BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an investigation.
Kopke -photo Barton Co.Deputies on the scene of Wednesday’s drug bust photo courtesy Barton Co. Sheriff
Just after 1:30p.m. Wednesday, Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant just south of the City of Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.
Detectives had obtained a search warrant during an investigation of a felon in possession of a firearm and contacted the resident at 180 C South US 281 highway. Upon entering the residence deputies also discovered suspected drugs and paraphernalia. Another search warrant was obtained for the drugs.
Deputies arrested Fred Kopke II, 53 of Great Bend and booked him on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and felon in possession of a firearm. Kopke is being held in the Barton County Jail in lieu of a $10,000 bond. Drug and weapon investigations are ongoing. Two Firearms were also seized.
Kopke has seven previous convictions for theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
COWLEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for arson and other charges following a standoff in Arkansas City.
Just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday, deputies were dispatched to the 900 block of S. 9th Street in Arkansas City. for the report of a domestic battery, according to Cowley County Sheriff Dave Falletti.
Initial reports indicated that the suspect 35 year-old Jeffrey “JD” Strange had weapons and had made comments that the incident would end up with a stand-off between he and law enforcement. Negotiations were being conducted when Strange went into a commercial welding business at 915 S.9th Street. While inside a fire was started.
Strange came out in front of the business and was sitting on a four-wheeler and brandished a large knife.
He was tased and taken into custody by deputies and officers with the Arkansas City Police Department, according to Falletti.
No one was injured during the incident. Strange was also found to be in possession of a loaded firearm upon arrest. The Arkansas City and Winfield Fire Departments were able to put the fire out and it is believed that the building is a total loss.
Strange was transported to the Cowley County Jail on requested charges of Domestic Battery, Arson, Disorderly Conduct and theft of a firearm.
He is being held without bond, according to Falletti pending an initial court appearance later this week.
TOPEKA—Fiscal year tax collections have exceeded previous year’s totals by $183.49 million according to data from the latest revenue report released Thursday by the Kansas Department of Revenue.
Fiscal year 2019 tax collections so far total $2.20 billion, exceeding estimates by $105.60 million.
October tax collections were up $10.71 million, or 2.14 percent over last year. October’s tax collections exceeded expectations for the month by $6.99 million.
Individual income tax collections in October totaled $242.29 million which is $12.88 million or 5.61 percent above the same time last year. October sales tax collections fell short of last October’s collections by $3.88 million.
As influenza activity picks up, the American Red Cross is urging healthy donors of all blood types to give blood to ensure a strong blood supply for patients in need.
Blood and platelets can only be given by donors who are feeling well. One way to maintain health is to get a flu vaccine each fall. There is no waiting period to give blood after receiving a flu shot as long as the donor is symptom-free and fever-free.
Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are needed this fall after hurricanes Michael and Florence forced the cancellation of about 200 blood drives, causing approximately 7,000 units of blood and platelets to go uncollected.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities Nov. 1-15
Oberlin
11/7/2018: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Decatur Community High School, 605 E. Commercial
Hays Blood Donation Center
208 E. 8th
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Fridays: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ellis
11/8/2018: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Ellis High School, 1706 Monroe
Hays
11/6/2018: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, 1701 Hall St.
11/9/2018: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Stockton High School, 105 N. Cypress
Rexford
11/8/2018: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., Golden Plains High School, 335 School
WaKeeney
11/14/2018: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Trego Community High School, 1200 Russell
Sharon Springs
11/15/2018: 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Community Building, 316 W Roman St
How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
SEDGWICK COUNTY – A Kansas sheriff’s deputy is out of jail after two arrests on Wednesday.
Paredes -photo Sedgwick Co.
On Wednesday morning, Bel Aire police arrested off-duty Sedgwick County deputy Raymond Paredes for alleged domestic battery in connection with an incident at his residence, according to
Col. Greg Pollock during a Wednesday news briefing.
Paredes was placed on administrative suspension and bonded out of jail.
