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Michael Edward Zeretzke

GREAT BEND — Michael Edward Zeretzke, 33, died Aug. 27, 2017, at his home in Great Bend. He was born April 27, 1984, at Great Bend, the son of Brian Ewen and Dianna (Swanson) Zeretzke. He was a 2002 graduate of Great Bend High School. He married Kristia Renee Lohmann July 2, 2010, at Great Bend. A lifetime Great Bend resident, he was a foreman for Amerine Utilities for 10 years.

He enjoyed fishing, hunting, riding at the river with his friends and spending time with his beloved dog, Abby.

Survivors include his wife, Kristia Zeretzke, of the home; his mother, Dianna Stoss and her husband Harlan of Olmitz; one brother, Aaron R. Zeretzke of Asheville, N.C.; mother-in-law, Marlene “Marty” Lohmann of Great Bend; father-in-law, Larry Lohmann of Lincoln; one brother-in-law, Jonathan Lohmann and his wife Courtney of Overland Park; two nephews, Caden Lohmann and Jaxson Lohmann; one niece, Braylee Zeretzke; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, his maternal grandparents, Robert and Jean Swanson, and paternal grandparents, Edwin C. and Frances K. Zeretzke.

Memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, at Bryant Funeral Home with Pastor Larry Schumacher officiating. The family requests casual attire for the service. There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. Memorials have been established with Great Bend Zoological Society or Ducks Unlimited, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net

                      Arrangements by    Bryant Funeral Home        

1425 Patton Road       Great Bend, Kansas         67530

More cohesive and combined effort with Larned’s new grade school

Fort Larned Elementary School

School in Larned started August 17 for USD 495, and it marked the first students to walk the halls of the new grade school, Fort Larned Elementary School. Outside of being brand new, one of the best features about the grade school is that it can hold all the elementary-aged students in one building.

USD 495 Superintendent Joe Sample tells us the grade school students were spread across three buildings in the past. Fort Larned Elementary School is now the home for Pre-K through 5th grade.

Joe Sample Audio


Sample says the USD 495 Board of Education took the steps at the August meeting to figuring out how to dispose of the three buildings the district was using for elementary schools. The school board hopes to sell the buildings and property to an interested party but demolition is possible if no parties show interest.

The $22.2 million school bond passed in the 2015 spring election with 66 percent of the vote. The bond also allowed for renovations at the high school, including a fitness center. The Larned school board is now accepting any requests from interested buyers on the three old school buildings.

Joe Sample Audio


The three older buildings were built in the 1950s and 1960s.

John O’Connor

August 28, 2017

IMPORTANT NOTE: The ‘comments’ section of this website is not currently operational. If you’d like to answer our trivia questions, just email me at john.oconnor@eagleradio.net. I’ll put them in next week’s replies as usual.

Well, lessee, if memory serves, this would be Week Number 317 of Vital Information for Modern Times, a subsidiary of the You Can Never Know Too Much (and I don’t) Association.

Okay, let’s do a little summing-up of the Great American Eclipse, or as a marketer would probably put it: “America’s Choice in Eclipses.”

We knew it began at about 11:35 in Great Bend, but we didn’t bother going out right away because it was cloudy and we figured we would wait until it was a little farther along before we took a look. Plus, we weren’t ready.

Along with two pairs of ‘America’s Choice Eclipse Glasses’ (obtained by a kind friend from St. Louis who mailed ‘em to us) we decided to also try the old cereal box projector technique. I removed the bag of Kellogg’s Cornflakes from its box. Sally, remembering her sixth grade science, put a piece of white paper (think movie screen) in the bottom of the box. In the top she carefully cut two square holes, one on each end. She taped foil over one hole and poked a pinhole in it. The other hole would be the ‘viewing port.’

A few minutes after we finished our lunch at 12:15 ( strawberries for dessert delayed things a little more) we strode purposefully out into the front yard. Hmmph, nothing but clouds, but overall it did seem to be getting a little darker. The ‘clipsy was underway.

Suddenly, the clouds parted briefly and we had a good view of the Orb in Question. Being a little suspicious of Chinese ‘glasses’ we tried the Kellogg’s ‘America’s Choice in Eclipse Cereals’ box projector method. I stared into the dark box, moving it this way and that.

“I think you’re pointing the business end at the house across the street” she said helpfully. Hmmm. So I was. I shifted it more toward the general direction of the sky, where I understand the sun usually positions itself.

“Ahh, I got it!” I exclaimed. The little sun image in the bottom of the box was bright and sharp, about 70% covered by now. She also took a look. “Oh, that is so cool,” she said. “I don’t think a Post Raisin Bran box could have done it.”

The clouds were on the move so we quickly tried the ‘eclips-o-specs.’ Amazing. The sun image was orangey and well-defined, about 85% obscured at this juncture.

