LINK
Harold Bettis; Angie Zimmerman, Exec Director
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Louie Gilmore; Jenny Bates, Exec Director
First Call for Help
Harold Bettis; Linda Mell, Exec Director
Options
Jennifer Hecker, Exec Dire; Jeremy Herl; Rachel Gardner, Dir of Client Serv
Hays Area Children’s Center
Michelle Williams, Exec Director; Jeremy Herl
Submitted
Members of Thunder on the Plains Car, Truck and Cycle show met Monday evening to determine how to disperse the proceeds from their annual car show which was held Sept. 15 at Frontier Park East.
The group hosts the annual event not only as a way for car, truck and bike owners to share their great rides with everyone, but also to raise money to contribute to local agencies who serve those in need.
The success of this event depends mainly on the support of our sponsors – and our sponsors came through for us this year. Because of their generosity we are able to share our success with these 10 local agencies: Big Brothers Big Sisters, DSNWK, First Call for Help, Hays Area Children’s Center, Cancer Council of Ellis County, High Plains Mental Health Center, Humane Society of the High Plains, Kansas Merci Boxcar & Veterans Memorial Park, LINK Inc., and Options. A donation to Kansas Honor Flight was also made.
Thunder on the Plains has set the date for their show next year so mark your calendar. It will be held Sept. 14, 2019, at Frontier Park East. We thank our big-hearted sponsors, and with their continued support. We look forward to this event being bigger and better allowing Thunder on the Plains to increase our contributions to local agencies. Be sure to go to our Facebook page or look up our website, www.thunderontheplainsks.com for upcoming events.
The Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior High Student Council set the goal for donations for the St. Joseph’s Food Pantry at 250 items with the promise to match one item for every two items donated.
Renee Michaud, director of the St. Joseph Food Pantry, attended Mass with the students and spoke to them about the number of people in Hays who are food insecure.
Student council officers Jenna Schlyer and Arin Schibi then presented her with 551 food items the students had collected.
To the world, it’s the image of the United States.
To Americans, it’s the “us” in U.S. — and the universally recognized metaphor for the president and the administration behind him.
And for at least 100 years, it’s been the prime spot for demonstrators focused on many of society’s most important issues — war and peace, abortion and gun rights, health care policies and more.
In First Amendment terms, the White House may well be the premier place we go to exercise our rights of free speech, to assemble peaceably and to petition the government for redress of grievances.
The usual space for protests is on the White House’s north side, on a sidewalk along Pennsylvania Avenue, and across the street in the park-like Lafayette Square. While the immediate streets are now closed to vehicles due to terrorist concerns, the sidewalks and green spaces still see daily protests — from a single person adorned with handmade signs to organized rallies that fill the square and beyond.
But the National Park Service has now proposed new regulations and is considering new fees that thousands fear will dissuade most demonstrators from protesting “at the White House.” Park service officials want to limit protesters to a narrow, five-foot strip on the curb side of the 25-foot sidewalk and may establish new charges for security, trash clean-up and such things as “harm to turf.”
The park service argues the changes are needed to help cover higher costs of dealing with what it says is an increasing number of demonstrations. Critics say the moves are a poorly disguised attempt by the Trump administration to thwart visible, anti-Trump protesters — and even dispute the claim of more protests than in previous years.
According to news reports, more than 10,000 people have responded to a public comment period on the new regulations that ended Monday — most in strong opposition.
What would we lose if we moved demonstrations away from the White House?
No less than a century of permitting citizens to send a direct, audible and visible message to the occupant of the Executive Mansion.
In January 1917, a dozen women met in Lafayette Square to start a protest that eventually led to a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote. The women — called the “Silent Sentinels” — are credited by some historians with creating the first picket line at the White House. Rain or shine, six days a week, they quietly held signs asking, “How Long Must Women Wait For Liberty?” and “Mr. President, What Will You Do for Woman Suffrage?” They stayed on line until June 1919, when Congress sent the 19th Amendment to the states for ratification.
During WWII, crowds were reported to have gathered periodically on the sidewalks at the White House — including a huge gathering Aug. 14, 1945, to hear the news from President Harry S. Truman that the war had ended.
President Lyndon B. Johnson was taunted in the late 1960s by Vietnam War protesters outside the White House, who chanted loud enough to be heard in the White House at all hours: “Hey, hey LBJ — how many kids did you kill today?” During the Nixon administration a few years later, President Richard Nixon could hear car horns beeping — Watergate protestors would ask passing cars to “honk if you think Nixon should be impeached.”
