COWLEY COUNTY -Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on child sex allegations.
Dakota Gaskill photo Cowley Co.
On May 30, a 20-year-old Arkansas City man told police he had observed a 13-year old girl and a 19-year-old man having sexual intercourse at a residence in Arkansas City, according to a media release from Arkansas City.
Police interviewed Dakota Alan Gaskill and identified him as a suspect in this case on June 28.
Gaskill had been arrested June 24 on suspicion of felony burglary of a non-dwelling, as well as one misdemeanor count each of criminal damage to property and theft, in connection with a June 22 burglary at the Paris Park Pool, located at 600 W. Fifth Ave. He was one of three people involved.
Following an investigation, Arkansas City Police Department has requested charges of rape of a child younger than 14 years old.
Gaskill is accused of one count of rape, two counts of rape of a child younger than 18-years-old and two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, all of which are felonies.
Gaskill was booked into the Cowley County Jail through Cowley County District Court in Ark City for the burglary. He remained in custody on all charges for both active cases.
A Silver Alert for Sharoll Joy Schoen, 65, McPherson, has been canceled. She has been found and is save, according to a media release from McPherson police.
Authorities released no additional details Sunday evening.
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MCPHERSON COUNTY – The McPherson Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing McPherson woman.
The whereabouts of Sharoll Joy Schoen, 65, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her. Sharoll was last seen on July 11, 2019 at approximately 5:30 p.m. leaving the VFW, 120 S. Taft St, in McPherson, Ks.
Sharoll is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. Sharoll has grey hair, brown eyes and glasses. She was last seen wearing light blue jeans, bright green shirt, and glasses. Sharoll is prescribed medication, which she is required to take, and she does not have with her. Please see attached photograph.
If located, please contact the McPherson Police Department at (620)245‐1266 or call 911.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita Police Department expects to put Clydesdale horses on patrol for the first time later this summer thanks to two nonprofit civic foundations.
The pair of Clydesdales will replace two horses that soon will be retired. The yet-to-be named Clydesdales from a Goddard farm are in training. The Wichita Eagle reports that they’re scheduled to make their public debut Aug. 7 in the farmers market in the historic Old Town district downtown.
One horse can provide as much crowd control as 15 officers on foot.
Clydesdales are larger and more stable for mounted officers than the quarter horses the department currently uses. They also are calmer and more social.
But the police department didn’t have the $40,000 for two new horses and their saddles and kit, requiring private fundraising.
MCPHERSON COUNTY —Multiple county agencies responded to a mass carbon monoxide event resulting from a vehicle problem Sunday in McPherson, according to a McPherson Fire Department Chief TJ Wyssmann.
First responders on the scene of Sunday’s incident in McPherson-photo courtesy McPherson Fire Dept.
Multiple patients being transported by several agencies to area hospitals.
At approximately 3:30p.m., McPherson Fire received a call for service to 2203 E Kansas in McPherson for a Carbon Monoxide Incident with ten victims.
First arriving crews found a Church group traveling back to Oklahoma City inside the Burger King. Ten male patients were showing signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Additional EMS crews were requested from throughout the County and surrounding Counties. All ten patients were treated and transported to Via Christi in Wichita.
It is believed that the vehicle, which the group was utilizing for transportation, had developed a mechanical issue in which carbon monoxide enter the vehicle cabin area.
The following agencies were involved in mitigating the incident:
McPherson Fire Department, McPherson EMS, McPherson Police Department, Moundridge EMS, Canton EMS, Hesston EMS and Reno County EMS, McPherson County 911, Harvey County 911, Reno County 911
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jeimer Candelario hit a bases-clearing double and Gordon Beckham added a two-run homer during a seven-run third inning, and the Detroit Tigers took advantage of Kansas City’s late pitching switch to beat the Royals 12-8 on Sunday.
Harold Castro had a pair of hits during the marathon frame, when the Tigers trotted 11 batters to the plate against fill-in starter Brian Flynn. The first six reached base safely, and Brandon Dixon and Niko Goodrum also drove in runs before reliever Jorge Lopez finally ended the inning.
Flynn (2-1), who got the start when Homer Bailey was traded to Oakland before the first pitch, was yanked six batters into the third without recording an out. He allowed seven runs on eight hits.
