TREGO COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 7a.m. Friday in Trego County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Mazda passenger vehicle driven by Julie Covey, 57, Colorado Springs, Co., was eastbound on Interstate 70 at the WaKeeney exit. The driver swerved south to avoid impacting a semi slowing to exit at the same location.
The Mazda struck the guard rail several times, vaulted over the guard rail, slid down the embankment and struck the KDOT fence.
EMS transported Covey to the hospital in WaKeeney. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
SALINA — On Aug. 14, 2018, the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report was released. The report exposed a great scandal within the Church and incited Catholics, lay and clergy alike, to demand greater transparency and accountability from the leaders of the Catholic faith. On Sept. 18, 2018, the Diocese of Salina informed the Attorney General’s office that newly appointed Bishop Gerald Vincke would be retaining the independent outside counsel of Cottonwood Law LLC. of Hillsboro to conduct a thorough review of clergy personnel files and identify any potential cases of clergy misconduct with minors. Bishop Vincke had been serving in his new role as the Bishop of Salina for less than a month when he opened the investigation of the clergy files.
From September 2018 to January 2019, Courtney Boehm from Cottonwood Law conducted an audit of the diocesan clergy files. Boehm was selected for her expertise in criminal law and her independence from the Salina Diocese. At the time of the audit, Boehm was the Marion County Attorney and has since been appointed a district court judge in the 8th Judicial District which consists of Dickinson, Geary, Marion and Morris counties. Boehm reviewed 109 clergy files, ranging from clergy serving in the late 1800s to present day. The files reviewed consisted of any member of the clergy with allegations of misconduct against them. Upon the completion of the review, Cottonwood Law submitted a comprehensive report to Bishop Vincke. The report summarized the contents of each clergy misconduct file and the allegations that were made against each priest. The entirety of this comprehensive report was immediately turned over to the Attorney General’s office, who then forwarded it to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).
Within the report, the auditor recommended which cases needed to be reviewed by the Lay Review Board. The Lay Review Board, formed in February 2000, is a group that reviews any allegation made against a member of the clergy and includes mental and medical health professionals, social service providers, civil and canon law professionals, law enforcement officials and two priests. In order to be as thorough and transparent as possible, Bishop Vincke asked that files recommended by Boehm be reviewed, including those that were previously reviewed. During the month of February 2019, the Lay Review Board met and discussed the cases recommended by Cottonwood Law. Upon the completion of the Lay Review Board’s review of the Cottonwood Law report, 14 cases of diocesan clergy abuse of a minor were found to be substantiated.
The Diocese of Concordia was founded in 1887. The Diocese of Concordia then became the Diocese of Salina in 1944. During a span of 132 years, with approximately 300 diocesan priests having served in the Diocese of Salina, 14 diocesan priests were identified to have substantiated allegations of abuse of a minor. A substantiated allegation is one that has been corroborated with witness statements, documents, emails, photos, texts, or by another source, such as law enforcement. None of the 14 priests are in active ministry today. Of the 14 priests, 12 are deceased and the remaining two are laicized. At this time, the Diocese of Salina is only releasing the names of clerics with substantiated allegations of abuse of a minor. Any cleric with an allegation of abuse of a minor that is unsubstantiated has been excluded from the list. If new information is provided that leads to the substantiation of a case, the Diocese of Salina will update the list of clergy abuse of minors accordingly.
Just as the Salina Diocese conducted an internal audit, so did the Order of Franciscan Minors Capuchin Province of St. Conrad, headquartered in Denver. The Capuchins are a religious order who have had a strong presence within the Salina Diocese, particularly in the Hays and Victoria area. Father Christopher Popravak, Provincial of the Denver Province of Capuchins, shared the results of the Capuchin internal audit with the Salina Diocese. Of the approximate 300 Capuchins who have served in the Salina Diocese, 13 priests/brothers were found to have credible allegations of abuse of a minor. The names of these priests/brothers have been included within this edition of The Register, along with additional information provided to the Diocese of Salina by the Capuchins for release.
