Month: July 2017
UPDATE: Missing Kansas boy found safe
SHAWNEE COUNTY- Just after 8a.m. police reported a 7-year-old boy missing since 6p.m. Tuesday has been located and is safe, according to Topeka police.
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SHAWNEE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities are asking for help to locate a missing 7-year-old boy.
Jusiah Gabhart described as 4-feet-tall, approximately 50 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes was last seen at 6p.m. Tuesday near 6th Street and Fillmore in Topeka, according to a media release.
He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, white basketball shorts, and blue-and-black shoes.
Jusiah was riding a white bicycle with purple handlebars.
If you’ve seen Jusiah or know where he is, call Topeka Police at 785- 368-9200.
Sunny, more triple-digit heat Wednesday
Today Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 100. South southwest wind 8 to 16 mph.
Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind 9 to 16 mph becoming north northeast after midnight.
Thursday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind around 9 mph.
Thursday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
FridayA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Friday NightA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
SaturdayA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Kansas man dies after trucks collide at rural intersection
BARBER COUNTY- A Kansas man died from injuries in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Tuesday in Barber County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Dodge Ram 3500 driven by Cooper Kanngiesser, 33, Attica, was westbound on Naron Road one mile south of Sharon. A 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Mark Mathews, 62, Sharon was southbound on Blue Stem Road. The trucks collided in the middle of the intersection.
Matthews was transported to Medicine Lodge Hospital where he died.
Kanngiesser and a passenger were not injured and
UPDATE: 5 dead, I-70 open after multi-vehicle crash and fire
LEAVENWORTH COUNTY -Westbound lanes of Interstate 70 reopened late Tuesday following a multi-vehicle fatality crash near Bonner Springs.
The Kansas Turnpike Authority reported a tractor trailer rear-ended another vehicle, causing a massive fire. Five people died. Authorities have not released names of the victims.
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BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says four people died in a multi-vehicle accident that closed Interstate 70 west of Bonner Springs.
The patrol says the highway was closed after one of the tractor-trailers involved in the accident Tuesday caught fire. Four vehicles, two of them tractor-trailers, were involved in the crash.
The Kansas Turnpike Authority says a tractor trailer rear-ended another vehicle, causing a massive fire.
One lane of eastbound lanes reopened about 4 p.m. but westbound lanes were expected to remain closed for several hours.
State Librarian Jo Budler to retire
OFFICE OF GOV.
TOPEKA – Governor Sam Brownback today announced that the State Librarian, Jo Budler, will step down at the end of the month. Budler has served as State Librarian since 2010.
“I am grateful for the wealth of experience Jo has provided to the state,” said Governor Brownback. “Her career has been full of service to our state and many others. We appreciate the hard work and dedication that she has given to Kansans at the State Library.”
Budler was formerly State Librarian of Ohio. She has also served as Deputy State Librarian of Michigan and the Director of Network Services and NEBASE, the State of Nebraska’s Online Computer Library Center network.
“It has been a privilege to serve as State Librarian of Kansas and to work with librarians across Kansas to provide services to all Kansans,” Budler said. “The highlight of my career was being named Librarian of the Year in 2013 for retaining the statewide e-book collection. This would not have been possible without the support of the Attorney General’s office, in particular, Jeff Chaney, and the work of State Library staff.”
Cindy Roupe will take over as State Librarian upon Budler’s retirement. Cindy currently serves as Director of Reference at the State Library.
The State Library of Kansas seeks to improve the lives of Kansas residents by providing resources that increase reading readiness and on-grade reading acuity, improve chances for academic success, help start and grow businesses, assist individuals with employment opportunities and provide lifelong educational opportunities.
Hearing postponed for suspects Kansas triple murder
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A preliminary hearing for three suspects in a triple homicide in Topeka will be in September, after defense attorneys asked for more time to prepare.
The preliminary hearing for three of four suspects in the March 12 killings at a north Topeka home was scheduled for Tuesday. But Shawnee County District Court Judge Nancy Parish granted the motion and rescheduled the hearing for Sept. 25-26.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Brian Flowers, Joseph Lowry and Shane Mays are charged in the slayings of 19-year-old Matthew Leavitt, 38-year-old Nicole Fisher, and 20-year-old Luke Davis. Few details about the deaths have been released.
A fourth defendant, Joseph Krahn, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder. On Monday, Krahn’s public defenders withdrew, citing the possibility that Krahn might be charged with capital murder.
Kansas woman sentenced in almost $1M tax fraud scheme
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A woman was sentenced and a co-defendant pleaded guilty to creating fictitious companies to fraudulently collect income tax refunds.
