BARTON COUNTY – Two people were hospitalized after an accident just after 4:30p.m. Thursday during a chase by law enforcement in Barton County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported the Great Bend Police and Barton County Sheriff’s Deputies were chasing a 2001 Cadillac passenger car driven by Howard L. Johnson, 21, Wichita, westbound in the 2300 Block of 19th Street in Great Bend.
The driver lost control of the Cadillac. It began to slide sideways, hit a pickup which was legally parked on the north side of the road, and then struck a power pole.
Johnson and a passenger Antonyo D. Miller, 37, Great Bend were transported to Great Bend Regional Medical Center.
Miller was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
HUTCHINSON – Law enforcement authorities in Hutchinson are investigating a prank call to 911.
Just after school was dismissed on Thursday, police were called to Hutchinson Middle School 8, 200 West 14th Avenue, in reference to a 911 caller who stated, “He has a gun.” and then hung up.
Arriving officers were able to locate a 14-year-old student who admitted to placing the call as a prank.
He was subsequently arrested on a misdemeanor traffic warrant as well as the charge of giving a false alarm.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma custom-home builder has been indicted after accusations of involvement in an organized theft ring.
The Oklahoman reports that 43-year-old Dennis Lee is among six defendants charged by a federal grand jury in Oklahoma City. Lee owns Richardson Homes LLC.
An indictment filed Feb. 22 but made public Wednesday alleges that the individuals involved would transport stolen vehicles and riding lawn mowers in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Grand jurors allege the stolen property was stored at Lee’s business.
Lee has been charged with conspiracy to transport stolen goods across state lines, possession of a stolen tractor and golf cart, and illegal possession of firearms. Lee had denied any wrongdoing.
If convicted, Lee could be sentenced to years in prison and fined thousands of dollars.
Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican FILE PHOTO / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
By Madison Coker
KU Statehouse Wire Service
TOPEKA – An attorney for Kansas insurance agencies says a bill in the Kansas House of Representatives Insurance Committee would cause major issues for licensed insurers.
Will Larson, attorney for the Kansas Association of Insurance Agents, asked the committee on Tuesday to vote against the bill that would allow self-storage unit companies to sell their own insurance.
“[Insurance agents] do not oppose storage facilities selling this insurance,” Larson said. “What they do oppose is the people that will be selling it will not be licensed.”
SB14 provides for limited-license insurance coverage of self-storage units. This means self-storage companies could provide insurance for the contents inside people’s units.
Self Storage Association Representative Whitney Damron said the potential law includes specific regulations in place to protect insurers. He said the first regulation is that the policy is limited to $5,000 per unit. In addition, the companies would be required to post a sign and tell costumers to check with their own insurance agencies to make sure they are not already covered.
“These policies make this law clearer and will protect customers,” Damron said.
Damron also said that 25 states, including Missouri, have already adopted laws like this one.
He said this law benefits people who do not have homeowner’s insurance, such as members of the the military who are overseas or people leaving the country. The law would provide those people with an easy way to get insurance on their possessions left in storage units.
Representative Dan Hawkins (R-Wichita) said he sees this bill causing all kinds of problems.
“I am worried the companies are not going to know how to handle claims and deal with these cases,” Hawkins said.
Damron said storage company employees would be required to go through a training program before selling insurance. He pointed out that this bill only allows self-storage unit companies to sell insurance; the actual insurance is provided by a partnering insurance company.
According to Larson, a training program is not enough.
“We oppose chopping up the insurance industry to limited segments and then employing non-licensed people to sell it,” Larson said.
Hawkins agreed with Larson and said he will propose an amendment to this bill that would require the person from the storage unit selling the insurance to be licensed.
SB14 passed in the Senate in February with a vote of 38-1. A vote in the House will take place if the bill is passed through the committee after amendments are made.
Madison Coker is a University of Kansas junior studying journalism from Kansas City.
Curtis Simon-photo Jackson Co.Jeremy Simon -photo Jackson Co.
JACKSON COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Jackson County are investigating two suspects on drug charges after a high-speed chase and crash.
Just after 2:30pm Wednesday, Jackson County deputies attempted to stop a southbound Chevy Cavalier on US 75 Hwy south of Holton for an alleged traffic infraction, according to media release.
The vehicle continued south on US Hwy 75, traveled westbound on 198th Road, and continued southbound on M, which is a dead end.
The vehicle then left the roadway and continued across a pasture where the vehicle became airborne and crashed in a gully causing both air bags to deploy.
Both occupants of the vehicle fled the crash on foot. Deputies arrested the alleged driver, Jeremy Lynn Simon, 39, and the passenger, Curtis Lowe Simon, 37, both of Horton, a short distance from the crash scene.
