WICHITA – A Kansas man was sentenced to over 70-years in prison Wednesday for the rape of a 68-year-old woman in her home, according to a media release from the Sedgwick County Attorney.
Spencer -photo Sedgwick County
On December 17th, Garon Spencer, 33, Haysville, was found guilty of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, and aggravated sexual battery.
Spencer attacked the woman in her home on November 10th, 2017. Detectives from the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
During the sentencing Wednesday afternoon, Judge Brown noted Spencer’s criminal history which included a juvenile conviction of aggravated criminal sodomy, and adult charges of aggravated assault, criminal threat and misdemeanor sexual battery.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today reintroduced the Startup Act – bipartisan, cutting-edge legislation to encourage job creation, grow entrepreneurial activity, increase innovation and advance economic development.
The Startup Act would accelerate the commercialization of university research and creative inquiry that can lead to new ventures, review and improve the regulatory processes at the federal, state and local levels, and modernize a critical Economic Development Administration (EDA) program to spur economic growth and promote innovation. The widely-supported legislation also creates both entrepreneur and STEM visas for highly-educated individuals so they can remain in the United States legally to promote new ideas, fuel economic opportunity and create good-paying American jobs.
“America continues to fall behind in new business development and struggles to retain top talent that could grow our U.S. economy,” said Sen. Moran. “With a renewed sense of urgency, Congress must prioritize policies that will help recruit and retain highly-skilled students and innovators, bolster a pro-growth environment and enable entrepreneurs to transform ideas and research into companies and products – creating meaningful, good-paying jobs for Americans in the process. Thank you to Senators Mark Warner, Roy Blunt and Amy Klobuchar for continuing to prioritize this important legislation to help make certain America remains the best place in the world to bring an idea to market and grow a business.”
“I’ve spent most of my career in the private sector so I know the importance of advancing innovation,” said Sen. Warner. “By encouraging entrepreneurship and helping attract and retain talented individuals, this bipartisan bill will help Virginia promote capital investment while boosting our economy and promoting U.S. competitiveness.”
“To compete and succeed in a 21st Century global economy, we have to make our country the best place in the world for entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses,” said Sen. Blunt. “This bill will help promote innovation and small business growth, which in turn will create more jobs and strengthen the economy. The legislation will also increase U.S. competitiveness by making sure we have the workforce we need for high-demand STEM fields.”
“Startups and small businesses are engines of job creation and economic growth,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan bill would make it easier for students and innovators to get their ideas off the ground, encourage new ideas, and strengthen our workforce to keep the U.S. competitive in the 21st century economy.”
Many of the principles included in the Startup Act are based on the research and analysis by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Kansas City, Mo. Kauffman research shows that immigrants to the United States are nearly twice as likely as native-born Americans to start businesses, and first-generation immigrants now make up nearly 30 percent of all new U.S. entrepreneurs.
Data shows that international students studying in the U.S. on temporary visas accounted for nearly two-fifths of all Ph.D.s in STEM fields – that number has doubled over the past three decades. Further, international doctoral students were significantly more likely than domestic students to major and earn degrees in STEM disciplines in the U.S.
The Startup Act is supported by Sprint, Garmin, the Enterprise Center of Johnson County, the Kansas City Startup Foundation, Engine, the UMKC Innovation Center, the KC Tech Council, the Internet Association, the Consumer Technology Association, CTIA, SSTI, CompTIA, the Angel Capital Association, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, National Venture Capital Association, the Center for American Enterprise and the Information Technology Industry Council.
Jamie Wetig, candidate for Hays superintendent, said people matter.
The current Ashland Superintendent, Wetig showed this when his community was hit by a massive wildfire two years ago.
As the fire grew, the school was closed and the town was evacuated. The school district at that time was not part of the emergency management plan, but Wetig felt the district had something to offer in the crisis. He offered to serve lunch to the volunteers and firefighters.
The school district served lunch and then dinner and eventually offered its facilities as an emergency shelter. Over the better part of a week, the district housed 110 people and fed many more.
“All that started with one thought of how can I help,” he said.
Wetig said the fire was an opportunity to volunteer, build leadership and learn how to accommodate and be flexible.