Federal prosecutors say 44-year-old Raquel Odegbaro, of Olathe, was sentenced to just over six years in prison Tuesday and ordered to pay more than $894,000 in restitution. She had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government, aggravated identity theft and mail fraud.
Her co-defendant, 33-year-old Abdirizak Aden, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
The two admitted setting up several fictitious companies and filing tax returns for people who didn’t work for the companies. They also used stolen Social Security numbers to apply for unemployment benefits.
Another defendant is awaiting sentencing and a fourth is awaiting trial.
Kan. man reportedly kicked out of bar before fatal shooting
EUDORA, Kan. (AP) — An arrest affidavit shows that a man accused of fatally shooting a security guard at an eastern Kansas bar last month had been kicked out of the establishment for making lewd comments to the bartender.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that 36-year-old Danny Queen faces murder charges in 32-year-old Bo Hopson’s death. He also faces two counts of attempted murder for allegedly shooting at two other people at D-Dubs Bar and Grill in Eudora on June 24.
Hopson was taken to a Kansas City hospital and died the next day during surgery.
Queen is in Douglas County Jail on a $1 million bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 25.
Queen’s attorney had requested the arrest affidavit be sealed from the public, but the judge released it with some redactions Monday.
Sheriff asks for help to find suspect in Kansas mobile home fire
COWLEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Tuesday fire and asking the public to help find a suspect.
The Cowley County Sheriff’s Office is looking for Jacob T. Andes, 25, Winfield, in connection with the fire at a residence in the 19000 Block of 151st Road southeast of Winfield, according to a media release.
Just after 2:30 a.m., deputies responded to a domestic altercation at 19979 151st Road. When they arrived, deputies saw smoke coming from a single-wide trailer home at that location. The trailer soon became engulfed. A deputy reported hearing popping noises from inside the residence and believed it could be either gunshots or noises from the fire.
Authorities including the Winfield Fire Department searched the residence and surrounding area. Andes has not been located. He may have a firearm, according to the sheriff’s department.
If you see Andes you should not approach him but call the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office at (620) 221-5444 or the Cowley County Crime Stoppers line at (620) 221-7777 or (620) 441-7777.
HINEMAN: It will take years to recover from failed Kan. tax plan
Last month, the Kansas Legislature enacted comprehensive tax reform, overturning Governor Brownback’s overly-aggressive 2012 tax cut. This return to common sense tax policy resulted from legislators listening to their constituents and fulfilling the promises they made during 2016 campaigns. In the end, a group of 88 representatives and 27 senators from across the political spectrum voted to override the governor’s veto and restore our state to firmer fiscal ground.
Brownback’s tax plan abandoned the “three-legged stool” approach to funding government which had served Kansas well for decades by relying on a stable balance of income, sales, and property. Instead, his plan dramatically slashed income taxes and created the small business exemption which many Kansans viewed as unfair. As predicted by those of us who opposed the measure, Kansas faced massive budget deficits. And when they came, the governor urged the legislature to increase sales tax, issue billions in new debt, sweep from the highway fund and use one-time sources of funding just to pay the bills. Finally, the legislature said “enough is enough”, and rejected the governor’s short-term fixes as being neither responsible nor conservative.
The fiscal strain created by the 2012 tax cuts caused public schools to suffer, increasing class sizes and reducing program offerings. Medicaid reimbursements were reduced, straining rural hospital budgets heavily reliant on those payments. Highway funds for preservation and maintenance were cut to unsustainably low levels. And despite the assurances of adviser Art Laffer that economic nirvana was just around the corner, Kansans continued to move out of state. Governor Brownback and his allies insisted that his tax plan was working, offering as evidence cherry-picked data such as unemployment rate and new business starts. Those are not reliable indicators of economic growth, however, and plenty of other data shows a Kansas economy which continues to lag its neighbors and the nation.
Though raising taxes is never easy, it was unfortunately the only responsible option available. State government has been cut to the point where there is no reasonable way to reduce spending enough to balance the budget. Those who parrot the phrase “we have a spending problem, not a revenue problem” have repeatedly failed to offer realistic suggestions for further cuts. The costs of fulfilling our obligation to those enrolled in Medicaid and KPERS continue to increase, and the Kansas Supreme Court has yet to determine whether the $460 million increase in K-12 funding passes constitutional muster. The tax plan passed by the legislature will generate enough revenue to balance the budget, ensure our public schools have the resources they need, and meet the state’s obligation to retirees. It will do all this while keeping taxes lower than they were before Governor Brownback took office. Additionally, it restores important tax credits and deductions which will help offset increased tax liability for many low-income Kansans.
