HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man charged in three cases with a total of 17 counts against him entered a plea this week to all of the charges after waiving his preliminary hearing.
For a n arrest in October of 2015, Kristopher Lee Richards, 27, Hutchinson, entered pleas as charged to possession of methamphetamine and Hydrocodone with intent to sell within a thousand feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana.
Then he was arrested on Nov. 3, 2015, on several charges once again involving the distribution of drugs including possession of methamphetamine, possession of prescription drugs with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The charges in the third case occurred on Dec. 7, 2015. In this case, Richards entered pleas to possession of methamphetamine and other prescription drugs with intent to sell, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In each case he was in possession of at least 3.5 grams, but less than 100 grams of meth, between 10 and 100 dosage units of the prescription drugs and marijuana.
As part of the plea agreement, he also waived his right to appeal any sentence that might be handed down by District Judge Joe McCarville.
The city of Hays Utilities Department has contracted ProPipe to conduct sewer line cleaning and inspections at the locations described below and shown on the maps. Cleaning began Thursday, October 13, 2016 and will continue through November 22, 2016. The date may change due to breakdowns, weather, or other problems.
On Friday, October 21, 2016, crews will be working in the area of 27th & Vine moving south to Centennial Blvd. and over to General Lawton Rd.
On the map, the red lines indicating the 2016 project of 19 miles. The area that will be cleaned is east of Vine Street, from 37th to 33rd continuing south of I-70 down to Highway 40. Crews will also be cleaning the area of 7th St. between Main and Oak and also south Elm St.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The government is appealing a federal judge’s decision to temporarily block an Obama administration directive on bathroom rights for transgender students in public schools nationwide.
A one-page filing Thursday asks the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review a preliminary injunction issued in August by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth.
Kansas, Texas and 11 other states asked O’Connor to halt the directive after the federal government told public schools in May that transgender students must be allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with the gender they identify with.
O’Connor’s injunction froze the directive, but more on procedural than policy grounds.
Still, It’s since been cheered by top Republicans in Texas and elsewhere, who argue that the Obama administration was seeking to undermine school privacy safeguards.
From left are W.R. Robbins, FHSU President Mirta M. Martin, Yvonne Robbins and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran.
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
When their children were young, W.R. and Yvonne Robbins usually took the whole family out to eat on the couple’s wedding anniversary.
The three Robbins children, now grown, were all together once again Thursday as their parents celebrated their marriage day of Oct. 20. This time, however, they had a whole lot of others celebrating with them.
In a jam-packed Sunset Atrium of Fort Hays State University’s Memorial Union, the university celebrated the naming of its business college the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship.
At their regular monthly meeting in September, the Kansas Board of Regents approved the naming of the college.
Coincidentally, the dedication day was set for Thursday, Oct. 20, the anniversary date of the Robbins couple, who gave a sizable donation to the FHSU Foundation.
It also fell on the day the regents were visiting the FHSU campus for their October meeting, and the regents were present to witness the announcement about the naming of the college.
“We are so happy and privileged to be here today,” said Zoe Newton from Sedan, chair of the KBOR. “It’s a special treat to conclude our visit celebrating a great day with a wonderful couple. Fort Hays State University is right to celebrate such generous support from graduates who have not only accomplished success and stature in their own right, but who are ready and willing to give back to their alma mater.”
W.R. Robbins presented his wife with a red rose but declined to say how many years they had been married.
“If I had a rose for every year, I wouldn’t have enough room in my SUV to get them here,” he said with a smile.
The couple also wishes not to disclose the substantial donation it gave to the business college.
W.R. Robbins is chair of Farmers Bank and Trust, Great Bend, which owns and manages seven locations in central Kansas and two in Johnson County.
Numerous employees from several Farmers Bank and Trust locations were present at the celebration, as was U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, who grew up in nearby Plainville, attended FHSU and raised his family in Hays.
“This is the beginning of something new, and it’s such an honor to be with you and your family today,” Moran said. “W.R. and Yvonne Robbins have made great contributions to the Fort Hays State University community, and their lives exemplify the values of hard work and passion that are so important to FHSU students.
