Year: 2019
Researcher at KU denies secretly working for Chinese university
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An associate professor in Kansas accused of secretly working for a Chinese university contends in a court filing that a visiting scholar fabricated the allegations against him after unsuccessfully trying to extort him for $300,000.
Attorneys for Feng “Franklin” Tao filed a motion on Sunday seeking to dismiss the federal indictment charging him with one count of wire fraud and three counts of program fraud. It alleges the Lawrence man was working full time for Fuzhou University in China while also doing research in Kansas on projects funded by the U.S. government and then failed to report it on a conflict-of-interest form.
Tao contended in his court filing that he never accepted the offer for a teaching position in China and therefore had no obligation to disclose it as a conflict to the University of Kansas.
The defense filing alleges that an unpaid visiting scholar was angry at Tao because she thought she should have received greater credit as a co-author on certain research manuscripts at the Kansas university. After Tao would not change the attribution, she demanded he pay her $300,000 or else she would falsely accuse him of economic espionage, his attorneys wrote.
That court filing also included as exhibits emails from the scholar, including one dated April 21 in which she wrote, “Do not consider it too much. You ruined my future.” Another sent the next day warned that “when anything that belongs to me is taken away, my counterattack will be very strong and very extreme.”
The woman filed authorship dispute complaints to the Office of Integrity and Compliance and with the university’s Internal Audit Office on June 4, and 15 minutes later emailed Tao saying, “it seems the term ‘tech spy’ is very popular nowadays. You should be careful. I have given you many chances and you didn’t care.”
Tao’s attorneys wrote in their court filing that the woman later admitted to the FBI that she hacked into Tao’s email account to fish for “evidence” she could provide the FBI. The defense contends she used phony aliases to make false complaints to both the university and to the FBI.
Her lies to the FBI “succeeded in wreaking her revenge,” Tao’s attorneys wrote. The FBI immediately opened a grand jury investigation, which culminated in Tao’s arrest and indictment. Rather than prosecuting the visiting scholar for extortion, false statements and computer fraud — and notifying Tao that he was the victim of a federal computer crime — the government instead charged Tau with fraud for failing to disclose to his university the job offer from China, according to the defense motion.
Jim Cross, the spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas, said in an email that prosecutors are evaluating the defense motion and will be responding in court.
The visiting scholar, who has not been charged with any crimes, did not respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Tau, an associate professor of engineering at the University of Kansas, was born in China and moved to the United States in 2002. He has been employed since August 2014 at the Kansas university’s Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis in Lawrence. The center conducts research on sustainable technology to conserve natural resources and energy.
Phyllis Jeanne Clark
Phyllis Jeanne Clark, 70, passed away on November 16, 2019 at the Grisell Memorial Hospital in Ransom, Kansas. She was born on April 21, 1949 in WaKeeney, Kansas the daughter of Robert and Juanita (Blocksome) Haflinger.
Phyllis was a Medical Technician. She was a member of the United Methodist Women of Utica. She married Karey Q. Clark on Saturday, March 8, 1996, in Aikin, South Carolina. He survives.
Other survivors include: her daughter, Chelsea and husband, Devin Barber of Levant, Kansas; and 3 grandchildren, Zachary Forphal, Taylor Cumbee, and Blake Longford-Cumbee. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings.
Cremation has taken place and no services are planned at this time.
Memorial contributions may be given to the ASPCA.
The Latest: Kan. man dead, woman hospitalized after domestic violence shooting
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a man is suspected of shooting and critically wounding his girlfriend before fatally shooting himself in a Wichita home.
Wichita police said Monday the man involved in the Saturday night shooting was 23-year-old Brandon Sandoval. The woman’s name has not been released.
Wichita police said a man who lives in the home told police that Sandoval shot the 22-year-old woman during a fight. When officers got the woman on the phone, she told them she had been shot and then started screaming.
Police say as officers forced their way into the home, they heard another gunshot. The woman was suffering from a bullet wound to her abdomen and Sandoval was shot in the head. Police say his wound appeared to be self-inflicted. The roommate wasn’t hurt.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a domestic violence aggravated battery incident that left one dead and another critically injured.
Just after 11:15 p.m., Saturday, police responded to a domestic violence with a weapon call at a residence in the 2800 block of south Emporia in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
A 23-year-old male resident reported to officers a physical disturbance between a 22-year-old woman and her 23-year-old boyfriend and that during the disturbance, the woman’s boyfriend had fired a handgun toward her.
Upon arrival, officers were able to contact the woman by phone who reported being shot, and then the she began screaming in distress. Officers immediately made forced entry into the home, and they heard another gunshot. Officers located the woman with a single gunshot wound to her stomach and her boyfriend with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head, and a 24-year-old male roommate who was not injured, according to Davidson.
Officers began lifesaving measures on the woman before she was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Her boyfriend was pronounced dead on the scene.
