SEDGWICK COUNTY — In 2017 over one thousand firearms were stolen in Wichita. Through November 4, 768 have been stolen in 2018. Of those firearm stolen, 358 have been linked to violent crime, according to police.  In an effort to change this trend, law enforcement authorities in Wichita announced Project Save-A-Casing Tuesday.

The program is a partnership with law enforcement agencies across the local, state and federal levels and communities to proactively address firearm-related crimes.

The WPD invited citizens to be part of this program and help address firearm related crimes.  To help, citizens will store two bullet casings and registration information from each of their guns.  The casing and information should be stored in a safe place separate from the guns.

If a gun theft occurs, the owner would then give the two firearm casings and registration information to a police officer. These casings and information would then be submitted into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).

NIBIN is a national database containing digital images of spent bullets and cartridge casings found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated firearms.  It was established in 1999 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This is a searchable database for possible shell casings matches. If a match occurs, the NIBIN lab then sends the findings to WPD investigators.

This program has been made possible through a grant titled, “Supporting Innovation: Field-Initiated Programs to Improve Officer and Public Safety.”  The grant total is $493,594 and was awarded to the WPD by the United States Department of Justice.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — One person was injured in a fire on Tuesday in Shawnee County.

Just before 6:30p.m. fire crews responded to a home at 2619 SW Murrow Ct. in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Michael Martin.

Upon arrival, fire crews reported heavy smoke and flames from the one story wood frame residence.  The one occupant of the home escaped the fire with minor injuries, according to Martin.

Preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire to be Accidental; associated with fuelinga gasoline generator.  Origin of the fire was within garage. The estimated structural dollar loss is $30,000. Estimated content dollar loss is $3,000. The American Red Cross provided assistance to one occupant.

No smoke detectors were sounding within the structure.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A man who helping to beat a Salina woman with a chain before strangling and drowning her has died.

The Kansas Department of Corrections says 30-year-old Joel Heil died Sunday.

Hiel was in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2013 death of 27-year-old Kristin Tyler.

Corrections department spokesman Samir Arif confirmed Heil’s death but said he was not in state custody and couldn’t provide details about Heil’s death.

Heil was incarcerated at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility but was taken to Leavenworth County last Thursday for a court hearing.

Tyler’s battered body was found in May 2013. Prosecutors say she was killed because Heil and another man, Dane DeWeese, thought she had stolen money and drugs and suspected her of being a police informant.

By Laura Kelly, Kansas Governor-elect

It’s mid-November of an even-numbered year in America, which finds us all catching our breath at the close of another exhausting campaign season. With the 2018 election finally behind us, pundits are now falling over themselves to decode Tuesday’s results for the nation.

But for all the speculation and money spent, the 2018 Election does not fit conveniently into hash tags like #BlueWave or #RemainRed. It falls somewhere in the middle, which makes the great state of Kansas a perfect place to look.

On Tuesday, I was elected the 48th Governor of Kansas. I will serve as our state’s third female Democratic governor – elected exactly 100 years after the first Kansas woman was elected to statewide office.

In presidential elections, Kansas is as reliably red as Dorothy’s ruby slippers, making my election seem improbable to some. But anyone who knows Kansas understands that, more often than not, our story plays out far beneath polling toplines and national narratives.

If you’ve turned on a news program or read a newspaper at any point in the last five years, you may have encountered at least one unflattering story about Kansas, former Governor Sam Brownback, and his ill-conceived, ideologically-driven “tax experiment.”

It was a disaster for our state causing cuts to schools, massive budget deficits, credit downgrades, rural hospitals closing, and a stagnant economy. I ran for governor to undo that damage and put the day-to-day needs of Kansas families first.

I did not campaign on partisan issues; I campaigned on family issues.  Instead of being distracted by political fights, my team focused on schools and jobs, as well as the cost of healthcare, food, and child care.

During the last year, we spoke directly to the needs of working men and women – and their hopes for the future. I made it clear that I would not waste time and taxpayer dollars on political fights. My time and energy would be spent producing real results that improve the lives of Kansas families.

After eight years of divisive rhetoric, I ran on the simple idea of putting the needs of our families first. As it turns out, that message appealed to Kansans of all backgrounds.

What’s more, Kansans are desperate for a change in the tone of our politics.  In recent years, the statehouse in Topeka, just like Washington, has taken a turn towards mean-spirited tactics that put scoring political points ahead of the best interests of Kansans. And that behavior has actually caused more harm.

I’ve never met any voters – regardless of party – who prefer their leaders yell, insult and demean one another instead of getting things done.  It’s not how anyone else goes about their work or their daily lives.

During my 14 years in the State Senate, I was willing to working with anyone – regardless of political label – to balance the budget, invest in schools, provide affordable healthcare and grow our economy. And that’s why dozens of Republican leaders – including former Republican Governors and U.S. Senators – crossed the aisle to support my campaign. They certainly didn’t agree with me on all the issues.  But they agreed with my approach: listen, compromise, and make Kansans’ lives better.

And that is how I’ll govern. I look forward to working with Republican and Democratic leaders in Kansas to move our state forward. I hope other leaders across the country join me in returning to more civil discussion of the issues that impact our children and families.

