WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A student who was sexually battered in the bathroom of a Wichita high school is suing the principal and school board for negligence.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the suit filed in Sedgwick County District Court cites unsafe security practices at Wichita East High School, where the student was assaulted in September. The Eagle and The Associated don’t normally name victims of sex crimes.
Twenty-nine-year-old Guy Harris is awaiting sentencing for sexual battery after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor last month. Police have said Harris groped an 18-year-old female student after entering the school and following her into the restroom while classes were in session.
District spokeswoman Wendy Johnson said in an email that the district is “committed to the safety of all Wichita Public Schools students and staff.”
Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:
Cervs 2701 Vine, Hays – July 29
A routine inspection found one violation.
Four gallons of paint were being stored directly above beverage syrups in the back storage area.
Indigo by Jasmine 111 W. Eighth, Hays – July 29
A routine inspection found one violation.
Crepe pasta that contains raw eggs was being stored directly above tapioca pearls in a GE refrigerator.
Cervs 1601 Main, Hays – July 28
A routine inspection found one violation.
Thermometer that was in the walk-in cooler was reading 55 F. Ambient temperature was 37 F.
Dollar General 1208 E. 27th, Hays – July 28
A routine inspection found two violations.
Bleach was being stored directly over single-use towels in the Men’s Restroom.
On an end cap, there was Zap Cleaner being stored directly over drinking cups. There was Mean Green Cleaner that was being stored directly over single-use towels.
El Taco Reindo 1103 Vine, Hays – July 28
A first inspection after licensing found one violation.
There was no hand soap at the hand washing sink in the front room.
Bickle/Schmidt Sports Complex NE Quad 1376 HWY 183, Hays – July 27
A container of bleach was being stored above clean utensils.
KFC 2804 Vine, Hays – July 27
An inspection following a complaint found no violations, inspector comments follow.
Hot water heater was not working Tuesday morning. The person in charge called a plumber to find out what the problem was. Plumber said that they needed a new hot water heater. At this point, the person in charge closed down the establishment then went to get a new hot water heater. The establishment was still closed the following day. When inspector arrived at 4 p.m. on July 27 the new hot water heater was installed and hot water was back in operation. They opened up at 5 p.m. that day. Hot water is operational and at 120 F.
I-C 66 3701 Vine, Hays – July 26
A routine inspection found two violations.
Several cases of soda and water are being stored directly on the floor in the retail area.
The walk-in condenser is leaking a steady stream of water. The employee had a bucket catching the water and it was not splashing on any food.
Super 8 3730 Vine, Hays – July 26
An inspection following a complaint found no violations.
Larks Park Concessions Fourth and Oak, Hays – July 25
A routine inspection found one violation.
A container of hand soap was being stored directly above the ice machine.
MANHATTAN – “Kansas Farm Bureau and its members across the Big First congratulate and look forward to partnering with Dr. Roger Marshall.
“Our members in county evaluation committees across the state, and in this case the 1st Congressional District who recommended a candidate, made their choice abundantly clear. We believe Dr. Marshall will fight for hard working Kansans, promote and strengthen agriculture, and forge a positive consensus to move ahead the business of governing.
“We also congratulate Sen. Jerry Moran, Rep. Lynn Jenkins, Rep. Kevin Yoder, and Rep. Mike Pompeo. We will continue to work with these effective leaders through the general election, look forward to positive results in November and teaming with them in the next congress to advance Kansas agriculture.”
In today’s primary election, Kansans made clear that they are ready for change in the state’s leadership, the Kansas Democratic Party said in a statement following Tuesday’s results.
“It’s obvious with the results of tonight’s election that the people of Kansas are paying attention. They’re ready to move away from the failed policies of the Brownback administration and steer the state in a new direction,” said Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Kerry Gooch. “If Kansans thought tonight was exciting, just wait until November.”
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A doctor backed by agriculture and business groups has defeated U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp in the Republican primary to represent a district spanning much of central and western Kansas.
Great Bend obstetrician Roger Marshall won the tough contest against Huelskamp in Tuesday’s primary, making him the strong favorite to take the seat in November.
Marshall’s supporters argued Huelskamp’s combativeness has harmed the district. Huelskamp lost his seat on the House Agriculture Committee in 2012 and farm groups turned against him.
Huelskamp is a tea party favorite with a national profile from clashing with GOP leaders over farm and budget legislation. He was a critic of former House Speaker John Boehner.
There is no Democratic candidate. Clifton farmer and educator Alan LaPolice is poised to run as an independent.
Primary losses by a Senate Republican leader and a slew of Johnson County conservatives Tuesday night will swing the Kansas Legislature back toward the center. Moderate Republicans won eight state Senate races against more conservative opponents, ousting six incumbents.
