LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence man who was convicted last year of secretly videotaping people in dressing rooms in downtown Lawrence has pleaded no contest to charges of attempted rape and aggravated criminal sodomy.

Thirty-seven-year-old Orion M. Graf had been scheduled to stand trial Monday before taking a plea agreement.

The Lawrence Journal reports authorities found evidence against 37-year-old Orion M. Graf while investigating his previous case. Photographs that appeared to show a female unconscious while “sexual acts” were being performed were discovered.

Authorities say the victim was 18 years old when the incident occurred.

Assistant Douglas County District Attorney Amy McGowan has asked for Graf to receive a sentence of about 18 years in prison.

Graf’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 22.

SALINA -A man accused of a Salina murder made his first appearance in court Tuesday.

Ivan Huizar-Alvarez, 27, appeared in Saline County District Court and was formally charged with first-degree murder.

Alvarez is accused in the stabbing death of a man in a west Salina neighborhood.

Police say Huizar-Alvarez stabbed 50-year-old Scott Johnson numerous times in the back and upper chest in the yard of a residence in the 1400 block of Arapahoe shortly before 10:00 pm on March 24th.

Johnson was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to Salina Regional Health Center.

Huizar-Alvarez was booked into the Saline County Jail on Friday after unrelated charges against him in Shawnee County were dismissed.

He was arrested in Topeka on April 6th on charges that included parole violation, criminal possession of a firearm, interfering with a law enforcement officer, driving without a license, failure to yield, improper turning, and criminal littering. Those charges were dropped on May 5th and Huizar-Alvarez was then turned over to Saline County authorities.

A hearing has been set for Monday, May 18th at 2:30 pm, in which Huizar-Alvarez will appear with his attorney. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled at that time.
Huizar-Alvarez faces a life sentence with a minimum of 50 years if he is convicted on the murder charge.

He is currently being held in the Saline County Jail on a $1 million dollar bond.

NEWTON – A woman was injured in an accident just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford Edge driven by Jennifer Lovell Burrow, 42, Pond, AL., was southbound on Interstate 135 at Northwest 48th.

The vehicle left the roadway to the left, struck the guardrail and traveled across the southbound lanes of travel.

The vehicle entered the median and came to rest on the guardrail.

Burrow was transported to Wesley Medical Center.

She was properly restrained at the time of the accident according to the KHP.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are continuing to discuss proposals to raise taxes to fill a projected budget shortfall as the end of their annual session nears.

The House Taxation Committee was expected to review proposals Wednesday for raising revenues to close a projected $406 million deficit in the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Republicans on the committee planned to discuss a proposal to raise the state’s sales tax to 6.85 percent from 6.15 percent. The plan would also reduce the state’s lowest personal income tax rate to 2.55 percent from 2.7 percent.

The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee has a proposal before it to raise the sales tax to 6.5 percent.

Both committees are considering proposals to drop the sales tax on food.

FORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — Fort Riley officials say they have adjusted entry procedures at the base after increased security measures clogged Interstate 70 earlier this week.

The U.S. military raised the security status for all bases in North America on Friday. The Manhattan Mercury reports long lines at the Henry gate entrance on Monday stretched onto I-70 in both directions and brought interstate traffic to a standstill.

Base spokesman Bob Everdeen says Fort Riley is trying to balance the need to protect both the fort and people driving on the interstate. He says lines to enter the post were back to normal on Tuesday morning.

Officials declined to discuss procedures that were changed because of the elevated security status.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 by a vote of 261 to 155. This legislation, cosponsored by Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), would stop the burdensome Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule from being implemented. Proposed by the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, the WOTUS rule would dramatically expand the Clean Water Act, imposing costly and uncertain new permitting requirements for standard farming, ranching and other business activities.

Following the bill’s passage, Huelskamp issued the following statement:

“I would like to commend my colleagues in the House for the passage of our bill. This is yet another example of our efforts to protect Americans from the EPA’s unprecedented power grab. Simply put, we cannot allow President Obama to bypass the legislative process and ignore Congress and the American people.

