TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Civil War-era home north of Topeka that was thought to have been a way station on the Underground Railroad has been demolished.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Rhode Island abolitionist William Owen constructed the two-story building in 1858. The children of E.J. and Francis O’Hara, who sold it at a 2006 auction, said abolitionist John Brown was a frequent visitor. They also said Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman stayed there for a week before serving in the Civil War.

But the home was severely damaged in an October 2009 fire. A Topeka Fire Department report estimated the damage at $129,600.

The home stood on property owned by the trust of John D. Debacker, who died in 2012. His widow, Flora Debacker, confirmed Wednesday that workmen demolished it Tuesday.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A newly released report says the number of forcible sex offenses reported on the University of Kansas campus has gone up for a second straight year.

The university’s Clery Act Annual Security Report released Oct. 1 says there were 24 forcible sex offenses reported on campus in 2014. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that’s up from 13 reported offenses in 2013, and three reported in 2012.

Capt. James Anguiano with the university’s Office of Public Safety says the increase in reported offenses doesn’t necessarily mean it’s happening more often, but rather that more incidents are being reported.

The Clery Act requires universities to release data on crimes reported on or near campus.

By ANDY MARSO

Kansas officials announced Tuesday they will delay for six months a plan to consolidate Medicaid support services for Kansans with various disabilities.

The leaders of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services said they want to use the time to gather more information from people who would be affected by the changes.

“After discussions with consumers, providers and other stakeholders, we have decided to take additional time to incorporate stakeholder feedback,” KDADS Secretary Kari Bruffett said in a statement.

Advocates for Kansans with disabilities had expressed concern about the pace of the potentially momentous change. They cheered Tuesday’s decision.

“The question I think in everyone’s mind has been, ‘Why the aggressive timeline?’” said Matt Fletcher, associate executive director of InterHab. “So this is a highly encouraging sign.”

Fletcher’s group represents people who provide support services to Kansans with developmental disabilities.

They’re one of the several groups of Kansans who, through Medicaid waiver programs, are eligible to receive home and community-based support services they otherwise would receive in nursing homes.

There also are waivers for Kansans with physical disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, autism and other types of disabilities — seven in all.

State officials months ago announced their intention to combine the seven waivers into two sets of services: one for children and one for adults. They said their intent was to streamline the process and not restrict people to certain services based on a disability label.

The details of the integration plan were expected to be released Sept. 30, with a public comment period to follow. If approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the plan was to go into effect July 1, 2016.

But the state was not ready to unveil the draft plan last week and now doesn’t plan to implement it until Jan. 1, 2017.

“The purpose of waiver integration — which includes broadening the array of services available to truly personalize care plans — has not changed, but we have extended the time period for accomplishing it,” Bruffett said in the statement.

Ami Hyten, assistant director of the Topeka Independent Living Center, said the Kansans with physical disabilities that her organization serves wanted more specifics about what their services would look like after integration.

“There’s just ongoing concerns that folks are having with potential service restrictions and reductions,” Hyten said. “That’s kind of the overarching concern — that people don’t want to have fewer choice available to them or more complicated processes for accessing the services they need to remain living in their own homes.”

She said a more measured approach by the state is “really the best option for all people involved.”

Susan Mosier, KDHE secretary, said the state wants Kansans with disabilities to be at ease before changes are made.

“We want to ensure that we have the details of how waiver integration will work firmly in place before we move ahead,” Mosier said in the statement. “We want our consumers to be confident that their concerns have been addressed.”

Fletcher said service providers stand ready to help the state accomplish that goal.

“There are a large number of providers with a great deal of expertise in their respective fields who would willingly come to the table and help the state craft improvements to how persons with disabilities receive supports,” Fletcher said.

Andy Marso is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says he’s not considering additional spending cuts or new tax increases to keep the state budget balanced in the face of disappointing tax collections.

Brownback said Wednesday he’s confident the state will get through its short-term budget problems. He said he’s working on measures, without being more specific.

In July, August and September, the state’s tax collections were a total of $67 million less than anticipated, a shortfall of 4.7 percent.

The state increased sales and tobacco taxes in July to keep its $15.4 billion budget balanced. Later that month, Brownback’s administration made $63 million in budget adjustments.

