OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors will make their case Wednesday that there is a sufficient evidence for a suburban Kansas City man to be tried in the sexual assaults of three women during home break-ins.
Elliot -photo Johnson Co.
18-year-old William Louis Elliott, of Overland Park, Kansas, is jailed on $75,000 bond on charges of rape, sodomy, sexual battery and burglary in the sexual assaults. Prosecutors say they happened within a few days of each other in September and October. Police in Shawnee and Overland Park investigated.
Details of the crimes are expected to be part of the testimony at the preliminary hearing.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Supporters and opponents of a proposed state constitutional amendment say it would effectively ban abortion in Kansas, although it would remain legal under federal law.
Rep. Garber courtesy photo
The amendment sponsored by 21 lawmakers would grant equal rights to every human starting from the time of fertilization.
The amendment was introduced in the Kansas House Monday. It comes as lawmakers are awaiting a state Supreme Court decision on whether the Kansas Constitution includes the right to an abortion.
Rep. Randy Garber, a Republican from Sabetha, says he supports the amendment because he believes life begins at conception.
Rachel Sweet, with Planned Parenthood Great Plains, says the legislation would outlaw abortion in all cases. She called the amendment a blatant attempt to eliminate a woman’s right to safe, legal abortion.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man wanted on a U.S. Marshals Service drug warrant.
Kraft-photo Saline County
On Tuesday, authorities arrested Dustin Dale Craft, 33, Salina, after he was found hiding in a bed in a motel, according to Police Detective Sergeant David Villanueva
Police had received a tip that Kraft was hiding in the Red Carpet Inn, 222 E. Diamond Drive in Salina.
As officers were searching the room where Kraft supposedly was located, they noticed something odd about the bed, Villanueva said. Upon closer inspection, they found Kraft naked and between the mattress and box springs.
He said Kraft had broken out some of the slats in the box springs in order to try to hide. Kraft gave a false name, but was already known to police, according to Villanueva.
Police also found marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia in the room.
Kraft was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony obstruction, and damage to property.
Kraft has three previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
LINCOLN COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with an alleged violation of privacy.
On January 16, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to assist in an investigation involving an allegation that covert video was recorded in a restroom area at a girls basketball tournament in Lincoln, Kansas, according to a statement from the KBI.
The tournament involved high school teams and was played at the grade school, 304 South 4th Street in Lincoln, according to Undersheriff Dustin Florence.
A juvenile suspect has been identified. No arrests have been made at this time. Timely contact was made with the individuals believed affected by this incident.
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LINCOLN COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with an alleged violation of privacy.
On January 16, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to assist in an investigation involving an allegation that covert video was recorded in a restroom area at a girls basketball tournament in Lincoln, Kansas, according to a statement from the KBI.
A juvenile suspect has been identified. No arrests have been made at this time. Timely contact was made with the individuals believed affected by this incident.
Lincoln County authorities have released no additional details.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyson Foods is recalling more than 36,000 pounds of chicken nuggets because they may be contaminated with rubber.
The U.S. Agriculture Department says there were consumer complaints about extraneous material in 5-pound packages of Tyson White Meat Panko Chicken Nuggets. There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.
The packages have a best if used by date of Nov. 26, 2019 and the case code 3308SDL03. The establishment core P-13556 is inside the USDA inspection mark.
The nuggets should be thrown out or returned to the place of purchase.
Tuesday’s recall comes after Perdue Foods recalled more than 16,000 pounds of chicken nuggets because of an undeclared allergen, milk.
Martin HawverBrand-new Gov. Laura Kelly has gotten one of her most politically red-hot issues introduced into the Legislature, printed out, and ready for the scrap over financing K-12 public schools in Kansas.
Her bill that she told (warned?) lawmakers about at her State of the State address pumps another $93 million into state aid for public schools, apparently the amount needed to get the Kansas Supreme Court grinning about adequate financing of public education.
And, now that those bills are printed up nicely, we’ll see just how long it takes either the House or the Senate to start considering them. So far, it appears that legislative leaders want to make sure that the ink is good and dry before they start handling the bills.
Key to that Kelly initiative is that about $93 million has been penciled out as the amount of new spending for schools that the Supreme Court has determined to be adequate. It has a lot to do with past years’ legislative action which didn’t significantly increase funding, which didn’t keep up with inflation. Inflation is a big deal when you’re spending more than $5 billion a year to help finance local public schools. A percent or two, and you’re talking real money.
Her bill puts in that $93 million in additional spending for schools this year, as the court wants. Don’t go reading through the bill for a $93 million-line item. It’s fairly obscure and deals with increasing the base state aid per pupil, and this year, as the court wants.
Now, the governor thinks paying the money, essentially settling more than two decades of school finance lawsuits, is smart. And it meshes with her aim to increase school funding.
The Legislature’s Republican leadership generally takes three tracks. One is that it’s the Legislature that decides how much money to spend, not the court; another is that legislators are spending a lot of their constituents’ money on schools now, and the third is, of course, that lawmakers have other places to spend the money.
