LINCOLN COUNTY – A preliminary hearing scheduled Thursday for a Kansas man charged in connection with a fatal shooting on March 5, was continued.

Julie Effenbeck, Attorney for Joseph Allan Schultz requested the delay.

Schultz, 36, was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Kevin Kubik, 33, at a rural residence in the 2500 Block of Deer Drive in Beverly.

There was an altercation and Kubik died at the scene, according to Lincoln County Sheriff Michael Weigel.

Schultz remains in custody with a bond of $800,000.

The KBI is helping investigate the case.

The next hearing in the case, a scheduling conference, is March 29.

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LINCOLN COUNTY – A preliminary hearing is scheduled Thursday for a Kansas man charged with in connection with a fatal shooting on March 5, according to the Lincoln County Attorney.

Joseph Alan Schultz, 36, was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Kevin Kubik, 33, at a rural residence in the 2500 Block of Deer Drive in Beverly.

There was an altercation and Kubik died at the scene, according to Lincoln County Sheriff Michael Weigel.

Schultz remains in custody with a bond of $800,000.
The KBI is helping investigate the case.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas University has implemented a new strategy to improve retention among students who failed out of its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World reports that 150 students were offered to participate in a new faculty mentoring program.

The college’s dean, Carl Lejuez, says that 125 of the students who failed came back to school through the program. Only one of those students has since left.

The program’s goal is to help these students’ grades so that they can continue to be enrolled. Lejuez says more than enough of the college’s faculty volunteered to mentor students without being paid.

He says the hope is that the quickly hatched program can help student retention until a more concrete faculty mentoring program can be implemented.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY – A Kansas teen was injured in an accident just after 10a.m. on Thursday in Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Ford F250 driven by Tanner G. Kanackstedt, 17, Inman, was southbound on Kansas 141 just north of Kansas 4 attempting to pass.

The rear passenger side of the Ford struck the front of a southbound Freightliner semi driven by Terry K. Fleming, 64, Junction City, that was attempting to turn east onto Langley Point Road.

A passenger in the Ford Greyson W. Wood, 19, Inman, was transported to Salina Regional Medical Center.

Knackstedt, Fleming and another passenger in the Ford were not injured.

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

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas couple faces upgraded murder charges in the death of the man’s missing 7-year-old son.

Online court records show Wyandotte County prosecutors have charged Michael A. Jones and Heather Jones with premeditated first-degree murder and felony child abuse. They were previously charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse.

The premeditated first-degree murder charge carries a possible life sentence without parole for 50 years.

Police found juvenile remains at the couple’s Kansas City, Kansas, home in November while investigating a domestic disturbance. Authorities haven’t said if the remains were those of Jones’ missing son.

A preliminary hearing for Michael Jones is scheduled for April 8. Records show Heather Jones’ preliminary hearing has been canceled while she undergoes a mental evaluation.

Their lawyers didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday.

GEARY COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are investigating a suspect connection alleged possession and distribution of child pornography.

On Thursday morning, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Junction City and Wichita Police Departments served a search warrant at 1412 West 11th Street in Junction City, according to Detective Lieutenant Jeff Childs.

Dale Alan Holvorson, 49, Junction City was arrested on suspicion of 14 counts of Distribution of Child Pornography and 20 counts of Possession of Child Pornography.

“During the police department investigation Mr. Holvorson was found to be in possession of child pornography and believed to have distributed child pornography in about 20 accounts,” said Childs.

Childs said the JCPD had investigated the case for approximately two weeks, but how long the illegal acts had been occurring authorities are unsure of at this time.

He noted that Holvorson does have a previous conviction on similar charges in Sedgwick County, and is currently on probation in that case.
No more arrests are expected in the Junction City case.

Holvorson is expected to have a first appearance in Geary County District Court on Friday.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate committee has approved a bill to redistribute some of the state’s education funding dollars in response to a court order to help poor school districts.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee’s voice vote Thursday sent a plan from Chairman Ty Masterson to the full chamber for debate.

The measure redistributes $38 million of the more than $4 billion in annual aid to public schools to benefit poor districts.

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled last month that the state has been shorting poor districts on aid. Masterson’s plan would increase state aid for 100 districts and reduce it for 186.

The Senate panel’s vote came after criticism from House Appropriations Committee members forced Chairman Ron Ryckman Jr. to abandon a milder version of the same plan.

SALINA- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investing a suspect in connection with a stolen car.

Salina Police have arrested a woman in connection with a vehicle theft that occurred in February.

Jessica Smith, 29, Salina, was arrested Wednesday, according to Salina Police Captain Mike Sweeney.

On February 28, police were sent to the Airliner Motel, 781 Broadway, after a pizza delivery driver reported the orange Chevy Cobalt, left running and unattended, was stolen.

The responding officer saw the vehicle in the 900 Block of West Grand Avenue.

Smith was also seen in the area near the vehicle, and when officers questioned her, she provided a false name, according to police.

They found Smith at the Airliner Motel on Wednesday morning and also discovered marijuana and methamphetamine in her motel room.

She was booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of felony theft, felony interference with a law enforcement officer, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has set a May trial date for the woman accused of giving her former boyfriend the guns used in last month’s mass shooting at a Kansas lawn equipment factory.

U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren issued on Thursday a scheduling order in the case of 28-year-old Sarah Jo Hopkins, setting May 3 for her trial. The Newton woman has pleaded not guilty to transferring weapons to a prohibited person.

Prosecutors say she gave Cedric Ford an AK-47-type semi-automatic rifle and a .40-caliber handgun that he used in the Feb. 25 attack at Excel Industries in Hesston. Four people, including Ford, were killed and 14 others were injured.

Hopkins has told investigators that she gave him the guns because he had threatened her. They had two children together.