WABAUNSEE COUNTY– A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 1a.m. Sunday in Wabaunsee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Pontiac Grand-Am driven by Andrew T. Sopoci, 18, Maple Hill, was northbound on Kansas 99 one mile north of Alma.
The car began to drift off the roadway to the left. The driver overcorrected and the car left roadway to the right and struck a utility pole.
Sopoci was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN
The fight over whether Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach violated the constitution in his quest to demand proof of citizenship from voters goes to trial, with a ruling Wednesday that could complicate his case, in March.
A federal judge tossed aside some testimony Kobach had hoped to present in his long-running contention that voter fraud is commonplace. The decision came the same day President Donald Trump scrapped a commission, led by Kobach, designed to document what both men have said is widespread cheating at the polls.
In a statement, the White House said states were refusing to cooperate with the commission’s work. The panel also faced numerous lawsuits from civil rights groups.
Evidence thrown out Wednesday by a U.S. District Court judge in Kansas included some testimony from Hans von Spakovsky, another member of Trump’s voter fraud commission.
The court said von Spakovsky lacks direct knowledge or academic training related to some of his claims, including that a survey shows Kobach’s citizenship law isn’t a burden on voters.
“It is clear that von Spakovsky is not qualified to testify as an expert about this survey,” Judge Julie Robinson wrote.
A spokeswoman for Kobach didn’t respond to a request for comment late Tuesday afternoon.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the League of Women Voters and other plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Kobach, had attacked von Spakovsky’s credentials and methodology.
“We’re certainly pleased,” ACLU attorney Doug Bonney said.
Yet over the ACLU’s objections, von Spakovsky will testify on other matters related to voter fraud. And Kobach will get to keep expert testimony from Jesse Richman, a political science professor at Old Dominion University in Virginia.
Kobach says Richman’s research indicates voting by non-citizens is a substantial problem. But many other studies suggest that voting by non-citizens is remarkably rare.
It’s unclear what weight the court will give to Kobach’s experts. The two sides will battle that out at trial.
Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to kcur.org.
DCC
RUSSELL – The Deines Cultural Center’s next exhibition David Olson: Paper Perspectives opens on Friday, January 12th, 2018. Join us for the opening reception from 5-7pm.
David Olson cuts and folds paper to create sophisticated wall sculptures.
A Salina native, Olson graduated from Salina High School – South. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, a Master of Arts degree from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois.
Paper Perspectives will be on display in the Deines Center’s south gallery from January 12th through February 16th, 2018. Admission is free and all are welcome.
For more information, call 785-483-3742.
Today
Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 48. Light north northeast wind becoming north northwest 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 23. North northwest wind 5 to 11 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 56. West wind 5 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. South wind 7 to 10 mph.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. South wind 10 to 16 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Wednesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Wednesday Night
A chance of rain before 1am, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday
A 20 percent chance of snow before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 29. Windy.
EPA
LENEXA – As a result of staff working hard to implement Administrator Pruitt’s initiatives to make strides in cleaning up the nation’s most contaminated toxic land sites, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing significant improvement in 2017 – through the deletion of all or parts of seven Superfund sites from the National Priorities List (NPL), including the Omaha Lead Superfund Site in Nebraska. This is more than triple the number of sites removed from the list in 2016.
“We have made it a priority to get these sites cleaned up faster and in the right way, said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “By creating a streamlined task force and making major remedy decisions that hold potentially responsible parties accountable for clean up, the Superfund program is carrying out the Agency’s mission of protecting human health and the environment more every day.”
The Omaha Lead Superfund Site includes contaminated surface soils from historic lead smelting and refining operations. The site extends from the Douglas-Sarpy County line north to Read Street, and from the Missouri River west to 56th Street. The site is centered near downtown Omaha, Neb., where two former lead-processing facilities operated.
In April 2017, EPA announced the deletion of 294 residential parcels located in the eastern portion of the Omaha greater metropolitan area from the NPL. Cleanup efforts included soil replacement and/or interior dust removal, and educating residents on mitigating other household lead hazards.
The EPA and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality concluded that lead abatement activities at these properties were complete and protective of public health.