“I look forward to seeing FHSU’s College of Business and Entrepreneurship continue its tradition of preparing generations of Kansas students for success,” he added.
FHSU President Mirta M. Martin agreed.
“This is a very special day for Fort Hays State University. Today’s gift marks the beginning of a new era at FHSU. It marks the beginning of a new journey for all of these students at Fort Hays State University,” she said, glancing at a group of students in the crowd.
“What I would challenge you to do,” she said to the students, “what I would implore you to do is to remember the roots that you have been given here, not unlike the roots W.R. Robbins received when he was here.”
Robbins told the crowd how he first became associated with FHSU as a student, earned a degree and began his banking career by “selling myself.”
“It’s commitment and passion that has driven me,” he said. “Anybody today, if they want to succeed, you just need to be completely passionate about what you’re doing, and you had better be willing to work 24/7.”
Dr. Mark Bannister, dean of the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, thanked the Robbins couple for their long-time support of the university as he handed them new gold shirts with an embroidered logo of the college bearing their name.
“The university is proud to name the ‘W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship’ in honor of this highly successful couple who has contributed leadership to Kansas in a multitude of ways,” Bannister said. “In addition to recognizing two outstanding people today, we also use this naming to express thanks to W.R. and Yvonne Robbins for key financial backing of the college.”
Jason Williby, president and CEO of FHSU’s Foundation, thanked the guests of honor as well.
“This is a historic day in our journey at Fort Hays State,” Williby said. “Thank you to W.R. and Yvonne Robbins for their amazing generosity to this school. Research has shown there were business classes here in the beginning. For 114 years we have been delivering business education to students. So while 1902 was historic for our university, Oct. 20, 2016 will be a historic day as well.”
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A former pastor is accused of trying to choke a 4-month-old baby he didn’t know at a Kansas City-area Wal-Mart.
The Kansas City Star reports prosecutors in Kansas’ Johnson County charged 54-year-old Oleh Zhownirovych of Clinton, New Jersey, with felony aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery. It was not immediately clear if Zhownirovych has an attorney.
Overland Park police say a man walked up to a woman who was in a checkout lane early Wednesday and began choking her baby. The woman screamed, and the man stopped.
Police say people in the store helped the woman and held the man until officers arrived. The baby was not injured.
Investigators say the man possibly was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on Kansas officials’ reactions to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s claims that fraud could cost him the election. (all times local):
4:15 p.m.
Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran is saying that he’ll accept this year’s election results and will encourage all candidates for office to do the same.
The Kansas Republican issued a statement Thursday in response to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that election fraud could cost him the White House.
Trump wouldn’t agree during the final presidential debate Wednesday night to accept the results.
Moran said American democracy depends on the country’s ability to elect leaders in a fair and open process. He said for more than 200 years, people have respected the outcome of elections.
Moran added: “I will accept the will of Kansans and Americans, and encourage all candidates running for public office to do the same.”
___
3:30 p.m.
The top elections official Kansas is defending Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee claims that election fraud could cost him the election.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is a Trump supporter and a vocal advocate of tough voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters.
But the Kansas Republican Party’s executive director said Thursday that the party will accept the results after the Electoral College meets in December to formally choose the president.
Kobach said if the vote is close in a swing state like Florida, there is what he called a “legitimate question” about the results.
Kansas GOP Executive Director Clay Barker said there might be some election problems but no “massive election conspiracy.”
A Loyola University law professor’s recent study concluded that voter-impersonation cases are extremely rare.
National Weather Service image Seasonal Precipitation Outlook
SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal forecasters say this winter will likely be warmer and drier than normal down south, and colder and wetter up north. See the map report here.
As for the nation’s middle belt, the winter should be typical, but one or two nasty storms or cold snaps could appear.
The forecast reflects the arrival of the global weather pattern known as La Nina.
California probably won’t get relief from its drought. National Weather Service drought expert David Miskus said California’s winter will likely stay dry and it will probably be “many, many years” before the drought is busted.
Private weather forecasters agreed the California wet season will come up short. But they see a harsher winter for the nation overall, including a return of the dreaded polar vortex, which funnels cold Arctic air into the U.S.
