By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

Lawmakers remain concerned about potential snags as Kansas wraps up years of work on migrating driver’s license records from an old mainframe computer to newer infrastructure ahead of a January launch date.

Rep. Kyle Hoffman, R-Coldwater, a member of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Information Technology, asked legislative auditing staff Friday whether the state might see a repeat of the technical woes that plagued the first phase of the same project five years ago.

“I’m just trying to understand why we’re having so much problems getting all this done on a timely basis, where it works,” Hoffman said. “Do you have an answer whether or not you think we’re going to have those same problems? Or do you think because of the monitoring you guys have done we’re going to be relatively problem-free?”

After a pause, auditor Katrin Osterhaus replied: “I am concerned.”

Auditors have been reviewing the progress of the driver’s license project on a quarterly basis because of its history of difficulties and its importance.

The portion of the project scheduled to go live at the start of 2018 will hold the records of 2 million drivers. It is launching six years behind schedule.

Osterhaus said some of the remaining obstacles to a smooth rollout include the timing of work related to a key contractor on the project, MorphoTrust. Auditors previously indicated the contractor had missed at least two major deadlines.

Rep. Blake Carpenter, R-Derby, asked whether Kansas could skirt problems by switching contractors.

“Is there any other group or company that also does the same services they do that you guys could potentially use to get this done faster?” asked Carpenter, chairman of the IT committee.

“At this point even if there were,” Osterhaus replied, “I don’t know if that would be a good option, because it’s so far into it.”

Members of the Legislature’s audit committee, which also is monitoring KanDrive, have expressed similar concerns about the upcoming rollout.

Officials at the Kansas Department of Revenue, which is carrying out the project, have indicated in recent months that they remain committed to the 2018 launch and that progress has been made on debugging trouble spots.

In a July 31 report, auditors laid out concerns regarding gaps in code and features that relied on technical workarounds to work.

Read the July IT project monitoring report.

The vision for KanDrive — recently renamed KanLicense — and related infrastructure projects began under another name a decade ago. Phase one of the estimated $40 million in IT modernization was a new vehicle title and registration platform that launched in 2012. County officials complained then of widespread technical problems that led to hours-long waits in some places for Kansans trying to update their tags.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police are investigating a stabbing death and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday police responded to report of a stabbing at 625 North Carriage Parkway in Wichita, according to police Lt. Todd Ojile.

Upon arrival, officers found a 57-year-old victim identified at Dr. Achutha Reddy in an alley behind the business with numerous stab wounds, according to Ojile.

Emergency Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

At 7:40p.m. police were dispatched to a report of suspicious  person at the Wichita Country Club.  A security guard at the club had observed a suspicious person sitting in a car at the club.  The individual had blood on him. Police arrived and arrested 21-year suspect Umar Dutt for the death of Dr. Reddy.

An investigation revealed that Dutt was a client of Dr. Reddy and had been at the office Wednesday.

The suspect left and later returned with Dr. Reddy. They entered an office and a short time later an office manager heard a disturbance. She told police she saw Dutt assault the doctor and attempted to intervene, according to Ojile. This allowed the doctor to flee the office.

The suspect chased the doctor into the alley where police believe the second assault occurred.

Early Thursday police booked Dutt into the Sedgwick County jail on first-degree murder charges. Authorities will present the case to the district attorney on Friday afternoon.

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WICHITA— A man has been arrested in the stabbing death of a doctor at his holistic medicine practice in east Wichita.

The suspect identified as Umar Dutt, 21,  was taken into custody near the Wichita County Club. The Sedgwick County Jail booking report shows he is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder in the Wednesday night killing.

Wichita Police Lt. Drew Seiler says the attack happened after a man entered a business to talk with a doctor. Seiler says “one of the doctors was stabbed multiple times” during the conversation. Seiler says the doctor was found outside the business in a back parking lot. The doctor’s name wasn’t immediately released.

