TOPEKA, KAN. – A former president of a credit union in Kansas was sentenced today to three years on supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister. In addition, the defendant agreed to pay approximately $39,895 in restitution.

Connie Marie Kent, 52, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a credit union. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she was an officer and employee of 1st Kansas Credit Union, formerly the Post Office Credit Union on Topeka. Membership in the credit union was limited to government employees.

 

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has identified the victim in Tuesday’s ATV as Mark Jackson, 48, Milford.

Authorities said Jackson was on his ATV spraying a field off Ava Road when it overturned and rolled down an embankment. Jackson was found pinned under the ATV.

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GEARY COUNTY —One person died in an accident Tuesday in Geary County.

Just after 4:30p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to report of a man pinned under an ATV, according to a media release.

The man identified as a Milford resident was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff’s department has not released his name or additional details of the accident.

SALINA —On the heels of a $1 million donation from the Salina Regional Health Center, Kansas Wesleyan announced Wednesday that the Jack and Donna Vanier family is providing its own $1 million gift to help create a new, state-of-the-art Nursing Education Center, according to a media release from the school.

The building, located at 135 E. Claflin Avenue in Salina will be the first new instruction-only facility on campus in 50 years. In total, the renovation plans have an estimated cost of $4.5 million.

Once that capital is raised, construction is anticipated to begin late this fall, with a targeted completion date of December 2020.

“We are so pleased and honored to be given the opportunity to help with this project. The work that Dr. Thompson, his board and faculty, and everyone at Kansas Wesleyan have done in order to provide their students with a real hands-on and needs-based education is tremendous! Our decision to support the program for the school was an easy one,” John Vanier said.

The 13,400-square-foot, two-story building will house a performance lab, simulation suite, testing area, large classrooms, a multi-media conference room, student study area, a student lounge, and faculty offices.

The simulation and clinical laboratories give students hands-on practice in bedside care, simulated patient scenarios and collaborative learning opportunities with other health care disciplines, all leading to a comprehensive nursing education, preparing graduates to go into immediate practice after passing national board certification testing and licensing.

The renovation is designed to handle educational facilities for 80 nursing students – 40 each in the junior and senior classes. Kansas Wesleyan nursing students spend freshman and sophomore years with basic studies and enter concentrated nursing education their final two years.

KWU President and CEO Dr. Matt Thompson said this significant gift from the Vaniers not only jump-starts the fundraising campaign for the total renovation, but demonstrates the family’s magnanimous generosity and commitment to the community.

“It is difficult to put into words how grateful we are for this major support; however, it is easy to find the words that illustrate how much the Vaniers help build their own community by ensuring quality and depth of nursing care for all residents,” Dr. Thompson said. “We are appreciative of the Vanier family’s commitment to KWU and the region. Our goal is to educate nursing students to fill a critical need in our local health care facilities. It is our commitment to meet that challenge, and the Vaniers are role models in helping us provide the tools to do exactly that.”

The nursing program at KWU was established in January 1988 after the Asbury Hospital program was moved to the university. The Department of Nursing Education initiated an associate degree in nursing in 1989, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program in 1990.

Starting in 2014, the need for major program revisions was identified. In the summer of 2015, new full-time nursing faculty with advanced nursing degrees were hired. In 2017, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree was converted to a Bachelor of Science with a major in nursing degree so that new curriculum ideas could be implemented and evaluated separately from the former BSN degree. The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

KWU also offers an RN to BS nursing degree online program for students who are licensed RNs wanting to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The organization sponsoring a mock state legislature for boys is apologizing after this year’s teenage governor proposed eliminating women’s right to vote.

The American Legion Boys State of Kansas Leadership Academy said in a statement that the student’s pretending to issue an executive order repealing the constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote does not reflect the organization’s values.

The Boys State Legislature voted down the proposal in both its Senate and House of Representatives.

The teenager from Leavenworth made the proposal in the final moments of his term during the annual Boys States gathering at Kansas State University on June 2-7.

Spokesman Brad Biles says the student ignored staff members who told him not to introduce the executive order.

Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON — Last week’s standoff brought to light the use of social media and how it can affect how law enforcement handles such a situation.

During the six-hour standoff, many photos and videos were shot and posted showing locations of officers and special response unit personnel. Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper took time to address the balance of free speech with the safety of his officers. “At my agency we have absolutely nothing to hide. I am open, I am transparent, I try to let the community know everything that we are doing,” Hooper said. “A lot of the success or failure of an emergency response team is based on appropriate tactics.”

Hooper says such video or photos on social media could be used against law enforcement and put them and the subject in more danger. “In a tactical situation, with people videotaping us, it would not be uncommon for the suspect in this incident last Thursday, for example, to be watching us or monitoring social media,” Hooper said. He gave an example of a similar situation where a person was providing live video of the standoff. Dispatch was letting law enforcement know that their movements were being put on social media.

Hooper says access to social media by those who may have a hostage, or are in a standoff, could be used against law enforcement. Hooper added that negotiations can hinge on keeping the subject calm in a hostage situation. “There’s often times when we’re negotiating with them we have officers in place, but we don’t want the suspect to see that because we don’t want to put any undue pressure on him or we don’t want to force him into anything rash,” Hooper stated.

Hooper says the use of social media has reached the point where the police department is constantly monitoring it so officers can determine if safety is being compromised. “We now have to monitor that,” Hooper said. “We are at our command post and we are seeing what things are going out on social media, we’re seeing if somebody’s Facebook-living it.” Hooper says he has to use resources to make sure they can prevent their officers from being placed in harm’s way adding there have been times during an emergency situation where he has discussed social media with Sheriff Randy Henderson to determine if their officers are being put in danger.

Not only can a person put an officer in danger by giving up tactical information on social media, but it can also be a crime if the information is given to a subject intentionally.

RENO COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 1a.m. Wednesday in Reno County.

The sheriff’s department reported a southbound Union Pacific train struck a Mitsubishi Eclipse that was struck on the tracks at 82^nd Street and Old 61 Highway.

The train conductor Calen Knipp told authorities they did not see the black vehicle stopped on the tracks.

The vehicle registered to Tawnya Sallee of Hutchinson was unoccupied, according to the sheriff’s department.

An investigation determined the driver did not navigate the turn correctly and the front two wheels of the vehicle left the roadway. The driver was unable to get the vehicle back onto the roadway, turned on the flashers and left it on the railroad tracks.

Knipp and the train’s engineer Dean Forsberg were not injured.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a series of burglaries.

Just after 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, police responded to an alarm call at the A-Ok Pawn Shop in the 1500 block of south Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers located a broken glass window on the business, damaged property inside and property was missing from the business.

Investigators determined 24-year-old Spencer Schroeder of Wichita was involved in the burglary. Schroeder was located in the 1500 block of south Broadway and arrested without incident. Investigators believe he may be involved in several other burglaries, according to Davidson.

Schroeder remains jailed with a bond of $25,000 on requested charges of burglary, destruction to property and theft.