The crash happened early Friday in Mulvane, which has about 6,000 residents. Police say the main line that feeds power to the town was damaged. The driver was not injured.
Mulvane is located about 15 miles south of Wichita.
GREAT BEND – A Hoisington man today pleaded guilty to second degree intentional murder, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
Chaz Zachery Stephens-photo Barton Co.
Chaz Stephens, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge in Barton County District Court. District Judge Mike Keeley accepted the plea. Sentencing is scheduled for June 3 at 1:30 p.m.
As part of the plea agreement, Schmidt agreed to dismiss the remaining lesser charges in the case.
Stephens was charged with the crime in connection with the March 2018 death of his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter in Hoisington.
The body of Iviona Lewis was found in March of 2018 northwest of Hoisington.
The child was last seen four days earlier on a Sunday at her home in Hosington but was not reported missing until Tuesday afternoon.
Hoisington Police Chief Kenton Doze said the girl’s mother was visiting her brother in Great Bend, and the delay in reporting Iviona’s disappearance was caused by confusion over who was supposed to be caring for her.
Thought it was windy in Kansas Thursday? Check out this Minnesota State Trooper doing battle with Mother Nature.
Wind: 1. Trooper: 0.
A trooper directing traffic around a jackknifed semi this morning on Highway 86 & Interstate 90 in Jackson County was knocked to the ground by a wind gust.
The trooper was not injured but the video is a reminder of theconditions caused by this snowstorm. pic.twitter.com/xTwrwKCM3f
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Trump administration regulation set to go into effect Friday bars transgender people from the military unless they “correct those deficiencies,” a description the American Medical Association said Thursday is unfair and defies science.
The AMA told The Associated Press on Thursday the policy and its wording mischaracterizes transgender people as having a “deficiency.” It said it also objects to the Defense Department classifying the need to transition to another gender among “administratively disqualifying conditions” that include those the Pentagon has labeled as “congenital or developmental defects.”
The new regulation strips transgender troops of rights they only recently secured under the Obama administration to serve openly and receive care if they choose to transition to another gender.
The Defense Department said its use of the words “deficiencies” is military lingo for when an individual fails to meet standards to maintain a lethal force. It is not a reference to gender dysphoria, a condition of extreme distress from not identifying with one’s biological gender, Lt. Col. Carla Gleason said.
The department says transgender people can serve if they remain in their biological sex.
“The only thing deficient is any medical science behind this decision,” American Medical Association President Dr. Barbara L. McAneny said.
Decorated Army helicopter pilot Lindsey Muller was a plaintiff in one of four lawsuits that tried to block the policy from taking effect. But the final legal injunction was lifted in March, though new legal challenges are expected.
Muller said she and other transgender troops feel demoralized.
“Under our ethical standards, we can’t say anything derogatory against the administration, while we are being presented in a disparaging and derogatory light,” said Muller, 37, who is based in Fort Carson, Colorado.
Troops like Muller, who began openly identifying as a woman in 2016, are worried they will be discharged. The administration says it will not boot current service members who transitioned before the Pentagon issued its directive, though the government has also said it retains the right to eliminate that protection.
Muller said the policy will cost the armed forces far more in terms of losing experienced personnel like herself and training replacements than any costs associated with specialized health care for trans servicemembers. She plans to retire from the military next year after serving 20 years.
Under the new policy, a service member can be discharged based on a diagnosis of gender dysphoria if he or she is “unable or unwilling to adhere to all applicable standards, including the standards associated with his or her biological sex, or seeks transition to another gender.”
It said the discharge should come after an individual “has been formally counseled on his or her failure to adhere to such standards and has been given an opportunity to correct those deficiencies.”
The policy calls for troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria to be medically evaluated before discharging them to see if they qualify as having a disability. Otherwise gender dysphoria can be considered a “condition that interferes with military service” like sleep walking, bed wetting, motion sickness, and personality disorders.
“They can dress it up in whatever words they want, but when you carefully look at this it’s total disrespect for these human beings by saying a core piece of them is not acceptable,” former acting U.S. Army Surgeon General Gale Pollock said.
Pollock signed a statement with three former U.S. surgeons general and two former military surgeons general, saying they are “troubled by the Defense Department’s characterization of the need to undergo gender transition as a ‘deficiency,’ and by the addition of gender dysphoria to official lists of ‘congenital or developmental defects’ that include bed-wetting and ‘disturbances of perception, thinking, emotional control, or behavior.'”
An estimated 14,700 troops identify as transgender.
