ATCHISON COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just after 10a.m. Wednesday in Atchinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1994 Olds Cutlass driven by Tracie E. Turpin, 53, Atchison, was northbound on U.S. 59 Highway.

The driver failed to negotiate the curve. The vehicle traveled across the roadway into the west ditch, down the embankment and struck a tree.

Passengers Michael E. Bruce, 56, Atchison, and Winfield, Martin L. Winfield, 49, Columbus, were transported to the hospital in Atchison where Bruce died.

Turpin and passengers Brandon M. Mottin, 31, Lancaster, were transported to the hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Winfield, Mottin and Bruce were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Charges have been dropped against a Lawrence man who was jailed for 1.5 years in a sex crimes case.

Fifty-one-year-old Tracy Releford was charged after an encounter in August 2016 encounter with a 16-year-old girl that moved between Lawrence and Kansas City, Missouri.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports a judge ruled in February that probable cause did not exist to charge Releford with two felonies. Prosecutors dropped a remaining misdemeanor charge but said the case could be refiled.

Trial assistant Jill Spurling says the state’s witness didn’t show up for the preliminary hearing.

The original charge of aggravated human trafficking was dismissed in March 2017.

Releford will be transferred to Missouri custody on another charge.

Releford is the father of a former University of Kansas basketball player Travis Releford.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and school district officials are investigating an alleged threat against schools in Valley Center.

According to a message from Superintendent Dr. Cory Gibson on the district’s social media account, law enforcement authorities contacted USD 262 officials Wednesday about a criminal threat directed toward officials at Valley Center High School.

The individual responsible for the threat was never on school grounds, according to the message from Gibson. Police arrested the suspect.

“We are thankful that the report was made and that law enforcement agencies responded immediately,” Gibson wrote.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has identified the man killed Monday evening in an officer involved shooting in Wamego, Kan.

Ethan M. Straub, 25, of Wamego, was confirmed as the individual killed during an exchange of gunfire with multiple law enforcement agencies in Wamego.

Just after 6 p.m. Monday, the Wamego Police Department requested KBI assistance to respond to and investigate a shooting. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.

Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 5:30 p.m. Monday, law enforcement officers responded to the report of an armed carjacking at Kreem Kup Drive In, 601 W. Hwy 24 in Wamego. Law enforcement officers from several agencies made contact with the suspect at approximately 6 p.m. in the area of 8th St. and Pine St. Shortly after, gunfire was exchanged between the male suspect and five law enforcement officers from four agencies. The agencies who had officers fire during the incident were: the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office, the Wamego Police Department, and the St. George Police Department.

EMS responded, however, Straub was pronounced dead at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident, however, one officer was transported to the hospital as a precaution due to a health concern.

The KBI will conduct a thorough and independent investigation into this incident. Once completed, the findings will be turned over to the Pottawatomie County Attorney for review.

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POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred Monday evening in Wamego, according to a media release.

Just after 6 p.m., the Wamego Police Department requested KBI assistance to respond to and investigate a shooting. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.

Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 5:30 p.m. Monday, law enforcement officers responded to the report of an armed carjacking at Kreem Kup Drive In, 601 W. Hwy 24 in Wamego. Law enforcement officers from several agencies made contact with the suspect at approximately 6 p.m. in the area of 8th St. and Pine St. Shortly after, gunfire was exchanged between the male suspect and five law enforcement officers from four agencies. The agencies who had officers fire during the incident were: the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office, the Wamego Police Department, and the St. George Police Department.

EMS responded, however, the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident, however, one officer was transported to the hospital as a precaution due to a health concern.

The deceased individual will be identified once his next of kin is notified. No further information will be released at this time.

PAWNEE COUNTY —  A former western Kansas sheriff’s detective is charged with three felonies after an investigation into the theft of department funds.

Jeffrey Allen King, age 43, is charged with three felony counts: Making a False Information, Misuse of Public Funds, and Felony Theft of more than $20,000, according to a media release from Ellis County attorney Thomas Drees, who is acting as the special prosecutor.

The charges stem from an investigation completed by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) at the request of Pawnee County Sheriff Scott King, brother of Jeffrey Allen King upon learning of the alleged misappropriation of Sheriff’s Office funds.

Jeffrey King was placed on administrative leave from his employment on December 5, 2017, he resigned his employment on February 22, 2018.

Jeffrey King has is scheduled to make a first court appearance in Pawnee County on March 15.

 

By STEPHEN KORANDA

Kansas lawmakers return to the Statehouse on Wednesday still facing the largest challenge of this year’s session: balancing the budget and responding to a court order to spend more on schools.

In recent years, though, lawmakers plucked the low-hanging fruit when it comes to finding cash. That makes any revenue harvest ahead that much more difficult.

To help weather budget crunches in recent years, lawmakers have diverted hundreds of millions of dollars from the state’s highway fund. The current and coming year budgets already rely on about $580 million in diverted highway money to help balance the books.

Republican Rep. Steven Johnson, chair of the House Taxation Committee, said they’ve also turned to tax hikes in recent years along with reliance on highway money. Lawmakers have raised the sales tax and last year overturned the state’s 2012 tax cuts by overriding a veto from then-Gov. Sam Brownback.

Johnson said lawmakers might be tired of debates about raising taxes.

“I don’t see a tax plan that I am excited about that comes together out of that,” Johnson said.

Still, Johnson said his committee will discuss property taxes next week. The goal is to gauge how much of an increase lawmakers and the public would be willing to accept.

“And if you say ‘none,’ weigh in on how we address the courts,” Johnson said. “That’s the discussion that we need to have in earnest in the next week.”

