TOPEKA – The Kansas Republican party is proud to announce Jim Joice as Executive Director.
“It’s time to refocus, revamp, and re-engage,” said Chairman Kelly Arnold. “We are all too familiar with the Democrat’s devastating policies, and persistent attacks on our freedoms. We cannot allow them to take control of Congress or Topeka. We cannot become complacent in our recent success. We must continue to promote not only our Republican values, but our Kansas values. Jim Joice’s Kansas campaign and policy experience makes him perfectly suited for this task.”
Joice is a native of Leawood and attended Kansas University. He started his career working for Congressman Kevin Yoder on his official and campaign staff and then served with Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning’s office. He most recently served as campaign manager for gubernatorial candidate Mark Hutton.
“We will be challenged this year, and in typical Kansas Republican fashion, we will rise to the occasion. We will show up to the polls as a unified Republican party and we will win. We will retain our Congressional stronghold, we will retain residency at Cedar Crest, and we will retain and refill our majorities in the statehouse,” Joice said.
“We will be active on every ballot, top to bottom. One thing is certain, we will not get out worked,” Joice said.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a woman has been charged with helping to orchestrate the killing of her mother’s boyfriend at a northeast Kansas lake and her mother with helping cover up for her.
Ashlyn Hemmerling-Jefferson Co.
Eighteen-year-old Ashlyn Hemmerling is jailed on $1 million bond on a first-degree murder charge in the death of 22-year-old Taylor Sawyer, whose body was found March 14 at Perry Lake. Hemmerling’s mother, 37-year-old Sarah Hemmerling, is jailed on $100,000 bond on an obstruction charge.
Ashlyn Hemmerling’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Jonathan Blevins, also is charged with first-degree murder.
Sarah Hemmerling -photo Jefferson Co.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig says authorities believe Blevins pulled the trigger, Ashlyn Hemmerling helped orchestrate the homicide and Sarah Hemmerling helped her daughter disseminate a false story.
The suspects’ attorneys didn’t immediately return phone messages from The Associated Press.
THOMAS COUNTY –One person was injured in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Thomas County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Ford truck driven by Dustin L. Kibel, 33, Colby was southbound on Kansas Highway 25 at County Road DD.
The truck’s rear left dually tires came off and struck northbound 1999 Dodge truck diven by Rickey J. Romme, 60, Atwood, on the front bumper causing it to come to a stop.
The Ford continued to travel approximately 1,000 feet on the axel and finally came to a stop.
A passenger in the Dodge Susan M. Romme, 55, Atwood, was transported to the Citizen’s Medical Center in Colby. The drivers were not injured.
The occupants of the Dodge were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are considering legislation that would prevent the state from forcing faith-based adoption agencies to place children into homes that violate their religious beliefs. Critics predict the bill would lead to discrimination against would-be LGBT parents.
Rep. Susan Humphries
Two identical bills, each dubbed the Adoption Protection Act , are under consideration in House and Senate committees, and each panel finished two days of hearings Wednesday. The bills would allow faith-based agencies contracting with the Department of Children and Families to deny adoptions to applicants based on sexual orientation or gender identity without fear of punishment from the state.
Republican Rep. Susan Humphries of Wichita co-sponsors the bill and said a primary purpose behind it is to get Kansas a step ahead of potential lawsuits that have been filed against faith-based agencies in other states.
“In some states just the threat of legal action has caused agencies to shut down because they can’t afford to fight the battle,” said Austin Vincent, a Topeka attorney who supports the bill.
Tom Witt, lobbyist for the LGBT-rights group Equality Kansas, said the bill would allow private entities to receive taxpayer dollars even as they discriminate against same sex Kansans.
“These private agencies want to turn families away that don’t meet their religious definition of what a family is,” Witt said. “In other words, Jesus told them we’re not good enough.”
The bill says its provisions would not apply to current contracts between adoption agencies and DCF, but Witt said those contracts will soon expire.
DCF contracts directly with two of the state’s 31 licensed adoption agencies, KVC Behavioral Health Care and Saint Francis Community Services, but others help place abused and neglected children in state foster care into adoptive homes.
Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel told both committees in written testimony that the department supports the bill, even though she also has publicly pledged to legislators that DCF will not discriminate against same-sex couples.
Supporters of the bill said it is not intended to limit anyone’s rights but to help guarantee religious freedom for faith-based agencies and those who seek them out.