Military chiefs testified before Congress last year that they found no problems with transgender troops on morale or unit cohesion. Many have received medals since the armed forces welcomed them in 2016.
Transgender troops say the regulation mirrors the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prohibited gay men and women from serving openly in the armed forces before Congress repealed it in 2010.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The government’s latest Census of Agriculture for Kansas shows the number of farms in the state has dropped 5% from the count taken five years earlier.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Thursday that there were 58,569 farms in Kansas during 2017. They covered some 45.8 million acres, down 1% from the 2012 census. Farms comprise 87.5% of total land in Kansas.
Kansas farms averaged 781 acres, about 34 acres larger than when the agency counted five years ago.
Kansas producers sold $18.8 billion of agricultural products in 2017, up 2% from 2012. About 66% of those products came from livestock and 34% from crops.
Average net farm income was $49,291 in 2017, down 3% from 2012.
The government’s agricultural census is conducted every five years.
TOPEKA – In an effort to raise awareness of clean energy activity in Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly is highlighting the American Wind Energy Association’s 2018 Annual Market Report.
The report, released Tuesday, shows that Kansas is now the number one producer for wind energy production as a share of total electricity generation. Kansas surpassed Iowa to claim the top spot, with 36.4% of the state’s total electricity produced by wind power in 2018.
“The State of Kansas must continue to prioritize renewable energy and the many benefits that come with it. I’m pleased to see that Kansas has continued to increase its wind energy production,” Kelly said. “The data shows we’re moving in the right direction.”
Below are Kansas rankings in other wind-based areas based on the 2018 data:
• 4th in Wind Generation (19,295 GWh)
• 5th in Installed Wind Capacity (5,653 MW)
• 5th in Cumulative Wind Investment ($10.5 billion)
• 6th in Wind Capacity Additions (543 MW)
Estimated annual state and local tax Payments by Wind Projects in Kansas for 2018 totaled nearly $28 million, while estimated annual lease payments to landowners by wind projects totaled between $15-$20 million.
“Renewable energy is a major industry in Kansas, and wind energy, alone, accounts for a huge portion of the Kansas economy,” David Toland, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, said. “We look forward to seeing the wind energy industry continue to grow in our state. There’s no shortage of wind in Kansas, and we’re happy to put it to good use.”
Kansas is home to a major wind turbine nacelle production plant in Hutchinson, with only two others currently operating in the U.S.
Several national companies purchase Kansas wind energy (from existing wind farms and new projects under construction), including Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Target, T-Mobile, Brown-Forman, Kohler, Iron Mountain and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has pulled the fossil of a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex from public view at its Natural History Museum after anger erupted when the fossil’s private owner listed it for sale for $2.95 million.
Alan Detrich, who isn’t a trained paleontologist, said he originally shared his rare fossil with the museum two years ago because “the public ought to get to see it.”
His eBay sales pitch for the fossil initially highlighted the fossil’s ties to the university, prompting the school to tweet that it’s not involved in the sale.
Are we selling fossils on eBay? NO. The baby #Trex temporarily on view to the public at #KUnhm is not accessioned to our collection & is privately owned. Research is currently ongoing on our own baby Trex, which is not on display at this time. 🦖
Detrich said he and his brother unearthed the 68-million-year-old bones from a 4-year-old T. rex in 2013 on property he leased to hunt for fossils near Jordan, Montana. To the “naysayers” from academia who complained about the university’s link with the for-sale specimen, Detrich says his message is “you’re welcome.”
“You’re welcome — for me to allow my dinosaur to be in the museum and to be able to show the people,” he said. “People have had the opportunity to actually see the baby T. rex.”
Photo courtesy Ebay
Leonard Krishtalka, museum director and KU professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, said in an internal memo that the “intent was to keep the specimen in the museum sphere to be enjoyed by visitors until it was sold to a museum.” Krishtalka said the listing’s references to the university made it appear the university was promoting the sale in violation of a formal contract approved by the university’s legal team. The museum learned this week that Alan Detrich had “abruptly” listed the specimen for sale on eBay without notifying the museum, Krishtalka said.
Besides pulling the display, the museum asked Detrich to remove all references to the university and other “misleading language and photos” from his eBay listing, the memo said.
Detrich, who also is known for making religious art out of dinosaur fossils, has long been a source of frustration to some in the scientific community. They think fossils should be uncovered by people with more training and then donated for scientific study. Detrich, meanwhile, insists fossil hunting is a risky, expensive business.