They were booked into the Jackson County Jail Initial charges on Jeremy Simon are the following: Felony flee and eluding, reckless driving, felony interference with law enforcement, driving while suspended and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jeremy Simon also is being held on an outstanding warrant.
Curtis Simon is being charged with felony interference with law enforcement.
Both suspects have a previous burglary conviction and Jeremy has spent time at Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the fires burning across Kansas this week. He shared experiences of the Gardiner family, ranchers in Clark County, Kan., from a Wichita Eagle article authored by Michael Pearce about the impact the fires have had on the family and their livestock.
“Although it’s not a big national news story, Kansas is ablaze,” said Sen. Moran. “There is no doubt the impact of the fires and tornadoes that swept across the plains earlier this week has been devastating.
But I am not surprised that Kansans are working together as friends and neighbors to overcome the challenges we face.
I’m thankful for the willingness of so many living nearby – and across the country – who have volunteered to help us rebuild fences, bring in much-needed hay, and offer any assistance we need. And I’m thankful to represent Kansans who care for one another and treat each other as family.”
The Ashland High School Bluejays are playing in the state tournament tonight as their community recovers from the largest fire in Kansas history.
OFFICE OF THE GOV.
CLARK COUNTY – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback today signed Executive Order 17-01 to assist fire relief efforts throughout the state. Governor Brownback declared a state of emergency on Sun., March 5, and fires have now burned more than 626,000 acres. This ranks as the largest fire event in state history.
“Together as a state, we stand with those who lost their homes, their livestock, and their barns,” said Governor Brownback. “As fires continue to sweep across our state, Kansans are standing shoulder to shoulder with their neighbors to deliver relief and support. Even as we continue the fight to contain and defeat these fires, this executive order assists and expedites the arrival of recovery supplies as our communities begin to rebuild in the wake of these wildfires.”
Executive order 17-01 facilitates the immediate delivery of large quantities of hay, feed, fencing materials, and other relief supplies by waiving certain motor carrier regulations. The full text of the executive order can be found here.
Governor Brownback signed the executive order in the Clark County Command Center Thursday.
Eight-five percent of the county’s land mass has been burned.
While there, he visited the local Command Center, conducted a land assessment tour, and attended the Ashland High School pep rally.
Wednesday, Governor Brownback visited the Hutchinson Command Center, conducted both an aerial and land assessment tour, and visited with the Red Cross providing shelter to displaced families.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Desmond Bane had 16 points, hitting three free throws with 2.5 seconds left, to help TCU stun top-ranked Kansas 85-82 in the Big 12 quarterfinals Thursday.
The eighth-seeded Horned Frogs (19-14) blew an 11-point halftime lead, and still trailed 80-76 with just over a minute remaining. But a parade of free throws knotted the game, and Alex Robinson’s driving layup gave TCU the lead back with 31 seconds left
Frank Mason answered with a pair of free throws for Kansas (28-4), but the Horned Frogs got the ball to Bane in the corner and he was fouled by Svi Mykhailiuk while putting up a shot.
He calmly drained all of them, and Devonte Graham’s long 3 at the buzzer bounced harmlessly off the rim as the Horned Frogs leaped off their benched to celebrate a massive upset of the No. 1 seed.
They’ll play No. 23 Iowa State, which topped Oklahoma State earlier, in Friday’s semifinals.
Kenrich Williams had 13 points, Robinson had 13 and Brandon Parrish had 12 for the Horned Frogs, who caught a break when Jayhawks coach Bill Self suspended Josh Jackson for the game.
Jackson was cited for traffic violations in the latest incident involving the star freshman.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A judge says a Kansas man accused of plotting to attack Somali immigrants poses “a grave danger” to the community if released.
U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren on Thursday denied Patrick Stein’s request for release. Prosecutors say Stein was the leader of a militia group called The Crusaders.
Melgren says Stein is a flight risk and the evidence against him is significant. The judge also says Stein has expressed extreme hatred and threatened violence against Muslims, and sought to obtain weapons and explosives.
Prosecutors allege Stein and co-defendants Gavin Wright and Curtis Allen conspired to detonate truck bombs at a 100-unit apartment complex where Somali immigrants live in Garden City, Kansas.
The three have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.
BOLIVAR, Mo. – Fueled by an 8-run sixth inning, Southwest Baptist knocked off the Fort Hays State baseball team in Thursday’s (March 9) series opener, 16-8. A pair of lightning delays slowed the game, but that didn’t slow either offense – the teams combined for 34 hits on the day.
The Tigers fall to 7-11 this season and 1-6 in MIAA play while the Bearcats are now 11-6 overall and 2-5 in the league.
