HUTCHINSON – A Kansas woman made a court appearance Thursday and was charged with one count of felony interference with law enforcement.
Briget Hippen, 24, Hutchinson, is alleged to have withheld a cell phone from Hutchinson Police Detective Bryan Rodriquez while he was investigating a stabbing case involving her brother on Dec. 10.
Her brother, Toby Hippen, faces a charge of attempted first-degree murder, or in the alternative, aggravated battery and aggravated burglary.
He allegedly forced entry into the residence of 26-year-old Megan Drach and stabbed her repeatedly and then fled the scene.
In 2010, Bridget Hippen was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after she placed a blow dryer on a counter near the bassinet her child was sleeping in.
She then went to sleep. When she woke up, the child wasn’t breathing. The child reportedly died from hyperthermia as a result.
With the new felony charge filed, the interference case moves to a waiver-status on Jan. 13.
KINGMAN- Officials from the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause of a fatal that occurred just after 11a.m. on Thursday in Kingman.
Investigators are on scene of fatal fire in Kingman.
GEARY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are in investigating two suspects after a drug arrest.
On Thursday, the Junction City-Geary County SWAT team executed a search warrant in the 200 Block of West 4th Street after a two month long investigation into the Sale
of Marijuana occurring at the residence, according to the Junction City-Geary County Drug Operations Group.
John Terrance Brown, 42 of Junction City was arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana with intent to sell within 1000 feet of a School Zone, Felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, according to police.
Mellisa Marie Culler, 34, Junction City was arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana with intent to sell within 1000’ of a school zone, Felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Both were confined without bond at the Geary County Detention Center pending their first appearance in Geary County District Court.
The Drug Operations Group also seized marijuana packaged for sale, digital scales, and paraphernalia.
The Junction City/Geary County Drug Operations Group is a joint task force composed of members of the Junction City Police Department, Geary County Sheriff’s Department, and Grandview Plaza Police Department.
Police in Hutchinson are handing out $100 bills to the needy thanks to an anonymous donor.
Hutchinson Police Capt. Troy Hoover says the donor asked police to provide random acts of kindness to people in need. The Hutchinson News reports that police don’t even know the identity of the donor. The Fraternal Order of Police has matched the donation.
So far police have distributed $1,400. Hoover says police will give another $1,600 before it is done.
Hoover says the recipients include single mothers working multiple jobs, military veterans in difficult financial circumstances and people caring for terminally ill family members.
STAFFORD COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. on Thursday in Stafford County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Peterbilt tractor driven by Merle A. Biehler, 55, Great Bend, was eastbound on Northeast 20th Street four miles east of St. John.
The truck entered the curve at Northeast 40th Avenue at an excessive speed and rolled into the east field
Biehler was transported to Great Bend Regional Medical Center.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Documents have revealed that Washburn University in Topeka paid $45,000 to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit involving its dean of libraries.
The Topeka Capital Journal reports that Michelle Canipe, a former instructional librarian at Washburn, sued the university and Alan Bearman in May 2013, claiming the dean bullied, harassed or sexually discriminated against Canipe.
The lawsuit also claimed that Bearman and the school created or tolerated a sexually hostile environment and retaliated against Canipe for complaining about unequal treatment.
Federal court records show a U.S. district judge terminated the case in March 2014, indicating the parties had reached an agreement.
The university provided the newspaper with a copy of the settlement Tuesday showing that Canipe received $27,000 and her attorneys received $9,000.
PRATT COUNTY- Two people died in an accident just after 7a.m. on Thursday in Pratt County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Econoline Van driven by Yvonne L. Butticci, 22, Salina, was southbound on Kansas 61 one mile east of Preston.
The van crossed the centerline, sideswiped a semi, continued into the northbound lane, and struck a 2005 Toyota Prius driven by Teresa A. Roach, 39, Pratt, head-on.
A passenger in the van Alan K. Stagg, 32, Salina, and Roach were pronounced dead at the scene.
Butticci was transported to Wesley Medical Center. The semi driver from Oklahoma was not injured.
Stagg was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
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PRATT COUNTY- First responders are on the scene of a fatal, Thursday morning crash on Kansas 61 in Pratt County.
The Sheriff’s Department reported the accident closed the highway between Turon and Preston.
Check Hays Post for additional details as they become available.
President Obama at the National Counterterrorism Center on Thursday
McLEAN, Va. (AP) — President Barack Obama says U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism officials don’t have any specific, credible information suggesting a potential terrorist attack against the U.S. during the holidays.
Obama made the comment during a visit at the National Counterterrorism Center in Virginia, where he got a briefing Thursday.
The president is trying to reassure Americans that the government is doing all it can to protect them. Obama also says the country must be vigilant during the holidays.
