HFD Shift Lt. Tyler Brungardt tosses the baseball to a young Hays Larks fan while HPD Lt. Tim Greenwood acts as catcher. The men enjoyed the impromptu game of catch before being honored on the field as part of First Responders Night at Larks Park Saturday. (Photos courtesy Justin Choitz)
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
The weather was much more favorable Saturday evening than it was Friday in Hays.
Local emergency responders were busy as a slow-moving severe thunderstorm traveled through the area, bringing high wind, lots of lightening and some hail. A Flood Warning was in effect for Ellis County until 9:15 a.m. Saturday.
Many of the first responders were back in action again Saturday night, although in a much more relaxed environment.
Postponed until tonight were the First Responders Night activities as part of the Hays Larks game.
The Larks had to postpone Friday’s opener in their three-game series with the Bethany (Oklahoma) Bulls. The game is being made up as part of a 6 p.m. doubleheader in Larks Park.
The Hays Baseball Association and Hays Larks Baseball hosted the fifth annual First Responders Night. Everyone was invited to attend the game to help pay tribute to law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, 911 dispatchers and all first responders for their commitment and contributions to our community.
HFD Lt. Brungardt waits for a pitch.
Two first responders, Hays Fire Department Shift Lieutenant Tyler Brungardt and Hays Police Lieutenant Tim Greenwood, took time to toss the baseball with a young boy before the men were invited onto the field to be recognized for First Responders Appreciation Night.
Hays Firefighter Justin Choitz, who took the pictures of the “impressionable Larks fan” said “Lt. Brungardt interacts well with young people.”
Brungardt gets ready to return the toss.
“We are honored to recognize the hard work of these outstanding members of our community,” said Ken Windholz, president of the Hays Baseball Association. “These men and women have dedicated their lives to providing safety and security for us and we are pleased to pay tribute to them and their families.”
Admission to the game was free. The game is being sponsored by Invenergy and Platinum Group.
HAYS – A semi driver was injured in an accident just after 5p.m. on Friday in Ellis County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Freightliner semi driven by Jeffery Paul Crosby, 55, Oklahoma City, OK., was eastbound on Interstate 70 one mile west of the U.S. 183 Junction.
A strong gust of wind lifted the empty trailer from the roadway, moving it toward the cab and the truck rolled.
It slid down the highway about one hundred yards before coming to rest on its passenger side.
Crosby was transported to Hays Medical Center.
He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
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At 6:20 p.m. law enforcement reported both lanes of eastbound traffic are now clear and open.
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At around 5:15 p.m. Friday a semi-truck was turned over and blocking both eastbound traffic lanes on I-70 just west of Hays.
While the cause of the turnover is yet unknown, no other vehicles appeared involved and strong winds were blowing through the area at the time.
The truck was empty according to law enforcement scanner traffic and no injuries were being reported.
By 6:00 p.m. the truck had been moved off the roadway and traffic that had been backed up up for more than a mile was being allowed to move around the scene.
The city of Hays is anticipating a five percent increase in its 2016/2017 commercial insurance premium. The current policy for liability and property insurance with BRIT Insurance expires July 1, 2016.
“We’re not entirely unhappy about it,” Hays Finance Director Kim Rupp told city commissioners during their Thursday night work session. “We’ve experienced about a five percent decrease over the past couple of years so this increase isn’t terrible.”
Christina Pyle with the city’s insurance broker, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., explained how market factors resulted in just one quote–by BRIT. Six other companies declined to bid primarily “due to the aggressive pricing BRIT is providing,” she said.
“The city has just had a couple of property claims and a couple of auto claims that have knocked the loss ratio up a little bit higher…and also with the market in this part of Kansas–with the wind and hail–(BRIT) did have to get a little bit of rate (increase) this year,” Pyle concluded.”
That increase is 4.9 percent or $9,197 more than the prior period. Total cost is $196,220.
Pyle called it a “flat renewal” and also offered some better news.
