SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for kidnapping and battery.

Just after 1a.m. September 26, a woman working at Rod’s gas station, 2140 W. Crawford in Salina, was assaulted when 40-year-old Matthew Hine came in.

He allegedly threw the woman against a wall and dragged her into the bathroom during an argument, according to Salina Police Capt. Paul Forrester.

A co-worker attempted to talk Hine out of the bathroom after he locked the door. Capt. Forrester said he yelled at the woman in the bathroom before leaving the store.

On September 28, the woman reported the incident to Salina Police. Forrester said that the victim still had bruises on her arms.

Police arrested Hine several hours later on one count of aggravated kidnapping and domestic violence battery.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is reporting that it collected $57 million more in taxes than anticipated in September.

It was the fourth consecutive month that tax collections have exceeded projections from the state’s official fiscal forecast.

The state Department of Revenue said Monday that nearly $603 million in taxes was collected last month. That was 10.5 percent more than the official estimate of $545 million.

Since the fiscal year began July 1, the state has collected $73 million more than anticipated, with tax collections of $1.5 billion exceeding expectations by 5.1 percent.

Legislators in June rolled back past individual income tax cuts championed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to help balance the budget.

Individual income tax collections are exceeding expectations but so are corporate income and sales tax collections.

BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. (AP) — A southeastern Kansas police officer is still hospitalized but is expected to recover after being set on fire when he responded to a reported assault.

Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves on Monday said Baxter Springs officer Jimmy Hamilton is at a Springfield hospital and was in good spirits when the two spoke Sunday.

A man threw fuel on Hamilton, another officer and a woman at her Baxter Springs home Saturday, setting all three on fire. The man allegedly had been assaulting 65-year-old Sharon Horn, who died Saturday. The man hasn’t been identified.

A third officer was injured after trying to put out the fires.

The sheriff said officers Justin Butler and Darryl Nadeau were treated and released from a hospital in Joplin, Missouri.

BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating 3 suspects on drug and weapons charges.

Just after 1:30p.m. Saturday, Barton County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant in the 5900 block of Eisenhower Court in Great Bend.

The Sheriff’s office had obtained information indicating the presence of controlled substances at that location.

Officers made entry into the residence and located substantial quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine.

Street value of the confiscated items is estimated to be in excess of $30,000. Drug paraphernalia and at least two firearms were also confiscated at the location.

During the course of the investigation a four-year-old juvenile was taken into protective custody due to exposure to the methamphetamine. The child was transported to Great Bend Regional Hospital by ambulance and has since been placed in foster care.

Three persons were arrested at the scene. Miki Klein age 35 of Great Bend. Klein was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, aggravated child endangerment, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Francisco Cordova, age 34 also of Great Bend was arrested at the residence.

Cordova was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

The third person arrested at the location was Luis Aguilar, age 28 of Kansas City Kansas. Aguilar was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. All three were being held in lieu of $100,000 bond.

CLOUD COUNTY —Concordia Police are asking for help locating a woman wanted for attempted first-degree murder.

The Concordia Police Department was dispatched to the 800 block of Russ Street just after 1:25 a.m. on Sept. 29 for a report of a woman bleeding.

“Upon arrival, Jennifer Knipp, 38, was found outside her residence bleeding from the face and head from numerous wounds that had been caused by both broken bottles and blunt force trauma. Knipp was taken directly to Salina Regional hospital and underwent surgery,” according to the Concordia Police Department.

Authorities say they have a suspect in the investigation and a warrant was issued for 28-year-old Simone Ashley Longsine. She is described as a white female, approximately 6’2 tall and around 185 pounds

Longsine is wanted for one count of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping. She is not known to be in the Concordia area at this time, according to a media release.

She has previous convictions for drugs and theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Those with any information are encouraged to call the Concordia Police Department at (785)-243-3131.

TOPEKA— A Kansas  man was sentenced Monday to 16 years in federal prison for taking part in the kidnapping of a Junction City woman who was killed during the abduction, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Drexel A. Woody, 27, who lived on Fort Riley at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The body of Amanda Clemons, 24, of Junction City, was found in February 2014 in Geary County, Kan.

In Woody’s plea, he admitted that on Feb. 7, 2014, he and some of the co-defendants met the victim, who was a prostitute, at a hotel in Junction City and kidnapped her. The defendants beat the victim in retribution for comments she had made on social media. During the beating, the defendants demanded the victim pay $300. They took the victim to another hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to get the money, after which they transported her to the Woody residence on Fort Riley.

While at the Woody residence, the defendants allowed the victim to call her young son and her mother. The victim’s mother realized the victim was in danger and called Junction City Police. When police called the victim’s number to check on her, and the defendants listened to the call on speakerphone. Fearing arrest, the defendant along with Anderson and Middleton took victim to a bridge in a remote part of Geary County, where Anderson and Middleton resumed the beating and attacked her with a knife. The victim broke free and jumped off the bridge, falling 15 feet and breaking her ankle. Anderson and Middleton found the victim in the snow and resumed the assault during which they cut her throat and killed her.