Jordan Zimmermann wasn’t much better for Detroit. He allowed seven runs on eight hits before he was pulled after facing four batters in the fifth inning. He still hasn’t won since last Sept. 5.
Nick Ramirez (4-3) earned the win for Detroit after allowing one run over three innings.
Jorge Soler homered and had three RBIs for the Royals.
The Tigers jumped ahead on Christian Stewart’s RBI single in the first, but it was their big third inning that cracked the game open. Castro and Stewart joined Nick Castellanos on base before Dixon was hit by a pitch to plate a run. Candelario followed with his three-run double.
Goodrum also drove in a run before Beckham’s two-out homer gave the Tigers an 8-3 lead.
The seven-run frame was the Tigers’ highest-scoring inning of the season by a full two runs, and the six hits matched a season-high for an inning set July 4 against the White Sox.
The teams swapped runs in the fourth, and Kansas City plated three in the fifth and another in the sixth to claw within 10-8. But the Royals left a pair aboard to end the inning, and the Tigers answered with two more in the seventh to cap their highest-scoring game this season.
The teams combined for 29 hits while stranding 12 runners on base.
NEW HOME-RS
Bailey, who was 7-6 with a 4.80 ERA, was traded to the A’s for minor league infielder Kevin Merrell, who has been playing this season at Double-A Midland. The 23-year-old former South Florida standout, known for his speed and defense, will report to the Royals’ affiliate at Northwest Arkansas.
“We liked him a great deal out of the draft. He’s the type of player we like,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “Oakland selected him rather high and we never got a chance to select him.”
TIGERS MOVES
Detroit reinstated Victor Alcantara from the injured list after the right-hander had a wisdom tooth extracted. Right-hander Eduardo Jimenez had been sent to Triple-A Toledo after Saturday night’s game.
UP NEXT
Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris (2-8, 4.96 ERA) takes the mound in the opener of a four-game set in Cleveland. The Royals remain home to open a four-game series against the White Sox with right-hander Jakob Junis (4-8, 5.33) trying to build on a solid start to end the first half.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Kansas woman who entered a plea for a single charge of conspiracy to commit robbery was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.
Gresham photo Reno Co.
Amanda Gresham, 33, Hurchinson, had been charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary.
Gresham, 30-year-old John Sullivan and 38-year-old Titus Thompson were allegedly behind the abduction of 50-year-old Leon Levasseur, who was taken by knifepoint from his residence, then placed in his car and driven to an area near Burrton, where he was finally able to escape and call 911.
Police say the recovery of multiple items taken from Levasseur’s residence led them to the arrests.
Detectives determined Thompson and Sullivan were dropped off in the area of Avenue B and Elm in Hutchinson on the morning of Oct. 22, 2018, by Gresham with the intent to commit the robbery.
Gresham was also found to have violated her community corrections for cases from 2017 where she was convicted of aggravated battery, aggravated burglary and possession of drugs. Those sentences totaled seven years and were ordered to be served.
The new sentence will run concurrent to that case with her serving the 10 years in prison.
The cases against Sullivan and Thompson are still pending.
LABETTE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Labette County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Charlotte A. Wheeler, 68, Coffeyville, was westbound on U.S. 166 six miles east of Coffeyville at a high rate of speed.
The pickup dropped off the left shoulder and the driver overcorrected. The vehicle entered the south ditch, rolled and ejected the driver. The pickup came to rest on its roof against a fence.
Wheeler was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
LYONS, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas law enforcement officers were shot in a traffic stop, leaving one fighting for his life.
Rice County Undersheriff Chad Murphy
David Madden shot Rice County Undersheriff Chad Murphy when he stopped Madden for a firearm charge warrant in April near the small town of Sterling, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Wichita.
Madden fired four shots at Murphy during the traffic stop.
“All I said was, ‘Come on, David. You have a warrant. Let’s get this taken care of,’ and that is when he rolled out of the vehicle and took the first shot.”
Madden also shot Sheriff Bryant Evans in the leg when he responded to the scene and dragged him away.
Madden, a 37-year-old former Marine, killed his father before killing himself during a standoff with police after the April shooting. He was also suspected in the 2015 disappearance of his girlfriend.
Now, Murphy said forgiving Madden has helped him move on from the shooting.
