LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A father and son are the latest arrests in the investigation into the fatal shooting of the 15-year-old daughter of Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay.
Trinity Gay died at a Lexington, Kentucky, hospital Sunday after police say she was fatally shot in the neck around 4 a.m. during a shootout between people in two parked vehicles in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant.
In a statement, Lexington police say 38-year-old Chazerae Taylor and his 19-year-old son D’Markeo are charged with wanton endangerment in the early Sunday shooting. Police charged another man, 21-year-old Dvonta Middlebrooks, with the same count and a weapons charge. Investigators say Middlebrooks was in the lot and fired multiple shots. Police say they’ve also found two vehicles involved.
Trinity Gay was a star track athlete at Lexington’s Lafayette High.
Tyson Gay, who ran for Barton County Community College from 2001-2003, has competed in the last three Summer Olympics. He was part of a team that won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter relay at the 2012 London Games though that medal was ultimately stripped after Gay tested positive for steroids in 2013.
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Authorities say the 15-year-old daughter of Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay has been fatally shot in Kentucky.
The Fayette County coroner’s office says in a statement that Trinity Gay died at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.
The sprinter’s agent, Mark Wetmore, confirmed in a text message to The Associated Press that Gay’s daughter was killed.
Lexington police said in a statement officers went to the parking lot of a restaurant after witnesses reported gunfire exchanged between two vehicles. Officers located one of the vehicles and stopped two people for questioning.
Tyson Gay, who ran for Barton County Community College from 2001-2003, has competed in the last three Summer Olympics. He was part of a team that won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter relay at the 2012 London Games though that medal was ultimately stripped after Gay tested positive for steroids in 2013.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Television journalist Charlie Rose has been named winner of a University of Kansas journalism award.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the University of Kansas School of Journalism has named Rose winner of its 2017 William Allen White Foundation National Citation. Rose is scheduled to visit campus to accept the award on April 20.
Rose is anchor and executive editor of “Charlie Rose,” a nightly one-hour program, and “Charlie Rose: The Week,” which highlights top stories and interviews. He also co-hosts “CBS This Morning” and is a contributing correspondent to “60 Minutes.”
Robinson, Coleman and Hamilton- photos Sikeston Police`
SIKESTON, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge has ruled there’s enough evidence to try three people in the death of a 66-year-old Kansas man.
KFVS reports that Larenzle Coleman, of Oakfield, Tennessee; and Elsie Hamilton and Ronnie Robinson, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, are charged in the June death of Larry Weaver of Pittsburg, Kansas.
Weaver’s body was found in a field in southeast Missouri on July 1. An autopsy shows he’d been tied up and beaten.
After a recent preliminary hearing, New Madrid County Associate Judge Joshua Underwood ruled there is sufficient evidence for the three defendants to be bound over for trial.
The judge set Nov. 8 as the arraignment date for Coleman. Robinson and Hamilton will be arraigned Nov. 22.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Responses from nearly 400 Kansas law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to a survey by the state’s attorney general suggest legal Colorado marijuana is having a big impact on Kansas — and not all of it negative.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the responses indicate less marijuana is flowing into the state, but what is coming in is more potent than pot smuggled in from Mexico.
The survey also shows the legal system has been affected by changing attitudes toward marijuana, with some jurisdictions no longer enforcing pot laws.
Schmidt says he’s concerned about the growing popularly of edibles, which are foods made with marijuana or marijuana oil.
Colorado is one of four states that have legalized marijuana. Five others will vote on legalization this fall.
RENO COUNTY — One of two inmates charged in a trafficking in contraband case at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility entered a plea in the case on Friday.
Bryant Colbert, 47, entered pleas of trafficking in contraband in a correctional facility and conspiracy to commit trafficking in contraband.
Colbert admits that he was involved with bringing items into the prison with Kevin Wilson. Items included cell phones and cash.
Colbert is already serving time for aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated burglary and rape. Those convictions from Montgomery County.
Wilson is serving time on numerous burglary and theft convictions and had earlier entered a plea in this case to conspiracy to traffic contraband and was given an additional year and nine months in prison.
Kansas Supreme Court Seated left to right: Hon. Marla J. Luckert, Hon. Lawton R. Nuss, Chief Justice; Hon. Carol A. Beier. Standing left to right: Hon. Dan Biles, Hon. Eric S. Rosen, Hon. Lee A. Johnson, and Hon. Caleb Stegall.
By SAM ZEFF
It’s been a half century since Kansas has executed a convicted killer and generally speaking, it’s not much of a political issue in the state.
But conservatives are banking on capital punishment in their campaign to oust four state Supreme Court justices.
When it comes to whether or not the Supreme Court justices should be kept on the bench or voted out, we’ve heard mostly about school finance and whether the high court should even be a player in that.
