LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — The city of Leavenworth will be required to spend $85,000 for violating the federal Clean Water Act.

The payments come after the Environmental Protection Agency documented 19 sewer overflows between 2010 and 2015 from the city’s water treatment plant near the Missouri River. The overflows sent sewer water into the river.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the city must pay $46,200 in penalties and spend $38,800 for improvements to its storm water system.

Leavenworth spokeswoman Melissa Bower says the city had already planned a project to improve its storm water system before the EPA’s report.

The EPA at first proposed $104,000 in penalties and costs but reduced the amount after talking with city officials.

SALINA- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a second suspect in connection with an armed robbery.

Nathan A. Smith, 30, was booked into the Saline County Jail Wednesday on a requested charge of aggravated robbery in connection with the 9:30 a.m., December 21, armed robbery of the Horsemen’s Headquarters, 205 E. Pacific in Salina, according to Police Captain Chris Trocheck

Smith is alleged to be the driver of a car that was used by Travis Moreland to getaway from Horsemen’s Headquarters after he allegedly held up the business.

Moreland was charged with the robbery along with the burglary and robbery of two north Salina motels earlier in December.

Captain Trocheck said it is unlikely there will be further arrests in the case.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY – A Kansas man died while driving just before 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve in Wyandotte County

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Honda Accord driven by David A. Bussjaeger, 76, Roeland Park, was northbound on I-35 at Southwest Boulevard.

The driver had a health episode and the passenger attempted to take control of the vehicle.

The vehicle went into the ditch. Bussjaeger died due to a condition not related to the accident.

A passenger in the vehicle Maureen S. Bussjaeger, 69, Roeland Park, was not injured.

Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

BRANDON BAILEY, AP Technology Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook’s making some of its users feel a lot older than they really are.

The social network sent automated messages Thursday inviting some users to celebrate “46 years of friendship on Facebook” with one or more of their online friends.

That’s odd, since Facebook only started in 2004. And some people who got the message are in their 20s and 30s.

Facebook blamed a software bug. It didn’t offer details, but computer experts speculate the problem stems from a quirk in Unix, an operating system used in big data centers where companies like Facebook store information. The glitch starts the internal calendar on some computers at midnight, Greenwich Mean Time, Jan. 1, 1970.

Facebook said its engineers are fixing the problem “so everyone can ring in 2016 feeling young again.”

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An affidavit says a slain Wichita State University student contacted a woman charged in his death about sexual services she advertised online shortly before he was killed.

Rayan Ibrahim Baba, a 23-year-old Saudi undergraduate student, was found shot in a parking lot of one of the university’s dormitories Aug. 8. Eboni Fingal was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in October, and a 23-year-old man also faces those charges.

The Wichita Eagle reports the affidavit released Wednesday says Baba called Fingal about 30 minutes before his death. The affidavit says police tracked cellphone locations from the suspects, and that and surveillance video pinpointed the three together in the parking lot.

According to the affidavit, Fingal told police she activated the phone for a friend, but couldn’t explain why the friend would be in contact with Baba.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 16-year-old Lawrence boy has pleaded not guilty in the death of his grandmother.

The teenager is being charged as a juvenile with first-degree murder in the death of 67-year-old Deborah Bretthauer. Police say she was found dead Monday in her apartment with “obvious traumatic injuries.”

Authorities say the suspect, who lived with his grandmother, called police and initially said he had found the woman dead. He was arrested after a police interview.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the suspect entered his plea Thursday in Douglas County District Court.

He is being held without bond in the Douglas County Juvenile Detention Center until Jan. 20, when his next court appearance is scheduled.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The winner of a $1 million Kansas Lottery promotion bought the prize ticket in south-central Kansas.

Lottery officials announced in a news release Thursday that the winning numbers for the Kansas Lottery Holiday Millionaire Raffle re 1-4-3-3-3-3. The winning ticket is worth $1 million.

Twenty other people won $5,000 in the contest.

Whoever has the winning ticket has a year to claim the prize.

Kansas Commissioner of Insurance

TOPEKA – Kansas Medicare beneficiaries can still purchase Medicare Supplement Plans C or F through the end of 2019, according to Ken Selzer, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of
Insurance.

The plans, which are regulated by the Kansas Insurance Department (KID), will not be sold beginning in 2020, Commissioner Selzer said in a news release.

However, those who are already eligible or enrolled in Medicare before 2020 will be able to keep those plans if they have them.

“Those plans will still be in force for you if you have them before 2020,” Commissioner Selzer said. “There is no reason you have to replace them. Your insurance company will still service your claims under those plans’ provisions.”

Congressional changes to the Medicare Access CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 prohibit the sale beginning in 2020. KID has received inquiries from consumers who have been misinformed about the plans’ immediate discontinuance.

