High school football takes over most of the show as Great Bend coach Erin Beck is our guest Thursday.
Month: September 2017
Aleen E. Eichman
Pending Notice for Aleen Eichman
DATELINE – HOISINGTON
Aleen E. Eichman, 95, died September 13, 2017, at her home in El Dorado, Kansas. Services are pending and will be announced at a later date by Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, Hoisington.
Esther Elaine Grogan
PENDING FUNERAL NOTICE
BELTON, Mo. — Esther Elaine Grogan, 85, died Sept. 12, 2017, at Beautiful Savior Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Belton, Mo. Services are pending with Bryant Funeral Home, Great Bend.
The Chief Couch saga comes to an end Oct. 15
The roller coaster ride continues at city hall in Great Bend after Great Bend Police Chief Cliff Couch submitted his resignation Wednesday, a week after he was reinstated from his suspension.
In a press release, Couch stated he felt there was a target on his back and the same small group of people that orchestrated his termination in order to silence him is still in positions of power. Because of this, Couch tendered his resignation, effective October 15.
Couch’s notice for suspension handed down on July 24 stated one of the reasons for the suspension with possible termination was for not following an order from his boss, former City Administrator Howard Partington. Couch claims Partington asked him to make officers issue more citations to generate more revenue.
No investigation has been conducted on either claim, but Couch hopes an approved performances audit will hold the city administration accountable in the future.
Cliff Couch Audio
The decision for the suspension split community members and the eight-member Great Bend City Council. Community uproar, protests, and harassment led to an early retirement from Partington and resignation from council member Wayne Henneke.
Couch was reinstated September 5 with a 4-3 vote, but Couch acknowledged “insurmountable difficulties in continuing my duties as the Chief of Police.” Couch stated he explored other career opportunities during his six-week suspension and decided to accept another position.
As for getting to the bottom of the allegations on both sides, Couch mentioned there is nothing more he can do and it will be up to the city council.
Cliff Couch Audio
Couch wished that the City of Great Bend going forward would consider legislation protecting “whistleblowers”, more governmental transparency, and appointing an acting chief who is sworn in.
Earlier this week, Interim City Administrator Bob Suelter commended the city staff for working through the conditions the past few months and noted action will be taken soon to fill open vacancies. Appointments to fill the Ward 2 council position, fire chief, and interim city administrator are all on the agenda for the Monday, September 18 meeting.
After holding the past three city council meetings at the Great Bend Events Center to accommodate larger crowds, Monday’s meeting will be moved back to City Hall, 1209 Williams.
Lawmakers Share Concerns About Kan. Driver’s License IT Project
By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN
Lawmakers remain concerned about potential snags as Kansas wraps up years of work on migrating driver’s license records from an old mainframe computer to newer infrastructure ahead of a January launch date.
Rep. Kyle Hoffman, R-Coldwater, a member of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Information Technology, asked legislative auditing staff Friday whether the state might see a repeat of the technical woes that plagued the first phase of the same project five years ago.
CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
“I’m just trying to understand why we’re having so much problems getting all this done on a timely basis, where it works,” Hoffman said. “Do you have an answer whether or not you think we’re going to have those same problems? Or do you think because of the monitoring you guys have done we’re going to be relatively problem-free?”
After a pause, auditor Katrin Osterhaus replied: “I am concerned.”
Auditors have been reviewing the progress of the driver’s license project on a quarterly basis because of its history of difficulties and its importance.
The portion of the project scheduled to go live at the start of 2018 will hold the records of 2 million drivers. It is launching six years behind schedule.
Osterhaus said some of the remaining obstacles to a smooth rollout include the timing of work related to a key contractor on the project, MorphoTrust. Auditors previously indicated the contractor had missed at least two major deadlines.
Rep. Blake Carpenter, R-Derby, asked whether Kansas could skirt problems by switching contractors.
“Is there any other group or company that also does the same services they do that you guys could potentially use to get this done faster?” asked Carpenter, chairman of the IT committee.
CREDIT CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
“At this point even if there were,” Osterhaus replied, “I don’t know if that would be a good option, because it’s so far into it.”
