At approximately 4 a.m. Nov. 27, police responded to an armed robbery at the Circle K, 2001 S. Oliver, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Upon arrival, Officers contacted a 34-year-old female employee, She told officers an unknown suspect entered the business armed with a black handgun and demanded money. The suspect took money and cigarettes, and then fled in a 2007 Cadillac STS driven by another unknown suspect.
Through the investigation, investigators were able to locate the suspect vehicle, identify the driver of the suspect vehicle as 54-year-old Patricia Lucas and the robbery suspect as 38-year-old Regena Robinson both of Wichita.
Police arrested Lucas on Nov. 27 and Robinson was arrested on Monday Dec. 3, according to Davidson.
Both are being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on charges of aggravated robbery.
The investigation has been presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
GRAY COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Friday in Gray County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford Ranger driven by ,Nicholas Scott Davidson, 34, Ingalls, was north bound on County Road 2 just north of U.S. 56.
The pickup traveled off the road on the right. The driver overcorrected, lost control and traveled off the road to the left into frozen water.
Davidson was transported to the hospital in Dodge City where he died. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
Wilson County Sheriff Pete Figgin says deputies were called Friday to the site south of Fredonia, where a Fredonia Water Treatment Plant is under construction.
Figgin says officers found two adult men injured at the site. One man died and the other was treated for minor injuries.
The sheriff said the cause of the crane collapse hasn’t been determined.
RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged identity theft and forgery in Manhattan.
Just after 2:30p.m. Thursday, police filed a report that included forgery, theft by deception and identity theft involving two from Manhattan and Commerce Bank as the victims, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.
An unknown suspect fraudulently opened a bank account using the victim’s information. The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $8,827.00, according to police.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Salina and are asking the public to help them locate a parole absconder who may have information on the case.
Bryant photo KDOC
Shannon Lavar Brant, 41, is wanted on an arrest warrant from the Kansas Department of Corrections, according to Salina Police. He is believed to have information on the fatal November 30, shooting in the 700 Block of State Street in Salina.
Brant is described as 6-foot 2, 330 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has four previous conviction for drugs or drug distribution, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. Police advise not to approach him and contact law enforcement.
Anyone with information on Bryant is asked to call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637), or visitwww.pd.salina.organd follow the Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 and you are not required to give your name.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Roman Catholic Jesuit province that covers Kansas, and 12 other Midwestern and Southern states, Puerto Rico and Belize said Friday that it has found “credible allegations” of sexual abuse involving 42 priests and other ministry leaders dating back to 1955.
Read the statement from Ronald A. Mercier, S.J. Provincial here.
The Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province, which is based in St. Louis, also released the men’s names. See the full list here.
Most of those on the list are deceased and others are no longer Jesuits
Eight had ties to Kansas or Kansas City. They include the following.
Paul C. Pilgrim – Rockhurst High School; multiple allegations; removed from ministry in 2003 and lives under supervision
George M. Peiper – Kapaun High School; multiple allegations; died in 1998
Burton J. Fraser, SJ –Rockhurst High School, Kansas City, Mo., St. Mary’s College, St. Marys, Kansas; a single allegation; he died in 1971
Chester E. Gaiter – Rockhurst High School; multiple allegations; died in 2010
John W. Hough – Kapaun High School (Wichita, Kan.); one allegation; left Society and priesthood in 1977
Francis J. Kegel – Rockhurst High School (Kansas City, Mo.); one allegation; left Society in 1953, died in 2009
Dennis P. Kirchoff – Rockhurst High School; one allegation; left Society in 1995
Philip D. Kraus – St. Francis Xavier Parish (Kansas City, Mo.), Rockhurst High School; one allegation; removed from ministry in 2003 and lives under supervision
A spokeswoman said four on the complete list are still members of the province but are not active in ministry and live in supervised housing.
The list names mostly priests, but it also names some brothers, who serve some ministry functions but who are not ordained, and “scholastics,” which are men training to become priests.
Jesuits West, a province that covers several western states, was expected to announce a similar list later Friday, and a third province, the Midwest Province, is due to release the findings of its internal examination on Dec. 17.
The Jesuits are a Catholic order of priests and brothers that includes more than 16,000 men worldwide. Jesuits also operate several high schools and universities, including St. Louis University and Marquette University. Jesuits take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and many also take a vow of allegiance to the Pope.
The Jesuits have previously settled lawsuits across the country, including a $166 million settlement involving about 500 abuse claims in Oregon in 2011, which was one of the largest settlements involving clergy abuse allegations.
U.S. Central and Southern Provincial Ronald Mercier, who heads the province, said the “storm” facing the Catholic church must be confronted with transparency.
“Words cannot possibly suffice to express our sorrow and shame for what occurred, our promise of prayers for healing, and our commitment to work with them,” Mercier said in a statement. “Caring for these survivors — and preventing any such future events — must be our focus as we move forward.”