“We were able to save pretty significant money on the cyber liability side. We moved the coverage from AIG to a company called BCS Insurance. It’s actually a program that Gallagher developed specifically for cyber liability. It saved about $5,000 and is very good coverage,” Pyle said.
Shaun Musil, Hays vice-mayor
Vice-Mayor Shaun Musil was a little concerned there was just one bid. “I think it’s unfortunate we didn’t have any bidders, but I guess maybe it’s good that we’re low enough that they can’t beat that.” He encouraged Pyle to “keep an eye on it. Having several bidders is always a good thing.”
Commissioners agreed to move forward with the recommendation to renew the BRIT insurance policy. It will be considered at the June 23 regular commission meeting.
Commissioner Henry Schwaller was absent from Thursday’s work session.
Front row, from left:: Levi Hickert, Chance Murphy, Ethan Atherton, Brandon Karlin and Landon Dinkel. Back row, from left: Noah Gibson, Ethan Brummer, Tyson Dinkel, Hayden Brown, Brady Kreutzer, Travis Wierman and Jacob Pfeifer.
PRATT — The Hays Rebels went 3-1 to win the “Life’s Short Play Hard Tournament” 14U division at the Green Sports Complex in Pratt on June 11 and 12.
During the course of the tournament, the Rebels defeated Reno County, Kingman and, finally, Pratt in the final game to take the championship.
Coaches are Bill Wierman, Craig Karlin, Curt Dinkel and Josh Gibson.
Want to share news of YOUR team’s success? Simply email a photo and information to [email protected] and let us tell the community!
By RANDY GONZALEZ FHSU University Relations and Marketing
To further his career, Eric Bremner had to look no further than Fort Hays State University.
Bremner, a supervising investigator for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office in San Bernardino, Calif., was looking for a college where he could get his master’s degree online, with the hope of earning a promotion upon completion.
“As time progressed I realized by the time I was promoted to sergeant in 2002 with no degree, it was the end of the line,” Bremner said. “I wouldn’t go any further unless I finalized my education.”
Bremner finished his bachelor’s degree in less than a year in 2014. He then focused on finding a school to get his master’s. A member of an FBI task force that Bremner supervised had attended FHSU and mentioned the university to Bremner.
“He said it was a good program and affordable,” Bremner said.
Bremner checked it out, and he liked what he saw. He enrolled for the spring 2015 semester, seeking a Master’s of Professional Studies in Criminal Justice, and he graduated last month.
“I completed my bachelor’s degree and went straight into the Fort Hays State program, so I would be in position to promote up to an administrative position by the end of my career,” Bremner said.
Bremner said the online course work at FHSU was extensive, the same as if he was in a classroom — which he appreciated.
“This was the first experience I had with a true online program,” Bremner said. “The setup there was very good.
“I liked the interaction; I liked the assignments,” he added. “The instructors didn’t hold back. You’ve got to work — they don’t hold back.”
John Raacke, chair of FHSU’s Department of Criminal Justice, said online students receive the same quality education as those on campus.
“We have the same level of expectations, the same amount of course work — you name it, it’s in there,” he said. “It’s just done through virtual means.”
Raacke said Bremner was an exceptional and dedicated student.
“Eric was very inquisitive, had good questions,” Raacke said. “He was what you would expect from somebody who had a lot going on. Eric was really easy as a student.”
Bremner, who lives outside San Bernardino in Norco, Calif., completed his master’s degree in three semesters — while working fulltime and helping raise three young children.
Dennis King, assistant vice president for student affairs at FHSU, said Bremner’s decision to further his education will not only help him, but also his children.
“One of the things that’s truly rewarding about the Virtual College is the family members,” King said. “Think about those kids seeing their dad go through that program, studying online.
“They witness somebody working hard to better themselves and their family,” he added. “It’s going to be rewarding, because we know (his children) are going to expect to go to college, do everything they can to get there.”