Brownback ruled out further tax increases, saying, “We’re not going that route.”

But he also said he thinks the state can manage without spending cuts.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — County election officials in Kansas could have canceled many of the more than 31,000 incomplete voter registrations when a federal judge has the next hearing in a lawsuit challenging the effort.

U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson on Wednesday set a Dec. 4 hearing on a request from attorneys for two northeast Kansas residents to block the culling of registration records ordered by Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

Most incomplete registrations are for people who have failed to comply with a 2013 state law requiring new voters to document their U.S. citizenship. The two northeast Kansas residents also are challenging the law.

Robinson set the hearing in December to allow both sides to file written legal arguments. Kobach said during a court teleconference that canceled registrations can be retrieved electronically.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — More than 100 employees have been evacuated from a General Mills plant in Kansas City after an alarm sounded indicating a carbon dioxide leak.

General Mills spokeswoman Kelsey Roemhildt says firefighters and hazardous materials crews were called to the plant Wednesday morning after a carbon dioxide alarm went off at the plant.

She said the plant’s 110 employees were evacuated as a precaution, and that there were no reports of injuries.

She said the leak has been isolated and that crews are assessing the area before allowing employees to return to work at the plant, which mills and packages flour.

The Kansas City Star reports that in 1994, a carbon dioxide leak at the facility killed a worker.

MCPHERSON -Law enforcement authorities in McPherson County have wrapped up an investigation of various suspicious activity reports taken from schools in McPherson.

On September 24, Police in McPherson reported several individuals contacted them asking to confirm rumors of an individual trying to abduct local students.

Police indicated at that time they had not received any abduction reports, attempted or otherwise.

Police did indicate they received two separate reports of suspicious activity. Local students  were concerned about an unfamiliar vehicle, driven slowly in the area of a school, reported the situation to school principals who shared the information appropriately with police.

The information involved different descriptions and appeared unconnected, police reported in September.

Police reported on Tuesday, that in each instance of suspicious activity, they found a valid reason for the activity or a false report, according to a media release.

The valid reason or false reports were confirmed by eyewitnesses and corroborated with additional information.

In each instance the residents who were unwilling to report the circumstances immediately to law enforcement or provide timely access to the reporting parties hampered the investigation, according to police.

Since the report involved minor children, no additional details are being released.

Police also urged the public to report suspicious activity immediately instead of or before sharing it on social media and to report only the truth no exaggeration or rumor.

SAM HANANEL, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seems inclined to rule against the perpetrators of what one justice called “some of the most horrendous murders” he’s ever seen from the bench.

The justices on Wednesday were critical of the Kansas Supreme Court, which overturned the death sentences of three men, including two brothers convicted in a murderous crime spree known as the “Wichita massacre.”

It was the first high-court hearing on death penalty cases since a clash over lethal injection procedures exposed deep divisions among the justices in the court’s last term.

The debate this time concerned the sentencing process for Jonathan and Reginald Carr and for Sidney Gleason, convicted in another case.

The state court ruled that jurors received flawed instructions about mitigating evidence and said the brothers should have been sentenced separately.

JACKSON COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 7a.m. on Wednesday in Jackson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Mack semi driven by Daryl L. Compton, 62, Topeka, was southbound on U.S. 75.

The semi collided with a 1993 Ford pickup driven by Paul B. Krogman, 83, Holton, that was northbound on U.S. 75 making a left hand turn onto Columbine Road.

Krogman was transported to Holton Community Hospital. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

The KHP also reported Compton was injured but not transported for treatment.

SALINA- Professional Basketball is set to return to Salina for the first time in over ten years, according to a media release from One Sports Distraction Group of Topeka.

The Salina Thunder Minor League Basketball Club will participate in the American Basketball Association (ABA) beginning with the 2016-2017 season.

“We believe we are making the right move to bring the ABA to the city of Salina and bringing back great basketball to Salina,” said Shawn Smith, the President and Chief Executive Officer of One Sports Distraction Group.

The team is looking for front office staff including a General Manager, Marketing Manager, Director of Ticket Sales, Director of Events, and a Head Coach.