“I think if asked what you learned form the Starbuck Fire, I think I would say the community is resilient,” he said. “What did we learn about the ag community during the Starbuck Fire, not just in Kansas, but all across the country? It is that everyone in the community comes together to support one another. Maybe that is where we are at with USD 489.
“We are in a situation where we have a great community, great teachers, great students, and we need to come together and look at the needs of our students. Because it is the needs of our students that drives what we need to do.”
Wetig said he thinks the district has great programs, but it needs to expand them to create more opportunities for students. He said in talking to teachers at Hays High School, he learned Pathways and electives are getting filled up and the programs have to turn students away.
“My question to administrators is, ‘What do you need?'” he said. “Staffing came up in every conversation. We need to have a counselors at every elementary school. We need to have additional electives so we don’t have to fight [for] our traveling teachers consistently and ask where are we going to put them in the schedule. … We need to have school nurses in our buildings. We need to have SROs. We need to address the people issue, because brick and mortar is nice when it is brand new, but it doesn’t teach our kids. People make a difference.”
Weitg, 43, is familiar with Hays. His father attended Fort Hays State University. He attended preschool at FHSU and kindergarten at Wilson Elementary School before his family moved to Ness City. His family later moved to Great Bend, where he graduated high school. He has a bachelor’s degree in education from Kansas State University, a master’s degree from Emporia State University and a administrative endorsement from FHSU.
Previously, Wetig served in Valley Center as intermediate principal from 2011 to 2013 and middle school assistant principal and activities director from 2013 to 2016. Wetig also served as the Atchison County elementary principal from 2008 to 2011.
He said he had not considered other jobs before the Hays superintendent position became available, but he has family in Hays, Russell and the immediate area.
“It would be taking over what I consider one of the marquee school districts in the state,” he said.
As the district comes back to discussions of a third bond issue try in three years, Wetig said the district needs to go back to the community, employees and staff members.
“When you have a bond issue and 1,700 people vote for it and you have 2,400 people who don’t vote for it, there is a disconnect somewhere. If the community is so supportive of our schools — its teachers and its programs, there is a disconnect somewhere. I think it means we need to start over and have conversations with our community, with our business leaders, with our parents and with our own staff.”
Ashland’s elementary and intermediate school are Gemni I schools under the state school redesign plan. The district focused on social, emotional and character development. Children were grouped for twice-a-month student-led character lessons. The district also increased its Career Pathways from three to 11. Students are doing internships and student-led conferences. The district is also considering flex scheduling and a genius hour during which students would pick the topic they wish to study.
He said he liked the Guided Personal Study program already in place at Hays High School.
“I think that we have hit on a lot of things in our school that are best practices, and we have made them better,” he said of the Gemini program.
Kathy Rome, KNEA UniServ director, was at the meet-and-greet with Wetig Thursday afternoon. The Hays school board came to impasse during negotiations for this school year over pay. A federal meditator had to be brought in to settle the dispute.
Wetig was a KNEA student president at K-State, and he said KNEA serves a positive purpose in advocating for education.
He said if a district receives new money, it should consider raises.
“I don’t know what the magic number is, but certainly you want to try to match the average percent increase in the state,” he said. …
“I think you take care of your people first and then you’re operations second.”
Wetig also said he would work to strengthen board unity.
“Disagreements need to happen behind closed doors, and you must always present a unified front,” he said.
Wetig is the second of four candidates the USD 489 Hays Board of Education will be interviewing.Keith Hall, USD 489 interim director of finance and support services, interviewed for the job on Wednesday. Two more candidates will interview Wednesday, Feb. 6 and Thursday, Feb. 7.
Each day the candidates will meet with parents and other members of the public from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Toepfer Room of Rockwell Administration Center. The names of those candidates have yet to be announced.
Correction 5:05 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1: Kathy Rome’s title was corrected to KNEA UniServ director.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas have advanced tax relief and pension proposals that would thwart Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plans for boosting spending on public schools, quickly setting up a test of whether she can build bipartisan coalitions in the GOP-dominated Legislature.
A Senate committee Thursday endorsed a bill designed to prevent Kansas residents and businesses from paying more income taxes to the state because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. Republican leaders have made eliminating the revenue “windfall”a top priority.
