Newton Accepts Erickson's Resignation From
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Local high school student to Local teacher does ‘weld’ for appear in movie - Page 3 himself - Page 4 www.harveycountynow.com - Newton, KS Vol. 3: No. 01 Thursday, August 17, 2017 USPS (17818) $1.25 Newton accepts THE COST OF VIOLENCE Erickson's How one horrible act alters thousands of lives, a community resignation STORIES BY ADAM STRUNK AND WENDY NUGENT NEWTON NOW STAFF from BOE ith the recent double homicide, we've spent the last week observing its effects, from the most obvious and painful—those losing a life, a family member or friend—to those less obvious, like the resources such an act takes to investigate or the BY WENDY NUGENT Wloss of safety within a community. NEWTON NOW STAFF Stories of crime often get boiled down in the news to the simple details of a victim's name, a criminal's name, the motive, the [email protected] charges. But that's not the full story. An act of violence is never singular but a drop in a still pond that ripples outward. One scene. Police offi- One scene. Law en- During a special meeting cers stand next to a forcement outside the of the Newton USD 373 cooler down the block house with yellow tape. Board of Education, the four from a house at Roanoke Inside are two people, board members present Court, surrounded by yel- one is Alyssa Runyon, 24, voted unanimously to accept low tape. Inside, two lives described as a loving the resignation of Renee Er- cut short. mother, and another, Za- ickson, who's been on the Officers hold their vigil ylynn Paz, 4, whom board for several years. outside the house, mak- Heather Mathies Wolf de- “Per our conversation on ing sure it was secure as scribed as a sweet child Monday, Aug. detectives inside work who loved cats. 7, please con- with the Kansas Bureau Wolf, a licensed day- sider this my of Investigations and col- care provider in Newton, formal resigna- lect evidence. had been watching Paz tion from the Six days later, the KBI since June. USD 373 Board provided services to the Paz loved the cats at of Education, first officers in the house Wolf's home, especially as Roger and I to help them deal with one named Lucky. are in the the emotional toll such “[She] would make sure process of mov- Erickson an event takes. she told them hello every ing to Wichita The murder investiga- morning and goodbye be- and will no longer reside in tion into last week's fore she left,” Wolf said. the district,” Erickson wrote homicide effectively dou- “I'm heartbroken and in an e-mail to Board Presi- bled the amount of police sick about what hap- dent Carol Sue Stayrook officers on duty in New- pened to them,” Wolf Hobbs. It was dated Friday, ton for a few days. said, adding the little girl Aug. 11. “With Roger work- “We had two shifts of always arrived at her ing in Wichita, my commut- officers to help us work to home “clean and well ing for the last 10 years, our provide security on the taken care of and happy. children, grandchild and scene. We had to cycle She was always excited church family all in Wichita, people because of the to see her momma when it is the right time to make heat,” Police Lt. Bryan she picked [her] up at the See BOE / 5 Hall, who's in charge of end of the day. Her little patrol, said. friends and I will miss Hall said he believed her.” nearly every patrol officer Another person, Brooke in Newton picked up an Machmer, also was Tortoise pulled extra shift. shocked. “You are so gorgeous,” over after not- *** she wrote on Runyon's PHOTOS BY WENDY NUGENT/NEWTON NOW Facebook page. “Life is Officers drank bottled People mourn the deaths of Zaylynn Paz, 4, and her 24-year-old mother, Alyssa Runyon, fol- not fair!!! You and your so-high speed water from the cooler in lowing a candlelight vigil on Friday night just north of where they were murdered. baby girl didn't deserve the shade. this. Rest in paradise!” That was provided by Wolf kept some photos chase in town the Community Chaplain of Paz, one where she has BY ADAM STRUNK Response Team. The what appears to be a NEWTON NOW STAFF group functions in a sup- bunch of food around her [email protected] port role for the police de- mouth, as many kids do partment and had two after eating, and another members at the scene to where she's holding up a Owning large land turtles talk to people in need of birthday card and smil- is