“This bipartisan legislation demonstrates that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are working to limit D.C.’s growing over-regulation. This legislation would force the EPA to ditch the current interpretation of the Waters of the U.S. rule and create a more pragmatic, less intrusive replacement. The next step for reeling in the President’s overreach will be for Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans to send this bill to the President’s desk.

Time and time again, Washington bureaucrats have tried to regulate and control every drop of water in Kansas and elsewhere. Whether it is on our road ditches, farm ponds, prairie potholes, swimming pools, water tanks, or even rain puddles, their overreach must be stopped. I will continue to work to protect Kansas’ farmers and ranchers, municipalities, home builders and our other small businesses who have all vocalized strong opposition to the WOTUS rule.”

DAVID PITT, Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Prices for eggs and turkey meat are rising as an outbreak of bird flu in the Midwest claims more chickens and turkeys.

A carton of eggs in the Midwest is up nearly 17 percent to $1.39 since mid-April, when the virus began killing chickens and farmers culled their flocks to contain any spread. Eggs used as ingredients in products like cake mix and mayonnaise have surged 63 percent in 2½ weeks.

Iowa, the leading egg producer, has lost 26 million hens.

Analysts say grocery stores and wholesalers are trying to stock up.

The death of 5.6 million turkeys has pushed the price of fresh breast meat used in deli cuts up 10 percent since mid-April. Frozen hens used for home roasting are up about 3 percent.

GRANDVIEW PLAZA- A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Hyundai Elantra driven by Corliss J. Barner, 59, Grandview Plaza, was east bound on Interstate 70 three miles west of Kansas 18 in the right hand lane.

An unknown black Ford pick up attempted to merge into the Hyundai’s lane from the left lane.

Barner slammed on her brakes, swerved to the right to avoid being hit by the pick up and lost control of the car.

The Hyundai exited the road to the right, bounced off the bridge, came back into the east bound lane, exited the road to the left, went into a flat spin and came to rest on top of a guardrail.

Barner was transported to Geary County Hospital.
She was properly restrained at the time of the accident according to the KHP.

JUNCTION CITY -The Cabela’s Team National Championship will be at Milford Lake May 28-30.

The Cabela’s NTC will be comprised of 185 teams that qualified through competition in local tournaments organized by walleye clubs sanctioned by The Walleye Federation.

Many of the anglers have been pre-fishing the lake for several weeks, but most will begin arriving the week of May 17. Teams will vie for more than $250,000 in cash and prizes.

The entire field will compete the first two day on Milford Lake with each team being allowed to bring their best fish to the scale each day. Only the top 25 teams will advance to the final round on day three. The public can watch the teams daily when they take off from the Milford Marina at Milford State Park each morning at 7 a.m., then watch the weigh-ins which begin at 3 p.m.

The tournament will be live-streamed on the Internet at www.cabelas.com.ntc and at www.walleyefederation.com. NBC Sports and the Pursuit Channel are also filming the tournament for national television.

Connie Hall, Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Director, said if any business is interested in offering coupons / promotions to the competitors while they’re in town, contact the CVB at 238-2885 or email the [email protected].

Ten volunteers are needed to help with the tournament. Volunteer times are 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. through weigh-in conclusion. Jobs will include traffic control, parking, information table, and running fish after weigh-in to the release boats. If you can help, contact the CVB at 238-2885 or email the [email protected]

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City, Kansas, police say they are looking for a white Chevrolet Malibu connected to the death of a 17-year-old girl who died in a crash as her car attempted to flee from someone firing shots.

The Kansas City Star reports the death of Brayona Hullum on Friday afternoon is being investigated as a homicide. The girl was found dead outside the vehicle, while her sisters and a cousin were taken to hospitals with critical injuries.

Police say the crash happened around 12:30 p.m. Friday as a male with gold teeth and braids fired shots from a different car.

Brayona was not hit by gunfire. Her stepmother said at a vigil on Monday the family has no idea why someone would shoot at them.