With costs a factor, Bremner also appreciated FHSU’s low tuition — especially compared to other schools he was considering. Bremner’s tuition at another institution to finish his bachelor’s degree cost $15,000, while tuition for his master’s degree at FHSU was $8,000.
“You’re not going to be one of those people that come out of college $40,000 to $50,000 in debt, because the tuition is so reasonable and the education you get is as good or better,” he said. “That’s why I tell people in my line of work to look at Fort Hays State. You just can’t beat it.”
King said maintaining high standards of excellence — while at the same time providing an affordable, quality education — is important.
“We know we’re offering challenging academic programs and making sure the students meet the outcomes of the programs,” King said. “When we talk about replicating the same program online as on campus, the cost of tuition has to do with it as well. Our access to quality and getting an affordable education is our focus both on campus and off.”
With FHSU degree in hand, Bremner, 48, now looks at a brighter future.
“My goal, within the next year or two, is to move up into a management position,” he said. “I’m in a good position now to compete for that spot and hopefully get it. Without this master’s degree I would not be as competitive with the other people in our office.”
Bremner has been in law enforcement for 25 years. Times have changed, he said. Bremner realized that these days, to further your career, you need that piece of paper hanging on the wall. He’s proud to be a Fort Hays State graduate.
“The quality of education I received and the tuition I paid made this by far the best deal out there,” Bremner said. “There’s no comparison.”
It might not be a new business, but a new location near one of the busiest intersections in Hays and a new partnership gives customers access to everything automotive, including performance parts and standard automotive care, in one location at 1240 Vine.
Mid-Kansas Auto Accessories owner Devin Jacques said he is happy to be back in Hays with his new partners after a stint in his hometown of Ellis and running the business for a little over three years.
“I started out over here in Hays, on 22nd Street, and I had an opportunity become available in Ellis,” he said.
Despite living and working in Ellis, he said many of his customers were coming from Hays.
“It just wasn’t working out,” Jacques said. After seeing the location on Vine, he knew it would be a good way to move the business back to Hays.
“We opened up just a little over a month ago … and we’ve kind of been going at it here ever since,” he said. “We’re still kinda in the beginning stages as far as getting things set up and figuring out how to make things work around here.”
But with so many customers from Hays driving the streets with vehicles the business has installed accessories on – including Midwest Energy fleet vehicles – he is happy to see those vehicles in action in Hays and invites residents to look into what they could do for their vehicle.
“In the aftermarket world, there’s not much we don’t cover,” he said. “We do anything from suspension lifts to wheel and tire packages.”
While Jacques and his brother – the other employee in the business – work on building business in the new location, a partnership with Gear Head Garage’s owners Ryan Benyshek and Jeff Zerr, creates a space where almost anything a car needs can be taken care of in one location.
“They were wanting to open up their own mechanic shop over here in Hays, and it just so happens that this building was available, and it’s probably more than I would want to take on by myself,” Jacques said.
So they teamed up.
“Now Gear Head Garage can cover the mechanical side of things, from oil changes to brakes all the way to complete engine swaps,” Jacques said. “Basically, you can come in here and get everything automotive covered, now matter what you want,”
For more on Mid-Kansas Auto Accessories click here, or for more on Gear Head Garage click here. Both businesses are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
According to the History Channel website www.history.com, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation officially establishing a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14, 1916, the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777. And in 1949, President Harry Truman signed legislation designating June 14 of each year as National Flag Day.
Hays Kiwanis Club member Kevin Schukman, an Eagle Communications employee, used his pickup this morning for transporting the flags which will be removed this evening.
In Hays, Kiwanis club members–including Eagle Communications Employee/Owner Kevin Schukman–are up at dawn to place the American flag in yards and near businesses participating in the club’s fundraiser.
The Kiwanis took a little bit of time to post pictures on their Facebook page. “Our first day of our 17th year of the Flag Project. We placed 1,055 flags today and the community looked amazing! We truly appreciate the support from our customers who participate in this project.”
