WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is fighting the compensation claim of a man who spent 23 years in prison for a double homicide before a judge vacated his convictions, which were secured despite a complete lack of physical evidence and motive tying him to the crimes.

Lamonte McIntyre’s case was one of three that helped prompt the state last year to allow the wrongfully convicted to seek compensation. When signing that bill into law, then-Gov. Jeff Colyer publicly apologized to McIntyre and the other men.

The state attorney general’s office supported the other two men’s petitions for compensation and a declaration of innocence, but it issued a statement saying it couldn’t do so for McIntyre because it found “the record of prior judicial proceedings” in his case to be “insufficient.” It said it will be up to the court to decide and recommended that the court deny McIntyre’s claim.

McIntyre’s lawyer blasted the move, saying the attorney general’s office could conduct its own investigation into McIntyre’s case.

According to a media release, the gift recognizes the work of renowned car restorer, Paul Russell and Company, and was announced at a private event hosted by McPherson College at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Russell serves as president of the college’s national advisory board for automotive restoration.  

“We are committed to McPherson’s automotive restoration program, particularly since it is the only four-year program like it in the country,” Melanie Lundquist said. “The college strives to provide the best student experiences. We really enjoy the collaborative partnership we have developed with the college.”

Paul Russell and Company restored a 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Figoni and Falaschi Teardrop Cabriolet owned by the Lundquists that took top honors in Most Elegant Convertible class and was among four contenders for the Best of Show at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours.

“Having just gone through a concours-quality restoration project, the Lundquists appreciate the value of craftsmanship and understand the importance of educating the next generation of craftsmen,” Amanda Gutierrez, vice president for automotive restoration at McPherson College. “We are grateful that they have recognized McPherson College as an institution worthy of their support.”

Chris Hammond, a McPherson College graduate, was senior mechanical restorer on the project, and Paul Russell and Company currently employ three McPherson College graduates. Russell is a champion of educating the next generation of craftsmen and has been a long-time supporter of the McPherson College program.

“McPherson College is honored to be recognized with this gift from Richard and Melanie,” President Michael Schneider said. “This gift is evidence that the quality of education provided at McPherson College is valued. Our entire campus works hard providing outstanding educational opportunities and career experiences. This is a signal to the industry that we are committed to excellence and it takes people like the Lundquists stepping up to help us drive the future of this industry.”

The McPherson College Automotive Restoration program began in 1976 with funding from local entrepreneur, Gaines “Smokey” Billue, and has evolved into a nationally recognized and award-winning leader in restoration education, offering the only four-year bachelor’s degree for restoration technology in the country. The program offers student experience outside of the classroom at some of the most prestigious car events in the United States, like Pebble Beach. The college also has a growing alumni base who work in all facets of the car collecting world including Hagerty, Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, Historic Vehicle Association, RM Sotheby’s, in their own shops, and private collections.

SEDGWICK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attempted murder and have made an arrest.

Just after 10a.m. Monday police at the patrol north station in Wichita were contacted by a 30-year-old man who had been shot twice, according to officer Charley Davidson.

EMS transported  the man to an area hospital for treatment.

An investigation has revealed that a suspect later identified as 31-year-old Charles Shely of Wichita, the victim and a 48-year-old acquaintance were traveling northbound in a 1993 Ford Explorer on Interstate 135 near 21^st Street.

During a disturbance Shely pulled out a handgun and shot the victim, according to Davidson.

The driver pulled to the side of the road and Shely fled on foot from the SUV. The driver then took the victim to the patrol north station. A KHP trooper located Shely in the 2500 Block of North Kansas Avenue and took him into custody. Police also located a handgun in the vehicle.

Shely is being held on $250,000 bond on a requested charge of attempted first-degree murder, according to online jail records.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A teenager who brought a gun to Lawrence High School has been sentenced to nine months of probation.

The boy was sentenced Wednesday after pleading no contest in June in juvenile court to misdemeanor criminal use of a weapon.

Charges stem from an incident on Feb. 6, when the boy was called to an assistant principal’s office when he threw his school-issued laptop at a door.

