RENO COUNTY ­—  An earthquake shook portions of Kansas early Thursday.

The quake just before 5a.m. measured a magnitude 3.4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.  The quake was centered approximately 3 miles west of south Hutchinson.

On March 1, the U.S.G.S. reported a 3.1 magnitude quake four miles northwest of South Hutchinson.

There are no reports of damage or injury from Thursday’s quake.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An inmate at the Shawnee County Jail who attacked an officer will spend an additional 25 years in prison.

Twenty-seven-year-old Allen Thomas Schroeder Jr. was sentenced Wednesday for attempted second-degree murder for attacking corrections officer Lacy Noll with a shank in April 2017.

Noll suffered cuts and facial injuries.

At the time of the assault, Schroeder was awaiting sentencing in an unrelated attempted aggravated battery charge. He was sentenced to 16 months in that case, which Schroeder must serve before the 25-year term.

Noll testified earlier that Schroeder became upset because everyone in the module was on lockdown. She told him she was going to write him up for screaming at other inmates to file grievances and Schroeder attacked while she was on the phone.

TOPEKA— A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday against a Topeka man who is accused of driving a getaway car in two armed robberies, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Justin Alexander McClelland, 30, Topeka, Kan., is charged with two counts of aiding and abetting robbery and two counts of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a robbery. The first robbery count alleges McClelland took part in a robbery on Jan. 6, 2017, at Plato’s Closet, 1580 S.W. Wanamaker Road in Topeka. The second robbery count alleges he took part in a robbery on Jan. 20, 2017, at Kentucky Fried Chicken, 1812 N.W. Topeka Boulevard in Topeka.

Joshua Alexander Musgraves, 24, Topeka, was charged in the same robberies. He pleaded guilty and he is set for sentencing May 14. The Topeka Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

McClelland has previous convictions for drugs, criminal threat, domestic battery and obstruction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

MCPHERSON COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just after 2p.m. Wednesday in McPherson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Freightliner semi driven by Roger

Bloyd, 63, Salina was northbound on Interstate 135 twelve miles north of McPherson.

The driver suffered a medical condition. The vehicle struck the guardrail on the east side of the roadway, continued into the ditch, ran through a KDOT fence and came to rest in a wheat field.

Bloyd was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the Forensics Science Center.  He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

 

MANHATTAN, KAN. – Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery.

 Just after noon Wednesday, police responded to Advance America Cash Exchange located at 610 Fort Riley Blvd., in Manhattan for the report of a business alarm, according to a media release.e

Prior to officers’ arrival, an employee alerted police that an armed robbery had taken place at the business and the suspect had since fled the area with an undisclosed amount of money. No one was injured during the incident. 

The Riley County Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect in the armed robbery. Anyone who may recognize the individual pictured is asked to contact the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00.

Kansas Adjutant General’s Office.

Fires continue to burn in Kansas. Most are in some level of containment. Greenwood County is currently fighting a wildfire near the town of Hamilton. The Kansas Army National Guard is providing aerial firefighting support for local firefighters.

Approximately 50 fires were reported to the State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka since Monday, burning more than 25,000 acres. Aerial and ground firefighting resources were coordinated by the SEOC through the Kansas Forest Service and Kansas Army National Guard to augment fire suppression efforts by local responders. Soldiers of the Kansas National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation, along with troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol and personnel from the Kansas Forest Service provided aerial and ground support to local crews battling fires in Ellis and other counties yesterday and the Greenwood County fire today.

The State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka is providing support and coordination of state and federal resources as requested by the counties. County emergency managers may continue to report incidents and request state assistance to augment local response and recovery actions through the state’s 24-hour emergency notification line.

Weather conditions are improving with increased relative humidity and decreasing wind. However, grass remains very dry and people should remain vigilant about preventing fires. Avoid any activity that could create a spark and touch off a new fire. Do not drive on or stop your car on dry or tall grass because your exhaust can spark a fire; do not throw cigarettes on the ground.

Stay away from all affected areas and do not drive through heavy smoke. Sightseeing puts you in danger and hampers the work of firefighting crews.

Gov. Jeff Colyer, M.D., declared a state of disaster emergency that includes Barber, Clark, Ellis, Greenwood, Harper, Kingman, Logan, Reno, Smith, and Stevens counties.

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Several counties across Kansas experienced wildland fires Tuesday morning through the afternoon.

Most of the wildland fires reported occurred in Southwest, North Central, Southeast and South Central regions of the state. The National Weather Service forecast this area as a critical to catastrophic risk for fires with high winds, high wind gusts and low relative humidity.

Fires began around 10 a.m., dying down with the winds around 6 p.m. Twenty-one fires have been extinguished over the course of two days, 10 are in final cleanup and 16 are contained. An estimated 25,000 acres have burned to date. Many highways in Northwest Kansas were closed for a short time this afternoon due to blowing dirt. All highways are open at this time.