“This is a difficult time for the Church,” said Bishop Vincke in a letter entitled Why I Said Yes, released to the public in September 2018, “This purification of the Church by God is painful, but much needed. We need the eyes of faith as we suffer through this. ‘Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey (Lumen Fidei #57).’ Jesus is with us as light in the midst of darkness.”
Government surplus commodities will be distributed in Hays at Unite Common Grounds Coffee House and Free Store (inside the Gamers Guild), 200 E. Eighth St. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m. today and Friday, April 5 while supplies last.
Doors will not open until 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. respectively.
To be eligible for commodities, your household’s total monthly income must be below:
$1,287 for a house of one
$1,736 for a household of two
$2,184 for a household of three
$2,633 for a household of four
$3,081 for a household of five
$3,530 for a household of six
$3,980 for a household of seven
$4,430 for a household of eight
Contact Brandon Nimz, Unite Ministry leader, with any questions at 785-259-2539. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Commodities this distribution will be green beans, pinot beans, long grain rice, beef stew, sliced potatoes, split peas, vegetable soup, fresh oranges, frozen whole chickens and navy beans.
BUNKER HILL – Smoky Hills Public Television’s local program, The Kansas Legislature, will be hosted by Michael Walker, director of the Fort Hays State University Docking Institute.
Our guests will be State Representatives Ken Rahjes of the 110th District (R-Agra) and Tory Marie Arnberger (R-Great Bend) of the 112th District.
Tune in Friday, March 29 at 7 p.m., and call in with your legislative questions.
The show airs during the legislative session, which gives the legislators and viewers the opportunity to discuss up-to-date issues. During the program, viewers can call 800.337.4788 with their legislative questions.
The Kansas Legislature will air on Fridays at 7 p.m. To find a list of legislators that might be on the show each week, go to www.shptv.org where you will find the 2019 season schedule.
Last week, a coalition of Democrats and centrist Republicans steamrolled House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, the Kansas Legislature’s chief obstructionist to extending health care coverage to 130,000 low-income Kansans.
H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.
For the first 43 days of the current legislative session Hawkins, along with House Speaker Ryckman, Senate President Wagle, and Senate Majority Leader Denning, had blocked debate and hearings on Governor Laura Kelly’s proposal to extend Medicaid coverage to uninsured Kansans. However, through crafty floor maneuvers, a bipartisan majority adopted the governor’s proposal and moved consideration of the issue over to the Kansas Senate.
The time has arrived for Republicans to stop obstructing majority will and negotiate a path forward on extending health care to uninsured Kansans. Their partisan blocking tactics have become a losing proposition, in terms of both public policy and politics.
Reputable surveys of Kansans consistently show strong support for extending health care access. They do so in part because more than nine in every ten Kansans already have access to health care, mostly
through their employers. Seniors, disabled, and the poorest Kansans have access through Medicare and Medicaid. Active military and veterans have access through Tricare. Others qualify for Obamacare.
Most Kansans with health care do support extending access to those without, particularly when federal grants—financed by tax dollars sent to the U.S. Treasury by Kansans—will cover 90 percent of the cost. The Kansas Hospital Association reports that Kansas has forfeited over $3.2 billion by not extending Medicaid when it became available five years ago. This loss of federal dollars has forced a number of rural communities to increase local sales and property taxes to maintain their local hospitals. Others have closed or face the threat of closure.
To do the right thing will require political courage. Resistant Republicans need to break loose from the shackles placed on them by organizations such as the Kansas State Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity. These organizations despise safety nets for vulnerable Kansans, and any legislator voting to extend access to health care will become a target for retaliation through disingenuous postcard attacks in upcoming elections.
