’s historical knowledge and she loved to “sit” at the Ennis-Handy House and sharing its history with visitors.
Mary Lou was an active member of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, the American Association of University Women, and the VFW Auxiliary Post 1133.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Hallie Hartzler; her husband, Ray; her daughter, Bonnie Rush; and brothers, William (Bill) and Gordon Hartzler. Mary Lou is survived by her daughters, Susan Smith of St. Cloud, FL, and Marsha (David) Clark of Marion, KS.Mary Lou leaves five grandchildren: Samantha Smith of St. Cloud, FL; Craig Parker of Westland, MI; Shane Clark of Olpe, KS; Eric Clark of Moundridge, KS; Jessica King of Indianola, IA.Mary Lou was blessed with eleven great-grandchildren: Emily, Maggie, Garret, Ramsey, Noah, Olivia, Colby, Boston, Ava, Skyler, Max and one great-great grandchild, Hunter.She counted Shane and Tyler McDonald and Seth and Kasey Stramel as her adopted children.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 12, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.
Funeral service will be held Friday, December 14, 2018, at 10:00 AM MT at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church at 222 W. 13th in Goodland.Interment will follow the service at the Goodland Cemetery.
Memorials may be designated to the Emmanuel Lutheran Church Education Fund, Goodland; Sherman County Historical Society; Northwest Kansas Animal Shelter and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland KS 67735.
Friends may go to www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com to leave an online message of condolence and to sign the online register book.
Funeral services have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland, KS.
During the recent campaign for the 111th District, Kansas House of Representatives, Barb Wasinger outworked nine-term incumbent Eber Phelps to eke out the narrowest margin in Kansas House races this year – a mere 32 votes of more than 8,000 cast.
Such a close race wasn’t surprising, as one of the things Barb heard often going door to door was, “Eber is such a nice guy.” Indeed, Eber has had 18 years to cultivate this image. But his actions during, and after the campaign, have shown him to be anything but. One has to assume that given his dirty campaign tricks and attempts to steal this election, how well did voters really know him?
During the campaign, Barb said she would run a clean campaign, with no negativity towards her opponent. When she learned an outside group conducted a telephone message testing campaign, Barb found that some identified it as a “push poll” that portrayed Eber negatively, she called several groups in Topeka telling them to knock it off.
Eber took the exact opposite tack, with he and Ellis County Democrats never missing an opportunity to smear Barb or her family. Eber sent out mailers under the name of the Kansas Democratic Party, calling Barb unreliable and hypocritical, with one even showing Barb and her husband with a red “X” over their image. Since when did family members become targets in local races? He attacked her missing several meetings as a city and county commissioner, ignoring the fact she had undergone life-saving open heart surgery and took time to move her elderly mother across the country.
Eber took great pains to make sure his fingerprints weren’t on these mailers, but his Oct. 26 campaign finance disclosures show he reimbursed the Kansas Democratic Party $6,100 for this. Not the kind of thing a “nice guy” would do.
Once the election was completed, Eber demanded a recount. He got it, and saw his margin of loss grow by roughly 10 percent. This led him and the Democratic Party to begin bullying County Clerk Donna Maskus, herself a Democrat, accusing she and her staff of rejecting legal votes, counting illegal ones, and failing to conduct a lawful election and recount. Ellis County Republicans have full confidence in Mrs. Maskus to conduct fair and lawful elections, win or lose. Her own party disagrees, but only in races where they lose. Ellis County Democrats have thrown this career public servant under the bus, drove over her, and is now backing up to do it again. How’s that for a “nice guy?”
On Thursday, Dec. 6, Eber released a long letter to media conceding he lost the election, ignoring tradition and not calling Barb to congratulate her. In his letter, he wrote he had asked his supporters to “not contest the results.” Yet on Monday, Dec. 10, seven Ellis County Democrats including Janis Lee filed a civil suit against Barb Wasinger, alleging the County Clerk of botching the conduct and count of the election and demanding the judge overrule the will of Ellis County voters and declare Phelps the winner.
One wonders how hard Phelps really tried to get his supporters to “not contest the results?” If Eber was really the “nice guy” everyone says he is, he would prove his intent by filing a statement with the Court, asking that the suit be dismissed. Will Eber do this, or will his inaction force Barb to spend tens of thousands of dollars defending herself against a frivolous, nuisance lawsuit?
The election is over, and the voters of Ellis County want this nonsense to stop. Actions speak louder than words, Eber. Will the real Eber Phelps please stand up?
Thomas More Prep-Marian will host a basketball camp later this month for all boys ages kindergarten through fifth grade. The deadline to sign up is Friday.
2018 Cover – Bailey StanleyThe Roosevelt Elementary School yearbook received an honorable mention award in the 2018 Lifetouch Yearbook Showcase Contest. This is the second consecutive year the school has received an honorable mention award.
The publications were sorted into four divisions: High schools with more than 1,000 students, high schools with fewer than 1,000 students, middle schools, and elementary schools.
Yearbooks were evaluated on the following criteria: theme/theme development, design, continuity, photography, writing, creativity content, and coverage.
“The books reflect hours of hard work by the staffs and advisers,” said Laura Schaub, Lifetouch yearbook education specialist and contest coordinator. “These books are some of the best elementary and secondary books in the nation.”