In 2016, EPA had deletion activities at two NPL sites, one full site and portions of another. But in 2017, under the leadership of Administrator Pruitt, EPA has deleted three entire sites and portions of four others. This increase in deletions reflects Administrator Pruitt’s commitment to accelerating progress, reducing risks at Superfund sites and returning sites to productive use.
These deletions come on the heels of Administrator Pruitt’s list of 21 sites that have been targeted for immediate and intense attention – a direct response to the Superfund Task Force Recommendations issued this summer.
NPL deletion occurs when all the remedies are successfully implemented and no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment. The agency deletes portions of NPL sites when work at those portions is complete and other parts of the site still have ongoing actions.
The three completely deleted sites are:
EPA completed partial deletions for:
Deleting a site or portions of a site from the NPL may facilitate future redevelopment, one of EPA’s goals for the Superfund program.
The NPL is one focus area of the Superfund Task Force Recommendations to improve and revitalize the Superfund program. Work to prioritize and reinvigorate the Superfund program is underway and will continue into 2018.
The Superfund Task Force Recommendations can be viewed at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/
Additional information about EPA’s NPL deletions can be viewed at https://www.epa.gov/
To search for more information about these sites, and other sites deleted from the NPL, please visit https://www.epa.gov/superfund/
KS STATE LIBRARY
TOPEKA — Up-to-the-minute information on the 2018 Kansas Legislature is only a phone call away. Kansas residents can access information on legislation, bill status, legislative procedure, contact information, and more by calling 1-800-432-3924 Monday through Friday, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Calls are answered by experienced reference/research librarians at the State Library of Kansas and kept confidential.
Callers can also leave brief messages to be delivered to legislators as well as request copies of bills, journals, and other legislative documents. The 2018 legislative session starts Mon., Jan. 8, in Topeka.
In addition to calling the hotline, residents can also text questions to 785-256-0733, email, or instant message at kslib.info/ask, or visit the State Library.
The State Library is located on the third floor, north wing of the Kansas Capitol Building. The library’s hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
By JEREMY McGUIRE
Hays Post
Girls: TMP 63, Sacred Heart 40
HAYS, Kan.-TMP scored the first five points on Saturday night and never trailed in their 63-40 victory over Sacred Heart at Al Billinger Fieldhouse in Hays. Kayla Vitztum paced the Lady Monarchs in the first half with 11 points and Adell Riedel came off the bench to score six in the half. TMP did struggle with turnovers as they gave away eight turnovers in the half which kept the Sacred Heart close in the first half.
The Lady Knights would close the gap to three points midway through the third quarter and TMP kicked it into gear and pushed the lead back to eight points, 43-35, heading to the fourth quarter. TMP outscored Sacred Heart 20-5 in the fourth to pick up the 23 point victory. Vitztum finished with 27 points for the Lady Monarchs and joined the 1,000 point club at TMP joining Megan Koenigsman, Madyson Koerner, Rachel Jacobs, Kaylee Hoffman and Lori Flax.
The Lady Monarchs improve to 7-1 on the season and will travel to WaKeeney to battle with the Trego Golden Eagles on Tuesday.
ROSE MCFARLAND INTERVIEW
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Boys: TMP 80, Sacred Heart 73
HAYS, Kan.-David McFarland scored 19 first half points and paced his TMP Monarchs in the first half on Saturday night at Al Billinger Fieldhouse. TMP led 23-14 after the first quarter. They experienced some foul trouble in the second quarter and had to go deep on the bench but they didn’t slow down as the went to the locker room at the half up 44-28.
Sacred Heart came out firing in the second half and cut the TMP lead to single digits with some strong scoring from Caleb Jordan. TMP would come back with an answer to hold on to a 59-50 lead after three quarters and the fourth quarter would be a gem. The Knights would close the game to one possession late in the fourth quarter at 69-66 but TMP had the answer as they closed the game on an 11-7 run to pick up their sixth straight victory.
McFarland finished with a game high 32 points for the Monarchs who improve to 6-2 and will face the Trego Golden Eagles in WaKeeney on Tuesday.
