WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County judge has dismissed most of the securities charges against two former Wichita developers.
The Wichita Eagle reports Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess on Thursday dismissed all but five of the remaining 54 felony fraud counts against former Wichita developers David Lundberg and Michael Elzufon.
The ruling came at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing that began Monday. Some of the counts were dropped earlier this week.
The Kansas securities commissioner accused the men of selling unregistered securities pertaining to investment projects in Wichita between 2005 and 2012.
The defense argued in part that the securities commission didn’t have jurisdiction in the case.
Apart from a possible appeal by the state, the next step would be for the remaining five counts to come before the court again.
University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little at Wednesday’s forum
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little says the school in Lawrence, Kansas, plans to begin sharing information next week on how it will address racism and discrimination.
She said in a message posted Friday on the university’s website: “I see you. I hear you. You matter.”
The message comes in the wake of the unrest at the University of Missouri this week and after a forum that Gray-Little moderated on Wednesday, where a group calling itself Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk presented its demands.
Their demands included hiring a director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs,
mandatory inclusion training for students and faculty, increased diversity in hiring, counselors to address mental issues and creation of an independent “Multicultural Student Government.”
The group also seeks a ban on concealed weapons on campus.
SALINA – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating an attack on a man outside a his place of employment.
Salina Police Captain Mike Sweeney said the 24-year-old victim was confronted by two men wearing masks as he was taking out trash just before 7p.m. on Thursday behind Carmelita’s Mexican Goods, 1859 S. 9th Street in Kraft Manor.
After one of the men cut the victim, they left eastbound from behind Kraft Manor.
The victim drove himself to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is taking on its first abortion case in eight years, a dispute over state regulation of abortion clinics.
The justices said Friday they will hear arguments over a Texas law that would leave about 10 abortion clinics open across the state. A decision should come by late June, four months before the presidential election.
The high court previously blocked parts of the Texas law.
States have enacted a wave of measures in recent years that have placed restrictions on when in a pregnancy abortions may be performed, imposed limits on abortions using drugs instead of surgery and raised standards for clinics and the doctors who work in them.
The court took no action on a separate appeal from Mississippi.
Children’s Mercy Hospital, which opened its first clinic in Kansas nearly 30 years ago and now has eight spread across the state, has changed the name of its facility in Overland Park from Children’s Mercy South to Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas.
Dr. Randall O’Donnell announcing Tuesday that Children’s Mercy South will now be called Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas. CREDIT DAN MARGOLIES / HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR
Dr. Randall L. O’Donnell, president and CEO of the Kansas City-based pediatric hospital, announced the name change at a news conference Thursday afternoon attended by hospital staff and supporters, political dignitaries and what he called “our real bosses,” half a dozen children sprawled on the floor alongside him.
The Overland Park facility, just west of 110th Street and Nall Avenue, has grown over less than two decades to 53 beds, which along with the main hospital facility near downtown Kansas City, Missouri, combine for a total of 354 beds overall.
“This name change is more than just changing the sign outside, which will happen in the coming weeks,” O’Donnell said. “It is making a statement that this is the only hospital within the state of Kansas who is solely devoted – whose only priority – is the treatment of children.”
Children’s Mercy traces its origins to 1897 when two sisters, a dentist and physician, opened a small hospital at 15th and Cleveland in downtown Kansas City.
While the now-sprawling complex at 24th Street and Gillham Road accounts for the majority of the hospital’s visits and admissions, the Overland Park location draws patients from nearly every corner of Kansas. According to figures provided by the hospital, of 292,000 visits in 2014, nearly 85,000 were to Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas.
Children’s Mercy also operates Kansas clinics in Wichita, Junction City, Great Bend, Parsons, Pittsburg and Salina, in addition to locations in St. Joseph and Joplin, Missouri. Last year it opened an urgent care center at 135th Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park.
Children’s Mercy’s “real bosses” listen as O’Donnell announces the name change. CREDIT DAN MARGOLIES / HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR
The renaming comes as Children’s Mercy embarks on a campaign to renovate and expand the Overland Park facility, part of a long-range plan developed a few years ago. The plan calls for renovating and adding operating rooms, clinic space and up to 47 more beds, O’Donnell said in a brief interview after the news conference.
“See, I’ve already messed up, you caught me,” he said after inadvertently referring to the hospital by its former name, Children’s Mercy South.
O’Donnell said the hospital projects the expansion will cost between $40 million and $50 million, money which has yet to be raised.
“It’s on the drawing board and will come in due time. But it’s on the master plan of the hospital,” he said.
Dan Margolies is editor of the Heartland Health Monitor team, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Government officials are opposing imprisoned national security leaker Chelsea Manning’s request to grow out her hair.
The transgender former Army intelligence officer made the request as part of a lawsuit in federal court in Washington.