Reluctant Republican legislators should remember, however, that Kelly convincingly won the governorship last fall by campaigning on two issues, education and health care. She won in many legislative districts now held by Republicans. Further, both Sam Brownback and Khris Kobach vigorously opposed expanding access to health care. And where are they now? Brownback left his governorship early with record-high disapproval. Kobach lost to Kelly with less than 43 percent of the vote.
Thirty-six states have either expanded health care through Medicaid or are in the process of doing so. Voters in three red states, including neighboring Nebraskans, enacted referenda on expansion last November. A Florida initiative for expansion is now underway.
Health care also became a significant national issue in mid-term elections last fall, and congressional Republicans are now reassessing their negative posture on the issue after losing 40 seats, including one in Kansas, and control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to the Kansas Health Institute, 243,305 Kansans remain uninsured for health care. Extending access through Medicaid would cut that number by more than half. An additional 90,000 adults and 40,000 children would be covered, according to the Institute. If the governor’s proposal is adopted, 96 of every 100 Kansans would have access to health care.
Expanding health access through Medicaid is coming. If not this year, next year. Legislators should stop playing political games on health care and do the work they were elected to do, that is, legislating.
H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University and served with former Kansas Governors Bennett and Hayden.
The Hays High School Chamber Singers are performing “the little match girl passion” by David Lang at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Joseph’s Church in downtown Hays.
The work won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music, and Hays High is the first high school to perform the piece.
It runs just over 30 minutes and tells Hans Christian Anderson’s story of a young girl who has no place to go on a cold New Year’s Eve. She has a bundle of matches to try and sell, but can’t find any buyers. In a desperate attempt to keep warm, she strikes a match and as it shines, she has a spectacular vision. After it burns out, she lights a second match and then a third. The final vision is of her late grandmother who takes the little girl to heaven with her.
The musical form is based on the Passions of J.S. Bach. Lang utilizes the compelling musical tactics Bach employs to move listeners to the mission of the Passion of Christ, but instead the “passion” of this young, poor girl. Unlike Bach’s work, this is for a cappella choir and simple percussion.
Chamber Singers have been working on this non-stop since January, and it has been a wonderful experience to watch the students use their skills to tackle a work of this difficulty, depth, and complexity, Alex Underwood, HHS vocal music teacher, said. Not only are they flexing their musical chops, but they are also able to communicate this beautifully tragic story and bring the brilliance of David Lang to life, he said.
“If you have a spare hour on Saturday afternoon, it would be an honor to have you at our performance. Not only would you get to hear and support these fantastic young people, but you’d also get to experience a top-notch example of live modern classical music,” he said.
The Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Fri., March 29, 2019 in the area of Canterbury Dr. to Commerce Parkway between 22nd St. and 13th St. This is part of a coordinated effort by the city of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.
NORTON—A Kansas school resource officer arrested on suspicion of child sex crimes is expected to make a first court appearance Friday, according to Norton County Sheriff Troy Thomson.
Scheetz -photo Norton Co.
Mark Scheetz, 30, of Lansing, was arrested Wednesday in Bonner Springs, Kansas on suspicion of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Scheetz was living in Norton County from 2013 to 2015 when the alleged incidents happened. The KBI says it was reported that Scheetz “engaged in sex acts with a minor, sent lewd photos to minors and used electronic devices to solicit sex with minors.”
Scheetz is being held on a $500,000 bond in the Norton County Jail, according to Thomson. He was employed by the Kansas City, Kansas, school district police department at the time of the arrest.
Before working there, Scheetz worked for the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office from 2016 to 2018.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Big Creek Chapter will host its annual banquet at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall, 2350 E. Eighth.
The event will feature dinner, auctions, games and more, plus a chance to win prizes.
Fort Hays State University’s Gabe Warrick, a senior from Larned, imports graphics and video content for a broadcast during the NCAA Division II Central Region Women’s Basketball Championships at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
FHSU University Relations
The Fort Hays State University Department of Informatics recently participated in the Kansas Association of Broadcasters annual spring competition earning seven first place finishes, four seconds, and two honorable mentions.