Five Fort Hays State University students were awarded scholarships at the Tuesday, Oct. 18, Sigma Phi Epsilon Balanced Man Scholarship reception. The recipients reflect the importance of leading a balanced life.
Receiving $500 awards were Dane Murzyn, Carlos Chavez, Dacey Brister and Joseph Raat. Receiving a $1,000 award was Hunter Perryman.
The students, with classifications, majors and high schools, are listed by hometowns.
Denver, Colo. (80239): Dane Murzyn, a freshman majoring in health and human performance, is a Bishop Machebeuf High School graduate.
Hays (67601): Hunter Perryman, a freshman majoring in biology, is a Hays High School graduate.
Imperial, Neb. (69033): Carlos Chavez, a freshman majoring in accounting, is a Chase County High School graduate.
O’Fallon, Mo. (63366): Dacey Brister, freshman, is a Fort Zumwalt North High School graduate.
Plainville (67663): Joseph Raat, a freshman majoring in technology studies, is a Natoma High School graduate.
Brandon Brown in court for a preliminary hearing in May -Photo by Jeff Guy courtesy Kiowa Co. Signal
GREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) — A mentally ill Kansas man has pleaded no contest to killing a man three days after he was released from a state psychiatric hospital in a case that prompted a state inquiry.
The Kansas City Star reports that Brandon Brown, of Haviland, pleaded no contest Tuesday in Kiowa County to second-degree murder. Prosecutors said he beat 61-year-old Jerry Martinez so severely in May 2015 at a residential care facility that Martinez died a few weeks later.
Brown spent a week at the state-run psychiatric hospital in Osawatomie after he scuffled with two other residents at the Haviland Care Center west of Wichita. The beating happened after he returned to Haviland.
Brown’s father, James Brown, has argued his son was released too quickly because of state budget problems.
The Ellis County Treasurer’s office has seen a number of changes over the last three years under current Treasurer Ann Pfeifer, but she says she has enjoyed being able to serve the community — and hopes to continue serving.
Pfeifer, an Ellis County native, is running for re-election as a Democrat and faces Republican challenger Lisa Schlegel in the Nov. 8 general election.
Pfeifer took over as the treasurer in April 2013 after working as the country’s accounting manager for almost three years. She also spent time working in the banking industry and higher education prior to going to work for Ellis County in November 2010.
Within 60 days of taking office in 2013, Pfeifer and the treasurer’s office helped oversee the closing of four bonds for major construction projects within Ellis County. The first was for the Old U.S. 40 project and the other three were for the Law Enforcement Center, county jail and Emergency Services building.
Pfeifer, who recently became a Certified Kansas County Finance Officer from the Kansas County Treasurer’s Association, said, if re-elected, she plans to continue working to make the office more efficient and continue to look for cost savings.
She said her office is planning to look for a better way to manage wait times and lines. They are currently looking at a system that would allow customers to queue online before coming to the office.
“We are just trying to look at the pros and cons to that,” Pfeifer said, “and if that would be a good fit for Ellis County.”
The office, under the leadership of Pfeifer, is working to become more streamlined and make residents’ experiences with the treasurer’s office more pleasant.
“We work very hard on making sure that every customer is treated the best we can once they get to our window,” Pfeifer said.
In another effort to save money, Pfeifer said she is working with another vendor to mail tax statements.
“To make sure that we can try to get the best price we can on postage, because that is something that we can really control,” she said.
Her office also has enlisted the help of a local vendor to process and send out the tax statements, which Pfeifer said has reduced overtime expenses.
Pfeifer said another goal is to open the payroll reduction option to more employees than just those who work for the county.
The EZ Pay Escrow contribution is withdrawn from paychecks and put into an account with the county that can be used to pay for tag and tax transactions.
“That way, instead of having to make their payments once a year or twice a year,” Pfeifer said, “they are able to use it where they can break it up into 11 or 12 easy monthly payments.”
Pfeifer said even though the department has gone through a lot of change and she has had some disagreements with the county commission, she wouldn’t change anything. She said she wants to help as many people as she can.
“As a mother of three, I want to see Ellis County thrive and be a great place to live, not only for now but for my children and future generations,” she said.
