Prosecutors allege Miller and her boyfriend, Stephen Bodine, abused Evan for months, including forcing him to stand naked in chains for hours with a belt around his neck.
As part of her plea, Miller testified against Bodine, who was sentenced in December to more than 100 years in prison for Evan’s death.
Police believe Evan died in May 2017. His body was found that September after Miller and Bodine moved out.
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) announced today the appointment of Dr. Andy Tompkins as interim president at Wichita State University (WSU).
Tompkins served as superintendent of USD 305 in Salina from 1987-1994, according to information from USD 305.
This will be Tompkins’ second time serving a KBOR university in this capacity, having previously been interim president of Fort Hays State University from December 2016 to November 2017.
“The Regents are pleased that Dr. Tompkins will bring his expertise and wealth of experience to Wichita State University,” said Dennis Mullin, Chair of the Kansas Board of Regents. “We are confident that he will continue the good work being done at WSU and successfully oversee the University. I would like to thank Provost Rick Muma for his leadership as Acting President these past several months. He has done an outstanding job shouldering the responsibilities of two very important positions, and I’m happy he’ll be able to focus on the extensive duties of the Provost moving forward.”
Tompkins became president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents on June 1, 2010, and retired from the position on June 30, 2015.
Throughout his career, Tompkins served at all levels of public education, beginning as a high school English teacher in 1969 and continuing on to work as a high school principal and district superintendent. In 1994, he was hired by Pittsburg State University as chair and associate professor in the Department of Special Services and Leadership Studies. He then went on to serve as interim dean for the College of Education at Pittsburg State (1995-1996), a position he returned to as dean from 2007-2010.
In 1996, Tompkins was asked to serve as the commissioner of education for the Kansas Department of Education, a role he continued in through 2005. Afterward, he served as an associate professor at the University of Kansas, teaching in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, before returning to Pittsburg State.
Tompkins was selected as Kansas Superintendent of the Year in 1992, was inducted into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame in 2001, and received the Governor’s Award presented by the Kansas State High School Activities Association in 2002. He was the recipient of the Leadership Kansas Alumnus of the Year Award (2002), received the University of Kansas College of Education Distinguished Service Award in 2004, and was given the Emporia State University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. He earned his undergraduate degree in English at East Central State University in Ada, Oklahoma. He earned his master’s degree from Emporia State University and his doctorate from the University of Kansas in Educational Administration.
February 19, 1941 ~ March 27, 2019
An obituary and services are pending with Bateman Funeral Home, Goodland.
Thomas More Prep-Marian
The Diocese of Salina and the Midwest Province of Capuchin Franciscans, headquartered in Denver, Colo., have or will release the names of priests and brothers who have had credible complaints of sexual misconduct of minors in past decades.
Some of these priests and brothers served on staff at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School when the school was under the sponsorship of the Capuchin Religious Order. The offending priests that were identified by the Capuchins and who served at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School are listed on the Capuchin website, https://capuchins.org/ and the Diocese website, https://salinadiocese.org/the-register. Our prayers and support are offered for the victims of sexual abuse and for those whose faith is shaken based upon these actions. This transparency is a significant indicator of our desire for healing and unity for all those affected.
Our mission states: Thomas More Prep-Marian, a Christian community in the Catholic tradition, challenges its students to spiritual growth, academic excellence, and leadership formation. The safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff is paramount as we educate the leaders of our faith and humanity. TMP-Marian is compliant with the United Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People which includes training for all teachers and adult volunteers in a Diocesan Safe Environment Curriculum and Diocesan Code of Professional Conduct as well as required criminal background checks.
In Kansas many professionals, including teachers, doctors, and counselors are mandated reporters. These individuals are required by law to make a report immediately to the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) if they have reasonable cause to suspect a child is being neglected or abused in any way. The DCF maintains a 24-hour statewide reporting hotline at 1-800-922-5330.
Furthermore, The Catholic Diocese of Salina encourages individuals who suspect abuse of a minor by clergy to report the allegation – past or present – to the Diocesan Victim’s Assistance Coordinator, 103 N. Ninth St., Salina, KS 67401; (785) 825-0865; [email protected].
The Diocese of Salina and Thomas More Prep–Marian Jr./Sr. High School express their genuine regret and profound sympathy to all victims and survivors of sexual abuse by clergy in the Diocese of Salina and elsewhere. We are committed to promoting the healing and reconciliation of survivors. Please direct questions to the following:
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal accident that occurred just before 7p.m. Wednesday in Sedgwick County.
According to Lt. Tim Myers of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, Herbert Lawrence, 69, Derby, was standing outside of a disabled red Chevy truck at 63rd Street South and Grove in Wichita.
