FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 457 are investigating an alleged school threat.

Just after 6:30 p.m. Monday, police  received a report of a possible threat on social media towards Horace Good Middle School, 1412 N Main in Garden City, according to a media release. The threat was to occur on Tuesday.

There will be an increased police presence at the school. The Garden City Police Department and the Garden City School District encourage parents and guardians to monitor their child’s’ social media accounts and to have your child report any suspicious information.

On April 18, police identified a 14-year-old who made a social media threat that depicted the general use of firearms to harm students at the school.

The Garden City Police Department is requesting assistance from the community. If you witnessed this week’s incident, or have information related to this incident, you should call the Garden City Police Department

HAMILTON COUNTY — A Kansas man is recovering from injuries in a weekend crash in southwest Kansas.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Izusu I-280 driven by Samuel Zapata, 20, Syracuse, was northbound on Barton Street south of U.S. 50 just after 5:30p.m. Saturday.

The pickup traveled around train crossing grades. The driver’s side of the pickup collided with an eastbound Burlington Santa Fe Train

The pickup rotated counter-clockwise an undetermined amount of times and the driver was ejected from the vehicle.

Zapata was transported to a hospital in Wichita. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

By JOHN HANNA AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ attorney general on Monday asked the state Supreme Court to settle an unprecedented dispute between Gov. Laura Kelly and a top lawmaker over whether Kelly can name a new lower-court judge after withdrawing her first pick.

The Democratic governor announced last week that she is moving ahead with submitting a new state Court of Appeals nominee to the GOP-dominated Senate for confirmation despite the objections of Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican. Wagle said Monday that Kelly is showing “blatant disrespect” for the law governing appointments to the state’s second-highest court.

Kelly was forced last month to withdraw the nomination of her first choice, Labette County District Judge Jeffry Jack, over political posts on his Twitter feed in 2017. Some included foul language or acronyms and one described President Donald Trump as “Fruit Loops.”

Wagle contends that by withdrawing Jack’s appointment, Kelly missed the legal deadline for nominating an appeals judge and the choice now falls to Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. The governor contends she met the deadline and gets to try again.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt, also a Republican, filed a petition Monday with the Supreme Court arguing that the law is “silent on this question.”

“It provides no legal authority for either the governor or the chief justice to fill a vacancy in this situation,” Schmidt wrote.

Jack’s failed nomination was a major embarrassment for the new governor and raised questions about her vetting process. No governor has missed making an appointment to the Court of Appeals since the state created it in 1978.

Schmidt asked the Supreme Court to expedite a decision. Legislators return May 1 from an annual spring break but are scheduled to wrap up their work for the year on May 17.

Veteran appeals court Judge Patrick McAnany retired the day Kelly took office in January. The 2013 appointments law says if the governor fails to make a nomination within 60 days, the choice falls to the Supreme Court’s chief justice.

Kelly announced Jack’s nomination on the March 15 deadline and withdrew it four days later. Wagle accused the governor Monday of trying to “bypass” the law.

“We should not escalate this conflict further but instead seek resolution on the legal question of who holds power to make the next nomination,” Wagle said before Schmidt filed his petition.

The law says that if the Senate rejects a nominee, the governor names another, without addressing what happens if a nominee withdraws without a vote. Kelly and her staff have argued that Jack represents a failed nomination.

“We need to get somebody on the Court of Appeals,” Kelly told reporters Monday. “We just need to get that language clarified, but in the meantime, I think it’s important that we go ahead with the process.”

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire Monday at a home in Shawnee County.

Just after 3a.m., fire crews  responded to a reported structure fire located at 325 SE Pinecrest Drive in Topeka, according to Fire Chief Michael Martin. Upon arrival, firecrews found a one story wood frame residence with heavy smoke and flames visible.

Firefighters began an offensive fire attack and began a search of the structure. The occupants escaped without injury. One occupant rescued a pet dog which sustained minor burns and was transported to an animal clinic for treatment; one cat remains missing.

The origin of the fire was within the living room, according to Martin. Estimated structural dollar loss – $12,000 and estimated content dollar loss is $6,000.  The residence had no working smoke alarms.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An inmate at Leavenworth federal prison was sentenced Monday to 42 months in prison for attacking another prisoner with a metal pipe, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Jimmy A. Eastep, Jr., 49, pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. In his plea, he admitted he was working in prison electrical shop when he attacked another inmate.

Prison staff found the victim identified as 52-year-old Michael Seamen lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

He suffered a skull fracture and other serious injuries and was transferred to U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Mo.

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a weekend chase across several counties.

Just after 7:40 p.m. Saturday, Ottawa County Sheriff’s personnel and Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) troopers were engaged the pursuit of a dark colored BMW. The chase entered Saline County on U.S. Highway 81, but the Ottawa County and KHP pursuers lost the vehicle on the east side of Salina, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

According to Forrester, at 8:16 p.m. Saturday, a Salina Police officer spotted the vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the 300 block of East Jewell, however the vehicle took off through town and eventually disappeared.

At 8:33 p.m., a law enforcement dispatchers received a call from someone reporting that a BMW was parked in the alley behind the 200 block of South 12th and that a black male subject was changing his clothes there, according to Forreste.

Police located the man walking in the 700 block of West Walnut, but he fled when he saw the officers.. The subject eventually was found hiding on the roof of a dog kennel in the 100 block of South 12th Street.. When located, the subject had a small amount of marijuana and the keys to the BMW on him,.

Police booked Elbert Costello, Jr., 21, of Wichita, on requested charges of Flee and elude, Disobeying traffic control devices, Speeding, Felony obstruction, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia.  Costello has four previous convictions that include aggravated battery, aggravated assault and weapons violations, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.