MANHATTAN- Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating two suspects after an arrest following a high-speed chase through Manhattan.
Just after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to report of a verbal altercation, which turned physical in the area of Mission Circle in Manhattan, according to a media release from Riley County Police.
Officers were told that the altercation involved a suspect brandishing a firearm prior who left the scene with another individual in a green Pontiac.
Police in the area attempted to perform a traffic stop on the vehicle at which time a short vehicle pursuit, at speeds 10-15 miles per-hour over posted limits, began near the intersection of Tuttle Creek Boulevard and Allen Road and continued south through the residential section east of Tuttle Creek Blvd.
The suspect vehicle made its way to the intersection of Casement Road and Tuttle Creek Boulevard and turned south onto Tuttle Creek Boulevard.
Officers at the intersection of Holiday Drive and Tuttle Creek Boulevard were able to deploy “stop sticks” in order to slow the vehicle and initiate a “felony traffic stop” as a safety measure.
Out of an abundance of caution the intersection of Tuttle Creek Boulevard and Bluemont Avenue was briefly closed to traffic.
Police arrested Shawn Sime, 36, St. George, for the offense of criminal damage to property, which gave him a bond of $3,000.00.
Also arrested was Johnathan Bruce, 21, St. George, for the offenses of flee or attempt to elude law enforcement, reckless driving, criminal damage to property, and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
Bruce received a bond of $7,000.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wendy’s says it is investigating reports of “unusual activity” on payment cards that had been used at some of its restaurants.
The company says it learned from payment industry contacts this month of reports indicating fraudulent charges may have occurred on cards that had been used legitimately at some of its locations. It says it is has launched an investigation with the help of cybersecurity experts and that it is cooperating with law enforcement officials.
“Until this investigation is completed, it is difficult to determine with certainty the nature or scope of any potential incident,” the company said.
Wendy’s Co., based in Dublin, Ohio, encouraged customers to watch for unauthorized charges on their cards.
The investigation was first reported by the website KrebsOnSecurity on Wednesday.
Photo – Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Lawmakers are considering an amendment that would give Kansans a constitutional right to hunt, fish and trap wildlife.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the measure will be added to the November ballot if it obtains a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate.
The resolution had a hearing before the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs on Tuesday.
National Rifle Association lobbyist Travis Couture-Lovelady says the measure may not be needed immediately. But the former lawmaker says it’s important to “ingrain” the rights in the constitution because the population may become “disconnected” from its “hunting heritage” as the population becomes more urban.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism also voiced support for the measure.
The bill caps the concentration of hemp oil at no more than 3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is too low to produce the “high” associated with recreational marijuana use. -Photo by KHI News Service File Photo
After hearings and debate on whether medical treatments should be approved through legislation, the Senate Corrections and Juvenile Justice committee Tuesday passed two bills concerning marijuana. One — House Bill 2049 — would lower penalties for possession of marijuana. The other, more controversial provision — now contained in Senate Bill 147 —would legalize hemp oil for treatment of seizure disorders. Some committee members were uncomfortable passing it because they thought it should be considered by a health committee or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The House approved the bill with the hemp oil portion last year. Rep. John Wilson, a Democrat from Lawrence who introduced it, said after Tuesday’s hearing that the FDA can’t study marijuana because of its federal status as a Schedule I drug.
The oil in Wilson’s bill would be capped at no more than 3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is too low to produce the “high” associated with recreational marijuana use.
Before Tuesday’s committee meeting, House Bill 2049 had three parts: It lowered marijuana possession penalties, legalized hemp oil treatment for seizure disorders and created a program to research industrial hemp.
Sen. Greg Smith, a Republican from Olathe who chairs the committee, moved to split the bill’s components. The marijuana possession penalty changes then became the only remaining portion of HB 2049.
Sen. Jeff King, a Republican from Independence, suggested coupling that provision with another bill to raise the penalties for burglary. He said he hoped the increase of prison beds needed for that bill would be more acceptable when combined with a potential decrease in the number of beds required for those charged with possession of marijuana.