Meanwhile the Governor and his surrogates employ the tactics we’ve sadly come to expect from Washington D.C., skewing the facts to fit their narrative. They use buzz words like “retroactive,” although they know the legislature ensured the tax plan would not apply retroactively to wage earners. They call it a $1.2 billion tax increase, more than doubling the estimated revenue the tax plan will generate. They say the legislature spent every penny, when budget projections point to responsible but not extravagant ending balances. They claim that the legislature created $200 million of new spending but refuse to provide any detail. In contrast, the budget contains only $60 million of new spending, and primarily for a long-overdue state employee pay increase and restoration of funding for Kansas’ mental health system. Most Kansans would agree those are essential governmental services, and not “pet projects” as one of the governor’s aides recently asserted.
The advocates for the failed Brownback tax plan hope their misleading rhetoric will convince voters to support them as they pursue the same policies Kansans rejected last year. They want to stop us from undoing the damage that has been done.
Much work remains. It took years to get us into such a dire situation, and it will take years for us to recover. I hope you will stand with us, because together we can make tomorrow a brighter day in the great state of Kansas.
Kansas House Majority Leader Don Hineman
118th District
620-397-3242
[email protected]
Kan. sheriff’s deputy hospitalized, K9 not injured after I-70 crash
SHAWNEE COUNTY- A Kansas sheriff’s deputy was injured in an accident just after 10a.m. Tuesday in Shawnee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Nissan Altima driven by Brooklyn McKay Rhyne, 20, Topeka, was westbound on Interstate 70 at West Union Road.
The Nissan left the roadway and struck a 2017 Chevy Tahoe driven by Shawnee County Deputy Bradley C. Metz, 45, Topeka, that was legally parked.
Rhyne and Metz were transported to Stormont Vail. A K-9 in the deputy’s vehicle was not injured, according to the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Department.
They were both properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
Roberts, Moran could work overtime; Senate delays vacation to work health bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Republican effort to repeal and replace the Obama health law (all times local):
The Republican leader says the Senate will delay the start of the August recess until the third week of the month.
In a statement Tuesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the delay is necessary to complete work on legislation and deal with Trump administration nominees. McConnell complained about the lack of cooperation from Democrats on the nominations.
The Senate had been scheduled to begin its five-week recess on July 31. The delay would push it to the week of Aug. 14.
McConnell said that once the Senate “completes its work on health care reform,” it would deal with the defense policy bill and nominations.
It’s possible the Senate could recess earlier.
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A long-time Senate Republican says he’s “very pessimistic” that GOP senators will settle their differences and push a health care bill through the chamber.
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley made the comment Tuesday as party leaders were strategizing for a vote on their legislation next week. The bill will fail if three of the 52 GOP senators vote no, and far more than that have voiced opposition to their initial bill.
Kansas Senator Jerry Moran announced last month he opposed the original bill drafted by Republican leaders to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
However, at town hall meetings last week, Moran said he is open to supporting a revised version if GOP leaders can address his concerns including the impact of $800 Billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid on rural health care providers. He does not think it is good for Kansas.
Grassley said Republicans have been pledging for years to repeal President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care law. He says there are consequences if lawmakers don’t deliver on campaign promises, and he says, “there ought to be.”
Over the weekend, Grassley tweeted that Republicans would lose their Senate majority if they don’t pass a health care overhaul.
Grassley spoke on the Fox News Channel.
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10:20 a.m.
A maverick Republican senator is warning party leaders against striking a compromise with Democrats should the GOP health care bill collapse.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says if Republicans took that step, conservative voters would rebel.
Paul spoke Tuesday on the Fox News Channel as top Republicans hope to stage a climactic vote next week on their bill erasing much of President Barack Obama’s health care law.
Internal Republican differences have left the measure’s fate in question.
Senate Majority Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is suggesting changes aimed at winning enough GOP votes to prevail. The measure will lose if just three of the 52 GOP senators oppose it.
McConnell has said if the bill collapses, he’d focus on writing a more limited bill. It would likely require Democratic support.
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4:24 a.m.
Republican leaders want to stage a climactic vote on their health care bill next week. But internal rifts over issues like coverage requirements and Medicaid cuts leave the timing and even the measure’s fate unclear.
Some Republicans said Monday that a revised version of their bill erasing much of President Barack Obama’s health care law could be introduced Thursday. And No. 2 Senate GOP leader John Cornyn of Texas said the goal was for a vote next week.
Cornyn cited seven years of unresolved Republican debate over how to replace the 2010 statute. That underscored a sense among top Republicans that they had little to gain by letting their disputes drag on much further.
Consensus on a replacement seemed more remote than ever as senators returned from July 4 recess.