SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and have a suspect in custody.
Cowling photo Sedgwick Co.
Just after 2p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call of shots fired in the 800 block of South Terrance in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.
At the scene, officers found the home had been struck multiple times by gunfire. A 20-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man inside the residence told police someone shot at the residence but they were not injured. Officers did determine that the woman had been wounded in the abdomen.
She was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to Wheeler.
Witnesses described the suspect and police located 23-year-old Tristyn Cowling. They arrested him without incident. Investigators learned that the disturbance at the home was not random and probably drug related, according to Wheeler.
Cowling is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling.
MCPHERSON— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon who was believed to driving a stolen vehicle from Wichita.
Huffman photo McPherson Co.
On Tuesday, a McPherson County deputy attempted to stop the vehicle with two men inside on a seat belt violation in the parking lot of the 24/7 Travel Store in the 2200 Block of Kansas Avenue in McPherson, according to a media release.
The driver, later identified as 38-year-old Michael Huffman, refused to stop which lead to a chase through parts of McPherson, ending in the 400 block of Hartup.
Once stopped, the two occupants ran from the vehicle. Deputies located and arrested Michael Huffman. The passenger remains at large.
Huffman has previous convictions for theft, burglary and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He is being held on requested charges for possession of stolen property, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, flee or attempt to elude, theft, interference with law enforcement, marijuana possession and two warrants for failure to appear.
Two schools were temporarily placed on lockdown due to safety concerns.
Path of the Dickinson, Geary County tornado -NWS image
TOPEKA —The National Weather Service survey crews have completed their work reviewing tornadoes from Tuesday.
The first tornado reported occurred at 4:32p.m. in Dickinson County and was rated and EF1, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado produced peak winds of 105 miles per hour and traveled over 7 miles.
The second intermittent tornado in Dickinson and Geary Counties that passed northwest of Junction City has been rated EF0. It was estimated 150 yards wide and traveled approximately 17 miles, according to the National Weather Service.
Just after 7p.m., an EF1 tornado was reported southwest of Oneida in Nemaha County. It traveled approximately 3 miles, according to the National Weather Service.
Tornado that traveled across Dickinson and Geary County Tuesday photo courtesy Rick Dykstra
An EF3 tornado also was reported in Nemaha County at 7:20p.m. It had maximum winds of 140 miles per hour and traveled almost 6 miles.
The National Weather Service also reported an EF2 tornado in Jackson County just after 6:30p.m. Tuesday along with an EF0 tornado north of Topeka that is responsible for tree and power line damage.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NFL has announced that Kansas City has been selected to host the 2023 NFL Draft. The announcement was made today at the annual Spring League Meeting in Key Biscayne, FL following a review of the proposal by the Super Bowl & Major Events Advisory Committee and full ownership.
The 2023 NFL Draft will take place in Kansas City in the iconic area around Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial and will bring together fans to celebrate one of the most-anticipated sports events of the year.
In celebration of this announcement, buildings and landmarks within the Kansas City skyline will be decorated in red light tonight. A local press conference will be held on Thursday, May 23 at 8:30am at Harvey’s in the Grand Hall at Union Station. Representatives from the City of Kansas City, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Sports Commission will be available to answer questions. Please click here to access supporting images and video.
“We are excited to work with the Kansas City Chiefs, the City of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Sports Commission to showcase the area for a week-long celebration of football that will be watched by millions of fans,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We know Chiefs fans will come out to celebrate along with thousands of fans from teams around the country for an incredible experience as we welcome the next
generation of NFL players.”
As part of the event, the NFL Draft Experience – a massive free football festival – will allow fans of all teams to participate and test their football skills, enjoy interactive exhibits and autograph sessions, and take pictures with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Draft Experience will be open all three days of the event.
“This is a historic day for Kansas City and Chiefs Kingdom, and we are thrilled to be named the host city for the 2023 NFL Draft,” says Clark Hunt, Chairman & CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs. “Today’s announcement would not have been possible without the tireless work of Kathy Nelson, the Kansas City Sports Commission and the Kansas City civic community. It was a tremendous team effort, and we look forward to continuing to work together to showcase Kansas City on the national stage in 2023. Chiefs Kingdom is home to the most passionate fans in the world, and I know they will make Kansas City proud as the host of one of the NFL’s premiere events.”
“Kansas City and Chiefs Kingdom are thrilled to have been selected by the NFL to host this prestigious event,” says Kathy Nelson, President & CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission. “Hometown pride runs deep in the Midwest. We are excited to show the world our unparalleled passion for sports – especially our passion for professional football. Fans from every corner of the country should look forward to experiencing Kansas City’s hospitality, our vibrant food scene, innovative neighborhoods, historic attractions and a whole lot of fun in 2023. Thank you to our city leaders, our community partners and the Kansas City Chiefs for the collaborative effort in attracting the NFL Draft to our region.”