An eastbound white Chevy Silverado driven by John Fanning, 35, Derby, rear-ended the red truck forcing it over the curb and through a fence line.
EMS transported Lawrence, a passenger in the red Chevy Virginia Lawrence, 72, Derby, and Fanning to Wesley Medical Center. Herbert Lawrence was pronounced dead at 7:31 p.m., according to Myers.
By JOHN HANNA
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers have blown several informal deadlines for boosting funding for public schools to satisfy a court mandate because Republicans who control the Legislature are at odds over how to allocate the new dollars and what policy strings should be attached.
The state’s attorneys must file a written report with the Kansas Supreme Court by April 15, telling the justices how legislators responded to the high court’s ruling last yearthat spending on public schools is insufficient. The Legislature is set to start its annual spring break April 6 and not return to the Statehouse until May 1.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly urged legislators to pass her plan for an education funding increase of roughly $90 million a year by the end of February. Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, told lawmakers they should finish their work by March 15.
The Senate approved Kelly’s plan March 14. Top House Republicans back a plan to target new dollars to programs for at-risk students but wouldn’t bring it up for a debate this week because it did not have enough votes to pass. The House and Senate plan to begin negotiations next week on the final version of a school funding bill anyway — without a clear sense of their path forward.
“We’ve got to have an answer to the court by the time we go home next week,” Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine, a moderate Emporia Republican, said Wednesday. “Time is of the essence.”
Four local school districts sued the state over education funding in 2010, and the Supreme Court has issued six rulings directing legislators to increase education funding, now more than $4 billion a year. The high court said a 2018 law promising to phase in a $548 million increase by the 2022-23 school year wasn’t sufficient because it did not account for inflation in recent years.
Educators have argued that legislators should just increase the state’s total aid to its 286 school districts, and Kelly’s plan does that.
Top Republicans in the House have argued that new funds should target helping struggling students, including children with behavioral and mental health problems. Their proposal actually would spend $14 million more than Kelly proposes during the budget year that begins in July — but it includes grants for school safety upgrades and other specific programs.
“Why wouldn’t we target it?” said House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a conservative Wichita Republican. “What’s the purpose of doing this? It’s to move the needle. It’s to make education better.”
Many Republicans, particularly conservatives, also want to tie the money to education policy changes. The strategy worked well for them in 2014, when they successfully repealed a state law guaranteeing tenure to teachers who’d been in the classroom at least three years.
House conservatives initially pushed an education bill that included a proposal to give parents of children in public schools state-funded scholarships so that their children could move to other schools, including private ones. But they backed off that proposal and others, and the House passed a narrower policy bill this week on a 63-61 vote.
Democrats and many moderate Republicans contend that a straightforward funding bill is the best approach and that lawmakers ought to leave decisions about how new dollars are spent to local school boards.
“I think the best way to do it is to stick with what I proposed initially and what the Senate passed, with a clean, simple deal-with-inflation factor and move on,” Kelly told reporters Wednesday.
Trooper Ben Gardner of the Kansas Highway Patrol today issued a plea for car owners to check their vehicles for recalled Takata airbags. The recall affects between 65 million to 70 million airbags that need to be recalled, he said. For more information on the recall or to check your vehicle’s VIN number, click HERE.
Please listen and please retweet….https://t.co/y0bzsqtgOi#ProtectThePeopleYouLove #Takata pic.twitter.com/VxqVTeLm0y
— Trooper Ben (@TrooperBenKHP) March 28, 2019
By KIRBY ROSS
Phillips County Review
Kansas Legislature: You are going to get us killed. Literally.
After years of failing to properly fund Kansas highways in general — and northwest Kansas highways in particular — the Kansas Legislature has had the opportunity for a re-do this session, but seems to be taking a pass on it. In the process, the very dangerous U.S. 383 in Phillips County was specifically investigated by a legislative task force but fixes to it have been punted off into the future — dangerous, but not dangerous enough it seems.
As a result, life-saving improvements to U.S. 383 in Phillips County are still years away.
Those hazards came home to roost twice in three days this week, when on Monday an oversize overweight windmill tower load traveling U.S. Hwy 383 slipped off the [nonexistent] shoulder and wrecked. Luckily, no one was injured. But the entire 25-mile stretch of highway running through the county had to be shut down, a significant number of law enforcement officers from at least three different agencies had to be utilized, massive cranes had to be brought in, and thousands upon thousands of dollars had to be expended — all just to clean up the accident scene.
Can we send the bill for all this to Topeka because they won’t properly invest in our highways?
But it gets worse.
