WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 34-year-old woman who stole charitable donations meant for an 11-year-old burn victim has been sentenced to a year of probation.

Cinthia Davis, of Wellington, was sentenced Tuesday and ordered restitution to the victim’s family. Davis was found guilty of felony theft in January.

Prosecutors allege Davis and her husband set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for a Haysville girl who was burned in September 2015. More than $8,000 was raised in less than a month.

A Haysville police investigator testified during Davis’ trial that all the funds were withdrawn and spent within 60 days after the fundraiser ended.

The girl’s mother received only a few hundred dollars.

Davis’ husband, Martin Kerr, pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to probation last year.

By JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — If Kansas’ highest court is going to force state lawmakers to boost public education funding again, some conservative Republicans want something in return, including a say in how the extra money is spent and a voucher program to allow bullied kids to switch to private schools.

A state House committee expects to hold hearings this week on a public-school funding billdrafted by its conservative chairwoman and introduced Tuesday. It’s an alternative to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposal for an increase of roughly $90 million in the state’s more than $4 billion a year in education funding.

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled last yearthat the state’s education funding remains inadequate despite increases in recent years. It gave the state’s attorneys until April 15 to report in writing how lawmakers addressed the problem.

“Many of us don’t subscribe to that theory, that if you just add more money and you do the same thing you’ve always done, you’re going to get a different result,” said state Rep. Kristey Williams, a Wichita-area Republican who is the House committee’s chairwoman. “It’s not just how much money you put in. It’s how the money is used.”

The House bill shows that conservative Republicans haven’t given up on a long-standing goal to create a voucher program that would give tax money to parents with students in struggling public schools so they could send their children to other schools, including private ones. In 2014, legislators created a corporate tax credit to encourage contributions to scholarship funds for low-income students.

The new House bill would allow parents of bullied public school students to claim state tax dollars for their local public school as a scholarship for another school.

Williams unveiled the new legislation as the Senate prepared to debate Kelly’s plan this week. Even if the Senate approves the governor’s plan, negotiators for the two chambers are likely to draft the final version of the funding bill. Williams would lead the House’s team, so policy ideas could remain in play.

Such a scenario played out in 2014, when an earlier Supreme Court ruling forced lawmakers to increase education funding. Conservative Republicans used their leverage to strip teachers of guaranteed tenure.

“It’s that same kind of issue,” said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat. “It’s a horrible bill.”

The state Supreme Court has issued six rulings in the past five years requiring increases in education funding, saying lawmakers have a duty under the state constitution to provide a suitable education for every child.

A 2018 law phased in a $548 million increase in annual funding by the 2022-23 school year. The court said it was inadequate because it did not account for inflation.

“Just put the money in,” said Mark Desetti, a lobbyist for the state’s largest teachers union, summarizing the view of many educators.

The new House bill would provide $14 million more than Kelly’s plan for schools during the budget year that begins in July, but it would direct much of the new money into programs for students with behavioral or mental health problems and other at-risk kids.

The measure also would require school districts with large cash reserves to burn through some of those reserves instead of relying on state dollars to finance their operations.

And it would strike provisions of the 2018 funding law that promised increases in the state’s basic per-pupil aid to school districts for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a conservative Olathe Republican, said legislators only should make “promises that we can keep.”

The House bill would require the state to post data online about how well students perform and issue an annual “financial accountability” report detailing how districts spent their money — and what they spent on lawsuits against the state.

“We’re all wanting what’s best for kids,” Ryckman said.

But with the Supreme Court’s deadline looming and education groups advocating a narrow school funding bill, it’s not clear how many moderate Republicans will stick with conservative leaders.

“Clean and simple is always my preference,” said Rep. Brenda Dietrich, a moderate Topeka Republican and former school superintendent.

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CYBERSPACE (AP) — Dick’s Sporting Goods says it will stop selling hunting rifles and ammunition at 125 of its stores — replacing those items with merchandise it believes will sell better at those locations.

CEO Edward Stack says the move comes after the retailer replaced hunting merchandise in 10 of its stores in last year’s third quarter.

Those stores posted strong sales and profit margin numbers in the fourth quarter. Dick’s made headlines last year after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida — when it banned the sale of assault rifles and the sale of all guns to anyone under 21.

Authorities have not released whether the store in Salina, Garden City or Wichita are included in the decision.

RENO COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a reported domestic disturbance.

