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Month: July 2013

Sex offender gets 22 years for not registering

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(AP) — A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for failing to register as a sex offender in Shawnee County.Screen Shot 2013-06-20 at 7.49.18 AM

Richard David Honn was sentenced to 22 years and eight months for failing to register every three months as a violent offender. Honn was charged twice in Shawnee County for offender registration counts, the first time in 2011 and again this year.

His lawyer, David McDonald, says the sentence is excessive and that people convicted of registration offenses are receiving prison terms longer than for killing or raping someone.

Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor disagrees. He says the sentence stems from a “powerful tool” provided by the Legislature that makes failure to register as an offender a felony.

 

KHAZ Country Music News: Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift and Florida Georgia Line Have Bestsellers of 2013 So Far

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khaz blake shelton 20130212Blake Shelton‘s Based on a True Story is the best selling country album released so far this year.  According to Nielsen SoundScan, the project has moved 703,000 copies, to make the fourth best selling album of 2013 across all genres through the weekend ending June 30.

Taylor Swift‘s Red has sold 616,000 copies this year to come in as the #2 country album, and Florida Georgia Line‘s Here’s to the Good Times comes in at #3 with 610,000 copies sold.

As for individual song downloads, Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” is the #1 country song so far this year with more than 3.1 million copies sold.  It’s #7 overall.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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KHAZ Country Music News: Jake Owen’s Go Kart Accident Lands Him in the Emergency Room

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khaz jake owen 20130708Jake Owen may be friends with a few NASCAR drivers, but he won’t be getting behind the wheel of any race cars any time soon.

Jake posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearing a neck brace in a hospital emergency room Sunday night after getting in a go kart accident. He was trying to beat his race car driver pals Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer on the go kart track at the time of the wreck.

He says, “I’ll stick to singing country songs.”

Jake should be back on his feet in time for his Thursday night concert in Ft. Loramie, OH.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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Weekend Law Enforcement Activity Log

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Police - Hays 001The Hays Police Department conducted 73 traffic stops and received 25 animal calls over the weekend, according to the Police Activity Log.

 Theft:

  • 9:00 a.m. June 5th – General Theft was reported in the 300 block of West 48th Street
  • 5:00 p.m. Thursday > 8:30 a.m. Friday – General Theft was reported in the 500 block of Mission Mount
  • 5:09 p.m. Saturday – general Theft was reported in the 500 block of West 20th Street

Driving Under the Influence:

  • 1:58 a.m. Friday – Driving Under the Influence in the 400 block of East 7th Street
  • 8:42 p.m. Friday – Driving Under the Influence in the 400 block of E 8th Street
  • 1:55 a.m. Sunday – Driving Under the Influence and Drug Offenses in the 1600 block of Walnut Street
  • 2:02 a.m. Sunday – Driving Under the Influence in the 200 block of East 6th Street

Battery on LEO:

  • 11:49 p.m. – Battery on Law Enforcement Officer was reported in the 100 block of West 12th Street

Civil Dispute:

  • 11:32 a.m. Saturday – Civil Dispute was reported in the 1000 block of West 28th Street

Criminal Damage to Property:

  • 6:00 p.m. Friday > 7:00 p.m. Saturday – Criminal Damage to Property was reported in the 2900 block of Roosevelt Avenue
  • 11:30 p.m. Saturday > 1:01 a.m. Sunday – Criminal Damage to Property was reported in the 400 block of West 5th Street
  • 7:54 Sunday – Criminal Damage to Property was reported in the 2200 block of Ash Street

Underage Possession:

  • 12:35 a.m. Sunday – Underage Possession of Cereal Malt Beverage of Liquor in the 600 block of Elm Street

Disturbance:

  • 2:16 a.m. Friday – Disturbance – Noise was reported in the 400 block of West 7th Street
  • 2:30 > 2:49 a.m. Saturday – Domestic Disturbance was reported in the 100 block of West 15th Street

Fireworks Violation:

  • 1:15 a.m. Friday – Fireworks Violation was reported in the 4600 block of Jefferson Drive

Vehicle Accidents:

  • 11:42 p.m. Friday – MV Accident-Private Property, Driving Under the Influence in the 1200 block of Vine Street
  • 12:45 p.m. Friday – MV Accident-Private Property-Hit and Run was reported in the 1900 block of Vine Street
  • 12:59 p.m. Friday – MV Accident-Personal Injury was reported in the 1200 block of Vine Street
  • 2:40 p.m. Saturday – MV Accident-Private Property in the 700 block of East 8th Street