Digital media production and journalism students and their advisors will receive the awards in Lawrence on Tuesday, April 2.
“It’s always great when our students are able to get the recognition they deserve, not only in competitions against other state institutions, but also across the nation,” said Nick Schwien, director of Tiger Media Network.
“We pride ourselves on preparing students for the real world after graduation, and our students continue to excel with the hands-on learning approach we utilize. The students have been taking advantage of opportunities they are presented with to not only further their education, but also become desirable hires for future employers,” he said.
Students from FHSU have a long history of competing in the KAB radio, television, news, sports and documentary categories. The historical momentum is bolstered by Hammond Hall’s state of the art facilities.
“Seeing firsthand how much time and dedication these students put into their work, it isn’t at all surprising to see this amount of recognition. These are the kids who know they want to tell stories and make a difference in the world after they graduate, and they are well on their way to doing just that,” said Russell Heitmann, News and Sports director for TMN.
Faculty advisors Dr. Ginger Loggins, assistant professor of informatics, and Ron Rohlf, assistant professor of informatics, coordinate contest submissions and student field trips.
Undergraduate Radio KAB Awards are listed in alphabetical order.
Nathan Johns, Oakley sophomore, majoring in information networking and telecommunications, first place in Complete New Feature with “Bootcamp Nickname.”
Dakota Rowlison, Salina junior majoring in digital media production and journalism, second place in Documentary with “My Rock Bottom.”
Undergraduate Television KAB Awards are listed in alphabetical order.
Lauryn Davis, Kensington sophomore majoring in elementary education, first place with Station Website for Tiger Media Network.
Lexi Gross, McCook, Neb., junior majoring in digital media production and journalism, placed first in Undergraduate: Intern TV with “Here at Sehnert’s Barkery we are one!” Gross also placed second in Promotional Audio or Video with “Sehnert’s Bakery: No Substitute (October 2018).”
Haley Lenauer, Saint George senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, second place in Public Affairs Program with “Under The Radar,” episode five.
Sergio “Alex” Perez, Garden City senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, first place in Complete New Feature with “Long Faced Dogs Are Back,” and honorable mention in Documentary for “Hays, America: The Music Within.”
Michael Turner, Maize senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, and Brooke Burton, Hill City senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, placed first in Entertainment Program with “Live and Local,” episode seven.
Gabe Warrick, Larned senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, and Paul Kirkwood, Garfield senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, received an honorable mention in Sportscast with “FHSU Football vs Northeastern State – 11/10/18.”
Warrick and Andrew McGinnis, Hays senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, placed second in Entertainment Program with “Live and Local,” episode four.
Graduate Radio KAB Awards are listed in alphabetical order.
Caroline Rae Strickland, Jenks, Okla., graduate student, placed first in Entertainment Program with “Losing Control (Audio Short Story),” and second in Entertainment Program with “The Millennials Manifesto (Podcast): End of the World.”
Undergraduate Radio Intercollegiate Broadcasting System finalists are listed in alphabetical order.
Davis is a finalist for Best Website with KFHS/Tiger Media Network.
Perez is a finalist for Best Documentary with “Hays America: The Music Within,” and for Best Video News Report with “The Long Faced Dogs Are Back.”
Justin Sabata, Hays sophomore majoring in digital media production and journalism, is a finalist for Best Station Promotion with “Bring the Thunder, KFHS Radio,” and Best Use of Video in the Radio Station for “The Penalty Box Summer F3,” episode three.
“It was pretty surreal being recognized in such a huge market and among so many people,” said Sabata. “This wasn’t Wichita or anything like that; this was New York City.”
“It’s great to see these students receiving recognition for the quality of their work. Consistently, year in and year out, these students walk the talk. I couldn’t be more proud,” said Angela Walters, interim chair of the Department of Informatics.
Dr. Kenton Olliff, assistant vice president for student affairs at Fort Hays State University, was named Counselor of the Year by the Kansas Counseling Association.
