ATCHISON COUNTY- Charges have been dropped against a Kansas woman who had been accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old Atchison student in 2012 while she was employed as a teacher with the school district.
Shelley Aversman, 35, Rushville, was due in court Wednesday morning for a preliminary hearing on a charge of unlawful sexual relations with a student
The student recanted his statement and said the relationship did not happen when he was in high school but rather when he was in college, according to the Atchison County Prosecutor’s Office
RUSSELL – Russell Community Theater opens the 2016 season with “Old Ringers,” written by Joe Simonelli and directed by RCT volunteer Bob Roe.
Veteran actors are leading the way, with Crystal Craig, Teressa Roe and Mitch Hunsley bringing over 60 years of combined experience to the stage. Sheila Lamb and Sheldon Schwien are still relatively new to acting, while Megan Opdycke Reeves and Randyll Smith are making their RCT debuts.
In this rollicking comedy, no one feels the pain of tough economic times like senior citizens living on fixed incomes. When the recession hits a group of senior women, they’re desperate to find a way to pay the bills. An improper phone call from a wrong number inspires these sassy seniors to establish an at-home phone hotline. This semi-sequel to “Men Are Dogs” is a riotous adult comedy. Although two characters are reprised from “Men Are Dogs,” this production stands on its own.
Performances run Tuesday through Saturday, March 8 to 12, at the RCT Playhouse, Fifth and Kansas in Russell. Show time is 8 p.m. Admission is $10 or by season ticket. Season tickets may be purchased in advance at Encore Antiques & Collectables (590 S. Fossil, Russell). “Old Ringers” is presented by special permission from Simonelli Productions. For more information, contact RCT at (785) 483-4057.
Russell Community Theater is a nonprofit theater company in Russell. The sole purpose of RCT is to produce theater for the community and the surrounding area. Completely volunteer-driven, RCT is supported financially solely through ticket admissions and gifts from those supportive of community theater. Since its inception in 1986, RCT has presented 85 full-scale theatrical productions.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors say a Shawnee County sheriff’s detective may have falsified information in charging affidavits.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the Shawnee County district attorney’s office sent a notice to defense attorneys. The notice says the detective stated she had spoken with people with whom she hadn’t actually talked and that the information was used in a charging affidavit. It wasn’t immediately clear which case was tied to the allegation of misconduct.
Prosecutors are required to notify defense lawyers about witnesses, including law enforcement officers, whose credibility may be in question because of misconduct.
Sheriff Herman Jones said only that “an individual” has been placed on paid administrative leave, and his office is investigating. A Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesman says the agency is looking into a matter in Jones’ office.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Regents says the bulk of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s higher education cuts will come from the state’s two largest universities and their affiliated programs.
The board released figures Wednesday showing that the University of Kansas and its Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, together will lose almost $7.2 million.
Kansas State University, its veterinary school and its agricultural extension research programs will lose $4.9 million.
Brownback on Tuesday imposed $17.2 million in cuts in the universities’ current budgets after state tax collections in February fell nearly $54 million short of expectations. The universities must make the cuts between now and June 30.
The regents said Wichita State University will lose $2.2 million; Pittsburg State, almost $1.1 million, Fort Hays State, $992,000 and Emporia State, almost $922,000.
Photo by Jim McLean/KHI News Service In response to February revenue shortfalls, Gov. Sam Brownback ordered an immediate 3 percent cut in the budgets of the state’s Board of Regents universities, requiring them to reduce their approved budgets by $17 million with only four months remaining in the fiscal year.
By JIM MCLEAN
Kansas tax revenue has come up short once again. The Department of Revenue announced Tuesday that total state revenues for February were $56.7 million under projections lowered just four months ago to adjust for worrisome economic trends.
Individual income tax receipts were $27 million short of projections. Sales tax revenue was $12.3 million short.
Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan said a downturn in the oil and gas industry was dragging down the economies of several Midwestern states including Kansas. Democratic legislative leaders said the income tax cuts Gov. Sam Brownback pushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2012 remain at the root of the state’s revenue and budget problems.
As he has in response to previous shortfalls, Brownback insisted his tax cuts were not to blame.
“This is an economic problem, not a tax policy problem,” he said in a statement issued minutes after the revenue numbers were announced.
“These numbers reflect a declining national and regional economy.”
Brownback said he will oppose any effort to adjust the tax cuts despite calls from some influential Republicans to restore taxes on the pass-through incomes of more than 300,000 business owners.
The governor said he would instead focus on “managing spending.” To that end, he ordered an immediate 3 percent cut in the budgets of the state’s Board of Regents universities, requiring them to reduce their approved budgets by $17 million with only four months remaining in the fiscal year.
In an opinion piece published recently by several Kansas newspapers and broadcast Tuesday on Kansas Public Radio, former Kansas Budget Director Duane Goossen said even though Brownback sold the tax cuts as a way to stimulate the state economy, his real goal may have been “squeezing down” state government.
“If you truly bought into the argument that giant tax cuts would lead to prosperity without hurting schools and highways, you’ve been had,” Goossen wrote.
“Meanwhile, those wanting Kansas to spend less regardless of the consequences have met success.”
Goossen, a former Republican legislator, served as budget director for 12 years under governors of both political parties, starting with Republican Gov. Bill Graves.
The lower-than-expected revenue numbers will present an immediate challenge to lawmakers returning Wednesday to the Statehouse after a brief mid-session break.
