HUTCHINSON – A Kansas man arrested in a home invasion case was before a judge in Reno County on Tuesday requesting a bond reduction.

Wayne A. Sprague, 25, Beloit is charged with aggravated burglary, two counts of aggravated battery, criminal threat and possession of methamphetamine.

Local attorney Ben Fisher represented him in court where he asked that the $60,000 bond be reduced for the defendant if he can attend drug treatment in either Norton or Mount Hope.

Fisher said Sprague would agree to be monitored by Court Services as well as a bonding agent.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell was opposed, telling the judge that he broke into this home and had no connection to the occupants and nearly killed the female victim when he choked her. He says the defendant is a danger to community.

Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen agreed with the state, saying she can’t think of anything scarier than someone breaking into your home. She denied the request.

A Hutchinson woman reported to police that she found Sprague inside her home just before 7 a.m. on September 13.

She ran to her bedroom where her husband was still asleep.
Police say Sprague followed her, allegedly forced her onto the bed and began choking her.

The victim’s husband work up and then began struggling with Sprague.
When police arrived, they first took Sprague to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center to be checked out, and then to the Reno County Correctional Facility.

Both the victim and her husband were in court during the brief hearing Tuesday.
With the judge’s ruling, Sprague will remain jailed on the $60,000 bond and the case is scheduled as part of a waiver-status docket on Dec. 30.

NEOSHO COUNTY- Three people were injured in an accident just after 2p.m. on Tuesday in Neosho County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Chevy van driven by Marcel A Seamster, 32, Iola, was southbound on U.S. 59 at the Kansas 47 Junction.

The van went into the northbound lane to pass a southbound 2005 Ford Focus driven by Holly G. Donaldson, 49, Chanute.

The Ford turned in front of the Chevy.

The Chevy struck the rear of the Ford.

A passenger in the Chevy Brandon J. Hastings, 32, Abilene, was transported to Neosho Memorial Hospital.

Donaldson and a passenger in the Ford Chloe M. Donaldson, 25, Atchison, were transported to Labette County Hospital.

Seamster was not injured.

All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

JUSTIN PRITCHARD, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — That other Thanksgiving tradition — congested highways and jammed airports — is getting underway with gas prices low and terrorism fears high.

An estimated 46.9 million Americans are expected to take a car, plane, bus or train at least 50 miles from home over the long holiday weekend, according to the motoring organization AAA. That would be an increase of more than 300,000 people over last year, and the most travelers since 2007.

Among the reasons given for the increase: an improving economy and the cheapest gasoline for this time of year since 2008.

When it comes to projected driving delays, the three worst U.S. cities are in the West, according to the traffic data company INRIX. In San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle, out-of-town trips Wednesday afternoon are expected to take about 40 percent longer than a normal commute.

Anyone trekking to a major airport should factor in 50 extra minutes on the road, according to INRIX — and that’s just getting to the airport, never mind getting through security.

Though there have been no changes to the nation’s terror alert status, the recent attacks in Paris, West Africa and elsewhere prompted the State Department to warn American travelers about the risks overseas.

Airfares have increased just 69 cents on average since last year, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp., which processes ticket transactions for airlines and travel agencies.

SALINA –Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating an alleged case of bank fraud.

Police in Salina reported five worthless payrolls checks on cashed on a closed business account.

Four Hispanic men and one woman cashed five payroll checks on November 15 at Fiesta VIP, 1515 W. Crawford, on a business account from Nuno Landscaping and Cleaning Services of Abilene, according to Police Captain Mike Sweeney,

He said the checks were written on a closed account at Bank of the West in Wichita.

The total amount of the cashed checks is $2,829.38.

There have been no arrests.

BARTON COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are searching for a suspect wanted in connection with alleged drug crimes.

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s assistance in locating Jessica Chapman, 30, who is wanted for a parole and probation violation in connection with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and forgery.

She is a white female, 5 foot five inches tall and weighs 250 pounds. Her eyes are hazel.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Jessica Chapman is encouraged to call local law enforcement or Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300.

HUTCHINSON- Hutchinson Regional Health Care Systems has announced that Ken Johnson has
been named President and CEO.

The 54-year-old Kansas native has been serving in the interim capacity since Kevin Miller resigned in June. Johnson has been with the system since 2011 starting as CFO. He was named Chief Operating officer in 2014.

The systems Board of Directors did not conduct a search for a new leader, instead opting to evaluate Johnson in his interim position. Board Chair Kim Moore said it became evident that Johnson was the man they wanted to lead the Hospital and its connected services. This is actually Johnson’s second stint with the Hospital as he started his career with Hutchinson Hospital Corporation in 1983.

Johnson has also worked at St Francis Regional Medical Center, Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center in Anniston, Alabama; along with Via Christie Health Care and Galichia Heart Hospital, both in Wichita.

Johnson and his wife Carolyn have two grown children. He also serves on the board of New Beginnings and is involved in the Circles of Hope anti-poverty program.

OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — Hundreds of Franklin County residents are expected to receive jury summonses for the capital murder trial of a man accused of killing four people.

Kyle Trevor Flack’s trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 1, 2016. He’s charged with capital murder in the 2013 slayings of 21-year-old Kaylie Smith Bailey and her daughter, 18-month-old Lana-Leigh Bailey. He’s also charged with premeditated first-degree murder in the deaths of 30-year-old Andrew A. Stout, and 31-year-old Steven White.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that summonses for 600 Franklin County citizens are expected to be mailed next week. Questioning of the possible jurors will start Feb. 1 and is expected to last 12 days.

Also Tuesday, a Franklin County judge granted prosecutors permission to show jurors security video clips depicting three of the victims.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is urging the Kansas Supreme Court to let the governor and lawmakers decide whether schools are getting enough money.

Lawyers for the state argued in a brief Tuesday that if the court wants to make that decision, then the evidence students are excelling should convince it that the funding is sufficient.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt contends the Kansas school finance system satisfies the requirement for adequate funding in the state Constitution.

It urged justices not to allow a small number of districts to second-guess the Legislature’s judgment.

The new school funding law took effect in April and scrapped the old per-student formula for distributing aid in favor of predictable grants for each districts.

A lower-court panel invalidated parts of the school financing law enacted by the Republican-dominated Legislature.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey points to an “ongoing problem” with Russia’s airstrikes in Syria.

Obama says Turkey “has a right to defend its territory and its airspace.” And he says that Russia is operating very close to the Turkish border as it goes after moderate opposition groups that are supported by Turkey and a wide range of countries.

The president says that if Russia would instead concentrate its airstrikes on the Islamic State group, then mistakes would be “less likely to occur.”

Obama is urging both Turkey and France to take measures “to discourage any kind of escalation” over the downing of the Russian warplane.

And Obama says that the downing of the plane underscores the importance of moving forward on efforts to find a political solution to the civil war in Syria.

The president spoke during a joint news conference with French President Francois Hollande.