Jeff Anderson, a St. Paul, Minnesota-based attorney who specializes in clergy abuse lawsuits, said publishing the list was the “right thing to do,” and it empowers victims to both come forward and move ahead in their lives.
“To a survivor who has been abused by one of these people, it helps them realize, ‘I’m not the only one, I’m not alone,'” Anderson said. “It can inspire them to get help, to share the secret, and to find a better way of life.”
David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, urged the Jesuits to “explain exactly when each of these allegations was deemed credible. That way Catholics will know just how many months, years or decades church officials have kept these men and their crimes hidden.”
Cases of sexual abuse by priests and other religious leaders have come under increased scrutiny since August, when a grand jury report in Pennsylvania detailed decades of abuse and cover-up in six dioceses. The report alleged that more than 1,000 children were abused over several years by about 300 priests.
The report led to new examinations in several states. Last week alone, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha (Nebraska) released a list of 38 priests and other clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct dating back to 1956; West Virginia’s archdiocese released the names of 18 priests or deacons credibly accused of child sexual abuse since 1950; and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in New Mexico announced it would file for bankruptcy protection after settling numerous abuse claims.
The list of names in the Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province was compiled as part of an internal investigation, but the province said it has hired a consulting firm to perform an independent review of the nearly 3,000 personnel files that date back to Jan. 1, 1955. Those findings are expected by the spring.
The Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province covers Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, southern Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee and Oklahoma, along with Puerto Rico and Belize.
Since the Catholic Church clergy abuse scandal broke nearly two decades ago, Jesuits have developed policies aimed at ensuring the safety of children and to better respond to allegations, church leaders said.
Trump delivered the closing address at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The meeting is sponsored by the Justice Department.
The White House says Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the department’s strategy for reducing violent crime. The program encourages federal, state and local law enforcement officials to work together on crime-reduction strategies.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker addressed the conference and highlighted record violent crime prosecutions, including federal firearm charges and drug defendants.
Whitaker said that, while “the numbers speak for themselves,” the goal is not to fill up jails or the courts, but to reduce crime.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein also addressed the conference.
———
Kansas City (AP) – President Donald Trump will visit Kansas City today for a conference on crime.
According to the White House, Trump will speak at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference in Kansas City. He is scheduled to speak just at 11:50 a.m.
The event has drawn hundreds of law enforcement officials, prosecutors and others focused on cutting back on crime.
Our President, Rick Armstrong, and Vice President, Barry Mayer, are representing KCMCC at the Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference this week. Deputy Attorney General of the United States, The Honorable Rod Rosenstein, is pictured speaking during the Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/I8bxyTZKKQ
— Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission (@kcmetrocrime) December 5, 2018
The George W. Bush-era Project Safe Neighborhoods faded during former President Barack Obama’s administration. Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions revived it last year.
Through the initiative, federal prosecutors have worked with local law enforcement agencies to target offenders in cases involving guns, drugs and gangs.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Standout Kansas running back Pooka Williams has been suspended from the team after his arrest on suspicion of domestic battery.
Williams photo University of Kansas Athletics
Williams, whose name is Anthony Ray Williams, was arrested Thursday at the university’s public safety office. No further details were immediately available.
New coach Les Miles said the department was taking the allegations “very seriously.” He said Williams has been suspended from all team activities pending further investigation. Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said the school would have no additional comment.
Williams was a four-star prospect from Boutte, Louisiana, who became the star of the team during the season. He was the first running back in the school history to have back-to-back 100-yard games to start their career and won several awards for his play.
SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities have identified the victims in a fatal crash and fire just before 8:30p.m. Wednesday in rural Sedgwick County.
Crews on the scene following the fatal crash and fire Wednesday near Wichita-photo courtesy KAKE
According to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, a pickup driven by Darold Hale of Goddard was southbound on 183rd Street West approaching MacArthur. The driver failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a westbound semi driven by Michael Harber of Wichita.
Both vehicles became engulfed in flames, according to the sheriff’s department.
Hale and a passenger Colleen Hale of Goddard were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the the Sedgwick County Forensics Center.
Harber refused treatment. The accident remains under investigation.
VIENNA (AP) — Oil prices spiked sharply higher Friday after OPEC countries agreed to a proposal that would see global oil production reduced by 1.2 million barrels a day.
Following a morning meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Iraq Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban told reporters the proposed cut would be made up of 800,000 barrels per day from OPEC countries and 400,000 barrels per day from Russia and other non-OPEC nations.
His Iranian counterpart, Bijan Zanganeh, confirmed the proposed cuts ahead of a closed-door session to finalize the deal with the non-OPEC countries. He said the cuts were to begin January 1, 2019, for a period of six months.
