TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow teachers and school administrators to be prosecuted for presented material perceived as harmful to minors.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the bill passed the Senate last year and was considered in a House committee Tuesday. It stems from a 2014 controversy in the Shawnee Mission school district over a poster in a sex education classroom that listed oral sex and other acts as ways people express their sexual feelings.
Currently, state law protects school officials against the misdemeanor charge of presenting harmful material to minors if it’s part of a lesson. The proposed legislation would remove that protection for teachers at public, private and parochial schools.
Teachers would face a fine or up to six months in jail if convicted.
Derrick Unrein helps truckers park in the lot of Golden Plains Trucking.
During yesterday’s winter storm and the subsequent closing of Interstate 70, over the road truck drivers found themselves stuck in Hays.
Generally being forced to stop in an unfamiliar area is an unpleasant experience for drivers, but rather than complaining about the situation, communication between the drivers through the day was full of gratitude over the City’s response to their plight.
“We probably got around 300 trucks in the City of Hays,” said Joseph Dowdell, one of the drivers stuck in Hays yesterday.
It is standard procedure to stop interstate traffic in times of such severe weather, but Dowdell and his fellow drivers were shocked by the uncommon response of the city and its citizens.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “I’ve never seen the people of the town go out of the way to help a truck driver.”
And getting stuck during storms is something Dowdell is very familiar with, as he runs from Columbus, Ohio to Denver every week.
“We all talk on the CB and we’ve been talking, we’ve never seen a city that just went completely out of their way,” Dowdell said. “We wanted to give the city of Hays a shout out and say thank you.”
The welcome began as soon as drivers stopped to pull off I-70 as drivers were greeted by HPD officers.
“When you get off the highway, going 70 west, when you get off that ramp, a police officer of the City of Hays would meet you and hand you a piece of paper that says where to park and safe places to park,” Dowdell said.
They also answered questions the drivers had, despite the bone-chilling wind.
“He was freezing his butt off, but still was really pleasant,” Dowdell said.
After the drivers were parked, busses transported drivers around town giving drivers options for dining, shopping and just to relieve boredom. The HPD also checked on the drivers frequently.
“The police department has been unbelievable, they have been riding around, checking on us, making sure we’re okay,”
Drivers began leaving Hays after the interstate reopened yesterday evening, but un-doubtably next time they are stopped for weather, they will think of Hays.
In conjunction with Thomas More Prep-Marian, Eagle TV will live-stream Catholic Schools Week Mass, scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5.
Nearly 1,000 students, parents, faculty, alumni and friends TMP-Marian, Holy Family and St. Mary’s in Ellis are expected to take part in the Mass with Bishop Weisenburger.
Check HaysPost.com Friday morning for the link to the online stream.
HUTCHINSON – One of two men suspected of beating a Reno County Correctional Facility inmate so severely that he was taken to a Wichita hospital was arraigned in that case and one other on Monday.
William and Antoine Alexander are both charged by the state with a single count of aggravated battery.
They are accused of beating 30-year-old Darrell Beachy on September 26 in one of the pods at the new Reno County Jail.
Beachy was taken by air-ambulance to a Wichita hospital for treatment.
William Alexander entered a not guilty plea in that case and another where he is charged with two alternate counts of felony theft.
In that case, the state accuses him of stealing a Samsung Galaxy tablet, a Nextbook tablet as well as other miscellaneous items on October 23.
The two cases will now be placed on a jury trial docket in front of Judge Trish Rose.
William Alexander was in custody for a failure to appear charge out of Salina.
UPDATE: As of 1:15 p.m. U.S. 36 and K-9 completely reopen in northwest Kansas Expect snowpacked and icy conditions.
As of 11 a.m. CST, the following roads have been reopened in northwest Kansas according to KDOT:
U.S. 83 from Oberlin to Selden
K-25 from Colby to US-40
K-117 from the Nebraska border to US-36
Several roads remain closed as snow removal efforts continue. For up-to-date information on road closures and conditions, call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas, or check travel information online at www.kandrive.org.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The latest on a Kansas man charged in an alleged plot to bomb an Army post (all times local):
1:35 p.m.
A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts in connection with a plot to plant a bomb outside an Army post in northeast Kansas.
John T. Booker Jr., of Topeka, changed his pleas to guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court to charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to use an explosive device to damage government property. A plea agreement with prosecutors recommends that he be sentenced to 30 years in prison on the first charge and 20 years on the second charge, to be served at the same time.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped a charge of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group.
Booker had initially pleaded not guilty to three felony charges. He could have faced life in prison if convicted of those charges.
