SEWARD COUNTY -The Kansas State Fire Marshal continues their investigation into the cause of the January 13, explosion and fire at Groendyke Transportation southwest of Liberal, according to Seward County Fire Chief Andrew Barkley.

A tanker truck and three employees were inside a large wash bay at the time of the explosion. The tank trailer was not loaded and was being externally washed. Its last contents were condensate, a natural gas processing byproduct, according to a corporate media release.

The three employees were flown to St. Francis Hospital in Wichita hospital and remain in critical but stable condition with burns, according to Barkley. A fourth employee was treated for minor injuries.

Groendyke’s terminal’s parking lot remains open but office operations have been moved temporarily to the Trinity Church on Kansas Avenue while cleanup of the at the location is completed, according to Barkley.

SALINE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating the shooting of three dozen geese, who were found in a ditch in northeast Saline County.

The geese were found in a culvert in the 4500 block of East Humbargar Road, according to Salina County Sheriff’s Captain Roger Soldan.

Anyone with information on who killed and dumped the geese is asked to call the Saline County Sheriff’s Office or the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and Tourism.

 

 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Emergency responders say a small plane carrying two people onboard had a “hard touchdown” at Wichita’s Jabara airport, but no one was seriously hurt.

Wichita Fire Department’s battalion chief, Stuart Bevis, said the plane came down at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday on the north end of the airport runway. He says one person was treated for minor injuries at the scene, but refused transport to the hospital.

He says the main issue emergency responders have been dealing with now is fuel leaking from one of the wing tanks.

A photo tweeted out by the Wichita fire department shows the plane on its nose.

Firefighters on the scene of an airplane emergency at Jabara Airport in the 3500 blk of N Webb Rd. pic.twitter.com/Rkon6LAXH7

— WichitaFireDept (@WichitaFireDept) January 19, 2016

The FAA says it is investigating the incident involving a Socata TBM700, a single-engine turboprop light business aircraft that slid off the runway after landing.
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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Emergency responders say a small plane carrying two people onboard had a “hard touchdown” at Wichita’s Jabara airport, but no one was seriously hurt.

Wichita Fire Department’s battalion chief, Stuart Bevis, said the plane came down at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday on the north end of the airport runway. He says one person was treated for minor injuries at the scene, but refused transport to the hospital.

He says the main issue emergency responders have been dealing with now is fuel leaking from one of the wing tanks.

A photo tweeted out by the Wichita fire department shows the plane on its nose.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House has approved a bill aimed at making it harder for judges or prosecutors to influence the work of grand juries convened by citizens.

The vote Tuesday was 101-20 on a bill that would allow people who are responsible for calling a grand jury to observe a judge’s instructions to the jurors. The measure goes next to the Senate.

Supporters said the bill would make grand juries less secretive and more responsive to the people who call them.

Kansas is one of six states allowing citizens to petition for grand juries. The 1887 law was rarely used until about a decade ago, when anti-abortion activists began using it to convene grand jury investigations of abortion clinics. The law also has since also been used to investigate adult bookstores.

OSKALOOSA, Kan. (AP) — Jefferson County Attorney Jason Belveal says he doesn’t expect to file charges against officials involved in an investigation that led to a man being wrongly convicted in the 1999 death of a 14-year-old Kansas girl.

Belveal says a former prosecutor, county sheriff and a Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent made mistakes while investigating the case of Floyd Bledsoe but he doesn’t believe the mistakes were intentional.

Bledsoe served more than 15 years in prison for the death of 14-year-old Zetta Camille Arfmann before his conviction was overturned and he was released from prison last year. His brother, Tom Bledsoe, admitted to the crime in notes he left before he committed suicide.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the KBI is re-examining the case but it’s unlikely to address the original investigation.

MANHATTAN – Law enforcement in Riley County and officials at Manhattan High School conducted a joint operation with multiple canine units, to perform a random search for illicit drugs on Tuesday morning, according to principal Greg Hoyt.

“This was a planned and coordinated effort between the school and law enforcement and was not prompted by any specific information regarding drugs or drug activity at the school, according to a letter to parents from Hoyt.

The building was placed into “lockout” mode during the drill and all exterior doors were locked to prevent anyone from entering the building during the search.

School officials monitored the front entryways during the drill to direct any incoming traffic. Students were not permitted to leave their classrooms, but regular instruction did continue for the duration of the drill. The drill was completed in approximately 45 minutes.

“Several positive indicants did arise and school administrators are following up in concert with law enforcement, according to  Hoyt.

HARVEY COUNTY- The driver injured in Monday’s rollover accident in Harvey County remains hospitalized with numerous broken bones but is expected to make a full recovery, according to Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton.

The waste sanitation truck rolled over near 12811 NW 36th Street. The driver reported overcorrecting to avoid driving into the ditch, according to Walton. The truck was hauling a full load.

The Lifeteam Air Ambulance transported the driver to Wesley Medical Center.

The name of the driver has not been released.

The accident remains under investigation.

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HARVEY COUNTY- One person was injured in an accident on Monday in Harvey County.

A waste sanitation truck rolled over near 12811 Northwest 36th Street, according to the Harvey County Sheriff’s office.

The Lifeteam Air Ambulance transported the driver to Wesley Medical Center.

The name of the driver and extent of injuries was not released.

The accident remains under investigation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has agreed to an election-year review of President Barack Obama’s executive orders to allow up to 5 million immigrants to “come out of the shadows” and work legally in the United States.

The justices said Tuesday they will consider undoing lower court rulings that blocked the plan from taking effect in the midst of a presidential campaign already roiled by the issue.

The case probably will be argued in April and decided by late June, about a month before both parties’ presidential nominating conventions.

The immigrants who would benefit from the administration’s plan are mainly the parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

Texas is leading 26 states in challenging the immigration plan.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Portland, Oregon-based airline has ended service to Great Bend and Salina, effective immediately.

Seaport Airlines announced Friday that it would no longer fly to the two Kansas cities and five other cities in California. The company blamed a pilot shortage for ending its service.

KAKE-TV reports Salina Airport Director Tim Rogers says Seaport’s poor service has led to a drop in passengers.

Rogers says Great Lakes Airlines will return to Salina, beginning April 1. Rogers says Great Lakes will fly to Denver in 30 seat Embraer turboprops.

Great Bend Airport Director Martin Miller says his city won’t know if it will get new airline service until the U.S. Department of Transportation decides whether it still qualifies for essential air service.