TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A convicted felon has pleaded guilty in a Topeka beating death.

32-year-old Howard Dale Burchfiel pleaded guilty Monday to reduced felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated burglary. He had faced charges that included first-degree murder.

Prosecutors say he beat 66-year-old Allen Wichman in June 2017 during a home invasion. Wichman died the following month from complication from his injuries.

Burchfiel has past convictions for crimes that include the 2009 shooting of a Topeka bartender, who survived. Burchfiel had been released on supervised probation just three months before attacking Wichman.

Burchfiel’s sentencing is scheduled for March 8.

JEFFERSON COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex crimes in Jefferson County.

Just before 8a.m. Sunday, deputies were called to a residence in Oskaloosa after report of an adult having sexual contact with a minor, according to Captian Kirk Vernon.

Deputies contacted Jerry Johnson, 29, Oskaloosa, who voluntarily went to the Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office for questioning and was arrested.

Johnson is being held on a $10,000 Bond on requested charges including Indecent Liberties with a Child, Aggravated Indecent Solicitation of a Child under 14 years of age and Lewd and Lascivious Behavior for exposing himself to someone 16 years old or older, according to the sheriff’s department.

Jackson has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections and spend almost five years in prison. He was discharged in June of 2016.

 

By ANDREA TUDHOPE
Kansas News Service

On what threatens to become the longest government shutdown in history, Kansas Republican representatives tend to agree — Democrats are to blame.

It’s the third week of the shutdown, which came after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill that would allocate $5 billion for a border wall. That means it’s the third consecutive week thousands of federal workers across the country have gone without pay.

Kansas Republican, U.S. Rep. Ron Estes said he thinks Democrats need to come to the negotiating table. In a statement, he said the shutdown continues because Democrats “refuse” to help secure the border, which he calls a crisis.

With more emphasis on the importance of Congress and the Trump Administration coming together to resolve the shutdown, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., called for a “sense of urgency.”

Moran also acknowledged the negative impacts of the shutdown on federal employees and subcontractors in his state and throughout the country, who have now gone three weeks without pay. In a statement, he placed particular emphasis on farmers in Kansas who “wait in uncertainty as crucial federal aid sits on the desks of furloughed employees.”

U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told KCUR border security is just that important.

“Certainly they have my heartfelt sympathy and concern,” Marshall said. “This is a hill we have to take, and I’m sorry, but I feel like the Democrats are using them as pawns in this.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with NPR, Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, voiced concerns about Native American communities that rely heavily on government payouts.

In a statement, Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II of Missouri called the continuation of the shutdown “incomprehensible,” and pointedly called attention President Trump’s comment in December that he would be “proud” to shut down the government if he didn’t get the funding he wanted for a border wall.

“It is troubling and incomprehensible that at this point, the President has dragged the nation into the second week of an unnecessary and damaging shutdown,” Cleaver said.

Last week, the House of Representatives, now controlled by Democrats, passed legislation to reopen the government without the $5 billion Trump demands, but with the promise of a month for Congress and the President to negotiate on border security with an operating government.

Cleaver said he was hopeful Senate would support the legislation.

But, to date, little progress has been made to end the shutdown, as Trump has refused to sign any legislation that does not include funding for the border wall, and speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, has said the president would not get a wall.

Trump announced Monday he would address the nation from the Oval Office Tuesday night, to discuss the shutdown and “Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border.”

Andrea Tudhope is a reporter in conjunction with the Kansas News Service.  Follow her on Twitter @andreatudhope.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 39-year-old woman accidentally shot herself while driving in Wichita.

Police Sgt. Ed Brower says the gun went off Monday as the woman was attempting to holster it.

A dispatch supervisor says she was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police say she is stable. No one else was hurt.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities continue their search for an inmate who escaped from the Lansing Correctional Facility on Monday. Late Monday, police did locate the camo-painted state vehicle he drove away in. It was abandoned near 92nd Street and Parallel Parkway, according to police in Kansas City.

Inmate Cal Henry Green, 36, was in the Lansing Correctional Facility after convictions for aggravated battery, burglary and has convictions that include forgery, theft and attempt to flee or elude law enforcement.

Green is described as 5-foot-4 and weights approximately 196 pounds.

If anyone has seen or has information about Greed are encouraged to call 9-1-1.

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LEAVENWORTH COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an escape from a Kansas prison.

Inmate Cal Henry Green, 36, is believe to have stolen a camo-painted state vehicle, according to a social media post from Lansing police.

Green was in the Lansing Correctional Facility after convictions for aggravated battery, burglary and has convictions that include forgery, theft and attempt to flee or elude law enforcement.

Green is described as 5-foot-4 and weights approximately 196 pounds.

If anyone has seen or has information about Greed are encouraged to call 9-1-1.

GEARY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of a Christmas murder of a Kansas woman and have charges.