Ty Redington opened the offensive outburst with a solo home run down the left field line to lead off the game, putting FHSU in front 1-0 one batter into the game. Nick Hammeke and Jake Lanferman drew walks in the next two at bats, but were left on after Brian Womack worked out of the jam.
The Tiger lead didn’t last long, with the Bearcats plating a pair in the bottom of the first on three singles. The home team added three runs in the second inning, two in the third, one in the fourth and a whopping eight-run barrage in the sixth inning.
Hammeke crushed a solo shot to left center to lead things off in the third inning, closing the gap to 5-2. Fort Hays State put another run on the board when Lanferman reached on a one-out single in the fifth. The sophomore came around to score on a Clayton Basgall single two batters later, moving the Tigers within 8-3.
After play was stopped due to weather in the middle of the fifth inning, reliever Ryan Ruder held the Bearcats scoreless in an inning for the first time by putting them down in order. The lightning delay sparked the Tiger bats, fueling a four-run top of the sixth. Jared Bogosian drew a walk before Redington, Hammeke, Lanferman and Dayton Pomeroy combined to club four-straight doubles to help the Tigers close within one run, 8-7.
Trevor Hughes knocked in the final Tiger run with a bases loaded single in the top of the eighth, scoring Hammeke.
Redington finished the day 3-for-6 with a pair of runs and two RBI. Pomeroy also recorded three hits, driving in one run. Hammeke, Lanferman, Basgall and Hughes all picked up two hits each.
Ben Ramberg (0-4) took the loss after giving up eight runs on nine hits over 3.1 innings of work. Austin Liverant was able to tame the Bearcats in relief, holding the home team scoreless through 2.1 innings on the mound, giving up two hits.
The teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
Kansas budget cutters: the time has come to get real and very specific. Which expenses can be cut to balance the state budget? What’s your plan? Put out the details so that Kansans can judge the best course of action.
Duane Goossen
Despite multiple rounds of budget cuts over the last years, some legislators and groups like the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity have continued to make vague, abstract pronouncements that Kansas has a spending problem. They suggest that financial trouble in Kansas can be solved by getting rid of “inefficiencies.”
That kind of talk nurtures a popular stereotype of government, but does it at all ring true in Kansas anymore? If true, those saying such things should have no trouble naming the spending that needs to be eliminated. Surely, with the financial health of Kansas on the line, would-be budget cutters can muster specificity.
In the wake of a new court ruling, what part of school funding can be cut? Saying “put students first” is not an adequate answer though. How about chopping Medicaid? Doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes providing services had their Medicaid reimbursement rates cut 4 percent this year. Can that cut be made deeper? Vast amounts of money have been lifted from the highway fund, causing many road projects to be cancelled. Should Kansas spend even less on highway maintenance and bridge repair? State employees have not had a raise in 9 years. How about making it 10? Or maybe cutting their health benefits can save money.
Without specifics, claims of an inefficient, overspending state government come up empty and lead nowhere.
When explaining his recent veto of a revenue-raising bill, Gov. Brownback chided lawmakers for not considering more expense cuts, but his own budget does not show the way. His main proposal to reduce spending shorts the required payments into the already precarious public employee retirement fund. That’s like a homeowner skipping mortgage payments. It doesn’t actually eliminate the expense, just piles it onto the obligations in future years.
Kansas faces a festering budget gap between income and expense that now exceeds a billion dollars. Only two approaches can effectively solve the problem: cut expenses—in a real way—or raise revenue. Lawmakers have not done enough of either to cure the structural imbalance in the budget.
Instead, they have resorted to short-term patches that kill Kansas financially—blowing through the reserves, borrowing, putting off bill payments, raiding the highway fund, trying to sell assets. With each of these maneuvers, Kansas has become poorer, but without fixing the problem. These misguided efforts have to stop.
If there was ever a time for serious budget cutters to shine, this is it. Put your proposals out on the table and explain them. But if you are only able to talk in generalities, don’t waste everyone’s time. Either offer credible ways to reduce expenses, or let the Legislature proceed to rollback the 2012 income tax cuts. Duane Goossen formerly served 12 years as Kansas Budget Director.
Rep. John Barker is Chair of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gun rights advocates in the Kansas Legislature are pushing back against efforts to repeal a law that will allow concealed carry on college campuses starting July 1.
A bill in a House committee would not only retain campus carry but also strip colleges of the right to make policies about how and where guns could be carried on campus.
The Federal and State Affairs Committee heard the bill Thursday. It’s not clear when the committee might vote on it.
Gun rights advocates argue that university policies, such as requiring gun owners to carry their weapons on their person at all times and to carry with the chamber empty and the safety on are too restrictive.
University officials argue they are in the best position to draft campus policy.