He was arrested in April 2015 outside Fort Riley, about 60 miles west of Topeka, trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb in a van.
12:30 p.m.
A Kansas newspaper says it has received a letter from a man charged with seeking to aid the Islamic State group, saying he wants a new attorney to represent him in his federal criminal case.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that it received the letter Wednesday from John T. Booker Jr. He is charged with seeking to aid the Islamic State group by planting a bomb last year at Fort Riley, about 60 miles west of Topeka.
The newspaper said Booker accused defense attorney Kirk Redmond of neglecting him. Also, Booker told the newspaper he sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia last month.
A court hearing for Booker in front of Murguia was delayed Wednesday until the afternoon after the judge announced he’d received a letter from Booker.
Redmond declined to comment leaving court.
11:30 a.m.
A federal court hearing for a man charged with seeking to aid the Islamic State group by planting a bomb at an Army post in northeast Kansas has been delayed after he sent a letter to the presiding judge.
John T. Booker of Topeka appeared Wednesday for what was scheduled to be a hearing to change his not guilty pleas to three charges. The charges included attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.
But Judge Carlos Murguia announced he’d received a letter from Booker. Neither he nor Booker’s attorney gave details. Booker and his lawyer conferred with Murguia, and the attorney asked that the hearing be delayed until afternoon.
Booker was arrested in 2015 outside Fort Riley. He was trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb in a van. Prosecutors allege Booker told an FBI informant he wanted to kill Americans and engage in violent jihad on behalf of the Islamic State group.
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old man is due back in federal court over criminal charges alleging that he sought to aid the Islamic State group by planting a bomb at Fort Riley.
The hearing Wednesday for John T. Booker Jr., of Topeka, was scheduled before U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia to allow Booker to change his pleas of not guilty to three charges. They included attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.
Booker was arrested in April 2015 outside Fort Riley. He was trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb in a van.
Prosecutors allege Booker told an FBI informant he wanted to kill Americans and engage in violent jihad on behalf of the Islamic State group.
Faith Fondoble throws a snowball at her brother Dominic, while he works on his snow fort.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Students in Hays USD 489 are enjoying a second snow day, with classes canceled Tuesday and Wednesday.
Siblings Faith, 11, and Dominic Fondoble, 7, were taking advantage of the time off and the 7.5 inches of wet snow late Tuesday morning.
Dominic, a first-grade student at Roosevelt Elementary School, decided to build a snow fort in their front yard. Faith, a Hays Middle School 6th grader, decided a snowball fight was a better idea.
Dominic said he had discovered the blue plastic bucket he most recently used during a trip to the beach and decided to use it to form the snow into bricks for the walls of his snow fort.
Other youngsters took their sleds to the snow sled hill in Hickock Park, 26th and Donald Dr.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man on parole for killing a Topeka man and removing his tattoos and teeth to prevent identification has been arrested.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 60-year-old Kenneth Cook is jailed in Sedgwick County after a drunken driving crash on Sunday. Cook wasn’t hurt, but the other driver was. Kansas Department of Corrections spokesman Adam Pfannenstiel says Cook’s case is under review.
Cook was convicted of the 1992 killing of 33-year-old Charles Duty, whose body was found in the Wakarus River.
Cook’s initial sentence left him ineligible for parole for 40 years. But the Kansas Supreme Court found that post-death mutilation doesn’t warrant a “Hard 40” sentence. Later the first-degree murder sentence also was overturned, and Cook was retried for second-degree murder. He was paroled last year.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016 is National Signing Day as Fort Hays State head football coach Chris Brown and the Tiger football staff announce signings for the 2016 season. The next Tiger Football recruiting class will be sending in their National Letters of Intent (NLI) throughout the day.
By Position
Defense: 19
Offense: 9
Athlete: 1
Special Teams: 1
2016 High School Signees
Jaden Abernathy
6-3, 290, DL/OL
Hutchinson, Kan. (Buhler HS) Planned Major: Undecided Notes: All-state selection on the defensive line…Two-time all-league first team selection on both the offensive and defensive line…Earned league’s Defensive MVP as a senior in 2015…Named among the Top 33 in Kansas by theWichita Eagle.
Amari Angram-Boldin
6-2, 365, DL
Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee HS) Planned Major: Undecided Notes: Two-time all-conference first team selection…Three-time all-county first team selection…Among the top 30 players in Palm Beach County…Nominated for the PrepBuilders Vince Wilfork Award…In his career, recorded 213 tackles, 81 tackles for loss, 23 sacks, eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and 315 pancake blocks.
