SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and continue to search for suspects.

Just after 3:30 pm, Thursday, police were dispatched to the report of gunshots in the area of SE Fremont and SE Irvingham in Topeka, according to Lt. Andrew Beightel.  While officers were in route to the gunshots call other citizens reported a possible shooting near SE 37^th & SE Adams.

Officers then responded to that area, where at SE 37^th and SE Pennsylvania they found a white passenger car with a 16-year-old identified as Joaquin Aj McKinney of Topeka.suffering from life threatening injuries.  EMS transported the boy to an area hospital where he died, according to Beightel.

Initial reports from witness state the suspect(s) from the shooting were in a blue 4-door passenger car and they fled the area in an unknown direction of travel.  Up

GREAT BEND — One person died in an accident Friday in Great Bend.

Just after 6 a.m. Friday, officers were called to the 1500 block of Second Street in Great Bend for report of an injury accident, according to a media release.

Eliesel Cartagena, 42, Great Bend, was riding a bicycle westbound on Second Street when he turned in front of a 2011 Dodge pickup driven by Ian Trimmer.

The pickup struck Cartagena  knocking him from the bicycle. He was transported to the hospital in Great Bend where he died as a result of his injuries.

Great Bend Police were assisted at the scene by the Great Bend Fire Department and the Barton County Sheriff’s Office.

TOPEKA — Discarded smoking materials are blamed for a fire at a home early Friday in Topeka.

Just before 9a.m.  fire crews responded to the report of a fire at a home at 1628 SW Clay Street, according to Fire Chief Michael Martin.

Upon arrival, crews reported fire coming from the 2nd floor; rear of the structure. The fire was extinguished, but not before the structure sustained significant fire damage throughout.

All occupants of the home including five children were able to escape from the dwelling unharmed. A preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire as Accidental; discarded smoking materials on the back porch, according to Martin.

Estimated structural dollar loss is $25,000, and $10,000 in contents loss. Working smoke detectors were found within the structure.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A 70-year-old Kansas man has died in an accidental drowning while fly-fishing in western Wyoming.

Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson says Mark Osmondson, of Madison, Kansas, was fishing about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Greys River about 16 miles (25.7 kilometers) upriver from Alpine when he slipped and his waders filled with water.

Osmondson’s body was recovered nearly 2 mile down the river.

Johnson says Osmondson’s fishing partner was unable to help him although at one point the partner was able to briefly grab his hand.

The Greys River is a popular destination for anglers.

Johnson says the river can be dangerous and people underestimate the strength of the water and its ability to pull them under.

COWLEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a mother and her boyfriend on drug and child abuse charges in connection with two missing boys found after being missing for 20 hours.

On Tuesday, police took a report regarding the two missing boys, who were located Thursday about 15 miles west of their home by the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, according to a media release.

Authorities contacted the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) and information was gathered indicating that the children had escaped their home in the 1000 block of South Third Street in Arkansas City after having been locked in their room.

DCF employees and police officers continued to investigate the incident throughout the day Thursday, and a search warrant was executed at the residence on South Third Street.

Based on evidence gathered during the investigation, police arrested Stephanie Michelle Cloud, 32, and Anthony Christopher Ryals, 37, both of Arkansas City, on suspicion of one felony count each of aggravated child endangerment and child abuse, as well as one misdemeanor count each of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

They remain in the Cowley County Jail in Winfield in lieu of $32,000 bond each, according to online jail records.

The children, a 13-year-old boy, his 12-year-old brother and their 14-year-old sister have been placed into protective custody with the Kansas Department for Children and Families, according to the release.

 

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a Topeka man who crashed his motorcycle after a birthday celebration at a Topeka bar was found dead in a ditch about 42 hours later with the body of his passenger.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says 59-year-old Kenneth Barsch went off the side of U.S. 75 around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. Patrol Lt. Bryce Whelpley described the ditch that Barsch and 49-year-old Kimberly Hollis crashed into as “very steep” and deep.

A search party made up of relatives and friends came across the scene around 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Barsch had last been seen about 1 a.m. Wednesday riding away from the bar in northern Topeka. His birthday had been Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators are approving T-Mobile’s $26.5 billion takeover of rival Sprint, despite fears of higher prices and job cuts.

Friday’s approval by the Justice Department and five state attorneys general comes after Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to conditions that would set up satellite-TV provider Dish as a fourth wireless company, so the number of major U.S. providers remains at four.

Dish is buying prepaid cellphone brands such as Boost and Virgin Mobile and some spectrum, or airwaves for wireless service, from the two companies. It will also be able to rent T-Mobile’s network for seven years while it builds its own. The Justice Department’s antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, said the settlement sets up Dish “as a disruptive force in wireless.”

Sprint and T-Mobile combined would now approach the size of Verizon and AT&T. The companies have argued that bulking up will mean a better next-generation “5G” wireless network than they could make on their own.

The two companies tried to combine during the Obama administration but regulators rebuffed them. They resumed talks on combining once President Donald Trump took office, hoping for more industry-friendly regulators. The companies appealed to Trump’s desire for the U.S. to “win” a global 5G race with China as this faster, more reliable wireless is rolled out and applications are built for it.

Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission agreed in May to back the deal after T-Mobile promised to build out rural broadband and 5G, sell its Boost prepaid brand and keep prices on hold for three years

But public-interest advocates complained the FCC conditions did not address the problems of the merger — higher prices, less wireless competition — and would be difficult for regulators to enforce.

Attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia then filed a lawsuit to block the deal. They say the promised benefits, such as better networks in rural areas and faster service overall, cannot be verified, while eliminating a major wireless company will immediately harm consumers by reducing g competition and driving up prices for cellphone service.

They may not be satisfied with the settlement and choose to press ahead.

A judge must also approve the Justice Department’s settlement.