Police responding to the disturbance call stopped 41-year-old Andrew Martinez at 4th and Waldron in Hutchinson after he allegedly battered a person during a disagreement, according to court testimony Tuesday.

As police were set to arrest him on the misdemeanor charge, they discovered he had what they believe was a sellers quantity of methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia.

Martinez who has previous convictions for drugs and driving will suspended faces new charges that include possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, no tax stamp and battery – domestic violence.

He remains jailed on a $12,000 bond and should be back in court next week.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A proposed Islamic center in Kansas that could serve as a centralized location for Muslims on both sides of the state line has gained approval from planning commissioners.

The Overland Park Planning Commission on Monday granted preliminary approval to the Islamic Center of Kansas for its plan to build a roughly 111,000-square-foot multi-use religious facility.

The move came after hundreds of residents petitioned for the proposal to be delayed or dismissed.

The center’s plans include a mosque, a K-8 school, a day care center and a banquet hall. The school would accommodate 270 students, while the day care could take in 110 children.

Neighbors are arguing that the size and scope of the Islamic center make it a bad fit for the area. Many expressed concerns about noise, traffic and the impact on wildlife and the area’s green space.

Residents have two weeks to file a protest petition.

Overland Park approved the site in 2007 for a proposed church, which was never built.

The Islamic Center’s attorney, John Petersen, said the project, in collaboration with the Muslim American Society-Kansas City, follows the code requirements previously approved for the church, including being subject to noise ordinances.

Attorney Doug Patterson, who spoke on behalf of about 50 residents Monday, questioned whether the proposed Islamic center is a “true place of worship” or a commercial endeavor. Patterson said that several residents wouldn’t have an issue if the space “was just a mosque.”

Residents said they’re worried about increased traffic diverting drivers to side streets or wearing out roadways, as well as noise on the weekends from the banquet hall.

“I wouldn’t mind the mosque,” said Wilderness resident Amy Korf. “I just believe as homeowners we deserve a good night’s sleep.”

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced Tuesday to five years in federal prison for robbing a local credit union, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Robert Charles Frazier, 63, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Aug. 20, 2018, he robbed the Azura Credit Union at 1129 S. Kansas Avenue in Topeka.

He told a teller, “This is a robbery. Give me your twenties, fifties and hundreds.” After receiving the money, he left the building and sat down on a nearby wall. An off-duty Topeka police officer working security arrested him.

FULTON, Mo. (AP) — A woman is accused of accidentally killing her boyfriend as they acted out a movie scene involving a gun, only to have the gun go off.

Kalesha Marie Peterson of Fulton, Missouri is charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon in the death of David Dalton.

Peterson called 911 Thursday night and officers found Dalton in a bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head.

Police say Peterson told investigators that the two were watching a movie and drinking when Dalton suggested they play out a movie scene involving a firearm. Police did not identify the movie.

Peterson is jailed and does not yet have a listed attorney.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Romanian national who used skimming devices on ATMs to steal debit card information has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison without parole.

Federal prosecutors say 24-year-old David Velcu, also known as Luca Antoni, was in the U.S. illegally when he committed the crimes on ATMs in Kansas and Missouri in April 2018.

He was sentenced Monday to three years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $5,904 in restitution.

Velcu pleaded guilty in September to possessing counterfeit unauthorized access devices. He admitted using skimmers and pin cameras at ATMs to capture account numbers and personal identification numbers. He transferred the information to 78 re-encoded magnetic strips on gift cards, and used the information to withdraw money from stolen accounts.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita State University has announced the death of its president after an illness.

The university said in a news release that 70-year-old John William Bardo died Tuesday at Wesley Medical Center.

He was admitted to the hospital in late November suffering from a chronic lung condition. Bardo spent several weeks in rehabilitation and at home before returning to the hospital last weekend.

Bardo became Wichita State’s president in July 2012.

He began his career at Wichita State as an assistant professor of sociology. After leaving Wichita State, he held leadership appointments at various universities. Those included Western Carolina University where he was chancellor from 1995 to 2011 before returning to Wichita State.

He is survived by Deborah Bardo, his wife of 44 years, and their son, Christopher.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an emergency call for service that left a Kansas officer injured after an attack by a Pit Bull.

Just after 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a burglary-in-progress call at a residence in the 4400 block of east Boston in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. The tenant of the home called 911 and reported hearing unusual noises.

Upon arrival, two officers knocked at the front door and the tenant opened the front door to allow the officers to check the residence.