Prior to the break lawmakers approved a series of spending reductions and one-time fund transfers to erase a projected $200 million shortfall in the fiscal year 2017 budget, which takes effect July 1.
But those measures won’t be enough to cover the February revenue shortfalls or any that may occur in subsequent months this fiscal year.
The preliminary budget plan also doesn’t include any of the additional money that likely will be needed to satisfy the recent decision by the Kansas Supreme Court declaring the state’s existing school funding formula unconstitutional.
Jim McLean is executive editor of KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.
MANHATTAN – First responders were called to Manhattan High School West Campus on Wednesday morning due to a gas odor in E-Hall of the school.
Just after 9 a.m. the school building was temporarily in a “shelter in place” mode, and students were not allowed to pass to their next classes, according to a media release from the school.
Call to Manhattan High West Campus was a report of carbon monoxide. No CO found and no patients at this time. @usd383@RileyCountyPD
School health officials and Emergency Medical Service staff checked ten students and staff who complained of symptoms.
There were pilot lights out on the several of the gas ovens in the school kitchen, which could have been the culprit, according to the school district.
Just after 10 a.m., all students were given permission to pass to their fourth period class.
The entire building was monitored by both the Manhattan Fire Department and Kansas Gas Service, and the affected area was ventilated.
At no time did any of the detection equipment utilized by either Manhattan Fire Department or Kansas Gas Service indicate any abnormal readings.
Rescue workers remove their helmets in prayer with Fr. Fred Gatschet before a second body is removed from the trench about 9:25 p.m. Tuesday.
From Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler:
On Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 1:36 p.m. the emergency communications center received a 911 call of a trench collapse in the 700 block of Main Street. Three J Corp workers were in the trench at the time of the collapse. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and one worker was rescued from the trench. Two other victims were trapped in the trench and rescue efforts were unsuccessful.
Hays Fire Department and the Ellis County Rural Fire Department were assisted by APAC Inc. in the recovery of the victims. The victims have been identified as James “Jake” Jacobs, 67, and Aaron Pfannenstiel, 45. Jacobs and Pfannenstiel were pronounced dead at the scene.
Work underway on the sewer line repair about 11 a.m. Tuesday prior to the trench collapse 90 minutes later.
Downtown traffic was diverted for several hours as a safety precaution and to allow responders to work the scene. The scene is still under investigation and we ask that the public stays out of the work area.
On behalf of the Hays Police Department and the City of Hays, our condolences go out to J Corp and the families of the deceased.
LYON COUNTY- A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just after 7a.m. on Wednesday in Lyon County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Anna Michelle Metcalfe, 37, Hartford, was north bound on Kansas 130 just north of Hartford.
The driver lost control of the vehicle and it rolled into south ditch.
Metcalfe was transported to Newman Regional Medical Center.
She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
NEWTON – Law enforcement authorities in Harvey County are investigating a suspect after a Tuesday evening altercation.
Just after 6:30 p.m. Newton Police Officers responded to the 1000 block of North Boyd Avenue on a report of an emotionally disturbed man armed with a knife, according to a report on social media.
When officers tried to contact the man, he ran out of the back of the apartment and was confronted by an officer.
The man refused to follow instructions and took an aggressive stance toward the officer, according to police.
Believing he was still armed with a knife, the officer deployed a less lethal gun, which fires little rubber balls similar to those shown in the photo. It sounds like a lethal firearm but police wanted to assure those who witnessed the incident, it was not.
The man may have suffered bruising but had no permanent injuries, according to police.
Officers also used a taser to safely take the man into custody.
The man, whose name has not been released, was transported to Newton Medical Center for a physical and mental assessment.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 24-year-old man has been charged in four bank robberies and a jewelry store robbery in Wichita.
Terence L. Thomas is charged with four counts of bank robbery, one count of robbing a commercial business, one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.
If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for the counts of bank robbery and robbing a commercial business. For the charge of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, he faces no less than seven years.
Each summer, college baseball players from around the country make their way to Hays to play for the Larks — and with baseball season quickly approaching, the team is once again looking for summer hosts families.
Larks Manager Frank Leo said they are still looking for approximately 10 host families for this summer. Every year, between 25 and 30 players spend their summer in Hays playing for the Larks.
Leo said the host family program is essential to the Lark program.
Frank Leo
“Without our host families, we would have a hard time putting the program on,” he said, adding if they have to put up the players in apartments it will get expensive and is not conducive to a good summer experience.
The players will begin reporting May 31 and will stay in Hays through the NBC World Series at the beginning of August. During that time, the players will spend about 25 days on the road and 21 of the 42 games this summer will be overnight trips.
Over the two months, Leo said the player will become like a member of the family, like another son for the summer.
According to Leo, host families are expected have something available to for the player to eat, provide the player with a place to sleep and do laundry. The Larks have Monday nights off, and Leo said having a sit-down meal on Monday night with the player is a great way to build a relationship.
“We don’t want them (host families) to have to go out of their way to host a player.” Leo said.
Leo said at first it may be difficult for families to become host families because it can be an “awkward or unusual situation,” but the families and the players become comfortable and often develop lasting relationships.
Both families with young children and families whose kids have grown and left the house can all benefit from the program.
“It’s neat to see the relationships that grown with the younger kids and the players to come in,” said Leo.
He said people who are interested in baseball, the Larks program or helping college kids are all perfect for the host family program.
Those who are interested in taking part in the host program should contact Barb Leo at (785) 259-6180.
