PAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Pawnee County are investigating a phone scam.

A resident reported they received a call and the number returned to the Kansas Department of Revenue, according to a social media report.

The Sheriff’s Department believes someone was able to use a legitimate number to call and leave an automated scam message informing that person that they needed to call them back.

In January, the Kansas Department of Revenue reported receiving reports of a tax scam targeting Kansans, according to a media release.

The callers all say that the recipient has a tax debt with the state of Kansas and push the recipient to pay the debt using a debit card or money order and threaten jail. The recipients were also told they failed to file a Form 61, which does not exist for the state of Kansas.

The calls show up on caller ID as a valid Department of Revenue number, 785-296-0671, which connects to the department’s Public Information Officer.

If taxpayers receive a call and are unsure if it is fraudulent or not, they should call the department’s tax customer service line 785-368-8222.

RENO COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Reno County are investigating an armed robbery at a clothing store.

Just before 2:15 p.m. a suspect with a handgun walked into Fair Priced Clothing Store, 818 West 4th Street in Hutchinson and attempted to take money from the register.

The suspect described as a skinny black male, early twenties around 5′ 5″ with short hair left the store and got into a white 4-door Oldsmobile 88 that was driven by a second suspect.

The suspect vehicle was hit by another vehicle while leaving the scene and will have a red/black paint transfer and moderate damage on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

Both suspects are still at large and the vehicle was not located.

Anyone who has information in regards to this crime may call Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 1-800-222-TIPS or Detective Loepp at 620-694-2829.
All tips in regards to this crime should be associated with case 2016-19930.

KANSAS CITY – Two Kansas men were sentenced Monday to 12 years in federal prison for taking part in a plot to commit an armed robbery at a drug house, according to acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Enoch Clark, III, 26, Kansas City, Kan., and Dalevon L. Dixon, 24, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. In their pleas they admitted that in October 2014 they agreed with an undercover agent to rob a narcotics stash house where they believed they would obtain more than 10 pounds of cocaine.

They took part in several meetings in which the crime was planned and it was decided that anyone resisting would be shot. They were arrested Nov. 14, 2014, at a storage lot in Kansas City, Kan. Investigators seized three pistols and a rifle at the scene.

Co-defendants include:

Cornell Jones, who was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison.

Devronn H. Sportsman, who was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.

Dwone C. Heard, who was sentenced to 12 months on supervised release.

Julian Rodriguez, who is set for sentencing Dec. 19.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An internal investigation into a national jackpot-fixing scandal has concluded that a single former lottery employee was responsible for any drawings that were manipulated, but it failed to uncover proof of his guilt on charges he fixed games in Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

The report for the Multi-State Lottery Association found that its former security director, Eddie Tipton, had no help from other employees. But investigators said they found no smoking gun proving criminal activity, such as the manipulation of computers that pick numbers.

The April 29 report was obtained by The Associated Press.

Tipton was convicted last year of tampering with a drawing for a $16.5 million jackpot after he was seen on video buying the winning numbers at a Des Moines gas station. He’s awaiting trial on allegations that he conspired with associates to collect jackpots in several states.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A group upset over a Kansas Supreme Court ruling involving two Wichita brothers convicted of killing four people has begun a push to oust four of five justices up for retention in November.

The Topeka Capital-Journal  reports the group Kansans for Justice is urging voters to cast ballots against retaining Lawton Nuss, Marla Luckert, Carol Beier and Dan Biles. The group supports retaining Gov. Sam Brownback’s only selection, Caleb Stegall, who came onto the court after the Carr brothers ruling.

The two men were sentenced to death for the December 2000 shootings of five people at a soccer complex, killing four. The Kansas Supreme Court vacated the death sentences in 2014 after ruling their constitutional rights had been infringed upon, but the U.S. Supreme Court later reversed the decision.

GEARY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are investigating a suspect on drug charges.

Early Wednesday, deputies arrested Joshua Schulz, Grandview Plaza in the 200 block of East 14th Street in Junction City on suspicion of Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamines, Interference with Law Enforcement and Trafficking Contraband into a Correctional Facility, according to the Geary County Sheriff’s Department

Schulz was also arrested on a Geary County District Court warrant charging Probation Revocation.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ education commissioner says there are several challenges the state faces in its education system.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that commissioner Randy Watson told the Kansas Board of Education on Tuesday that the state must work with students and their families to improve high school graduation rates.

According to Watson, only 86 percent of Kansas high school students will finish high school on time.

Watson says the state is also challenged by high turnover among superintendents and principals. There was a turnover of 61 superintendents this past school year.

Kansas’ education department is promoting a concept in which high schools work more closely with students and their families on developing individual study plans that help each student prepare better for life after high school.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on the investigation in to the death of a boy killed while riding a waterslide in Kansas City, Kansas (all times local):

A document released by a state agency says all the rides at a Kansas City, Kansas, water park passed private inspections in June, including the waterslide on which a 10-year-old boy died.