Since Trump took office Jan. 20, 2017, Lafayette Square has been a regular stop for marches and demonstrations, though those in the massive Women’s March a day after the inauguration were prevented from entering the square because of the viewing stands and security fences that remained from the inaugural parade — obstacles that remained into March.
Yes, social media greatly expands the reach of a march anywhere in Washington, D.C. — and online campaigns potentially reach thousands if not millions more. But the unique opportunity for the physical voices of citizens to be heard across the White House grounds remains a unique feature of American democracy — for now.
Yes, there surely are expenses associated with protests and other demonstrations, at the White House and other public areas that might also be affected, but as a nation, we have in the past found ways to absorb such relatively low costs as a price of democracy.
Core freedoms should not be dissected, disassembled or denied via a balance sheet. And there’s hardly anything more un-American than finding back-door ways to mute our right to protest, with vigor and passion and at times with volume, at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Gene Policinski is president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. He can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter at @genefac.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have a suspect in custody.
Saunstaire-photo Sedgwick County
Just before 9 p.m. Saturday, police responded to an armed robbery call at the NuWay, 6404 E. Central in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. A 20-year-old male employee told police a suspect entered the business, indicated he had a gun and demanded money. The staff gave him money and the suspect fled on foot.
Police located the suspect identified as 35-year-old Jacob Saunstaire in the area of Douglas and Hillcrest and took him into custody without incident, according to Davidson. Police also recovered the money in the area of Douglas and Hillcrest.
Saunstaire was booked on one count of aggravated robbery. Saunstaire has four previous convictions for aggravated robbery in addition to convictions for flee and attempt to elude law enforcement and for criminal discharge of a firearm, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Bailey McCaughey, Eads, Colo., junior, practices breakaway roping with Assistant Coach Ross Russell. Photo by Makenna Allen
By MAKENNA ALLEN Fort Hays State University
Gates clang and metal clatters as clods of dirt spatter against the rails. The humid fall air is penetrated only by the whinnies of horses tied to trailers. At Fort Hays State University, these sights and sounds can mean but one thing: It’s rodeo season.
Indeed, the rodeo team’s practices are well underway and the student athletes are learning the ropes and routine of daily life as a part of the Fort Hays State University Rodeo Team. New students and returning athletes alike are prepared to jump in, ready to learn from Head Coach Bronc Rumford and Assistant Coach Ross Russell.
“This is my first year,” said Coldwater junior and team roper Tanner Kay. “I’ve always grown up around rodeo, so when I came here I decided to try it out.”
Other new team members, like breakaway roper Larae Boaldin, Garden City junior, are transfer students from other schools where they also rodeoed.
“Through rodeo, being on the team at Garden, I knew Hays had a program and I contacted Bronc,” Boaldin said.
Even returning team members are looking to expand their knowledge when it comes to rodeo and life.
“Spending time with Bronc and Ross, the coaches, has been such an important part in my life, especially learning from Bronc about rodeo and about life in general,” said team roper Zeke Hall, Peyton, Colo., senior.
The coaches also hold a variety of goals for the team.
“We are expecting some qualifiers to the College National Finals, personal improvement each week, and a team GPA of 3.0 to name a few,” Rumford said.
The goal of academic achievement allows the program’s benefits to extend beyond success in the arena. Indeed, managing time in order to fit practice and rodeos into a busy student schedule requires students to develop a sense of balance and the ability to prioritize necessary tasks.
“Balancing schoolwork and rodeo, I struggled at first because you want to spend as much time as you can out here, roping and competing and trying to get better,” Hall said. “It can sometimes take away from schoolwork, so just staying focused and making sure my priorities are in the right place and just taking care of business.”
Boaldin also strives towards success in academics.
“It’s definitely difficult, but I just make sure I’m home at a good time to do my homework but I make sure that I get to practice every day,” Boaldin said.
Outside of these practical skills, being a member of the team holds even more value for students. For them, rodeo is a chance to form new relationships that develop during long hauls to rodeos and during overnight stays in small hotel rooms.
“Really, it’s a way to meet new people and have some fun,” said calf roper and team roper Colton Wagner, Paola junior.
Even as this family atmosphere begins to form, the coaches hope for success within the arena.
“This year we’re really young, so we’re going to try to build them up,” Russell said. “Next year would be a stretch to win a national championship but here in the next three or four years, we’re going to have a chance.”
This fall season provides multiple opportunities to work towards these goals as the team has already competed at Colby Community College, Southeastern State University, and Oklahoma State University.