According to a media release from Geary County Attorney Krista Blaisdell, formal charges have been filed in Geary County District Court against Dion Jamel Green, 33, and Mashaun Jay Baker, 33, both of Junction City in connection with the death of 31-year old Jenna Schafer of Junction City.

Green faces two counts of Capital Murder and Baker one count of Capital Murder in the case.

According to court complaint, on or between December 24th and 25th, Green killed Schafer with premeditation by a gunshot wound. The killing was done pursuant to a contract or agreement to kill Schafer, and Green was a party to that contract or agreement.

Green also is accused of killing the unborn child of Schafer intentionally by premeditation by a gunshot wound from which both Schafer and the unborn child died.

Mashaun Jay Baker was allegedly a party to the contract or agreement, and hired Dion Jamel Green to kill Jenna Schafer.

Both Green and Baker are scheduled to appear in Geary County District Court at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 31-year-old white man accused of kicking a 1-year-old black boy and shouting racial slurs in a Kansas grocery store has been charged with attempted aggravated battery.

Trace Riff made his first court appearance Monday after being charged in the Dec. 23 incident in Wichita.

Riff is also charged with interference with law enforcement and disorderly conduct. Witnesses told police the boy was holding his 11-year-old sister’s hand when Riff kicked him . The toddler was not injured.

Riff was released from jail after the incident but was arrested again Thursday on drug charges. He was charged Monday in that case with possession of methamphetamine, criminal trespassing and abuse of toxic vapors.

Riff’s family says he has a history of mental health and substance abuse problems.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Dec. 27, police stopped a Chevrolet Cruze in the area of 2300 E. Harry in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

The vehicle was reported stolen . Upon stopping the vehicle, officers contacted the driver 38-year-old James Sanderford who was taken into custody without incident.

Police also discovered a knife and handgun in the vehicle. A 20-year-old female was also contacted during the vehicle stop.

Sanderford is being held on requested charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, auto theft and aggravated weapons violation, according to Davidson.

Investigators will present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Sanderford has more than a dozen previous convictions that include theft, burglary, forgery, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement and for drugs.  He had been out of prison since October 2017.

 

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man in connection with a domestic case.

Dammion R.  Williams, 24, Hutchinson, is accused of choking and pushing his girlfriend because she wanted to leave the home on West 9th Street in Hutchinson. Police say she had bruising on her neck and cheek and some abrasions on her face.

It appeaes that she tried to leave the home, but was pulled back in by Williams.

Police arrested him just after 6:30 p.m. Saturday. He was  jailed on requested charges of aggravated battery and kidnapping. He was also wanted for failing to appear in another case and a violation of the conditions of parole. He was paroled for a conviction of aggravated burglary in May of last year.

His bond is set at $110,000 and he’ll be back in court next week.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Rep. Steve Watkins is not accepting his congressional salary until the federal government fully reopens.

Watkins spokesman Jim Joice said Monday that the freshman Republican congressman began refusing his salary when he was sworn into office last week. Watkins and most members of Congress are paid $174,000 a year.

Parts of the federal government have been shut down since Dec. 22 because of a dispute over President Donald Trump’s demand for funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Watkins tweeted a 16-second video Friday showing him in the U.S. Capitol, saying he’s bothered by the shutdown because federal employees in Kansas aren’t getting paid. Watkins represents the 2nd District of eastern Kansas.

At the end of the video, Watkins declares, “If you don’t get paid, I don’t.”

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges.

Great Bend Post

The top prize winners of the 10th annual Holiday Millionaire Raffle wasted no time in coming to Topeka to claim their prize. The winners, who chose to remain anonymous, were at Kansas Lottery headquarters early Friday, January 4 with their lucky $1 million ticket number 086981.

“I just happened to be off work on Friday, so we decided to make the trip now instead of waiting until I had another day off,” said the winner. “Now that we’re here and everything has been validated, it’s finally starting to sink in that we won.”

It was around 5 p.m. Thursday night that the winners pulled out their phone and went to the Kansas Lottery website to check their raffle tickets.

“We had several tickets, and I can’t remember how many we checked before we got to the million dollar ticket but when I saw it, I obviously got excited. I couldn’t sit still and was moving around the house a bunch before finally calming down,” the winner said.

“Now that we’ve calmed down and the ticket has been claimed there is just such a feeling of relief,” the winner said. “We’ll be able to pay off the house and all of our debts. This will be a nice boost to our retirement and will help us with our kids and family as well. It’s such a relieving feeling to have.”

“Plus, we’ve always wanted to go to Las Vegas,” the couple said with a smile. “Maybe now we can finally take a trip, something we’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

The winning ticket was sold at Dillons 51 at 4107 10th Street in Great Bend. For selling the ticket, the store is eligible for a $1,000 selling bonus. Other Holiday Millionaire Raffle winners have 365 days from January 3, 2019 to claim their prizes.