The NFL Draft has become one of the biggest and most-anticipated sporting events of the year. The 2019 Draft reached new heights and record numbers as the highest-rated and most-watched Draft ever, eclipsing previous records set in 2018. The 2019 Draft was broadcast over three days and attracted more than 47.5 million total viewers and over 600,000 in attendance. The NFL Draft achieved a combined 3.9 HH rating and average of 6.1 million viewers across the broadest distribution including NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as NFL and ESPN digital and social properties.
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Brad Keller pitched seven-plus innings of two-hit baseball, Jorge Soler hit a three-run homer and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader.
Severe storms around St. Louis forced Tuesday night’s game to be postponed and created the day-night twinbill.
Keller (3-5) snapped a six-start winless streak. He pitched around leadoff walks in the first, second and fourth innings and had retired 12 of 13 batters before Matt Carpenter walked and Paul Goldschmidt singled to start the eighth, ending Keller’s day.
Keller matched his longest outing of the season. He struck out three, walked four and hit two batters.
Kevin McCarthy relieved and gave up a two-run double to Marcell Ozuna. The Cardinals finished with four hits, two by Matt Wieters.
Soler’s drive into the left field seats off Michael Wacha (3-2) capped a six-run third and made it 7-0. Wacha has allowed 18 earned runs and 30 hits in 25 1/3 innings in five starts since returning from the injured list with left knee patellar tendinitis.
Whit Merrifield had two hits, drove in a run and scored once. Nicky Lopez reached three times and scored twice and Hunter Dozier hit a pair of sacrifice flies.
ROSTER MOVES
Royals: McCarthy, a right-hander, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha after RHP Heath Fillmyer was optioned on Sunday. RHP Jake Newberry will be the 26th man for the second game.
Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson cleared waivers and was given his unconditional release, making him a free agent. OF Lane Thomas will be the 26th man for the second game.
UP NEXT
RHP Homer Bailey (4-4, 5.36 ERA) will get the start for the Royals in the nightcap against RHP Adam Wainwright (3-4, 4.75 ERA). Bailey is 5-16 with a 5.56 ERA against St. Louis. Wainwright will be facing Kansas City for the first time since 2016.
Donna Mae (Wilson) Thomas, 57, of Curtis Road unexpectedly passed away Sunday morning, May 12, 2019, at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Donna was born May 8, 1062, in Denver, the daughter of Louie James Wilson and the late Shirley Marie (Jandreau) Scholl. She was a graduate of Potsdam High School.
Donna lived in Kansas for many years, where she was the manager of the Subway in WaKeeney for 11 years. She enjoyed traveling throughout the West, greatly enjoyed helping others and had a love for painting and flower gardening.
In October, she moved back to Potsdam to cherish time with her grandchildren and family.
Donna is survived by her sons and their wives, Karson and Johnielle Thomas and Kurt and Kate Thomas, all of Potsdam; her grandchildren Myla, Kyle, Kollin and Kinsley; her sisters Diane Wilson of Kansas, Deeta Wilson of Colorado and Edith Kester of Kansas; her brother Edward Scholl Jr. of Kansas; companion Bob Connelly of Kansas; her father Louis of Pennsylvania; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her mother, she was predeceased by her step-father Edward Scholl.
Please join us for a celebration for Donna Thomas on June 8 at 6 p.m. at Mike’s Place, 111 N. Sixth, WaKeeney.
Memorials are suggested to the nearest pet shelter.
Hays High placed five players on the All-Western Athletic Conference softball team. Seniors Jaysa Wichers and Kaitlyn Brown were named to the first team. Juniors Macee Altman, Madelyn Waddell and Cassidy Prough are honorable mention picks.
Brown led the Indians with 25 hits and a .424 batting average. She went 1-1 in the circle with eight strikeouts and four walks.
Wichers tied for the team lead with 20 RBI and was second on the team with six doubles. She went 7-7 in the circle with a team-low 3.06 ERA. Wichers struck out 102 while walking 23.
Altman led the team with eight doubles and two triples and was tied for the team lead with 20 RBI while hitting .364.
Waddell hit .404 and hit a team-best three home runs.
Prough was second on the team with a .410 batting average.
Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery at WaKeeney, 403 S. 13th, WaKeeney
15th annual Memorial Day Service Mon., May 27, 2019 at 10 a.m.