Two Kansas Army National Guard Blackhawks with collapsible water buckets were deployed to Ellis County to support local firefighting operations. An EMS/fire tower tumbled in Logan County.

A Communications on Wheels unit was deployed to Oakley, but the county was able to contact a private sector partner and a repeater was installed on the water tower. The state resource was demobilized.

The SEOC was staffed overnight and it is anticipated that operations will return to normal sometime Wednesday.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials with the Kansas Department for Children and Families are pushing a transparency bill amid criticism of the state’s handling of abuse-related child deaths.

The House Judiciary Committee heard on Tuesday a bill proposed by Gov. Jeff Colyer that would require the release of basic information after an abuse-related child death.

The Department for Children and Families disclosures would include a summary of previous reports of mistreatment, the department’s recommendation of services for a child, date of the fatality and the child’s age and gender.

Shayla Johnston is an attorney representing the family of Evan Brewer, a deceased Wichita boy whose case documents agency officials admitted to altering. Johnston says the bill is a smoke-and-mirror attempt to obscure the state’s failure to prevent abuse-related deaths.

HARVEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bomb threat.

On Wednesday morning, a bomb threat was called into the Walmart, 1701 South Kansas Road in Newton, according to a social media report from Newton Police.

Authorities evacuated the store and surrounding area as a precautionary measure. No devices or suspicious packages were located, according to police.

The store reopened early afternoon Wednesday. There are no injuries reported. Police and store officials released no additional details.

CLINTON, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on the shooting of three Missouri police officers (all times local):

1:00 p.m.

Authorities say a 37-year-old man is the suspect in a shooting that killed one Missouri police officer and wounded two other officers.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the suspect in a tweet Wednesday as James Waters, of Clinton. He was found dead early Wednesday in a Clinton home where the officers were shot hours earlier while trying to apprehend him.

The suspect in the killing of Clinton, MO, Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton has been identified as James E. Waters, 37, from Clinton. #ClintonPD

— MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) March 7, 2018

The slain Clinton officer was identified as 30-year-old Christopher Ryan Morton. One of the wounded officers is hospitalized with moderate injuries, and the other has minor injuries.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Collin Stosberg says the officers went to the home in Clinton on Tuesday night in response to a 911 call in which a disturbance could be heard. Clinton is about 70 miles (110 kilometers) east of Kansas City.

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8:30 a.m.

Authorities say a Missouri police officer killed in a shooting that wounded two other officers served with “distinction.”

The Missouri State Highway Patrol tweet ed Wednesday that Christopher Ryan Morton was a full-time Clinton police officer from February 2015 through January 2017, when he temporarily became a reserve officer. He returned to full-time duty last September, one month after another Clinton officer was shot and killed.

Morton was fatally shot Tuesday night while trying to apprehend a suspect at a home. One of the wounded officers is hospitalized with moderate injuries and the other has minor injuries. The patrol says a SWAT team entered the home early Wednesday but found the suspect dead.

Clinton, with about 8,800 residents, is about 70 miles (110 kilometers) east of Kansas City.

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8 a.m.

Authorities say a man shot and killed a police officer and wounded two others at a home in Missouri.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Collin Stosberg says the officers went to the home in Clinton on Tuesday night in response to a 911 call in which a disturbance could be heard.

Clinton, MO, Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton, served with distinction for the citizens of Clinton as a full-time Police Officer from 2/12/2015 until 1/10/2017. He stayed with the department as reserve officer until he returned again to full time duty 9/24/2017. #ClintonPD pic.twitter.com/3XCzgL5kUK

— MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) March 7, 2018

The patrol says shots were fired at the officers soon after they arrived at the home at around 9:20 p.m. Tuesday.

Clinton Officer Christopher Ryan Morton was fatally shot while trying to apprehend the suspect. One of the wounded officers is hospitalized with moderate injuries and the other has minor injuries.

The patrol says a SWAT team entered the home at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday but found the suspect dead.

Stosberg says the cause of the suspect’s death is under investigation. A woman also was taken into custody at the home.

Clinton is about 70 miles (110 kilometers) east of Kansas City.

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CLINTON, Mo. (AP) — Officials say a police officer was killed and two other officers injured after responding to a Missouri residence.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said during a news conference that the Clinton County 911 center received a call Tuesday evening at 9:20 where two women could be heard screaming in the background. Clinton Police officers responded.

Update – Officer Involved Shooting in Clinton, Missouri: Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton, 30, was shot and killed in the line of duty on March 6, 2018. #ClintonPD #UltimateSacrifice

— MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) March 7, 2018

Shortly after their arrival Lowe says the officers were shot at by the suspect from inside the residence. Lowe says officers went inside in an attempt to apprehend the suspect who then fatally shot one officer and wounded the others. They were transported to a hospital for treatment. Their conditions weren’t immediately known.

Lowe says a SWAT team entered the residence but found the suspect dead at 12:10 a.m.

No further details were released.