NORTON—A Kansas school resource officer arrested on suspicion of child sex crimes is expected to make a first court appearance Friday, according to Norton County Sheriff Troy Thomson.
Scheetz -photo Norton Co.
Mark Scheetz, 30, of Lansing, was arrested Wednesday in Bonner Springs, Kansas on suspicion of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Scheetz was living in Norton County from 2013 to 2015 when the alleged incidents happened. The KBI says it was reported that Scheetz “engaged in sex acts with a minor, sent lewd photos to minors and used electronic devices to solicit sex with minors.”
Scheetz is being held on a $500,000 bond in the Norton County Jail, according to Thomson. He was employed by the Kansas City, Kansas, school district police department at the time of the arrest.
Before working there, Scheetz worked for the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office from 2016 to 2018.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Congressional investigations over voter irregularities expanded Thursday with Democratic lawmakers requesting information from state officials in Kansas and Texas.
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent letters seeking communications related to the decision by Ford County, Kansas, to move the only Dodge City polling site outside of city limits for the 2018 midterm elections. It also is seeking communications about efforts in January by the Texas secretary of state’s office to purge voter rolls amid disputed claims that registered voters may not be U.S. citizens.
The four letters were signed by Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the Oversight Committee, and Rep. Jamie Raskin, chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
The spokeswoman for Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said in an email they have acknowledged receipt of the request and “will respond accordingly.”
Jeff Mateer, first assistant attorney general in Texas, said in an emailed statement that they are reviewing the letter and “look forward to providing the committee with information that demonstrates our compliance with the law while ensuring free and fair elections.”
Spokespeople for Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox in Kansas and Secretary of State David Whitley in Texas did not immediately return messages seeking comment Thursday.
For about two decades, the only polling site for Dodge City’s 13,000 registered voters was the Civic Center in a mostly white part of town. Cox decided to move the site to the county Expo Center located outside of town and more than a mile from the nearest bus stop the month before the midterms. County officials have said the move was prompted by a planned construction project at the Civic Center, although work had not started by the time of the November election.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas sued Cox, arguing that moving the only polling site in Dodge City outside the city limits will make it more difficult for the city’s majority Hispanic population to vote because they tend to have less access to transportation and flexible work schedules. A federal judge refused to order the county to open a new polling location just days before the election, finding it was not in the public’s interest because it would likely create more voter confusion.
The letter to Cox from Democratic lawmakers acknowledges that Ford County recently settled a lawsuitand agreed to open additional polling sites in the city for future elections. However, it said they remained concerned that the decision to move the polling site last year may have impacted the voting ability of Dodge City residents. Their letter to Schwab seeks to determine the role of the Kansas secretary of state’s office in moving the polling site.
Texas’ bungled search for illegal voters began in January when state election officials released a deeply flawed list of 98,000 registered voters flagged as potential noncitizens. But it became almost immediately clear that the list wasn’t vetted and that the U.S. citizenship of tens of thousands of Texas voters had been wrongly questioned.
A federal judge in February called Texas’ scouring of voter rolls for noncitizens “a solution looking for a problem” and prohibited the state from removing any voters following lawsuits by civil rights groups.
Paxton had originally amplified the January announcement as a “VOTER FRAUD ALERT” in campaign fundraising emails before problems with the list emerged. President Donald Trump had also used the reports to renew his unsubstantiated claims of rampant voter fraud.
The fallout has put Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s hand-picked elections chief in jeopardy. Whitley was appointed in December but still needs confirmation in the Texas Senate, where Democrats signaled they have enough votes to reject him.
The letters from lawmakers ask that the requested communications be produced by April 11.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Big Creek Chapter will host its annual banquet at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall, 2350 E. Eighth.
The event will feature dinner, auctions, games and more, plus a chance to win prizes.
Fort Hays State University’s Gabe Warrick, a senior from Larned, imports graphics and video content for a broadcast during the NCAA Division II Central Region Women’s Basketball Championships at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
FHSU University Relations
The Fort Hays State University Department of Informatics recently participated in the Kansas Association of Broadcasters annual spring competition earning seven first place finishes, four seconds, and two honorable mentions.
Digital media production and journalism students and their advisors will receive the awards in Lawrence on Tuesday, April 2.
“It’s always great when our students are able to get the recognition they deserve, not only in competitions against other state institutions, but also across the nation,” said Nick Schwien, director of Tiger Media Network.