“Oh, we gotta get pictures of this,” Sally said, whipping out the smartphone. She shot pix of us using the eclipse-o-specs (did I mention they’re America’s Choice?) and me manning the cereal box. She posted them on Facebook, of course.

Reaction was swift. Within 15 minutes she had a bunch of likes, comments and similar pix from other folks. The best comment was from our favorite local actor/artist: “Shame on you, Sally, telling John there was a prize in the bottom of the cereal box.”

There you are, the big Eclipse of 2017. Any memorable moments from your viewing experience?

Remember, until the ‘comments’ section of the site here is up and running again, just send your trivia answers and/or comments to my station email john.oconnor@eagleradio.net. I’ll put them in next week’s feature as usual.

Since we didn’t have any comments that made it through this week, let me just re-state the questions from last week:

What was the last place in GB where you could get a real fountain-style cherry phosphate?

How ‘bout a trio of spacey questions in honor of Eclipse Week:

What astronaut landed on a farm and scared the locals until they realized who he was?

What actor with an ‘other-wordly’ name uses his Mom’s maiden name for his many movie and TV roles?

What Kansas space wizard barely out of high school made an important contribution to space science?

And a music question: Philadelphia was a hotbed of pop and soul music in the ‘60s. What duo act put it back on the map in the ‘80s?

Again, reply to these questions by emailing me direct, john.oconnor@eagleradio .net. Thanks! Have a great week!

John

Cop Shop (8/25 – 8/27)

Barton County Sheriff’s Office Incident Log (8/25)

Convulsions / Seizures

At 8:41 a.m. ambulance assistance was needed at 5424 2nd Street.

Falls

At 12:33 p.m. ambulance assistance was needed at 75 E. K-4 Highway in Hoisington.

Theft

At 1:15 p.m. theft of financial card numbers was reported at 15 NE 60 Avenue.

Traffic Arrest

At 6:42 p.m. a driver was arrested for DUI case at NW K-96 Highway.

8/26

Non-Injury Accident

At 6:45 a.m. an accident was reported in the 200 block of K-4 Highway.

Gun Shot Wound

At 10:56 a.m. an accidental gun shot wound was reported at 1008 Charles Street in Albert.

Theft

At 4:33 p.m. a theft was reported at 350 NE 30 Road.

Non-Injury Accident

At 8:27 p.m. an accident was reported in the 100 block of NE 170 Road in Claflin.

Shots Fired

At 8:29 p.m. a report was made of shots fired in the area of 1437 17th Street. Assisted GBPD.

8/27

Traffic Arrest

At 12:17 a.m. a driver was arrested for DUI, DWS, ITOL, illegal tag, and no insurance at 8th Street & Main Street.

Criminal Damage

At 12:11 p.m. a report of criminal damage to her vehicle at 415 Houck Street in Pawnee Rock.

Non-Injury Accident

At 1:02 p.m. an accident with a deer was reported at NW 10 Avenue & NW 190 Road.

Theft

At 6:27 p.m. theft of a mirror of a truck was reported at 262 N. Washington Avenue.

Great Bend Police Department Incident Log (8/25)

Warrant Arrest

At 2:34 a.m. Joaquin was arrested on a warrant at 824 Frey Street.

Theft

At 7:42 a.m. a theft was reported at 1107 10th Street.

At 11:03 a.m. theft of tools at 9th Street & Eisenhower Avenue.

Non-Injury Accident

At 11:51 a.m. an accident was reported at 3503 10th Street.

At 12:13 p.m. an accident was reported in the 2000 block of 18th Street.

Theft

At 12:46 p.m. theft of items from Walmart, 3503 10th Street, was reported.

Armed Subject

At 1:04 p.m. a report of a neighbor outside with a firearm was made at 1317 Harding Street.

Gas Leak / Spill

At 2:10 p.m. a gas leak was reported at 16th Street & Polk Street.

Non-Injury Accident

At 3:21 p.m. an accident was reported at 1919 Harrison Street.

At 5:41 p.m. an accident was reported at 3700 10th Street.

At 10:01 p.m. a possible accident was reported at 3907 Broadway Avenue.

At 10:50 p.m. an accident was reported at 24th Street & McKinley Street.

8/26

At 5:15 a.m. a hit and run accident was reported with damaged trees in the 2900 block of Broadway.

At 7:14 a.m. a hit and run accident was reported at 1427 21st Street.

Traumatic Injuries

At 7:20 a.m. EMS assistance was needed at 1312 Eisenhower Avenue.

Non-Injury Accident

At 8:14 a.m. an accident was reported at 10th Street & Washington Avenue.

At 3:10 p.m. a hit and run was reported at 2017 Forest Avenue.