The High i Que team poses with their Grand Champion trophy presented Saturday by Sara Bloom, DHDC executive director. (Photo courtesy DHDC)
BY BECKY KISER Hays Post
And the winner is…
Drum roll please…
Or, better yet–drumstick, a barbecued chicken drumstick–
High i Que BBQ.
Randy Vanslyke and his family of Gardner, Kan., were named Grand Champions Saturday afternoon in the 8th Annual Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competition, “Fire on the Frontier BBQ Classic” in Hays Municipal Park.
Vanslyke wrote on his High i Que BBQ Facebook page “we had a great time this weekend in Hays, KS and I really appreciate the great job that Sara and all her staff from Hays did this past weekend to make us all feel welcome and appreciated. This competition last year was our first competing as a family team and holds a special place in our memories. Next for us is the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle on the 24th and 25th of June, should be fun.”
Sara is Sara Bloom, executive director of the Downtown Hays Development Corporation, who with the help of many volunteers, welcomed 31 teams to the two-day competition. Local barbecue lovers imbibed in a variety of good eats Friday night–a practice run by several of the teams.
High i Que, which competed in Fire on the Frontier last year, also won 1st place chicken, 3rd place ribs, 6th place pork, and 3rd place brisket.
Friday was the 18th annual Drive FORE Cancer golf tourney for Ellis Co. Relay for Life.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Some of the golfers turned out purely for fun; others teed it up because their lives have been touched by cancer.
Friday’s 18th annual “Drive FORE Cancer” golf tournament at the Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course was a fundraiser for the Ellis County Relay for Life (RFL).
Ellis Co. ACS Relay for Life volunteer Mary Ann Randa
RFL volunteer Mary Ann Randa confessed she is “not a golfer,” but she’s been at the event–coordinated by Hays Eagle Radio–the past 16 years. According to Randa, 33 percent of the funds raised in RFL events are used by the American Cancer Society for cancer research.
Cancer has definitely touched her life.
Randa’s mother died of colon cancer. Her brother Bob Kuhn, a popular Hays High School wrestling coach and teacher, died of kidney cancer in 2008 at the age of 57. She has a couple of friends and co-workers who are currently undergoing cancer treatment.
“Cancer is no longer an automatic terminal illness because of the research and treatments that are now available,” Randa said.
One example of that progress, funded in part by the American Cancer Society, is stem cell transplants.
“My brother Bob battled cancer for 10 years. He was lucky that one of my other brothers was an exact match for a donor stem cell transplant. Some of the stem cell treatments my friends are having to deal with–now they are able to harvest and use their own stem cells. Some of the things that Bob endured, they’re not having to deal with. Your side effects are drastically reduced and your treatment is not nearly as harsh as what it used to be. So, their prognosis is even better.”
Eagle Communications team members Scott Boomer and Gerard Wellbrock discuss their strategy.
Thirty-one teams participated in yesterday’s Drive FORE Cancer golf tourney.
The annual Ellis County Relay for Life will be held Sat., Oct. 22, 2016, from 12 to 6 p.m. in the Fort Hays State University Gross Memorial Coliseum.
A date and location has yet to be determined for the RFL Survivor Supper for cancer patients and their care givers.
On Thursday morning, members of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce and Eagle Communications employees gathered at the new home of the company’s Customer Care Center at 1007 W. 27th for a ribbon-cutting celebrating the opening of the new space.
“On behalf all 290 Eagle Employee-Owners, we appreciate you coming out here to join us today,” said Travis Kohlrus, general manager of Eagle’s broadband division.
There were two main reasons for the move, Kohlrus told a large crowd – customer access and company expansion.
“We needed better access to our customers,” he said, noting the new location is more accessible with direct access to a major thoroughfare in Hays.
The location also gives the company the ability to showcase products and services.
“You can really enhance the experience,” Kohlrus said, by providing product demonstrations now available in the new location.
The new location also will allow Eagle to accommodate a growing number of services and a larger company footprint.
“When you have more products and a larger footprint, you got to have more employees,” Kohlrus said.