“We pride ourselves on preparing students for the real world after graduation, and our students continue to excel with the hands-on learning approach we utilize. The students have been taking advantage of opportunities they are presented with to not only further their education, but also become desirable hires for future employers,” he said.
Students from FHSU have a long history of competing in the KAB radio, television, news, sports and documentary categories. The historical momentum is bolstered by Hammond Hall’s state of the art facilities.
“Seeing firsthand how much time and dedication these students put into their work, it isn’t at all surprising to see this amount of recognition. These are the kids who know they want to tell stories and make a difference in the world after they graduate, and they are well on their way to doing just that,” said Russell Heitmann, News and Sports director for TMN.
Faculty advisors Dr. Ginger Loggins, assistant professor of informatics, and Ron Rohlf, assistant professor of informatics, coordinate contest submissions and student field trips.
Undergraduate Radio KAB Awards are listed in alphabetical order.
Nathan Johns, Oakley sophomore, majoring in information networking and telecommunications, first place in Complete New Feature with “Bootcamp Nickname.”
Dakota Rowlison, Salina junior majoring in digital media production and journalism, second place in Documentary with “My Rock Bottom.”
Undergraduate Television KAB Awards are listed in alphabetical order.
Lauryn Davis, Kensington sophomore majoring in elementary education, first place with Station Website for Tiger Media Network.
Lexi Gross, McCook, Neb., junior majoring in digital media production and journalism, placed first in Undergraduate: Intern TV with “Here at Sehnert’s Barkery we are one!” Gross also placed second in Promotional Audio or Video with “Sehnert’s Bakery: No Substitute (October 2018).”
Haley Lenauer, Saint George senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, second place in Public Affairs Program with “Under The Radar,” episode five.
Sergio “Alex” Perez, Garden City senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, first place in Complete New Feature with “Long Faced Dogs Are Back,” and honorable mention in Documentary for “Hays, America: The Music Within.”
Michael Turner, Maize senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, and Brooke Burton, Hill City senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, placed first in Entertainment Program with “Live and Local,” episode seven.
Gabe Warrick, Larned senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, and Paul Kirkwood, Garfield senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, received an honorable mention in Sportscast with “FHSU Football vs Northeastern State – 11/10/18.”
Warrick and Andrew McGinnis, Hays senior majoring in digital media production and journalism, placed second in Entertainment Program with “Live and Local,” episode four.
Graduate Radio KAB Awards are listed in alphabetical order.
Caroline Rae Strickland, Jenks, Okla., graduate student, placed first in Entertainment Program with “Losing Control (Audio Short Story),” and second in Entertainment Program with “The Millennials Manifesto (Podcast): End of the World.”
Undergraduate Radio Intercollegiate Broadcasting System finalists are listed in alphabetical order.
Davis is a finalist for Best Website with KFHS/Tiger Media Network.
Perez is a finalist for Best Documentary with “Hays America: The Music Within,” and for Best Video News Report with “The Long Faced Dogs Are Back.”
Justin Sabata, Hays sophomore majoring in digital media production and journalism, is a finalist for Best Station Promotion with “Bring the Thunder, KFHS Radio,” and Best Use of Video in the Radio Station for “The Penalty Box Summer F3,” episode three.
“It was pretty surreal being recognized in such a huge market and among so many people,” said Sabata. “This wasn’t Wichita or anything like that; this was New York City.”
“It’s great to see these students receiving recognition for the quality of their work. Consistently, year in and year out, these students walk the talk. I couldn’t be more proud,” said Angela Walters, interim chair of the Department of Informatics.
Dr. Kenton Olliff, assistant vice president for student affairs at Fort Hays State University, was named Counselor of the Year by the Kansas Counseling Association.
The award was announced at the association’s recent 2019 Spring Kansas Counseling Conference in Lawrence.
“I was humbled to just be nominated, let alone receive the award,” Olliff said.
Olliff is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, a licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor and a National Certified Counselor.
Our 40th President Ronald Reagan coined the phrase “a shining city on a hill” in describing America.
To some degree, thanks to Donald J. Trump in “making America great again,” we can still be described that way, however, criminality like never before in this country’s history is making many of us think otherwise about that shining hill. Our country has for some time now, gone completely off the rails when it comes to the rule of law and equal justice.
It makes one wonder if we have become a third world country or a despotic one. It appears, in many ways, under our legal system, it’s
all about who you are, not what you do.