Water Use Violation:

  • 2:20 a.m. Friday – Water Use Violation in the 1200 block of East 27th Street
  • 2:25 a.m. Friday – Water Use Violation in the 1000 block of East 27th Street
  • 7:21 a.m. Friday – Water Use Violation in the 1000 block of East 29th Street
  • 10:04 a.m. Friday – Water Use Violation in the 2200 block of Vine Street
  • 1:58 p.m. Friday – Water Use Violation in the 2700 block of Thunderbird Circle
  • 8:59 a.m. Saturday – Water Use Violation in the 1300 block of Marshall Road
  • 7:33 a.m. Sunday – Water Use Violation in the 1700 block of Douglas Drive
  • 8:00 a.m. Sunday – Water Use Violation in the 400 block of East 14th Street
  • 8:53 a.m. Sunday – Water Use Violation in the 2900 block of Grant Avenue
  • 9:05 a.m. Sunday – Water Use Violation in the 1500 block of East 27th Street Terrace
  • 11:42 a.m. Sunday – Water Use Violation in the 2200 block of Felten Drive
  • 12:09 p.m. Sunday – Water Use Violation in the 2200 block of Felten Drive

Weekend Drowning at Lake Wilson UPDATE

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Lake Wilson
Lake Wilson

11:00 a.m.  The Russell  County Sheriff’s office has confirmed the name of the victim in the weekend drowning at Lake Wilson is George Willenberg, age 38 of Hoisington.  Emergency crews pulled Willenberg’s body from the lake on Sunday. It was the state’s third drowning over the weekend.

From the Russell Sheriff: Russell County authorities have recovered the body of a Hoisington man who went missing and drowned Saturday evening at Wilson Lake.

According to a press release from Russell County Sheriff John Fletcher, on the evening of July 6, 2013 at approximately 8:43 PM the Russell County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a missing man in the Rock Town area of Lake Wilson.

The Sheriffs Office along with officers from Wildlife and Parks, Corps of Engineers, Russell City Fire Department, Lucas Fire Department and Russell County Emergency Management responded.

It was determined a 38-year-old male from Hoisington had tried to swim across the coves in Rock Town after the boat he was on had mechanical problems. The two people remaining with the boat advised they saw him swimming and then did not see his head come up again.

A search of the ground area around the cove was done using ATV’s. At approximately 12:36 AM the search was suspended until daylight.

At 6 AM on July 7, 2013 the search continued on land and water. At 7:46 AM the command post was advised that the boats searching the water had a positive response from side scan sonar where the last place the missing person was seen. Bill Hickert, a professional diver from Russell, assisted and located the body at 9:24 AM.

The body was removed and the Russell County Assistant Coroner was contacted. The body was released to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell.

The name of the individual is not being released until a later time pending notification of relatives.

Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor in the drowning.

 

Sunday 4 p.m.  Emergency crews pulled the body of a Hoisington man from lake Wilson. It was the state’s third drowning over the weekend. Witnesses say the 38 year old man tried to swim across a cove after his boat had some mechanical problems.

Two people on the boat said they saw the man go under water and not come up again. Authorities say alcohol may have played a part in the drowning. The name of the victim has not been released.

Wakeeney City Council Minutes June 18, 2013

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wakeeney city logoRECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERNING BODY 18 JUNE 2013

                The Governing Body of the City of WaKeeney, Kansas met in a regular session at City Hall 408 Russell Ave at 7:00 PM with the Mayor presiding and the following members present:

Mayor Kenneth Roy and Council Members Irene Dirks, Troy Leiker, Lynelle Shubert, and Allen Weigel

BEING ABSENT: Mary Jo Clevenger

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as written, printed and distributed.

                GUESTS:  Don Tilton, Cathy Albert, Terry Eberle, Charlie Knoll and Janelle Miller

Don Tilton, Mapes & Miller, CPA’s was present before the Governing Body to present the city’s 2012 audit report.  Don reviewed the audit report at length and answered questions from the City Council.  Don was thanked by City Council and took his leave.

Cathy Albert, Director of the WaKeeney Travel & Tourism was present before the City Council to present Travel & Tourism’s 2014 budget request.  Cathy also reviewed tourism statistics for Trego County as recently complied by the State of Kansas.

Floyd Schneider, 28032 U Road was present before the City Council to request permission to move a double wide mobile home onto a vacant lot at N. Main and Hazel.  The house will be placed on a permanent foundation with a garage added on.  After answering several questions from the Governing Body, Irene Dirks motioned to approve the building / moving permit.  Lynelle Shubert seconded.  Motion carried.