“Millionaires aren’t rich enough to buy these dinosaurs,” Detrich said. “I don’t have a problem with selling to billionaires, because they’ve got enough money to protect this fossil and take really good care of it . At some point, all these things end up in museums.”
SEDGWICK COUNTY —A 15-year-old boy injured in skateboard accident has died, according to Wichita Police officer Charley Davidson.
Samuel Harter-Photo courtesy WPD
Just after 11:40a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call for Emergency Medical Services near the intersection of 9th and Christine, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, first responders found 15-year-old Samuel Harter in the street with critical injuries and a citizen rendering assistance.
Harter was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and died Thursday, according to Davidson.
After speaking to multiple witnesses, investigators learned a 16-year-old was driving a Mazda 626 westbound on 9th Street and pulling Harter on a skateboard who was holding on through an open window on the passenger side. A second 15-year-old boy was holding onto the vehicle though an open window on the driver’s side.
The boy on the driver’s side was able to let go of the vehicle and safely stop his skateboard. Harter lost control of his skateboard, fell and struck his head on the ground. He was not wearing a helmet, according to Davidson.
Speed and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the incident, according to Davidson. The accident remains under investigation and police will present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for possible charges.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a Thursday morning chase.
Christopher Clay -photo Shawnee Co.
Just before 2:30a.m., a Shawnee County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a Chrysler Sebring for registration violations near U.S. 24 and N. Kansas Ave in Topeka, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.
The driver of the Sebring failed to stop for the deputy. The vehicle traveled briefly on streets in north Topeka before heading east on U.S. 24 and entered Jefferson County.
A Shawnee County Sheriff’s deputy successfully initiated a vehicle maneuver near U.S. 24 and NE Detlor Road to end the pursuit safely.
The Topeka Police Department assisted with the pursuit as well as the arrest of the driver Christopher J. Clay, 40, of Kansas City.
Deputies transported Clay to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections with requested charges that include DUI, Possession of Cocaine, Interference w/ LEO, 2 Warrants for Felony Probation Violations and
Various traffic violations, according to Stallbaumer.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped a driving under the influence charge against a Kansas City, Missouri, mayoral candidate who was arrested while sleeping in his car in Lawrence, Kansas, after a fundraiser.
Lucas -photo Douglas Co.
Lucas praised Thursday’s decision in a news release. He says he made the “the responsible choice” in October when he decided that he shouldn’t drive back to Kansas City. He says he never moved his vehicle from the public spot where it was parked before his arrest .
Lucas is a law lecturer at the University of Kansas. He was elected in 2015 to the Kansas City council. He and fellow council member Jolie Justus were the top-two vote getters in this month’s mayoral primary. Voters will pick between them in the June 18 general election.
RENO COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a crime against the Catholic Diocese of Wichita and have made an arrest.
Juan Gregorio Garza-Gonzalez courtesy Reno Co.
Just after 11.m. Thursday, a Detective with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office arrested Juan Gregorio Garza-Gonzalez 51, of Wichita, on a warrant issued by the Reno County District Court.
In Mid-February Detectives with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office were made aware of a possible crime occurring in South Hutchinson/Reno County. The information that was given by the Catholic Diocese of Wichita is that there were some questions into the finances of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in South Hutchinson.
Through the investigation Detectives determined that money was missing from several different locations within the church totaling near $14,000.
The focus of the investigation became Father Juan Garza who has been the Pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe, South Hutchinson, since June of 2018.
Father Garza has been released on a $2,500 Bond, according to the release. Officials have not scheduled a court date.
Allegations of financial fraud and stolen hospital records have surfaced in an increasingly nasty legal battle over the fate of Hillsboro Community Hospital in Hillsboro.
Hillsboro Community Hospital in Hillsboro, Kansas, Hillsboro Community Hospital is fighting off an attempt to move its bankruptcy case to North Carolina. FILE PHOTO
The critical access hospital, which is partly owned by a company controlled by Florida resident Jorge Perez, is resisting efforts by Perez to move its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case to North Carolina.
That’s where a bankruptcy judge recently consolidated the bankruptcy filings of seven other rural hospitals controlled by Perez and Perez-affiliated groups. The hospitals include the now-closed Oswego Community Hospital in Oswego, Kansas; Horton Community Hospital in Horton, Kansas; and I-70 Community Hospital in Sweet Springs, Missouri.
Four other hospitals in Oklahoma and Arkansas controlled by Perez-affiliated groups likewise have sought Chapter 11 protection in North Carolina.
