SEWARD COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities in Seward County are investigating a murder of a woman and the attempted murder of a man.
Just before 1:30 p.m. on Monday, emergency responders were called to 188 West Pancake for a reported shooting.
Responding officers found a 27-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman had been shot, according to a media release. Both victims were transported to Southwest Medical Center by Seward County EMS in serious condition and then transferred to Wesley Medical Center.
Investigators learned on Monday afternoon that the female victim had died. Her name is being withheld until the family has been notified. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Investigators learned that a dispute between several people occurred in the parking lot when the shooting occurred.
Investigators have identified the shooting suspect as Christopher Dewayne Hoskins, 34-year-old black male, about 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds. He has multiple tattoos including a skull on his upper right arm and the phrase, CREEK $IDE POSSE, on his left forearm.
Hoskins may be driving a white and black 2008 Dodge Charger with Kansas license plate 791EGC. Hoskins should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Liberal Police Department at 626-0150 or the Crime Hotline at 624-4000. Persons providing information leading to the arrest of those responsible are eligible for a reward.
It is believed the suspects fled the scene in a red or maroon Chevy Tahoe.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas law enforcement agents are seeking an emergency ban on an easy-to-obtain synthetic opioid believed to have contributed to at least two deaths.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued a warning last week about U-47700, which is not illegal in Kansas and can be purchased over the internet. KBI special agent Mark Malick called it an emerging threat that has no accepted medical use.
Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe says it’s hard to pinpoint the number of deaths because the drug doesn’t immediately show up in post-mortem examinations. Two deaths in his county have been linked to the drug.
Ohio, Wyoming and Georgia have taken steps to ban U-47700, which is eight times more potent than morphine.
Howe says it might take until August to get a temporary ban.
HUTCHINSON– A Kansas teen entered a plea to a single count of conspiracy to commit capital murder before his case could go to a bench trial, scheduled for Monday.
Ayrton Marroquin, 14, Hutchinson entered the plea in Juvenile Court on Thursday.
Marroquin and 15-year-old Carson Cabral are accused of making threats against officials at Hutchinson High School.
The two were arrested on March 7, after several students came forward to express concerns about a threat to students.
Officers were called into investigate, and the two students were then taken into custody.
Several search warrants were issued which turned up plans for making pipe bombs as well as sketches and plans of where certain teachers and staff would be so they could be targeted.
Police also recovered items that could be used to build explosive devices, which were confiscated by law enforcement.
A psychiatric evaluation was ordered for Marroquin and a tentative sentencing date of June 27th was set.
Phil Dixon is co-founder of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
By STEVE WEBSTER Great Bend Post
The history of the Negro League’s will featured this month as the Barton County Historical Society will host a program on Wednesday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m. The speaker, sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council, will be Phil Dixon, a native of Kansas City, Kansas.
As a baseball speaker and historian Dixon has authored numerous books on Negro League baseball and is co-founder of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
Dixon has won numerous awards for his historical research and as a former employee in the public relations office of the American League Kansas City Royals he has contributed articles to newspapers and written history for baseball cards. His program topic will be “The Monarchs, a Baseball Revolution”, a review of the history and honors won by the Kansas City 1924 World Champion Monarchs Negro baseball team.
The Kansas Humanities Council is a nonprofit cultural organization that supports community based programs that promote understanding of the history, traditions, and ideas that shape our lives and build community.
The Barton County Historical Museum and Village is located on South U.S. 281, just south of the Arkansas River bridge in Great Bend.
The SUV from this morning’s armed robberies has a bright yellow vanity plate on the front of the vehicle-photo Lawrence police
DOUGLAS COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Douglas County are investigating three aggravated robberies.
On Monday between 4:55am and 5:30am, three aggravated robberies occurred in Southwest Lawrence, according to a media release.
During each incident, a shotgun was used to facilitate the robberies.
In the area just southeast of Hyvee, 3504 Clinton Parkway, three males who were armed and took the victim’s property approached a man.
One of the suspects was described as dark skinned, 6 feet tall, thin build, wearing a dark hoodie and a baseball style hat, possibly with a red bill.
The second robbery occurred in the area of Holcomb Sports Complex, according to police.
Three men who were armed and took items from the victim approached a man.
The last robbery occurred in the 1500 block of West 27th Street, while a man was out walking his dog.
He was approached by three males, who demanded his property. A shotgun was displayed and the victim’s dog was shot and killed by one of the suspects.
The incidents appear to involve the same suspects. The suspects are described as three males, at least one of whom is described as dark skinned. They are believed to be associated with a small SUV.
Anyone with information on these incidents is encouraged to contact Douglas County Crime Stoppers at 785-843-8477 or the Lawrence Police Department. The investigation is ongoing. Further information will be provided when it becomes available.
After months of planning and campaigning, the $94 million Hays USD 489 bond issue will be decided by voters Tuesday.
Early voting closed at noon Monday, after almost 10 percent of eligible voters cast advanced ballots.
