TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic lawmakers in Kansas outlined proposals Tuesday for making state government more transparent after Republican leaders said they’re taking steps to give the public more information about who is behind the legislation being considered.
The Democratic proposals included measures designed to make police body camera footage more accessible to the public and to require law enforcement agencies to tally and report what property they seize as a result of their criminal investigations.Democrats also are pushing for tougher lobbying laws and changes in how the Legislature itself operates, including a bill that would prevent the House, Senate and their committees from taking unrecorded votes on bills and amendments.
Their Statehouse news conference came a day after House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, announced that he has directed all committees to keep a written record of which lawmakers requests bills and on whose behalf. The Legislature has faced widespread criticism for its common practice of allowing committees to sponsor bills without disclosing the lawmakers or groups behind them.
While lawmakers and advocacy groups have pushed open-government measures for years, interest snowballed after The Kansas City Star published a series of stories in November and said Kansas has “one of the most secretive state governments in the nation.”
“One of the cornerstones of democracy is the people’s right to observe their government in action,” said House Minority Leader Jim Ward, a Topeka Democrat.
Access to body camera footage has become an issue because of several fatal shootings by law enforcement officers. A state law restricts who can see body camera footage without a court order, and in Topeka, the father of a 30-year-old man fatally shot by police Sept. 28 was not able to view footage from the incident for almost three months.
Rep. John Alcala, a Topeka Democrat, said he wants to ensure that body camera footage can be viewed within 48 hours of a written request, while Sen. David Haley, a Kansas City Democrat, said he is working on his own proposal to loosen restrictions.
House Majority Leader Don Hineman, a Dighton Republican, said he’s open to considering changes but the desire for transparency in such cases must be balanced against privacy rights.
“I think those are areas where we proceed very carefully,” Hineman said.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After notching the fourth-fastest time in the nation in men’s track in the 800-meter run, Brett Meyer of the FHSU track earned the honor of MIAA Men’s Track Athlete of the Week on Tuesday (Jan. 23).
Meyer, along with multiple other Tiger performers, competed in the Colorado Mines Twilight Classic in Golden, Co., over the previous weekend. Meyer captured a provisional qualifying time of 1:54.13, but was adjusted to 1:50.84 due to the track size at the event. This time is 0.96 seconds behind the fastest time in the nation.
The MIAA Men’s Field Athlete of the Week went to Christopher Godwin of Central Missouri. Jake Morrow of FHSU was nominated for that honor this week.
Meyer and the Tigers are back on the track this coming Saturday (Jan. 27) as they compete at the Pittsburg State Invitational in Pittsburg, Kan.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing federal charges after a Wichita television news anchor told local police that he was sending her sensitive law enforcement material and text messages that were sexual in nature, newly released court documents show.
KAKE-TV Anchor Deb Farris was interviewed by the Wichita Police Department in March during which officers photographed about 185 screen shots of text messages between her and ICE Agent Andrew J. Pleviak, according to a probable cause affidavit. Farris also told police she was contemplating applying for a protection from stalking order, but had not yet done so. It is not clear if authorities are still investigating the alleged harassment.
Farris told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Pleviak first came to her asking to be her source, saying he had all kinds of information she would need for future stories.
“Then all of a sudden it turned inappropriate and he was texting me things that made me uncomfortable and I got scared,” she said, adding she contacted the Wichita Police Department who advised her to put up security cameras and make a police report. She then agreed to be interviewed by police.
The probable cause affidavit was made public Monday after authorities filed in court the executed search warrant that was sent to Apple Computer Inc. Apple granted authorities access to Pleviak’s iCloud storage account that he had allegedly deleted from his government-issued cellphone.
Federal prosecutors indicted Pleviak in July with two counts of exceeding authorized access to a government computer for accessing information from the National Crime Information Center and one count of destruction of records in a federal investigation. He was jailed after allegedly violating his bond conditions and now faces a competency hearing on Feb. 5. It is unclear whether he is still employed with ICE.
ICE emailed a statement saying all Department of Homeland Securities employees are held “to the highest standards of behavior and ethics,” but declined to comment on his employment.
Pleviak’s defense attorney, Stephen Ariagno, declined to comment.
The case had not been reported by the media until The Associated Press on Monday found the search warrant case during a routine check of new court filings. The indictment against Pleviak did not identify him as an ICE agent, and it had scant details of the nature of the charges against him.
