Kansas Klips
Recall petition filed against Junction City Mayor
JUNCTION CITY—A petition has been filed to recall Jeff Underhill from office as a Junction City Commissioner. Geary County Clerk Courtney Gilbert said that the petition states the grounds for recall and is being provided to County Attorney Krista Blaisdell to determine if the grounds are valid and align with legal statutes. The grounds alleged on the petition include misconduct while in office and revoking the insurance license due to fraud and deception. The county attorney has five business days to make that determination. If the grounds are deemed appropriate, the Recall Committee can then start to circulate the petition to gather signatures. The Recall Committee includes Stephen Capizzi, Samuel Arias, and Tom Remily. The committee needs 390 valid signatures of registered voters who reside within Junction City limits. They have 90 days to return the petition to the Election Office. That office then has 30 days to validate the signatures. If the petition is valid, a special election will be held with one question on the ballot: “Do you want to recall Jeff Underhill from the Office of Junction City Commissioner?” Select yes or no. His fellow commissioners recently elected Underhill to serve as the Junction City Mayor for the coming year. As of January 31st, he had not yet commented on the recall petition development. (Hays Post)
Police ID man who died in Northwest Kansas officer-involved shooting
GOVE COUNTY—The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday morning, January 31st, in Grainfield, Kansas. According to a media release, at around 7:45 a.m., the Gove County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a disturbance call at 517 West 3rd Street in Grainfield. When the deputy arrived, he entered the residence to find two men in a heated argument. The deputy determined that Ty Kaiser, 30, had hit his 63-year-old male relative in the face. The deputy gave commands for Kaiser to get down. He initially complied but then stood back up and attempted to leave the scene, ignoring the deputy. The deputy deployed a Taser, which was ineffective, and angered Kaiser further. Kaiser then charged toward the deputy, hitting him in the head, face, and body. The deputy pulled out his firearm and fired one round, striking Kaiser. The deputy attempted life-saving measures until EMS arrived and transported Kaiser to Gove County Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. The deputy and relative were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The deputy was released from the hospital on Friday afternoon after evaluation and is recovering from his injuries. The 63-year-old was transferred to the hospital in Hays for further treatment. This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel, and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings, which take several weeks to complete. Case findings will be presented to the Gove County Attorney when this investigation concludes. Ty Kaiser has three previous drug convictions in Wallace County and a conviction for arranging sale/purchase using a community facility in Russell County in 2016, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. (Hays Post)
HaysMed reaches agreement with doctors on noncompete clauses
HAYSMED—MaysMed released the following statement regarding lawsuits filed by two former doctors concerning the noncompete clauses in their contracts. “We are pleased to announce that a successful resolution has been reached through mediation between MaysMed and Drs. Jerod Grove and Robert Rodriguiz. While the terms are confidential, all parties have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement that reflects our steadfast commitment to professional growth and quality patient care. This resolution underscores the value we place on maintaining the long-term sustainability of medical care in western Kansas.” (Hays Post)
Two hospitalized in Hays after semi overturns on I-70
ELLIS COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 4:00 a.m. onMonday, February 3rd, in Ellis County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Volvo semi driven by Abdikarim J. Muse, 25, Minneapolis, Minnesota, was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of 380th Avenue. The semi left the roadway to the south, crossed the median, overturned, and came to rest on its driver’s side, blocking both eastbound lanes of Interstate 70.An eastbound 2016 GMC Sierra driven by Derek A. Miller, 35, Clarksville, Tennessee, collided with the overturned semi. EMS transported Muse and Miller to Hays Medical Center. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP. (Hays Post)
Ellis High school student to performs at Carnegie Hall
ELLIS— Tayler Schmidt, a Elis High School Junior, auditioned for the Honors Performance Series on bass clarinet last spring. She was selected for the group and traveled to New York City for two performances at Carnegie Hall under the direction of renowned conductors. Tayler left on February 6th, and met with finalists from around the world. During her trip, she had rehearsals, enjoyed sightseeing at famous landmarks, museums and everything else the big Apple had to offer as well as the opportunity to see a Broadway show. (Hays Post)