Guest speaker: Major Jason Davee, Kansas Army National Guard
Featuring:
Kansas National Guard Color and Honor Guard
Cavalry re-enactment troop under the direction of Jake Bauer
American Legion Riders
Music by Hays High Plains Barbershop Chapter Chorus, Larry Henderson and Leeann Sheaer
Echo Taps by Travis Phillips
Bagpipes by Rev. Randy Gibbs
WaKeeney VFW Auxiliary with Linda Pfeifer and Charlotte Goff
Rev. Jon Anderson, Chaplain
North gates will be open for additional parking. Seating is limited. Lawn chairs are welcome.
Michael W. “Mike” Merriam, 66, formerly of Topeka, passed away on May 19, 2019 in Andrews, TX.
He was born on November 25, 1952 in Topeka, the son of John E Merriam Jr. and Charlotte (Sawyer) Merriam.
He graduated from Topeka West High School, University of Kansas and went on to earn his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Washburn University School of Law.
Mike was admitted to bar 1976, Kansas; also admitted to practice before U.S. District Court, District of Kansas; U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. He was a member of the Topeka Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association, Topeka Lawyers Club, Jayhawkers Club.
Mike practiced business, media, communication and First Amendment law during his 40 year career.
He married Paula Crowther on November 17, 1973, she survives. Other survivors include children, John P Merriam, Dr. Margaret Merriam & husband Dr. Carlos Molina, and Katherine Merriam; grandchildren, Sam Merriam, Parker Merriam, Elaina Merriam-Molina, Grace Merriam-Molina and Warren Merriam-Molina ; he is also survived by sisters, Linda McBride, Dianne Becket, Nancy McDonald, Sally Merriam.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents; and grandparents, Grace and John E. Merriam.
No public services will be held. Private burial will take place at Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka.
Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel is handling arrangements.
Dorothy Mann passed away on May 13, 2019, at the age of 90.
She was born to Dave and Geneva (Ulrich) Bollinger on April 26, 1929. She along with her younger sister, Norma, lived on the family farm near the Smoky Hill River, 20 miles south of Quinter. Mostly via horseback, she attended a one-room schoolhouse that was “over the river and up the hill”.
She lived in town with her Uncle Manford Ulrich and wife, Vera, during high school and graduated from Quinter High School in 1946. She graduated from Cosmetology School in Topeka, KS after which she returned to Quinter to marry her high school sweetheart, Austin Mann on April 17, 1947.
Her first employment was keeping books at the Quinter Sale Barn one night a week. She was employed at Quinter Elementary School as a secretary where she enjoyed many colorful years working with the principal, Willis Neal. Later she was a teller at the First National Bank of Quinter. She was skilled in record keeping and balance sheets leading her to volunteer to be the secretary for most every organization she ever joined.
An avid reader and life-long learner, she was an enthusiastic supporter of the Jay Johnson Public Library in Quinter, along with active participation in the Gove County Medical Center Auxiliary. Dorothy spent countless hours gardening, playing bridge, watching KSU football games on her computer and making countless sack lunches for harvests.
She was a long-time member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Quinter as well as their Sylvia Society.
She leaves behind family and friends from throughout the region who celebrated her 90th birthday with her two weeks prior to her passing.
She leaves behind her sister, Norma (Bollinger) Chestnut and husband, Sam of Quinter, KS; children Deanna (Mann) Schwab and husband, Steve of Chico, CA, and Dave Mann and wife, Roetta of Quinter, KS.
Grandchildren include Shane Mann, wife Mary Jo, children Barrett and Carson, of Quinter, KS; Tracey Mann, wife Audrey, children Quincy, Austin, Whitney and Elise of Salina, KS; and Tara Jo Mann of Grapevine, TX.
He husband, Austin, and infant daughter, Diana Sue, preceded her in death.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2019, at the Quinter United Methodist Church, 218 W 4th Street, Quinter, Kansas 67752
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Reformed Presbyterian Church and Gove County Medical Center Auxiliary. Donations to the organization may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 South Main, Quinter, KS 67752.
CHENEY, Kan. — The Bureau of Land Management has opened the flood gates at Cheney Reservoir as the lake rose to a near record level of 1,430 feet above sea level. With that, the gates were opened slightly around 6 a.m. Plans are to increase the outflow over the rest of the day Wednesday.
Sedgwick County says release water will flow first along the 15 miles of the North Fork of the Ninnescah River from below the dam “to the confluence with the South Fork,” according to a news release from the county. That area is quickly flooding from the release and will continue to do so.
The Army Corps of Engineers determined Tuesday afternoon that the gates would stay closed, but when the lake quickly rose above the flood pool, the Bureau of Land Management took authority over the lake and made the decision to open the gates. Officials are warning people downstream from Cheney that flooding is likely and residents in flood-prone areas should take precautions.