Police have released not released the name of the victims or additional details.
News From the Oil Patch, Nov. 18
By JOHN P. TRETBAR
Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $48 per barrel, after gaining a dollar on Friday.
The Kansas Geological Survey released production numbers for July, 2019, with operators pumping more than 2.9 million barrels statewide. That’s an average of more than 93-thousand barrels per day, slightly more than the average for the first six months of the year. The state agency’s numbers are higher than the July figures released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which pegs July production in Kansas at just shy of 2.8 million barrels.
Barton County’s July total was more than 141-thousand barrels, according to KGS. That’s up nearly five thousand barrels from June but down about four thousand barrels from July of last year. Ellis County’s total was over 221,000 barrels, up slightly from a month earlier, but down about 500 barrels compared to a year earlier. Russell County pumped nearly 130-thousand barrels in July, a slight increase over June, but down more than a thousand barrels from last July. Stafford County production dropped about 3,000 barrels from the month before to 89-thousand barrels, but that’s more than a thousand barrels higher than a year ago.
Baker Hughes reports another big dip in its weekly Rotary Rig Count. There are 806 active rigs across the U.S., which is down ten oil rigs and one seeking natural gas. Texas was down five rigs.
The rig counts across Kansas were slightly higher. Independent Oil & Gas Service reports eight active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, up one, and 22 west of Wichita, also up one. Drilling was underway on a well in Barton County, and operators are preparing to spud wells on one lease in Barton County, one in Russell County and one in Stafford County.
Regulators approved 25 permits for drilling at new locations across Kansas last week, 13 of them east of Wichita and 12 in Western Kansas. So far this year there are 951 new drilling permits.
Independent Oil & Gas Service reports 50 newly-completed wells statewide last week, which brings the year-to-date total to 1,245 completions. There were 12 in eastern Kansas and 38 west of Wichita, including one in Barton County, one in Ellis County, one in Russell County and one in Stafford County.
Energy operators set a new weekly record for U.S. crude-oil production at just shy of 12.8 million barrels per day. That beats the previous record by more than 200,000 barrels per day. The government says U.S. crude oil inventories are about three percent above the five-year seasonal average. The Energy Information Administration reports stockpiles of 449 million barrels for the week ending November 8, an increase of 2.2 million from the week before. EIA said U.S. crude oil imports were down 327,000 barrels to around 5.8 million barrels per day. The four-week average is more than 18% less than the imports reported during the same four-week period a year ago.
Employment watchdogs in Texas say that state’s energy sector continues to lose jobs. Citing a report from the Texas Workforce Commission, The Houston Chronicle says energy companies in Texas are cutting their payrolls amid sluggish growth in the patch. Payroll employment fell by two thousand jobs last month in the state’s mining and logging sector, which includes oil and gas production.
Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced share prices that would value Saudi Aramco at up to $1.7 trillion. That’s well below their original target of two trillion dollars. At that level, the sale of one and a half percent of its 200 billion shares would raise just over $25 billion. The IPO would be the largest ever, and the valuation would make Aramco the world’s most valuable company.
Regulators are investigating what’s being called a “purge,” the seepage of oilfield wastewater through the soil to the surface in northern Oklahoma’s Blaine and Kingfisher counties. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has shut down a total of eight saltwater disposal wells near the town of Omega and is limiting volumes at nearly a dozen more. The purge has been pushing an average of 120 barrels per day of wastewater to the surface since at least the first of July. A new directive also places pressure and volume limits on disposal wells across a large swath of western Oklahoma.
The provincial government in Alberta, Canada is once again relaxing production rules for oil producers. The industry has been under production limits since December because of low Canadian prices. Last week, the province said producers can drill new conventional oil wells without being subject to the production limits. Existing wells remain under the curtailment rules.
Man pleads guilty to heroin, meth offenses after Thomas Co. arrest
ANSAS CITY, Kan. – A California man who was arrested on his way to Kansas City pleaded guilty Monday to smuggling heroin and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said in a news release.
Allan Bryan DeJesus, 39, Bakersfield, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. In his plea, he admitted he was on his way to Kansas City on Jan. 5, 2019, when the Kansas Highway Patrol pulled him over on Interstate 70 in Thomas County. In DeJesus’ vehicle, a trooper found two pounds of heroin and 20 pounds of crystal methamphetamine.
Sentencing is set for Feb. 3. He could face a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million. McAllister commended the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind for their work on the case.
FHSU’s Shotgun Team defends national championship
FHSU University Relations
Fort Hays State University’s Shotgun Team successfully defended its national championship at the Scholastic Clay Target Program Nationals shoot in Marengo, Ohio.
The championship completed a season in which they also placed first in all-team events and High Overall Awards (HOA) at the Prairie Circuit Conference Shoot in North Platte, Neb., and at the ACUI Upper West Coast Conference Shoot in Carson City, Nev.