Medicare Supplement insurance can help cover the expenses that come with coverage gaps in original Medicare. Plans such as these are often referred to as Medigap plans.

These plans and several others are described in the insurance department’s “Medicare Supplement Insurance Shopper’s Guide,” which is available for order in hard copy form or online at www.ksinsurance.org. “I urge those seeking Medicare Supplement information to call your insurance agent or our department’s Consumer Assistance Hotline at 1-800-432-2484,” Commissioner Selzer said.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorneys in a federal lawsuit challenging Kansas’ proof of citizenship voting law want to add another plaintiff to the case in their bid to make it a class action lawsuit.

The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of a 2013 Kansas law requiring new voters to document their U.S. citizenship when registering.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports lawyers for the plaintiffs filed a motion recently to add a 20-year-old Kansas University student, Parker Bednasek, as a plaintiff. If approved, he’d serve as a representative of all members of the class of people whose voter registrations are being blocked for failure to show valid proof of U.S. citizenship.

A spokesman for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach says their attorneys will ask for an extension of time to respond to the latest motion.

SALINA -Salina Regional Health Center and Cloud County Health Center, Concordia, have announced the two hospitals are working towards a clinical and operational affiliation to better serve their patients and communities, according to a media release.

SRHC and CCHC are the primary providers of health care for Concordia and the surrounding area. With the affiliation of the two organizations, better services can be provided to those communities.

“The goal in this agreement is to improve patient care in the region by better coordinating services between our two hospitals. It also helps both organizations meet the challenges of modern health care, which includes increased federal regulations and lower reimbursements to health care providers and facilities,” said Mike Terry, Chief Executive Officer for SRHC.

Phil Gilliland, chair of the CCHC Board of Trustees, and Executive Vice President of The Citizens National Bank, Concordia, said:”The landscape of health care, especially for rural critical access hospitals, has change dramatically over the last five to seven years. Our board expects that change, and the associated challenges, to continue in the years to come. We think affillation with a strong regional health provider like SRHC gives us the best chance to provide a broad range of health care services to Concordia and North Central Kansas. We have had long ties to SRHC, and it was only natural to look at a more formal relationship with them. We have been impressed with their vision and commitment to quality health care throughout the region, and look forward to this next chapter in our relationship>”

SALINE COUNTY- Two people were injured in an accident just after 12-noon on Wednesday in Saline County.

A vehicle driven by Joseph Meier, 17, Assaria, was southbound on Old Highway 81 at Assaria Road, according to Saline County Sheriff’s Captain Roger Soldan.

The vehicle rear-ended a pickup driven by William Venable, 41, Assaria, that had slowed to turn onto Assaria Road.

Meier was taken to Salina Regional Health Center by his parents to be checked for a possible concussion.

Salina EMS transported Venable to Salina Regional Medical Center due to cuts on his head and cheek, according to Soldan.

JUNCTION CITY – Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are investigating a home burglary.

On Tuesday evening Junction City patrol officers were dispatched to 2621 Kathi Drive for a residential burglary, according to Police Detective Lieutenant Jeff Childs.

Numerous items had been taken from the residence that had been unoccuppied for several days while the family was away on vacation.

“During our investigation we identified a possible suspect as David Lee McKinney, 24, who resides in the Junction City area.”
Childs said

McKinney was located, and when authorities attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving he fled from the officers but was apprehended after a foot chase.

A check of the booking photos released by the Geary County Sheriff’s Department revealed the suspect is named David Smith, aka Mckinney.

Junction City police have arrested him in multiple cases on suspicion of Burglary, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Sell, Felony in Possession of a Firearm, and also on a Municipal Court warrant. The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has also reported his arrest on a Geary County District Court warrant charging robbery.

TOPEKA – Westar Energy has reached an agreement with an affiliate of NextEra Energy Resources to purchase another 200 megawatts of Kansas wind energy, according to a media release.

“Our customers will benefit from this low cost wind energy,” said Mark Ruelle, Westar Energy president and chief executive officer. “Wind energy development brings jobs and investment to our rural communities.”

 

 

 

Even more wind energy is coming to Westar customers! 200 megawatts are coming from Kingman Wind farm in 2017. pic.twitter.com/rMvDxl40cX

— Westar Energy (@WestarEnergy) December 31, 2015

 

 

Westar Energy will purchase energy generated at the Kingman Wind Energy Center in Kingman County, which will be in service by early 2017. As part of the transaction, Westar will have the option to purchase one-half of the facility before substantial completion. The wind farm brings over $400 million in investment and payments to the local area.

Westar officials say that for the past decade, they have been investing in and purchasing Kansas wind energy. With this addition, our wind generation will surpass 1,700 megawatts.