KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say two Kansas City, Kansas, police officers have been suspended and are under investigation.
The Kansas City Star reports that police said the officers were suspended with pay on Saturday. As part of the “dignitary detail,” the officers were assigned to the mayor’s security detail.
No other details were immediately provided.
HUTCHINSON -A Kansas man’s effort to withdraw his plea and also fire his appointed attorney failed and he was sentenced to prison.
Sonny Bray, 35, Hutchinson, entered guilty pleas to felony flee and elude, criminal possession of a shotgun, battery of a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery and felony theft.
Bray initially wanted to fire his attorney because that attorney apparently spoke with the defendant’s sister and Bray said he asked him not to do this.
Judge Joe McCarville denied the request.
He had filed a motion to withdraw his plea saying he didn’t understand what the agreement entailed.
But, Judge McCarville noted that he had signed an advice of rights form indicating he did understand and his request to withdraw was also denied.
McCarville sentenced Bray to five years for all three cases as agreed upon by both parties as a part of the plea agreement.
Bray was arrested on July 19, 2015, following a search by law enforcement.
Bray then fled from officers and, during that chase, allegedly threw the shotgun from the vehicle, struck a parked semi-trailer, a curb and a stop sign, causing the vehicle to become disabled. He then fled on foot, but was quickly captured.
In the aggravated battery with a deadly weapon case, he struck a man with a glass bottle in April of 2015.
In the third case, he was convicted of battering a law enforcement officer in September 2014.
Brookdale of Hays, 1801 E. 27th, formerly the Sterling House, will host an Easter Egg hunt at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Participants are encouraged to bring an Easter basket to collect eggs and candy. Cookies will also be provided at the event.
The event is open to the public.
In the event of inclement weather the hunt will be held inside.
By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The Hays Area Chamber of Commerce will host its second Legislative Coffee tomorrow, Sat. March 19, at 8:30 a.m. in the Ellis County Administration Center, 718 Main.
Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell, Rep. Sue Boldra, R-Hays and Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, are scheduled to attend and visit with constituents.
Today, March 18, is the final day during the 2016 legislative session for committees to meet. All bills need to be passed out by Friday in order to be under consideration next week.
When legislators return to Topeka Monday, they plan to be on the floor all day to deliberate and debate bills. Tuesday through Friday, legislators will be waiting on the House and Senate conference committees to discuss and consider bills, and then send those back to the House and Senate members for a vote.
Adjournment is scheduled for next Friday, March 25, with a return for the Veto Session Wednesday, April 27.
At around 12:19 p.m. Friday, emergency responders from the Ellis County Sheriff’s office, Ellis County Emergency Medical Services and the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to an injury accident involving two vehicles approximately two miles north of Hays on U.S. Highway 183.
A southbound vehicle drive by a rural mail carrier was slowing to turn right into a driveway. A southbound pickup behind the mail car failed to slow down, striking the car vehicle from behind, according to officers at the scene.
The car spun and came to a rest in the driveway facing the highway. The truck continued forward, coming to a rest on the west side of the highway.
Both drivers refused medical treatment at the scene.
Mail being transported by the carrier was collected and was delivered by another vehicle that later arrived at the scene.
DICKINSON COUNTY-The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department Drug Enforcement Unit along with the Abilene Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol Special Response Team executed a search warrant on Tuesday at 2042 900 Avenue in rural Dickinson County.
According to Sheriff Gareth Hoffman the search warrant was the result of a four-month long investigation into the alleged distribution of methamhetamine in the Herington and Hope area. Arrested during the search warrant were three occupants of the residence.
–Shawn O. Penrod, on suspicion of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia ( felony ), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia ( misdemeanor ), Acquiring Drug Proceeds, Failure to Obtain a Kansas Drug Tax Stamp, and three counts of Criminal Use of a Weapon. Bond was set at $200,000.
–Olivia Penman, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond was set at $100,000.
–Russell Pitts, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond was set at $75,000.
Hoffman reported that law enforcement officers seized a total of 646.9 grams of methamphetamine that was in bulk and packaged for resale. The estimated street value of the methamphetamine seized was calculated at more than $65,000 dollars.
Hoffman indicated that the case is still ongoing, and as a result of the investigation more arrests can be expected in the next few weeks.
SALINE COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 8 a.m. on Friday in Saline County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Dodge passenger car driven by Ryan N. Trickle, 20, Salina, was southbound on U.S. 81 two miles north of Interstate 70.
The driver lost control on the wet pavement, struck a guardrail and then a bridge.
Trickle was transported to Salina Regional Medical Center.
He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
Don Binder, 76, of Montrose, CO, died on Friday, March 11, 2016 at his home in Montrose.
Don was born on August 3, 1939 near Munjor, Kansas, the son of Adolph and Eleanor (Pfannenstiel) Binder. He grew up on the family dairy farm near Hays and attended Munjor Grade School and graduated from St. Joseph’s Military Academy. After graduation Don enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving in the Philippines and Okinawa. He was honorably discharged in 1960.
