SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have three teen suspects in custody.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to report of shots fired at a restaurant in the 300 Block of West 29th Street North in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz. The building and five vehicles in the parking area had been struck by bullets.

While officers investigated at the scene, other officers located the vehicle believed to have been involved with the shooting. Police detained the occupants of the vehicle and seized three handguns including one that was reported stolen, according to Cruz.

Three juveniles ages 17, 16 and 15 were arrested and booked into juvenile detention for aggravated battery, destruction to auto by firearms and juvenile in possession of a firearm. An 18-year-old boy in the vehicle was also cited for marijuana possession.

At approximately 4.am. a 21-year-old arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his hip area. He was originally at the scene of the shooting, according to Cruz. He was treated and released.

RENO COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities and school officials are investigating vandalism at Pretty Prairie High School.

 Just after 9:00a.m. Saturday, deputies were dispatched to Pretty Prairie High School for a criminal damage to property case, according to a media release.

Deputies met with Principal Kevin Hedrick who said he was giving a tour of the school to the up-coming freshman class when he noticed the band room had been vandalized. It appears that the school was entered between the hours of 1:00am – 3:00a.m. Saturday.

The entire band room received severe damage. Several different colors of paint were thrown across the floor, walls and over equipment. The majority of the drums, if not all, had holes punched in them. Some of the drum heads had painted hand prints left on them. Several different musical instruments were completely destroyed.

Fire extinguishers were discharged on the building and inside of a recently purchased Van that belonged to the school. Both in the band room and in the van, items within had been thrown around. Although it is going to take a bit to see what if anything has been stolen, we believe items have been taken.

The school gave a rough estimate of damage to be between $50,000 and $75,000 and could be more.

If anyone has information regarding this case please contact the Reno County Sheriff’s Office at 620-694-2735 or Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Detectives are continuing to investigate this case.

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RENO COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities and school officials are investigating vandalism at Pretty Prairie High School.

Many instruments were damaged or destroyed in the school’s music room over the weekend, according to the school’s social media page.  

Vandals threw paint on pianos and destroyed music instruments along with causing extensive damage to that area of the building.

“We just got permission from the sheriff’s department and from our insurance agency to start the cleanup process and then start the inventory of what’s broken, what’s not, what can be repaired, what can’t,” USD 311 Superintendent Randy Hendrickson said. “Hopefully our goal by the end of the day is to have a list of what we need to get back into the kids hands so we can get back to normal as quickly as possible.”

While the music room was off limits, music classes were moved to the school’s auditorium. Area schools have sent emails and calls of support in an effort to help including Burrton USD 369 who was working to provide students in Pretty Prairie with replacement instruments. They have also volunteered to help restore the school’s music room.

If you would like to help the Pretty Prairie music department you can do so by calling Pretty Prairie High School at 620-459-6313 or the USD 311 offices at 620-459-6241.

 

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison Monday for sex trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Johnell Carter, 23, Wichita, pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking. In his plea, he admitted he used physical force including punching and biting to make an 18-year-old woman have sex for money at Wichita hotels. He advertised her services online.

In the second count, Carter admitted recruiting a 15-year-old to perform commercial sex acts at Wichita hotels. He advertised her services online.

 

PAWNEE COUNTY—On Monday, Russell McFarland, age 65, previously of Wichita, appeared in the Pawnee County District for sentencing. The defendant was convicted on January 30, 2019 by jury of Aggravated Sexual Battery, according to a media release.

Testimony was presented at trial that on May 3, 2018, McFarland followed a 19-year old female staff member into a staff-only area of Larned State Hospital, forced her into a corner and tried to kiss her on the lips. The staff member was able to get free once another patient on the unit intervened. At the time, the defendant was a patient in the sexual predator treatment program. Additional testimony was presented that other patients on the unit were aware of McFarland’s intense infatuation of the staff member and were keeping an eye out for her once they saw her on the unit that day.

At Sentencing, Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett requested the Court find McFarland a persistent sex offender based on his criminal history and double the presumptive prison sentence of 120 months. Court appointed counsel Charles Pike of Great Bend argued the degree of harm caused in the case was less than normally seen for this type of conviction and requested the Court reduce the presumptive sentence.

Following arguments of counsel, District Judge Bruce Gatterman found the defendant to be a persistent sex offender and sentenced the defendant to 200 months with the Department of Corrections. Gatterman further advised the defendant he will now be subject to the Kansas Offender Registration Act for a period of 25 years.

The defendant was returned to the custody of the Sexual Predator Treatment Program at Larned State Hospital pending transfer to the Department of Corrections.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will be taking steps toward allowing farmers to grow hemp for industrial use under a measure Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law Monday.

The new law taking effect later this month replaces a state program only for researching hemp and its potential uses with a program for commercial production. Lawmakers authorized the research program last year after federal farm legislation allowed commercial hemp production.

The new law requires the Kansas Department of Agriculture to submit a plan to the federal government for regulating commercial hemp production. The department is required to confer with the governor’s and attorney general’s offices before submitting the plan.

Kelly said in a statement that the new law will help the state’s agricultural economy by giving farmers another crop to grow.