Shots Fired

At 8:29 p.m. shots fired in the area of 1437 17th Street was reported.

Non-Injury Accident

At 10:41 p.m. Audrey Bellendir and Dalton Norton were involved in an accident at 3218 Lakin Avenue.

Traffic Arrest

At 11:10 p.m. an officer arrested Audrey Bellendir for a DUI at 3218 Lakin Avenue.

8/27

Non-Injury Accident

At 3:46 p.m. an accident was reported at 1217 Williams Street.

Burglary / Not in Progress

At 4:09 p.m. theft of tools from his vehicle was reported at 3200 10th Street 112.

Traumatic Injuries

At 4:16 p.m. EMS assistance was needed at 1811 Main Street.

Theft

At 8:35 p.m. a theft was reported at 821 Stone Street.

At 9:32 p.m. theft of a bike was reported at 1904 Baker Avenue.

K-Preps Pre-Season Football Rankings

K-Preps Pre-Season Football Poll

CLASS 6A
#1 DERBY (0-0)
#2 SHAWNEE MISSION EAST (0-0)
#3 BLUE VALLEY (0-0)
#4 BLUE VALLEY NORTH (0-0)
#5 WICHITA NORTHWEST (0-0)

Others: Garden City, Hutchinson, Junction City, Lawrence Free State, Manhattan, Shawnee Mission West, Topeka High, Washburn Rural

CLASS 5A
#1 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (0-0)
#2 MILL VALLEY (0-0)
#3 WICHITA HEIGHTS (0-0)
#4 GODDARD (0-0)
#5 BISHOP CARROLL (0-0)

Others: Bonner Springs, Emporia, Great Bend, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Pittsburg, St. James Academy

CLASS 4A-I
#1 BISHOP MIEGE (0-0)
#2 BUHLER (0-0)
#3 MAIZE SOUTH (0-0)
#4 MCPHERSON (0-0)
#5 DE SOTO (0-0)

Others: Andale, Basehor-Linwood, Fort Scott, KC Piper, Mulvane, Tonganoxie

CLASS 4A-II
#1 TOPEKA HAYDEN (0-0)
#2 WICHITA COLLEGIATE (0-0)
#3 COLUMBUS (0-0)
#4 HOLCOMB (0-0)
#5 HOLTON (0-0)

Others: Colby, Frontenac, Goodland, Nickerson, Pratt, Scott City, Smoky Valley

CLASS 3A
#1 SILVER LAKE (0-0)
#2 NEMAHA CENTRAL (0-0)
#3 PHILLIPSBURG (0-0)
#4 ROSSVILLE (0-0)
#5 HESSTON (0-0)

Others: Chaparral, Conway Springs, Galena, Garden Plain, Halstead, Marion, Marysville, Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Norton, Sabetha, Wellsville

CLASS 2-1A
#1 SMITH CENTER (0-0)
#2 ST. MARYS COLGAN (0-0)
#3 PLAINVILLE (0-0)
#4 JEFFERSON CO. NORTH (0-0)
#5 SEDGWICK (0-0)

Others: Centralia, Ell-Saline, Jackson Heights, Lyndon, Meade, Olpe, Troy, Valley Heights

8-MAN D-I
#1 CENTRAL PLAINS (0-0)
#2 ST. FRANCIS (0-0)
#3 OSBORNE (0-0)
#4 BURLINGAME (0-0)
#5 SPEARVILLE (0-0)

Others: Argonia-Attica, Atwood-Rawlins Co., Hoxie, Logan-Palco, Oxford, Solomon, Victoria, West Elk

8-MAN D-II
#1 HANOVER (0-0)
#2 PIKE VALLEY (0-0)
#3 HODGEMAN COUNTY (0-0)
#4 SHARON SPRINGS-WALLACE CO. (0-0)
#5 CENTRAL CHRISTIAN (0-0)

Others: Caldwell, Dighton, Mankato-Rock Hills, Otis-Bison, South Barber, Stockton, Sylvan-Lucas Unified, Wakefield, Waverly

2017 KVCA Preseason Volleyball Rankings

2017 Preseason Volleyball Rankings-Kansas Volleyball Coaches Association

Class 6A
1. Olathe Northwest
2. Blue Valley West
3. Blue Valley Northwest
4. Manhattan
5. Lawrence-Free State
6. Blue Valley
7. Gardner-Edgerton
8. Blue Valley Northwest
9. Olathe North
10. Olathe East

Class 5A
1. Shawnee Heights
2. St. James Academy
3. St. Thomas Aquinas
4. Lansing
5. Newton
6. Goddard-Eisenhower
7. Kapaun Mt. Carmel
8. Maize
9. De Soto
10. Emporia