The tax committee’s voice vote came a day after the Senate budget committee backed a bill to make a $115 million payment before July to the state’s pension system for teachers and government workers. It is money the state shorted the pension system in 2016 — with added interest, but the measure runs counter to Kelly’s budget plans.
The Senate expects to debate both bills next week. Meanwhile, Kelly has called on legislators to pass a bill in February to phase in a $364 million increase in aid to public schools funding over four years in hopes of ending an education funding lawsuit filed in 2010.
Projections this week from legislative researchers suggest that the state can’t enact the Republicans’ tax relief plan while also boosting education funding as much as Kelly wants without facing a small budget shortfall by 2022. Adding the pension payment to the mix would widen the gap.
“That will make it much more difficult to look at what we should be paying for,” said state Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas City Democrat.
Kelly has little choice but to work with moderate Republicans to get her initiatives passed. But moderates will have to break with their conservative GOP leaders on tax relief, an issue that has broad appeal with the party’s right-leaning base.
The federal tax changes championed by President Donald Trumpcut rates and are designed to stimulate the economy. But they included provisions that inadvertently raise extra revenue for Kansas because of how its income tax code is tied to the federal code.
Kansas doesn’t allow filers to claim itemized deductions on their state forms if they don’t itemize on their federal returns. Changes in federal law discourage itemized deductions.
Republican legislators also worry that the state will start taxing foreign income earned by individuals and corporations that it hasn’t touched previously. The tax committee heard testimony that the coming change will hurt the state’s business climate.
“We’re going to lose a bunch of jobs,” said Sen. Julia Lynn, a conservative Olathe Republican. “That’s my issue, pure and simple.”
The Kansas Department of Revenue estimatesthat the tax relief bill would cost the state — and save taxpayers — $192 million during the budget year beginning in July. Kelly spokeswoman Ashley All called the bill “irresponsible” and said the state should focus on stabilizing the budget while “reinvesting in schools and roads.”
“The state’s financial outlook continues to be very uncertain and we have very little room for error,” All said.
Department of Revenue officials acknowledge that it’s been difficult to pin down the size of any windfall and the GOP tax bill’s effects.
Sen. Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat and former department official, said the state is “still guessing” and even Wagle called the projections “a shot in the dark.”
“We might as well shake our Magic 8-Ball,” said Sen. Tom Holland, a Baldwin City Democrat. “What if it’s a whole lot more?”
Democrats also argue that increased spending on public schools is a bigger priority because of the education funding lawsuit. The Kansas Supreme Court ruledthat a law enacted last year to boost funding wasn’t sufficient because it didn’t account for inflation.
Kelly’s plan represents education officials’ best guess for complying. A Senate committee will begin hearings on her plan next week.
But GOP leaders are resisting. They argue that the spending couldn’t be sustained without a tax hike — and they view failing to pass the GOP’s tax relief bill as raising taxes.
“We have a governor who has a big-spending agenda,” said Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican. “She’s in a corner.”
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A man arrested at a Kansas storage unit with two of his children and his dismembered wife’s remains has been convicted of three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
Rey -photo Johnson Co.
Jurors deliberated until around 12:30 a.m. Thursday before finding 36-year-old Justin Rey guilty of the felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and contributing to a child’s misconduct.
Rey said he cut up his wife, Jessica Monteiro Rey, after she died in October 2017 after giving birth at a Kansas City, Missouri, hotel. He was arrested with the couple’s newborn and 2-year-old at a storage unit in nearby Lenexa, Kansas. Authorities say they found child porn images after Rey asked them to look at his phone for evidence he thought would help him at trial.
Sentencing is set for March 27. Rey also is charged with abandonment of corpse in Missouri and with killing a California man. He isn’t charged with killing his wife.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.
Just after 1:30 p.m. January 14, police responded to a burglary-in-progress call at a residence in the 1200 block of south Water in Wichita, according to a media release.
Goeser -photo Sedgwick Co.
A 56-year-old man witnessed a suspect later identified as 30-year-old Nathan Goeser enter a neighbors home and exit with property.
Officers arrived and began circulating the area. With the help of the witness, police located and arrested Goeser and booked into jail. The stolen items were recovered and returned to the owner.
