RENO COUNTY — After a Reno County judge granted the latest defense request to withdraw as counsel for a man accused in a 2015 murder case, she held another hearing for the defendant Wednesday.

The Judge informed 34-year-old Brennan Trass there will be no additional defense attorney assigned to his case. He has gone through seven and couldn’t get along with any of them.

“You waived your right to have appointed counsel by your actions,” Judge Trish Rose told Trass. “It would be an exercise in futility to assign another.”

The trial will proceed on March 25 for Trass who’s accused of shooting and killing 24-year-old Jose Morales. His body was found on the floor of his residence on Aug. 17, 2015.

In court Tuesday, the defendant became angry and started yelling to the point, he had to be removed from the courtroom.

Salina Attorney Bobby Hiebert who was allowed to withdraw from the case will still be in the courtroom at trial as backup counsel, but will not be at the defense table.

The judge set a hearing for next Monday for a motion to suppress where the defendant will have to argue his motion without an attorney.

Trass remains jailed on a $250,000 bond.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A man has been convicted of killing his girlfriend’s mother’s boyfriend near a northeast Kansas lake.

Jurors in Jefferson County found 23-year-old Jonathan Davis Blevins, of Topeka, guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Taylor Dean Sawyer. His body was found March 14, 2018, at Perry Lake. Sentencing for Blevins is set for April 18.

His girlfriend, Ashlyn Hemmerling, will be arraigned later this month on a charge of first-degree murder. Her mother, Sarah Hemmerling, initially was charged with obstruction, but that charge was dropped.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig said previously that authorities believe Ashlyn Hemmerling helped orchestrate the homicide. He said circumstances leading to the homicide may have involved a domestic dispute as well as drug use.

RENO COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Wednesday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Chevy Impala driven byMalyssa D. Depperschmidt, 19, Sylvia, was northbound on Thompson Road one mile north of Sylvia.

After stopping at the stop sign at U.S. 50, the driver pulled out into the lanes of U.S. 50 and was struck by a 2000 Kenworth semi driven by Jimmie L. March, 43, Houstoniina, Missouri.

A passenger in the Chevy Depperschmidt, Dwayne J. Depperschmidt, 20, Slyvia, was pronounced dead at the scene.  Another passenger in the Chevy Cody A. George, 18, Sylvia, was transported to Wesley Medical Center.

Malyssa Depperschmidt was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. March was not injured.  All four were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A drunken driver who killed a 35-year-old motorcycle rider will serve two days in jail, five days of house arrest and a year of probation.

Alexandra Eslinger pleaded guilty in January to vehicular homicide and driving under the influence, both misdemeanors, in the July 2017 death of Jesus Navarro-Gonzalez.

She was sentenced last week. She was also ordered to complete drug and alcohol treatment.

Police said Eslinger turned into a parking lot and caused a crash that killed Navarro-Gonzalez.

Court records say Eslinger had a blood-alcohol level of .102, above the legal limit of .08 at the time of the crash.

The probation carries an underlying sentence of a year of jail time if she violates probation.

Court records indicate Eslinger had a previous DUI conviction.

WICHITA, KAN. – A former EMT in Jackson County, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday to five years on federal probation for stealing morphine from vials, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

One condition of his release is he not engage in any occupation that would give him access to controlled substances without prior approval from his probation officer. He also must complete an approved substance abuse program.

Colby W. VanWagoner, 33, Mayetta, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining a controlled substance by deception and one count of making a false statement during an investigation.

The crimes took place while VanWagoner was working for the Jackson County Emergency Medical Service in Holton, Kan. In his plea, VanWagoner admitted he tampered with vials of morphine sulfate. He replaced morphine with saline solution and put the vials back into narcotic boxes on ambulances and in office stocks. Tests showed the concentration of morphine in vials that had been tampered with was low as 1 percent or less. The concentration of morphine should have been 100 percent.

RENO COUNTY – Police are still working to determine the identity of the suspect who walked into a Hutchinson Kwik Shop and demanded money.

It happened around 1:15 a.m. on March 7 at the Kwik Shop at 43rd and Plum. A white male, possibly in his early 20’s, entered the store, placed a black backpack on the counter and demanded money from the register. The suspect wore a hood and kept his face covered, according to police.

No weapon was actually seen according to police and the 63-year-old employee cooperated and gave the suspect cash from the register. He then left the store with the cash.

Police ask that if you have any information that could assist them with their investigation, call them at 694-2832 or Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 1-800-222-TIPS.

HARVEY COUNTY —A member of the Newton Police department was injured in an accident just after 7:30a.m. Wednesday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Ford F150 driven by Aaron Patrick Osner, 28, Newton, was northbound Interstate 135 from Broadway Avenue and changed lanes into the left lane.

The Ford struck a 2014 Nissan Frontier that was legally parked partly in the left lane and shoulder providing traffic control for accidents being worked in the area.

The driver of the Nissan Bruce K. Powers, 60, was providing traffic control for the Newton Police Department while Interstate 135 was closed southbound and partially closed northbound due to several accidents.