According to Donna Maskus, Ellis County clerk, at the end of advanced voting, 1,448 people cast ballots out of 14,778 eligible voters.
Now that advanced voting is closed, voters will decide the outcome of the bond Tuesday at polling places open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Eligible voters will poll at one of two locations – one for qualified Hays voters and one for qualified voters from outside the city.
Hays voters will poll at the American Legion, 1305 Canterbury, and qualified voters from the district outside of the city will poll at St. Nicholas of Myra Parish, 2901 E. 13th.
Potential voters are asked to bring qualified identification in order to cast a ballot.
Ballots will have three questions: One totaling $8.9 million for new multi-purpose rooms at Hays High and Hays Middle Schools, one for $85 million to be used for deferred maintenance, classroom expansion, renovations and safety and security upgrades, and a sales tax proposal that would help fund the bond issue through a sales tax within the city of Hays.
The half-cent sales tax would only apply within the city of Hays, and if passed, would take effect next year after the expiration of a countywide sales tax that was used for county projects, including renovations at the Ellis County Courthouse and a new Emergency Services building.
The first two questions can be passed independently, but the sales tax question is contingent upon a successful bond election.
Full election results are expected Tuesday night, but will not be official until a canvas can be completed.
“Those will be official after the canvas which will be on June 13,” Maskus said.
For residents interested in the outcome – or just wanting to socialize with fellow supporters – the district has planned a watch party at the Rockwell Administration Center, 323 W. 12th St., from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Voters will take to the polls Tuesday to determine the fate of a $94 million bond issue, along with an accompanying sales tax question, for facilities upgrades throughout Hays USD 489. Click HERE for more information.
THOMAS COUNTY –A teen from Oakley was injured in an accident just before 10a.m. on Monday in Thomas County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford F-150 driven by Rocky Mark Racette, 15, was eastbound on Thomas County Road C two miles north and two miles west of Oakley
The driver lost control of the vehicle. It entered north ditch, rolled and the driver was ejected.
Racette was transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.
He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A three-year letterwinner at K-State who went on to play nine seasons in the NFL, former Wildcat Henry Childs passed away at the age of 65 in his native Thomasville, Georgia, last Friday.
Childs, who is one of 28 players in program history with 1,000 career receiving yards, led K-State from his tight end position in both receptions and receiving yards in 1971 and 1973 under head coach Vince Gibson. In his three-year career, he totaled 95 catches for 1,365 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Childs was drafted in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft by Atlanta before being acquired by New Orleans as a rookie. He went on to play seven years with the Saints, including a Pro Bowl season in 1979 when he led NFL tight ends with 846 yards on 51 catches to go along with five touchdowns. He went on to play for the Rams in 1981 and Packers in 1984.
In 1994, Childs was selected to the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame. In nine-year professional career, he recorded 223 receptions for 3,401 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Kansas Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce said that three Kansas oil and natural gas companies recently filed for bankruptcy, a sign of that sector’s severe downturn. ANDY MARSO / HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR
By ANDY MARSO
Kansas tax collections for May fell short of projections by about $74 million, and legislators said Wednesday they fear that will mean more cuts to Medicaid.
The May shortfall comes despite the state’s revenue estimating group revising projections downward for the third consecutive time about six weeks ago.
It wipes out the meager savings Gov. Sam Brownback created when he made cuts two weeks ago after the Legislature sent him a budget that didn’t balance.
Brownback now must find millions more to get the state through the current fiscal year that ends June 30 — and his options are limited.
“It’s higher education and Medicaid, realistically,” said Rep. Steven Johnson, a Republican from Assaria. “We’ve got very few places to go.”
The governor’s spokeswoman, Eileen Hawley, said his office does not expect any further allotments, or unilateral spending cuts, this year. She has not yet responded to a request for more information on how the budget will be balanced.
The $50 million package of fee sweeps, topped by $16 million from the Children’s Initiatives Fund, is being floated as a possible solution.
The May revenue numbers cast a pall over last week’s ceremonial “sine die” one-day legislative meeting, the last official gathering of the 2016 session.
A Kansas Supreme Court decision ordering the Legislature to appropriate more money to equalize school funding among districts also loomed large over the proceedings.
It would take about $40 million to comply with the order. Legislators opted not to address that Wednesday, increasing the possibility of a special session before July 1, when the court said it might close schools.
Sen. Jim Denning, vice chairman of the Senate budget committee, alluded to the revenue shortfall Wednesday during a caucus of Senate Republicans. He said a special session would serve little purpose if the Legislature is unable to comply with the court order because it has to “scrape any money up” to pay for other items, including Medicaid.
“I just don’t see anything good about trying to come back and appropriate money where we need to leave it in the checking account to pay for our core services,” Denning said. “That may not be constitutional, but it’s real life.”
Few budget-balancing options left
Public schools are by far the largest expense in the state’s general fund budget of almost $6 billion. But K-12 education is exempt from more spending cuts under the budget the Legislature passed.