At the SCTP Nationals shoot, Heather Gordon, a Colorado Springs, Colo., senior majoring in criminal justice, won co-champion of the female HOA, placed first in Ladies Trap and third in Ladies Sporting Clays.
Jake Whipple, a Cambridge, Neb., graduate student, placed second for the male HOA.
Jennifer Schoenecker, a Hays senior majoring in agricultural business, placed third in Ladies Skeet.
In addition to individual awards, Fort Hays State placed first, first, and second in team events for Skeet, Trap, and Sporting Clays, respectively.
At the Hastings College Shoot, Riley Ross, a St. Paul, Neb., junior majoring in agriculture, won the male HOA, and Hailey Zulkoski, an Ord, Neb., sophomore majoring in sport and exercise therapy, won the female HOA.
In addition, six individuals won first-place medals.
At the Prairie Circuit shoot, Ross won the male HOA, Gordon won the female HOA, and Logan Smith, a Burwell, Neb., freshman majoring in biology and criminal justice, won the male freshman HOA.
Some team members were awarded all-conference medals. To earn all-conference, members had to be among the top 10 male and top five female shooters when scores were totaled.
Recipients of all-conference medals: Whipple; Cordell Waggoner, a Tribune junior majoring in tourism and hospitality management; Hank McVeigh, a Lincoln, Neb., sophomore majoring in physics; Colton Lashley, a McCook, Neb., senior majoring in criminal justice; Ross; Brock Barton, a Fairbury, Neb., sophomore majoring in information networking; Gordon; and Schoenecker.
Smith received an all-conference freshman medal, awarded to the top five male and top five female freshmen.
At the ACUI Upper West Coast shoot, Whipple won the male HOA and Schoenecker won the female HOA. In addition, eight first-place, six second-place, and seven third-place individual medals were won across all events.
Three FHSU team members shot perfect rounds of 100: Ross and Michael Saint, a Jewell graduate student, in Men’s Skeet and Whipple in Men’s Trap.
Missing Kansas sheriff’s K-9 bites teen in face, chest
SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating how a sheriff’s department K9 got out of his enclosure Sunday and bit a boy Monday morning.
Just after 7:00 p.m., Sunday, a K-9 named Bocephus with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s department wandered from his home in the area of 21st Street North and 119th Street West, according to Lt. Tim Myers.
Around 10:30 p.m., a citizen found the K-9 in the area of 2100 N. Parkridge in Wichita, according to Myers.
A citizen put the K-9 on a leash and walked around the neighborhood trying to locate the owner of the dog. No one in the neighborhood claimed ownership of the dog. The citizen returned home and the dog was placed in the bedroom of a 14-year-old boy.
At approximately 5:30 a.m., the 14-year-old was walking the dog in the neighborhood in the area of 2000 N. Parkridge. While the boy was attempting to remove the leash, the dog bit the boy on his chest and face, according to Myers.
The boy returned home, and the dog remained outside. At approximately 6:00 a.m., the K-9 handler located the dog.
The boy was taken by his mother to the Wesley Minor Emergency Clinic for his minor injuries and returned home, according to Myers.
Area golfers named All-State
Several area girls’ golfers have earned All-State honors from the KGCA. Plainville’s Corbyn Marquess was named the First Team in Class 3-2-1A. TMP-Marian’s Haleigh Spray and Jenna Romme were named to the Second Team.
Hays High had two golfers named to the 5A All-State team. Taleia McCrae and Sophia Garrison were both honorable mention picks.
Rotary Club grocery run nets winner over $700 in Dillons merch
By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
On Thursday, the Sunrise Rotary Club in Hays sponsored the annual Grocery Grab at Dillons, 1902 Vine, netting Brenda Radke more than $705 in merchandise and funds for the club to continue improvements at Ekey Park.
During the run, Radke had five minutes to grab from the shelves.
“Chartered April 29, 2010, the Hays Sunrise Rotary Club is the newest service club in Hays. It is comprised of 20 men and women who are business, professional and community leaders with a shared commitment to make the world a better place through humanitarian service above self,” according to a press release for the event. “The club meets the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. at Augustine’s Bakery, “On The Bricks” on Main Street off 13th Street.”
HPD Activity Log Nov. 11-14
The Hays Police Department responded to 4 animal calls and conducted 9 traffic stops Mon., Nov. 11, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–27th and Woodrow Ct, Hays; 8:17 AM
Domestic Disturbance–2400 block Main St, Hays; 8/29 11 PM; 8/30 3 AM
Burglary/vehicle–500 block W 36th St, Hays; 11/10 7 PM; 11/11 8:30 AM
Battery – simple–1300 block Douglas Dr, Hays; 4:02 PM; 4:06 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–3400 block Vine St, Hays; 9:45 PM; 10:07 PM
The Hays Police Department responded to 4 animal calls and conducted 17 traffic stops Tue., Nov. 12, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.