Elijah Cordero
6-3, 175, DB
Denver, Colo. (Denver East HS) Planned Major: Pre-Engineering Notes: Academic all-state first team selection…Recorded 74 tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Braydon Delzeit
6-1, 230, DL
Hays, Kan. (Hays HS) Planned Major: Undecided Notes: All-state honorable mention as a senior in 2015…Two-time all-conference selection, earning first team honors in 2015 and honorable mention status in 2014…All-conference first team selection in wrestling as a junior…All-conference honorable mention selection in baseball…As a senior, recorded 55 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, and two blocked kicks.
Hunter Gnose
6-2, 190, DB
Skiatook, Okla. (Skiatook HS) Planned Major: Education Notes: Two-time all-state honorable mention selection…All-Tulsa World selection at defensive back…Class 5A-3 Safety of the Year…Served as team captain as a senior…All-state honorable mention selection in wrestling…For his career, recorded 343 tackles and 16 interceptions.
Brandon Gonzales
6-0, 250, OL
Kearney, Mo. (Kearney HS) Planned Major: Health & Human Performance Notes: Served as team captain during senior year…Recorded 81 pancake blocks as a senior.
Cooper Griffith
6-0, 215, LB
Scott City, Kan. (Scott Community HS) Planned Major: Beef Cattle Management Notes: As a senior, earned Kansas Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year honors…All-state selection at linebacker as a senior and junior…All-state selection at running back as a senior…Garden City Telegram Area Player of the Year as a senior…Hutchinson News Top 11 as a senior and Defensive Player of the Year as a junior…Two-time all-league first team selection…Amassed 419 career tackles and over 2,600 career rushing yards.
Da’Juan Johnson
5-8, 160, WR
St. Petersburg, Fla. (Gibbs HS) Planned Major: Undecided Notes: Earned county MVP honors…Helped team to district county championship…County all-star game MVP…As a senior, posted over 2,466 passing yards, 898 rushing yards, 40 total touchdowns (27 passing, 13 rushing), 396 kick return yards with two touchdowns…Had 25 tackles on defense with an interception.
Tate Kaufman
6-7, 225, TE
Halstead, Kan. (Halstead HS) Planned Major: Communications Notes: All-state honorable mention selection by the Topeka Capital Journal and Wichita Eagle as a senior and junior…Two-time all-league first team selection at both tight end and defensive end…Named to Sports in Kansas All-Non Senior Team as a junior.
Pat Kelly
6-6, 275, OL
North Bridgton, Maine (Bridgton Academy) Planned Major: Notes:
Rayvon Lewis
6-0, 170, DB
Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs HS) Planned Major: Notes:
John Lucero
6-2, 255, OL
Raymore, Mo. (Raymore-Peculiar HS) Planned Major: Undecided Notes: All-state second team selection as a senior…Also garnered all-district first team honors and all-metro honors as an offensive lineman…Two-time all-conference selection, earning first team honors in 2015 and honorable mention honors in 2014.
Mitchell Miller
6-2, 200, ATH
Kansas City, Mo. (Liberty North HS) Planned Major: Health & Human Performance Notes: All-state third team selection as a punter during senior year…All-district first team punter and all-district second team defensive back…First team all-league selection at both punter and defensive back as a senior…All-league honorable mention honors as a defensive back as a junior and sophomore…Recorded 109 career tackles with 11 interceptions and averaged 38.0 yards per punt with a career-long of 63 yards.
Christien Ozores
5-10, 195, DB
Junction City, Kan. (Junction City HS) Planned Major: Notes:
Jhimon Preston
5-11, 190, DB
Missouri City, Texas (Ridge Point HS) Planned Major: Notes:
Javaris Sanders
5-11, 290, DL
Largo, Fla. (Largo HS) Planned Major: Undecided Notes: All-county and All-Tampa Bay Area First Team selection…Big County Preps First Team selection…Recorded 77 tackles and 11 sacks as a senior.
Logan Stewart
6-1, 185, DB
Loveland, Colo. (Mountain View HS) Planned Major: Notes: Two-time all-conference first team selection…All-area first team selection…Three-time all-conference performer in track and field…Earned Northern Conference Field Athlete of the Year honors in track and field…Recorded five interceptions, three kick return touchdowns, three forced fumbles, and three sacks.
Sterling Swopes
6-4, 220, DL
Lee’s Summit, Mo. (Lee’s Summit North HS) Planned Major: Athletic Training Notes: All-state and all-district selection by the Missouri Football Coaches Association…Lettered four years in football.
Jacob Taber
6-0, 210, LB
Sand Springs, Okla. (Page HS) Planned Major: Applied Industrial Technology Notes: All-state and all-metro selection…Oklahoma Class 6A-II Co-Defensive Player of the Year…Recorded 374 career tackles…As a senior, recorded 157 tackles and one interception.