Members of the Legislature’s audit committee, which also is monitoring KanDrive, have expressed similar concerns about the upcoming rollout.
Officials at the Kansas Department of Revenue, which is carrying out the project, have indicated in recent months that they remain committed to the 2018 launch and that progress has been made on debugging trouble spots.
In a July 31 report, auditors laid out concerns regarding gaps in code and features that relied on technical workarounds to work.
The vision for KanDrive — recently renamed KanLicense — and related infrastructure projects began under another name a decade ago. Phase one of the estimated $40 million in IT modernization was a new vehicle title and registration platform that launched in 2012. County officials complained then of widespread technical problems that led to hours-long waits in some places for Kansans trying to update their tags.
Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ.
Hurricane Harvey an example to all to know what is in your homeowners policy
It’s estimated about 80% of Hurricane Harvey victims did not have flood insurance and now face big bills. Homeowners suffering flood damage from Harvey are more likely to be on the hook for losses than victims of prior storms, a potentially crushing blow to personal finances and neighborhoods along the Gulf Coast. Barton County Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller says it’s a lesson to all of us to make sure they know what is and isn’t covered by their homeowners policy.
Amy Miller Audio
Insurance experts say homeowners insurance typically covers just damage from winds, not floods. For that, you need separate coverage from the federally run National Flood Insurance Program. The insurance is a requirement for homeowners with federally-backed mortgages living in the most vulnerable areas, called Special Flood Hazard Zones.
Much of the Houston area fell outside those most vulnerable zones and many homeowners who were not forced to have coverage decided to do without. Now they are stuck because much of the damage in the nation’s fourth largest city won’t be covered by their homeowners insurance.
KVCA Rankings
September 14, 2017, Topeka, KS — The Kansas Volleyball Association is pleased to announce
the 2017 Week 2 Volleyball Rankings sponsored by PrepVolleyball.com. Records listed reflect information that was submitted by Monday, September 11.
Rank – School – Record – Last Week’s Ranking
Class 6A
1. Blue Valley North 8-1 (5)
2. Olathe Northwest 8-2 (6)
3. Blue Valley West 8-1 (1)
4. Blue Valley 7-2 (2)
5. Lawrence 8-2 (7)
6. Manhattan 5-3 (3)
7. Washburn Rural 6-1 (8)
8. Gardner-Edgerton 6-3 (9)
9. Shawnee Mission Northwest 6-5 (4)
10. Shawnee Mission South 5-4 (10)
Class 5A
1. St. James Academy 5-1 (1)
2. Lansing 10-1 (2)
3. De Soto 13-2 (6)
4. St. Thomas Aquinas 6-2 (3)
5. Goddard 15-1 (9)
6. Maize 10-2 (5)
7. Andover 12-3 (NR)
8. Pittsburg 9-0 (7)
9. Bishop Carroll 5-2 (NR)
10. Newton 7-3 (4)
Class 4A – Division 1
1. Rose Hill 11-0 (1)
2. Louisburg 10-3 (4)
3. Basehor-Linwood 12-5 (5)
4. Bishop Miege 0-6 (3)
5. McPherson 8-2 (7)
6. Ulysses 7-0 (9)
7. Abilene 7-3 (6)
8. Maize South 6-4 (8)
9. Andover Central 9-7 (2)
10. Hays 5-1 (NR)
Class 4A – Division 2
1. Topeka-Hayden 10-0 (1)
2. Concordia 13-2 (2)
3. Andale 11-2 (3)
4. Burlington 13-2 (4)
5. Nickerson 12-3 (5)
6. Wichita-Trinity Academy 9-0 (6)
7. Santa Fe Trail 6-2 (7)
8. Pratt 9-3 (8)
9. Holcomb 2-1 (9)