KAKE News Editor Anthony Maisel said the station did not report the story at the time because they were concerned for Farris’ safety and did not want to antagonize the situation.
“There is a difference between being a source and providing information for the good of the public and for a source to go off the rails and become a threat,” Maisel said. “What people tell us is in confidence and we don’t share that information with anybody. But if that source became an unstable source, certainly we would look out for the welfare of our reporters.”
Homeland Security Investigations Agent Brian Beach wrote in his probable cause affidavit supporting the search warrant that Pleviak provided Farris in November 2016 with copies of computerized criminal history reports for suspects. He was responding to text messages from Farris on two murder cases being investigated in Wichita involving immigrants in the country illegally.
“We never used a single thing he gave — nothing was really relevant,” Farris said.
Two days after Wichita police interviewed Farris, Pleviak’s supervisor ordered him to immediately relinquish his government-issued iPhone according to the affidavit. Beach’s affidavit also cited a September email in which Pleviak allegedly admitted remotely deleting information from the phone.
When prosecutors sought in October to revoke his bond they alleged Pleviak had been released from an inpatient substance abuse program for violations of rules and concerns he could be a risk to female residents of the program. The petition noted his wife had also reported he was trying to obtain a firearm and that he had been arrested in October by Wichita police, but court records do not show any other publicly-filed state charges.
In a separate case filed in 2014, an international college student from Kenya who overstayed his visa sued Pleviak and others for violently attacking him at ICE’s office in Wichita. The civil lawsuit filed by immigrant Justine Mochama was ultimately dismissed.
Phillips County resident Loren H. Grau passed away Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at the Phillips County Hospital in Phillipsburg, KS at the age of 89.
Loren was born Nov. 27, 1928 in Phillips County to Theodore & Ida (Beyerlein) Grau. On April 26, 1964 he married Frances I. Keeten in Glade, KS. Loren was a career farmer.
He is survived by his wife, Frances, of their home in rural Phillipsburg; daughters, Linda Heersink of Stuttgart, KS and Sonja Jackson of Olathe, KS; grandson, Trent Heersink and granddaughter, Lauren Heersink.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, at 10:30 a.m. in the Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stuttgart, with Pastors Lee Bennight and Lorna Paulus officiating. Burial will follow in the Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery with military honors by Fort Riley.
Mr. Grau will lie in-state on Thurs. & Fri., Jan. 25 & 26, from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be given to the church or the Phillips County Retirement Center. Online condolences to: www.olliffboeve.com.
Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, is in charge of arrangements.
Edward Cross is President of the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association.
By EDWARD CROSS Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association
During the give and take of public discourse, few truly stop to think how absolutely essential oil and natural gas are to our lives, to our prosperity and security, and to our future. Oil and natural gas are the foundation of our energy-dependent economy. They profoundly affect how we live and work. They are key to our mobility, to keeping our homes and businesses warm, to providing us with electric power, and to supplying the raw materials for countless consumer and industrial products.
The energy policy choices our nation makes today are among the most important and far-reaching policy decisions we will make in the 21st century. If we are to continue our nation’s positive energy trends, we must implement energy policies based on current reality and our potential as an energy leader. American energy policy should focus on what’s important: American jobs, American energy security, and American global energy leadership.
Building a better future takes energy, and oil and natural gas are central to continued progress. To do this, we need policies based on science and the free market to continue the positive effects of American energy abundance. We appreciate both the Trump Administration and members of Congress from both parties for recognizing the benefits of domestic energy abundance and its role in national security.
Policymakers at the federal and state levels can move forward and build upon our nation’s new era of energy abundance, self-determination, and global leadership. The Trump Administration, the 115th Congress, and state policymakers have a unique opportunity to find solutions for many of today’s most prominent issues such as creating middle class jobs, ensuring affordable and reliable energy for consumers, and enhancing our national security. And for all of these goals, and more, the 21st century American energy renaissance offers a solution.
The good news is that recent polls show that the American voter clearly want policymakers to set aside outdated assumptions and partisan talking points and work together on safe, responsible, and fact-based energy policy that grows our economy, creates well-paying jobs, and maintains our nation’s global energy leadership.