“This is not a bill that adds burdens,” Humphries said. “This is a bill that takes them away.”
Meier-Hummel said the lack of protections for faith-based groups may keep some adoption agencies from coming to Kansas.
Other supporters said rejecting the bill will increase the load on Kansas’ already overburdened foster care system by potentially reducing adoptions. If faith-based institutions have to choose between violating their religious beliefs or shutting down, they will likely choose the latter. If they don’t choose to shut down, litigation brought against them will force it, Vincent said.
Several states have passed similar legislation, recently including Alabama, South Dakota and Texas. Despite the new Texas law, two female Texas A&M professors sued in February , alleging they were turned away from adopting refugee children on religious grounds from an agency receiving public funds.
In other parts of the country, the American Civil Liberties Union has taken adoption agencies to court over similar policies. ACLU of Kansas says it would be willing to do so as well.
“This act is an effort to try and limit the constitutional protections for LGBTQ people as much as possible,” Vignesh Ganapathy, ACLU of Kansas policy director, said in an interview. “It will open up the possibility of significant litigation as they try and determine what counts as a sincerely held religious belief.”
Ganapathy said the bill would put an agency’s faith before its function of doing what is best for the individual child.
SHAWNEE COUNTY —Fire crews in and around Topeka are mourning the loss of the Topeka Fire department’s Accelerant Detection K-9 (Webster) to a sudden illness.
photo courtesy Topeka Fire Dept.
Webster was found suffering from an unknown illness on Wednesday morning and was taken to his local veterinarian for treatment. Webster was transferred to Kansas State University Animal Hospital where he died at approximately 1pm.
Webster began his service with the Topeka Fire Department in 2014 and was certified by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Department of Justice as an Accelerant Detection K-9. Webster responded throughout the City of Topeka and the State of Kansas to assist investigators in the detection of ignitable liquids at fire scenes. He participated in many local events to promote the fire department and educate the public in fire safety. K-9 Webster was 6 ½ years old.
He was a valued member of the Topeka Fire Department and will be missed.
WAKEENEY – On March 10, 2018, Landon Ray Beesley, of Collyer was arrested by the Trego County Sheriff’s Department on the suspicion of arson. He later bonded out on a $32,500 bond.
Beesley, was formally charged March 21 by the Trego County Attorney’s Office with two counts of arson, according to a news release from Trego County Attorney Christopher Lyon.
The charges stem from an ongoing investigation by the Trego County Sheriff’s Department regarding incidents on Feb. 12, 2017, allegedly involving hay bales, and on March 10, 2018, allegedly involving pasture ground. Both incidents were in rural Trego County near Collyer.
Beesley is scheduled to make a first appearance before District Magistrate Judge Richard A. Flax on April 18 at 9:00 a.m.
Beesley has been serving as a volunteer firefighter with the Trego County Rural Fire and Rescue Department. He has been placed on immediate suspension by the fire department pending the outcome of the investigation.
Terms of the suspension include that he not be on any Trego County Rural Fire Department property or equipment, or respond to any fire calls. Beesley is also not allowed to have any contact with members of the fire department.
Lyon added that the arrest and charging of an individual are merely an allegation of criminal wrongdoing. All defendants maintain a presumption of innocence unless or until proven guilty in court of law.
Alexis Diane Garcia, age 24, of Plainville, Kansas, passed away Monday, March 19, 2018 in Plainville.
Alexis was a correctional Officer for the State of Kansas Department of Corrections.
Funeral services will be 10 AM Saturday, April 24, 2018 at St Francis Cabrini Catholic Church in Hoxie, Kansas. Private family inurnment will be in the St. Martin Cemetery in Seguin, Kansas.
Visitation will be Friday 7 PM – 9 PM at the church.
Arrangements in care of Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence police officer who was accidentally shot during a training exercise is out of the hospital.
The police department says the officer was shot Monday afternoon at a police lodge southwest of the city.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports a preliminary investigation found the shooting occurred when equipment became entangled in a trigger guard, causing the officer’s gun to fire. The department did not explain what type of equipment was involved.
Officer Drew Fennelly said Tuesday no crime was involved. The department is investigating to determine if any policies were violated.
Fennelly would not release the officer’s name but said he was a two-year veteran.
The shooting occurred during on-duty, state-required firearms training.
