Flags

To honor our veterans and to say thanks to the men and women in uniform. That's why John Alma, Jr. says he decorated his house with more than 30 American flags. "I'm running out of room, I'm going to have to go up top here pretty soon," he said. A total of thirty-two flags hang all over his house. "I feel like a proud American. That's what I feel," he explained. "I respect what they do for us. They protect us every day. Not just on 9/11, everyday. We have troops protecting us. The fireman risk their lives everyday for us. So do the police and they should be recognized.

A man flags down a driver near 21st and Grove Tuesday night asking for a ride. Wichita police say the two talked about getting some weed. On the way to the place to get pot the man who was picked up pulled out a gun and tried to rob the driver. They struggled for the gun and the driver bailed out of the car. The robber stole the car.  Officers say the car is a 1995 Grand Marquis with Kansas license place 484-FAC. If you see this car you should call police.

City of Wichita officials said high flows have left the Arkansas River unsafe for public use due to concerns about debris and high currents. During the annual Wichita River Festival, which starts today, the City of Wichita will display colored flags at the Douglas and Lewis Street bridges to inform festivalgoers about river-water quality and flow based on daily testing. The City has established three advisory levels based on river flows and testing results. A blue flag signifies the river is fine for recreational activities.

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) - Gay rights supporters marched outside the church of evangelical pastor Rick Warren, protesting his selection as an inauguration speaker. About 100 protesters waved rainbow flags Sunday and voiced their displeasure at Warren for his opposition to gay marriage and at President-elect Barack Obama for choosing him to give the invocation at Tuesday's ceremony. John Einsohn, one of the protest's organizers, tells the Orange County Register that Warren "preaches intolerance while pretending to be a friend of the gay community.

Tony Stewart passed Jimmie Johnson on a restart with three laps to go Sunday and surged into contention for his third NASCAR Sprint Cup championship with three races left. The victory was the third for Stewart in the first seven races of the 10-race playoffs. Stewart moved from 19 points behind leader Carl Edwards and in fourth place to just eight points behind in second as several contenders got caught up in a season-high 18 caution flags. Edwards struggled all day, but rallied to finish ninth and held on to a lead that he seemed likely to lose.

Instead of flying flags or visiting a memorial this Veterans Day, students in Haven got their hands dirty.  All 300 students at the grade school spent Friday afternoon doing yard work for veterans.  Armed with rakes and trash bags, they took their marching orders to the homes of 20 local vets. "It's prett neat," said veteran Fred Rau, as he watched a 5th grade class scoop up leaves on his front lawn. "They've gave us so many great things here in America and we'd like to thank them," said 10 year-old Julie Wilhite.

Officials say that Emporia State University is planning a Celebration of Life for Yawei Fan and Zheng Lin, two international students who died Oct. 20 in an apartment fire. The memorial service will begin at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, in Albert Taylor Hall on the ESU campus. The students' families will be attending. Fan, a sophomore in chemistry, and Lin, a graduate student in English, were from Dalian in the Liaoning province of China. They came to Emporia State in the Fall 2009 semester from Liaoning Normal University.

A ride is held in honor of a fallen Kansas soldier. Sargent Thomas Bohall was killed in Afghanistan last month. On Sunday members of the American Legion Riders held a special ceremony in Bohall's honor. They also presented his family with a plaque, certificate, and and embroidered U.S. Flag. "Tonight when you saw the riders come down the street and there were so many and it went on for such a long time," says Bohall's mother Lorna Geist. "I believe that there was 72 riders tonight, what an honor, what a privilege.

By Denise Hnytka (WICHITA, Kan.) Silence fell on one of Wichita's main roads Friday. Traffic was diverted around Kellogg and 119th St. for the funeral procession of Deputy Brian Etheridge. "It sent a presence of why we were here," said Nicole Rials, who was watching the procession. The Patriot Guard lead the way, with the low roar of motorcycles. "The flags were beautiful," said Virginia McMillen. "There must have been hundreds of motorcycles. " A flag-draped intersection marked the entrance to Etheridge's final resting place.

Monday is Memorial Day. It's a day when the country pauses to remember military personnel who died while in service to the United States. Click here for photos of Memorial Day event Events are scheduled across Kansas to honor those who sacrificed. Wichita: Resthaven Cemetery at 11800 W. Kellogg from 11:00 a.m. to noon Flyover of the Oklahoma Air National Guard F-16's Jayhawk Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.