A wrecker takes away the remains of Song Horton’s vehicle Wednesday morning- Photo: Salina Police Department
SALINE COUNTY – A Kansas woman injured in an accident believed to be alcohol-related just after 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning in Saline County has died at a Wichita hospital, according to Saline County Undersheriff Roger Soldan.
Salina Police reported a Chevy Silverado driven by Patrick Driscoll, 32, Salina, was southbound on North Ohio Street at Stimmel Road.
The pickup crossed the centerline and hit a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe head-on.
Driscoll and the driver of the Hyundai Song Horton, 55, Salina, were transported to Salina Regional Medical Center.
Horton was then transported to a hospital in Wichita, according to police.
The crash closed a portion of North Ohio from Pacific Avenue to Interstate 70 until just after 8 a.m.
Patrick Driscoll’s pickup
Soldan said evidence of alcohol was found in Driscoll’s pickup.
KANSAS CITY- A cutout of a Kansas City Royals baseball player taken from a billboard on Interstate 435 near East Truman Road was found on Friday morning in some nearby brush, according to Lamar Advertising.
Authorities say the 150-pound, roughly $7,500 image went missing Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
The cutout is that of a center-fielder leaping against an image of the outfield wall at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals’ home.
As vice president of Lamar Advertising, Bob Fessler says he’s been in the business for three decades and has seen the handiwork of vandals, but never anything like this theft.
Fessler says the billboard’s lights go off about midnight, leading him to believe the caper took place after that.
Jackson County authorities are reviewing surveillance video from a nearby gas station for any clues.
MANHATTAN – Administrators at Kansas State University are addressing issues from students after it was confirmed last week that the University is under a federal Title IX investigation.
Two female students filed civil rights lawsuits alleging KSU refused to investigate their rapes at off-campus fraternity houses.
The university administration sent the following communication to students and staff on Thursday.
“We are always working to improve and address issues affecting our university community. There have been many discussions about how and when the university responds to sexual violence.
Some recently published statements and information appearing in the media have included inaccuracies concerning the university’s policy prohibiting discrimination, which includes sexual violence.
These issues are critically important, and we want to be on same page with our students, faculty and staff.
The university would like to respond directly to requests from our students:
The university has been working to clarify our policy language so the university community understands when and where investigations will occur.
We plan to publish current clarifications shortly. We continually work on policy language for clarity and effectiveness.
The university reviews and processes any and all complaints of students who have reported discrimination on or off campus, should they feel a hostile environment or other discrimination exists on campus. Allegations of discrimination include sexual violence.
There are many resources available to help students regardless of the decision whether to file an official report, the applicability of our policies or the outcome of any investigations. University services include the Kansas State University Police Department, Center for Advocacy, Response and Education, support persons available through the Office of Student Life, Counseling Services, Lafene Health Center, Wildcat Walk, and Safe Ride.
Our long-standing practice has been to provide a wide range of accommodations for students, including counseling, tutoring, medical expenses, or a change in residence, class schedule, campus job, or extracurricular activity if needed. We intend to continue these practices and will review our procedures to make sure adequate resources are available.
Current policy calls for investigations to be completed within 60 days if possible. We will continue to follow this policy and make every effort to be timely.
Voluntary training in discrimination and sexual harassment has long been provided to employees at all levels of the university. We have been working to make this training mandatory for faculty and staff.
All persons at the university, including students, are strongly encouraged to report any incidents, so the university can process the allegations in accordance with its policies and help students get to the numerous resources available.
Contact the Office of Institutional Equity if you wish to file a complaint. University faculty and staff are committed to helping all students, maintaining safety, and treating all students fairly and justly.
If you have questions or concerns, please call the Office of Institutional Equity at 785-532-6220.”
Release by University Administration on ksu.edu.
This response comes days after the K-State Interfraternity Council passed a resolution wanting the University to investigate Title IX violations that occur off campus.
The InterFraternity Council resolution states, “Over the past two years members of the IFC Board of Directors and Panhellenic Council Board of Directors have met with University officials requesting a change in policy to allow the Office of Institutional Equity to investigate Title IX violations that occur off campus. These meetings have provided no clear plan of action.
