KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The mother of former Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the team after exhuming his body so that his brain could be examined.
The lawsuit, filed by Cheryl Shepherd in Jackson County circuit court Tuesday, alleges that Belcher was subjected to “repetitive head trauma” and that the Chiefs failed to provide adequate medical care before he killed his girlfriend and then committed suicide last December.
Belcher’s body was exhumed this month at his family’s request so his brain could be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative condition found in some former players.
Shepherd is seeking a jury trial and $15,000 in damages.
A spokesman for the Chiefs told The Associated Press that the team was aware of the lawsuit but could not comment on pending litigation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Supreme Court justice has blocked implementation of portions of President Barack Obama’s health care law that would have forced some religion-affiliated organizations to provide health insurance for employees that includes birth control.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s decision came Tuesday night after a different effort by Catholic-affiliated groups from around the nation. Those groups rushed to the federal courts to stop Wednesday’s start of portions of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Sotomayor acted on a request from an order of Catholic nuns in Colorado, whose request for a stay had been denied by the lower courts.
Sotomayor is giving the government until Friday morning to respond to her decision.
The Hays Police Department is looking for 25 year old Zachary “Zack” Gregg Pfaff. Pfaff is wanted for a probation violation of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Pfaff is believed to be in the possession of a black handgun, possibly using drugs, and should be considered armed and dangerous.
On Friday morning, officers were called to the Baymont Inn & Suites on a tip that Pfaff may be in a room. Officers set up a perimeter on the hotel and cleared the suspected room. During the course of the investigation one female, who had a warrant out of Wichita, was arrested for Obstruction of Legal Process, but Pfaff was not located.
If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Zack Pfaff they are encouraged to call the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1011.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Regents is taking another look at a new social media policy that was devised in the wake of criticism about a journalism professor’s anti-NRA tweet.
A news release Tuesday says that board chairman Fred Logan is requesting a workgroup to review the policy. Under it, a university chief executive officer can discipline employees, up to termination, for social media communications that affect the university’s ability to carry out its functions.
But faculty and education groups have criticized the policy, saying it is too broad and will stifle free speech. The regents approved the measure unanimously in the wake of a tweet by University of Kansas journalism professor David Guth after the September shootings that left 13 dead at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
The Post has confirmed that 11 year old Jayden Hicks, the young girl who was shocked last spring in downtown Salina, died on Friday morning.
The incident happened on May 29, in Campbell Plaza where Jayden and other children were playing.
Jayden and others were shocked along with a fireman who was on the scene. The fireman and several children were treated and released from the hospital. Jayden was transferred to a rehab facility.
No information is currently available on when a memorial service will be held.
Hays Police Department officers and other area law enforcement took part in a standoff at a local hotel that lasted more than three hours Tuesday afternoon. The incident happened at Baymont Inn & Suites, 3801 Vine.
The incident was an attempt to serve a warrant on a yet-to-be identified man, according to Lt. Brandon Wright, who declined to offer additional details, noting a press release was expected to be released later today or Wednesday.
According to hotel employees, who declined to be identified, authorities surrounded the hotel looking for a suspect who had a warrant for his arrest. Hotel staff and guests present at the time were asked to stay in the hotel lobby while officers surrounded the building, attempting to make contact with the suspect in his room.
The hotel employees told Hays Post their understanding was that authorities were being cautious as it was believed the suspect could be armed. After using K-9 units and attempting to make contact for three hours, authorities made entry into the room which turned out to be empty.
The employees stated a woman was taken away in handcuffs by police, although they didn’t know the woman’s relationship to the man. They added that the man and woman who had checked into the hotel on Saturday had made quite a mess in the room, dumping cigarette ashes on the bed and staining the towels purple and black with what appeared to be remnants of hair dye.
Stay tuned to Hays Post and Eagle Radio for updates.
TOPEKA (AP) — The Kansas Lottery says a $1 million ticket has been sold in south-central Kansas.
Lottery officials announced Tuesday that the winning Holiday Millionaire Raffle ticket number is 120298. Besides the $1 million prize, there were 25 winners of $5,000, 25 winners of $1,000, and 2,500 winners of $100 in Tuesday’s raffle drawing.
Kansas Lottery Interim Director Sherriene Jones-Sontag says raffle players should check their tickets immediately. Winners have 365 days from the date of the drawing to come forward.
