GREAT BEND – Gladys Mae Webster, 77, passed away at Medicalodges of Great Bend (formerly Cherry Village), on September 4, 2018. She was born November 5, 1940, in Hays, Kansas, to Edgar Joseph & Helen Lucinda (Hammerschmidt) Sanders. She married Cornelius Edward “Buddy” Webster, July 4, 1959, in Great Bend. He died July 23, 2008.
A resident of Great Bend since 1957, coming from the Stockton and Victoria area, Gladys was a member of the Prince of Peace Parish at St. Rose and the Altar Society. She worked at the Family Crisis Center and was a Foster Care parent for over 35 years.
Survivors include, one daughter, Pam Vainer and husband David of Great Bend; two sons, Charles Webster and wife Debbie of Great Bend and David Webster and wife Catherine of Glenwood, Iowa; seven grandchildren, Jeremy Vainer, Matthew Vainer, Cory Webster, Micah Webster, Abby Coffey, Megan Vainer and Chelsea Schutzman and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, C.E. “Buddy” Webster; one daughter, Brenda Brown; three brothers, Dennis, Leon and Donald Sanders, and two sisters, Elizabeth Zimmerman and Charlotte Shearrer.
Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday, September 7, 2018, at Bryant Funeral Home, with an Altar Society Rosary at 4:00 p.m., and Vigil Service with Rosary at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 9:30 a.m., Saturday, September 8, 2018, with Father Ted Stoecklein presiding, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Great Bend. Interment will be in the Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the St. Rose Rosary Garden or St. Francis Community Services, to benefit the G. B. Foster Children’s Christmas, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.
Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net
Gerald R. Hardten, 73, passed away September 4, 2018, at Country Living, Ellinwood, Kansas. He was born November 5, 1944, in his parents’ home in Claflin, the son of Fred and Naomi (Nagel) Hardten. A lifetime area resident he graduated Claflin High School in 1962. He attended Fort Hays State College and joined the National Guard attending officer’s training school and receiving the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He was proud of his time in the National Guard, serving nine years.
He married Janice “Jan” Weber in May 14, 1966, in Claflin. She survives.
Gerald worked alongside his dad at Hardten Service Station, owned by his dad, for many years. After his dad passed Gerald owned and operated the station until he retired in 2007.
Gerald enjoyed reading, especially history, playing board games and playing cards with his wife and son on days off.
Survivors include; his wife of 52 years, Janice “Jan” Hardten of the home; son, Gerald “Jerry” Fred Hardten of Great Bend, sister-in-law, Carol Hardten of Olathe, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Reta June (Hardten) Plowman, brother, Ronald David Hardten, father and mother-in-law, John J. Moran, Jr. and Cassilda D. (Schartz) Moran, father-in-law, Hurley R. Weber.
He leaves behind two precious little dogs, Ollie and Stanly.
Having dementia for several years he was cared for at home, where he wanted to be, by his loving wife, family and good friends until the last week of his life. I will truly miss you Gerald. God Bless you my husband and now you can rest in peace.
Graveside service will be 11 a.m., Saturday, September 8, 2018, at Claflin Cemetery, with Pastor Diana Webster presiding. Military honors will be conducted by the Kansas Army National Guard Honor Guard.
Friends may call 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, with family to receive friends from 6 to 8 pm at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Claflin Ambulance Fund or the Claflin United Methodist Church in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.
DETROIT (AP) — Under pressure from U.S. safety regulators, Ford is recalling about 2 million F-150 pickups in North America because the seat belts can cause fires.
The recall covers certain trucks from the 2015 through 2018 model years.
The company says it has 23 reports of smoke or fire in the U.S. and Canada, but it’s not aware of any injuries. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the fires last month after getting five reports. Fires destroyed three trucks.
Ford says some seat belt pretensioners can generate excessive sparks when they tighten the belts before a crash. That can ignite gases inside a support beam and cause insulation and carpet to catch fire.
Dealers will remove insulation and install heat-resistant tape. Owners will be notified starting Sept. 24.
The auctioneer conducts bidding at the 40th Annual Big Benefit Auction.
BUSINESS NEWS
Story and photos by Brandon Steinert
The proceeds from items sold, underwriters, program ads and ticket sales netted more than $40,000 at the 40th Annual Big Benefit Auction in late August, which was themed “Clownin’ Around.” Funds raised benefit students directly through scholarships and program enhancements at Barton Community College.
Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Coleen Cape said she feels fortunate to have reached the foundation’s goal.
“It is truly impossible to gauge the amount of hard work, support and generosity it takes to make an event such as our 40th Annual Benefit Auction a success,” she said. “I wish time would allow for me to visit each and every donor, volunteer and attendee to offer my personal thanks; since that is simply not possible in a timely fashion, I hope they are all aware how grateful we are for their contributions.”
With the auction being the largest fundraiser for the Foundation each year, it is important for everything to come together. Successfully orchestrating this event is something both Cape and the Foundation Board of Directors know would be impossible without support from the community.
Cape said the Foundation is not “Clownin’ Around” when they offer their sincerest gratitude to the auction underwriters, including Advanced Therapy and Sports Medicine, Phil and Kim Grossardt, ILS, Nex-Tech and UMB Wealth Management.
Bart the Cougar showed up to mingle with the crowd while decked out in a clown outfit to match the Foundation Auction’s theme of “Clownin’ Around.” Shown with Bart are auction patrons Eric and Tiffany Schoendaler of Hoisington.
“Their generosity and support were vital to the success of this event,” Cape said. “Of course, we would be remiss without sending out a huge shout out to the guys at the Columbus Club and to Carr Auction and Real Estate for making the evening run so smoothly.”
The annual scholarship honorarium, where auction-goers donate directly to a scholarship honoring a community member, raised about $10,000, all to be awarded in scholarships for the 2019-20 academic year in the name of the Foundation Board of Directors member Sylvan Bleeker.
Roger and Mary Lou Murphy also donated a completely restored Cushman cycle to be auctioned during the collectors’ auction by Carr Auction and Real Estate in October. The proceeds will be added to the honorarium in memory of Sylvan.
For more information, contact the Barton Foundation office at (620) 792-1136.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — One of Republican Kris Kobach’s main opponents said Wednesday that he is not qualified to serve as Kansas governor because of his tough stance against illegal immigration and because he promises to pursue state policies meant to discourage it.
Johnson County Bar Association Gubernatorial Debate -photo courtesy Kobach for Governor campaign
Independent candidate Greg Orman, Republican Kris Kobach and Democrat Laura Kelly faced off Wednesday during the Johnson County Bar Association Gubernatorial Debate.
Orman, a Kansas City-area businessman, said Kobach’s stance on immigration shows that the Republican does not understand agriculture or how it depends heavily on immigrant labor. Orman made his comment during perhaps the sharpest exchange for the major candidates’ first forum of the fall campaign at a hotel in a Kansas City suburb.
Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, has made illegal immigration a key issue in his campaign after more than a decade of advocating action by states and local communities. He was an early backer of President Donald Trump, advising both his 2016 campaign and the White House on immigration and homeland security issues.
“I almost think the idea, Kris, that you think that we need to rid of all immigrants in Kansas — all illegal immigrants in Kansas — just disqualifies you to be governor,” Orman said. “It’s clearly a red meat issue for your base, but ultimately, it just demonstrates you don’t understand how the ag economy works.”
Both Orman and Kelly are vying for votes from GOP moderates who dislike Kobach’s conservative politics, including his longstanding embrace of tough immigration policies. They have emphasized other issues, such as support for public schools for Kelly and promoting economic growth for Orman.
Both Orman and Kelly said illegal immigration is a federal issue requiring comprehensive reforms to immigration laws from Washington — echoing statements made in the past from major Kansas business and agriculture groups.
Kobach defeated Gov. Jeff Colyer in the Republican primary last month, and Orman picked up the endorsement of Colyer’s ex-campaign chairman, a former Kansas Farm Bureau president. Orman said aggressive attempts to deport illegal immigrants would hurt rural Kansas, particularly dairy and meatpacking businesses.
But Kobach brushed off the criticism and said states should discourage illegal immigrants from settling within their borders. He has promised that if he is elected governor, he will issue an executive order requiring state agencies and their contractors to use the e-Verify system to check workers’ legal status, something he’s done with his own office.
He also has promised to pursue legislation that would cut off state funding to cities and counties that restrict law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
Kobach said Orman is suggesting that someone isn’t qualified for governor for wanting to “have the illegal population leave the state and open up jobs for Kansans” is “180-degrees wrong.”
“I’d be the first governor who’s actually tried to do something about the problem,” Kobach said. “We have to look out for the American worker.”