2017 Cover – Lakyn Zimmerman
Kevin Daniels puts together the Roosevelt Yearbook and fifth grade students come up with the theme and compete to draw the cover. Last year’s cover winner was Bailey Stanley. The 2017 cover was created by Lakyn Zimmerman.
The Kansas Ag Research & Technology Association (KARTA) is a grassroots association for producers, researchers, and agriculture industry leaders who share a common desire to keep up with trends in production agriculture.
KARTA is an organization of innovative people who share a common desire to learn more about production agriculture. The non-profit organization uses its revenues to provide grants to facilitate on-farm research projects and instructional workshops on the hardware and software necessary to conduct research trials. Their goal according to their web site is to keep our members and the agricultural industry on the forefront of new technology!
This conference is an applied workshop consolidating information about new and old technologies with a focus on supporting scientifically valid on-farm research efforts and increasing overall farm business profitability. The on-farm research is actually done by the farmers in this association and grant funds are allocated to the dues paying members, conducting on-farm research to help with defraying possible expenses. If grant money is received the recipient is expected to give a formal report at the conference on the results of the on-farm study.
The 22nd Annual Kansas Agricultural Technologies Conference will be held January 17-18, 2019 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Junction City, Kansas. This annual event brings hundreds of agricultural producers and industry leaders together for a two-day interactive workshop on the use of technology in the ever-changing agriculture industry. Those in attendance at the conference will hear presentations from dynamic speakers on a wide variety of topics dealing with precision agriculture. The two-day event also includes vendor displays, the KARTA Annual Meeting, research presentations from grant recipients, and an interactive evening discussion that is always an attendee favorite.
Anyone who signs up on or before December 31st can receive a $50 discount on their conference registration, which includes two days of meals and refreshments. The funds generated through the association dues and conference registrations are used to provide grants to facilitate on-farm research projects and instructional workshops on the hardware and software necessary to conduct agricultural research trials. There is also a subsidized student rate of $75 per person, catered to agricultural students at all of the state’s post-secondary educational institutions.
I have attended the conference and can say it is well worth the time and money. If you are a farmer that is interested or wants to go to the next level with precision agriculture technologies and applying them to your own farm for enhanced data collection, profitability or whatever the case may be, this conference and association may be a good fit. You could say it is a grass-roots group of farmers teaching and learning from each other’s trial and errors utilizing on-farm technology.
You can attend one or both days. To find out more about the Association, the upcoming conference and to register or to sign-up for their newsletter and even see some of the past on-farm research efforts and results go to https://www.karta-online.org
Stacy Campbell is Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District .
Dr. Brooke Moore, interim chair in the Department of Advanced Education Programs at Fort Hays State University, and Dr. Jerri Haynes, assistant dean for the College of Education, received a grant for $75,000 from Sanford Inspire to create online professional development modules for practicing teachers across the state of Kansas.
From their partnerships with school districts around the state, Haynes and Moore recognized the need for educators to have access to “just-in-time” professional learning.
“ ‘Just-in-time’ learning is immediate, readily available, self-directed, location-independent and time-independent, meaning participants can work where they want and at their own pace,” said Moore.
Haynes
“For district leaders, this type of learning helps resolve issues when educators need specific knowledge and skills, and ensures that their educators, para-educators and support staff receive high quality professional development credits for continued licensure,” said Haynes.
During the spring of 2019, Haynes and Moore will develop a series of online, graduate level modules on topics such as: managing behaviors, using assessment to drive instructional practices, problem-based learning trauma sensitive classrooms, and working with culturally diverse learners.
Online modules will be made available to school districts across western Kansas starting in the summer of 2019.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer involved shooting and aggravated battery to a law enforcement officer and have another suspect in custody, according to Lt. Andrew Beightel.
Retana
On Wednesday during a traffic stop in the 2400 Block of SW Topeka Boulevard, police took 26-year-old Chelsee Ann Retana into custody. She was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges of Aggravated Battery to a law enforcement officer, felony obstruction and numerous other arrest warrants.
Just before 11a.m. November 27, Retana was last seen running southbound from a silver SUV from NE Grant and NE Madison, in the company of another adult female, according to Beightel.
Officers had witnessed the maroon passenger vehicle stalled out in the intersection of NE Grant and NE Monroe in Topeka, according to Beightel. The Officer went to make contact with the occupants of the vehicle.
At that time, a Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper responded to the area, because a Trooper attempted to stop that vehicle earlier in the morning, but the driver of the vehicle later identified as Jarmane Dyane Logan, 35, Topeka, fled and evaded the Trooper.
As the Trooper and Officer were speaking to the occupants of the vehicle, a silver SUV approached them at a high rate of speed, almost striking them.
The occupants of the maroon passenger car attempted to flee and get into the SUV.
Law enforcement on the scene of the investigation Tuesday in Topeka -photo courtesy WIBW TV
As the Trooper and Officer tried to intervene, the Trooper and Officer were dragged by the SUV. The trooper shot and injured the Logan. He was transported to a local hospital by ambulance and died, according to Beightel.
Retina has previous convictions for fleeing or attempt to elude a law enforcement officer, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Today Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Very windy, with a north wind 23 to 28 mph increasing to 29 to 34 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 48 mph.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 22. Windy, with a north wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph.
FridaySunny, with a high near 52. North northwest wind 7 to 13 mph.
Friday NightClear, with a low around 23. North northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.
SaturdaySunny, with a high near 56. South southwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
Saturday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 28.
