HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Police are investigating after a vehicle rammed into a Hutchinson eatery and the driver fled the scene.

Hutchinson Police Sgt. Brian Hirt says the vehicle struck a curb, sheered a utility pole and crashed into the window of Connie’s IDK Eatery at 3 a.m. Thursday. Hirt said the driver exited the vehicle and left the scene before officers arrived.

Hirt said authorities are trying to contact the vehicle’s owner.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two Republican leaders don’t believe the Kansas Legislature needs to take action on health care issues because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding a key part of the federal overhaul.

Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce of Nickerson and House health committee Chairman Dan Hawkins of Wichita said Thursday that they were disappointed in the decision.

They believe the law wasn’t written to allow insurance subsidies for consumers buying coverage through the federal online marketplace in states like Kansas that refused to set up their own.

But Bruce had worried that if the high court invalidated the subsidies, pressure would build on lawmakers to expand the state’s Medicaid program. Bruce said the court’s ruling triggered a relief valve.

Hawkins said he doesn’t see the need for any state response.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury here delivered guilty verdicts against four defendants charged with trafficking crack cocaine in the Junction City and Manhattan areas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that in late 2012 and early 2013 agents of Kansas Bureau of Investigation and detectives from the Junction City Police Department investigated a large crack cocaine trafficking organization in Junction City and Manhattan. The organization was led by defendants Albert Banks and Anthony Thompson, who acquired the drugs from three different suppliers and sold the drugs to distributors who resold them on the streets.

The jury returned guilty verdicts against:

Albert Dwayne Banks, 33, Junction, City, Kan, count one (conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine), count eight (distributing crack cocaine, count 11 (distribution crack cocaine), count 12 (distributing crack cocaine), count 15 (distributing crack cocaine) count 16 (distributing crack cocaine), count 17 (distributing crack cocaine).

Johnny Lee Ivory, III, 29, Topeka, Kan., count one (conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine), count 19 (possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine), count 20 (unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction).

Martye Madabuti Madkins, III, 34, Junction City, Kan., count two (distributing crack cocaine), count four (distributing crack cocaine).

Anthony Caryle Thompson, 33, Junction City, Kan., count one (conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine), count three (distributing crack cocaine), count five (distributing crack cocaine), count six (distributing crack cocaine), count seven (distributing crack cocaine), count eight (distributing crack cocaine), count nine (distributing crack cocaine), count 10 (distributing crack cocaine), count 13, distributing crack cocaine).

Defendants Zachary Carlyle Patmon and Otis Dean Ponds were acquitted.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 28.

The crimes carry the following penalties:

Conspiracy: Not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million.

Distribution: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

Unlawful possession of a firearm: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Grissom commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Junction City Police Department, the Geary County Attorney’s Office and and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man has been charged in the death of a 13-month-old girl.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 26-year-old Michael John Guerrero was initially charged with attempted second-degree murder. But the charge was amended to first-degree murder after the girl’s death early Thursday. Guerrero has been jailed in Shawnee County since his arrest Wednesday. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.

Police said the girl was in “medical distress” when emergency responders began treating her Monday. She later was flown to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Police said it was determined that her injuries were the result of “criminal action.”

The girl’s name wasn’t immediately released, pending notification of relatives.

JEFF HORWITZ, The Associated Press
KEN SWEET, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is releasing thousands of complaints from disgruntled customers of banks, credit card companies and other providers of financial services.

The bureau posted a database of the complaints on its website Thursday over vehement protests from the financial industry. The database contains 7,700 complaints filed online by people who agreed to air their grievances publicly.

The database represents a small fraction of the 627,000 complaints the bureau has received in the four years it’s been operating. The CFPB began offering the option of allowing people to publicly share their complaints in March.

The names of the companies being complained about are shown, but any personal information about the people filing the grievances have been removed.

The bureau says it hasn’t vetted the substance of the complaints.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Opponents of an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to reduce renewable fuel standards say the agency’s indecision has slowed investment in the industry.

The EPA has proposed reducing the required volume of renewable fuels in the U.S. gasoline supply by 4 billion gallons this year and 5 billion gallons next year. The agency says Congress set the standards impossibly high in 2007 and they aren’t being met.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad on Thursday accused the petroleum industry of pressuring the EPA to lower the standards through “misinformation and half-truths.” He and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon joined hundreds of others addressing the EPA about the proposed changes.

American Petroleum Institute spokesman Bob Greco says the standards need to be lower because demand for renewable fuels isn’t high enough to meet them.

HUTCHINSON- A Kansas teen was injured in an accident during a high-speed chase on Thursday that started in Rice and ended in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Nissan Altima driven by Deven K Monaghan, 24, Nickerson, was being pursued by Rice County deputies.

The vehicles were traveling southbound on Adams and the Altima turned into a private residence to turn around and go back northbound on Adams.

As the Altima was turning it struck a Ford Taurus.

At the same time, a passenger Strawn, Megan Strawn, 18, Hutchinson, started to exit the Altima, while it started to reverse, side-swiping a Dodge Charger and pinning Strawn between the two vehicles. The Nissan then struck a house.

Strawn was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.

Monaghan and Strawn were also not wearing seat belts.

 

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HUTCHINSON- A chase that started in Rice County ended with a patrol car and the chase vehicle coming together in front yard of a residence in the 1800 block of North Adams in Hutchinson.

Law enforcement authorities reported a Rice County Deputy became involved in a chase on Plum Avenue Thursday afternoon.

The high-speed chase continued into Reno County and eventually the city of Hutchinson where Sheriff’s deputies and police became involve.

The suspect’s car was attempting to make a U-turn in a front yard when a female passenger tried to exit the vehicle.

As she did, the driver of the car backed up and pined the woman between her car door and the front of a patrol cruiser.

She was taken by EMS to Hutchinson Regional Medical center for treatment. The diver, who has outstanding warrants in Reno County, was taken into custody by the Rice County Sheriff’s office.

Names of the suspects and what prompted the chase have not been released.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Agricultural officials are contacting Kansas farmers with fields infected with flag smut disease in an effort to contain its spread. It is the first time it has been detected in Kansas since the 1930s

The Kansas Department of “Agriculture said Thursday the disease poses no human or animal health concerns and doesn’t impact grain quality. However, it can hurt wheat yields.

That is why the department is reaching out to farmers in the midst of harvest.

Officials are urging those farmers to delay harvest of infested fields until other fields are cut. They are asking that growers deliver wheat from infested fields to country elevators where it will be used for non-export uses.

The disease has been detected at low infestation levels in 39 fields in central and western Kansas.

MCFARLAND- A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 3 p.m. on Thursday in Wabaunsee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Dodge Ram driven by Timothy Weisbender, 60, Manhattan, was northbound on Kansas 185 attempting to turn on to the Interstate 70 Westbound ramp.

The truck was hit by a 2012 Jeep Liberty driven by Mary Rose Johnson, 39, Topeka, that was pulling off of Interstate 70 ramp to southbound Kansas185.

Johnson was transported to the Wamego City Hospital.
Weisbender and a teenage passenger in the Jeep were not injured.

All were properly restrained at the time of the accident.