Class 4A – Division 1
1. Rose Hill
2. Bishop Miege
3. Louisburg
4. Andover Central
5. Abilene
6. Paola
7. McPherson
8. Kansas City-Piper
9. Maize South
10. Ulysses

Class 4A – Division 2
1. Topeka-Hayden
2. Nickerson
3. Concordia
4. Baxter Springs
5. Andale
6. Santa Fe Trail
7. Girard
8. Wichita Trinity Academy
9. Holcomb
10. Holton

Class 3A
1. Hesston
2. Thomas More Prep-Marian
3. Silver Lake
4. Cheney
5. Kingman
6. Douglass
7. Nemaha Central
8. Wellsville
9. Humboldt
10. St. Marys

Class 2A
1. Heritage Christian
2. Central Plains
3. Republic County
4. Kiowa County
5. Valley Falls
6. Jefferson County North
7. St. Mary’s Colgan
8. Flinthills
9. Oswego
10. Maranatha Academy

Class 1A – Division 1
1. Centralia
2. Goessel
3. Hanover
4. South Central
5. South Barber
6. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton
7. Stockton
8. La Crosse
9. Olpe
10. Rural Vista

Class 1A – Division 2
1. Northern Valley
2. Sylvan-Lucas
3. Wheatland-Grinnell
4. Otis-Bison
5. Axtell
6. Blue Valley-Randolph
7. Wallace County
8. Cunningham
9. Waverly
10. Fowler

Suspect in fatal shooting of Kansas man jailed in California

Colson- photo KBI

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. –  The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of authorities in California, made an arrest connected to the August 12 shooting death of Matthew Schoshke in Ottawa County.

A family member discovered Schoshke’s body in his Tescott home. Schoshke’s Ford F150 pickup truck was also stolen from the scene.

Authorities attempted various investigative methods to locate the missing truck and on Tuesday, Aug. 22, information was received that led them to believe the victim’s truck may have been located in the city of Los Angeles.

KBI agents and Ottawa County Sheriff Keith Coleman traveled to California. They collected evidence from the abandoned truck and were also able to identify a suspect. On Friday evening, Aug. 25, a warrant for first degree murder was issued for the arrest of 34-year-old Robert Colson of Bucksport, Maine.

KBI agents, the Sheriff, and Los Angeles Police Department homicide detectives were working to locate Colson, but prior to identifying his location he was involved in an incident at approximately 11:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 25 in Martinez, Calif. During this incident he allegedly stabbed a person while aboard an Amtrak train. Colson was attempting to escape from the train when he was injured. He was then transported to a regional hospital for medical treatment. The Ottawa County Attorney will pursue extradition efforts following Colson’s release from the hospital.

The Ottawa County Attorney’s Office is expected to prosecute the case.

Dillard’s employees in Salina told Central Mall store closing

SALINA — The Dillard’s Corporate web site no longer includes their store at the Central Mall in Salina.

The store is going to close in December, according to company spokesperson Julie Bull.

“We informed the employees Monday,” said Bull. “This is not a real surprise. We have 40 employees in Salina and are working to place them in neighboring stores, if that works for them.”

Dillard’s has two additional locations in Kansas including the Town East Mall in Wichita and Oak Park Mall in Overland Park.

The Salina store will remain open through mid-December and is now offering clearance prices on merchandise. Dillard’s is the second major retailer this year to announce they are leaving the Salina Mall.  Sears announced in January they intended to close.  They did close in the spring while the Sears Automotive store at 2259 9th Street is still in business.

Commissioners sign off on roadway study

Terracon is a Wichita Company who will conduct the pavement study.

Thanks to the opening of the Great Bend Transload facility at the airport, there has been a big increase in heavy truck traffic on county blacktop roads that serve the airport.

According to Barton County Engineer Barry McManaman, the county has inquired about making an application for economic development funding for road improvements from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Barry McManaman Audio


McManaman explained to Commissioners Monday that he had contacted officials with Terracon, a company that specializes in exploratory drilling of road pavement and geotechnical engineering services.

Barry McManaman Audio


Commissioners agreed to pay for the study which carries a projected cost of $5,900. Watco Companies, the firm that operates the transload facility, has agreed to pay for half of the study bring to the county’s total to $2,450.

Suspect jailed for fatal Kansas stabbing

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Wichita police say a 26-year-old man is in custody after a fatal stabbing.

Lt. Jason Stephens says police were called to a home on the city’s south side Sunday night. He says a 35-year-old man suffered several stab wounds and later died at a Wichita hospital.

Witnesses told investigators the victim and suspect had a physical confrontation and at some point the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the man.

According to the Sedgwick County jail records, the suspect identified as Jonathan C. Miller was booked into jail on a possible second-degree murder charge.

Stephens says the victim and the suspect did not know each other.

The death was the 23rd homicide in Wichita this year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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