At that time, a pit bull ran out of the home and bit one of the officers on the leg, causing a laceration requiring stitches and a possible knee sprain, according to Davidson.

The second officer fired one shot at the dog with his handgun, striking it. The dog then fled and was later located by a Wichita Police Animal Control Officer. The dog has been taken to an emergency vet for medical care. The tenant was not able to provide shot records of the dog. Following standard procedure involving a dog bite, the animal will be quarantined for approximately 10 days.

There have been no arrests made at this time and there was no evidence of a break in at the residence, according to Davidson.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Three people died in an accident just after 8a.m. Tuesday in Montgomery County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford Expedition driven by Casey Andrews, 32, Tulsa, was northbound on U.S. 75 at U.S. 166.

The vehicle crossed the center line and struck a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Patricia Chalfant, 85, Neodesha

Chalfant and passengers in the Jeep Wilma Rowden, 82, Neodesha and Mary Compton, 85, Fredonia, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Andrews was transported to a hospital in Tulsa. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

By BRIAN GRIMMETT
Kansas News Service

It’s not exactly unusual for customers to complain about their electricity bills. But repeated rate hikes over the past decade have made Westar Energy’s customers particularly mad. And last year’s merger with Kansas City Power and Light only served to keep the company’s finances — and its profit margin — in public view.

Residential and industrial customers have now taken their angst to the Kansas Statehouse. The result: at least half a dozen proposals aimed at changing the way electric utilities can set rates and evaluating how they got so high in the first place.

This past September, Westar started assessing an additional demand charge on customers who generate some of their own electricity based on how much power they use between the hours of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays.

“I wanted to take my energy usage into my own hands,” Amerin said. “Now I feel that I am being punished for that.”

The new demand charge has prompted many solar users to completely change their daily routines or deal with monthly bills as much as $90 higher than they’ve been used to.

Advocates with the Climate and Energy Project say it’s just an underhanded move by Westar to discourage individuals from finding ways to generate their own electricity.

Amerin recently testified before the Kansas Senate Utilities Committee in support of a bill that would eliminate the demand fee and prohibit utilities from charging customers more simply because they have a solar panel or a micro wind turbine at their house.

Rachel Krause told the committee she had to start nagging her family to watch their electricity usage in the afternoons. She’s worried what will happen when the demand charge goes up in the summer.

“Is my family not going to be able to use air conditioning between 2 and 7 on weekday afternoons?,” she asked. “Kids are home during the summer, how’s that supposed to work?”

For Westar executives, that’s kind of the point. They want people to use less electricity during peak hours.

They argue the demand fee also helps offset a de facto subsidy solar and wind users get because they pay less each month, but still require the same infrastructure as customers who rely exclusively on the grid.

Clean energy groups and environmentalists have banded together with industries, and business groups to push several pieces of legislation aimed at curbing rising electric utility costs.

The Kansas Industrial Consumers group is advocating for an independent evaluation of major utility companies’ rates. They want the state to study how rates in Kansas compare to other states, what capital investments utilities have made in the past decade, and whether those investments have paid off.

Chuck Caisley, chief customer officer of Evergy, the parent company of Westar Energy and Kansas City Power and Light, said the utility would have no problem with a task force investigation. But they already submitted their own report to the Legislature as part of the merger agreement approved last year.

“I think what is important is that we study the right things and that it is based on finding a set of solutions,” he said.

What Caisley does not want to see is legislators forcing the company to change the way they are allowed to recover costs, or dictating a certain return on investment. Instead, he’d like to get all of the interested parties together to plot a long-term path for what the future of Kansas electric utilities will look like.

“If you make big changes, some of which are being suggested this legislative session,” Caisley said, “people need to realize there will be profound and large impacts to a lot of different customers.”

Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for the Kansas News Service  Follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett.

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are asking for assistance in locating 31-year-old Megan Lynn Luthi.

Luthi is currently listed on the 24 Most Wanted for March of 2019 in Saline County, according to a social media report from the Sheriff’s Office.

Luthi has an active Saline County District Court felony probation violation warrant with original charges of: one count of Burglary and one count of Theft.

She is described as 5-foot-5, weighs 239 pounds and has brown hair and green eyes.

The sheriff’s department reported that citizens should  not attempt to apprehend  her.  If you see her or know her location, contact the Saline County Sheriff’s Office at 785-826-6500, the Salina Police Department at 785-826-7210 or Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS or TEXT SATIPS to CRIMES (274637).