No, this is not conspiracy theory. No, I am not making this up and yes, a major shock we have come to this as a country.
Trump comes along and all hell breaks loose because the establishment wanted the politician’s politician Hillary, and not a non politician named Trump that rightfully muddies the waters and wants to drain the swamp.
Crimes have been committed that may be beyond repair. Pay close attention readers to see what follows, especially what happens with a new Attorney General heading up our Department of Justice, a department that has been compromised beyond belief in the past, as has the FBI.
The trail of corruption and criminality leads back to former president Obama – and Hillary, then on to our law enforcement agencies and deep, very deep into other parts of our government, our media, and the Democrat Party. Call it a total abuse of power.
Their mission was, and still is, the destruction of a Trump presidency. At first it was all about preventing Trump from even becoming president. then the scheme became a coup. In other words, the anti Trumpers want to kick Trump out of office no matter what it takes. Far too much of it is motivated by hatred for Trump.
Does our vote even count in who we want as our president or is that to be determined by the Deep State that is clearly driven ideologically by a political party to the liberal and progressive left? What about those of us who are conservatives? If our votes don’t count then goodbye to America, once known as a democratic republic.
The criminality actually, is there for all to see. There are indisputable facts to back up my claims in this writing. No! You will not get this information from CNN, MSNBC, the three networks, the New York Times, Washington Post, let alone your local newspaper. In fact, parts of our government, media, and the Democrat Party have been one and the same in many respects.
Our law enforcement agencies provided Dems and media the weapons to destroy Trump. The whole thing has been politicized. Justice be damned. Trump’s presumption of innocence be damned by Democrats and media, even following the Mueller report of no collusion evidence. The Dems and media will press on looking under every rock on the shores of these United States for something, anything to destroy our Commander in Chief.
Not only was the Trump Russia collusion the biggest hoax ever, so was this the greatest miscarriage of justice. The Mueller Special Counsel was a hoax to begin with in that it was created based on a lie known as the fake dossier. If Mueller had any integrity he would never have taken the case to begin with for the simple reason there was never any evidence of a crime, including Trump colluding with Russia.
Two things to look for as we move forward. One bad, one good. The continued hatred of Trump by Democrats and media looking obsessively to impeach our president, even continuing with the collusion delusion. And, of course, obstruction of justice, even though they will lose on that account as well. Secondly, efforts to right our ship, by bringing the criminals to justice. The tables will be turned on the Trump haters as investigations take place by Republicans and our Department of Justice.
Maybe, with prayer and help from a higher power, the Clintons, along with Obama, and others, will be brought to justice. Just to name a few – read up on Uranium One, Clinton Foundation, Hillary’s private email server, and FISA warrants to spy on Trump using a fake dossier.
In spite of the recent final Special Council report, Mr. Investigator Mueller needs to be investigated too for hiring an army of Clinton connected lawyers to take out Trump.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have a teen suspect in custody.
Griffin -photo Sedgwick Co.
Just after 11p.m. March 22, police responded to a shooting call at a residence in the 7900 Block of East Indianapolis, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Upon arrival, offices located a 29-year-old victim with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported for treatment and remains hospitalized, according to Davidson.
Through an investigation, police learned a disturbance took place between the suspect identified as 19-year-old Treyvaun L. Griffin and the victim at the home on Indianapolis. During the disturbance, Griffin pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots that seriously injured the victim.
On Wednesday, police located Griffin at a residence in the 1900 Block of East 47th Street South and made an arrest. They also recovered a handgun inside residence. Griffin is being held on requested charges that include attempted first-degree murder, criminal possession of a firearm, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery, according to Davidson.
The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.
Friday Rain likely with areas of drizzle before 1pm, then a chance of rain after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 42. North northeast wind 11 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday NightRain likely before midnight, then rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 31. North wind 14 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
SaturdayA 20 percent chance of snow showers before 1pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 46. North wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Saturday NightMostly clear, with a low around 23. North wind 9 to 14 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
McPHERSON, Kan.-Maize South scored with just under two minutes remaining in overtime to take a 2-1 win over Hays High in the semifinals of the McPherson Invitational Soccer Tournament. The two teams battled all night long in the cold and the wind.