We salute the bravery of victims during this time whose allegations were not fully investigated and adjudicated by the university.
Specifically, the actions of Sara Weckhorst and Tessa Farmer, two students who have filed lawsuits against Kansas State for its refusal to investigate accusations of Title IX violations, including acts of sexual violence, which occurred off campus. Their fight against sexual violence has shed light on a university policy, which has negatively impacted the lives of students for far too long.
As the leaders of our Greek community and in the interest of all students at Kansas State, we are specifically calling on our university to begin investigating allegations of sexual violence off campus.
Students of Kansas State who are victims of sexual assault have not received the care, which should be provided to them by the university. This includes but is not limited to;
• Immediate action by the university to ensure the students can continue their education free of sexual violence or harassment
• Financial accommodations to ensure students receive counseling, tutoring, medical expenses, or a change in residence, class schedule, campus job, or extracurricular activity if needed
• Investigation into the allegation whether it occurred on-campus or off which should be concluded in a 60 day time span
• Training for university employees on how to identify, report, and handle sexual violence
We also recognize the need for additional funding, resources, and staff at the Kansas State CARE Office to better assist survivors of sexual assault, sexual violence, and sex discrimination. We believe that this measure, paired with an additional investigator hired for the Office of Institutional Equity to help with the investigation and adjudication process, would be the best steps toward providing the adequate support required.
As member organizations part of a university which holds Family as its core value we will collectively be taking further steps to educate, train, and prevent sexual assault from happening within our community. While the university does have a mandatory online education program for all students, these additional steps will ensure all members of fraternities are better trained on bystander intervention, consent, and sexual violence awareness.
As members of the K-State family we are committed to End Rape on Campus, and off.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts is blocking a vote on the nomination of Eric Fanning to be the next Army secretary. At issue are efforts by the president to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer detainees to the United States.
Republican Sen. John McCain tried to secure a vote on Fanning, who if confirmed would be the first openly gay leader of a U.S. military service.
But Roberts objected on Thursday, saying he won’t relent until the White House promises no detainees will be moved to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.
McCain says it’s unfair to block Fanning’s nomination over an unrelated issue. McCain calls it a distortion of the Senate’s advise and consent role.
Fanning has served in several roles at the Pentagon.
HARVEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Harvey County are investigating two suspects who were arrested after a brief chase and search in Newton.
The incident stemmed from a previous call of a large disturbance at an apartment complex in the 400 block of South Kansas Avenue in Newton, according to a report from police.
Officers were notified of a potential victim with injuries leaving in a vehicle and were given description of the vehicle.
An alert officer spotted the vehicle matching the description in the area and initiated a traffic stop.
After briefly making contact, the vehicle sped away and approximately three blocks later left the roadway where it came to a stop. The driver fled the scene on foot, running toward an assisted living community.
The officer called in other units and secured the passenger in the vehicle. Officers responded to the area and began searching for the female driver.
Slate Creek Elementary and Chisholm Middle School went into a lockdown after being notified of the circumstances by the Newton Police Department.
Approximately 20 minutes later the suspect was observed trying to steal a vehicle and was chased into a resident’s home where she was apprehended.
The investigation revealed that after fleeing the traffic stop, she had hidden inside of a different home, where she had a brief physical altercation and held the residents in a room against their will.
The driver and passenger, both parole absconders, are being held on suspicion of numerous felony charges.
Formal charges will be made once reviewed by the County Attorney.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House has signed off on legislation meant to crack down on people who purposely ignore paying tolls on the state’s turnpike.
The Wichita Eagle (https://bit.ly/23arfWp) reports Senate Bill 373 would allow the Kansas Turnpike Authority to put a hold on a vehicle owner’s registration when he or she owes more than $100 in unpaid tolls. The maximum toll for a passenger car is $12.
As a member of the KTA board, Republican Rep. Mark Hutton from Wichita calls the measure a leverage tool to help the state collect from repeat offenders.
Democratic Rep. Gail Finney of Wichita counters that she worries about what she considers “such a stiff penalty” for failing to pay a few dollars of tolls.
The legislation now heads to the Senate for final consideration.