As of 9 a.m., the lake level was at 1,429.8 feet with a spillway release of about 1,280 cubic feet per second. The lake is still taking in about 9,000 cubic feet per second from runoff and the Ninnescah River.
Planned Parenthood Great Plains, based in Overland Park sued one day after Kansas moved to terminate its participation in the Medicaid program. FILE PHOTO
So Kansas hired three high-powered East Coast law firms to defend it in a case that would slog on for nearly three years before Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration agreed to drop the termination effort in April.
The case dates back to the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican who vowed to defund Planned Parenthood after he accused it of profiting from the sale of fetal tissue.
The state’s legal defense cost taxpayers at least $899,000, according to records obtained by KCUR through the Kansas Open Records Act.
One of the law firms retained by Kansas — Washington, D.C.,-based Consovoy McCarthy Park — represents President Donald Trump in a lawsuit seeking to block his accounting firm from complying with a congressional subpoena of Trump’s financial records. (A federal judge on Monday ruled that the accounting firm must comply with the subpoena.)
A boutique firm boasting several former U.S. Supreme Court law clerks, Consovoy McCarthy billed more than $396,000 for its work on the Medicaid termination case from August 2016 through August 2018, invoices from the firm show.
One of the biggest law firms in the world, Norton Rose Fulbright, billed Kansas more than $471,000 for work it performed during the same two-year span.
And a third firm specializing in litigation, Cooper & Kirk, billed nearly $31,000 for a month’s worth of work in June 2016. (The firm had initially billed $61,910, but a note on the invoice states it was “renegotiated per Governor’s office 12/22/16.”)
Law firm invoices typically provide detailed descriptions of the services they rendered. However, those portions of the invoices were blacked out in the copies obtained by KCUR. So it’s unclear what work the firms performed for the money.
Katelyn Radloff, an attorney with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the defendant in the case, told KCUR in an email that the redacted portions fell under the attorney-client privilege exception to the Kansas Open Records Act.
Ordinarily, the state attorney general’s office defends Kansas in suits brought against it or its agencies. But occasionally — and especially in matters involving complex litigation — the state hires outside counsel to represent it.
A spokesman for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt did not respond to questions about why the state chose to hire outside counsel in this case rather than have the attorney general’s office defend the case.
Ashley All, a spokeswoman for Kelly, made clear in an email that the newly elected governor regarded the case as a waste.
“Multiple courts ruled against the previous administration’s effort to remove Planned Parenthood as a KanCare provider,” All said. “To continue with this costly litigation would be unwise and out of step with the priorities of Kansas. Governor Kelly is focused on expanding healthcare options to women, not limiting them.”
It’s not clear how many patients would have been affected, or how much money Planned Parenthood would have lost, had Kanas succeeded in its effort to cut off its Medicaid funding. But a similar — and so far successful — effort by the state of Missouri has affected several thousand Planned Parenthood patients.
Video release
Kansas was originally represented in the case by Stephen R. McAllister, a former University of Kansas Law School dean who served as Kansas solicitor general for more than a decade before becoming U.S. Attorney for Kansas in 2018.
McAllister, however, withdrew from the case without explanation less than two weeks after the suit was filed by Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri (now Planned Parenthood Great Plains) and Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, which had a handful of patients in Kansas.
But in his State of the State address in January 2016, Brownback accused Planned Parenthood of trafficking in “baby body parts” and vowed to defund Planned Parenthood. The state made good on his threat on May 3, 2016, when the Kansas Department of Health and Environment notified Planned Parenthood that it was terminating its Medicaid contract.
Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri and Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region sued the next day. At every stage of the case, the state lost.
After Kansas appealed, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February 2018 ruled that states may not cut off health care providers from Medicaid “for any reason they see fit, especially when that reason is unrelated to the provider’s competence and the quality of the healthcare it provides.”
The high court’s decision to stay out of the issue let stand decisions by five federal appeals courts that have ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood and one federal appeals court that has ruled against it.
While Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates health centers in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma, never lost its Kansas Medicaid funding, the story is different in Missouri.
A year ago, that state suspended Medicaid reimbursement payments to the organization’s affiliates in Missouri, saying the suspension was required by a provision in the 2018 state budget cutting off funds for abortion providers and counselors.
The move affected about 7,000 Medicaid patients who relied on Planned Parenthood’s 11 Missouri clinics for health services, including cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted infections and birth control.
Although federal law already barred the use of Medicaid funds for abortions, Missouri cut off funding for all of Planned Parenthood’s services.
Kate Maxcy, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said that while the affiliates technically remained in the Medicaid program, they haven’t been reimbursed for services for nearly a year.
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies
