Raymond H. Smith, 67, died February 23, 2012 at his home, Larned.
He was born January 17, 1945 in Syracuse, Kansas; the son of Walter R. and Eva M. Grippin Smith. A lifetime area resident, he was a MH-DD Technician at the Larned State Hospital.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Larned.
Survivors include; two brothers, Warren Smith and wife Martha, Oak Grove, Missouri and Lenard Smith and wife Pat, Pawnee Rock, and a sister Marguerite Horn and husband Bill, Great Bend.
Funeral will be 2:00 p.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church with Pastor Dennis Scheibmeir presiding. Friends may sign the register from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday at the Beckwith Mortuary. The casket will remain closed. Burial will be in the Larned Cemetery, Larned.
Memorials may be given to the First Presbyterian Church in care of the Beckwith Mortuary, P.O. Box 477, Larned, KS 67550. Personal condolences may be left at www.beckwithmortuary.com.
Close and convenient to everything, Four bedroom, one and a half bath home. Spacious living room with new carpet, lots of kitchen cabinets, bedroom and large full bath on main floor. Upstairs with 2 bedrooms and 1/2 bath. Basement family room also has new carpet, bedroom and utility room. CH & CA. This home has plenty of storage and pantry. Single att. garage on privacy fenced corner lot. 1600 Broadway
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – The Kansas House has approved Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s bill to require some potential voters to prove their U.S. citizenship ahead of this year’s presidential election.
The House’s 81-43 vote Thursday sends the measure to the Senate, where some of Kobach’s fellow Republicans are cooler to the idea than they are in the House.
Legislators enacted a proof-of-citizenship rule last year for people registering to vote for the first time in Kansas. But at the Senate’s insistence, the requirement doesn’t take effect until January 1st, 2013.
Kobach wants to move the effective date up to June 15th.
Senate GOP leaders say a key issue is a $40 million upgrade of state computers. Officials say the computer system should be ready, but key GOP senators want a guarantee.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – The United States Postal Service plans to consolidate seven mail processing centers in Kansas to reduce costs.
The Postal Service said in a news release Thursday that processing centers in Hays, Salina, Dodge City and Hutchinson will be consolidated with the processing and distribution center in Wichita.
It says work at the Liberal processing center will be moved to Amarillo, Texas; the processing center in Topeka will be consolidated with one in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Colby processing center operations will move to North Platte, Nebraska.
No specific dates have been set for the consolidation. Once the centers are consolidated, mail processing work will end but retail and business activity at the seven centers will continue.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – The FBI is investigating a suspicious letter sent to the downtown Wichita office of U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, one of several congressional offices around the country receiving similar letters in recent days.
The letter containing a white, powdery substance arrived at the office Thursday. Traffic was restricted in the area while police and hazardous materials crews investigated.
The FBI says no hazardous material has been found so far in similar letters sent to district offices of members of Congress around the country.
Roberts’ communications director, Sarah Little, says the Kansas Republican was in Topeka on Thursday, and two staff members were in the Wichita office. Little says the office will reopen Friday.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Many abortion opponents and conservative Republicans in Kansas are pushing to give the governor and legislators more influence over the appointment of appellate court judges.
But a proposal seen as a step toward accomplishing their goals has stalled in the Legislature.
The state Senate rejected a bill Thursday to have the governor appoint new Court of Appeals judges, subject to Senate confirmation. The measure would end the screening of applications for the court by a nominating commission controlled by attorneys.
The Senate’s 22-17 vote against the measure showed Democrats and moderate Republicans still have misgivings about changing how Court of Appeals judges and state Supreme Court justices are selected.
However, there are concerns that the process is dominated unfairly by lawyers and not open enough to the public.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – A Kansas nurse who diluted morphine solutions at a Salina nursing home is due in court for sentencing.
Melanie Morrison was scheduled be sentenced Friday in federal court in Topeka for consumer product tampering and adulteration of a drug at the Holiday Resort Nursing Facility in Salina.
Morrison admitted putting sodium chloride into solutions of morphine sulfate, reducing the painkiller’s quality and strength. Sodium chloride is dangerous to some patients, particularly those with congestive heart failure or severe renal insufficiency.
Morrison struck a deal with prosecutors that could send her to prison for three years. She also agreed to surrender her nursing license and never work in health care again.
Prosecutors are recommending she be admitted to a drug addiction program, which could get her out of prison early.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – No. 4 Kansas would love nothing more than to beat third-ranked Missouri on Saturday.
It’s the final regular-season matchup between bitter rivals, now that the Tigers are headed off to the SEC next season. It’s also a revenge game after the Jayhawks blew a late lead when the teams met earlier this month in Columbia, Mo.
Oh, there’s also this: Kansas can wrap up a share of another Big 12 title.
The Tigers’ upset loss to Kansas State on Tuesday night, coupled with the Jayhawks’ win Wednesday night at Texas A&M, means Kansas (23-5, 13-2 Big 12) would earn at least a share of an unprecedented eighth consecutive league title with a win.
Missouri (25-3, 12-3) and Kansas have been part of the same league since 1908.
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) – Royals catcher Manny Pina will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and could miss the rest of spring training.
Pina hurt the knee Wednesday when he twisted to catch a foul tip in batting practice. Manager Ned Yost said Thursday that Pina would return to Kansas City, where surgery will be performed.
The 24-year-old from Venezuela was competing with Brayan Pena to be the backup to starting catcher Salvador Perez. Pina made his big league debut last season, hitting .214 over the course of four games in August. He hit .238 in 68 games with Triple-A Omaha.
In other news, left-hander Jose Mijares could arrive in camp soon after working out visa issues in Venezuela. The Royals had not been in contact with him for several days, but Yost said Mijares had simply been out of cell-phone service while taking care of family issues.