Brandon Wagner
6-1, 260, DL
Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Central HS) Planned Major: Undecided Notes: Recorded 50 tackles and eight sacks during senior year…Three-year letterman in football.
Dakota Williams
6-2, 280, OL
Topeka, Kan. (Topeka HS) Planned Major: Biology/Physical Therapy Notes: All-city first team selection on the offensive line…Named one of the top 25 offensive linemen in Kansas…All-state and all-league honorable mention honors…2015 Kansas State Powerlifting Champion…Team captain as a senior…Recorded 100 pancake blocks as a senior.
Jacoby Williams
6-3, 220, QB
Dallas, Texas (Garland HS) Planned Major: Communications Notes: Texas District 11-6A MVP…All-state honorable mention selection at quarterback…Recorded nearly 3,000 passing yards on 197 completions with 34 touchdowns, while also rushing for four touchdowns during senior season.
Blake Wilson
6-2, 250, DL
Wentzville, Mo. (Fort Zumwalt North HS) Planned Major: Secondary Education Notes: All-state selection on defense…Two-time all-conference first team selection on defense and one-time all-conference selection on offense…Two-time all-district selection on defense and one-time all-district selection on offense…Over 200 career tackles with 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and five fumble recoveries.
Jerry Wrightner
6-1, 175, DB
Texarkana, Texas (Texas HS) Planned Major: Kinesiology Notes: All-state, all-area, and All-Texas District 15-5A selection as a senior…Recorded 110 tackles, nine interceptions, two forced fumbles, and four touchdowns in his career.
2016 Transfers
Richard Benjamin
6-0, 210, WR, Jr.
Tampa, Fla. (University of Louisville) Planned Major: Notes: Played defensive back at Louisville and appeared in one game as a redshirt-freshman in 2014…Attended Tampa Bay Tech High School, where he was rated the 67th-best prospect in the state of Florida by 247Sports.com…Rated 4-star prospect by ESPN.com and Scout and Rivals.com…Ranked 246 on the ESPN 300 List… Most Valuable Player of the 58th Annual Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star game, registering three interceptions in the contest…Recorded 35 receptions for 509 yards and five touchdowns, along with 718 rushing yards and another six touchdowns on 103 carries as a senior…Totaled four interceptions on defense.
Chance Clark
6-2, 200, P, Jr.
Hutchinson, Kan. (Highland (Kan.) CC) Planned Major: Notes: Two-time All-KJCCC Honorable Mention selection at punter…Averaged 32.9 yards per punt in 2015, which included a long of 59 yards and 22 punts inside the 20-yardline…In 2014, averaged 38.5 yards per punt with a long of 62 yards and 23 punts inside the 20-yardline.
Ty Clark
6-3, 225, LB, Jr.
Fowler, Kan. (Dodge City (Kan.) CC) Planned Major: Notes: As a sophomore in 2015, recorded 41 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception…As a freshman in 2014, recorded 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack.
Hunter Knoblauch
5-11, 180, DB, R-Fr.
Andale, Kan. (Kansas State University) Planned Major: Notes: Helped Andale High School to the state championship as a senior in 2015… Finished career with 117 tackles and seven interceptions, helping Andale go 33-3 during that span…Recorded 3,832 rushing yards in his career…Named one of the top 11 players in the state of Kansas and an All-Class 4A-Division II First Team selection.
Faith, 11, and Dominic Fondoble, 7, enjoy Tuesday’s snow day for Hays USD 489. Classes were also canceled Wednesday.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
The sun is shining today in Hays, making many people happy in the aftermath of Monday and Tuesday’s Winter Storm Warning.
Another inch of snow fell in Hays, making the two day official total snowfall 7.5 inches as measured at the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town.
The wet snow weighed down tree limbs and power lines, contributing to a number of power outages. Combined with light rain Monday afternoon, the result was a total 0.69 inch of precipitation.
BUTLER COUNTY -One person died in an accident just before 6p.m. on Tuesday in Butler County.
A 2000 Ford Van driven by Steven Childers, 49, Springfield, MO, was eastbound in the 1500 Block of South East 54 Highway just west of Leon, according to Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet.
The van was passing in no passing zones, on the shoulder of the highway and was hit head-on by a westbound semi driven by Miguel Sandoval, 36, Brawley, California.
Childrers was airlifted to Wesley Medical Center where he died.
Sandoval and a 69-year-old female passenger were treated at the scene and released.
The van was licensed to a Springfield, Mo., remodeling company.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow teachers and school administrators to be prosecuted for presented material perceived as harmful to minors.
