ANTHONY, Kan. (AP) — A 3.7 magnitude earthquake centered near the Kansas-Oklahoma border was felt as far as 75 miles away, but no injuries have been reported.
USGS image
The temblor happened just after 4 p.m. Tuesday and was centered in northern Oklahoma, about 15 miles south of Anthony, Kansas. The town of about 2,200 residents is 10 miles from the Oklahoma state line.
Light to moderate shaking was measured near the epicenter. People as far away as Wichita, 75 miles away, reported feeling the earthquake.
Dozens of small earthquakes have rattled the same area in recent days, but the earthquake on Tuesday was the strongest in the area in the last 30 days.
SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 321 have alerted the community of a reported school threat at Rossville Junior Senior High School.
“In an abundance of caution and transparency, we want to let you know that Tuesday we received a report threatening school safety,” according to Kaw Valley USD 321.
“After a thorough investigation, it was determined there was no increased risk to student safety. Law enforcement is aware of the report and we will continue to work with them in making this school a safe place.”
The district also reminded parents that the district needs the public’s help in stressing the seriousness of actions or comments like this. These actions, verbal or otherwise, will not be tolerated.
Authorities released no specifics on the reported threat or additional details.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A state agency has revoked the license of a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer who flashed his badge and threatened to use his gun when he was being kicked out of a bar last year.
Ward photo Johnson County
The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training issued the order of revocation last week for 41-year-old Robert Ward. He was accused of threatening a bartender in nearby Johnson County while trying to pursue a woman during an argument.
He was sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty in July to three counts of assault and one count of possessing a firearm while under the influence.
His employment with the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department subsequently ended. Police didn’t immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tony Berg is out as publisher of The Kansas City Star and Mike Fannin, its editor since 2008, has been named president of the newspaper.
Berg was named publisher and president of The Star in January 2016, after his predecessor, Mi-Ai Parrish, left to become publisher of The Arizona Republic.
The Wichita Eagle, in a brief, three-sentence item Friday afternoon, said that Berg will step in as publisher of that newspaper and of Kansas.com, The Eagle’s website. It also said that its general manager Dale Seiwert, is leaving after 40 years.
Berg previously had been regional publisher for McClatchy’s Central Division, which included The Star, The Eagle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Belleville (Illinois) News-Democrat.
Berg’s LinkedIn site on Friday listed him as publisher of The Eagle only and as president and publisher of the Central Region until this month.
Berg, who headed The Star’s advertising department and The Eagle’s advertising department before becoming publisher of The Star, could not be reached for comment. Fannin declined to comment.
The moves may be part of a larger corporate reshuffling, which includes the resignation of Mark Zieman, vice president-operations, of The McClatchy Co., the parent company of The Star and The Eagle.
In a regulatory filing on Friday, McClatchy said that Zieman, a former editor and publisher of The Star himself, informed McClatchy on Monday that he will leave the company at the end of the year. McClatchy said his role will not be filled.
The filing also said that R. Elaine Lintecum, McClatchy’s chief financial officer, told the company she plans to retire in June 2020.
Mike Fannin is now president of The Kansas City Star. Credit Elle Moxley / KCUR 89.3
Fannin will continue as editor of The Star. A story posted on The Star’s website mid-Friday afternoon said he would lead the newspaper’s overall operations while continuing to oversee the newsroom.
The story quoted the president and CEO of McClatchy, Craig Forman, as saying, “Mike Fannin is among the most talented editors in America today, and he leads one of the country’s greatest newsrooms. I’m delighted that he’s now able to expand his influence both at The Star and also with the community that he loves.”
In addition to his duties at The Star, Fannin has news oversight responsibilities at six other McClatchy newspapers, including those in Fort Worth, Texas, and Lexington, Kentucky.
Berg, a native Kansan, is married and has three children. His wife has family in Wichita, and Berg reportedly moved to Wichita sometime in the last few months.
The moves at The Star and McClatchy come after McClatchy reported a second-quarter net loss of $17.5 million, compared with a $20.4 million loss a year earlier.
Last month, McClatchy, which is based in Sacramento, California, and is the third largest newspaper chain in the country, disclosed that it had been warned it could be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange unless it can boost its market capitalization to $75 million within 18 months. At the time, its market cap was about $52.4 million.
The company said it plans to submit a plan to the exchange detailing how it intends to comply with the exchange’s demand.
McClatchy’s stock closed Friday at $2.79, down 10 percent.
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
PATTONSBURG, Mo. (AP) — Court documents say a woman who was convicted of a deadly 2002 drunken driving crash in Kansas was high on meth when she was caught driving on the wrong side of a Missouri highway with two children in her vehicle.
Klitzing photo Daviess-Dekalb Co.
Thirty-six-year-old Ginny Klitzing is jailed without bond on four felony and two misdemeanor charges, including driving while intoxicated as a persistent offender and child endangerment. She has pleaded not guilty.