King’s motion passed, and the committee combined the two provisions. The committee dropped the industrial hemp portion of the bill because Smith said the House is considering a new bill to fund that program.
Advocating for Otis’ law
The hemp oil treatment portion of the bill, which Wilson calls Otis’ law, has been the most prominent part of the debate. In recent hearings, families have testified about how hemp oil could help their loved ones.
Tiffanie Krentz, whose son J.J. suffers from Dravet syndrome, said she remains hopeful that the bill has a chance. J.J. was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome as an infant.
Krentz said doctors have suggested several drugs to treat his seizures. The family also tried a drug called Frisium — or Onfi — which she said didn’t have FDA approval at the time it was administered to J.J. under a special exemption for “compassionate care.” Because of that experience, she said it’s difficult to listen to legislators object to hemp oil on the grounds that the FDA hasn’t approved it.
Krentz was done trying prescription drugs when J.J. developed Fanconi syndrome, which causes substances that would be absorbed through the kidneys into the bloodstream to be released in urine. “Everything we’ve done has just caused a lot more harm,” Krentz said.
“Which is also why it’s hard to listen to them talk about, ‘We don’t know what the long-term effects are.’ Well, I already know what the long-term effects of legally approved drugs have been on his body, so those are tough things.
And I know they’re in a tough situation, and I know we’re in a state where things don’t always move as fast as we want them to, but it’s hard to know that.”
Legislating drugs
Most of the committee debate surrounding the bill concerned legislators’ ability to approve drugs that haven’t been clinically tested. Some expressed concern that the committee was not the most qualified body to legislate drugs and that guidance should come from medical experts.
Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Republican from Louisburg, said she contacted Children’s Mercy Hospital and was told that doctors there would not prescribe hemp oil because it has not been sufficiently clinically tested and current epilepsy treatments have been proven safe and effective through clinical trials.
“That is where my concern is,” she said. “Through talking with them, they have assured me that even should this legislation pass in the Senate — get out of the committee, pass in the Senate, pass in the House, get signed off by the governor — their physicians won’t prescribe it because it has not gone through the rigorous scientific clinical trials.”
The bill doesn’t specify whether the hemp oil would have to come through a prescription, but patients would need to be registered through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to receive hemp oil treatments and would need a written certification from a physician to get registered. Sen.
Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, said the Legislature often balances issues of individual liberty versus government control. The committee passed the hemp oil provision without recommendation, with some members expressing hope that it will be referred to another committee.
Allison Kite is a reporter for KHI News and Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has pleaded no contest to charges resulting from a standoff with law enforcement officers last August.
Joseph Roman, 23, Hutchinson, entered the plea Tuesday to 15 counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon. Another charge against Roman’s father was dropped as part of the plea agreement.
The standoff began after Roman argued with his father and went into a garage. Roman pointed a shotgun at officers when they arrived and then closed the garage door.
During a four-hour standoff, Roman shot a hole through the garage door and fired at officers again. Officers returned fire, hitting Roman in the hand, prompting him to surrender.
MCPHERSON- Law enforcement and school district authorities in McPherson County are investigating an anonymous and threatening note found in a McPherson High School restroom on Tuesday, according to a social media report by police.
Police reported the cooperative investigation with USD 418 yielded no credible threat and the note did not specifically threaten individual students.
There will be an increased law enforcement presence on patrol in the city and at area schools, according to police.
Police Chief Robert McClarty encouraged all students and parents to be aware of their surroundings, vigilant in their observations and to report any suspicious behavior to McPherson County 911 immediately.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Lottery has resumed a pitch to legislators of a reform that would allow more than 300 retailers make use of electronic dispensers to sell lottery tickets in a similar manner to stores in Colorado, Missouri and Oklahoma.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that lobbyists with three Kansas business associations and representatives of two large retailers endorsed contents of House Bill 2171 heard by the House economic development committee Tuesday.
