TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The leader of the Kansas House is responding to a series of mass shootings by proposing more mental health personnel in rural areas and expansion of a mental health program in K-12 schools while the Democratic governor proposes looking at gun laws.

Olathe Republican Ron Ryckman said the 2020 Legislature should address the widespread deficit of behavioral health workers in Kansas. He said half of the state’s population lives in areas with shortages.

Ryckman addressed the issue in the wake of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, without discussion of firearms.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly responded to the latest mass shootings by calling for “real, common sense gun-safety laws” and described the shootings as part of a public health crisis.

COWLEY COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and after asking the public for help have made an arrest.

Just after 10p.m. July 13, police  were dispatched to the 500 Block of North B Street in Arkansas City for a report of shots fired. When police arrived, they did not find anyone at the location, but numerous witnesses confirmed that a man had fired at least one shot toward a local residence.

The witnesses reported a man driving a blue Dodge pickup truck with two motorcycles in the back had driven into the front yard of the residence at 525 North B Street. He exited the truck and begun arguing with unknown persons at that location. After the gunshot, witnesses observed the truck leaving the area northbound on B Street.

Officers worked through the night to process the scene and attempt to locate the persons present at the time of the incident. One victim was found that night and two others the next day. Based on statements gathered from the three victims and video surveillance from a local business, officers applied for and received an arrest warrant for 43-year-old Stony Lee Graham through Cowley County District Court.

On July 16, an officer spotted Graham’s vehicle at the Agri-Business Building, 712 W. Washington Avenue in Arkansas City, according to police. Graham was not with the truck, which was seized as evidence. Investigators later obtained a search warrant for the vehicle in connection with the shooting.

On August 6, police arrested Graham on on requested charges of one felony count each of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threat, as well as one misdemeanor count of criminal discharge of a firearm. He is being held in the Cowley County jail in lieu of $15,000 bond through Ark City district court

 

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas plans to begin moving inmates to a private prison in Arizona by the end of the summer to help relieve crowding in state prisons.

The state Department of Corrections announced Friday that it has signed a contract with Nashville, Tennessee-based CoreCivic. The contract calls for moving up to 360 inmates to CoreCivic’s Saguaro Correctional Facility by the end of the year.

Kansas has about 10,000 prison inmates, about 100 more than the listed capacity for its facilities. The department is housing more than 100 inmates in county jails.

The state budget includes $16.4 million to put 600 male inmates in county jails or out-of-state prisons. But legislative leaders have had misgivings about using private prisons and in June blocked $6.6 million of the funding in June over that possibility.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man is charged with murder in the deaths of two men who were fatally stabbed in Kansas City

22-year-old Mario Markworth was charged Thursday with two counts of second-degree murder. He does not yet have a listed attorney. Markworth is jailed on $250,000 bond.

The victims, 56-year-old Michael McLin and 52-year-old Kevin Waters, were found dead about 6 a.m. Tuesday in the parking lot behind the Sheffield Life Center in northeastern Kansas City.

Police have not disclosed a motive for the killings.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ top health official says abstinence-only education isn’t enough to reduce unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

The  Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman said Thursday that the department could help reduce unwanted pregnancies and the demand for abortions by broadening educational offerings to emphasize contraception. Lee suggested collaboration among the state, county health departments and school districts.

In an interview with the Capital-Journal editorial advisory board Norman also supported enhancement of rural hospital trauma systems, development of a needle exchange program for drug users and training to improve early detection of autism in children.

Norman said he would support a state program to provide clean syringes to illegal drug users aimed at reducing the spread of disease.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are alerting the public to counterfeit oxycodone pills that contain fentanyl found in Kansas.

The pills appear from their markings to be legitimate, according to Wichita Police Captain Jeff Allen. Investigators confirmed the pills do contain the potentially fatal drug fentanyl.

“The counterfeit pills are being sold as Oxycodone pills and the consumer is unaware that the pills may contain Fentanyl,” according to Allen. “Fentanyl is a highly dangerous drug and can be up to 30-50 times more powerful than heroin and small amounts ingested can be fatal.”

These counterfeit pills may also be responsible for overdoses and overdose deaths in Sedgwick County over the past few months, according to police. Investigators have also received information from after police have confiscated the counterfeit pills in surrounding counties.

There is a great risk to the public, according to Allen.

Police remind the public that any narcotic or prescription drug not purchased with a doctor’s prescription at a legitimate pharmacy should be considered unsafe and could potentially contain fentanyl or other harmful substances.

Anyone with information about the illegal use or sale of any drug is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111. Those needing help with addiction should call Sedgwick County COMCARE Addiction Treatment Services at (316) 660-1100.

North Platte Post

COLUMBUS, Neb. — A 1-year-old child in Columbus has died after being left in a hot vehicle.

Columbus Police told the Lincoln Journal Star the report of an unattended death came in around 5:51 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said a 37-year-old woman had reportedly left her son in the back seat of the car in the parking lot of her place of employment.

Authorities say the child was in the car from 8 a.m. until around 5:40 p.m.

The names of those involved were not released, and police say the investigation into the matter is ongoing.

JC Post

JUNCTION CITY — The Junction City Commission has approved the purchase of new video surveillance equipment for the 5th Street Playground Park in the area of the new playground equipment.

Police Chief Dan Breci said it will enhance security in that area and aid in the apprehension of criminals during criminal investigations.