Kobach also has promised to seek the repeal of a 2004 law that helps young people living in Kansas illegally to go to state colleges by allowing them to pay the lower tuition rates reserved for legal state residents. Kobach contends the law subsidizes the educations of illegal immigrants, to the detriment of taxpayers.
Like other supporters, Kelly said the law makes higher education affordable to young people brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents after they’ve made Kansans their home for years.
“I have voted for that, and I’ll vote for it again, if I need to,” Kelly said. “Those kids would be dropping out of college because they couldn’t afford it.”
ANDREW COUNTY— Two people died in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Wednesday in Andrew County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Pontiac G6 driven by Kristen K. Ingles, 36, Peoria, IL., was southbound in the northbound passing lane on U.S. 71 two miles southwest of Savannah, Missouri.
The Pontiac struck the front left bumper of a northbound 2005 Ford Escape driven by Ricky L. Gonzalez, 32, Manhattan, and traveled off the roadway.
Ingles and Gonzalez were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Heaton, Bowman, Smith Funeral Home in St. Joseph.
Gonzalez was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.
KANSAS CITY– Two Mexican nationals were charged in federal court Wednesday for their roles in a marijuana-growing operation where law enforcement officers seized nearly $10 million worth of plants, according to the United State Attorney.
Sergio Medina-Perez-photo Daviess Co.
Sergio Medina-Perez, also known as “Chapo,” 44, and Miguel Pulido-Maldonado, also known as “Mona,” 27, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Both men are citizens of Mexico who were living in California prior to coming to Missouri.
Wednesday’s federal criminal complaint charges Medina-Perez and Pulido-Maldonado with manufacturing and distributing 1,000 or more marijuana plants.
The owners of the three real estate tracts that comprise the property, about an hour north of Kansas City, live in California. Law enforcement officers, who had been keeping the marijuana grow site under surveillance, executed a search warrant at the property on Aug. 27, 2018.
The plants were in a clearing inside a large area of timber. A distinct path led from a building in the wooded area to the area containing the marijuana plants. One person who was present at the marijuana grow site fled into the wooded area and escaped.
Officers located approximately 2,464 cultivated marijuana plants. With an approximate street value of $1,800 per pound of marijuana, this results in approximately $9,757,440 in marijuana plants seized.
Medina-Perez was arrested near the grow site on Aug. 29, 2018. Pulido-Maldonado was arrested on Aug. 30, 2018; he was covered in mud, his arms had numerous bites from either mosquitos or other insects and it appeared he had been outside for several days. Medina-Perez and Pulido-Maldonado have been held on immigration detainers since their arrests.
JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and alleged aggravated battery.
Photos courtesy Olathe Police
Three suspects stole a shopping cart full of merchandise from a business in the 14400 Block of 135th Street in Olathe last week, according to Olathe Police.
As the suspects fled, their gray Nissan Frontier nearly hit a witness in the parking lot. Anyone who is able to identify the suspects is asked to contact police.
MOUND CITY – A Kansas man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison after pleading no contest to two counts of first-degree premeditated murder for the 2016 deaths of his uncle Kenneth McNabb and grandmother Betty McNabb, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
McNabb-photo Linn Co.
David Patrick McNabb, 33, was sentenced to life in the Kansas Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole for 100 years by District Judge Mark Ward.
McNabb pleaded no contest in April to the two counts of first-degree premeditated murder as well as one count of felony theft and one count of interference with law enforcement.
The certified public accounting firm of Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chartered (ABBB) is pleased to announce that Melissa Ille has earned her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.
“We congratulate Melissa on this milestone in her career,” said Brian Staats, CPA, CGMA, managing partner of ABBB. “Throughout her tenure, Melissa has shown commitment to the firm, our clients, and the accounting profession. Earning her CPA is a monumental achievement in her professional development.”
Ille joined the firm in 2006. She graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2004 and a Master of Business Administration in 2006. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Kansas Society of CPAs (KSCPA), and the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association. Ille lives in Great Bend and in her free time enjoys reading, baking, and spending time outdoors.
GREAT BEND – Gladys Mae Webster, 77, passed away at Medicalodges of Great Bend (formerly Cherry Village), on September 4, 2018. She was born November 5, 1940, in Hays, Kansas, to Edgar Joseph & Helen Lucinda (Hammerschmidt) Sanders. She married Cornelius Edward “Buddy” Webster, July 4, 1959, in Great Bend. He died July 23, 2008.