The Kansas Department of Labor provided to The Associated Press on Wednesday a copy of an insurance company inspector’s June 7 letter saying inspections had been completed at Schlitterbahn Waterpark. The letter said all rides met guidelines for being insured with “no disqualifying conditions noted.”

Deputy Secretary and Chief Attorney Brad Burke said the department obtained the letter following Sunday’s death of Caleb Schwab on the “Verruckt” waterslide.

Kansas law requires permanent rides to be inspected annually by their parks, and the state randomly audits the records. The last records audit for Schlitterbahn was in June 2012.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Advocates of a transgender soldier imprisoned for sending classified information to an anti-secrecy website say they’ve collected more than 115,000 petition signatures protesting new charges she faces related to her recent suicide attempt.

Activist groups including Demand Progress presented the petitions Wednesday to Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning’s office on Chelsea Manning’s behalf.

Manning was convicted in 2013 in military court of Espionage Act violations and other offenses for giving secret military and State Department documents to WikiLeaks. Manning was an intelligence analyst in Iraq at the time.

Manning has been imprisoned at Kansas’ Fort Leavenworth and tried to kill herself July 5. The ACLU says she now faces administrative charges related to it, and possible punishment could include indefinite solitary confinement.

GEARY COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 9a.m. on Wednesday in Geary County.

The 1994 Ford pickup driven by Charles Moore, 64, Junction City, backed into a 2003 Chevy dump truck driven by James Harrel, 51, Junction City, that was parked behind the Ford in 3600 Block of Union Road in rural Geary County.

The collision pinned Harrel’s leg in the drivers side door

Harrel was transported to Geary Community Hospital

Moore was not injured.

Harrel was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating one suspect and searching for another in a case of domestic violence.

Just after 1:30 p.m. on June 6, police officers were sent to an east Salina residence after a report of a domestic battery, according to Police Captain Mike Sweeney

A female victim in her 30’s told police that 48-year-old Lisa Hinderliter and a male suspect forced open a door to the home, grabbed the victim by the back of her neck and pulled her to the ground, and stole her cellular telephone.

As the couple left the residence, they took a cinder block and damaged the hood and broke off the door handle of a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $250.

Sweeney said they couple also drove over and damaged a Mongoose bicycle as they left the area, causing $20 in damage.

Hinderliter was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a warrant in connection with the incident.

She was booked into the Saline County Jail on multiple requested charges including domestic battery, battery, aggravated burglary, robbery, and three counts of criminal damage to property.

Authorities continue to search for the male suspect.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on the investigation in to the death of a boy killed while riding a waterslide in Kansas City, Kansas (all times local):

9:10 a.m.

A 10-year-old boy was decapitated as he rode a waterslide at a Kansas water park.

A person who is familiar with the investigation but is not authorized to speak about the boy’s death told The Associated Press Wednesday that Caleb Schwab was decapitated Sunday on the “Verruckt” ride at the Schlitterbahn WaterPark in Kansas City, Kansas.

Family and friends have established a GoFundMe page here

Caleb, the son of a Kansas lawmaker, was in a raft with two adults who were not related to him when he was killed on the 168-foot tall ride. The other two were treated for facial injuries.

A spokeswoman for the waterpark declined to discuss the circumstances of the boy’s death.

“Verruckt” is German for insane.

___

2 a.m.

At least two people who’ve ridden the waterslide on which a 10-year-old boy was killed over the weekend say shoulder straps snapped or popped off during the ride in Kansas City, Kansas.

Paul Oberhauser told local television station KCTV that the safety restraints on his raft on the Verruckt waterslide weren’t working properly when he rode it on July 26 at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark.

The Nebraska man says his shoulder strap “busted loose” during the ride and he “just held on.” A video shot by his wife shows it loose at the ride’s end. He says he told workers about the loose strap.

Kenneth Conrad told WDAF-TV that he rode the waterslide last year with a friend whose shoulder strap came “completely off.” Conrad’s wife snapped a photo at the end of the ride showing the strap missing. Conrad says he didn’t file a complaint with the park.

The park’s spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a message Tuesday from The Associated Press seeking comment on the claims.

HUTCHINSON — The second of two teens in a conspiracy to commit capital murder at Hutchinson High School was sentenced on Tuesday.

Carson Cabral, 15, will spend three years, nine months in juvenile custody and then three years aftercare.

He received basically the same sentence as 14-year-old Ayrton “Alex” Marroquin, according to Assistant District Attorney Daniel Gilligan.

They were both found guilty of making threats against officials at Hutchinson High.

The two teens were arrested after several students came forward to express concerns about a threat.

Several search warrants were issued, which turned up plans for making pipe bombs, as well as sketches and plans of where certain teachers and staff would be so they could be targeted.

Police also recovered items that could be used to build explosive devices.