“I have made peace with myself,” Murphy said. “The way I did that was, I had to forgive David.
“In order for me to have inner peace that is what I had to do, and I did that early on because I knew if I did not, then I would turn into something that I did not like.”
He’s been attending weekly therapy and rearranged his priorities.
“Before it was work,” Murphy said. “Work was priority and then family and then God.” But now, “God is number one, family is number two, and then here comes the job.”
Murphy said he’s hopeful that he’ll return to work within a year when he regains full control of his right arm.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are sending Homer Bailey to the Oakland Athletics after scratching the veteran right-hander about 45 minutes before his scheduled start Sunday against Detroit.
In return, Kansas City is getting minor league infielder Kevin Merrell. He’s been playing at Double-A Midland and will report to the Royals’ affiliate at Northwest Arkansas.
The 33-year-old Bailey has rebounded this season with the Royals after signing a minor league deal in February. He is 7-6 with a 4.80 ERA, but he’s been especially good over his past seven starts, giving the A’s some additional help as they seek a playoff run in the second half.
They began the day six games back in the AL West, but a half-game ahead of Cleveland for the second wild-card berth.
SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a veteran Kansas police officer for driving under the influence.
Andrew Tapia photo Sedgwick Co.
On Friday evening, the Mulvane Police Department booked an off-duty Wichita Police Department officer into the Sedgwick County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence.
The officer identifies as 39-year-old Andrew E. Tapia, according to the Sedgwick County booking report is an 18-year veteran of the Wichita Police Department. He has been placed on a paid administrative assignment, according to police department spokesperson Charley Davidson.
The case is being investigated by the Mulvane Police Department and an internal review will be take place by Wichita Police, according to Davidson.
RENO COUNTY — Emergency crews rescued two more from the Arkansas River after they were displaced from their kayaks Saturday.
Photo courtesy Hutchinson Fire Department
The pair entered the water at the 4th Street bridge, according to a media release from the Hutchinson Fire Department.
Approximately a half mile down, some tree debris in the river was present. The kayakers became dislodged from their kayaks. One of the individuals was able to grasp an overhead branch and return to the bank. The other was able to hold onto the branch until Engine 5 crew members made contact assist the individual to the bank.
Meanwhile, Boat 3 was deployed and entered the Arkansas River to assist the rescued kayakers back to their vehicle due to difficult terrain. HFD was assisted by Reno County Sheriff’s Department.
Both citizens were wearing life jackets. The Hutchinson Fire department remind all those entering bodies of water to wear life jackets as “Saturday’s incident had the potential for a negative outcome.”
On July 7, Hutchinson fire crews rescued 3 from the Arkansas river after they were displaced from their tubes.
Two Korean students conduct science experiments with FHSU’s Dr. Arvin Cruz on Thursday on the Hays campus.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Eight students from South Korea peered into brightly colored test tubes and furiously scribbled observations during a week-long camp at Fort Hays State University.
The students are replicating experiments from research conducted by Dr. Arvin Cruz, FHSU chemistry teacher, on substances that might be used as conductors in solar panels.
The students taking part in this Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Sciences camp are 16 to 17 years old and from the Daejeon High School for the Gifted in Daejeon, South Korea.
“They are very passionate,” Cruz said during a KAYS Morning Show interview. “We started [Wednesday], and they are very dedicated and almost all of them indicated they wanted to go into some area of science as a profession.”
Cruz said this can be a recruiting tool for FHSU, but more importantly it is a way to interest more students in going into the sciences as a profession.
A KAMS volunteer assists a Korean student look for substances that could be used in solar panels during an experiment on the FHSU campus Thursday.
“A lot of this is science awareness,” Cruz said. “The future of science lies in these young kids. That is why we devote a lot of our time engaging them and having global partnerships, mainly for recruitment in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics).”
Cruz said one student who studied with the program several years ago has now been admitted to a university in South Korea to study quantum knots, which is the subject on which the students in the KAMS program are conducting their experiments this summer.
The students in the exchange participate in a selection process, and only the best of the best are selected to come to the U.S. Cruz said he thinks that has made the program even more successful.
Students from Daejeon High School for the Gifted in Daejeon, South Korea, conduct chemistry experiments at FHSU Thursday.