Voters’ clearly expect their elected leaders to place what’s best for our state and nation’s economy and energy future above partisan ideology and political posturing. I strongly believe that the American people need and want moral, intellectual, and strategic clarity and courage from our policymakers.
A growing world demand for energy is why energy experts, economists and government agencies around the world, including the U.S. government’s own Energy Information Administration (EIA), estimates that fossil fuels will continue to provide most of the U.S. and world energy needs far into the future.
Worldwide energy consumption will increase 27% by 2040, and 77% of that energy consumption will be met by fossil fuels. The world will need more energy in the future and oil and natural gas are poised to be the primary sources for that energy for decades to come.
Beyond consumption we continue to make and pursue advancements in energy efficiency. A recent EIA study indicated the U.S. used 15% less energy and emitted 23% fewer energy-related CO2 emissions in 2015 than in 2005. Methane emissions too have declined even as oil and natural gas production has soared.
According to the EIA, U.S. air pollutants have fallen by 70% since 1970. Further, thanks in part to the increased use of domestic natural gas, ozone concentrations have dropped by 17% since 2000; all of which makes the U.S. not just an energy superpower, but also a global emissions reduction leader.
The fact is our nation’s 21st century oil and gas renaissance has made domestically produced oil and natural gas economical and abundant. This market-driven success has helped our nation achieve significant emission reductions. The oil and gas industry has helped prove, conclusively, that oil and natural gas production and environmental stewardship are compatible. Clearly, a majority of Americans reject the stale mindset of last century’s thinking peddled by some that oil and natural gas production and environmental stewardship are not compatible.
Going forward into 2018, we need smart pro-growth energy policies. If our nation is to achieve energy security and maintain competitiveness and not let our standard of living slip, we need a well-reasoned, fact-based energy policy that recognizes the central role that fossil fuels will play in meeting future energy demand.
Americans support developing domestic energy resources and believe that can be done in a way protective of our environment. Policymakers at all levels should pursue energy policies that drives economic growth, lower costs for consumers, protects the environment, increases American competitiveness, and uses our considerable energy resources as a way to lift people up. American energy policy is not a Republican issue or Democrat issue. It is an American prosperity and leadership issue.
Edward Cross is President of the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association.
Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday in Topeka-photo Deneysha Richard- courtesy WIBW TV
SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent two men to the hospital.
Just after noon Tuesday, police responded to a residence in the 2000 block of south Kansas Avenue in Topeka on a report of a shooting, according to Police Lt. Jennifer Cross.
Two victims were transported to a local hospital and listed in critical condition, according to Cross. At least one victim was suffering from injuries believed to be life threatening.
Witnesses described a black male wearing a brown jacket leaving the area to the north just after gunshots were heard.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368-9400 or Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007.
The certified public accounting firm of Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chartered (ABBB) is pleased to announce the addition of Matthew Frank to their professional team. He will serve as a staff accountant.
“We look forward to seeing Matthew excel in his new role,” said Brian Staats, CPA, CGMA, managing partner of ABBB. “His dedication to the profession will be a great asset to our clients and the firm.”
Frank graduated summa cum laude from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2017. He began working at ABBB in June 2016 as an intern and then continued his employment as a student worker. Born and raised in Ness City, he currently resides in Hays. Outside of the office, Frank enjoys spending time with family, working out at the gym and helping on his family’s farm.
Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chartered provides a wide range of traditional and non-traditional CPA and consulting services to clients throughout Kansas, including agriculture organizations, construction companies, feed yards, financial institutions, governmental and not-for-profit organizations, manufacturers, medical practices, oil and gas companies, professional service firms, real estate companies and small businesses. Founded in 1945, today the firm maintains 15 office locations throughout the state. For more information about Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, visit www.abbb.com.
TOPEKA– Kansas Governor Sam Brownback Tuesday issued an executive order authorizing a $5,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of those who participated in the murder of Ottawa County resident Cindy Ann Easom.
Eason was 33, 5-foot-5 inches tall and weighed approximately 100 pounds. She was last seen in Baxter Springs, Kansas at approximately 6:00 AM on Thursday December 7, 2017 and just prior to that, investigators believe she was in Miami, Oklahoma.
Easom was found alive floating in the Elk City Reservoir with multiple gun shots to her head, but died a short time later.
“I encourage anyone with knowledge of this crime or the suspect to immediately contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office or the KBI,” Governor Brownback said.