It’s not clear why the cases were filed or consolidated in North Carolina, which has no obvious connection to any except one of the hospitals. But in a bankruptcy court filing, Hillsboro Community Hospital says the attempt to move its case there is an unlawful attempt to circumvent court orders in Kansas.
In January, Bank of Hays foreclosed on the hospital after it defaulted on a nearly $10 million loan. At the bank’s request, the court appointed Cohesive Healthcare Management + Consulting, LLC of Shawnee, Oklahoma, as a receiver to run the hospital. Cohesive, in turn, placed the hospital, which remains open, in voluntary bankruptcy on March 13.
In a typical Chapter 11 case, management would continue to run the business affairs of the hospital. But Bank of Hays moved for the appointment of a Chapter 11 trustee instead, stating it had learned that the owners of the hospital “are currently under criminal investigation by the United States Department of Justice.”
In a court filing, the bank said it believed the investigation related to the hospital’s owners and their “management of healthcare facilities nationwide.”
Brent King, a lawyer who was appointed as the Chapter 11 trustee, told KCUR two weeks ago that he was unable to provide more details about the federal investigation other than that it likely concerns billing irregularities. He said his law firm, which is conducting a forensic investigation of a hospital in Graceville, Florida, once controlled by Perez, had uncovered “massive” billing irregularities there.
Jorge Perez, shown here in September 2017, when he ran a hospital management company in North Kansas City called Empower HMS. The company has since vacated the office. CREDIT DAN MARGOLIES / Kansas New Service
“It went from $13 million a year in billings to $130 million a year in billings,” King said, referring to the now-closed Campbellton-Graceville Hospital. “There’s a lot of money passing through these hospitals and we believe there’s an attempt to defraud insurance companies.”
The Kansas attorney general’s office says it’s also investigating at least one of Perez’s Kansas hospitals, Horton Community Hospital, although it has declined to specify the nature of its probe.
Perez could not be reached for comment. Mike Murtha, president of the National Alliance of Rural Hospitals, a group once associated with Perez, said Perez’s hospitals had effectively ceased being members of the alliance.
“I don’t make decisions for him. I’m an advocate for the perpetuity of rural hospitals,” Murtha said.
In pushing back against Perez’s attempt to move Hillsboro’s bankruptcy case to North Carolina, King states in a recent court filing that Perez and his affiliated companies used Hillsboro and other hospitals they controlled to carry out an illegal billing scheme.
Perez and others, King says in the filing, “orchestrated and controlled the laboratory information system … of the Hillsboro Hospital to perpetrate a fraudulent scheme related to Medicare and Medicaid billing.” King also alleges that one or more members of the Perez Ownership group had stolen records from Hillsboro Hospital.
King could not immediately be reached for comment.
In the filing, King says he believes iHealthcare Inc., a Miami-based company associated with Perez, possesses “essential billing, patient and employee records which are property” of the hospital.
In January, iHealthcare entered into agreements with Perez to provide hospital management services to his hospitals. In exchange, Perez was eligible for about $2.5 million in “success fees” if certain conditions were met.
Noel Mijares, the president and CEO of iHealthcare, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Despite the alleged theft of the hospital’s records, King says that Cohesive, with the cooperation of the Bank of Hays and the city of Hillsboro, “has made great strides” in stabilizing the hospital’s operations.
Cohesive aims to take steps “to ensure quality patient care with the aim to sell Hillsboro Hospital as an operating critical access hospital in order to maximize its value both financially to its creditors and the needs of its patients and community it serves,” King states.
Although the hospital is licensed for 15 beds, the document filed by King says it has eight licensed hospital beds and generates estimated annual revenue of $8.8 million. The hospital has about 40 fulltime employees and about 30 part-time employees, including two doctors, two physician assistants and two nurse practitioners, according to King.
Hillsboro, with a population of about 3,000, is about 165 miles southwest of Kansas City. As a critical access hospital, Hillsboro Community Hospital is eligible for cost-based reimbursement from Medicare. Even so, the hospital lost $1.25 million in the fiscal year that ended in September 2017, according to American Hospital Directory records.
This story was updated to include comments from Mike Murtha, president of the National Alliance of rural hospitals.
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A middle school student in Lawrence who allegedly threatened to shoot people at the school is facing a felony charge in juvenile court.
The Douglas County district attorney’s office says the boy is facing one count of criminal threat. Court records show he appeared in court and pleaded not guilty Monday.
Police received a report just before midnight April 4 that a student at Billy Mills Middle School saw several messages from another student threatening to bring guns to school and shoot people on the last day of school.