The location will be home to the company’s customer service and marketing departments.
“Those two groups work together immensely to communicate with our customers,” Kohlrus said.
There are currently 17 people that will work in the facility, with additional space for 10 more.
The location – in the Eagle Business Plaza near to the previous Customer Care Center, corporate office and Network Operations Center – was also a feature Kohlrus noted during the celebration.
“The other thing we liked about this building that was unique is that it is part of the Eagle campus,” he said.
Now that the location is open, he invited customers to take advantage of the new space.
“We invite you to come in, consult with us, if you have questions about your current packages or products that we offer, come in and see us. We’re happy to sit down and help.”
Former Fort Hays State University announcer Bob Davis is among the inductees with western Kansas connections in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2016.
The KSHOF will induct its newest members on Oct. 2 in Wichita.
The KSHOF Class of 2016 consists of 12 members: Topeka native and forty-eight year broadcaster of the Fort Hays State Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and University of Kansas Bob Davis; former Kansas State University baseball player and Washburn University baseball’s career coaching wins leader Steve Anson; 1961 first-team All-American University of Kansas basketball player and three-time NBA All-Star Bill Bridges; two-time Big 8/Big 12 Conference Player of the Year at the University of Kansas and three-time WNBA All-Star Tamecka Dixon; two-time University of Kansas track All-American and four-minute miler Bill Dotson of Concordia; two-time University of Kansas pole vault All- American and U.S. Olympian Scott Huffman from Quinter; Cheney native and three-time national football coach of the year Jerry Kill; 14-time track All-American and two-time National Champion at Emporia State University Deandra Doubrava-McBride of Scott City; 1993 Kansas State University All-American football player and three-time All-Big 8 selection Jaime Mendez III; Wichita native and first African-American high school basketball coach in Wichita public schools Lafayette Norwood; four-time Kansas State University All-American and four-time Olympian Austra Skujytė; and first African-American athlete to letter in athletics at Pittsburg State University and three-time Negro League World Series champion George Sweatt from Humboldt.
Anson, Bridges and Sweatt will be honored posthumously.
The 12-person class raises the total number of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductees to 260. The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is in its 55th year of operation. Tickets for the 2016 Induction Ceremony go on sale on Aug. 1, 2016, and can be purchased by calling 316-262-2038 or by ordering online at www.kshof.org.
KSHOF Class of 2016
STEVE ANSON – WASHBURN UNIVERSITY A native of Princeton, Indiana, Steve Anson’s baseball career in Kansas began in 1972 when he enrolled at Kansas State University. Anson lettered for the Wildcats all four years in Manhattan and set career and single season marks that still stand today. A career .349 hitter in 184 games, Anson led the team in hits and batting average all four years in Manhattan. As of 2016, Anson also held the school record for career triples with 19. Anson was named a first-team All-Big 8 performer in 1974. Following his playing career, Anson was named head coach of Wayne State University in 1978 before being named the head coach at Washburn University in Topeka in 1980. Anson guided the Ichabods to five NAIA National Tournaments and was named the 1994 MIAA Conference Coach of the Year. In 24 years at Washburn, Anson compiled a career coaching record of 844-798-3. Anson’s players also achieved success under his tutelage and he coached three All-American selections, two Academic All-Americans, and 96 All-MIAA Conference selections. Anson was named to the K-State Baseball All-Century team in 2000 and was inducted to the Washburn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
BILL BRIDGES – UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Bill Bridges, originally from Hobbs, New Mexico, is another in a long line of University of Kansas basketball players to make their mark on Kansas sports history. A three-time Big 8 Conference selection, Bridges compiled over 1,000 points and rebounds during his three-year KU career. In 1961, Bridges was named a first-team All-American selection. Following his collegiate career, Bridges was selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1961 NBA Draft. Bridges played thirteen NBA seasons with the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Golden State Warriors, where he totaled more than 11,000 career points and rebounds. Bridges was a three-time NBA All-Star in 1967, 1968, and 1970. Bridges was inducted to the KU Athletics Hall of Fame and the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
BOB DAVIS – TOPEKA Iola born and Topeka raised, Bob Davis is a name that sports fans all across the state will recognize. A graduate of Topeka West High School in 1962 and Washburn University in 1967, Davis began his broadcasting career at Fort Hays State University in 1968 as the Voice of the Tigers. For the next forty eight years, fans of many teams across the state and region could count on Davis’s voice calling the action of their favorite teams. In 1984, Davis moved to Lawrence and the University of Kansas to be the Voice of the Jayhawks, a position he held until 2016. During that span, Davis called eight Jayhawk Final Four appearances, including two National Championships in 1988 and 2008, and six KU football bowl games. From 1997 to 2013, Davis also called baseball games for the Kansas City Royals. Davis was named the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year thirteen times and a two-time recipient of the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s Oscar Stauffer Sports Broadcasting Award. Davis has been honored in numerous athletic halls of fame across the state, including the Fort Hays State Athletics Tiger Hall of Fame in 1990, the Kansas Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Topeka West High School Graduates Hall of Fame in 2011.