Whatever lawmakers come up with, they’ll have to consider Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer’s position. He hasn’t given them a mandate, but outlined what he wants to see in the plan.

“Increased investments in K-12 education must come through a phased-in approach that doesn’t increase the tax burden on Kansas families,” Colyer said during a speech to lawmakers this month.

That adds further difficulty to passing a tax increase. Johnson said it would be especially difficult to gather enough votes to override Colyer’s veto.

Legislators could also consider budget cuts to other services to boost spending on schools. Across-the-board cuts of 18 percent could be needed to come up with additional funding for Kansas schools.

Some lawmakers argued the state should have looked at spending cuts last year instead of raising taxes. That debate could be repeated this year if tax increases are on the table.

There’s another area of tax policy lawmakers have discussed in recent years: tax exemptions that give breaks to certain entities. The exemptions from sales tax range from haircuts and other services to Girl Scout cookies.

The challenge is that recipients of tax exemptions often fight hard to keep them.

“The resistance is very large,” Johnson said. “In fact, we have a very long list of requests for additional tax exemptions.”

House lawmakers passed a bill to repeal $60 million in sales tax exemptions last year, but it died in the Senate.

Tax collections consistently beating estimates will help the financial situation, but Johnson said there are other areas lawmakers also hope to boost spending. He said they’d like to invest in state mental health services and repay a missed payment into the state pension plan.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for KPR a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.

RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident on Tuesday in Reno County.

A Honda Passport owned by Carl Yoder, 58, Burrton, became stuck in a ditch in the 9000 Block of South Worthington Road, according to the Reno County Sheriff’s Department.

Yoder’s neighbor 64-year-old Steven McLaughlin drove a Ford F150 to help pull the Honda out of the ditch.

After getting the Honda pulled out of the ditch both vehicles were facing southeast in the northbound lane of travel to unhook the tow rope.

As they were standing outside their vehicles, a northbound Dodge pickup driven by Brian Hoopes 40, Burrton, did not see the vehicles. The Dodge struck both vehicles and both men were struck by a vehicle.

First responders performed CPR on Yoder but he died at the scene, according to Deputy Kevin Sipe.

McLaughlin and Hoopes both had non-life-threatening injuries. The accident remains under investigation.

BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a crime scene and have made an arrest.

Just after 8:30 Tuesday, Barton County Sheriff’s Office and the Ellinwood Police Department conducted a joint operation and executed a search warrant at a home in the 500 Block of South Humbolt Street in the city of Ellinwood, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Upon entry into the single residence officers located a substantial quantity of methamphetamine, firearms and drug paraphernalia.

Deputies arrested 40-year-old Scottie Schmidt, of Ellinwood and booked him on charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, felon in possession of a firearm and no drug tax stamp.

Schmidt is a registered drug offender and is being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond.  Sheriff’s deputies were on the scene several hours Tuesday night processing evidence.

Schmidt has previous convictions for Aggravated Indecent Solicitation of a child and Aggravated Indecent Liberties/Child less than 14;Fondling, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – Authorities say a man has been shot and killed in Kansas City after a crash.

The Kansas City Star reports that the crash happened Tuesday afternoon when a person driving a green truck ran a stop sign and crashed into a white sport utility vehicle.

The truck’s driver was shot after exiting the vehicle and died at a hospital. The impact knocked the SUV into a nearby house, but the driver of that SUV was unharmed and wasn’t involved in the shooting.

Police spokesman Lionel Colón says the shooter fled the scene.

By STEPHAN BISAHA

Wink Hartman, who last week dropped from the Kansas governor’s race and backed Kris Kobach, said he’s offered his arena to the National Rifle Association for its upcoming national convention.

The offer looks to be more gesture than prospective deal. The Hartman Arena in Wichita suburb Park City holds 6,500, about a third of the venue where the NRA convention currently plans to meet in Dallas.

But the overture comes after Kobach, the conservative Kansas secretary of state, invited the nation’s most powerful gun rights group to the state. That came as the NRA became a focal point for protests in the wake of a school shooting early this month that left 17 dead in Parkland, Fla., and appeared to awaken gun control forces.

The NRA is currently scheduled to meet in Dallas on May 4. But Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway said the gun lobby group would be “met with opposition” if it carried through on plans to gather at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in his city.

“I am saying to the NRA, ‘reconsider yourselves coming to Dallas,’” Caraway said during a news conference a week ago. “There will be marches and demonstrations should they come to Dallas and we in Dallas will be the ones to have to bare the costs, the responsibility and to protect the citizens.”

The NRA has not announced any plans to relocate the annual convention, but that hasn’t stopped politicians across the country from trying to woo the NRA to their states. Kobach invited the NRA to bring its convention to Kansas in a tweet over the weekend.

Kansans love our right to keep and bear arms. I’ve reached out to the @NRA and urged them to bring the #NRA Annual Meeting and Convention to Kansas. Kansans are dedicated to protecting the 2nd Amendment! #2A https://t.co/MyWJWj6PSy

— Kris W. Kobach (@KrisKobach1787) February 24, 2018

“It’s about the Second Amendment and the rights of the individuals — not only of Kansas but of the United States — to arm themselves and protect themselves,” Hartman said.

Hartman, who said he’s a lifetime member of the NRA, said the group’s state director was grateful but didn’t respond with a final word on the arena offer.

Hartman acknowledged that the offer was largely symbolic, but he wanted to back the NRA.

“I want them to know that there’s a home and they’re welcome here,” said Hartman. “Kansas is a very business-friendly state and I think that projects that.”

Since the Florida shooting, multiple corporations have been cutting ties with the NRA.

Stephan Bisaha is an education reporter for the Kansas News Service, Follow him on Twitter @SteveBisaha.