Photo by Andy Marso/KHI News Service Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce
Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce, a conservative Republican from Hutchinson, had aspirations of being the next Senate president. But former community college president Ed Berger defeated him handily in what was perhaps the most surprising result of the night.
“We’re just a bunch of amateurs putting this campaign together,” said Berger, who took 57 percent of the vote, unofficially. “Nobody really had any experience with campaigns, but people were very dedicated to making it happen and that was the difference right there. They wanted to change Kansas and they were committed to making that happen.”
Sen. Larry Powell, Sen. Tom Arpke, Sen. Forrest Knox, Sen. Jeff Melcher and Sen. Greg Smith also are among conservative incumbents who appear to have lost their seats in election results that still have to be verified by election canvassers. Moderates picked up two other Kansas Senate nominations in open primaries in which conservative senators decided not to run for reelection.
Rep. Barbara Bollier, a moderate Republican from Mission Hills running for a Senate seat, said the voters sent a message to the governor that it’s time to ditch the quest to zero out the state’s income tax and form a plan that ensures Kansas has enough revenue to run a “decent, appropriate government.”
“It’s a huge change,” said Bollier, who was unopposed in Tuesday’s primary but faces a Democratic challenger in the general election. “I think Sam’s going to have to acknowledge that and figure it out.”
Bruce, in a statement to the Wichita Eagle, said, “The voters have spoken and they wanted to go in a new direction.” He then congratulated Berger and thanked his constituents for electing him to three Senate terms.
Tuesday’s moderate Republican victories cut deeply into the Senate’s conservative voting majority and may have reversed it in the House, especially if Democrats pick up a few more seats in November. Moderates and Democrats regularly teamed up to block right-wing legislation until conservative challengers purged the Senate of most of its moderates in the 2012 Republican primaries.
Sen. Vicki Schmidt and Sen. Carolyn McGinn, two moderates who survived that election, both warded off conservative challengers again Tuesday.
Photo by Stephen Koranda/Kansas Public Radio Senate President Susan Wagle
Senate President Susan Wagle, a Republican from Wichita who was unopposed Tuesday, released a statement saying “many of the primaries were hard-fought, but I am confident Republicans will unite this fall to keep Kansas conservative.”
Wagle is generally conservative but had expressed some openness to changing a portion of the governor’s signature tax plan that exempted more than 300,000 business owners from paying any income tax.
Wagle said she heard the “anger and frustration” voters expressed Tuesday.
“I look forward to working with Republican nominees to offer Kansans a vision for the state that includes a return to fiscally-responsible balanced budgeting — something I have long called for, a tax code that is fairer to all Kansans while keeping taxes low and a focus on the state reforms needed to compete for new jobs and opportunities,” Wagle said.
Moderate Republicans this year held out for more wholesale changes to the Brownback tax cuts — what several of them termed “real revenue reform.”
In the House, Rep. Susie Swanson, a moderate Republican from Clay Center, defeated conservative challenger and former state school board member Kathy Martin on Tuesday.
She also predicted serious tax talks in the Legislature’s future after it became clear that several conservative colleagues who resisted rolling back the Brownback tax plan would not be returning.
“It makes me more confident we will sit down and work on a solution,” Swanson said. “We’re going to have people who want to solve the problem there.” Democrats have fielded candidates for all 40 Senate seats and many House races this year, creating a possibility of a further shift away from the conservative majority in the November general elections.
There also was some shakeup at the federal level, where U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp lost his Republican primary race to Great Bend physician Roger Marshall by more than 10 percentage points. Marshall got the backing of large farming and ranching groups after Huelskamp lost his seat on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
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
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Salvador Perez hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning that carried the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
Perez’s 16th homer came off Xavier Cedeno (3-3) after a single by Eric Hosmer. It lifted the Royals to their 12th win in their last 13 games against Tampa Bay.
Chris Young (3-8) got the win in relief, and Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his third save.
The Rays scored twice in the fifth off starter Yordano Ventura without hitting the ball to the outfield. Logan Forsythe walked and later scored on Kevin Kiermaier’s bunt single. After Brad Miller’s infield single, Desmond Jennings scored Kiermaier with a groundout to shortstop.
Forsythe had three hits for the Rays, who left 11 on base and went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
The theft occurred on June 30th between midnight and 5 am from the 1700 block of Road R1 in at Lyon Coffee County Electric, according to the sheriff’s department.
The suspect stole a 2013 Chevrolet 3500 flatbed pickup. The arson of the truck occurred between 5 and 8 am in Franklin County.
The suspect is described as a white male possibly wearing glasses and facial hair on his chin. The male may have been accompanied by a dog.