Don graduated from Fort Hays State University in 1971 with an Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology. He worked in his chosen field of education as a school psychologist and administrator for 30 years, ending his career as the Director of Student Services for the Montrose County School District. During his career, he worked tirelessly to provide educational services to children with special needs.
Although the mountain landscape was what brought Don to Colorado, it was the desert landscape of south eastern Utah that he truly loved. He began hiking in the Cedar Mesa and Grand Gulch areas in the late ‘70s and continued to wander there as often as he could. He was an active member of the Chipeta Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society.
Don is survived by his wife Elizabeth, with whom he shared 38 wonderful years. Together they shared four children: Mitchell Carroll and wife Susie of Mountain Grove, MO.; Curt Weimer and wife Buffy of Kemah, Texas; Jody Weimer and wife Kim of Nucla; and Amy Carver and partner Brad Duran of Grand Junction, CO. Also surviving are grandchildren: Michael, Jennifer, and Anne Carroll; Megan, Gordon, Tyler, Logan, and Morgan Weimer; Hannah, Haley, and Cacy Carver; and Myta and Jared Smith; and great-grandchildren Rowdy, Emma, and Paetynn.
Our family survivors include Elaine Horne (Ron) of Canyon City, CO; Kathleen Ward (Les) of Hays, KS; and Barb Elliott (Jeff) of Natoma, KS, and many beloved nieces and nephews.
A private family Celebration of Life was held in Montrose on March 15, 2016.
Education Bill Hearing Held
On Tuesday, March 15, the House Appropriations committee finally conducted a hearing on the education bill that had been introduced to address the February Kansas Supreme Court ruling on the funding of K-12 education.
The main components of House Bill 2731 are that it would re-establish the funding mechanism of the former financing formula that was eliminated with the CLASS Act, or better known as the block grant funding bill. The entire finance formula is not going to be reinstated, just the portion of the formula that addresses the equity portion of the lawsuit on which the Supreme Court has rendered its decision. They have yet to state their position on the adequacy funding of the Gannon lawsuit. This bill would address that equity portion and reinstate the funding for Capital Outlay and Supplemental General State Aid.
When the block grant funding went into effect on July 1, 2015, the school districts from across the state received their portion for Capital Outlay that was the same amount that they had received for the 2014-2015 school year. This amount was to be the same in the next school year, until a new school finance formula was created. Since the court has ruled that that funding is not equitable, this bill reestablishes the formula for determining Capital Outlay funding as it was prior to the implementation of the block grant funding.
In determining the amount of funding for supplemental general state aid, like the formula calculation for Capital Outlay, the old formula based on the school district’s assessed valuation per pupil, and if they would fall under the 81.2 percent, that school district will receive additional funding.
House Bill 2731 also removes the provision of the block grant funding bill by exhausting the Extraordinary Needs Fund that was devised to financially assist districts if they experienced extraordinary cases where additional funding was needed. Since the Extraordinary Needs Fund would be abolished, that would place those funds back into the State General Fund to be used to pay for part of the supplemental general state aid appropriation. House Bill 2731 failed to make it out of the Appropriations committee on Thursday, March 17.
LLC Tax Loophole Bill Has Hearing
Since the passage of the 2012 tax plan, there has been a long criticism over the portion of that tax plan with the income tax exemption for certain businesses, namely LLCs. At the implementation of the tax plan, it was expected that approximately 119,000 businesses would be exempt from income taxes ballooned from that original number to over 330,000. With this miscalculation, namely from many existing businesses converting to the exempt business types, has caused much of the financial distress we are currently facing. On Tuesday, March 15, the House Taxation committee held a hearing that would place these exempt businesses back on the income tax rolls, which would generate $260.9 million, and would then buy down the sales tax rate on food from the current rate of 6.5% to a rate of 2.6%.
Horse and Dog Track Bill Hearing Held
During the four sessions that I have served the 109th Kansas House, there has always been bill introductions regarding changes to the expanded gaming act of 2007 that would change the tax rate that slot machines at operating Horse and Dog tracks are required to send to the state of Kansas.
On Tuesday, March 15, there was a dramatic attempt to circumvent the Speaker of the House to have the bill that was introduced, by a procedural move, brought up as the first item of business to be discussed on that day. After a rules committee decision that this procedure was not in order, the bill was not debated on the House floor. Given the dramatic scene on Tuesday, the House Appropriations committee had already scheduled a hearing on this bill, House Bill 2537, for Wednesday, March 16. We conducted the hearing and there were many supporters and many opponents regarding this legislation.
The basis of this bill is that the current taxing element on slot machines are not uniform for the state owned casinos and for the Greyhound and horse tracks, also referred to as racinos, throughout the state of Kansas. The three tracks that are identified in this bill, which currently are not operational and would require a vote in each of their respective counties, are the Wichita Greyhound Park, The Woodlands, and Eureka Downs.
If this bill were to pass, and if the voters in these counties where these facilities are located, would adjust the current tax rate of 40% for the racinos and bring that rate to the same rate that is applied to the state owned casinos of 22%. The main question of contention by the opposing side is if the state of Kansas would alter the contract that was made with the state owned casinos, then would the state of Kansas be contractually obligated to repay the casinos the privilege fees, which were paid at the time of application to secure the management of the casinos, which could exceed $100 million. We conducted a hearing on this bill and I do not foresee this making it out of committee.