The award was announced at the association’s recent 2019 Spring Kansas Counseling Conference in Lawrence.
“I was humbled to just be nominated, let alone receive the award,” Olliff said.
Olliff is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, a licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor and a National Certified Counselor.
Our 40th President Ronald Reagan coined the phrase “a shining city on a hill” in describing America.
To some degree, thanks to Donald J. Trump in “making America great again,” we can still be described that way, however, criminality like never before in this country’s history is making many of us think otherwise about that shining hill. Our country has for some time now, gone completely off the rails when it comes to the rule of law and equal justice.
It makes one wonder if we have become a third world country or a despotic one. It appears, in many ways, under our legal system, it’s
all about who you are, not what you do.
No, this is not conspiracy theory. No, I am not making this up and yes, a major shock we have come to this as a country.
Trump comes along and all hell breaks loose because the establishment wanted the politician’s politician Hillary, and not a non politician named Trump that rightfully muddies the waters and wants to drain the swamp.
Crimes have been committed that may be beyond repair. Pay close attention readers to see what follows, especially what happens with a new Attorney General heading up our Department of Justice, a department that has been compromised beyond belief in the past, as has the FBI.
The trail of corruption and criminality leads back to former president Obama – and Hillary, then on to our law enforcement agencies and deep, very deep into other parts of our government, our media, and the Democrat Party. Call it a total abuse of power.
Their mission was, and still is, the destruction of a Trump presidency. At first it was all about preventing Trump from even becoming president. then the scheme became a coup. In other words, the anti Trumpers want to kick Trump out of office no matter what it takes. Far too much of it is motivated by hatred for Trump.
Does our vote even count in who we want as our president or is that to be determined by the Deep State that is clearly driven ideologically by a political party to the liberal and progressive left? What about those of us who are conservatives? If our votes don’t count then goodbye to America, once known as a democratic republic.
The criminality actually, is there for all to see. There are indisputable facts to back up my claims in this writing. No! You will not get this information from CNN, MSNBC, the three networks, the New York Times, Washington Post, let alone your local newspaper. In fact, parts of our government, media, and the Democrat Party have been one and the same in many respects.
Our law enforcement agencies provided Dems and media the weapons to destroy Trump. The whole thing has been politicized. Justice be damned. Trump’s presumption of innocence be damned by Democrats and media, even following the Mueller report of no collusion evidence. The Dems and media will press on looking under every rock on the shores of these United States for something, anything to destroy our Commander in Chief.
Not only was the Trump Russia collusion the biggest hoax ever, so was this the greatest miscarriage of justice. The Mueller Special Counsel was a hoax to begin with in that it was created based on a lie known as the fake dossier. If Mueller had any integrity he would never have taken the case to begin with for the simple reason there was never any evidence of a crime, including Trump colluding with Russia.
Two things to look for as we move forward. One bad, one good. The continued hatred of Trump by Democrats and media looking obsessively to impeach our president, even continuing with the collusion delusion. And, of course, obstruction of justice, even though they will lose on that account as well. Secondly, efforts to right our ship, by bringing the criminals to justice. The tables will be turned on the Trump haters as investigations take place by Republicans and our Department of Justice.
Maybe, with prayer and help from a higher power, the Clintons, along with Obama, and others, will be brought to justice. Just to name a few – read up on Uranium One, Clinton Foundation, Hillary’s private email server, and FISA warrants to spy on Trump using a fake dossier.
In spite of the recent final Special Council report, Mr. Investigator Mueller needs to be investigated too for hiring an army of Clinton connected lawyers to take out Trump.
Holy Family teacher Tyler Haas poses in his classroom with some jerseys that were gifts from some of the athletes he has coached.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Tyler Haas tries to teach his students persistence.
Haas was a high jumper when he was in college at Fort Hays State University. During his sophomore year, he was facing some challenges and considering quitting the team. His father encouraged him to keep working.