Oh, and while it’s early in the session, Attorney General Derek Schmidt would like the Legislature to act quickly on the bill, because he’s got an April 25 date to show the Supreme Court that the state has remedied the shortcomings of the school finance issue, and a May 9 date for oral arguments before the court to deliver the answer.
And time in the generally slow legislative process is important to Schmidt.
If he shows up with a new law that ponies up the money, that makes things easier. He could almost just ask for a receipt from the court and have time for a nice lunch on May 9. Maybe something that goes with wine…
Or, the Legislature could dunk Kelly’s bill, just not passing it, cutting the amount of the new spending, or coming up with some new idea that lawmakers hope the court will buy.
That is also something that Schmidt would like to know as quickly as possible.
Because he represents the state, not just the Legislature, he’s going to have to figure out how to explain what the Legislature did, why it did it, and why it will adequately finance schools. Oh, and there’s always the chance the Legislature will come up with a plan that the governor vetoes. That makes the water a little deeper…
So, while we’re watching taxes and voting rights and possibly expansion of Medicaid and all the other partisan scraps, you might want to spend a little time wondering about schools. You won’t be alone…
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com
Kansas City, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City area woman whose two young daughters died during extreme heat is charged with murder in their deaths.
Jenna Boedecker- photo Clay County
A Clay County grand jury on Tuesday charged 30-year-old Jenna Boedecker with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and three other charges.
The indictment alleges Boedecker left her 2-year-old and infant daughters inside a vehicle
Investigators on the scene where the girls died -image courtesy KCTV
overnight at a rural home near Kearney. Emergency responders declared the girls dead on July 4.
Boedecker told police at the time she put the girls in a Jeep while she argued with her husband and then fell asleep, leaving them outside.
She is also charged with property damage and domestic assault stemming from confrontations with her husband July 3.
She is being held on $500,000 bond. The indictment does not name an attorney for Boedecker.
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KANSAS CITY- (AP) – A woman whose two young children died after being found unresponsive on July Fourth is charged with assaulting her husband in the hours before the children were found.
Jenna Boedecker was charged Thursday with third-degree assault, armed criminal action and first-degree property damage. The Kansas City Star reports that police records indicate the charges stem from an argument with her husband.
Police say Boedecker found her 2-year-old and newborn daughters unresponsive Wednesday outside a home in a rural area northeast of Kansas City. Police haven’t said how the girls died.
Police initially said foul play wasn’t suspected. But on Thursday, the Clay County Sheriff said a squad of criminal investigators had been called in to help with the case.
No charges have been filed in the girls’ deaths.
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KEARNEY, Mo. (AP) – Two young sisters have been found dead in a rural area northeast of Kansas City.
Clay County sheriff’s Capt. Will Akin said the girls were found outside their home just after noon Wednesday by their mother and were not breathing. Both girls were under 5 years old.
Akin said foul play is not suspected and neither water nor firearms appear to have been involved, but the deaths are under investigation.
The incident was reported near the intersection of a rural road and Missouri 92 east of Kearney. The mother ran to a neighbor’s house and the neighbor called 911.
Just before 4a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of property being actively stolen from a construction site near N Kansas Ave. and NE Crane Street in Topeka, according to a media release.
While officers were responding they located the stolen construction vehicle, a large front end loader, fleeing from the crime scene. Officers observed 32-year-old Blake A. Pearson driving the vehicle north on the Kansas Bridge. Officers were able to stop the vehicle and safely take Pearson into custody.
While investigating this felony theft, officers located another suspect of this crime, 44-year-old Donnie L. Daniels. Daniels was found with a stolen firearm and other stolen property.
Pearson was arrested on charges of Felony Theft.
Daniels was arrested on charges of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Stolen Property and Felony Theft.
This is the sixth case in 2019 with a charge involving a felon in possession of a firearm reported by the Topeka Police Department.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) along with Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) Tuesday introduced legislation to authorize the honorary promotion of former U.S. Senator Bob Dole to the grade of colonel in the U.S. Army. Rep. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) will introduce a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives today as well.
“Kansas’ favorite son, Senator Bob Dole, is a true American hero and has earned this honorary promotion to colonel by his countless acts of valor and contributions to the U.S. military during his time at war and later while serving in Congress,” said Sen. Roberts. “Senator Dole has always been an advocate for our men and women in uniform, and I’m proud to introduce this legislation to honor him with the promotion, which he has more than earned throughout his decades of service.”
“I can think of no one more worthy of an honorary promotion to the rank of colonel in the United States Army than my good friend and mentor, Sen. Bob Dole,” said Sen. Moran. “From his time in the military and in Congress, to his continued leadership on veterans, hunger and disability issues, he is a true model of public service for Kansans and all Americans. It is only fitting that Sen. Dole be promoted for his exemplary service and sacrifice as an Army officer.”