We’re experiencing an exciting moment of change in our country.  Thousands of newly elected officials at the federal and state level will soon be sworn in – people from many different backgrounds and beliefs.

It’s a powerful opportunity to recast the shape of our politics.

It’s time to care less about scoring wins for one political party or another, and to begin caring more about working together to score wins for the people we all represent.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect wanted in Louisiana after a Kansas traffic stop.

Just before 10:30p.m. Monday, police stopped a vehicle at SE 4th and Lawrence in Topeka for several traffic infractions, according to Lt. John Trimble.

The driver, Vincent A. Thomas, Jr, 25,  was found to be in possession of a firearm.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Thomas is a convicted felon and prohibited from being in possession of a firearm.

Thomas was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a felony warrant in Louisiana for robbery, criminal possession of a firearm, aggravated weapons violation, possession of a firearm while a fugitive from justice, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony obstruction, a city warrant and two traffic infractions.

WICHITA, KAN. – A California man entered a plea agreement today in federal court in Kansas that would send him to prison for 20 years or more, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Tyler Barriss, 25, Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty to causing a deadly swatting incident in Wichita on Dec. 28, 2017, as well as dozens of similar crimes in which no one was injured. In those cases, Barriss was charged in federal courts in California and the District of Columbia.

In the Wichita case, Barriss entered guilty pleas to count one (making a false report resulting in a death), count two (cyberstalking) and count 12 (conspiracy) of a superseding indictment.

“Without ever stepping foot in Wichita, the defendant created a chaotic situation that quickly turned from dangerous to deadly,” U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. “His reasons were trivial and his disregard for the safety of other people was staggering.”

In the Kansas case, Barriss admitted making hoax calls that resulted in Wichita police surrounding an old house at 1033 W. McCormick. When officers arrived, they believed there was a man inside who had killed his own father and was holding family members hostage. A man who came outside to face police, however, had done nothing wrong and did not know about the swatting call. As he stepped onto the porch, police told him to put up his hands. When he unexpectedly dropped his hands, he was shot and killed.

Two co-defendants in the Wichita case, Casey Viner, 18, North College Hill, Ohio, and Shane Gaskill, 20, Wichita, Kan., are awaiting trial.

In Barriss’ plea, he admitted he got involved with Viner and Gaskill after they had a falling out while playing the game Call of Duty online. As a result, Viner, who was in Ohio, asked Barriss, who was in California, to swat Gaskill, who was in Wichita. Gaskill found out Barriss was stalking him and in messages over the internet he dared Barriss to carry out the swat. Gaskill fooled Barriss, however, by claiming to live at 1033 W. McCormick. In fact, Gaskill no longer lived there.

In the case from the District of Columbia, Barriss pleaded guilty to making hoax bomb threats in phone calls to the headquarters of the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C.

In the case from the Middle District of California, Barriss pleaded guilty to 46 counts, including making calls with false reports that bombs were planted at high schools, universities, shopping malls and TV stations. He made the calls from Los Angeles to emergency numbers in Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Massachusetts, Illinois, Utah, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Missouri, Maine, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, New York, Michigan, Florida and Canada.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 30 before U.S. District Court Judge Eric Melgren.

————–

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A California man accused of making a hoax phone call that led police to fatally shoot an unarmed man last year in Wichita will be in federal court to enter new pleas.

Twenty-five-year-old Tyler R. Barriss has a change-of-plea hearing Tuesday in U.S. District Court. He was indicted in Kansas for conspiracy to make a false call, cyberstalking and other crimes related to the hoax call.

The same hearing will also take up cases initially filed in California and the District of Columbia related to other fake calls and threats.

Barriss still faces a January trial on a separate state charge of involuntary manslaughter in Kansas.

The deadly police shooting occurred after Barriss allegedly called to report a shooting at a Wichita home following an online dispute over a video game between two gamers.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in Sedgwick County.

A 1995 Chevy pickup driven by Conner J. Richuber, 17, was westbound on 21^st Street North from 167^th Street West, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department.

The pickup crossed the center line and collided with a 2013 GMC Yukon XL driven by 55-year-old James Speer.

First responders pronounced Richuber dead at the scene.  Speer was transported to a Wichita hospital in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s department.

Preliminarily, investigators believe icy road conditions and speed could be contributing factors.  The accident is still under investigation.

WABAUNSEE COUNTY —The Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) Investigation Division has classified  fire at the Wyldewood Cellars Winery in Paxico that occurred Thursday evening as incendiary.

The victim, who was found deceased at the scene, has been identified as Evan Jolly, 32, from the Kansas City, MO area.

He is believed to be the one who started the fire. The damage to the winery has been estimated between $750,000 and $1 million.

Officials have not released details on why he started the fire.

Just after 6:30 p.m. Thursday, fire crews and the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the Wyldewood Cellars Winery just off the Paxico exit on Interstate 70, 32633 Grapevine Road, according to a media release from the Wabaunsee County Sheriff.

It took approximately two hours for crews from Paxico, McFarland, Maple Hill, Alma, Wamego and Wabaunsee to get the blaze under control.