WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have identified a woman who was found dead in her Wichita home.
According to Wichita police, 66-year-old Jacquelyn Harvey was found dead from a gunshot wound Wednesday morning by her son. According to Lt. Todd Ojile, the victim’s body had at least one gunshot wound and her purse and SUV were missing.
Police are investigating Harvey’s death as a homicide
The victim’s jeep was eventually recovered Wednesday night and a person of interest is in custody.
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
A large gift to Fort Hays State University in support of the Kansas Wetlands Education Center will be announced Saturday, Sept. 19, at noon at the KWEC, eight miles northeast of Great Bend on Kansas 156 highway.
A cake and punch reception will follow.
“The KWEC exists today because of donors, volunteers, partners and communities who believe in the importance of our local wetlands and natural resources. The generous donor whom we look forward to announcing on Saturday is a longtime nature and animal enthusiast, and we’re truly appreciative of his gift,” KWEC officials said in a news release.
The day will begin with the Butterfly Festival, which is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon at the center.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas GOP officials say Ohio Gov. John Kasich is the first presidential candidate to file for the party’s caucus.
Kasich said in a statement Thursday that he believes Kansas is an important state and his campaign plans to be competitive there.
The Kansas Presidential Caucus will be March 5 in 95 locations across the state. The sites have not yet been chosen.
Candidates must pay a $15,000 filing fee and complete an informational form to register for the caucus.
GARDEN CITY – A Kansas man died in an accident just after 3 p.m. on Thursday in Finney County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1975 Peterbilt semi driven by Mauricio Romero, 53, Scott City, was southbound on U.S.83 three miles north of Garden City.
The truck’s passenger side tire blew out. The truck left the roadway, overturned and the driver was ejected.
Romero was transported to St. Catherine’s Hospital where he died.
He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
HORTON, Kan. (AP) — Two former officials of the Kickapoo Tribal Council have responded to a lawsuit accusing them of misleading the council into passing an unbalanced budget.
Former tribal chairman Clifford “Steve” Cadue claims the lawsuit is a political stunt by current chairman Lester Randall ahead of an upcoming tribal election. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Randall filed the lawsuit in tribal court last month against Cadue, accusing him of committing financial wrongdoing and falsifying meeting minutes.
Former tribal treasurer Bobbi Darnell also is named in the lawsuit. Randall accuses her of failing to notify council members of a revenue shortfall and failing to pass a balanced budget.
Both Cadue and Darnell argue that the claim is baseless and wrongfully assigns criminal conduct to them.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has announced the naming of the USS Wichita, a new combat ship that’s expected to be launched next year.
A ship-naming ceremony for the vessel was held Wednesday morning at Wichita City Hall. Mabus said at the meeting that naming a ship after a city or state is an “expression of gratitude” for their support.
Kansas is home to about 230,000 Navy veterans. The Wichita Eagle reports that the state’s ship building and repair industry contributes $126 million each year to its gross domestic product.
The USS Wichita is designed to handle both near-shore and open-ocean operations The ship is the third in 76 years to carry the name of Wichita.
Phillipsburg resident, Juanita Lare, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, at the Phillips County Hospital in Phillipsburg, Kan., at the age of 89.
She was born July 17, 1926, in Phillips County, Kan., the daughter of Charles A. and Sara (Surby) Green. Her husband, Mervin, preceded her in death on Nov. 5, 2005.
She is survived by her son, Brad, of Phillipsburg; daughters, Tanya Lare of Wichita, Kan., Debra Carr of Lafayette, Ind., and Denise Bach of Odenton, Maryland; two brothers, Dale Green of California and Charles Green of Texas; 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Monday, Sept. 21, at 10:30 a.m. in the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, with Pastor Lew Van Der Wege officiating. Burial will follow in the Kirwin Cemetery, Kirwin, Kan.
Mrs. Lare will lie in-state on Sat. and Sun. from noon until 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends Sunday evening from 6 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be given to the United Methodist Church.
Online condolences to: www.olliffboeve.com. Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, is in charge of arrangements.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says a Kansas man has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $6 million from an Overland Park company.
Forty-six-year-old Kenneth Voboril, of Shawnee Mission, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.
He admitted that devised a scheme to defraud Commodity Specialists Company by creating fake companies and billing CSC for deliveries that didn’t occur. At the time, Voboril was running a CSC subsidiary, TransMaxx.
He embezzled more than $6 million and did not report the income on his federal tax returns.
Voboril will be sentenced Dec. 7.
MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican-led House committee has endorsed a bill to lift the four-decade-old ban on crude oil exports.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the legislation Thursday, setting up a possible vote on the House floor by the end of the month.
The 31-19 vote in favor of the bill included support from three Democrats and all 28 Republicans who voted. The White House said President Barack Obama opposes the bill, arguing that a decision on whether to end the ban should be made by the Commerce Department, not Congress.
Lawmakers who support the bill say an ongoing boom in oil and gas drilling has made the 1970s-era restrictions obsolete. Opponents say lifting the ban would benefit big oil companies at the expense of U.S. consumers and even national security.
The Hays Police Department responded to 15 animal calls and 14 traffic stops Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, according to the HPD Activity Log.
Shoplifting–3300 block Vine St, Hays; 7/30 8 AM; 5 PM
Shoplifting–3300 block Vine St, Hays; 7/29 8 AM; 5 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–1300 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 8:20 AM
Parking Complaint–1400 block Hall St, Hays; 8:29 AM
Parking Complaint–600 block W 13th St, Hays; 8:53 AM
Found/Lost Property–2100 block Ash St, Hays; 8:43 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–400 block W 5th St, Hays; 9:33 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–8th and Park St, Hays; 9:35 AM
Fraud–2000 block Vine St, Hays; 9:45 AM
Water Use Violation–1200 block E 27th St, Hays; 10:45 AM
Missing Person–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 10:46 AM
Driving While Suspended/Revoked–3000 block Indian Trl, Hays; 11:24 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–500 block Fort St, Hays; 12:45 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–1700 block Vine St, Hays; 2:05 PM
Drug Offenses–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 2:36 PM
(FHSU)–Lewis Dr, Hays; 2:58 PM
Drug Offenses–1200 block E 27th St, Hays; 3:41 PM
Animal At Large–2700 block Epworth St, Hays; 3:49 PM
Water Use Violation–3100 block W 32nd St, Hays; 5:41 PM
Animal Cruelty/Neglect–100 block W 17th St, Hays; 6:06 PM
MV Accident-Private Property–100 block 7th Dr, Hays; 6:33 PM
Battery – Domestic–500 block E 5th St, Hays; 6:30 PM; 7 PM
Animal At Large–200 block E 15th St, Hays; 7:12 PM
MV Accident-Co Road/St Hwy–2900 block Vine St, Hays; 7:17 PM
Mental Health Call–200 block W 5th St, Hays; 8:21 PM
MV Accident w/Animal–300 block W 27th St, Hays; 9:27 PM
Disturbance – Noise–2500 block Vine St, Hays; 10:21 PM
Battery – simple–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 11:15 PM; 11:21 PM
WalletHub has once again ranked states by their happiness level – and once again Kansas ranked in the top 30 percent.
To view the entire list and how Kansas scored so well visit here.
By James Bell
Hays Post
During Thursday proceedings at the Kansas Board of Regents meeting in Topeka the regents approved for submission to Gov. Sam Brownback, an increase of $28.85 million in the 2017 Unified State Appropriations request. Fort Hays State University would receive nearly $2.2 million of the increase for initiatives to increase retention and graduation rates.
Seven schools’ priorities were included in the request with the largest amount requested for Kansas State University at $5 million for support in Geosciences.
The regents also approved seven other requests for future consideration in fiscal year 2017, none of those requests, however, included FHSU.
Other requests in the appropriations measure include $2 million for the Wichita State University to establish a department of Chemical & Materials Engineering program, $3.5 million for the University of Kansas’ Integrated Science buildings, $3.4 million for merit-based salary increases at KU Medical Center, $500,000 to establish state funding for Emporia State University’s Department of Nursing and $1.5 million to create a School of Transportation at Pittsburg State University.
Supplemental requests include $8.3 million to close the gap in the tiered technical education formula, $2.2 for the excel in CTE initiative, $178,000 for office space and the annual state commitment increase of $20,000 to the Midwestern Higher Education Compact.
BILL DRAPER, Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A top Kansas prosecutor has asked the state’s Supreme Court to look past flaws in the petition process that led to a Wichita marijuana ordinance and focus on whether the measure conflicts with state law.
Deputy Chief Attorney General Jeff Chanay told the justices Thursday that if they reject the ordinance on procedural grounds the state will be back before the court seeking a ruling on whether the city has the right to deviate from state marijuana laws.
Wichita’s ordinance imposes no more than a $50 fine for first-time possession of a small amount of pot.
Deputy City Attorney Sharon Dickgrafe says the ordinance is not in conflict because it sets a maximum penalty that is within the range of penalties for pot possession under state law.