Powers was transported to Wesley Medical Center for treatment of a minor injury and released according to Newton Police Chief Eric Murphy.

HORTON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas hospital run by an embattled health management company has shut down operations after struggling for months without enough funds to pay its employees or buy medication and food for patients.

The city of Horton’s only medical provider, Horton Community Hospital, closed on Tuesday, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported. Residents will now have to travel 12 miles (19 kilometers) to Hiawatha for medical care.

The hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Richard Brown, said the closure didn’t come as a surprise. Hospital staff, who have faced weekslong gaps in pay, had been working with the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and Kansas Department of Health and Environment to find a way to keep the facility open, Brown said.

Staff described trash piling up and negotiating with city officials to keep the lights on as the hospital struggled to pay overdue bills.

John Calhoon, Horton’s city administrator and chief of police, said the hospital recently made a partial payment on a utility bill that was nearly two months overdue. Calhoon expects a March invoice to go unpaid.

“It’s not anything that any of us wanted to happen, but we just have to move forward from here,” he said.

The hospital in the town of about 1,700 people was transferred to iHealthcare after being managed by EmpowerHMS, which is associated with other Kansas hospitals that have closed after being unable to pay their bills. The former EmpowerHMS-owned Oswego Community Hospital shuttered in February, and an affiliated hospital in rural Missouri was cut off from Medicare this month.

C.J. Grover, a spokesman for the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, said the agency is investigating Horton Community Hospital, but declined to comment further.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a response to the news.

“I’m concerned for the community of Horton as they face the serious loss of their local hospital,” Kelly said. “This is becoming a far too frequent occurrence in our state. Local hospitals are key to the health of Kansas families and are often one of the largest employers in a small town. Elected leaders must work together to do more to support our local hospitals.”

Three rural hospitals have closed in the last three months. Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott closed on December 31st. Oswego Community Hospital closed in February. And Horton Community Hospital closed its doors Tuesday.

“I’ve directed our agencies to coordinate support for hospital staff during this challenging time,” Kelly said. “A closure of a hospital has ripple effects through the community and region. Our KANSASWORKS team will be in Horton Thursday to assist hospital staff with filing for unemployment benefits, as well as job applications and re-employment services.”

The Governor’s Office, Kansas Department of Commerce and Kansas Department of Labor are working to provide support to employees of the hospital, ensure unemployment benefits applications are streamlined, and re-employment opportunities are available.

In response to Tuesday’s closure, KANSASWORKS will be hosting Rapid Response Informational Meetings Thursday in Horton in conjunction with the Community Outreach Event at the Horton Public Library.

Efforts to assist affected hospital employees will include Rapid Response Informational Meetings at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday at the Horton Public Library, 809 1st Ave E. No registration is required. Information will be shared about KANSASWORKS, Workforce Center employment and training services and how to file unemployment insurance benefits.

Also, the KANSASWORKS Mobile Workforce Center will be at the Horton Public Library from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to provide additional re-employment services. Workforce Center staff will be available to help with registering on KANSASWORKS.com, creating a resumé, job search assistance and filling out job applications.

The Rapid Response team was also sent to Oswego following the closure of its hospital last month.

Any questions about KANSASWORKS should be directed to the Department of Commerce:
Emily Fitzgerald
(785) 296-1778
[email protected]

————

HORTON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas hospital run by an embattled health management company has shut down operations after struggling for months without enough funds to pay its employees or buy medication and food for patients.

The city of Horton’s only medical provider, Horton Community Hospital, closed on Tuesday. Residents will now have to travel 12 miles to Hiawatha for medical care.

The hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Richard Brown, says the closure didn’t come as a surprise. Hospital staff said they’ve had to negotiate with city officials to keep the lights on at the hospital, which faced mounting, overdue bills.

The hospital was transferred to iHealthcare after being managed by EmpowerHMS, which is associated with other Kansas hospitals that have struggled to pay bills.

By Cole Reif

Ellinwood resident Alicia Straub is set

to become the third representative for the 113^th District of the Kansas House of Representatives in a span of four years. Straub, the current Barton County Commissioner, was voted in Tuesday night at the Pratt Community Center during a special convention. Straub will take over for Greg Lewis, who resigned from office February 22 to fight a cancerous brain tum

For Barton County, that will soon leave them a commissioner short following the anticipated resignation from Straub. Barton County Clerk Donna Zimmerman says Straub is expected to attend the next Commission meeting.

Republican precinct committee members of the 113^th District met following the resignation of Lewis. Straub was one of three candidates vying to replace Lewis, and the 40-year old received 51 of the 91 votes cast. Governor Laura Kelly must officially appoint Straub to the seat.

As for Straub’s replacement on the Barton County Commission, Zimmerman noted that whoever is selected to fill Straub’s seat will serve two years of her four-year term until the 2020 election.

According to the Barton County handbook, when a Commissioner vacancy occurs before May 1 of the first even-numbered year following the beginning of a term, the position will be filled by appointment until the next election. The Barton County Republican Committee will meet shortly after Straub’s anticipated resignation next week to appoint her replacement.