Maize South scored the first goal of the game with only 37 seconds remaining in the first half and led 1-0 at halftime. The Lady Indians would take only 25 seconds of the second half to score the equalizer as Caroline Robben found an opening to score her third goal of the season. Both teams would have opportunities throughout the remainder of regulation but could not capitalize.
The Mavericks scored the game winner off of a free kick just outside of the goalie box, the result of what was a questionable foul call against Hays High. The Lady Indians will face Andover Central, a 2-1 loser to McPherson, in the 3rd Place game at 6pm on Friday.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A former Douglas County sheriff’s deputy has pleaded no contest to aggravated battery as part of a plea deal that dropped a charge of engaging in sexual activity with a female inmate.
Godinez -photo Douglas Co.
47-year-old Mario Godinez entered a no contest plea to the felony charge on Wednesday. A judge ordered Godinez to immediately register as a sex offender because the crime was “sexually motivated.”
Godinez was charged in September with engaging in consensual sexual activity with a female inmate at the Douglas County Jail. An affidavit last year says Godinez admitted to having sex with the prisoner in his office at the jail and in his personal car.
Godinez was in charge of an inmate work release program at the jail. He resigned last April.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A Kansas City man who threatened President Donald Trump and sped to the White House with a gun had driven 13 hours without stopping before he was pulled over along a West Virginia highway Wednesday, a trooper said.
Eric Charron -photo courtesy Tygart Valley Regional Jail
Eric Leonardo Charron of Kansas City was arraigned in Preston County Magistrate Court on Thursday in Kingwood on charges of reckless driving and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
State police said Charron was going 130 mph — nearly twice the speed limit — on Interstate 68 when he was pulled over near Bruceton Mills. The incident prompted the interstate to be closed for nearly four hours.
Trooper D.W. Satterfield said in a criminal complaint that Charron, 42, indicated he was traveling to the White House and that he was running late to a dinner he was invited to by Trump. The suspect also said he had to travel to the Pentagon “to meet with the leader of the Army to return a phone,” according to the complaint.
Charron later said he had “special hearing” that “would tell him to do bad things once he arrived at the White House or The Pentagon,” Satterfield said, adding the “special hearing” also told Charron to remove Satterfield’s gun from its holster while being transported from the traffic stop.
Satterfield said a vehicle search turned up a handgun, 300 rounds of ammunition and gunpowder. In addition, manuscripts written by Charron contained “subjects ranging from time travel, levitating watercraft, and mythical creatures such as the ‘Chupacubra.’”
The trooper said Charron admitted using methamphetamine recently and his pupils were dilated despite bright conditions outside. Charron had driven through the night from his hometown, authorities said. The trooper didn’t notice any luggage in the vehicle.
Satterfield asked Charron why the vehicle’s remote key would not open the trunk, and Charron stated he had tampered with the fuses in an effort to “keep the CIA from listening to him through the radio.”
According to the court, Charron was ordered held either on $10,000 cash bond or upon Trump’s signature. Charron was remanded to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.
It wasn’t immediately known whether Charron has an attorney who could comment on the charges.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two top leaders of the Kansas Highway Patrol are leaving the agency.
Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday in a news release that Col. Mark Bruce, the patrol’s superintendent, and Lt. Col. Randy Moon, an assistant superintendent, have resigned.
Kelly said Shawnee County Sheriff Herman Jones will take over the agency on Wednesday. Maj. Jason De Vore will be acting superintendent until Wednesday.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the governor’s spokeswoman, Ashley All, said she couldn’t comment on the departures because they were personnel matters.
Kelly said in December that she would retain Bruce because he was an effective leader and a strong advocate for law enforcement officers.
Jones led the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Department since 2012 and was a highway patrol employee for more than 20 years.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A suburban Kansas City school district has agreed to apologize to three students who alleged their free speech rights were violated during a national classroom walkout for gun control.
Shawnee Mission North junior Grace Altenhofen said she saw an associate principal take a camera from a student’s hand at their walkout. Altenhofen and others were at the center of an ACLU lawsuit against the district. photo by ANDREA TUDHOPE
The apologies are part of a settlement that the Shawnee Mission School District reached earlier this month with the American Civil Liberties Union. Training also is part of the settlement, whose terms became public Tuesday.
Issue arose last April when students across the country gathered to protest on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting in Colorado.
In the Shawnee Mission district, administrators confiscated a high school journalist’s camera. The lawsuit said they also forced an eighth-grader from a speaking platform and sent her home after she said that “The real issue is gun violence.”