Abandoned Vehicle–300 block W 23rd St, Hays; 1:46 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–100 block W 16th St, Hays; 8:39 AM
Found/Lost Property–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 9:46 AM
Suspicious Activity–200 block E 17th St, Hays; 10:11 AM; 10:27 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 11:32 AM
Welfare Check–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 12:06 PM
Custody Dispute–2700 block Epworth St, Hays; 1:26 PM
Found/Lost Property–1100 block E 8th St, Hays; 2:36 PM
Mental Health Call–2100 block E 21st St, Hays; 3:54 PM
Water Use Violation–500 block W 33rd St, Hays; 5 PM
Civil Dispute–1900 block Vine St, Hays; 7 PM; 7:20 PM
Domestic Disturbance–1300 block W 27th St, Hays; 10:40 PM; 10:47 PM
The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and conducted 17 traffic stops Wed., Nov. 13, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.
Mental Health Call–3300 block Vine St, Hays; 9:44 AM
Mental Health Call–2100 block E 21st St, Hays; 10:17 AM
Burglary/residence–200 block W 20th St, Hays; 12:49 PM
Animal At Large–1300 block Agnes Dr, Hays; 1:16 PM
Animal At Large–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 1:45 PM
Civil Dispute–500 block W 32nd St, Hays; 2:07 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–500 block W 20th St, Hays; 2:37 PM
Harassment, Telephone/FAX–1200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 11/10 12 AM; 11:59 PM
Mental Health Call–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 11/2 3:08 PM
Burglary/vehicle–6th and Halladay, Hays; 3:59 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–1000 block Reservation Rd, Hays; 10/31 4:21 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–1000 block Reservation Rd, Hays; 11/1 4:57 PM
Dead Animal Call–13th St and Commerce Pkwy, Hays; 6:16 PM
Found/Lost Property–2500 block Vine St, Hays; 9:52 PM
Suspicious Vehicle–1200 block E 27th St, Hays; 11:43 PM
The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and conducted 15 traffic stops Thu., Nov. 14, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.
Drug Offenses–500 block W 16th St, Hays; 3:01 AM
Found/Lost Property–1400 block Fort St, Hays; 11/10 8:27 AM
Found/Lost Property–Hays; 10:40 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–8th St and Vine St, Hays; 11:15 AM
MV Accident-Hit and Run–27th St and Vine St, Hays; 11:56 AM
Found/Lost Property–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 1:41 PM
Animal At Large–1200 block Vine St, Hays; 3:51 PM
Found/Lost Property–Hays; 4:09 PM
Sex Offense–Hays; 4:56 PM
Welfare Check–100 block W 4th St, Hays; 7:32 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–400 block W 13th St, Hays; 8/29 8 AM
Juvenile Complaint–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 8:55 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–1400 block E 29th St, Hays; 11/7 8 AM
Criminal Trespass–100 block W 7th St, Hays; 11:54 PM
The Hays Police Department responded to 4 animal calls and conducted 9 traffic stops Mon., Nov. 11, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.
The Post Podcast: Bright lights express fundraiser makes Christmas a bit easier while raising funds for the HACC
Vallene M. Immenschuh
Vallene M. Immenschuh, 77, passed away November 15, 2019 at The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus, Larned.
She was born February 14, 1942 in Great Bend, KS, the daughter of Louis J. and Meta A. Rankin Oetken. A longtime area resident, except for living in California from 1961 to 1983, she was co-owner of the Pelican Press.
She was a member of the Peace Lutheran Church and the ladies church group, both of Albert, KS. She enjoyed living in the country, gardening, reading, traveling and she especially enjoyed the wildlife.
On June 3, 1961, she married Carl Dean Immenschuh in Albert, Kansas. He died October 22, 2011.
Survivors include: two daughters, Lori (William) Rountree, Hutchinson, KS, Lani (Brian Fisher) Immenschuh, Melbourne, FL; brother, Gerald (Karen) Oetken, Larned, KS; sister, Rita Gagelman, Albert, KS; three grandchildren, Jason Hardin, Hutchinson, KS, Kelley Arter, Tacoma, WA, Zack Arter, Manhattan, KS; three great grandchildren, Jayden Hardin (Nicole Main), McKenna Hardin and Remmi Hardin.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, November 21, 2019, at Peace Lutheran Church, Albert, KS, with pastor Wayne Baldyga presiding. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 20, 2019, with family present from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned, KS. Burial will be in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery, Albert, KS.
Memorials may be given to the Peace Lutheran Church, Albert, The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus or Pawnee County Humane Society, both of Larned, in care of Beckwith Mortuary, P.O. Box 477 Larned, KS 67550. Condolences may be left at www.beckwithmortuary.com.