Oil producers have been under pressure to reduce production following a sharp fall in oil prices over the past couple of months. The price of oil has fallen about 25 percent recently because major producers — including the U.S. — are pumping oil at high rates.
The mooted reduction has certainly met with the response hoped for by ministers. Brent crude, the international standard, up $3.11 a barrel, or 5.2 percent, at $63.17. Benchmark New York crude was $2.23, or 4.3 percent, higher at $53.72 a barrel.
The proposed cut was in line with the 1 million to 1.3 million barrels per day expected by analysts.
Neil Wilson, chief analyst for Markets.com, said the cut at the upper-end of forecasts and a “real positive.”
“The fact that the OPEC-Russia alliance is still holding matters as much as the details of the deal itself,” he said.
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak did not mention the specific proposal as he addressed colleagues in public before the beginning of the closed session, but said he was “confident” they would be able to “send a strong to the market, to act with resolve.”
“I believe that our unity of thought and our resolve will help us achieve success in the goal of achieving long-term sustainability and stability of the market,” he said.
The cut is unlikely to be greeted warmly by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been pressuring the cartel publicly to maintain production. On Wednesday, he tweeted: “Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!”
Heading into the first round of meetings, Saudi Arabia, the heavyweight within OPEC, said it was in favor of a cut of about a million barrels a day.
One stumbling block to an agreement had been Iran, Saudi’s regional rival and fellow OPEC member, which had been arguing for an exemption to any cuts because its crude exports are already being pinched already by U.S. sanctions.
Zanganeh told reporters Iran had been given the exemption.
Left to right: U.S.S. West Virginia, severely damaged; U.S.S. Tennessee, damaged; and U.S.S. Arizona, sunk, December 7, 1941. Shutterstock.com
By CALEB JONES Associated Press
HONOLULU — Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Don Long was alone on an anchored military seaplane in the middle of a bay across the island from Pearl Harbor when Japanese warplanes started striking Hawaii on December 7, 1941, watching from afar as the bombs and bullets killed and wounded thousands.
The waves of attacking planes reached his military installation on Kaneohe Bay soon after Pearl Harbor was struck, and the young sailor saw buildings and planes start to explode all around him.
When the gunfire finally reached him, setting the aircraft ablaze, he jumped into the water and found himself swimming through fire to safety.
Now 97, Long will remember the 77th anniversary of the attack from his home in Napa, California.
He shared some of his memories this week with The Associated Press:
The USS Arizona Memorial is one of several sites in Hawaii and elsewhere that are part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. Shutterstock.com
DECADES OF ANNIVERSARIES
Long was fresh out of boot camp when he arrived in Hawaii in 1941.
“I got off that ship with my sea bag over my shoulder and we threw it on a truck and they carted me over to Kaneohe from Pearl Harbor where we had landed,” Long recalled.
It was a different experience when he flew to Hawaii for the 75th anniversary in 2016, a trip that was paid for by a survivor’s group.
“We came in on a first class United chartered jet. all the girls with the leis were there with the Hawaiian music,” he remembered. “We ended up not in a bunk in the barracks, but in a very nice ocean room at the Hawaiian Hilton.”
He attended a dinner where survivors were seated at random with dignitaries. At his table were Japan’s Honolulu-based consul general and his wife.
“He and his wife were there in full regalia,” Long said. He asked if they might be able to help him identify the pilot who attacked his plane 77 years ago.
“They did some searching I guess, or told somebody to do it, but within a month or so I got a message from them and the proof is not positive but they sent the information on three Japanese pilots. It was probably one of those three,” Long said. All three have died, but Long was impressed the consul general had taken the time to find out.
Long no longer harbors ill will against Japan or its people.
“I don’t know when that feeling left me. But as you are probably well aware, we were taught to hate those people with all our hearts, and when you’re looking at one down a gun sight, you can’t really feel much love for anyone — that’s for darn sure,” he said.
“That has long since changed.”
Long has not always marked the anniversary like he does now.
“For about 50, 60 years or so, it was a day that rang a little bell to me, but I did not do much,” he said. “In the past 20 or so (years), I take part in some kind of activity that I’ll say is appropriate for the day.”
This year, Long plans to visit school children to talk about Pearl Harbor, then will light a beacon atop Mount Diablo in Concord, California. The beacon, known as the Eye of Diablo, was put out shortly after the attack in 1941. In 1964, Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, commander of U.S. Pacific forces during World War II, relit the beacon, beginning a yearly tradition.
A ROUTINE WEEKEND
Long remembers that weekend of the attack as routine, “or so it started out,” he wrote in a 1992 essay that he provided to The Associated Press.
The 20-year-old seaman from Minnesota enrolled in boot camp in March 1941, a “snotty nose kid, fresh off the farm.” That Sunday morning was his first day of operational duty with the squadron he had been assigned to about a month earlier.