The reward was authorized at the request of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Attorney General’s office. Anyone with information relating to this crime should immediately contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 620-330-1000 or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-KSCRIME.
“This would go a long way in helping us achieve justice for the victim,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Bob Dierks, “We appreciate any information we could receive toward solving this case.”
Kansas has gained federal approval for a plan that seeks to boost math and reading proficiency in public schools. CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KCUR/KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
The U.S. Department of Education has thrown its weight behind a Kansas school plan that aims for much higher rates of math and reading proficiency by 2030.
Initial feedback from the federal agency on Kansas’ 90-page blueprint for closing achievement gaps had been lackluster, forcing the state to revise it.
The federal government questioned whether Kansas was complying with the 2015 civil rights law that requires drawing up plans to level the educational playing field and hold schools accountable in exchange for federal funding.
Kansas education officials were confident they could answer the federal government’s questions about how the state would gauge academic progress and improve schools where students struggle year after year. They spent weeks changing and clarifying their submission in collaboration with their federal counterparts.
Federal approval came Friday, clearing the way to receive hundreds of millions of dollars to help Kansas achieve its academic goals. Among them, graduating 95 percent of high schoolers — compared to 86 percent today.
Some civil rights advocates criticized the Kansas plan for not doing enough to hold schools accountable for serving minorities, children with disabilities and other historically underserved groups. Kansas officials say they developed a school accountability plan that strikes a balance between the need for data on school performance and the risk of gathering statistically unsound numbers from smaller schools.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has found sufficient evidence for four men to stand trial in the contract killing of a Salina man.
Charles Rodgers, 31, and James Pavey, 40, were bound over for trial Monday on charges that include capital murder.
The charge allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty, although they haven announced whether they will do so. Two other suspects — 35-year-old Brandon St. Clair and 20-year-old Austin Bott — were bound over for trial on charges that include first-degree murder.
Bott-Photo Saline Co.Brandon St Clair- photo Saline Co.
The body of 29-year-old Brandon Lee Shelby was found in June on a path near a popular fishing area northeast of Salina. Prosecutors allege that Pavey hired Rodgers to kill Shelby and that the other two were involved. The allegations were discussed on Facebook.
Nicholas “Nick” Andrew Melendez, born August 2, 1997 in Hays, KS, departed this life suddenly on January 14, 2018 in Woodinville, WA. He was 20 years old.
Nicholas graduated from Woodinville High School, Class of 2016. He enjoyed bike riding, making music, and spending time with his siblings and friends. Nicholas is survived by his parents David and Tara Melendez of Duvall, WA, brother Vincent Melendez, sister Grace Melendez, grandparents David and Cindy Lang of Monroe, WA and Deanna Melendez of Hays, KS.
A Funeral Mass honoring Nicholas’s life will be held on Saturday, January 27th, 2018, 10:00 am, at Holy Innocents Catholic Church, 26526 NE Cherry Valley Rd., Duvall, WA 98019. Memorial donations in his name may be made to Catholic Community Services, ccsww.org.
Floral arrangements may be ordered through Duvall Flowers and Gifts, duvallflowers.net.
Betty L. Swank, 95, formerly of Osborne, passed away on Wednesday, February 17, 2018 at the Hospice House in Hutchinson, KS. Betty was born to Clyde & Eunice (Wurster) Suchsland in Smith County, KS on July 23, 1922.
Betty graduated from high school in Gaylord, KS. She then attended Fort Hays State. Betty married Pete Swank on January 23, 1943, and to this union, 2 daughters were born.
Betty & Pete were owners of Swank-Standley Motors, Inc. of Osborne, for over 50 years. Betty was the bookkeeper, did title work & other responsibilities with the car dealership. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church and UMW. Betty was also a member of PEO, Upsilon Tau Delta and was a Girl Scout leader. Betty enjoyed knitting & crocheting, mowing her lawn and other outdoor activities.
When Betty turned 92, she moved to WaKeeney, KS to be closer to family. She then moved to Pleasant View Home in Inman in June of 2017.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Pete in 2000; brother, Robert Suchsland; 8 brothers-in-law; 8 sisters-in-law; 1 grandson, Brian Keith.
Betty is survived by her daughters: Kaye (Mark) Schwartz of Buhler, KS; Nancy (Ross) Jamison of WaKeeney, KS; 4 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren.