The case has been presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
Goeser has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Just after 7 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to 1100 SE Gilmore Avenue in Topeka after report of an aggravated robbery to an individual car-jacking, according to Lt. Manuel Munoz.
Two black males approached the victim and pointed handgun at her forcing her out of and took her vehicle.
At approximately 7:21 pm, another individual called police to report that they were also the victim of an aggravated robbery at 6th and SE Golden. The victim advised that as she was leaving the Family Dollar store on SE 6th and was approached by a black male armed with a handgun. The subject demanded her vehicle keys. Victim dropped the keys on the ground and ran back into the store. The suspect was last seen driving off in her vehicle northbound on SE Golden.
Officers responding to the second aggravated robbery saw the second victim’s vehicle and tried to turn around to stop it. The driver took off at a high rate of speed and was able to elude the officers before they could turn around.
The officers eventually locate the vehicle abandoned in an alley in in the 400 block of NE Freeman.
Officers were able to set up a perimeter and apprehended two individuals fitting the suspect’s description. After questioning, police arrested 19-year-old Chauncey E. Lyles and 22-year-old Mathdaniel Squirrel both of Topeka.
Squirrel is being held on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and Felony Fleeing and Eluding. Lyles is being held on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery, Felony Fleeing and Eluding, Possession Of stolen property and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
This is the 11th case in 2019 with a charge involving a felon in possession of a firearm reported by the Topeka Police Department.
Fort Hays State University Science Café presents: “Bats: Rock Stars of the Night” Monday, February 4 at 7:00 p.m. in The Venue at Thirsty’s, 2704 Vine St., Hays.
Join us for a batty evening to learn about these mysterious creatures of the night! Come learn some of the crazy, cool things bats do and how they are ecologically and economically important. Free and open to the public.
Presenter: Dr. Amanda M. Adams, Department of Biological Sciences, FHSU
Sponsored by Science and Mathematics Education Institute
Government surplus commodities will be distributed in Hays at Unite Common Grounds Coffee House and Free Store (Inside the Gamers Guild), 200 E. Eighth St., in Hays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m. while supplies last.
Doors will not open until 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. respectively.
To be eligible for commodities, your household’s total monthly income must be below:
$1,287 for a house of one
$1,736 for a household of two
$2,184 for a household of three
$2,633 for a household of four
$3,081 for a household of five
$3,530 for a household of six
$3,980 for a household of seven
$4,430 for a household of eight
Contact Brandon Nimz, Unite Ministry leader, with any questions at 785-259-2539. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Commodities this distribution will be: Applesauce, fresh apples, fresh oranges, frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, beef stew, split peas, dried plums, shredded cheese, red kidney beans, frozen strawberry cups and fresh grapes.
RILEY COUNTY—Authorities are investigating a fatal Thursday morning house fire. The fire in Ogden claimed four lives., according to Riley County Fire Chief Pat Collins.
Riley County Fire Chief Pat Collins confirmed that authorities investigating the fatal fire in Ogden early Thursday morning are working to positively identify the victims, notification of next of kin and the cause of the fire. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene.
Collins said multiple agencies are helping with the investigation. Work is being done to dig through the debris at 208 Riley Avenue to determine what caused the fire.
Collins noted several firefighters slipped on the ice. “It got really slick here, fell down, they’re all doing alright now but I think they’re going to be really sore come nightfall or tomorrow. Two of the firefighters were treated by EMS on scene but no one required transport to a hospital.
Cold weather early Thursday morning made it difficult to fight the fire. “The cold, it was really bad trying to get around, move around, and do things. I don’t know that it was a big factor on the initial attack but as the morning went on it made it hard to get around, get upstairs, move around the trucks.” The City of Ogden brought in salt and sand and helped spread it out, which helped improve the conditions.
The building that burned had a residence upstairs and business history in the past. Collins noted in the 1960s it was a bar and later became a location where first radios and then videos were sold. The downstairs business area was not in use at the time of the fire. “There was only one way to the upstairs, up a pretty steep set of stairs and we haven’t found any smoke detectors in the building.”