10. Holton 4-5 (10)
Class 3A
1. Kingman 12-0 (3)
2. Silver Lake 7-1 (1)
3. Hesston 11-1 (4)
4. Thomas More Prep-Marian 11-1 (5)
5. Cheney 7-2 (2)
6. Nemaha Central 15-1 (7)
7. Douglass 4-0 (6)
8. Ellsworth 10-1 (NR)
9. St. Marys 7-2 (9)
10. Royal Valley 8-4 (8)
Class 2A
1. Heritage Christian 9-1 (1)
2. St. Mary’s Colgan 6-2 (3)
3. Plainville 10-0 (4)
4. Hoxie 4-1 (7)
5. Kiowa County 9-2 (5)
6. Inman 14-0 (NR)
7. Maranatha Christian Academy 2-1 (8)
8. Smith Center 4-2 (NR)
9. Valley Falls 10-4 (NR)
10. Jefferson County North 4-4 (6)
Class 1A – Division 1
1. Centralia 9-0 (1)
2. Goessel 9-0 (2)
3. South Central 16-0 (6)
4. Hanover 14-4 (3)
5. Olpe 11-3 (4)
6. Rural Vista 9-0 (9)
7. Thunder Ridge 10-2 (NR)
8. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 9-2 (5)
9. Chetopa 8-2 (8)
10. Pretty Prairie 7-2 (10)
Class 1A – Division 2
1. Wheatland-Grinnell 11-0 (1)
2. Sylvan-Lucas 9-0 (2)
3. Otis-Bison 13-2 (3)
4. Attica 6-1 (NR)
5. Northern Valley 5-4 (4)
6. Argonia 5-2 (NR)
7. Logan 7-2 (NR)
8. Axtell 5-5 (6)
9. Ingalls 6-4 (9)
10. Pawnee Heights 5-4 (NR)
K-Preps High School Football Rankings
K-PREPS HIGH SCHOOL FB RANKINGS
CLASS 6A
#1 SHAWNEE MISSION EAST (2-0)
#2 LAWRENCE FREE STATE (2-0)
#3 DERBY (1-1)
#4 BLUE VALLEY NORTH (1-1)
#5 TOPEKA HIGH (2-0)
Others Considered: Blue Valley (1-1), Garden City (2-0), Hutchinson (2-0), Lawrence (2-0), Olathe East (1-1), Manhattan (1-1), Wichita Northwest (1-1)
CLASS 5A
#1 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (2-0)
#2 GODDARD (2-0)
#3 BISHOP CARROLL (2-0)
#4 ST. JAMES ACADEMY (2-0)
#5 MILL VALLEY (1-1)
Others Considered: Emporia (1-1), Kapaun Mt. Carmel (2-0), Pittsburg (2-0), Shawnee Heights (2-0), Topeka Seaman (2-0)
CLASS 4A-DI
#1 BISHOP MIEGE (2-0)
#2 MAIZE SOUTH (2-0)
#3 DE SOTO (2-0)
#4 MCPHERSON (1-1)
#5 BUHLER (1-1)
Others Considered: Andale (2-0), Basehor-Linwood (2-0), Fort Scott (2-0), Louisburg (2-0), Mulvane (2-0), Paola (2-0), Tonganoxie (2-0)
CLASS 4A-DII
#1 WICHITA COLLEGIATE (2-0)
#2 TOPEKA HAYDEN (1-1)
#3 COLUMBUS (2-0)
#4 SCOTT CITY (2-0)
#5 PRATT (2-0)
Others Considered: Colby (2-0), Frontenac (1-1), Goodland (1-1), Holcomb (1-1), Holton (1-1), Nickerson (2-0), Santa Fe Trail (2-0), Smoky Valley (1-1)
CLASS 3A
#1 SILVER LAKE (2-0)
#2 NEMAHA CENTRAL (2-0)
#3 PHILLIPSBURG (2-0)
#4 CONWAY SPRINGS (2-0)
#5 MARYSVILLE (2-0)
Others Considered: Chaparral (2-0), Cheney (2-0), Galena (2-0), Garden Plain (2-0), Hesston (1-1), Marion (2-0), Norton (2-0), Osage City (2-0), Perry-Lecompton (2-0), Sabetha (2-0)
CLASS 2-1A
#1 SMITH CENTER (1-1)
#2 JEFFERSON CO. NORTH (2-0)
#3 LYNDON (2-0)
#4 VALLEY HEIGHTS (2-0)
#5 ELL-SALINE (2-0)
Others Considered: Centralia (1-1), Elkhart (2-0), Jackson Heights (2-0), Olpe (1-1), Plainville (0-2), Sedgwick (1-1), St. Mary’s Colgan (1-1)
8-MAN DI
#1 ST. FRANCIS (2-0)
#2 OSBORNE (2-0)
#3 BURLINGAME (2-0)
#4 SPEARVILLE (2-0)
#5 VICTORIA (2-0)
Others Considered: Atwood-Rawlins Co. (2-0), Central Plains (1-1), Clifton-Clyde (2-0), Hoxie (2-0), Logan-Palco (2-0), Madison (2-0), Solomon (2-0), South Central (2-0), St. Paul (2-0), West Elk (2-0)
8-MAN D-II
#1 HANOVER (2-0)
#2 PIKE VALLEY (2-0)
#3 OTIS-BISON (2-0)
#4 CENTRAL CHRISTIAN (2-0)
#5 HODGEMAN COUNTY (1-1)
Others Considered: Caldwell (2-0), Dighton (2-0), Mankato-Rock Hills (2-0), South Barber (2-0), Sylvan-Lucas Unified (2-0), Wakefield (2-0)
Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting moved back to City Hall
