ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in the stabbing death of a man whose body was found in a northwest Missouri river.
The St. Joseph News-Press reports that 44-year-old Kelli Hoard, of Elwood, Kansas, was sentenced Monday for the death of 28-year-old Richard Berry. His body was discovered in April beside the Third Fork of the Platte River near a bridge.
Hoard, also known as Kelli Reeves, was among three people charged in the killing. A probable cause statement alleges Hoard stabbed the victim with a knife, while the two men pinned Berry to the ground.
The prosecution says the autopsy showed Berry had been stabbed 37 times. The defense, in an attempt for a lesser sentence, noted that Hoard had no prior record.
Photo by Andy Marso Topeka resident Tim Reed, left, works with Destiny Bounds, a Washburn University School of Law student, on his 2014 income tax filing so Reed can purchase health insurance from healthcare.gov. Tuesday is the deadline to sign up on the marketplace for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2016.
By ANDY MARSO
Tuesday is the deadline to sign up on the federal marketplace for health insurance coverage that will start Jan. 1, 2016. Officials with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services urge Americans to get signed up in order to avoid tax penalties for not carrying insurance.
“This deadline is important because we know most people want their new policy to start on January 1,” Julie Brookhart, a regional spokeswoman for CMS, said via email.
“During last year’s open enrollment, we saw the biggest surge of sign-ups in the days before the deadline.” Brookhart said eight in 10 people eligible for marketplace coverage receive subsidies to reduce monthly premiums.
Those who had coverage this year through the marketplace are encouraged to comparison shop on healthcare.gov if their plan costs are increasing. The annual fee for not carrying insurance in 2016 is rising to $695 per adult and $347.50 per child, or 2.5 percent of annual income, whichever is higher. B
ecause Americans can’t sign up on healthcare.gov if they haven’t filed an income tax return, students and faculty from Washburn University School of Law hosted a free clinic Monday to help people get their taxes done. “You cannot reapply unless your 2014 taxes are filed,” Washburn Law professor Lori McMillan said.
“This is one of those things that was not super well-communicated, so we’re here to do that last little push to help anyone who needs to have their taxes filed.” In a corner of the commons room at the law school, Washburn Law student Destiny Bounds helped Topeka resident Tim Reed compile the initial information he would need to file his 2014 return.
Reed said he came to the clinic after hearing about it on the news. “I’m just glad I saw it,” Reed said. Brock Roehler is president of Washburn’s Tax and Estate Planning Association, which runs the volunteer program that provides free tax preparation for low-income individuals every year.
He and McMillan said there were a number of reasons Kansans might not have filed a tax return by the April 15 deadline. Some people don’t owe income taxes and don’t expect a refund, for instance.
But if they want to purchase insurance on healthcare.gov and take advantage of the federal subsidies, they still must file a return. “There are certain (income) thresholds that you’re not required to file, and it’s different based on filing status,” Roehler said. “But in all aspects it’s really, really, really low.
Not a lot of people are exempt.” Still, Roehler and McMillan said their volunteers were able to help a couple people who came in Monday. The low turnout may have been fortunate because the healthcare.gov website appeared to be overworked and overloaded.
“We still have one open because we spent an incredible amount of time and effort this morning and this afternoon on healthcare.gov trying to get their 1095-A, which is the tax form that needs to be sent out by the IRS that gives the information on what their premiums are and what their tax credits are,” McMillan said.
“We were locked out of healthcare.gov.
When we did get in, it froze us and basically queued us up and said, ‘We’ve got a lot of traffic.’” According to an email from Brookhart, as of Monday 2.8 million Americans had signed up since open enrollment began Nov. 1 for 2016 coverage.
That’s far below the 11.7 million who signed up during last year’s open enrollment, which stretched into February, suggesting millions may have waited until the last few days before the deadline. Brookhart said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will have experts available to chat via Facebook at starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday as the deadline for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2016, approaches.
Those who fail to secure coverage before that deadline should not give up. They can still get covered by Feb. 1, 2016, and greatly reduce the tax penalty, which is prorated. The marketplaces were established as part of the Affordable Care Act, which required most Americans to have health insurance as of 2014.
TOPEKA – A Kansas man was sentenced Monday to three years in federal prison for carjacking, according to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Marcus Anthony Montoya, 23, Topeka, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking. In his plea, he admitted that on Jan. 12, 2015, he and a co-defendant physically assaulted a Topeka man and stole the keys to the victim’s 1999 Ford Mustang.
The assault occurred in the 1800 block of Michigan Avenue in Topeka. The victim didn’t get his car back until March 29, 2015. The car had suffered extensive damage.
Co-defendant Michael Minh Koy, 25, Topeka, Kan., is set for sentencing March 14.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Audiences excitedly embraced the new “Star Wars” film at its worldwide premiere Monday, cheering new and old characters as the franchise returned to the big screen for the first time in a decade. A few of the movie critics in attendance were pleased.
From comedy to costumes, fights to fx to overall feel, J.J. Abrams has created a thoroughly old-fashioned movie #StarWarsForceAwakens — Steven Zeitchik (@ZeitchikLAT) December 15, 2015
Those who watched “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at the TCL Chinese Theater cheered the appearances of familiar characters such as Han Solo and Chewbacca and new characters Rey and Captain Phasma.
Actor Patton Oswalt says the film is fun and reminded him of what made him a “Star Wars” fan as a child.
Disney rolled out the film at three Hollywood theaters Monday evening for around 5,000 invited guests. The premiere featured a red carpet lined by Stormtrooper costumes and other memorabilia.
“The Force Awakens” opens to the public on Friday and has already broken pre-sale ticket records.
LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — Three Kansas school districts are getting a total of $220,000 in federal funds to replace or rework older diesel school buses.
The regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency said in a release Monday that the Turner, Altoona-Midway and Maize school districts will get the funds to replace or retrofit 11 older diesel buses. The EPA says older diesel engines emit large amounts of pollutants.
Maize is getting $120,000 for six buses, Turner gets $80,000 for four buses and Altoona-Midway receives $20,000 for one bus.
The EPA says the awards are part of more than $7 million in rebates to replace or retrofit 400 older diesel school buses throughout the U.S.
NEW YORK (AP) — Merriam-Webster has picked a small but powerful suffix as word of the year: ism.
But not just any ism. The top isms to earn high traffic spikes and big bumps in lookups on the dictionary company’s website in 2015 over the year before are socialism, fascism, racism, feminism, communism, capitalism and terrorism.
The announcement was made Tuesday by the Springfield, Massachusetts-based compan
WASHINGTON (AP) — Owners of many small drones and model airplanes will have to register them with the government.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the requirement Monday in response to increasing reports of drones flying near manned aircraft and airports.
The requirement covers aircraft weighing from a half pound to 55 pounds. Drone owners who are 13 and older will have to register on an FAA website that’s available starting Dec. 21. The FAA expects parents to register for younger children.
Registration will cost $5, but the fee will be waived for the first 30 days. Owners will have to mark aircraft with an identification number.
Those who got drones before Dec. 21 must register by Feb. 19. People who buy them later must register before their first outdoor flight. Registration details here.
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced Monday to three years in federal prison for bank robbery, according to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Kirk Mychale Sexton, 27, Topeka, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.
In his plea, he admitted that on Jan. 9, 2015, he robbed the Equity Bank at 3825 S.W. 29th Street in Topeka. He entered the bank wearing a blue hoodie with the words “Topeka Water” on the back and handed a clerk a note demanding money. He left the bank with the cash. Police stopped him nearby after seeing red dye from a dye pack on his clothes.
Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Representatives Lynn Jenkins and Mike Pompeo held a forum on Guantanamo last week
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials have sent President Barack Obama a letter protesting the possible move of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the military prison at Fort Leavenworth.
The letter Monday said moving terrorism suspects to northeast Kansas would jeopardize families, schools and local businesses. All six members of the state’s congressional delegation signed the letter, as did Gov. Sam Brownback, legislators and local officials.
The letter followed a town hall meeting Friday in Leavenworth sponsored by U.S. Reps. Lynn Jenkins and Mike Pompeo. Their signatures appeared first, along with Leavenworth Mayor Lisa Weakley’s.
Closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center has been a priority for Obama but continues to inspire congressional opposition. The Defense Department earlier this year surveyed seven potential sites for housing detainees in Kansas, Colorado and South Carolina.
Contenders need to be U.S. citizens with a bachelor’s degree in science, math or engineering. Expect intense competition: More than 6,000 applied for NASA’s last astronaut class in 2013, with only eight picked. It’s an elite club, numbering only in the 300s since the beginning.
Future astronauts will have four spacecraft at their disposal: the International Space Station, two commercial crew capsules to get there, and NASA’s Orion spacecraft for eventual Mars trips. Pay is between $66,000 and $145,000 a year, and you’ll have to move to Houston.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, a former astronaut, says this next group will help “blaze the trail” to Mars.
HAMILTON COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 4p.m. on Monday in Hamilton County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Ford pickup driven by Brandon L. Barr, 38, Holcomb, was eastbound on U.S. 50 three miles East of Kansas 27.
The pickup crossed the centerline and collided with a westbound Kenworth semi driven by Francisco Camacho, 53, Dodge City, that had moved to the shoulder to avoid an accident.
Barr was transported to Hamilton County Hospital.
Camacho was not injured.
Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
HUTCHINSON– After the Kansas Court of Appeals vacated part of the conviction and sentence for a Kansas man convicted of all the charges associated with a motorcycle accident that severely injured another man, he will not be prosecuted a second time.
Robby Heironimus, 41, Burrton, was found guilty of leaving the scene of an injury accident, which is a felony.
Other charges against Heironimus included failing to report an accident, driving while suspended, failing to give information and having an illegal tag.
He was granted 18 months probation on a 24-month underlying sentence.
The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled that two of the charges are basically the same and reversed the conviction.
They also reversed the conviction for failing to report an accident, stating that the statute, which he was charged under, was repealed at the time of the offense.
The appeals court also stated that since criminal intent is a necessary element of leaving the scene of an injury accident, the court committed reversible error by not including that element in its instruction to the jury.
They order a new trial in that charge.
During a court hearing late last week, the state indicated that they weren’t sure they could find some witnesses and decided to drop the remaining charges.
On May 12, 2012, Heironimus was riding his motorcycle and struck 26-year-old Jeffrey Nusser as he attempted to cross Main Street at 19th in Hutchinson.
Nusser was taken by air-ambulance to Via Christi St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Wichita for trauma to his right leg. It ultimately was amputated below the knee.
The defendant left the scene, but turned himself into police the next day.
Koylen Corbin McKinney-photo Kan. Dept. of Corrections
HOLTON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas child who suffered permanent brain damage and blindness when he was beaten as an infant was awarded $109 million from the man accused of attacking him.
Romeo Whitebird was 7 months old when he was injured by his mother’s boyfriend in April 2014 at a Holton apartment complex. The boy is now 2.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports a Jackson County District Court ruling last Friday ordered Koylen Corbin McKinney to pay the judgment. McKinney is serving a nine-year prison sentence for the boy’s injuries. However, Topeka attorney Dan Lykins says McKinney is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota, which entitles him to royalties from oil production for the rest of his life.
Lykins says McKinney chose not to respond to the lawsuit.