Charging documents say she was under the influence with a 12- and 15-year-old in her car when she was stopped last month in northwest Missouri’ Daviess County. Court records say officers also found drugs in her vehicle.
Klitzing has a previous conviction for involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence in Sedgwick County, Kansas.
BY GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher
What are your plans for Dec. 1-3? Don’t tell me it is too early to plan that far out. Hobby Lobby has its Christmas decorations on sale, and pumpkin spice is everywhere. Let’s be honest. That isn’t very far away given that we are in the middle of harvest and moving cows home for the winter. I am sure the next six weeks will slip by fast.
So why are the first three days in December so important? It is the Kansas Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Manhattan, and we will be celebrating more than 100 years of Kansas Farm Bureau. More importantly we will be looking at the next 100 years. Annual meetings are always a big event, but this year’s promises to be one of the biggest and best. You are not going to want to miss it, and that’s why we are making plans six weeks out.
If you have never attended a KFB Annual Meeting you really need to. If it has been even a couple of years since you last attended, you have missed out. Full days are planned with awards and recognition for the good work all our counties do on behalf of agriculture. You will be briefed on the latest from Topeka and Washington.
Sunday, we kick off with a townhall meeting featuring our elected officials and a banquet where we are recognizing some of our best farm families. On Monday, workshops will be offered that will appeal to all interests – I promise. General sessions will include timely topics and outstanding speakers. Tuesday is the business meeting where members finalize the policy book to guide the organization for the upcoming year. It is probably the most important day of the year in our organization. Kansas Farm Bureau packs a lot into three days.
I must be honest; the best part of annual meetings is outside of the meeting rooms and banquet halls. It’s a time for networking and seeing old friends. Often in agriculture we work long days where we don’t have much time to talk to anyone outside of family members, the guys at the parts counter or the vet. Annual meeting gives us a chance to talk to fellow farmers and ranchers from every corner of the state. It is a time to remember that we aren’t in this alone. It’s a chance to share ideas and more importantly stories with others who understand our rural lifestyle.
I hope you will take the time to make plans to attend annual meeting. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Take a minute, flip the calendar up to December and pencil in those three days. They will be here before you can say “pumpkin spice latte.” It is our time to take an active role in the life of our organization; one that has been the bedrock of agriculture for the past century and an organization poised to be the leader for the next 100 years.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.
Phillips photo Barton Co.
Just after 11p.m. Monday, a police officer conducted a traffic stop in the 4300 block of 10th Street in Great Bend for an equipment violation.
Officers contacted the driver and only occupant of the vehicle identified as 32-year-old Alan D. Phillips.
While checking Phillips’ driver’s license, Barton County Sheriff’s Office K9 Maxx arrived on scene. After preforming a sniff of the outside of the vehicle, K9 Maxx indicated to the presence of illegal narcotics. A search of the vehicle was conducted and methamphetamine and paraphernalia were located.
Police arrested Phillips and booked at the Barton County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia, driving while suspended and no proof of insurance.
He has two previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Department of Corrrections.
TOPEKA — A fire at a Kansas home on Tuesday in being blamed on careless smoking.
Tuesday afternoon fire at a duplex in Topeka photo courtesy WIBW TV
Just before 1p.m., fire crews responded to a structure fire at 5409 SW 23rd Street in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Michael Martin.
Upon arrival, crews found smoke and flames coming from the two story wood frame residential duplex. Firefighters began an offensive fire attack.
The occupant of the residence self-evacuated prior to the fire departments arrival.
The preliminary investigation indicates the fire cause to be accidental, associated with improper disposal of smoking material. The estimated dollar loss is $35,000.00; of which $25,000.00 is associated with structural loss and $10,000.00 associated with contents loss, according to Martin.
Working smoke detectors were located within the residence.
KINGMAN COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 9p.m. Tuesday in Kingman County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy Tahoe driven by Lacey A. Garrison, 40, Kingman, was westbound when it struck two cows in the roadway. The SUV then slid into the north ditch and rolled.
EMS transported Garrison to St. Francis Medical Center in Wichita. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City woman is accused of slashing the tires on eight police vehicles one day after her arrest.
Fisher photo Jackson Co.
46-year-old Eunice A. Fisher is charged with first-degree property damage.
A caller told police at 3 a.m. Sunday that a burglary was in progress at a bank. It turned out to be a hoax, but Raytown officers who responded to the call found out a total of 18 tires were flat on eight police vehicles. Damage is estimated at around $2,500.
Police say surveillance video shows Fisher damaging the tires. The officer reviewing the video recognized Fisher — he had arrested her the day before.
Fisher does not have a listed attorney. She is on probation for drug, motor vehicle tampering and burglary convictions.
Discover the ghostly history of Fort Riley Saturday. Photos and video courtesy HASFR
FORT RILEY — Have a spooky good time with a historical twist during the 23rd annual Ghost Tours Saturday at Fort Riley.