As this editorial was being written and just 18 hours after they cleared Monday’s wreckage off the 383 right-of-way a different semi hauling another windmill tower side-swiped a grain truck on U.S. 383 less than 2 miles from the previous accident site. Nonexistent shoulders + narrow roadway. That one shut the highway down the better part of Thursday morning and on into the afternoon.
All of which raises another question: Why are these wind tower loads even traveling down U.S. 383? Two years ago, oversize overweight windmill loads were banned by KDOT from passing through Phillipsburg because they were destroying the road infrastructure, and pilot car drivers couldn’t mind their manners on Phillipsburg streets. So, having been taken to the woodshed for bad behavior they ended up detouring off U.S. 183 and around Phillipsburg by traveling down U.S. 383. Which is even more ridiculous, given the nature of that road.
How about those who transport these gigantic loads through Phillips County try this instead? Find another route! In 2016, an elderly man was killed on U.S. 183 near Alma, Neb., north of Phillipsburg trying to get around these things that back traffic up a mile behind them. Let’s not have it happen here.
The way things are going, a death will eventually occur on U.S. 383.
Are you listening, Legislature? That one will be on you.
Charles R. Easton of Quinter, passed away Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at his home in Quinter.
Services are pending with Schmitt Funeral Home.
SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and asking the public for help to locate suspects.
Early Wednesday, police responded to a home near the 1800 block of SW Fairlawn Road in Topeka, on a report of a burglary, according to a media release.
Upon arrival and after speaking with the victim of the burglary, it was discovered that sometime during the evening hours on Tuesday, March 26 at least one suspect entered the victim’s home and stole over 30 firearms. These firearms were comprised of pistols, rifles and shotguns.
Police are seeking the public’s help in this case and ask that if anyone with information on the crime should contact investigators.
Police also reminded, “Anytime even a single firearm is stolen, there is concern that the firearm could end up in the hands of a criminal and be used to commit a crime. We would like to remind the public of the importance of securing your firearms properly and keeping their location private.”
Goodland resident and former St. Francis resident Linfred Eugene Lyle Oster, 69, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Goodland on March 17, 2019.
Lin was born on November 13, 1949 in St. Francis, KS to Lyle Willard and Edna Gertrude Elizabeth (Walter) Oster. He was one of two children. He grew up and attended school in St. Francis, graduating from St. Francis Community High School in 1967.
Lin worked for several different construction companies throughout his life. He worked for Rhoads Construction in Goodland helping lay bricks at Central and West Elementary Schools. He was also an avid gardener and enjoyed growing many different plants and vegetables.
He was a member of the First Christian Church in Goodland, and was a former member of the Jaycees and Lions Club.
Lin was preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by his sister Gloria (Jesse) McWilliams of Hill City, KS, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Memorial services for Lin will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 10:30 AM MT at the First Christian Church in Goodland with Pastor Doug Amend officiating.
Memorial contributions may be designated to the Linfred Oster Memorial Fund and may be sent to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.
Online condolences may be left at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.
Services are entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.
Viola A. Burns, age 90, of Belton, Missouri, passed away on Monday, March 25, 2019 surrounded by her loving family members.
A Rosary will be held at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, March 29, 2019 followed by a Visitation Service and 11:00 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Sabina Catholic Church, 700 Trevis Ave., Belton, Missouri 64012. A Burial will be held immediately following the Funeral Mass at Belton Cemetery in Belton, Missouri.
Viola was born on September 24, 1928 in Munjor, Kansas. She was the daughter of Hilarius Leiker and Bridget (Jacobs) Leiker.
On September 10, 1955 Viola was joined in marriage with her loving husband, Raymond P. Burns. Together they were blessed with four children, James, Gary, Lawrence, and Kathy. For most of Viola’s life she worked as a homemaker, caring for her four children. She very much enjoyed gardening, bowling, and was a member of Loosely Knit Knitters. She was an avid sports fan, especially when watching her sons or grandsons play. She was a faithful member of St. Sabina Catholic Church.
Viola was preceded in death by her loving husband of 41 years, Raymond P. Burns; parents Hilarius and Bridget Leiker; five brothers, Gilbert, Robert, Francis, Charles, and Richard Leiker; and two sisters, Agnes Pfannenstiel and Dolores Hoffman.
She is survived by her four loving children, James R. Burns, Gary J. Burns (Janet), Lawrence G. Burns, and Kathy A. Burns; sister Laverna Samuelson (John); brother Larry Leiker (Donna); and two grandchildren John and James.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to St. Sabina Catholic Church, 700 Trevis Ave., Belton, Missouri 64012.
Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Raymore, Missouri 816.322.5278