TAMECKA DIXON – UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS A native of Linden, New Jersey, Tamecka Dixon left a legacy at the University of Kansas that is unrivaled. A two-time Big 8/Big 12 All-Conference selection in 1996 and 1997, Dixon was also named the conference Player of the Year both seasons and earned All-American honors in 1997. Dixon led the Jayhawks to four NCAA Tournament appearances, scoring over 1,600 points and totaling more than 330 assists for her KU career. Dixon was drafted in the first round of the 1997 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks and was named a three-time WNBA All-Star during her professional career with the Sparks, Houston Comets, and the Indiana Fever. Dixon also won two WNBA Championships with the Sparks. Dixon is an inductee of the KU Athletics Hall of Fame and her #33 jersey was retired by KU in 2003.
BILL DOTSON – CONCORDIA Kansas has a long history of producing some of the finest distance runners in American history and Concordia native Bill Dotson is another in the long line of track stars from the Sunflower State. Dotson broke fellow Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee Glenn Cunningham’s twenty eight year old high school mile record before graduating from Concordia High School in 1958. Dotson then enrolled at the University of Kansas where he became a two-time All-American and the first KU athlete to break the four minute mile mark in 1962. Dotson won five Big 8 Conference track titles, including three indoor titles and two outdoor titles, and won the Big 8 Conference title in cross country in 1961. Dotson set three three American records in the mile during his career. In 2008, Dotson was inducted to the KU Athletics Hall of Fame.
SCOTT HUFFMAN – QUINTER Quinter native Scott Huffman literally rewrote the technique of the pole vault during his career. After winning the high school state championship in the pole vault at Quinter in 1983, Huffman walked on at the University of Kansas where he perfected what became known as the “Huffman Roll” pole vault technique. Huffman won the 1986 Big 8 Conference outdoor and the 1988 Big 8 Conference indoor championships and was named an indoor All-American in 1986 and 1988. In 1994, Huffman entered his names in the American record books as he used his patented technique to hurl himself over nineteen feet, seven inches, for an American record. Huffman was a three-time USA Track and Field National Champion following his career at KU and he competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, finishing thirteenth. Huffman was inducted to the KU Athletics Hall of Fame and was named to the Pole Vault Summit Hall of Fame Class of 2016.
JERRY KILL – CHENEY A native of Cheney, Kansas, Jerry Kill’s coaching career spans parts of three decades and numerous conference and national honors. After graduating from Cheney High School in 1979, Kill attended Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, where he played linebacker for the Moundbuilders. Kill began his coaching career as an assistant to Dennis Franchione at Pittsburg State University in 1985 and he served on the staff under fellow Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Broyles for the 1991 Pittsburg State National Championship team. Kill’s first head coaching position came in 1994 at Saginaw Valley State in Michigan before stints at Emporia State University from 1999 to 2000, Southern Illinois from 2001 to 2007, and Northern Illinois from 2008 to 2010. In 2010, Kill was named the head coach at the University of Minnesota. During his career, Kill won four conference championships while posting a career coaching record of 152-99. Kill was honored with National Coach of the Year awards three times and was named the 2014 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year. In 2004, Kill was inducted to the Southwestern College Athletic Hall of Fame and he was inducted to the Southern Illinois University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.