Rumford highlights the successes so far of Coleman Kirby, Richfield senior, in bull riding and Travis Booth, Castle Rock, Colo., junior, in steer wrestling. Barrel racer Roxanna Clawson, Great Bend junior, finished as one of the top 15 competitors at two rodeos this season.
The team looks to continue this success into their final rodeo of the fall season through the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. The rodeo at Northwestern Oklahoma State University is scheduled for Oct. 25 in Alva, Oklahoma.
As the team travels out of state, members seek support from sponsors and donors to help build the program and to help the team find success in the upcoming season.
“That’s everything to our rodeo – sponsors. We get very little money from anybody else. It’s the town that we rely on to be able to have a rodeo,” Russell said.
Rumford stresses how sponsors have made it possible for students to discover and ultimately realize their dreams. For Hall, this is possibly the most important role of the rodeo club in students’ lives.
“It’s taught me that anything is possible. Before I came here, I didn’t really rope or anything,” Hall said. “It’s just taught me that if you have something in mind that you want to do, if you have a goal, if you have a dream, then just put your head down and go do it and believe in yourself.”
Makenna Allen, Littleton, Colo., freshman, is majoring in information networking and telecommunications at Fort Hays State University.
Monday Sunny, with a high near 65. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.
Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Northeast wind around 8 mph.
TuesdayPartly sunny, with a high near 61. East southeast wind 7 to 11 mph.
Tuesday NightA 20 percent chance of rain after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Southeast wind around 9 mph.
WednesdayRain, mainly after 1pm. High near 53. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Wednesday NightRain likely, mainly before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
ThursdayPartly sunny, with a high near 62.
Thursday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 44.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Topeka headquarters of Payless Shoesource will be auctioned online this week, after more jobs were eliminated by the company.
Payless Corporate offices in Topeka-google image
The company on Friday eliminated 35 merchandising positions in Topeka as part of what it calls a new merchandising structure. The jobs will either transfer to Dallas or not be filled.
The online auction of the nearly 307,000-square-foot headquarters will be held Monday through Wednesday, with a starting bid of $1.25 million.
Payless officials haven’t said exactly how many jobs have been eliminated in Topeka or if any divisions will be left here. At least 350 employees have been laid off, but more positions were moved to Dallas.
Payless has been restructuring after emerging from bankruptcy. It is relocating most of its corporate headquarters to Dallas.
Janet Loree (Dewald) Johnson was born January 31, 1941 in Great Bend, Kansas. She was the daughter of Victor and Alice (Schenkel) Dewald.
On June 23, 1963, Janet married Donald Johnson in Bazine, Kansas. They later divorced.
Janet was a graduate of the Bazine Grade and High Schools. She also graduated from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. She was a member of the Bazine United Methodist Church, and a member of the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Sorority. She was a church organist and pianist for many years. She occasionally gave concerts, and played for many funerals and weddings, of all church faiths. She worked in Topeka, Kansas for Crosby’s, Sears Department Stores, and the State of Kansas. She also had employment at the Hough Piano and Organ Company in Salina, Kansas, as a teacher of group and private piano, with training by the Wurlitzer Co. She was employed as a resident assistant at the Wheatview Apartments in Ness City.
Janet is survived by numerous cousins and their families, and a special friend, Melissa Miller. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Funeral service will be on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 2:00 P.M. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home followed by burial in Bazine Cemetery. Fitzgerald Funeral Home will be open for viewing on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 from 9:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M.
Memorial Contributions may be given to the Bazine United Methodist Church or Wheatview Apartments.
GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged vehicle theft and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.
Ryan Lee Squires, 29, is wanted for questioning in reference to the alleged theft of two motor vehicles and is also wanted for an alleged parole violation, according to a social media report from the Geary County Sheriff.
Squires is described a white male, 5-foot-11, 180 pounds with red hair and a goatee. He was last seen in the area south of Grandview Plaza in Geary County, according to the sheriff’s department. Squires was wearing a white t-shirt, red pants and has full sleeve tattoos on both arms. He is possibly armed, the sheriff advised not to approach him, but contact law enforcement immediately.
KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for a nearly $500,000 investment fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Ryan Scott Luscombe, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Luscombe to pay $483,482 in restitution to his victims.
Luscombe was found guilty at trial on Feb. 12, 2018, of three counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering.
Luscombe solicited investments for his business, Five Star Trading Group, Inc., claiming to investors that he would utilize his expertise in stock trading to produce exorbitant returns. Instead, evidence introduced during the trial indicated that nearly all the investor funds, which totaled $483,482, was used by Luscombe on personal expenditures in 2013, 2014 and 2015, including the purchase of a 2010 BMW 750I and a trip to Bermuda.