If you have information about this subject or crime call the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at 620-341-3205 or the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at 785-242-3800. Or you may call Crime Stoppers at 620-342-2273.
TOPEKA – A former private in the U.S. Army who was stationed at Fort Riley pleaded guilty and was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for stealing his fellow soldiers’ identities, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.
In addition, he was ordered to pay more than $23,400 in restitution.
Todd M. Newbrough, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. In his plea, he admitted he used his position with the Army to access personal identifying information about fellow soldiers in his unit at Fort Riley. The records he accessed included Leave and Earnings Statements, Enlisted Record Briefs and Alpha Rosters. They contained personal information including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and places of birth. Newbrough used the information to obtain credit cards and lines of credit in the names of the soldiers.
Beall commended the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, Computer Crime
Investigative Unit (CCIU), the Riley County Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham for their work on the case.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A doctor backed by agriculture and business groups has defeated U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp in the Republican primary to represent a district spanning much of central and western Kansas.
Great Bend obstetrician Roger Marshall won the tough contest against Huelskamp in Tuesday’s primary, making him the strong favorite to take the seat in November.
Marshall’s supporters argued Huelskamp’s combativeness has harmed the district. Huelskamp lost his seat on the House Agriculture Committee in 2012 and farm groups turned against him.
Huelskamp is a tea party favorite with a national profile from clashing with GOP leaders over farm and budget legislation. He was a critic of former House Speaker John Boehner.
There is no Democratic candidate. Clifton farmer and educator Alan LaPolice is poised to run as an independent.
ELLIS COUNTY – Both Ellis County Commissioners Barb Wasinger and Dean Haselhorst successfully defended their seats in Tuesday’s Republican Primary earning another four-year term.
Second District Commissioner Wasinger defeated challenger Al Ackerman 646 to 413, 60 to 39-percent.
Wasinger said being elected to a second term means a lot to her.
“I’m glad to get this opportunity to serve Ellis County another four years,” said Wasinger.
She said she wants to continue the path the current commission has set for the future.
“Keeping taxes steady, continuing to run an efficient county and work together as a team.” Wasinger said.
District 3 Commissioner Dean Haselhorst defeated Ron Adams 688 to 367 votes, 65 to 34-percent.
Haselhorst said the past week has been a stressful one.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Haselhorst said “I’ve been waiting for this day for about five days.”
Haselhorst had two new experiences this time around; running against an opponent in the primary and running on the Republican ticket.
He had previously ran as a Democrat and did not face a challenge in the primary. He also switched party affiliation at the end of 2015.
“I was kind of a newcomer on that side,” said Haselhorst but added that he is “excited.”
He said his focus, in the future will be on being more efficient.
“Our goal is to just stay very trim, very slim and work with what we have.”
All four candidates ran as Republicans and Wasinger and Haselhorst will run unopposed in the November general election, barring a write-in campaign.
Voter turnout in Ellis County was 24-percent. According to County Election Officer and Clerk Donna Maskus that is up from 15-percent in the 2012 primary and slightly below the 25-percent turnout in 2008.
Maskus said there are still a small number of provisional ballots left to be counted. But those are not expected to change the outcome of either race.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on the Kansas primary (all times local):
10:30 p.m.
A retired college president has unseated Kansas Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce in the Republican primary.
Former Hutchinson Community College President Ed Berger prevailed in Tuesday’s election in the 34th state Senate District in south-central Kansas.
Berger criticized fiscal policies pursued by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and said public schools aren’t adequately funded. Berger also said Bruce was “in lockstep” with Brownback.
Bruce is from Nickerson and has been majority leader for four years. He has remained a reliable Brownback ally amid the budget problems following massive income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013 championed by the governor.
Berger served 23 years as the top administrator at Hutchinson Community College and retired in 2014.
Berger will face Democrat Homer Gilson of Hutchinson in the November election.
SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating two suspects caught driving a stolen vehicle.
Just before 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a Salina woman contacted police after she saw someone drive away in her 2000 Subaru and damage a window on her 1995 Chevrolet pickup parked in front of her home in the 700 block of N. 5th Street , according to Salina Police Captain Mike Sweeney.
A short time later, an officer stopped the stolen Subaru in the 700 block of N. 2nd Street.
The driver, 20-year-old Justin Howard, was arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of felony theft and criminal damage to property.
A passenger in the vehicle 18-year-old Brandon Carpenter was also arrested after officers found drug paraphernalia, including a marijuana pipe, in his backpack, according to Sweeney.
He was booked into jail on a requested charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.
The Subaru, which is valued at $3,000, was not damaged.
Sweeney said the keys had been left inside the vehicle.