DEANDRA DOUBRAVA-MCBRIDE – SCOTT CITY Scott City native Deandra Doubrava-McBride is one of the most decorated athletes in Emporia State University history. A four-time state champion in three events at Scott Community High School, Doubrava-McBride helped lead the Beavers to a team state championship her senior year in 1994. After enrolling at Emporia State, Doubrava-McBride made her mark early, and often, claiming eighteen MIAA Conference Championships throughout her career. In 1999, Doubrava-McBride won two NCAA Division II National Championships in the 400 meter and the heptathlon. She was named the 1999 U.S. Track Coaches Association Division II Female Athlete of the Year and the MIAA Ken Jones Female Athlete of the Year. For her career, Doubrava-McBride earned fourteen All-American honors and as of 2016, still holds six Emporia State indoor and outdoor school records. Doubrava-McBride was inducted to the USTFA Division II Hall of Fame in 2006, the Emporia State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009, and the MIAA Hall of Fame in 2012.
JAIME MENDEZ III – KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Jaime Mendez III helped form the foundation of K-State football during the early 1990s. A four year letterman for the Wildcats, Mendez’s impact was immediate as he led the team in interceptions and interception return yardage as a freshman, both marks setting school records. Mendez was named honorable mention All- Big 8 as a freshman and was named the Big 8 Newcomer of the Year in 1990. Mendez also earned All-Big 8 Conference honors in 1991, 1992, and 1993. In 1993, Mendez helped lead the Wildcats to a 9-2-1 record and the school’s second bowl game while recording a career high in tackles. Mendez was named a consensus All-American selection and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 1993. In 1994, Mendez signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles. As of 2016, Mendez’s fifteen career interceptions still rank tops in K-State history. Mendez was inducted to the K-State Football Ring of Honor in 2002 and the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
LAFAYETTE NORWOOD – WICHITA With a coaching career that spanned parts of six decades in multiple sports, and at both the high school and collegiate levels, there are few accolades that Wichita native Lafayette Norwood did not accomplish. A graduate of Wichita East High School in 1952, Norwood attended Cowley College for two years before completing his degree at Southwestern College in 1956. In 1969, Norwood made history when he was named the head basketball coach at Wichita Heights High School and became the first African American coach in the Wichita school district. Norwood led the Falcons to 109-56 record and a state championship in 1977 before being named an assistant coach for fellow Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee Ted Owens at the University of Kansas in 1978. In 1981, Norwood was named the head basketball and golf coach at Johnson County Community College. Norwood was inducted to the Southwestern College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992, the Cowley College Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
AUSTRA SKUJYTĖ – KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY A four-time All-American track star at Kansas State University, Austra Skujytė from Biržai, Lithuania, rewrote the K-State record books on her way to Olympic history. The first woman to win two NCAA National Championships at K-State, Skujytė won back to back outdoor heptathlon titles in 2001 and 2002 earning All-American honors both years. Skujytė claimed two outdoor Big 12 Confernece titles in the heptathlon in 2001 and the long jump in 2002 and also won two indoor conference titles in the pentathlon in both 2001 and 2002. Skujytė was named the Big 12 Conference Outdoor Performer of the Year in 2001 and 2002 and the conference Indoor Performer of the Year in 2002. Skujytė also helped lead the Wildcats to Big 12 Outdoor Conference championships in 2001 and 2002. Following her collegiate career, Skujytė competed for her home country in the 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012, Olympic games becoming the only woman to compete in the heptathlon in four different Olympic games. Skujytė won the silver medal in the heptathlon in 2004 and finished fifth in the same event in 2012. Skujytė was named to the Big 12 Conference 10th Anniversay Track Team and was inducted to the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
GEORGE SWEATT – HUMBOLDT Humboldt native George Sweatt was a Pittsburg State University pioneer and one of the greatest baseball players in our state’s history. The first African American to letter in any sport at Pittsburg State University, Sweatt actually lettered in football, basketball, and track and field following his service in the army during World War I. Sweatt was a six-time all-conference performer in track. Sweatt signed with the Kansas City Monarchs baseball club of the Negro Leagues while still in school at Pittsburg State and went on to play in seven professional seasons with the Monarchs and the Chicago American Giants. Sweatt played in the first four Negro Leagues World Series, in 1924 and 1925 with the Monarchs, and in 1926 and 1927 with the American Giants, and won three Negro Leagues World Series championships. Sweatt was inducted to the Pittsburg State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.