The lawsuit says that gender-appropriate grooming is part of the recognized treatment for gender dysphoria, Manning’s sense of being a woman in a man’s body. The Kansas military prison where Manning is being held began giving her hormone therapy in February, but officials have refused to allow her to wear her hair longer than 2 inches.
In court papers filed Thursday, the government argued Manning’s federal lawsuit should be dismissed, saying her claims belong in a military court.
Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, is serving 35 years for sending classified documents to the WikiLeaks website.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The owner of a Wichita massage business has pleaded guilty to a federal prostitution charge.
The office of the U.S. Attorney for Kansas says Ping Liu pleaded guilty Thursday to attempted coercion and enticement to prostitution. The prosecutor’s office says she admitted arranging for a woman posing as a job applicant to come to Wichita to work at her massage business and that the job included providing sexual services to customers.
The prosecutor’s office says she also admitted to offering to perform sexual services for undercover Wichita police officer who were posing as customers at her business.
She faces up to 20 years in prison when she’s sentenced in January.
NEW YORK (AP) — Officials say the latest government estimate of the number of children with autism supports a belief that the frequency of the disorder may be underestimated.
The latest figure released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 1 in 45 U.S. children have the developmental disorder. But other federal calculations find autism is less common than that.
The new number is from a survey of parents of 13,000 children, who were asked last year if their child were ever diagnosed with autism or a related disorder.
The most rigorous number, from checks of school records, gives a lower estimate of 1 in 68 children and the advocacy group Autism Speaks says that figure will be treated as the best estimate, even though it may be low.
Estimates of how common autism is have been steadily increasing.
NEW YORK (AP) — Campbell Soup is recalling 355,000 cans of SpaghettiOs Original in the U.S. due to a possible choking hazard.
Pieces of red plastic, part of the can’s lining, were found in a small number of the 14.2 ounce cans.
Campbell Soup Co. announced the recall after receiving complaints. It said that the plastic is food grade and not harmful if swallowed.
The cans included in the recall have a date of February 22, 2017 that is stamped on the base of the can. The UPC code is 51000 22432 and is printed under the bar code.
The product should be returned to the store for an exchange or full refund.
Consumers can receive more information by visiting Facebook/SpaghettiOs or calling 1-866-535-3774 between 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday.
FORT RILEY -A Fort Riley soldier has been selected as one of 12 finalists to compete in the Army-wide “Operation Rising Star” talent competition Nov. 18 to Dec. 9 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a media release from Fort Riley Public Affairs. See her audition video here.
As a finalist, Army Spc. Xochilt Ramirez-Luna of the 97th Military
Police battalion will train with a professional vocal coach and choreographer in San Antonio to prepare for four performances, which take place Nov. 29, Dec. 1, Dec. 3 and Dec. 4.
Each round of the finals will be streamed live at https://www.armymwr.com. Viewers can then vote for their favorite contestant to help send him or her to the next round. Final scores are weighted 50 percent from online voting and 50 percent from a panel of judges.
“I’m looking forward to winning,” a confident Ramirez-Luna said. “I think it’s cool that I’m able to represent my organization by doing something I really love. It’s an honor and I want to put up the best show I can so everyone knows that Fort Riley and the 1st Infantry Division have the best soldiers.”
Ramirez-Luna never sang or performed in front of others until she joined the Army.
“In high school, I never sang for anyone, for any reason, ever,” she said. “The first time was at basic training graduation. I felt really insecure about singing until people started telling me I sounded good.”
This is the 11th year of the Army’s Operation Rising Star competition, and the rivalry is expected to be fierce again this year. Ramirez-Luna’s chain of command is confident she’ll do well.
“The battalion commander and I are extremely proud of Spc. Ramirez,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Billy Ray Counts II. “Not only is she a gifted and talented singer, but she is also an outstanding soldier. She is a tremendous role model and I cannot think of a better soldier to represent Fort Riley, the 1st Infantry Division and the military police corps.”
LIBERAL- Law enforcement authorities in Southwest Kansas are investigating two cases of counterfeit currency
Police in Liberal say the $100 bills were passed at two local businesses.
All of the bills seized have had the same serial number of HF61957154A. F
or information on how to spot counterfeit money, visit www.newmoney.gov.
Any person that might have information regarding this crime is encouraged to call the Liberal Police Department at 620-626-0150 or the Crime Hotline at 620-624-4000.
Persons providing information leading to the arrested of those responsible for this crime are eligible for a reward.
DETROIT (AP) — Kia is recalling more than 256,000 Soul compact SUVs in the U.S. because the steering could fail.
The recall covers certain Souls from the 2014 through 2016 model years.
Kia says in documents filed with the government that the adhesive that holds steering gear parts together may not be strong enough and the parts can separate. That can cause loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia found the problem after getting warranty reports from dealers. The company says no crashes or injuries have been reported.
Dealers will inspect and replace a steering gear plug if necessary. They also will install a bolt for additional reinforcement. The recall is expected to start Dec. 22.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County judge has dismissed most of the securities charges against two former Wichita developers.