ROOKS COUNTY– The investigation conducted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Plainville Police Department, and the Rooks County Sheriff’s Office has led to an arrest in connection to the death of Alexis Garcia, age 24, of Plainville.
Alifonso Eduardo Garcia, age 35, husband of Alexis Garcia was arrested at 5 a.m. on Mar. 19 by Plainville Police Department for first degree murder. Formal charges will be determined by the Kansas Attorney General’s office.
Garcia is currently hospitalized and is being held on a million dollar bond.
This investigation is ongoing. No further information will be released at this time.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the alleged use of Facebook data to influence the U.S. presidential election (all times local):
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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is admitting mistakes and outlining steps to protect user data in light of privacy scandal involving a Trump-connected data-mining firm.
Zuckerberg is breaking more than four days of silence as he posts an update about the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Zuckerberg posted on his Facebook page Wednesday that Facebook has a “responsibility” to protect its users’ data, and “if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you.”
Zuckerberg and Facebook’s No. 2 executive, Sheryl Sandberg, have been quiet since news broke Friday that Cambridge may have used data improperly obtained from roughly 50 million Facebook users to try to sway elections.
A new social work cohort program from Garden City Community College and Fort Hays State University will begin in fall 2018 for students interested in studying social work in the Garden City area.
The three-year cohort program, which will begin in August 2018, is a partnership between GCCC and Fort Hays State for individuals who wish to complete their social work degree from FHSU. The cohort program provides an opportunity for individuals in Southwest Kansas to complete a Bachelor of Social Work degree without having to leave their homes and jobs. Students will complete classes online and one evening a week from 6 to 9 p.m. in the GCCC academic building.
FHSU’s Department of Social Work offers the development of skills and knowledge that enables individuals to help others. The department offers significant resources for students including various student organizations and research support. Hands-on experiences through clinical, service and internship opportunities are also available.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has filed a complaint in federal court on behalf of a Wichita man who said he was targeted because he is Muslim and was falsely accused of flying a terrorist flag.
The ACLU said in a news release Monday that it filed a complaint against the Spirit/Boeing Employees’ Association, or SBEA, on behalf of Munir Zanial, who works at Spirit AeroSystems.
The flag of Malaysia
SBEA is a member-owned nonprofit open to current or former Spirit and Boeing employees, according to its website. It is not affiliated with Spirit AeroSystems.
The complaint says an SBEA employee reported to Spirit’s security team that Zanial and people in “Muslim garb” had held an ISIS meeting in September 2017 on SBEA property. SBEA later revoked Zainal’s right to use the group’s property.
Zanial said the gathering was to celebrate an Islamic holiday and Malaysia’s independence day.
Trish Pulliam, SBEA’s executive director, said Monday the group had not received any paperwork regarding the complaint. She said without knowing the details outlined in the complaint, she could not comment.
Zanial has lived in Wichita since 2011, according to the court filing. He earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Wichita State University and is a senior stress engineer at Spirit.
He is a native of Malaysia and a permanent resident of the United States.
“To label someone a terrorist due to their appearance and their celebration of their heritage is shameful, but to continue to use that mislabel as grounds for blatant discrimination — even after it had been discredited by the FBI — is downright reprehensible,” Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, said in a statement.
In the complaint filed in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., Zanial alleges the following took place:
He had rented SBEA’s recreational lake in south Wichita on Sept. 2, 2017, to celebrate Eid-Al Adhara — a Muslim holy day — and Malaysian independence day with about 45 guests.
An SBEA employee reported the gathering to Spirit’s security team, saying Zanial may be affiliated with radical Islamic terrorism and used the property to hold an ISIS meeting.
The employee also reported that an American flag had been “desecrated by ISIS insignia” and that people at the property were wearing “Muslim garb.”
Spirit forwarded the report to the FBI, which determined the desecrated flag actually was the national flag of Malaysia. After talking with Zanial, the FBI closed its investigation shortly after receiving the complaint.
Zanial said he continued to pay membership dues to SBEA — about $14 a month — but was told in January 2018 when he tried to rent a pavilion that his membership rights had been restricted.
Zanial is seeking to have his membership restored. He also is seeking damages from SBEA and payment of his attorneys’ fees.
Tom Shine is the director of news and public affairs KMUW, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @thomaspshine. Stephan Bisaha contributed to this report.
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