The Salina Bicentennial Center is being considered as a potential home for the Thunder, as well as other possible locations that could host an ABA team.

Smith said players for the team could come from Division I, Division II and NAIA schools, as well as other professional leagues, or could even be local players from the Salina area.

Smith said that funding for the team would come directly from One Sports Distraction Group, as well as sponsorships that the group would bring to the team.

He indicated that the group and itself fund the league.
Tryouts for the new team are expected to be announced in Mid-March.

Salina has had two previous minor league basketball teams. The Kansas Cagerz played eight seasons (1999-2007) in the United States Basketball League (USBL) at the Bicentennial Center and the Salina Rattlers played just one season (2000-2001) in the International Basketball Association (IBA), also at the Bicentennial Center.

FORT RILEY- Authorities have positively identified a woman found dead inside her car at Fort Riley on September 22.

According to a media release from Fort Riley Public Affairs, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner reported that the vehicle of Jessica Echevarria, the 29-year-old wife of a Fort Riley Soldier, was located in a wooded area near Caisson Hill Road.

An examination of the scene and vehicle indicates Echevarria was involved in a single-vehicle incident when she left the roadway and struck a tree, which resulted in her death.

The vehicle was obstructed from view due to dense foliage.

A soldier walking along the side of the road noticed something out of place, became suspicious and alerted military police.

Echevarria was reported missing by her husband on Aug 21, 2015.

Her family also filed a missing person’s report in California.

Her personal and vehicle information was entered into the National Crime Information Center database identifying her as a missing person and a “Be On the Lookout” was distributed to local and state law enforcement agencies.

The incident remains under investigation by special agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.

 

MANHATTAN – Law enforcement authorities in Riley County continue to investigate Monday night’s fatal accident that killed a 6-year-old Riley girl.

Detectives with the Riley County Police Department are asking witnesses of the collision in the 2400 block of Tuttle Creek Boulevard contact RCPD or Detective Joe Ehrlich with the Riley County Police Department Investigations Division.

Detectives with the assistance of the Kansas Highway Patrol were at the crash site Wednesday conducting a follow-up investigation.

Detectives are also looking for witnesses who may have interacted with the driver of the 2001 Ford Ranger, stopped at the accident scene prior to police arrive and have not yet provided information to authorities, or witnesses that may have observed the vehicle and its driving prior to the collision.

Police reported a 2001 Ford Ranger driven by Joshua Mall, 39, Riley, was traveling in the 2400 Block of Tuttle Creek Boulevard just before 7:30 p.m.

The driver lost control of the vehicle at Northfield Road and collided with a 2013 Chevy Cruz.

Immediately following the initial impact the Ford left the roadway and collided with a tree.

Mall was transported to Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan and transferred a medical care facility in Topeka.

A child in the Ford Madilyn Mall, 6, Riley, was transported to Via Christi where she died.

The driver of the Chevy Cruz was not injured.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)  released the following statement on his vote in favor of proceeding to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that authorizes funding for the Department of Defense through Fiscal Year 2016:

“The NDAA is one of the most important pieces of legislation that Congress passes for the defense of our nation. Yet, even as conflict worsens in the Middle East, our Commander in Chief is threatening to veto this critical funding for our troops, their families, combat pay and troop pay raises, wounded warriors, and personnel and equipment necessary to fight the many threats that face our nation. As a Marine, I want to ensure all our warfighters receive the best support possible to meet these threats around the world. Unfortunately, President Obama would rather play politics and allow terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to move to our mainland.”

In addition to authorizing funding for the Department of Defense (DoD) through fiscal year 2016, the National Defense Authorization Act includes provisions that:

Preserve our military’s technological edge and cuts the bloated Pentagon bureaucracy to focus precious defense dollars on our troops.
Give service members transitioning out of the military the option to use a portion of their retirement benefits to buy a home, start a business, or put their kids through college.
Continue the prohibition of any transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to the United States.
Make military health care more accessible and flexible for military families.
Improve military justice, including sexual assault prevention and response.
The motion to proceed to the legislation passed the Senate by a vote of 73-26.

Senator Roberts is the most senior Marine in the Congress and a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.