He was tasked with standing watch aboard a seaplane in the bay across the island from Pearl Harbor.
He arrived early and took a small boat toward the awaiting Catalina flying boat, cruising across the turquoise waters of windward Oahu with Hawaii’s 73-degree air splashing across his face.
“I recall it was a beautiful sunny day in Hawaii that morning,” Long said.
He relieved a comrade who had stood watch overnight, and began preparing for a day of signal drills and regular maintenance checks. He settled into the pilot’s compartment to wait for contact from the beach signaling station to begin his drills.
A few minutes later, he heard the roar of airplanes overhead and then the sound of explosions. He assumed it was U.S. military making practice runs, but quickly realized he was wrong. In the distance, Long saw planes flying over hangars and buildings exploding. Another plane that was anchored nearby was hit and burst into flames.
Seconds later, a Japanese plane made a run toward his moored aircraft.
“The sequence of events during the next few minutes is not entirely clear,” he recalled.
Long jumped from the pilot’s seat and started looking for a life jacket, but bullets were immediately producing fountains of seawater inside the cabin. The fuel tanks in the wings were hit, and he was quickly surrounded by flames.
He gave up on the life jacket and made a run for the rear exit. Gasoline was ablaze on the water, so he jumped into the bay and swam beneath the flames to get away from the burning plane. He came to the surface and through the flames three times for air.
He soon realized his military-issued high-top work shoes were bogging him down, so he dove underwater and removed them. Still far from shore, Long found a wooden channel marker and swam to it, ducking beneath the waves to hide every time a Japanese plane made a pass.
Once the attack planes left Long saw flames, smoke and sinking aircraft all around the bay. He spotted a boat that was searching for survivors and flagged them down.
Swimming through the flames burned his head, face and arms, but Long considered himself in good health compared to the wounded and dead around him.
“Shipmates on the shore greeted me with comments like ‘we never expected to see you again,'” Long recalled. “I was told I looked pretty bad.”
“The attack was over, but much turmoil remained,” he wrote. “That’s it — the start of the first day of a long war.”
PRATT – One of Kansas’ more popular hunting traditions, the firearms deer season, is underway. Kicking off Nov. 28, 2018, the statewide season will run through Dec. 9, 2018.
During these 12 days, hunters with Firearm or Any-season deer permits may pursue deer with any legal equipment, including any centerfire rifle and handgun; any gauge shotgun using slugs; muzzleloading rifle, musket, or pistol .40 caliber or larger; and archery equipment. All deer permits are valid during the firearm season; however, unit, species, antlerless and equipment restrictions listed on the permit are in effect. In addition to their deer permits, all hunters, unless exempt by law, must also have a Kansas hunting license. Hunters with archery permits must use archery equipment and hunters with muzzleloader permits must use muzzleloaders or archery equipment.
During the firearm season, all deer hunters must wear hunter orange clothing consisting of an orange hat and an orange vest that shows 100 square inches from the front and 100 square inches from the back. Camouflage orange clothing is legal if the required number of square inches of orange is visible.
If you are a resident hunter and have yet to purchase a permit, you may do so at any license vendor or online at ksoutdoors.com. During the firearm season, hunters must possess a permit that allows the harvest of an antlered deer before they are eligible to purchase antlerless permits. Permits are valid the same day of purchase. And if you purchase your permit online, remember to print your permit and carcass tag when your transaction is complete.
Hunters should remember that all deer must be tagged before moving the carcass from the field. Any deer taken with a whitetail antlerless-only permit (WAO) must be transported with the head attached to the carcass. However, if a hunter desires to bone out a deer taken with a WAO permit in the field, the deer can be registered electronically through the internet using photos taken at the harvest sight. Electronic registration is only required if you want to bone out the carcass and transport it without evidence of antlerless status attached. To electronically register your deer, visit programs.ksoutdoors.com and click “Electronic Deer Check-in.”
For more information on current regulations, consult the 2018 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary, or visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting,” then “Big Game,” then “Deer.”
ROELAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Officers in suburban Kansas City have made a gift of the work boots that a teen was attempting to steal.
Officer Suffield and Officer Snepp who responded to the shoplifting call -photo courtesy Roeland Park PD
On Thursday afternoon, police responded to a Walmart in Roeland Park, Kansas, where the teen was caught shoplifting.
Chief John Morris says the responding officers Suffield and Snepp learned the teen was a displaced juvenile and wanted the boots so he could get work. Instead of punishment, the officers headed to the cash register.
After some words of encouragement to find a job, finish school and stay out of trouble, the teen was gifted the same pair of boots he had attempted to steal.
Morris says the teen had tears in his eyes after he was given the boots. He says the story “almost made me cry, too.”