Nighttime adds to the spooky atmosphere.
The Historical and Archaeological Society of Fort Riley will offer the tours from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Parking will be available west of Cavalry Parade Field, off Pleasanton Avenue. Tours will be on foot and the route will accommodate strollers.
The walking tours will begin every 20 minutes and are open to the public at no charge. Each tour will last from one hour to one hour and thirty minutes.
Costumed storytellers will guide visitors around the historic main post while narrating iconic classic stories like The Lady in Chains and The Custer House Teddy Bear Ghost, as well as stories from the 2014 Ghost Book.
Guests may purchase a Fast Pass for $5 to move to the front of the line. To get a Fast Pass visit https://squareup.com/store/HASFR/. Books that tell the stories of ghosts at Fort Riley will also be available for purchase. All proceeds support HASFR.
Under the Trusted Traveler Pilot Program, Department of Defense ID cardholders may escort up to seven guests in a vehicle who do not have a DoD ID card. All guests 16 years of age and older in the vehicle must present a valid government-issued photo ID. All other visitors will need to get a visitor pass from the Visitor Control Center near the Henry Gate at Exit 301 off of Interstate 70. The VCC is open seven days a week and closes at 4 p.m. on weekends. For details about access procedures, call 785-239-2982 or visit https://home.army.mil/riley/.
GOP news conference to reveal a health care plan they say will protect pre existing conditions, reduce cost of health care overall, and empower patients and doctors with freedom and choice -photo courtesy Rep. Mike Johnson
RSC is the largest caucus in Congress, and today’s proposal is phase one of a two-phase framework to reform and improve our nation’s health care system.
Carefully crafted over a year of research and stakeholder discussions, the RSC’s framework to achieve more personalized, affordable care is designed to empower patients and doctors rather than bureaucrats and insurance companies. Congressman Marshall was selected to lead the RSC’s Health Care Task Force due to his intensive knowledge and experience of the health care industry, having worked as a physician for over 25 years.
The RSC Health Care Plan is presented as an alternative to Democrat proposals to force all Americans off their current insurance plans – including those with employer-sponsored coverage – and into a government-run, one-size-fits-all, health care system, which would cost over $30 trillion.
“With the introduction of our plan today, we are beginning a desperately-needed conversation on how to save our country’s broken health care system. The status quo is not working for hardworking Americans. The one thing in Washington both parties agree on is that our existing health care system does not work. It does not adequately protect those living with pre-existing conditions, all while premiums and deductibles continue to skyrocket for families,” Marshall said. “With the first phase of the framework introduced today, we will work with our colleagues to define legislation that will deliver the choice and control Americans want, the affordability they need, the ease they desire, and the quality everyone deserves.”
You can see more about the framework here. Specifically, this plan will:
PROTECT Americans with pre-existing conditions
Extend HIPAA portability and pre-existing condition protections that have long benefited Americans with employer-sponsored insurance to people moving into the individual marketplace.
Establish federally-funded, state-administered Guaranteed Coverage Pools to ensure individuals with high-cost illnesses have access to quality and affordable coverage.
Repackage existing funding for ACA premium subsidies and Medicaid expansion to fund state-administered flex-grants to subsidize health insurance for low-income individuals.
Reduce regulatory barriers to give Americans access to quality care.
EMPOWER Americans with greater control over their health care decisions and dollars
Reform the tax code to provide equal tax treatment in the employer and individual health insurance markets.
Unleash Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) by empowering Americans to use their money – tax-free – to cover more health-related expenses including insurance premiums, direct primary care service fees, and health sharing ministry dues.
Increase allowable, pre-tax contributions to HSAs from $3,500 to $9,000 for individuals and from $7,000 to $18,000 for families.
PERSONALIZE health care to meet individual needs.
Eliminate ACA mandates forcing Americans to pay more for coverage they do not want or need.
Enhance HSAs in a way that allow for individuals to effectively own their personalized health care plans so they can take their plan from job to job.
Embrace and remove barriers on innovative health care solutions such as telemedicine, direct primary care, association health plans, and health sharing ministries.
SEDGWICK, Kan. (AP) — The remains of Korean War soldier from Kansas have been identified nearly seven decades after his death.
A Defense Department agency that’s tasked with accounting for missing troops announced Tuesday in a news release that the remains are those of Sgt. James Ernest Smith Jr. of Sedgwick.
He was reported missing in November 1950 after enemy forces attacked his unit near Kujang-dong, North Korea. Several returning American POWs said Smith died several months later at a temporary prisoner of war camp. He was just 21.
Last year, North Korea turned over 55 boxes of purported human remains. And in August, scientists identified Smith’s remains, in part through a DNA analysis.
The release says Smith’s remains will be buried at Arlington Cemetery, although the date hasn’t been determined.