But lurking in the background, especially around Wichita and in western Kansas, is the death penalty.
“There are a number of issues that are before this court that have to be decided that impact every Kansan. So the death penalty is definitely one piece of that,” says Ryan Wright from Kansans for Fair Courts, the group leading the effort to retain the justices on the ballot in November.
The other piece is abortion. Over the years the justices have overturned some restrictions.
That resonates with pro-life voters but probably won’t lure many others to oppose the justices.
But, the death penalty just might.
“I think good political consultants know which emotional buttons to push and fear is one of the most popular because it’s one of the most effective,” says Michael Smith, a political scientist from Emporia State.
School finance, he says, is too complicated. Voters just want their schools open, class sizes relatively small and stable funding. “Whereas when you talk about ‘they let murders off,’ which is not technically correct, but when you frame it that way that pushes an immediate and very visceral button.”
And there is nothing more visceral around the death penalty in Kansas than the Carr brothers murder case.
The Carrs murdered five people in Wichita in 2000. They were sentenced to death but the Kansas Supreme Court overturned the sentence, though not the convictions. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death sentences and the Carrs are back on death row.
Republicans fiercely maintain that four of the justices up for retention ignored the law and struck down the Carrs’ death sentences for political reasons.
The state Republican Party passed a resolution at its convention in May calling for the ouster of justices Carol Beier, Dan Biles, Maria Lucket and Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. Though any mention of the death penalty was left out of the party platform.
The newest member of the high court, Caleb Stegall, has not been targeted by the conservatives because he’s seen as a conservative himself. Stegall was Gov. Sam Brownback’s chief legal counsel before being appointed to the Court of Appeals and then going through the merit selection process that landed him on the state Supreme Court.
House GOP leaders are leading the charge against the other four. Their Facebook page and Twitter feed are dotted with memes targeting the justices, including one with a red slash over their faces.
While House Republicans regularly send out incendiary emails and tweets, no one would agree to an interview. Not Speaker Ray Merrick from Stilwell. Not Majority Leader Jean Vickery from Louisburg. Not party director Clay Barker.
But Senate President Susan Wagle was tough on the high court on a recent episode of KCUR’s political podcast, Statehouse Blend. She’s from Wichita.
“My community is very upset with this court because of the Carr brothers murders,” Wagle says. “They overturned that death penalty and we had to go to the Supreme Court, spend a lot of money, to get our court back in line. So to me, they have overstepped their authority.”
In February, a Fort Hays State University poll showed only 21 percent of Kansans were dissatisfied with the high court, while 61 percent were dissatisfied with the Legislature.
Ryan Wright from Kansans for Fair Courts is pretty confident the justices will be kept on the bench. “Even with that case in Wichita I think that we’re going to see voters rally behind these courts because they think it’s important to have fair and impartial courts in Kansas.”
A bipartisan quartet of Kansas governors also think so and recently went on a barnstorming tour of the state to campaign in favor of retention.
Because there’s more politics surrounding the court this year than ever before, most believe this may be one of the closest judicial retention elections in Kansas ever.
Sam Zeff is co-host of the political podcast Statehouse Blend and covers education for KCUR, which is a partner in a statewide collaboration covering elections in Kansas. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamZeff.
DONIPHAN COUNTY – One person died and four others injured in an accident just before 7p.m. on Saturday in Doniphan County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Nissan King Cab Truck driven by Antonio Santiago-Hernandez, 38, Kansas City, was westbound on U.S. 36 just south of First Street in Wathena.
The truck crossed the centerline into the eastbound lane and struck a 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Richard D. Smith, 43, Severance, head-on.
Santiago-Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics.
Smith was transported to KU Medical Center.
Passengers in the Chevy Smith, Katie Marie Smith, 33, Severance, and two children ages 9 and 10, were transported to Mosaic Life Care.
Santiago-Hernandez and the passengers in the Chevy were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
MANHATTAN– A lack of a skilled agricultural workforce is a top inhibitor of growth and expansion for many Kansas agriculture businesses. To help support growth in agriculture, the Kansas Department of Agriculture seeks to help the industry better understand the workforce needs among agricultural employers in the state. In an effort to link the supply of human capital to the needs of Kansas agribusiness enterprises, KDA conducted the first Kansas Agriculture Workforce Needs Assessment Survey in 2016, assisted by the Agricultural Land Use Survey Center at Kansas State University.
The survey was constructed to gather information about the agriculture industry’s current and future workforce needs and the types of skills required to support economic growth in the state. A total of 250 responses from farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses were received from across the state and region, representing almost 12,000 employees. In total, the agriculture, food and food processing sectors employ more than 234,000 Kansans, or 12.4 percent of the Kansas workforce.