apparently a thing in an ear. ing. North Newton. Harvey County dis- “She fit right in with On Aug. 10, the city's po- patch contacted the team my group. She was a lice department got involved after the double homi- sweet, inquisitive, sensi- in tracking down not one, cides occurred. tive little girl. Asked lots but two truant tortoises in “There's an emotional of questions and would town. piece for that we are in- ask everyone who came North Newton Officer Josh volved in,” Chaplain in the daycare what their Garver responded to both Jason Reynolds said. “Es- name was,” she said. cases. pecially with a child. Be- Looking at Runyon's “I was on patrol and got a cause something like that Facebook page, there are call from City Hall saying is really hard. We'll make numerous images of her there was a turtle walking ourselves really available looking out at the viewer, down the middle of the road the next several weeks a beautiful young lady on 23rd Street,” he said. doing ride alongs, letting with a round face, clear The turtle was a land tor- them know we're there.” skin and big, blue eyes. toise and weighed about 80 On the scene, the There's talk on there pounds. Millie Wilmore, left, and her daughter, Tonessa Driskill, who is a neighbor in Roanoke Court “When I rolled up on the See POLICE / 8 in Newton, talk about the murders. See FRIENDS / 8 See CHASE / 13 Mail Label Fencing in, branching out: Newton resident makes fence from firewood BY WENDY NUGENT wooden fence. This wooden NEWTON NOW STAFF fence, however, is quite different [email protected] than pretty much all fences, as it consists of cut-up firewood in a neat, orderly formation outlining A while back, one of Guy the backyard. It does look like a Altum’s buddies saw a flier re- fence—just a fence of a different garding Altum’s firewood busi- kind. ness at work and contacted him, Altum said he got started on saying he had some trees. his fence when there was a The “some trees” turned out to three-month shutdown at be 20 acres of them on the AGCO, where he works, a few ground near Hillsboro, where a years ago. He said he grew up on farmer was making a cow pen. a farm, chopping wood and doing “It was a lot of trees,” Altum, other things, so at that time, he said on a muggy Thursday after- decided to chop wood. He said he WENDY NUGENT/NEWTON NOW noon at his Newton home, the Guy Altum of Newton cuts wood in his backyard. yard of which is guarded by a See FENCE / 13 Page 2 www.harveycountynow.comNEWS Newton Now August 17, 2017 A LIFETIME OF HELPING OTHERS Carman retires from Prairie View after almost 42 years BY WENDY NUGENT View, Carman said, has learn new things, and it's NEWTON NOW STAFF been rewarding. great for us as the Ameri- [email protected] “Over the years, I've had can public.” patients say, 'You saved She said some insur- my life or you changed my ance companies are allow- Mary Carman, who just life,' that kind of thing,” ing the telemedicine from recently retired from Carman said. “Have had, home, as well. Prairie View after almost not infrequently, patients During her tenure at 42 years, said that one will say that.” Prairie View, Carman also time, she helped a woman This goes along with one started the Older Adult deal with her husband of the things Carman will Pet Adoption program who had dementia and miss most about work— with Caring Hands Hu- pushed her. the patients—that, and co- mane Society, Wichita After calling Carman, workers. State University, Prairie she noticed the woman Staying as long as she View and the Harvey was distraught, although did wasn't part of Car- County aging services. she wasn't a Prairie View man's original plan. She When people get older, patient. and her husband, John Carman said, and their “I knew he had demen- Carman, came to the area pets die, people can get tia,” Carman said about because Carman needed to depressed but don't want the woman's husband. do an internship. to adopt another animal “She called and said, 'He “We needed a place because they're not sure shoved me down, and he where I could do an in- who will take care of their took off in the car.'” He ternship and he could get pets if they're hospitalized wasn't supposed to be a job,” she said, adding WENDY NUGENT/NEWTON NOW or pass away. With this driving. they lived in Wichita and Mary Carman, left, talks to Sara Lyon, publisher and brand manager at Prairie View, on Monday afternoon.