Citing a lack of leadership and a desire to hold public office, Ellis County native Lisa Schlegel is running for Ellis County Treasurer.
After working in higher education, at a local bank and at the Hays Public Library, Schlegel is running as a Republican against incumbent Treasurer Ann Pfeifer, a Democrat.
Schlegel graduated from Fort Hays State University with a degree in Leadership Studies and received a master’s from the University of Kansas. She believes her education would be a benefit the Treasurer’s Office.
“It’s just become clear to me that this would be a great time for me,” Schlegel said, “to share my leadership skills and make that office a more pleasant place to work, a more pleasant place for people to come and just have better leadership, which can only make Ellis County stronger.”
Schlegel said she has more leadership experience than her opponent and said that is the biggest problem facing the treasurer’s office.
“It’s been a three-year leadership track record of poor leadership decisions,” Schlegel.
She cited a verbal altercation over taxes at an Ellis County Commission meeting between Pfeifer and County Commissioner Barb Wasinger as an example of the lack of leadership shown by the treasurer and said Pfeifer takes things personally.
“There was no effort to sort of bring people together and sort of dial down the negative energy,” Schlegel said.
Schlegel does not a substantial background in finance, but said there are many treasurers around the country who do not have a background in finance. She said skills she uses in her personal life will help her be successful in the role.
“I’m a quick learner,” Schlegel said. “I’ve had an excellent educational record and an excellent professional record.”
She said that will allow her to quickly pick up on state-provided training.
“I know that I’m going to learn quickly and learn how to pick up on that stuff,” Schlegel said. “She (Pfeifer) got in there and had no experience, and she learned.
“My opponent, again, does not want people to know that that is where she is getting her education, that it’s provided to her and she is learning that.”
Schlegel touted her experience keeping her personal finances and said she manages her own money well.
“Those skills that I just have naturally in my life will carry over,” she said.
She said she has no examples of Pfeifer’s inability to manage the county’s budget – which totals more than $47 million — and said she believe Pfeifer is “probably doing OK.”
Schlegel also said her knowledge of the farm and oil communities will benefit her, if elected.
“When I heard about the shortcoming of this office, I just knew that I could do better, I have done better,” Schlegel said. “I’d like to stay in Hays. I’d like to get into local government.”
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A woman has been charged in the death of a 19-year-old woman whose body was found nearly 30 years ago in Kansas City, Kansas.
The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s office said in a release Thursday that 48-year-old Carolyn J. Heckert is charged with first-degree murder in the December 1989 death of Sarah DeLeon, who was found stabbed to death along some railroad tracks.
Heckert is being held on $1 million bond following her arrest Wednesday in Smithville, Missouri, which is about 20 miles north of Kansas City, Kansas.
Police have said new DNA collection and testing technology prompted investigators to reopen the DeLeon case in July 2014.
A lawyer for Heckert didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday.
Gail Elieson, DeLeon’s mother, says she “quite pleased” charges were filed.
—————
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A woman has been arrested in the 26-year-old unsolved killing of another woman in Kansas City, Kansas.
Kansas City, Kansas, police said in a news release that the U.S. Marshals Service took 48-year-old Carolyn J. Heckert into custody Wednesday in Clay County, Missouri.
She is being held on a $1 million bond in the killing of Sarah DeLeon. The body of the stabbed 19-year-old was found by railroad tracks in 1989.
Police investigators said in May that they believe there is a link between DeLeon’s killing, the unsolved 1994 slaying of Diana Marie Ault in Independence, Missouri, and an abduction in 1987. Investigators didn’t say then why they believe the cases are connected.
New DNA collection and testing technology prompted police to reopen the DeLeon case in July 2014.
SALINE COUNTY -One person was injured in an accident just after 3a.m. on Thursday in Saline County.
A 2004 Mazda SUV driven by Marshall Bohlander, 22, Cincinnati, OH., was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of Solomon, according to Saline County Under Sheriff Roger Soldan.
The driver lost control of the SUV after it hit a deer. The vehicle traveled into the ditch rolled.
The driver’s long hair got caught in the driver’s side window as SUV rolled . It partially tore his scalp, according to Soldan.
He was transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment.
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