CHIEF OF POLICE:  Terry Eberle provided his monthly departmental report.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR:  City Administrator Hardy Howard discussed with the Governing Body submitting a CDBG demolition only grant request.  If funded the grant would allow demolition work of both residential and commercial properties anywhere within the city.  The city will work with Northwest Kansas Planning and Development of Hill City to submit the required application.  Communities selected for funding will be announced in late January 2014.

MAYOR:   Kenneth Roy discussed the upcoming Independence Day holiday and the discharge of fireworks within the city.  It was the consensus of the City Council to allow fireworks to be discharge according to ordinance on July 3-5th from the hours of 9 AM to 11 PM.

In old business, an ordinance drafted by the City Attorney allowing chickens to be kept within the city was reviewed by the City Council.  A motion was made by Lynelle Shubert to NOT approve the ordinance.  Troy Leiker seconded.  Motion carried.

A motion was made by Troy Leiker and seconded by Lynelle Shubert to adjourn into executive session for a period of 20 minutes for the discussion of non-elected personnel.  Those remaining in the executive session included Mayor Roy, City Council, City Administrator Howard, and Chief of Police Eberle.

The session ended within the allotted time period

No further business appearing, the meeting was adjourned.

Totals from Sunday Rainfall

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The official rainfall total from the K-State Ag Research Center South of Hays was .56 of an inch for the past 24 hours. That’s .60

Rainfall over the past 24 hours. Click here for a closer look.
Rainfall over the past 24 hours. Click here for a closer look.

for July and 9.38 for the year.

Unofficially the city of Ellis received .05, the Eagle Media Center received .45, and 4 miles west of Hays reported receiving .50.

KHAZ Country Music News: Craig Morgan to Perform at Toast to the Troops Event

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khaz craig morgan 20130708Craig Morgan will perform a free concert Thursday, July 11 at the 19th Jack Daniel’s/USO Toast to the Troops Care Package Stuffing Party in Jacksonville, FL. The event is set for that day at the Jacksonville Landing, where a team of military spouses, USO volunteers and Jack Daniel’s employees will prepare care packages to send to U.S. military personnel serving overseas. A toast card with a personal message to the troops will be included with each package.

Craig served in the Army for 10 years and has since taken part in every Toast to the Troops event since 2005. He says, “Our nation’s service members and their families sacrifice so much for us on a daily basis and I hope everyone will come out and join us for what promises to be a great day to honor and support these heroes.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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Another Kansas wheat lawsuit filed against Monsanto

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(AP) — Another Kansas farmer has filed suit against seed giant Monsanto over the discovery of an isolated field of genetically engineered wheat in Oregon.Wheat

Harvey County wheat grower Bill Budde sued Monsanto on Friday in a lawsuit seeking class-action status. It’s at least the third such lawsuit filed in federal court in Kansas against St. Louis-based Monsanto since the discovery of the field in May.

Similar lawsuits have also been filed in Idaho and Washington state.

Monsanto has said none of the genetically modified wheat entered the commercial market. The company contends no legal liability exists given the care undertaken, and it has vowed to present a vigorous defense to the lawsuits.

Colleges Carefully Seek Minorities

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Supreme Court 001Public colleges in Missouri and Kansas say a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action won’t affect how they recruit minority students.

Officials at Missouri-Kansas City, The University of Missouri in Columbia, Kansas and Kansas State all say race plays no role in their admission standards.

The Supreme Court ruling in June didn’t forbid considering race in admission but said schools must prove there are “no race-neutral alternatives” to achieve diversity on campus.

Officials at the Missouri and Kansas schools say that in general any student who meets the basic criteria for admission will get in.

The Kansas City Star reports the university officials say they try to recruit minority students to apply, then allow all applicants who meet the basic criteria to attend.

Arts Groups Getting Grants

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Hand art easelNearly two years after most state funding of the arts was eliminated in Kansas, the state is starting to provide small grants to some arts groups.

The Wichita Eagle reports the state’s commerce department is expected to announce $58,400 in grants to eight groups across the state this week.

In 2011, Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed $700,000 of cultural arts funding, triggering the loss of about $1.2 million in national grants that depended on state investments in the arts.

The money was restored last year but the new Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission put much of its money into next year’s budget to show the National Endowment for the Arts it has money to match grants.

The creative arts industries commission plans to meet again Friday to discuss more grants.

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