“We are committed to growing agriculture in Kansas, and that depends on a reliable and thriving workforce,” said Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey. “We know that means developing and recruiting skilled, talented workers to fill critical roles across the Kansas agriculture industry.”
The survey indicated that a number of vacancies exist in the agricultural industry, including a significant number which are considered entry-level positions, requiring no advanced degree (e.g. carpenter, elevator worker). Over half of the current job openings are in the fields of agriculture mechanics, agriculture business and animal science. Employers indicated that basic skills such as written communication and applied mathematics are lacking in applicants, along with “soft” skills such as motivation, time management and dependability and “hard” skills such as critical/analytical thinking and basic communication/writing.
The findings will be used along with action items developed at the Kansas Summit on Agricultural Growth in August to help direct KDA’s vision in serving the farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses of Kansas. By working with secondary schools and postsecondary educational institutions, the agriculture industry can develop beneficial partnerships that will help schools teach the skills and content needed by employers and will help the industry gain access to trained applicants.
To view the survey reports go to: agriculture.ks.gov/workforce. For more information, please contact Russell Plaschka, KDA workforce development specialist, at (785) 564-7466 or [email protected].
Gavin Wright, Curtis Allen and Patrick Stein were arrested on Friday and charged with domestic terrorism
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) —A southwest Kansas doctor who works with Somali refugees says some local residents fear the refugees because they mistakenly associate them with a militant group in Somalia.
Dr. John Birky said Friday that he’s seen social media postings and heard comments from Garden City-area residents questioning why refugees are coming to the community. He and other doctors are establishing a clinic, and he is working with refugees on a language program.
He made his comments after authorities announced that three members of a Kansas group Gavin Wright, Curtis Allen and Patrick Stein face federal charges related to an alleged plot to bomb an apartment building filled with Somali immigrants.
Birky said the refugees want to assimilate and pursue the American dream. He said many come to the United States to escape strife in Somalia.
Law enforcement sought to reassure Somalis and other immigrants in Garden City of their safety the day after the arrest of three men accused in the bomb plot.
Dalma Ali Warsame, a 34-year-old Somalian, listened to law enforcement Saturday talk about the arrests. He says the alleged plot has left his family afraid.
But Police Chief Michael Utz says he wants all Garden City residents to know they are safe.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Saturday called the plot “highly disturbing” and “an affront to all Americans.”
Shocked to learn of terrorism plot in #GardenCity. My gratitude to our law enforcement officials who prevented the loss of innocent life.
The KU Interactive Theatre Troupe-photo Univ. of Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A student, faculty member and a theater group have received the University of Kansas’ award honoring contributions toward advancing equity and inclusion at the university.
Nate Thomas, vice provost for diversity and equity, announced the university’s Diversity Leadership Awards on Thursday.
The student recipient was Jyleesa Hampton. The graduate student was a member of the two-member team last year that became the first all African-American female team to represent Kansas at the National Debate Tournament.
Faculty/staff category, Shawn Alexander, associate professor of African and African-American studies and director of the Langston Hughes Center and Student category, Jyleesa Hampton, graduate student in communication studies-photo Univ. of Kansas
The Kansas City Star reports that the faculty winner was Shawn Alexander, an associate professor of African and African-American studies and director of the Langston Hughes Center at the university. The group award went to the KU Interactive Theatre Troupe, which is made up of students.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita-based aviation company has announced layoffs but isn’t saying how many employees are affected.
The Wichita Eagle reports reports a spokeswoman for Textron Aviation, parent of Beechcraft and Cessna, confirmed the layoffs Thursday in an email. She did not give specific numbers, but said the layoffs affect a small number of employees.
In September, Textron Aviation announced plans to offer early retirement for an unspecified number of employees and that it would close airplane service centers in Atlanta and New Castle, Delaware. Textron has about 35,000 employees worldwide.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas secretary of state wants a federal court to set aside a default judgment against him for failing to file a timely response to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a state law requiring prospective voters to prove they are U.S. citizens.
A federal court clerk earlier this week entered Secretary of State Kris Kobach as being in default in a case concerning the state’s proof-of-citizenship requirement because Kobach had failed to file documents with the court on time.
The Wichita Eagle reports that in a motion filed Friday, Kobach asked the court to set aside the default judgment, saying he believed the court had suspended certain deadlines in the case.
The lawsuit contends the proof-of-citizenship requirement violates voters’ constitutional rights. Supporters say it prevents voter fraud.
WYANDOTTE COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. on Saturday in Wyandotte County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1996 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Todd M. Good, 23, Hutchinson, was eastbound on State Avenue taking the exit to Southbound Kansas 7 in Bonner Springs.
The rider lost control of the motorcycle and wrecked.
Good was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.