Obama says the types of threats have evolved, and that people acting on their own and in small groups are harder to detect. He’s pointing to the shooting in San Bernardino, California as an example.
HUTCHINSON -An anonymous donor gave Hutchinson Police some money to help out people in need this holiday season, according to police Lt. Thad Pickard in a social media release.
The Hutchinson fraternal order of Police learned of the gift and matched the donation. Police are giving $100 bills to single mothers, veterans, and others facing financial challenges.
One family dealing with the health issues of their child needed the extra cash to travel.
There have been multiple times when police have been able to help others, according to Pickard.
So far police have distributed $1,400 and will give another $1,600 before it is done.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence is seeking more than $500,000 from the developers of the upscale Oread hotel located 1 ½ blocks from the University of Kansas campus.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a city-ordered audit has found that developers of hotel filed incorrect sales tax returns. The audit says that led to the city and the county overpaying nearly $430,000 in sales tax rebates from January 2010 through May 2015.
The city also is seeking interest and reimbursement for the cost of the audit, bringing the total bill to almost $520,000. City officials are demanding repayment by Dec. 31.
Thomas Fritzel, a Lawrence businessman who leads the development group behind The Oread, didn’t immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old Topeka man who has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he plotted to bomb Fort Riley in support of the Islamic State group wants to change his plea.
John T. Booker Jr. filed a motion Wednesday in Topeka, asking for a change-of-plea hearing. A judge has scheduled that for Jan. 12.
A message left Thursday with Booker’s public defender, Kirk Redmond, wasn’t immediately returned.
Booker is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting to use an explosive device and attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group.
Court documents show Booker was arrested in April while trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb inside a van near Fort Riley, about an hour west of Topeka.
TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has asked the Department of Defense and Department of Justice to provide information about their activities aimed at relocating detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. mainland, particularly Fort Leavenworth.
Schmidt, according to a media release, has filed Freedom of Information Act requests with the Defense Department, Justice Department, and divisions of both departments requesting various information about activities undertaken in preparation for transferring detainees. The requests also ask for information about funds expended on preparations and the results of any assessments of the suitability of Fort Leavenworth facilities as a site for housing detainees.
“We are gathering information about what activities the federal government has undertaken in preparation for a possible detainee transfer and how the federal government has justified any preparation and planning in the face of clear congressional prohibitions on the use of funds for those purposes,” Schmidt said. “We also are trying to learn more about the federal government’s assessment of Fort Leavenworth as a potential relocation site.”
Schmidt’s request comes four weeks after he and the attorneys general of Colorado and South Carolina sent a letter to President Obama advising him that any attempt to relocate detainees to the mainland would be illegal under federal law. The attorneys general requested a response to their letter by December 4, but no response has been received.
“We are actively engaged in fact finding and legal analysis related to this situation,” Schmidt said. “There appears to be a conflict between federal law’s clear prohibition on preparing to transfer detainees to the mainland and the manner in which the federal government has busied itself making just such preparations.”
A copy of the attorney general’s FOIA request to the Department of Defense (Office of the Secretary and Joint Staff) is available here.
Identical letters also were sent to U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Transportation Command, Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Department of Justice (Office of the Attorney General and Office of Legal Counsel) and Federal Bureau of Prisons.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — University presidents in Kansas say they want to know if students have been kicked out of school or criminally convicted for sexual assault before admitting them.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that university presidents gave their stamp of approval Wednesday to a proposed Kansas Board of Regents policy. The policy would requires all state universities to add nonacademic misconduct transcript notations for students expelled for forcible sex offenses or other serious personal offenses.
Sexual assault questions also would be asked during admission and re-admission in an attempt to catch prior offenders coming in from community colleges or out-of-state schools.
The policy could go before the full Board of Regents as early as February. If approved, the policy would go into effect on July 1, 2017.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two men have been charged in the fatal shooting of a man last week in east Wichita.
The Wichita Eagle reports that 35-year-old Macy Foard and 23-year-old Alexzander Rye are charged with first-degree murder in the Dec. 8 death of 42-year-old Dejuan Harris.
They are accused of going to a house to rob the two people who live at the address, but instead shooting Harris after he answered a knock at the door.
Police say the people that the pair was allegedly after weren’t home. An anonymous 911 caller found Harris’ body about 24 hours later.
Rye also faces charges for methamphetamine possession and criminal possession of a firearm in Harris’ killing.
The men remain in Sedgwick County Jail in lieu of $550,000 in bonds in the two cases. It wasn’t immediately clear if they have attorneys.
HUTCHINSON – A Kansas woman made a court appearance Thursday and was charged with one count of felony interference with law enforcement.