Calendar and Contact Information
This Friday, March 18, marked the final day during the 2016 Legislative Session where committees met. All bills needed to be passed out by Friday in order to be under consideration next week.
When we come back from the weekend, we will be on the floor all day Monday to deliberate and debate bills. We will have a considerable amount of bills. The schedule for Tuesday through Friday will be waiting on the conference committees from the House and Senate to discuss and consider bills and then send those back to the House and Senate members to vote on the conference committee reports. We will adjourn on Friday, March 25 and will return for Veto Session on Wednesday, April 27.
If you have any concerns, feel free to contact my office at (785) 296-7672, visit www.troywaymaster.com or email me at [email protected].
The honor to serve you in the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas is one I do not take lightly. Do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns and questions. I appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas.
Troy L. Waymaster, Bunker Bill
State Representative
109th Kansas House District
300 SW 10th
Topeka, KS 66612
GREAT BEND -After a near month-long investigation, there was no evidence of sexual assault found on a Great Bend High School bus on February 6. The Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office handled one of the two alleged assault cases involving the high school’s swim team.
Michele O’Neil is the mother of one of the victims in the alleged assault.
While her son’s case has been turned over to the Ellsworth County Attorney for prosecution, she was not too surprised to see there were no sexual assault charges.
“I knew this was going to happen because our Kansas laws are really behind times,” she said.
Ellsworth County Sheriff Tracy Ploutz found five suspects committing battery and three suspects for criminal restraint. Despite no sexual assault charges coming from the investigation, O’Neil felt the assault that happened to her freshman son was more than just battery.
“This is definitely more than battery,” she said. “I’m grateful that the witnesses that were also getting hit are now victims and have battery charges on them.”
O’Neil is confident Ellsworth County District Attorney Joe Shepack will press charges when he takes a look at the case because the evidence leaves no doubt. The alleged assault took place on the bus in Ellsworth County when the swim team was coming back to Great Bend from a swim meet in Manhattan.
A separate alleged assault case involving the swim team on February 3rd is being investigated by the Barton County Sheriff’s Office.
By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
The Hays Police Department is praising a group of its officers for their work in capturing a suspect in multiple burglaries last week in Hays.
According to HPD, officers responded to a burglar alarm at the Northridge Plaza in the 2700 of Vine Street at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Thu., March 10.
When officers arrived on scene they found evidence of multiple burglaries within the Plaza, according to Lt. Brandon Wright. Officers quickly set up a perimeter led by Sergeant Jason Bonczynski. While investigating the businesses, one officer heard footsteps and saw a man wearing a ski mask and black clothing fleeing the scene.
Wright said officers were able to pursue the suspect and place Russell Lee Brewer, 46, Perryville, AR, under arrest on suspicion of burglary and drug charges.
Wright said, “It is very, very rare to catch a burglar in progress.”
“We respond to a lot of alarms. Most of them are false, we always go to them,” Wright added. “We preach to our people don’t let your guard down. Any one of these could be the real deal.”
After arresting Brewer, officers executed a search warrant at a hotel room where he was staying, leading to more drug charges. Wright said they also recovered property they believed to be connected to other cases outside of Hays. That investigation is still ongoing.
Brewer was arrested on suspicion of felony burglary, theft, criminal damage to property and drug possession.
In all, there were 11 burglaries reported in the area of 27th and Vine Street.
The Hays PD is also investigating another series of other burglaries in the same area in recent weeks and there has been an increase police presence in the area.
Wright said they are really proud of the officers for apprehending Brewer and recognized the officers–Sergeant Jason Bonczynski, Officer Evan Kronn, Officer Phillip Gage and Trainee Officer Nolan Weiser–for their work that morning.
“They did a good job of coordinating their efforts in catching this guy, who was victimizing the community,” said Wright.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A plumbing and heating systems manufacturer plans to move its headquarters and 113 jobs from Wichita to Denver.
The company, Viega, has been in Wichita for 10 years. Viega’s general counsel, Jess Arbuckle, says all 113 employees have been offered jobs in Denver. The move is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
The Wichita Eagle reports the company is keeping its manufacturing plant in McPherson, where it has about 200 employees.
Arbuckle declined to say exactly why the company was moving. He said a nationwide feasibility study found Denver was the best fit for the company because the corporate staff will be more accessible to customers, vendors and regional staff.
SUBMITTED
The Stan Basgall Band will be playing at the Grainfield Opera House tomorrow, Saturday, March 19, from 7:00 p.m.to 10:00 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to listen to and dance to great music that’s for everyone.
It’s the first dance in the ballroom since 1964, according to volunteer Diana Kaiser. The historic facility was built in 1887 and is being restored with help from a Dane G. Hansen Foundation grant.
The Grainfield Opera House is on the National Register of Historic Places
For tickets, call Diana Kaiser at (785) 938-4416, Ron Eberle at (785) 673-9519 or Dee Foster at (785) 673-9559.
Tickets are $15 each and will also be available at the door.