OSAGE COUNTY – Two men avoided injury after a small plane made an emergency landing on Thursday
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1942 Fixed Wing Single Engine aircraft piloted by Nathaniel H Perlman, 38, Fort Worth, TX., had taken off near 1626 Brant Street in Osage City and the airplane lost power.
The pilot tried to make an emergency landing in an open field.
The plane landed but the ground was too wet causing the gear to become stuck and it broke off. The plane came to rest facing north.
Perlman and a passenger Raymond J. Lallo, Jr., 52, Fort Carson, CO., were not injured.
Fire at the motel during Saturday’s gun battle -photo courtesy WIBW -TV
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka fire officials say a blaze that occurred at a motel following a shootout between federal agents and a suspect caused an estimated $350,000 in damage.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports three members of a federal fugitive task force were wounded Saturday night while trying to arrest 28-year-old Orlando Collins, who was killed in the shootout at the Country Club Motel complex. A fire broke out in the gunman’s room during the exchange of gunfire.
Topeka Fire Marshal Michael Martin says the damaged building housed 20 motel rooms. He says the blaze was started with “common combustibles” that could include paper or a mattress.
Collins was being sought on a federal robbery warrant. Topeka police have said Collins also was wanted for questioning about a tobacco store robbery.
SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — Outdoor outfitter Cabela’s has agreed to pay $1 million to settle a complaint from federal regulators that investors were misled about the Sydney-based company’s 2012 profitability ratios.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that Cabela’s chief financial officer, Ralph Castner, also will pay $50,000 to the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the settlement, Castner and Cabela’s didn’t admit or deny wrongdoing.
The SEC says Cabela’s shouldn’t listed in its financial statements an intercompany fee that World’s Foremost Bank, the retailer’s wholly owned credit card bank, paid parent company Cabela’s. The company had told investors that “all intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.”
The SEC says the fee made Cabela’s profit margin look better than it was.
The company and Castner declined to comment specifically about the allegation.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Heavy rain has washed out several sections of railroad track, damaged a small bridge and caused about 2.4 million gallons of untreated wastewater to be released into the Kansas River.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the heavy rains fell from Monday night through Wednesday morning. Union Pacific spokeswoman Calli Hite says the rains washed out multiple small sections of track in Shawnee County. She says water also damaged a small bridge near Willard.
Hite says Union Pacific doesn’t have an estimated date for reopening the track, and the extent of the damage remained unclear.
The rains, along with a mechanical failure, also led to a sanitary sewer overflow in Topeka. City spokeswoman Aly Van Dyke says the rainfall caused higher than normal wastewater and stormwater flow volumes.
He was greeted with loud applause when he said he was running a campaign to put God back into the political discussion.
Graham’s Topeka stop was the 19th in his 50-State Decision America Tour. His message is that the nation’s forefathers opposed “state-controlled religion” but never intended for God to be completely removed from government.
Graham says he disagrees with a Charlotte, North Carolina, city ordinance that allowed transgender people to enter the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.
The state’s legislature overturned the ordinance in late March.
The pictured suspect stole Blue Man Group costumes from Century II on Tuesday night.-photo Wichita Police
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita, Kansas, are trying to unravel who made off with costumes of the Blue Man Group while the performance artists were there this week.
Police say theft Tuesday night or Wednesday morning involved costumes worth more than $1,000 from a performance arts center. The heist was discovered about noon Wednesday.
Police have publicly released on social media a picture of a man shown walking in what appears to be a hallway, carrying a laundry basket of items stolen.
The Blue Man Group was in Wichita for two nights of shows. It was not immediately clear if the theft affected their ability to perform.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Eaton Corp. says it is cutting 30 percent of its jobs at a Hutchinson, Kansas, hydraulics plant, affecting 42 workers.
The Hutchinson News reports that the company announced the job cuts this week to workers at the plant that makes gears and piston pump parts for agricultural and construction equipment.
Kelly Jasko is spokesman for Eaton’s industrial sector. He says in a statement that the move is attributed to an anticipated second year of down markets, with no immediate prospect of a significant turnaround.
The company says it is offering “voluntary separation” incentives involving a lump-sum payment of $3,500 for specific positions. Workers interested in that option, which would disqualify them for unemployment benefits, have until Friday to accept.