Courtesy photoThree people from Tennessee face a variety of charges after Wednesday afternoon’s high-speed chase in Russell County.
According to Trooper Tod Hileman of the Kansas Highway Patrol, the driver of the car, Bianca Dreher, 21, Clarksville, Tenn., was arrested on suspicion of fleeing and eluding, driving under the influence of drugs, and transporting an open container.
The two passengers — Raymond J. Harris, 37, Clarksville, and Earnest E. Roberts, 24, Memphis, Tenn. — were arrested on suspicion of fleeing and eluding and transporting an open container. The two also had warrants out of Tennessee for parole violation, Hileman said.
The incident began Wednesday afternoon when a KHPO trooper clocked the passenger car doing 90 in a 65 mph zone. After checking the vehicle’s tag numbers, the trooper discovered it was sought in connection with a missing person report.
The high-speed chase that resulted ranged from the Russell-Barton county line to 3 miles south of Russell, where a second trooper deployed spike sticks and flattened all four tires on the car.
Hileman said the car wen about a mile on rims before stopping, adding that Harris and Roberts ran from the car when it came to a halt. Dreher surrendered immediately.
The KHP trooper who deployed the spike sticks apprehended one of the subjects, and the Russell County Undersheriff caught the other.
Hileman said the flagged license plate number was for Dreher, who had been reported missing and was being sought for a welfare check.
The Second Annual Commemorative Great Western Cattle Drive will be held July 4 in northeast Sherman County.
Enjoy authentic 1882 horseplay with the cowboys as they celebrate 106 years of America on July 4 in northeast Sherman County. The Second Annual Commemorative Great Western Cattle Drive will roll at historic Homestead Ranch 19 miles northeast of Goodland at 4 p.m. Mountain Time. This living history event has added a farrier demonstration. The demonstration will show visitors how the important task of shoeing horses was done on the trail as well as other related activities from the era.
“Last year, over 200 people enjoyed the cattle drive,” Trail Boss Ken Klemm said. “We look forward to seeing old friends and new faces this year.”
After attending the cattle drive, head to Sherman County Fairgrounds, 417 N. Main, Goodland, for Freedom Fest. Carnival rides begin at 6 p.m., entertainment at 7 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
In 1882, cowboys drove great herds of longhorn cattle to rail heads in Ogallala, Neb., and points north along the Wallace Branch of the Great Western Cattle Trail. The Wallace Branch extended into Canada. It’s the cattle trail portrayed in the novel and TV miniseries “Lonesome Dove”. Homestead Ranch’s site once held Bray Post Office, Sherman County’s first. The ranch was also home to a water hole. Cowboys driving the great herds of longhorns north stopped at the Bray Post Office, the first post office north of Dodge City, to get news from home.
The National Park Service is considering the Great Western Cattle Trail for National Historic Trail status. The trail is a feature on the newly designated Land and Sky Scenic Byway.
High i Que, which competed in Fire on the Frontier last year, also won 1st place chicken, 3rd place ribs, 6th place pork, and 3rd place brisket.
One example of that progress, funded in part by the American Cancer Society, is stem cell transplants.