Brownback and the Legislature already have agreed to delay the state’s remaining payment into the state employee pension plan for the current fiscal year. The state highway fund is largely tapped out. Other special funds also have been depleted.
Johnson is one of a group of Republicans who have tried the last two sessions to help balance the budget by rolling back a business income tax exemption Brownback signed in 2012.
Johnson said the May numbers are more evidence that the state needs to increase its income tax revenue stream, but he also acknowledged it’s too late for that to solve the current crisis.
Income tax changes would not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2017.
Medicaid and higher education already have taken cuts, but Rep. Barbara Bollier, a Republican from Mission Hills, said they may be in for more. But she also said the Children’s Initiatives Fund, which provides grants to a host of early childhood programs, also might be in the crosshairs.
“These would be tragically possible consequences,” said Bollier, who also has pushed to roll back the 2012 tax cuts.
A retired physician, Bollier said some medical providers in the state have given up billing Medicaid because the reimbursements don’t cover the time and resources it takes to procure them.
Some serve Medicaid patients for free and some drop out of the program. Bollier said more cuts would lead to fewer providers.
“It’s going to really strain the system, I believe,” Bollier said.
Revenue shortfalls common
Revenues have come in short of estimates more often than not in the last two years, but the May shortfall was large even by recent standards.
Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan said layoffs in the aviation, agriculture and oil industries were to blame.
“This is a trend reflected throughout the region,” Jordan said.
Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce said during the Republican caucus that three Kansas oil and natural gas companies recently filed for bankruptcy, a sign of that sector’s severe downturn.
A news release from Jordan’s office said $58 million of the May shortfall was from individual income tax receipts. Corporate income tax receipts came in $15 million below estimates and sales tax revenue came in a bit above expectations.
Kansas Democrats like Rep. Tom Sawyer of Wichita said the income tax cuts are a bigger factor in Kansas’ continued budget shortfalls than energy prices.
“It’s continued bad news, and it’s amazing with as many times as we’ve had to downgrade the (revenue projection) numbers,” Sawyer said. “Again, it shows the failure of the Brownback tax plan. We’ve got to change it.”
Brownback’s office said it’s conducting “a full, independent review with outside experts” to determine why the revenue estimating process is struggling to accurately predict how much tax money the state will take in.
Rep. Vicki Schmidt, a Republican from Topeka and a pharmacist, said even if Medicaid is spared further spending cuts, there’s cause for concern.
“We’re already destroying Medicaid, before the revenue numbers came out today,” Schmidt said. “I mean it is dreadful. It is access to care, it’s breaking promises. It’s people’s lives.”
Andy Marso is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team. You can reach him on Twitter @andymarso
SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating reports of alleged computer scams.
A Salina woman in her 50’s received a call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft repair, and was told her computer had been hacked and some programs would not work, according to Salina Police Captain Chris Trocheck
She was told she would need to pay $299 by credit card for her computer to work correctly.
She gave her personal information and credit card information to the caller.
She later called police and found out her credit card had been charged, according to Trocheck.
A Salina man reported to police he logged on to his computer Friday evening to find an error message from AT&T saying his computer contained child pornography and he needed to call a phone number to allow access for repairs.
After giving out his information, the man talked to a friend who told him it was a scam, and he was able to stop transactions before they could happen, according to Trockeck.
At 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Toepfer Board Room, 323 W. 12th, the Hays USD 489 Board of Education will gather for a board meeting and work session to tackle a variety of issues facing the district.
Discussion topics for Monday’s meeting include:
Greenbush Presentation – Lori Carselowey will discuss district purchasing options through Greenbush.
Crisis Committee Update – Members of the Crisis Committee will provide an update to the board regarding the committee’s work during the 2015-2016 school year.
Hays Middle School iPad Usage from Home – The Hays Middle School Technology Committee will make a recommendation to the board concerning whether or not iPads should be taken home by students during the 2016-2017 school year.
K-8 Teacher Devices Scott Summers, Director of Technology, will update the board on K-8 teacher devices.
District Internet Usage Scott Summers, Directory of Technology, will present his findings to the board regarding district internet usage.
Milk Bid Jessica Younker, Director of Nutrition Services, will present the milk bid information to the board.
Handbook Revisions for 2016-2017 School Year – Administrative Handbook/Classified Handbook
Bond Issue – Superintendent Katt will discuss the three ballot questions for the bond issue election on June 7.
Health Insurance – The board will continue to discuss the district’s health insurance options.
ELA Curriculum Materials Shanna Dinkel, Director of Curriculum, will discuss purchasing ELA materials for the 2016-2017 school year.
Site Council Reports Superintendent Dean Katt will discuss the building site council reports for the 2015- 2016 school year.
Ramifications of Supreme Court Decision – The board will discuss the possible ramifications court’s decision regarding state funding of schools.
Certified Staff Half-Step Payment in June – The board will discuss the half-step payment of certified staff in June.
The full agenda for Monday’s meeting can be found here.
After months of planning and campaigning, the $94 million Hays USD 489 bond issue will be decided by voters Tuesday.