Just after 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Paredes was back in jail after an arrest for violation of a protection order, according to the Sedgwick County sheriff booking report. Jail records indicate he was out on bond Thursday morning.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican candidate Kris Kobach on Wednesday echoed President Donald Trump’s assertion that Trump can deny U.S. citizenship to babies born to parents living in the country illegally, intensifying a focus on immigration in the final days of a close Kansas governor’s race.
Kobach on the campaign trail Wednesday -photo courtesy Kobach for Governor
Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, is Trump’s biggest political ally in the state and has advised the White House on homeland security issues. He also has made pursuing tough state measures against illegal immigration a cornerstone of his campaign for governor.
But in backing Trump on whether the president can end birthright citizenship without an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Kobach broke with some fellow Republicans, including U.S House Speaker Paul Ryan. Like Trump, Kobach contradicted legal experts who see the issue as long-settled and clear under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
“That’s one of the interesting things about birthright citizenship. There are many people who are under the misimpression that the 14th Amendment commands it,” Kobach said during a Fox News television interview . “It doesn’t.”
He added that Congress could end birthright citizenship or, “The president could do it through a regulation.”
Kobach is in a toss-up race with Democrat Laura Kelly, a veteran state senator from Topeka. She has argued that combating illegal immigration requires comprehensive legislation from Congress and that Kobach’s get-tough approach would damage the state’s economy, particularly in western Kansas and when it comes to agriculture.
Kelly’s campaign declined Wednesday to comment on Kobach’s comments. But Ethan Corson, the Kansas Democratic Party’s executive director said: “As Republicans like Paul Ryan and legal scholars from across the political spectrum have stated, the president obviously has no authority to alter the Constitution by executive order.”
Patrick Miller, a University of Kansas political scientist, said Kobach needs his conservative base to turn out to defeat Kelly. He said raising birthright citizenship as an issue after it’s remained relatively neglected represents “a fresher angle” on immigration issues.
“If you want to kick life into some kind of advertising, whether you’re selling a candidate or toothpaste, having a fresh angle is sometimes good to reignite interest and engagement,” Miller said. “Kobach also likes to push the envelope on a lot of things.”
The 14th Amendment begins: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Kobach, an attorney and former law school professor, argued Wednesday on “Fox & Friends” that immigrants living in the country illegally are not under U.S. jurisdiction, allowing Trump or Congress to deny their U.S-born children automatic citizenship. But a move in line with that thinking would likely spark a legal challenge.
States ratified the 14th Amendment after the Civil War to secure U.S. citizenship for newly freed black slaves. It later was used to guarantee citizenship to all babies born on U.S. soil after court challenges, including one that led to an 1898 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump said in an interview Tuesday that he wants to end birthright citizenship and could do so with an executive order. Ryan responded in a radio interview, saying: “Well you obviously cannot do that.” That drew a tweeted rebuke from the president.
Trump’s comments also were an issue in a debate Tuesday between Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder and Democratic challenger Sharice Davids in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District, where immigration has been a major issue. Trump, who narrowly lost the Kansas City-area district in 2016, has endorsed Yoder, the chairman of a House subcommittee on homeland security.
During the debate, neither candidate said directly whether they would support an effort by Congress to end birthright citizenship, though Davids said an executive order by Trump would “violate our Constitution.”
When asked after the debate about ending birthright citizenship, Yoder told reporters that if the U.S. secured its borders adequately, “That’s not an issue then.”
The Fort Hays State University Livestock Judging team earned second place overall at the Keystone International Livestock Exposition competition in Harrisburg, Pa.
With an overall team score of 4,512 in reasons, the FHSU team was close behind Ohio State University with its team score of 4,521.
FHSU also earned first-place honors in the team sheep category, second place in the team swine category, and fourth place in the team cattle category.
Quentin Haas, Madison senior, sixth overall individual, finished the livestock judging contest with a total score of 360, the individual reasons with a fourth-place rank, and two seventh-place ranks in the individual swine and individual cattle categories.
Regan Kats, Prairie View senior, finished third place in the individual swine competition and completed the livestock judging contest with a score of 358. He also earned fifth-place in the individual reasons competition.
Garret Brunk, St. Francis junior, placed fifth overall in the individual sheep contest, and finished the livestock judging contest with a total score of 345.