Kansas Lottery Deputy Director Sherriene Jones-Sontag says the automated equipment would allow merchants to track inventory better, decrease retailer labor costs and reduce customer wait times.
She says annual lottery sales could increase up to $30 million.
The panel didn’t take action on the bill. The chairman postponed a plan for the committee to meet Wednesday to begin refining the measure.
NEWTON- The Newton Police Department and individual officers have been named in a civil lawsuit alleging excessive force, negligence, and evidentiary misconduct, according to a social media report from Police Chief Eric Murphy.
“One of the many things, which make living in the United States great, is that citizens who feel as though they have had their rights violated can seek recompense through the judicial system. We support this right,” Murphy wrote.
We hold high standards not only for our departmental policy and practices, but also the integrity of our officers. We are confident the decision in this case will reflect positively on our agency and its members, according to Murphy.
“The community may have questions, but since this is a case in open litigation, we cannot talk about the details of the allegations directly at this time,” he wrote.
The Newton City Attorney is reviewing the facts in the case.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A trial has begun for two men charged with shooting a Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputy.
The Kansas City Star reports that 25-year-old Dyron King and 36-year-old Cecil Meggerson are being tried this week in Wyandotte County District Court on charges including attempted capital murder and aggravated robbery.
A third suspect will be tried separately.
Deputy Scott Wood was shot early March 4 when three armed robbers stormed a Kansas City, Kansas, 7-Eleven store. The deputy spent two weeks in the hospital.
Authorities say DNA linked all three men to the crime.
Meggerson’s attorney says there wasn’t any evidence placing his client at the crime scene.
King’s attorney says an alleged threat King made against another deputy at the jail isn’t recorded.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers say they want more control over state finances after the Department of Transportation issued $400 million in bonds and arranged to only pay interest for the first decade.
Senate President Susan Wagle said in a statement that she and her colleagues “have serious heartburn” over aspects of recent deals. The Wichita Republican also raised concerns about a $19.9 million lease-to-own deal that the Kansas Department of Administration negotiated.
The Wichita Eagle reports Wagle says lawmakers will be pursuing legislation to “ensure legislative oversight over principal and interest payments, collateral agreements and long-term leases.”
Gov. Sam Brownback’s spokeswoman, Eileen Hawley, says the Departments of Administration and Transportation acted “well within their legal scope of authority.” She says Brownback is “happy to review legislation improving legislative oversight.
Office of the Governor
TOPEKA–Recently the Kansas Water Office (KWO) was recognized by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for their continued partnership and contribution to the USACE mission during the approval process of the John Redmond Reservoir Dredging Initiative. This project is the first and largest inland Section 408 request -permission for the alteration of a USACE civil works project- in the nation to be approved by USACE, Headquarters.
Lieutenant Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander, and Col. Richard A. Pratt, Tulsa District, Commander, presented the award to the KWO as well as former KWO employee, Susan Metzger, noting the efforts by the office reflect highly upon the state of Kansas and the nation.
“The KWO’s commitment to delivering enduring and essential water resources solutions to our nation through successful completion of all needed elements for review and approval of the John Redmond Dredging Initiative was commendable,” Bostick said. “Ms. Metzger’s demonstration of expert-level knowledge and skills in managing the drafting of technical elements of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, was pivotal for the successful completion of this effort by KWO.”
Since 1964, John Redmond has lost an estimated 42 percent of its conservation pool storage capacity, 80 percent more than originally projected by the USACE at the time the reservoir was completed. While there have been many short and midterm alternatives to reduce sediment or increase storage through streambank restoration projects and a two-foot pool raise and reallocation, these efforts alone will not remedy the sedimentation rate alone.
“Our work to dredge John Redmond Reservoir is part of our effort to preserve and extend water resources in Kansas,” said Governor Sam Brownback. “Increasing its storage capacity is an important part of our vision to preserve water resources in Kansas. I commend the efforts in protecting this vital resource.”