Soyoung Lee, South Korean chemistry teacher and one of the students’ sponsors, said the work is allowing the students to understand chemistry’s broader effects on mankind.
She said, with fellow sponsor and English teacher Myoung Hee Choi translating, the students may continue their studies in another field, but they are learning the research process through their experiments with Dr. Cruz.
Lee said the students are not working toward a grade — they are not competing — so they can try new things and experience science just for the sake of learning.
In addition to learning aspects of chemistry and research, the students are also being immersed in the English language.
“Instead of just learning from texts, they are able to express themselves in English. They can communicate,” Choi said. “It has been a challenge even for me.”
This exchange began three years ago with chemistry students from the U.S. also traveling to South Korea. Although no U.S. students were able to go abroad this year, the South Korean students have continued to take advantage of FHSU’s hospitality.
In the evenings the students have been experiencing the Hays community, including a night out bowling. They also will tour FHSU’s Sternberg Museum and Exploration Place in Wichita.
Since all three years of the exchange have focussed on alternative sources of energy, the students last year toured Greensburg and were able to see how that community has made the transition to green energy.
“They were so excited about how it re-established itself,” Cruz said.
Both South Korean teachers said they wished to thank FHSU and everyone involved with the students for making the camp possible. The students will be headed home on July 16.
TOPEKA — A new Kansas law provides some protection for people possessing CBD oil containing limited amounts of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
CBD without the THC that gets people high has been legal in Kansas for about a year. CBD oil with significant amounts of THC is still illegal to sell, but a new law offers people with a doctor’s note some measure of possible legal protection. NOMIN UJIYEDIIN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
But it’s not full-on legalization, meaning the oil could still result in legal trouble even for people with documents confirming it’s for medical purposes.
CBD oil without THC is already legal in Kansas. CBD is made from the same plant that marijuana comes from, but the plants are bred with relatively small amounts of the psychoactive compounds.
The new law lets patients and their parents in Kansas have CBD oil containing up to 5 percent THC to treat certain conditions — if they have a physician’s note.
The new statute that took effect July 1 is aimed at helping people treat debilitating conditions such as seizures. Parents of children with those conditions asked lawmakers to approve the change.
Republican Rep. Mark Schreiber took on the issue after meeting a family with two daughters who had microcephaly, a condition where the brain does not develop fully. The parents wanted to use the oil to treat seizures and other complications.
The new law is named after their daughters, Claire and Lola. Claire died last year.
“These are families that really love their kids and they see them suffer through these seizures,” Schreiber said in an interview. “They want to be able to try this.”
The legislation doesn’t fully legalize the oil containing THC, nor does it allow any sort of production or distribution of the product in Kansas. The oil would need to be obtained in another state and carry verification that it was tested by a third-party laboratory.
That was partially a political necessity. Schreiber based the strategy on a similar law in Alabama. A proposal to fully legalize the oil with THC could open the debate to broader arguments about marijuana legalization, which might have stoked opposition to the change.
“That would be a big, big debate,” he said. “It kind of circumvented that whole discussion and possible delay.”
Schreiber’s strategy worked. But the way the law is written leaves the door open to legal complications for anyone who possesses the oil containing THC.
The law does offer people an affirmative defense for possession.
“An affirmative defense doesn’t prevent you from being arrested, and it doesn’t prevent you from being charged,” said Jennifer Roth, legislative committee co-chair of the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
So there’s no legal immunity for someone using the oil, even if they have a letter from a physician.
But it does give them the foundation for an affirmative defense during trial.
The law leaves wide discretion to police and local prosecutors, who could choose not to pursue charges if someone has the letter.
“Perhaps that person would say ‘OK, we’re not going to file charges on you,’” Roth said. “But none of that’s required by the law.”
The law is clearer on another point. Possessing or using the oil cannot be used as a reason to initiate child removal proceedings or child protective actions.
Still, Republican Rep. Eric Smith, a sheriff’s deputy, said if he pulled someone over with the oil and a letter, they’d go to jail.
“It does nothing for me as a law enforcement officer out on the side of the road,” Smith said during debate over the legislation in May. “I seize it and I arrest you. That letter doesn’t mean anything.”
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter@kprkoranda or email skoranda (at) ku (dot) edu.
