Kansas Klips

Jennings man dies in crash near home town

OBERLIN — An accident north of Jennings in Decatur County last Thursday evening claimed the life of a 54-year-old Jennings man. It was one of three fatal accidents reported Wednesday and Thursday in northwest Kansas, according the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office. The accident occurred at 7:15 p.m. The victim was identified as Robert Papp, 54, who was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe north a quarter mile north of Jennings, when he lost control. The Tahoe rolled several times, and Mr. Papp was ejected. Troopers said he was not wearing the seat belt. The car came to rest in the middle of the road, facing east. (The Oberlin Herald)

Ludell farmer dies after crash of ATV near his farm

OBERLIN — Robert Charles Rippe, 79, Ludell, a prominent Rawlins County farmer, died last week Wednesday from injuries received in an all-terrain vehicle accident near his home. After the wreck, he was taken to the Rawlins County Medical Center in Atwood, where he later died. Mr. Rippe was born in Oberlin on Dec. 10, 1942. He attended grade school in Ludell and high school in Atwood, graduating in 1960. He married Theresa (Sattler) Rippe in 1973 at St. Mary’s Assumption Catholic Church in Herndon. Another person killed in an accident this week was Barbara J. Herrington, 77, of Brush, Colo. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported she was driving south on K-161 in Cheyenne County at about 7:20 p.m. Thursday when the car veered left off the road and overturned twice. The woman was wearing her seatbelt. (The Oberlin Herald)

86-year-old woman injured while unloading cattle

GREENWOOD COUNTY — An 86-year-old woman is recovering from injuries after a weekend accident in Greenwood County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just before 2 p.m. Saturday, a 2015 Ram 3500 driven by Thelbert M. Trimmell, 86, Fredonia, pulled too close to a panel while unloading cattle. The pickup struck 86-year-old Marilyn J. Trimmell of Fredonia who got out of the pickup. The driver was unaware she had exited the pickup. EMS transported Marilyn Trimmell to the hospital in Fredonia. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and not injured, according to the KHP. (HaysPost.com)

Grain elevator stands like a sentinel in northwest Kansas ghost town

OBERLIN — One of the early boom towns of northwest Kansas, Kanona began as a townsite in June of 1885, when it was surveyed and platted by Anselmo Smith for the Lincoln Land Company of Lincoln, Neb. The town developed due to the Burlington Railroad. The first store in Kanona was opened by Levi Kindig in 1885, and he put an advertisement in The Oberlin Herald on Nov. 5 saying there was a new town and new store in Kenona, as he spelled it at the time. Several other businesses set up shop in Kanona, and the town grew to include three grain elevators, at least two churches, a post office, a school, six blacksmith shops, four butcher shops, six barbers over the years, a boarding house, a lumberyard, a railroad depot and a bank. The town also boasted one of the earliest telephone lines in the county, installed in 1904 between Kanona and Jennings. A tornado tore through the town of Kanona in October 1949, destroying the brick school and much of the town. The remaining community built a new school in 1950, and classes continued until the school closed in 1966. All that remains today is the Decatur Co-op elevator and a few very dilapidated buildings. (The Oberlin Herald)

Teen hospitalized after ejected in rollover crash

PAWNEE COUNTY — An 18-year-old man was injured in an accident just before 1:30 a.m. Monday in Pawnee County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Ford Mustang driven by Joshua J. Mooney, of Macksville, was northbound on 40th Avenue. The driver lost control of the car. It traveled into the east ditch and then returned to the road and traveled into the west ditch, a field, rolled and the driver was ejected and found north of the vehicle. EMS transported Mooney to Via Christi. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP. (HaysPost.com)

Ex-high school coach admits posing as girl to get pics from boys

TOPEKA — A former assistant boys high school basketball coach in Topeka has admitted to posing as a teenage girl on social media to get explicit photos from other teens. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 41-year-old Jeffrey Pierce pleaded guilty last week to one count of producing child pornography in exchange for the dismissal of 11 other federal charges he faced. Pierce taught ninth-grade social studies and was an assistant basketball coach at Seaman. He was fired after he was arrested in September 2020. He admitted through his plea that he asked nine 14-to 16-year-old boys for sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves while pretending to be a teenage girl on Snapchat, Instagram and other social media platforms. (HaysPost.com)