Not only did Haas find success in his college career, being named twice all-conference, but today he is an assistant coach for jumping events at FHSU. He has worked with several nationally and internationally ranked athletes.
He said had he quit he would have missed that opportunity. He would have missed the opportunity to travel and meet people — and he would have missed an opportunity to do a job he now loves.
“What the key to happiness is may be not always be chasing a dream of making money,” he said. “It is maybe chasing something in which you can impact the most people. In 12 years, I have been able to work with numerous students and athletes, and it has been a great experience.”
Haas, a Hoxie native, has been teaching at Holy Family for 12 years. He currently teaches math and social studies to fifth and sixth graders.
“I say I’m going to go teach. I’m going to go coach. I never say I’m going to work, because I enjoy both of them so much,” he said.
Haas was named March’s Hays Post Teacher of the Month. He was nominated by parent Shanna Koster.
Koster said in her nomination that Haas is her daughter’s favorite teacher.
“She says that he is not only a math and social studies teacher, he teaches about life. He goes above and beyond by teaching our children the right thing to do in certain situations and normal daily life.
“He is genuinely in love with his job as a teacher. He makes an effort to get to know his students and makes learning fun for them.”
Koster said Haas encouraged her to praise her daughter for her hard work in class and expressed a true passion for his work.
“I do believe that teachers have the hardest job in the world,” she said. “I believe that Mr. Haas has left a mark on my child’s life forever. As she leaves elementary school to move to junior high, I believe he has taught her things she will remember for a lifetime. For that, I will never be able to thank him enough.”
Haas started out at FHSU as a radiology major, but going into to his junior year, he switched his major to teaching.
His mother was a teacher. She died of cancer between Haas’ fifth- and sixth-grade year in school.
“I always remembered how caring she was, and she always seemed to be happy to help other people,” he said. “I wanted to do something that genuinely made me happy. It was weird, because I didn’t see myself as a teacher, but it just kind of found me and so did coaching. I didn’t think I would do either one, but it is weird how you get shoved in the direction you should probably go in.”
The small Hoxie community rallied around Haas’ family after his mother died. He said, to a great extent, he was raised by his teachers and the community.
“That’s probably another reason I became a teacher is those people that affected me so much,” he said. “When your world is kind of upside down, you are going somewhere safe every day. People show that they care about you as a person. Teachers were pretty special for me. I cant imagine as a radiologist I would be able to pay those people back. I want to thank them somehow.”
One of his high school teachers, history teacher Olive Krannawitter, particularly stood out in his mind.
“He taught us a lot of life lessons. He taught us what happens if you need to change a tire. Things like that are still valuable to be today. Budgeting … and this was a history class, but he cared about where we would be in our 30s and down the road. The biggest thing was that we knew Mr. Krannawitter cared about us. I would say he was the greatest teacher I ever had.”
Haas said he tries to find those teachable moments in his own class.
He said challenging a student, who may be struggling, to work through a problem is maybe more important than the answer they come up with in the end.
“Letting them know it is OK to struggle and teaching them to persevere through that [is important], because down the road in 15 years, that is the most important lesson we teach them,” he said. “They might not remember how to get the area of a kite, but if they could persevere through that problem and find a solution, even if it is not there in the first three to five minutes of work, that is probably the more lasting lesson and is more important down the road.”
Because Haas works with college students as a coach, he sees the struggles young adults go through.
“Especially in their freshman year in college, a lot of them are essentially lost because they have never had to do things on their own. I see where they end up down the road,” he said. “Everybody is afraid of failure, but it is not a final outcome, and we all have to understand it is a part of the process of growing.”
Haas said he is always growing as a teacher and a person, but he said he can’t imagine doing anything else.
“Everyday I go home, and I am pretty happy at the end of the day,” he said. “You get one life, and you should really enjoy what you choose to do. That’s how you get fulfillment. I am just happy to do what I do.”