FINNEY COUNTY — A Kansas woman died in an accident just after 9p.m. Wednesday in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Explorer driven by Janet Pucket, 56, Ulysses, was traveling westbound on U.S. 50 two miles west of Garden City.

The SUV rear-ended a semi stopped at the railroad crossing with flashers on.

The crash caused the tanker to lose Anhydrous Ammonia.

Pucket was transported to the hospital in St. Catherine’s Hospital where she died.

The semi driver Mark R. Moore, 60, Woodward, OK., was not injured.   Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

The accident and ammonia leak kept roads closed overnight. There was no evacuation in the area although residents were advised to stay inside, according to the Finney County Sheriff’s Department.

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FINNEY COUNTY —  First responders at a fatal accident involving a truck carrying anhydrous ammonia on U.S. 50 just west of Anderson Road northwest of Garden City were forced to leave the scene due the danger early Thursday morning, according to KHP Trooper Mike Racy.

This semi hauling anhydrous ammonia continues leaking and the wind changed directions, according to Racy.

The road will remain closed for some time until officials are able to determine it is safe for crews to return to the scene and just how to off load the semi.

One person died in the crash that occurred at approximately 10p.m. Officials have not released the name of the victim or details of the crash.

Just before 11:30p.m. a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander driven by Teresa J. Lunsfor, 56, Mena, AR., ran over lights, cones at U.S. 50 and VFW Road near the scene of the semi crash and ammonia leak.

The Outlander rear ended an unoccupied KDOT Chevy Silverado with warning lights on and red flashing lights.

 

Ems transported Lunsfor to the hospital in Garden City.

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FINNEY COUNTY —First responders are on the scene of a fatal accident involving a truck carrying anhydrous ammonia on Highway 50 just west of Anderson Road at the railroad tracks in Finney County, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol

This semi hauling anhydrous ammonia was leaking.

Emergency crews on scene recommended those living north or south of this location stay inside with the windows closed.

Officials also closed Highway 50 west bound from Campus street to Big Lowe Road just north of Holcomb. Both east and west bound lanes are closed between Big Lowe Road and VFW

Crews were also working a second injury accident at highway 50 and VFW Road westbound lanes.

BARTON COUNTY — On Tuesday September 5, the Great Bend City County reinstated suspended police Chief Cliff Couch. Just over a week later, Couch resigned.  In a media release Couch explained why he is leaving.

“Earlier this year, I found it necessary to approach the City Council and express various concerns regarding things I had witnessed and been asked to do in my position as the Chief of Police.

Some of these were personnel type issues, while others dealt with ethical issues. Among the more serious of my concerns dealt with the Mayor purposely hampering a race relations board the Police Department is required to have by law, and the fact that the City Administrator was attempting to force me to make officers issue more citations to generate more revenue (which I knew to be an unethical, illegal practice).

I felt that I had a moral obligation to make the Council aware of these issues. After hiring an attorney I was finally allowed to meet with the City Council and express my concerns. I requested that an independent investigator be appointed to address these concerns. I also advised the Council that I was willing to repeat my claims under oath and attest to these claims on a “lie detector” test, provided that the Mayor and City Administrator would do the same.

An investigator was never appointed. Instead, about a month later, Mayor Allison called for a special, closed door meeting in which it was decided to suspend me pending termination of my employment. All of the reasons listed for my termination were completely and utterly false.

One of the reasons listed was that I had made allegations against the City Administrator. There was no evidence offered to support any of the charges against me. In fact, there was never any investigation into the allegations the Mayor made against me. This was very obviously a blatant act of retaliation for my attempt to address the aforementioned concerns, as well as a way to ensure that my allegations were not investigated.

During my suspension, the community was nothing short of fantastic towards me and my family. I will be forever grateful for the kind words, cards, and numerous other acts of kindness shown towards us.