Prosecutor Bryant Barton has said the assistant principal found a loaded handgun in the boy’s bag.

The district says no students or staff were threatened with the gun.

Another teenager who brought a loaded gun to the school a week after this incident pleaded no contest to the same misdemeanor charge and was sentenced in July to six months of probation.

TOPEKA —The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) is collecting data and analyzing recent injection well activity in Reno County in an effort to uncover the cause of a series of earthquakes in the Hutchinson area. Amid damage reports and a concern for public safety, the KCC is conducting an investigation and will evaluate whether additional action is needed to safeguard Kansans.

In 2015, the KCC issued an order reducing injection rates in portions of Harper and Sumner counties after the number of earthquakes in that area began to trend upward. In 2016, the Commission issued a second order limiting injection in additional areas of Harper and Sumner as well as parts of Kingman, Sedgwick and Barber counties when earthquake activity there started to rise.

The area currently under study in Reno County focuses primarily on Arbuckle Formation depth wells and involves both Class ll oil and gas industry injection wells regulated by the KCC and Class l wells regulated by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).

Class ll wells are used to inject fluids associated with oil and natural gas production into deep confined rock formations. There are two types of Class ll injection wells: disposal wells and secondary/enhanced recovery injection wells. Disposal wells are used to inject produced fluids into rock formations that do not produce oil or gas. Typically, the injection formations are isolated from usable quality groundwater and are sealed above and below by cementing steel casing into the unbroken and impermeable well bore and rock formations within the well. Secondary/enhanced recovery injection wells are used to inject produced fluids back into formations/reservoirs that contain oil or gas. These formations are also isolated from usable quality groundwater. The injection of produced fluid back into potentially productive formations often allows for the increased recovery of oil or gas reserves.

Class l wells are used to inject hazardous and non-hazardous industrial and municipal wastewater into deep, confined rock formations. Disposal typically occurs thousands of feet below the lower most underground source of drinking water (USDW). Industries that utilize Class I wells include: refining, metal production, chemical manufacturing, pharmaceutical industry, commercial disposal, food production and municipal wastewater treatment.[1] Nearly all Class I disposal wells in Kansas inject into the Arbuckle Formation.[2]

To fully evaluate all injection activity in Reno County, the KCC staff is working with other state agencies to collect information regarding well construction, depths, injection volumes, pressures, maintenance practices and any new injection well activity in the area. This investigation and evaluation process is ongoing and dependent upon the complexity of the evolving fact finding process. Accordingly, a precise timeline for completing the investigation has not yet been determined.

WASHINGTON – A researcher at the University of Kansas (KU) was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of hiding the fact he was working full time for a Chinese university while doing research at KU funded by the U.S. government.

Feng “Franklin” Tao, 47, Lawrence, Kansas, an associate professor at KU’s Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis (CEBC), is charged with one count of wire fraud and three counts of program fraud. He was employed since August 2014 by the CEBC, whose mission is to conduct research on sustainable technology to conserve natural resources and energy.

“Tao is alleged to have defrauded the US government by unlawfully receiving federal grant money at the same time that he was employed and paid by a Chinese research university—a fact that he hid from his university and federal agencies,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers for National Security. “Any potential conflicts of commitment by a researcher must be disclosed as required by law and university policies. The Department will continue to pursue any unlawful failure to do so.”

The indictment alleges that in May 2018 Tao signed a five-year contract with Fuzhou University in China that designated him as a Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor. The contract required him to be a full time employee of the Chinese university. While Tao was under contract with Fuzhou University, he was conducting research at KU that was funded through two U.S. Department of Energy contracts and four National Science Foundation contracts.

Kansas Board of Regents’ policy requires staff to file an annual conflict of interest report. In Tao’s reports to KU, he falsely claimed to have no conflicts of interest. The indictment alleges that he fraudulently received more than $37,000 in salary paid for by the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the wire fraud count, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the program fraud counts.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the assigned judge.

The University of Kansas cooperated and assisted in the FBI’s investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi is prosecuting.