The next scheduled Great Bend City Council meeting is Monday, September 18 and as of Thursday morning the decision is to hold the meeting at City Hall, 1209 Williams.
The city council held the previous three meetings at the Great Bend Events Center on 10th Street to accommodate larger crowds. The crowds showed up in concern of the decision to suspend Great Bend Police Chief Cliff Couch. Over 400 community members attended the meetings at times and eventually saw the council reinstate Couch on September 5. Couch announced his resignation just over a week back on the job and will be effective October 15.
While the Events Center is capable of holding hundreds of people, the City Hall meeting room where the meetings are typically held is designed to seat 40-50 people comfortably.
The long list of agenda items for Monday’s meeting includes motions to approve Mayor Mike Allison’s appointments for interim city administrator, fire chief, and Ward 2 city council position. The agenda came out shortly after Couch’s press release announcing his resignation. It is unsure at this time if the agenda will be amended to address the soon-to-be vacant police chief position.
Monday’s meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.
Police identify Kan. doctor stabbed to death at his office
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police are investigating a stabbing death and have a suspect in custody.
Just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday police responded to report of a stabbing at 625 North Carriage Parkway in Wichita, according to police Lt. Todd Ojile.
Upon arrival, officers found a 57-year-old victim identified at Dr. Achutha Reddy in an alley behind the business with numerous stab wounds, according to Ojile.
Emergency Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
At 7:40p.m. police were dispatched to a report of suspicious person at the Wichita Country Club. A security guard at the club had observed a suspicious person sitting in a car at the club. The individual had blood on him. Police arrived and arrested 21-year suspect Umar Dutt for the death of Dr. Reddy.
An investigation revealed the Dutt was a client of Dr. Reddy and had been at the office Wednesday
The suspect left and later returned with Dr. Reddy. They entered an office and a short time later an office manager heard a disturbance. She told police she saw Dutt assault the doctor and attempted to intervene, according to Ojile. This allowed the doctor to flee the office.
The suspect chased the doctor into the alley where police believe the second assault occurred.
Early Thursday police booked Dutt into the Sedgwick County jail on first-degree murder charges. Authorities will present the case to the district attorney on Friday afternoon.
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WICHITA— A man has been arrested in the stabbing death of a doctor at his holistic medicine practice in east Wichita.
The suspect identified as Umar Dutt, 21, was taken into custody near the Wichita County Club. The Sedgwick County Jail booking report shows he is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder in the Wednesday night killing.
Wichita Police Lt. Drew Seiler says the attack happened after a man entered a business to talk with a doctor. Seiler says “one of the doctors was stabbed multiple times” during the conversation. Seiler says the doctor was found outside the business in a back parking lot. The doctor’s name wasn’t immediately released.