I am also grateful for the handful of Council members who spoke out against my suspension and worked so hard to undo it. I was also fortunate enough to have the support of several council members (Dana Dawson, Cory Zimmerman, and Brock McPherson) who voted against my suspension and worked tirelessly to undo the injustice they witnessed. Eventually, a majority vote of the City Council ended my suspension and expunged all of the spurious accusations against me. I am so very blessed to have seen so many in Great Bend work so hard to undo an injustice. I’ve also been encouraged at the prospect of so many taking such a deep interest in their community and finding ways to be involved in the governance of their city.

However, it has become apparent to me that there will be insurmountable difficulties in continuing my duties as the Chief of Police. The same small group of people that orchestrated my termination in order to silence me is still in positions of power.

None of the concerns I addressed to the Council regarding Mayor Allison or Administrator Partington were ever investigated. It has also become obvious that I am being targeted politically, without any regards to truth or moral scruples, and I know that one cannot be an effective Police Chief with a target on his back.

As such, I am tendering my resignation, effective October 15, 2017.

When the Council initially informed me that I was being suspended pending termination, I obviously began exploring other career opportunities. One of these organizations has offered me a job.

Given the extreme uncertainty and difficulties associated with my current position, I feel that it is in my family’s best interest to accept this position. While my family and I had hoped to call Great Bend “home” for many more years, I do not feel that the current situation makes my position here tenable.

I sincerely regret the timing of this decision, but that timing was beyond my control.

I know that many in the community who so valiantly supported me during my suspension will likely be disappointed by this decision. I beg them to understand that this has been (and still is) an extremely traumatic experience for me and my family.

After my initial suspension, I refused any discussions of a severance package, as I felt that such an offer was simply hush money that would be given to me in hopes of making the issue disappear from the public eye quietly. I have tried to remain at my post for as long as possible, knowing that it was necessary to ensure that the aforementioned issues were not simply swept under the proverbial rug after I was removed from the situation.

I truly love Great Bend, and have suffered through the last several months because of that. Now, however, I feel that I owe it to my family to consider the hardships that this situation has imposed upon them, as well as the realities of the situation that I find myself in.

I also hope that people will understand that I cannot do anything further to reform the City, other than bringing the complaints I originally brought. Structural reforms, audits, internal investigations, and other reform actions are the purview of the Governing Body and the City Administrator. My role as the Chief of Police does not and would not extend into these areas. I’ve done what I can to help bring issues to light within the confines of that role, despite the consequences to me and my family.

I cannot express just how thankful I am for the kindness shown by the citizens here in Great Bend toward me and my family during this situation. This has been a truly heartbreaking decision for us to make, but we feel that it is ultimately a necessary one.

I wish so badly that we were never placed in this position in the first place.

I have requested that any left-over money donated to my legal defense fund, after expenses are settled, be donated to charity. I also want to emphasize that I have nothing to hide, and that there is no surreptitious reason for my accepting another position. Anyone who wishes to dig into my past or my conduct at the Great Bend Police Department is welcome to do so. My reasons for leaving all have to do with the need for career security and the well-being of my family.

I sincerely hope that the City will consider enacting legislation providing protection to “whistleblowers” and encouraging accountability in government, so that no other employee will ever have to make the difficult decision that I find myself facing. More importantly, such ordinances and policies would do much to ensure that the government is open, transparent, and accountable to the citizens it is supposed to serve.

I would also recommend that the Governing Body appoint an acting chief (who is an actual sworn law enforcement officer) upon my departure, as the Police Department cannot function adequately without clearly defined leadership.

I also hope that the citizens of Great Bend and our neighboring communities will not base their opinion of the City on this one incident. Despite my recent experience, I want to make clear that I believe the vast majority of City employees are valuable, hardworking individuals who work tirelessly for the betterment of our community. I also believe that Great Bend is still a wonderful place with a bright future.

While I regret that I will not be able to be a part of that future, I feel that this decision is a necessary one. I wish the City of Great Bend the utmost success moving forward.