“Senator Bob Dole embodies what it means to be a Kansan and an American. He has dedicated his entire life to this country and our state. There is absolutely no man more deserving of this honorary promotion than Senator Dole. He has been a champion for our military and has the full support of the Kansas delegation and the U.S. Army,” said Rep. Marshall.
Dole enrolled in the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps in 1942 while he was a student at the University of Kansas. He was called to active duty the following year and served in World War II. While deployed to Italy as an infantry lieutenant, he was seriously wounded in combat and was twice cited for acts of heroism under fire. He finished his military service with two Purple Hearts and two awards of the Bronze Star Medal with “v” device for valor. He was also awarded the American Campaign medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal and the World War II Victory medal.
Following his military service, Dole was elected to Congress where he served from 1961 to 1969. He was then elected to the Senate where he served from 1969 until 1996.
Dole received the Congressional Gold Medal last year, after all 100 senators cosponsored legislation for this award. Senator Dole is only the 8th senator to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997.
Sens. Roberts, Moran and Rep. Marshall introduced this legislation after an Army advisory panel reviewed Dole’s service to the Armed Forces, veterans and the national security of the United States in 2018 and recommended Dole receive an honorary promotion from captain to colonel. The Secretary of the Army endorsed this recommendation and forwarded it to Congress for further action. This honorary promotion will have no cost to taxpayers.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) recently introduced the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act to make permanent a critical tax credit used to repair and upgrade short line railroads. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) is a cosponsor of the bill.
“Short line railroads connect rural and regional economies across our state and provide communities with access to national and global markets,” said Sen. Moran. “The BRACE Act would make certain that short line railroads and the communities who depend on them can stay up-to-date on critical maintenance and track improvements. This bipartisan legislation would mark significant progress as we work to make critical, much-needed investments in our nation’s transportation infrastructure.”
This tax credit was first established by legislation introduced in 2004 by then-U.S. Representative Jerry Moran to encourage railroads, railroad customers and suppliers – who depend the most on short line railroads – to invest directly in maintaining the more than 2,000 miles of short line rails in Kansas. Located in the center of America’s heartland, Kansas is one of the leading rail and distribution centers in our country and plays an integral role connecting farmers and factories with communities around the globe.
The BRACE Act would make permanent this tax provision used to repair and upgrade short line railroads, which are defined by the Surface Transportation Board as railroads that generate between $36 and $458 million annually and move largely agricultural and manufacturing freight. Making this tax credit permanent would allow communities to repair, maintain, and upgrade additional short line railroads nationwide.
Since 2006, Congress has acted periodically to extend the credit, often retroactively. This uncertainty causes private investment in short line rail to decline, reduces safety and customer service, and provides uncertainty to businesses, farmers and employers that cannot be globally competitive without freight rail. In addition to making this tax credit permanent, the BRACE Act would provide a safe harbor to allow credits to retroactively be allocated to investments made in 2018, as the credit was last extended only through December 31, 2017.
The BRACE Act was introduced by U.S. Senators James Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A prison inmate has admitted to fracturing another inmate’s skull with a metal pipe, leaving the man in a “semi-vegetative state” for several months.
49-year-old Jimmy Eastep Jr., pleaded guilty Monday to assault with a dangerous weapon.
Seaman from his time in the Kansas Department of Corrections for convictions including theft, battery, aggravated escape from custody and drugs.
According to his plea agreement, Eastep assaulted 52-year-old Michael Seaman at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth in January 2016 after Seaman called him a name.
Investigators found a 20-inch metal pipe with blood next to Seaman.
Investigators say Seaman was not able to communicate with them for almost a year.
Eastep was linked to the assault by DNA testing.
The plea agreement calls for Eastep to be sentenced to another 3.5 years in prison.
MANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bank robbery.
Security camera images courtesy RCPD
Just before 4p.m. Tuesday, the Riley County Police Department Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a robbery in the 2000 block of Tuttle Creek Blvd at United Bank and Trust in Manhattan, according to a media release from RCPD.
Suspects were described as two black males, approximately 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-6 inches tall and slender build. Both suspects entered the bank.
Suspect one, who was dressed in all black, remained near the entrance of the bank. Suspect two approached a teller and presented a demand note. He was described as wearing a black coat, with a black hoodie underneath and black pants.
No weapon was shown or threatened. No one was injured. The suspects fled the bank on foot eastbound with an undisclosed amount of currency.
We will report additional details as they become available.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 43-year-old Topeka man who was once convicted of setting a fire that killed a 53-year-old woman has pleaded not guilty in a court-ordered retrial.
Frank Jerome Robinson entered the plea Monday to charges connected to a fire that destroyed an apartment house in 2006, killing 53-year-old Marvina Washington.
He is charged with reckless second-degree murder and aggravated arson. A trial date was not scheduled.
Robinson was convicted in 2009 of reckless second-degree murder and aggravated arson. He was sentenced to 36.5 years in prison.
The Kansas Court of appeals ruled in January that Robinson should receive a new trial because his attorney at the original trial didn’t provide an adequate defense.