KWO has worked with the USACE on numerous projects around the state but knew this kind of 408 Request had not been done before. After the extensive review of alternatives, KWO saw no other choice to ensure future water supply.
“The water stored in John Redmond Reservoir is provided, through a contract with the KWO, to 19 communities, six industrial users and the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Station,” said KWO Director Tracy Streeter. “This project is vital for many reasons including providing power to two-thirds of our state.”
Dredging sediment from the conservation pool would restore water supply storage for the benefit of the regional water users and restore the lost aquatic habitat for the benefit of public recreation and the lake ecosystem.
“After 10 years of collaboration and significant environmental and technical review of this project, it is exciting to see the construction of sediment disposal facilities and deployment of dredging equipment,” said Susan Metzger, KS Dept. of Agriculture Assistant Secretary. “Our state and the John Redmond project have paved the path for future storage restoration projects, not only here in Kansas but across the nation.”
The first dirt work began in November 2015 and the official dredging will commence this spring. For more information about the John Redmond Dredging project visit www.kwo.org.
SALINA- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a case of alleged fraud.
Francesca Garcia-Marrero, 30, Herington is alleged to have used fraudulent checks to make deposits at 1st Bank Kansas last summer, according to Salina police.
She then withdrew the money from the account on seven different occasions between July 16th and September 29th totaling $4,708.
Garcia-Marrero was on a warrant on Monday and booked into the Saline County Jail on charges of felony theft.
A panel of legislators reversed their original recommendation of a lifetime ban on hepatitis C drugs for Medicaid patients who don’t comply with their treatment regimen.
Members of the Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight walked back on the recommendation they made in December after hearing from Mike Randol, who heads the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Division of Health Care Finance.
Randol acknowledged that the hepatitis C drugs are expensive but said KDHE has procedures in place to ensure that Kansans on Medicaid who abuse alcohol or intravenous drugs aren’t getting coverage for the medications.
“We do not believe it prudent to pay for those medications for those likely to either become re-infected or who are actively damaging their liver, regardless,” Randol said. “This is very common in other Medicaid programs as well.”
But Randol said a lifetime ban goes too far to withstand scrutiny from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which provide more than half of Medicaid funding.
“We do not believe that CMS would approve policy for a lifetime ban of medical beneficiaries for hepatitis C medications,” Randol said.
Partisan divide
The Republican-controlled committee voted 5-2 on party lines last month to recommend that KDHE impose the ban.
The partisan divide bubbled back to the surface Friday.
Rep. Jim Ward, a Democrat from Wichita, reiterated his claim that the lifetime ban amounted to a “death sentence” for Kansans who have hepatitis C.
Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, a Republican from Shawnee, objected to Ward’s statement, calling it “way over the top.”
Minutes later the committee voted to scrap the lifetime ban recommendation, over Pilcher-Cook’s objection.
Randol said KDHE bases its prior authorization procedures for the hepatitis C medications on guidelines from the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease and the Infectious Disease Society of America that steer the medications to those who need them most.
KanCare testimony
The committee has a new rule for those who want to testify about problems with the managed care organizations that now run Kansas Medicaid, or KanCare.
The committee’s chairman, Rep. Dan Hawkins, said Friday that in the future the committee will require all health care consumers or providers who dispute the way the KanCare companies handled a claim to submit the claim information to the committee at least one week before its next meeting.
Hawkins said the companies would then be asked to bring their information about the claim to the meeting, which would allow for a more substantive discussion like the one the committee had Friday with the companies and Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
“I can assure you somebody might say, ‘Dan’s trying to stifle claims,’ but that’s absolutely not the case,” Hawkins said. “Actually, I want this process to be very fair and very transparent, and I want everybody to be able to discuss things just like we did today in a fair manner.”
The KanCare oversight committee meets quarterly. Its next meeting is scheduled for April 26.
Andy Marso is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team. You can reach him on Twitter @andymarso
MANHATTAN- Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating two suspects after an arrest following a high-speed chase through Manhattan.