“The cameras could also prevent the open sale of narcotics in the park and surrounding areas. The city has made an investment as well as obtained private donations for the upgrade of Playground Park. and adding these cameras with 360-degree viewing would improve not only perceived security of park-goers but also cause potential criminals to stay out of the park.”

Total cost of the project will be $26,934.75 including installation.

By ROXANA HEGEMAN

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell said Thursday that a Kansas government watchdog that purchased transcripts this week of the testimony of four campaign workers at his federal trial was acting in response to a self-referral last year seeking an investigation by the state agency.

Jurors in March acquitted O’Donnell on 21 counts of wire fraud, but deadlocked on two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering related to his state and county campaigns. The judge later dismissed the remaining counts at the request of the government.

Docket notices filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court of Kansas indicate the general counsel of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission bought the transcripts of trial testimony of the four friends who testified against O’Donnell.

“This is in response to us asking them to open an investigation,” O’Donnell said Thursday after talking with his attorney. “They just waited until after trial.”

The ethics commission, established by the Legislature in 1974, is a bipartisan citizen commission that administers, interprets, and enforces the state’s Campaign Finance Act and other laws relating to conflict of interests, financial disclosure, and lobbying. Its members are appointed by the governor and other state officials.

Brett Berry, general counsel for the commission that enforces campaign finance law, said Thursday that he can’t confirm or deny any investigation.

O’Donnell said that he has since learned that the agency’s action came in response to a self-referral made last year in an effort to get the commission to investigate the allegations against him before his federal trial.

“I didn’t even break Kansas law, let alone federal,” O’Donnell said. “That was the whole problem and that is why we self-referred because we wanted it cleared up before (trial), and once you turn in a referral you can’t call and say, ‘Never mind, I take it back.”

He contended he has called the commission twice since the trial ended to ask them to clear it up.

O’Donnell noted that Carol Williams, the commission’s former head, testified on his behalf. Williams told jurors that state law leaves payment of staff up to a candidate’s discretion.

In an earlier affidavit, Williams also said that when a questionable expenditure is made by a candidate the matter would usually be resolved by its staff asking the candidate to explain the expenditure and if necessary reimburse the campaign. She said in her 40 years at the commission, she did not recall the federal government prosecuting a state or local candidate for a campaign finance matter.

Prosecutors had alleged that O’Donnell, a former state legislator, took $10,500 of campaign funds to put into his personal checking account or give to friends. But the jury in their acquittal mostly sided with O’Donnell, who argued the funds were legitimate campaign expenditures.

Among the transcripts that the commission purchased are those involving the testimony of Colby Rankin and Jonathan Dennill, two friends of O’Donnell who were given a pair of $1,000 checks following an Aspen ski trip. They told jurors they weren’t sure why O’Donnell gave them the money and then immediately asked for it back. O’Donnell claimed at trial the checks were bonuses for previously unpaid campaign services that the two men used to repay personal ski trip expenses. The counts related to that trip are among those that hung the jury and were subsequently dismissed.

The commission also requested transcripts of the testimony by David Jorgenson and Jack Masterson related to the 21 acquittals connected to a series of checks O’Donnell wrote from campaign accounts. Jorgenson and Masterson had testified they did nothing to earn that money. O’Donnell contended the two had forgotten the work they’d done or were being paid to be on standby, as allowed by the state’s campaign finance law.

The Wichita Republican was elected to the Kansas State Senate in 2012 for a term that ended in January 2017. He did not run for re-election and instead ran for and won a term on the Sedgwick County Commission that began in 2017 and is set to expire in 2020.

GREENE COUNTY, Mo. — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect identifies as 20-year-old Dmitriy Andreychenko who was armed and wearing body armor and military-style clothing outside a Walmart in Springfield, Mo.

Just after 4 p.m. Thursday, Springfield police officers were dispatched to 3150 W. Republic Road, a Walmart Neighborhood Market, according to a media release.

An armed white male in his 20s was detained by an armed off-duty fireman until officers arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody.

No injuries were reported, and no shots were fired.

Lt. Mike Lucas said that the man walked inside the Walmart carrying a “tactical rifle” and another gun. Lucas said the man had more than 100 rounds of ammunition.

“His intent obviously was to cause chaos here, and he did that,” Lucas said.

Andreychenko is being held on requested charges of first-degree terrorist threat, according to online jail records.

— The AP contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON – A Kansas man who traveled to the Philippines and had sex with minor females there was sentenced to over 84 years in prison today, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister.

Anthony Shultz was charged by complaint in July 2016 and pleaded guilty to three counts of producing child pornography in July 2018 before U.S. District Judge Eric F. Melgren of the District of Kansas.

According to admissions made in conjunction with the guilty plea, Shultz engaged in sex acts with minor females in the Philippines.  He videotaped his sexual encounters with two minors and transported the videos to his home in Kansas.  Shultz would also sell the videos online.  One of the girls was only 12 years old at the time; the other was 15 years old.  In one of the videos, Shultz is seen giving the 15-year-old money after having sex with her.  Shultz also produced child pornography of an 8-year-old girl in the Philppines by communicating on Skype with the child’s mother and directing the mother to expose the child’s genitals and live-stream it on web camera.

 

 

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged school threat and have made an arrest.

Just before 8a.m. Thursday, police received a call from a concerned parent with information about a possible threat of violence to the High School in Dodge City, according to a social media report.

Officers immediately responded and followed up on the information provided. After investigating the information, they arrested a 13-year-old high school student without incident.

Criminal threat charges will be filed with the Ford County Attorney’s Office, according to police.