JOE HERTEL INTERVIEW
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The operator of a home day care in Overland Park where a baby died last year has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts in the case.
The Kansas City Star reports that 55-year-old Bilma Maese-Sanchez entered the plea Friday in Johnson County District Court to child endangerment and operating an unlicensed day care facility. She was sentenced to a year of probation.
Prosecutors say 7-month-old Gabriel Omar Rivera-Contreras, of Lenexa, died at her home on Feb. 4. An autopsy showed the cause of death as sudden infant death syndrome.
Maese-Sanchez was not accused of intentionally hurting the child, but prosecutors say she placed the child in a situation where his “life, body or health could have been endangered.”
GRAHAM COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Graham County Sheriff’s Office have identified the victims of the homicides which occurred in Graham County on Thursday, Jan. 4.
According to a media release, the victims were Efren Mascarenas, Sr., 52, of Penokee, and Christin Cantrell, 28, of Penokee. Both individuals were residing at the residence where they were found. Efren was the father of 29-year-old Efren Mascarenas, Jr. who police sought as a person of interest in the homicides, and who was later found deceased. Christin was his step-sister. The preliminary autopsy of Efren Mascarenas, Jr. revealed he likely died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
This investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors have charged a homicide suspect shot by police in Missouri after he led them on a high-speed chase with murder, kidnapping and other counts.
The Kansas City Star reports that 28-year-old Jeremy Comstock was charged Friday in Wyandotte County, Kansas, with first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping. He was also charged in Clay County, Missouri, with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and resisting a lawful stop. His bond has been set at $250,000.
Kansas City, Missouri police say officers began chasing Comstock near Smithville on Thursday and continued until his vehicle spun out of control on Interstate 35 in northern Kansas City. Police say officer then shot Comstock, but his injuries are not life-threatening. A woman who was in Comstock’s van surrendered.
Police in Kansas City, Kansas, say Comstock is a suspect in the death of a man who was found shot inside a pickup truck earlier Thursday.
USDA
Washington, D.C – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Friday announced a slate of Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee Appointees. State committees are selected by the Secretary, serve at the pleasure of the Secretary, and are responsible for carrying out FSAs farm programs within delegated authorities.
“The State Committees will help to ensure USDA is providing our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers with the best customer service,” Secretary Perdue said. “They serve as a liaison between USDA and the producers in each state across the nation by keeping them informed and hearing their appeals and complaints. The committees are made up mostly of active farmers and ranchers, representing their peers and ensuring USDAs programs are supporting the American harvest.”
Kansas
Committee Chair Garrett Love – Gray County
Lexy Goyer – Cowley County
Nick Gutterman – Miami/Johnson County
Michael Jordan – Mitchell County
Greg McCurry – Sedgwick County
SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the events surrounding a 16-hour standoff at a Topeka townhouse.
On Friday, Police Lt. Colleen Stuart confirmed the identity of one of two people found dead inside the residence as 33-year-old Juan Lucio of Topeka. Police have not yet released the name of the woman found dead.
Lucio barricaded himself inside the home and fired at first responders throughout the standoff, which began about 10 p.m. Thursday. The standoff ended around 1:30 p.m. Friday. No officers were injured.
Officers found the bodies when they entered the home after firing tear gas inside.
Police rescued another woman spotted waving at officers from a second floor window.
Officers fired no shots during the standoff, according to Stuart.
Lucio had previous convictions for drugs, aggravated assault on law enforcement, aggravated robbery and obstruction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
MEADE COUNTY — A Kansas teen died in an accident just before 11:30p.m. Friday in Meade County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Honda Accord driven by Robert L. Preston, 17, Garden City, was eastbound attempting a left turn onto County Road 17 from U.S. 54 just west of Meade.
A 2015 Freightliner semi driven by Robert C. Wagner, Two Rivers, WI., struck the Honda on the passenger side and pushed it back to the shoulder. The semi traveled into the ditch.
A passenger in the Honea Luis F. Rivera-Holguin, 18, Meade, was transported to the hospital in Meade where he died.
Preston was transported to Wesley Medical Center. Wagner was not injured. All three were properly restrained at athe time of the accident, according to the KHP.
