SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly 2014 shooting after another man was previously charged.

On Sunday, police arrested 57-year-old James Leon Edwards on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of Nathaniel Jackson, according to the Sedgwick County booking report. His bond is set at $500,000.

Michael Davis was originally charged with first-degree murder in Jackson’s death. Prosecutors say the killing happened while in the commission of an inherently dangerous felony — a cocaine sale, an aggravated robbery or both. Edwards was listed as a witness for the prosecution.

The case was ultimately dropped at the request of prosecutors in January 2015, and Davis was released from jail. Edwards has past weapon, theft, battery and robbery convictions.

-The AP contributed to this report.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted Kansas felon for murder after a weekend arrest.

On Sunday police arrested 57-year-old James L. Edwards on a requested charge of first-degree murder and a state parole violation, according to the Sedgwick County booking report.

The state reported Edwards as an absconder in July, according to online records from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

He has previous convictions for theft, robbery, criminal possession of a firearm and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

He was booked into jail just before 2a.m. Monday and is being held on a $500,000 bond.

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has picked General Motors as the target company for this year’s contract talks with Detroit’s three automakers.

The move announced Tuesday means that GM will be the focus of bargaining, and any deal with the company will set the pattern for Ford and Fiat Chrysler. It also means that if the union decides to go on strike, it be against GM.

Contracts between the union representing about 152,000 workers and GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler expire at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14.

Earlier Tuesday the union announced that over 96% of its members voted to authorize strikes against the companies.

The strike authorization vote is a normal part of the bargaining process, and it doesn’t mean that there will be a work stoppage. But tensions are high in contract talks this year because the automakers are making billions in profits and workers want a bigger slice. The companies, though, want to get closer to parity with foreign automakers with U.S. factories that are mainly in the South.

In a statement, the union said 96.4% of workers at General Motors voted to authorize a strike, while it was 95.98% at Ford and 96% at Fiat Chrysler.

Picking GM as the target is no surprise because it’s the most profitable of the three companies, and it also has announced plans to shutter four factories in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland. The union has pledged to fight the closures at two Detroit-area factories, in Lordstown, Ohio, and near Baltimore. Production already has stopped in Lordstown, Baltimore and one of the Detroit-area factories.

“We are focused. We are prepared and we are all ready to stand up for our members, our communities and our manufacturing future,” union President Gary Jones said in a statement Tuesday.

GM said it looks forward to “constructive discussions” with the union to build a strong future for employees and its business.

GM, the nation’s largest automaker, likely was picked because talks there will be the most difficult of the Detroit Three, said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of labor, industry and economics at the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank.

Although she doesn’t know how negotiations have been going so far, the likelihood of a strike was high even before the union picked GM, Dziczek said. The union raised strike pay for workers and has said it will use all tools in its toolbox during contract talks.

In addition to the four plants that GM has slated to close, it also has three other factories in Michigan and Kansas that aren’t being fully utilized, and the union will seek new products for those plants, she said. GM also leads all automakers in production of vehicles in Mexico, another thorny issue for the union.

It’s also possible there will be an economic downturn within the term of the next four-year contract, so the union will seek job and income security, Dziczek said.

Adding to the tension is the automakers’ quest to trim hourly labor costs, which have grown when compared with Southern U.S. factories run by Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai-Kia, Volkswagen and others.

Fiat Chrysler pays about $55 per hour in wages and benefits to UAW workers, while it’s $61 at Ford and $63 at GM. That compares with an average of $50 per hour at plants owned by foreign-based automakers, according to the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank.

Also playing into the talks is a corruption investigation into the union’s leadership. Last week federal agents searched Jones’ suburban Detroit home, and several union leaders and executives have been found guilty of taking money from a training center run jointly by the UAW and Fiat Chrysler.

Jones, who has not been charged, marched in Detroit’s Labor Day parade but exited the route before its completion and didn’t speak to union members. About 20 marchers carried signs calling for the union to be reformed.

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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas linebacker Thomas Patrick Barrett has been arrested at a student bar on suspicion of contributing to a child’s misconduct and displaying or possessing a fictitious or fraudulent ID card.

20-year-old from Cleveland posted $1,500 bond and was released from jail a couple of hours after his early Sunday arrest at the Jayhawk Cafe, which is commonly known as The Hawk. The jail booking log shows that Barrett will turn 21 this week.

A statement from the football program says officials are “aware of the situation and are currently in the process of gathering information.” The statement says the situation will be handled according to internal policies.

Barrett was redshirted during his freshman season in 2017 and didn’t see any game action in 2018.

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on felony charges after a weekend incident at a grocery store in Salina.

Just before 4p.m. Saturday, police responded to Dillons, 1235 East Cloud in Salina after report of a disturbance, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.

Brian Bowman, 53, was using the store’s self-checkout register when he allegedly became frustrated and punched the Toshiba register, causing $1,100 in damage.

Police arrested him on requested charges of felony damage to property, according to Forrester.

 

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend crash and have identified the victim.

Just before 8:30 p.m. Sunday, a Nissan Extera driven Kaitlin Whelan, 30, Wichita, was westbound on 21st Street near Tealbook in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

The Nissan crossed into the eastbound lanes and struck a Hyundai Elantra driven by a 24-year-old woman head-on.

Whelan was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported the 24-year-old woman to a local hospital. She remains hospitalized with serious injuries, according to Davidson.

Whelan was not wearing a seat belt, according to Davidson.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Prosecutors have charged a 17-year-old in the shooting death of a man outside of a Kansas City community center.

Jackson County authorities said Friday that Treshaun Hawkins, of Kansas City, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 28-year-old Cartez Seals.

Seals died killed Aug. 25 outside the Brush Creek Community Center.

Hawkins is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond.

Court records indicate a witness told police Seals and another man met at the community center to discuss an ongoing feud. Video reportedly shows Hawkins, who was recording the men fighting, firing several shots at them.

Hawkins then drove away from the scene. He surrendered to police on Thursday.