Brianna Stefan, Minneola junior, participated in the livestock judging contest with an overall score of 339 and finished the individual sheep competition with a third-place rank.
Morgan Tucker, Dighton junior, had an overall score of 330 in the livestock judging contest.
Gentri Collins, Dodge City senior, had an overall score of 329 in the livestock judging contest.
I recently read that “fewer than 1% of our population works hard to divide us, to pit people against one another for their selfish aim.”
We have elections at our doorsteps. Much of the election advertisements are trying to pit us against each other.
It seems that each election the voter turnout is slight – generally less than 50% of the registered voters. Yet the vote decides who is going to govern us. That power to govern includes state and local taxation; education of our children; providing for our safety and our security; and creating laws and policies that will support or devastate our economy.
It includes the power to wage, or not to wage, war; to give and take away our freedoms; to control the very fabric of our day-to-day lives. Yet, we still have people who do not vote.
I remember a conversation with my grandparents from when I was young. My grandfather voted for one political party; my grandmother the other. They decided not to vote, under the excuse, “We just cancel each other out.” I really goes much beyond that.
I have an agenda when I vote. I want my rights and my clients’ rights to be protected. I want my clients not to worry about healthcare. I want there to be adequate and affordable health services for them.
I want them to have financial security. I want their businesses, farms, retirement, Social Security, and Medicare to be protected. I want them to be safe in their homes; I want them to be safe outside their homes.
I also want certain fundamental rights protected for those who may be of limited means or maybe of a minority group, as well as those who have a not so popular religion or lifestyle. I do not want mob rule to control us. I want to be sure that we have all the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution and Bill of Rights – including free speech, the right to vote, privacy, and a free press.
So, that is my agenda. That is my test. Let me add something that my grandfather taught me – do not trust someone who continues to lie, no matter how big or small the lie. Walk away from that person. That too is part of my test of a candidate.
Create your own agenda, your own test. Yours may be a lot different than mine. That is fine. We will not cancel each other out, just please vote. Vote for the person that most matches your agenda. Vote for someone you trust; someone who has earned that trust. No candidate is perfect, but we cannot just give up by not voting.
Please vote your interests on Tuesday.
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
PRATT – The wait is almost over for Kansas trout anglers eagerly waiting for the Nov. 1 opening day of the trout season, and more than 30 waters around the state will be stocked with rainbow trout before the opener. However, stockings will be delayed a week at three trout waters in southwest Kansas. Due to unforeseen circumstances, one of the contracted suppliers will not be able to stock trout at Meade State Fishing Lake, Cimarron National Grasslands, and Pratt Centennial Pond until the week of Nov. 5. Trout waters in southwest Kansas that will be stocked prior to the Nov. 1 opener include Great Bend Veterans’ Pond, Dodge City’s Lake Charles and Sam’s Pond in Syracuse.
Anglers 16 and older who fish for trout must have a $14.50 Trout Permit and a fishing license, unless exempt. Anglers 15 and younger do not need a Trout Permit, but may only keep two trout per day without the permit. Anglers with a Trout Permit may keep five trout per day, unless the water is posted otherwise.
Trout will be stocked regularly throughout the season, which ends April 15. While most fish stocked will be rainbow trout of catchable size, a few lunkers are added to provide trophy opportunities. Go to www.ksoutdoors.com and click on “Fishing,” then “Special Fishing Programs” to see trout fishing regulations, as well as a stocking schedule for the waters that will receive trout.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated robbery and asking the public for help to locate a stolen vehicle.
Just after 10:25 p.m.Wednesday, police responded to an aggravated robbery in the 200 block of SW Gage in Topeka, according to Lt. John Trimble.
The victim reported that his white, 2010 Ford Fusion was taken from him at gunpoint by a subject described as a white male approximately 6 foot tall with short facial hair.
The suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and he was armed with a handgun, according to Trimble.
The suspect may have arrived to the area in a tan pickup truck. The victim’s car was last seen traveling southbound on Gage followed by the tan pickup truck.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact the Topeka Police.
Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus chats about the Chiefs bye week and previews Sunday’s game with the Raiders in Oakland.