Lottery prizes of $1,000 or more must be claimed at Lottery headquarters in Topeka, either in person or by mail. Players can take their $100 winning tickets to any Kansas Lottery retail location to claim their prize.
TOPEKA – Kansas ended 2013 with budget revenues on target Tuesday, beating the fiscal year to date estimates by $4.3 million.
December revenue receipts were $3.3 million, or almost 1 percent, more than expected.
“We are finishing the first half of the fiscal year meeting budget revenue expectations,” said Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan in a news release.
Corporate income revenue receipts were up $4.4 million for December, or almost 7 percent, in part because of about $10 million more in estimated payments made in this month compared to December 2012 which indicates that corporations had larger profits compared to the prior year.
December’s revenue receipts do not include the holiday shopping period. That will be reflected in January’s revenue receipts.
GREAT BEND — Barton County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant Monday and recovered stolen property from several other Kansas counties.
According to a Facebook news release from Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir, the search took place in the 3100 block of 18th Street in Great Bend.
Detectives were looking for stolen property from Barton County and from several surrounding counties. Detectives from the Saline County Sheriff’s office were also at the scene.
Officers located stolen property from several jurisdictions and are currently processing the results.
Motor vehicle parts and equipment were recovered and taken into custody. No arrests were made at the scene.
Bellendir said the investigation is continuing and involves several Kansas counties including Ellis, Saline, Russell, Rush, Reno and Lincoln.
Bellendir expects further property will be located and the case will be referred to the Barton County Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Ky Scheibler, Hays, has a $10,000 check donated in his behalf to the Manhattan, Kansas, Boys and Girls Clubs.
Ky Scheibler would rather watch from the bleachers than be on the football field. And, he doesn’t eat spicy food.
Still, he was able to combine those activities with a couple others and came up the winner of the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Halftime Challenge.
Scheibler and his family drove 17 hours round-trip from Hays to Tempe, Arizona, to cheer on the K-State Wildcats in Saturday’s bowl game against the Michigan Wolverines.
While sitting in the Buffalo Wild Wings tailgaters area, Scheibler, a 21-year-old Fort Hays State University student, answered a trivia question correctly and was chosen to represent K-State in the half-time challenge.
K-State fan Ky Scheibler competes against a Michigan fan during halftime of the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
“They gave me a K-State football jersey to wear and then explained the challenge,” Scheibler told Hays Post.
It was an obstacle course race against a Michigan fan picked from the tailgating crowd.
“First, I had to eat four very, very hot wings–that was the main challenge for me, ’cause I don’t really like spicy food, then I went through the rope ladder course, and then stopped to throw a football through a hole. We had six balls each; somehow I made the first one,” he laughed.
Don, Ky, Dylan and Cristi Scheibler, Hays, root for K-State at Saturday’s Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, AZ.
“My dad (Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler) was really surprised too. I kept asking him ‘Where’s the love, Dad?'”
The last leg of the obstacle course was to run into the end zone and perform a touchdown dance.
“I don’t really have a TD dance, so I just kinda went limp and let my body relax–a weird show that should never be seen by anybody,” Scheibler laughed again.
Scheibler remained on the field while Buffalo Wild Wings donated a $10,000 check on his behalf to the Manhattan, Kansas, Boys and Girls Clubs to support youth sports.
Scheibler’s prize package also included a K-State Wildcats trophy helmet plus the purple No. 68 KSU football jersey he was given, and a Buffalo Wild Wings gift bag filled with “sauces and more spicy stuff.”
“I really would have preferred milk to cool off my mouth,” joked Scheibler.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ellis County is giving back to the community with help from a local company. BBBS Match Support Specialist Alisha Brownell told Hays Post that Sicoir Computer Technologies approached the group wanting to make a donation. Specifically, Sicoir wanted to donate rebuilt computers to be distributed to families in need.
Brownell said 10 computers have been given away so far, another six units that were donated by a local business are currently being worked on by Sicoir technicians, and more are sure to come in the future. She said Sicior is allowing anyone to donate computers at their office.
“I’ve donated my own computer,” Brownell said. “Anyone can walk in there and say ‘I don’t use this computer any more, I’d like to donate it to Big Brothers Big Sisters’ and they can redo it and give it back to us.”
All donated computers come with one year of free technical support, provided by employees at Sicoir.
Tis the season for giving. Know of a worthy charitable organization in the Hays area? Submit your pick to us at [email protected]. We’ll choose one next week and make a donation to it for every U-Haul rental dropped off at our location.
