TOKETEE FALLS, Ore. – Douglas County Search and Rescue has suspended the search for Jeffery Vance, a 30 year-old missing Mt. Angel man, according to a media release from the sheriff’s department.

Deputies began searching for Vance on Monday when he was reported lost by his friend, 29-year old Anthony Fennimore of Salem.  According to his Facebook, Vance attended high school in Abilene, Kan. He also still has family in the Salina, Kan., area.

Fennimore relayed to deputies that he and Vance had been in the area of Clear Water when they experienced mechanical trouble and walked away from the vehicle they were operating. Initially, Fennimore reported they had been lost since Friday, February 1, 2019. Deputies have since been able to determine the two became lost and separated on Sunday, February 3, 2019.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue along with assistance from several agencies has searched for Vance over several days with no sign of Vance. The 2008 Chevy Colorado pickup the two men had walked away from was found in the vicinity of Clearwater on Wednesday.

Heavy snowfall in the area has hindered search efforts in the area, ultimately leading to the suspension of efforts on Saturday February 9th, until conditions improve.

Vance is described as 6 foot tall, 300 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last known to be wearing dark blue or black Helly Hansen rain gear, a brown or gray stocking cap, a camouflage backpack and Georgia boots.

The Sheriff’s Office has been assisted by Jackson and Josephine County Search and Rescue, Oregon Department of Emergency Management, Oregon Military Department, Pacific Power, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State Police.

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TOKETEE FALLS, Ore. – Douglas County Search and Rescue is searching for a missing Mt. Angel man near Toketee.

At 6 p.m. on February 4, 2019, deputies were dispatched to the Glide Store to contact a man reporting he and his friend had been lost in the woods for two days. The caller, 29 year-old Anthony Fennimore of Silverton, Ore., told dispatchers he and his friend had experienced vehicle problems after becoming lost and eventually walked away from the vehicle together on the night of February 1.

The two became separated either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

On Monday, Fennimore came into contact with some citizens who gave him a ride to Glide where he made a call to dispatch.

Fennimore’s friend, 30 year-old Jeffery A. Vance, is still missing. Douglas County Search and Rescue has been searching and continues to try to locate Vance or the vehicle they walked away from. The vehicle is a maroon in color 2008 Chevy Colorado pickup with Oregon license plate 436KSW.

Vance is described as 6 ft tall, 300 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last known to be wearing dark blue or black Helli Hansen rain gear, a brown or gray stocking cap, a camouflage framed backpack and Georgia boots.

The Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by Pacific Power, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Forest Service and Oregon State Police.

TOPEKA – A woman who operated massage parlors in Kansas pleaded guilty Tuesday to operating a prostitution business, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Weiling Nielsen, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy.

Nielsen owned and operated Naima Asian Massage and Serenity Health Spa in Lawrence, as well as Jasmine Massage in Topeka. In her plea, she admitted the massage parlors provided sexual services to customers for payment in cash. Nielsen and others advertised the services on the internet. Nielsen and her husband deposited cash into various bank accounts and purchased money orders for deposit in bank accounts in California.

In her plea agreement, Nielsen agreed to pay a $650,000 judgement, which represents the proceeds of the crime.

Sentencing is set for May 15. Both parties are recommending three years on federal probation.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence school Superintendent Anthony Lewis is planning a community discussion after a student allegedly brought a gun to school for the fifth time this school year.

The last incident occurred Tuesday at Lawrence High School, where a gun was found in a student’s book bag after administrators received a tip. That came after another student brought a handgun to school last Wednesday.

Other incidents were reported in April and September at Lawrence High School and Lawrence Free State. No one was injured in any of the incidents. All the students have been disciplined except one, who investigators determined forgot a rifle was in his car after a hunting trip.

Lewis said the district needs the community’s help to address what could be a dangerous problem.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man with a state prison record was sentenced Tuesday to 87 months in federal prison for carrying a gun, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Darnell Wilks, 49, Garden City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

A Garden City police officer arrested Wilks in March 2017. The officer saw Wilks walking down the middle of west Kansas Ave. and stopped to talk to him.

Wilks ran away from the officer. During the chase, Wilks threw down a .45 caliber handgun. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was convicted in 2014 in Finney County District Court on a charge of making a criminal threat.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials at the Kansas state agency responsible for inspecting nursing homes say it did not act correctly in response to problems uncovered in a federal government audit.

The Office of Inspector General report estimated that the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services failed in 2014 to verify that 65 percent of the issues found during nursing home inspections had been corrected.

The office also determined that the state agency neglected to conduct inspections every 15 months, as it is required to do. The report said the longest break between inspections was 18 months.

The Office of Inspector General is submitting recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid that would change the way all states handle inspection reports.

Pearl Williams was found Tuesday evening and is safe, according to Wichita Police.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police have issued a Silver Alert for a missing Kansas man.

At approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday, police in Wichita were contacted by a 66-year-old man who reported not being able to locate his 88-year-old father, Pearl Williams, according to officer Charley Davidson.

It was reported that Williams left his home in the 1700 block of north Spruce in Wichita at approximately 4 p.m. on Sunday in a 1998 blue Ford F150 with Kansas tag 959GFB and has not returned. The family reported this behavior is not normal for Williams.

If you know the whereabouts of Williams or see him, please call 911 immediately.