The first truck on the scene was from the Manhattan Fire Department. “They made entry to the front door and actually found one victim by the front door. They were in rescue mode so they were trying to get to other parts of the building upstairs where we knew the bedrooms were and couldn’t get up the stairs. So actually made entry through a front window and we found the other three victims in one of the bedrooms.” Riley County firefighters also responded and helped battle the blaze.
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RILEY COUNTY — Authorities are investigating a fatal Thursday morning house fire. The fire in Ogden claimed four lives., according to Riley County Fire Chief Pat Collins.
At 3:43 a.m. the Ogden, Riley and Manhattan Fire Departments were dispatched to 208 Riley Avenue in Ogden for a report of a structure on fire with multiple people entrapped. Upon arrival, crews found a two-story structure with heavy smoke showing. Crews entered the building and performed search and rescue operation along with extinguishing the fire.
Crews quickly removed one person from the building and upon re-entry three more people were located. All of four of them were pronounced dead at the scene.
The identifies of the victims have not yet been released. The owner of the structure has been identified by authorities as Roger Harris. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Riley County Fire Department, Riley County Police Department, Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Manhattan Fire Department.
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OGDEN, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say four people are dead after a fire in a Kansas neighborhood.
The structure fire was first reported shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday in Ogden, about 10 miles southwest of Manhattan. Riley County Fire Chief Pat Collins says the state fire marshal is on scene.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Traffic is being diverted around the area.
No other details were immediately released, including the names of the victims. State and county fire officials didn’t immediately return phone messages from The Associated Press.
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RILEY COUNTY — Authorities closed the 200 Block of Riley Avenue early Thursday, according to the Riley County Police.
First responders are on the scene of a structure fire in Ogden.
We will report additional details as they become available.
Every high school athlete with collegiate aspirations wants the opportunity to not only play but also win. Hays High senior Jaysa Wichers has that opportunity after signing a National Letter of Intent with Coffeyville Community College to play volleyball.
The Indian’s once middle hitter now right side hitter finalized her decision in front of friends, teammates and family Thursday in the school cafeteria.
Jaysa Wichers
Wichers knew the moment she met the Red Ravens head coach the program would be a fit for her. Coffeyville has won the last two volleyball national championships and wrapped up the 2018 season at 40-3.
Hays coach Christin Nunnery calls Wichers a coach’s dream. Nunnery not only is impressed by the senior’s work ethic but also her willingness to cheer on the successes of all her teammates.
Christin Nunnery
Wichers and the Hays High Indians went 20-10 this past high school season. She also had the opportunity to play in the Northwest Kansas All-Star Match following her senior season.
SEDGWICK COUNTY – A Kansas man has been sentenced for sexually assaulting three children.
Kramer -photo KBI Offender Registry
On Tuesday, a Sedgwick County District Judge sentenced Anthony Kramer, 35, Wichita, to 618 months to life in prison, according to a media release from the Sedgwick County Attorney.
In October, Kramer pled guilty to three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and four counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
Two boys and a girl ranging in age from one to six years of age, were assaulted over two days in August of 2017. Detectives from the Exploited and Missing Child Unit also discovered sexually explicit images of other children on Kramer’s cellphone dating back to April of 2016.
Before sentencing on Tuesday, the judge noted that Kramer was a registered sex offender at the time of the assaults.
Thomas More Prep-Marian has announced the 2019 Sweetheart candidates. The crowning will be Friday at halftime of the boys basketball game.
The candidates are pictured from left: Hunter Jacobs is the son of Francis and Stephanie Jacobs and Kiara Urban is the daughter of Steve and Brenda Urban. Jack Johnson is the son of Stacy and Jennifer Johnson and Emma Pope is the daughter of Jason and Dr. Michelle Pope. Jared Mayers is the son of Stan and Pam Mayers and Julia Werth is the daughter of Darin Werth and Julie ’96 (Richmeier) and Jason Robben. Kaleb Hagans is the son of Ryan and Stephanie Hagans and Emily Schulte is the daughter of Matthew and Anne 84′ (Wierman) Schulte. Dylan Werth is the son of Darin Werth and Julie ’96 (Richmeier) and Jason Robben and Alexandra Herrman is the daughter of Troy and Tina Herrman.