Straub’s 4^th District in Barton County represents a small portion of southern Great Bend, Ellinwood, Dundee, Pawnee Rock, and the townships of Clarence, Liberty, South Bend, Comanche, Lakin, and Pawnee Rock.

As the 113^th District Representative, Straub will represent Stafford and Pratt counties, and parts of Barton, Pawnee, and Rice counties.

Lewis took over the 113^th District after being appointed to replace J. Basil Dannebohm in 2015. Dannebohm was fighting Parkinson’s disease when he chose to resign.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers have condemned New York’s new law protecting abortion rights in a statement that will be sent to every New York legislator and its governor.

The Kansas House on Wednesday approved a resolutiondeclaring that New York’s law “violates the life and well-being of a woman and her unborn child.”

The 85-38 vote came after some Democrats questioned whether the GOP-controlled Legislature was wasting its time. The Kansas Senate approved the resolution last month.

The New York law was designed to codify protections for a woman’s right to obtain an abortion granted by federal courts. Abortion opponents across the nation have argued that it allows abortions up to the moment of birth.

Democratic New York state Sen. Liz Krueger of Manhattan says opponents are “spreading misinformation and falsehoods.”

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects after  items missing from two retailers in Salina were found in their possession, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

Just after 4p.m. Wednesday, police were called to Walmart, 2900 S. Ninth,  in Salina for a report of shoplifters.

A man and a woman were taken into custody in the parking lot and another man and woman were taken into custody in the store, Forrester said.

It is believed that all or some of the group took items from Walmart and Target in Salina. Items from Walmart found in their possession included

• Butane torch valued at $27
• Container with eight pieces of chicken from the deli valued at $7
• Hair clippers valued at $33
• Miscellaneous sewing items valued at $30
• A phone stand valued at $6

Forrester said items believed taken from Target included

• A smartwatch valued at $50
• Sony headphones valued at $40

Anti-theft devices were removed from the Target items, Forrester said. Surveillance video from throughout Target is being reviewed to determine whether any additional items were taken, he added.

The group also was found to be in possession of magnets that allegedly interfere with anti-theft devices, Forrester said.

Jose Reyes, 27, of Hutchinson, was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and damage to property.

William McGlynn, 34, of McPherson, was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and unlawful possession of a tool to remove theft protection devices.

Mia Unruh, 23, of Hutchinson, was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and unlawful possession of a tool to remove theft protection devices.

Alyssa Armendariz, 25, of Hutchinson, was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and unlawful possession of a tool to remove theft protection devices.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of armed robberies at Dollar General Stores and have released a security camera image of a suspect. 

Just before 4p.m. on Monday, police responded to an armed robbery call at the Dollar General in the 2400 block of west Pawnee in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

A 22-year-old male employee told police an unknown suspect entered the business demanding money and indicating he had a gun. The suspect took the cash and then fled the scene on foot.

There were no injuries in this case, according to Davidson. The suspect is described as an unknown white male in his 20’s, 5-foot-6, 140 pounds, brown hair in a bun, wearing a black jacket and gray pants with black on the knees.

If you recognize this individual or have any additional information please call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or WPD Detectives at 316-268-4407.

KANSAS CITY– A former Kansas City-area police officer who led officers on a 100-miles-per-hour vehicle pursuit pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to armed bank robbery, according to the United State’s Attorney’s office.

Richard W. Hagerty, 35, of Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of armed bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Hagerty was a police officer with the Lee’s Summit Police Department from 2007 to 2016.

Hagerty entered Central Bank of the Midwest, located at 1305 N.W. Arborwalk Blvd. in Lee’s Summit, on Aug. 28, 2018. Hagerty, wearing a camouflage balaclava-style mask that covered part of his face and black gloves, pointed a Glock .40-caliber pistol at a customer and yelled, “Everybody get down on the floor, this is a robbery.” He demanded cash from two tellers, pointing the handgun at them while he was demanding money. Hagerty stole about $7,000 then fled from the bank on foot.

A Lee’s Summit police officer located Hagerty driving a dark gray Mazda on Hook Road and 139th Street shortly after the robbery. When the officer activated his emergency equipment, Hagerty accelerated and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The pursuit stretched from Lee’s Summit to Grandview, Mo., in the middle of the day, on busy thoroughfares. Hagerty drove erratically during the pursuit, according to court documents, by reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour on those busy roads, passing through school zones, and crossing into oncoming traffic.

After the vehicle was finally stopped, the officer gave verbal instructions for the occupant of the Mazda to exit the vehicle. After a short delay, Hagerty exited through the driver’s side door of the vehicle with his hands raised above his head. The officer immediately recognized Hagerty, who was arrested.

Inside the vehicle, officers saw a large amount of cash on the driver’s seat and the front driver’s and passenger’s floorboard. They also recovered the Glock handgun from the vehicle.

Under federal statutes, Hagerty is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole for armed bank robbery, plus a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, up to life in federal prison, for brandishing the firearm. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.