Several victim investors used money from their retirement accounts to invest with Luscombe. None of Luscombe’s investors have received funds from returns or the return of their original investment.
During the course of the scheme to defraud victims of their investment money, Luscombe represented himself as a wealthy individual and a successful day trader capable of producing tremendous returns on investments. Luscombe lied to investors about his past success in order to obtain their money for his own personal use and financial gain.
Luscombe told investors he was creating a new business to manage over $50 million from three investors in Arizona. Luscombe claimed he would be the primary investment trader, but because the dollar amount to be invested would be too large for one person to handle, he was recruiting additional individuals to assist in his trading endeavor. In exchange for a fee or investment in the business, Luscombe offered to train the additional individuals in his trading strategy. Eventually, Luscombe told investors he would allow a small number of friends and family to take advantage or “piggyback” off the investment strategy of the larger investors.
Luscombe’s stated investment strategy was to trade securities in the stock market based on the identification of trends in the upward or downward direction of the stock price. Luscombe told investors the risk was very low and minimal because he constantly monitored the stock price. Luscombe told investors he had been in the trading business for many years and had previously made millions of dollars.
Luscombe regularly provided positive projected investment return updates to the victims regarding their investments, and claimed investor money would be utilized for trading and generating profits for investors. As a direct result of these conversations, investors entrusted their money to him.
Investors never authorized Luscombe to spend investment money on personal expenditures. Luscombe never told investors their investment money would be spent on his personal expenditures. A salary for Luscombe was not authorized by investors. At the time of investment, Luscombe never informed investors that investment funds would be utilized to pay his salary. An analysis of financial activity revealed Luscombe’s spending of investor funds included the following:
(a) $83,088 in cash and cash equivalents;
(b) $78,542 in retail expenses;
(c) $67,990 in restaurants and entertainment;
(d) $52,925 in vehicle expenses;
(e) $45,940 in travel expenses;
(f) $41,058 in rent and utilities;
(g) $39,673 in investment firm losses, fees, and interest1; and
(h) $21,144 in nutrition, fitness and beauty expenses.
Luscombe was not registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority as a broker dealer or as an investment advisor representative. Luscombe and Five Star Trading Group were not registered with the Missouri Secretary of State – Securities Division.
In 2016, Luscombe notified the victims that all of their investor funds had been lost in trading and that Five Star was forced to close down.
The Criminal Justice Club at Fort Hays State University is hosting a 1920s gangster-themed murder mystery dinner on Saturday, Oct. 27, at The Venue in Thirsty’s Brew Pub and Grill, 2704 Vine St.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. with entertainment to follow. A silent auction will be held throughout the evening.
Attendees are welcome to dress up with the theme chosen for the night.
Individual tickets are $50 and couples tickets are two tickets for $85. Ticket prices include admission, two free drink coupons, dinner, dessert and entertainment.
Tickets can be purchased in the Department of Criminal Justice, located in Rarick Hall, Room 233, or at Thirsty’s Brew Pub and Grill.
All proceeds will help the Criminal Justice Club attend the National American Criminal Justice Association meeting and competition in Baltimore.
For more information, or to request tickets contact Tamara Lynn at [email protected].
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A new survey says farmland prices are expected to continue their decline in parts of 10 Plains and Western states.
Google image
The latest Rural Mainstreet survey shows that on average, bank CEOs in the region estimated farmland prices declined by 4 percent over the past 12 months. They expect farmland prices to fall by another 3.2 percent over the next 12 months.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the survey also shows the farm sector is being weakened by negative impacts of tariffs and low agriculture commodity prices.
The overall economic index for the region increased slightly to 54.3 from 51.5 in September. That score still suggests growth because it is above 50, while any score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.
Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence city leaders want bar staff to be prepared to respond to predatory behavior, harassment and sexual assault.
Commissioners during Monday Oct. 16 meeting in Lawrence
Commissioners asked city staff last week to work with drinking establishments and other stakeholders in developing a training requirement.
Commissioner Jennifer Ananda says many alcohol-facilitated sexual assaults start at bars, and she proposed the change as a means to prevent sex crimes.
Assistant City Attorney Maria Garcia told the commission it would be possible to require the training as part of a local license that the city issues to drinking establishments, which is in addition to the state liquor license.
Details are being worked out over who should be required to receive the training and how often it would be required.
