ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 9:30a.m.Thursday in Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Dodge Ram driven by John Merrill Krisel, 60, Council Bluffs, IA, was westbound on Kansas 156 just west of Pennsylvania Avenue. The vehicle traveled left of center and struck a 2009 Kia Sorento driven by Kathy A. Jimmerson, 60, Dodge City, head-on.

Jimmerson and a passenger Steve W. Jimmerson, 55, Dodge City, were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Parsons Funeral Home.

Krisel was transported to the hospital in Hoisington and later transferred to St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated robbery that sent a woman to the hospital.

A 63-year-old woman told police that at approximately 9p.m. on Tuesday, a suspect had entered the Lucky Spa in the 1600 Block of South Glendale in Wichita where she was working, according to officer Charley Davidson.

She told police the suspect struck her multiple times, choked her and she lost consciousness. The suspect then took cash from the business.

An investigating revealed that the victim awoke after several hours and made it to a nearby business to ask for help, according to Davidson. The woman was transported to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspect is described as an unknown white male in his 30s, 5-foot-2, 140 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A jury has awarded $29 million to a doctor who said he was fired after complaining about understaffing at a hospital.

A Jackson County jury this week found in favor of emergency room physician Raymond Brovont.

Brovont worked for EmCare, a physician outsourcing company, that sent him to Overland Park Regional Medical Center and Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri.

He complained to EmCare officials in September 2016 about what he said was dangerous understaffing at a new pediatric emergency room at the Overland Park hospital. He said in his lawsuit that EmCare officials were angry with him for complaining and told him to resign or be fired.

Brovont did not sue the hospitals.

EmCare spokeswoman Kim Warth said the company will appeal the verdict.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 260 are investigating a student who allegedly around a gun to school.

According to a message sent to parents by Derby High School, a student was arrested Thursday morning and taken into custody for possession of a weapon on school property.

A tip was given to administration about a student possibly in possession of a weapon. This student was immediately secured and the unloaded gun was found by the school SRO without incident.

“Because no threat was made and the student was immediately secured, a lockdown was not necessitated,” according to the message from the school.

School officials reminded students and parents, “If you hear something or see something, please let law enforcement and administration know immediately. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Senate Republican said Thursday the confidential FBI report on charges that Brett Kavanaugh sexually abused women three decades ago “found no hint of misconduct” by the Supreme Court nominee.

 

Supplemental FBI background file for Judge Kavanaugh has been received by @senjudiciary Ranking Member Feinstein & I have agreed to alternating EQUAL access for senators to study content from additional background info gathered by non-partisan FBI agents 1/3

— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) October 4, 2018

 

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, made his remarks — and urged his colleagues to confirm the conservative judge — in a written statement hours after the post-midnight delivery of the FBI document to Congress. With Kavanaugh’s uncertain prospects for approval depending in part on the decisions of five wavering senators, lawmakers began viewing the document in a secure room in the Capitol complex.

“There’s nothing in it that we didn’t already know,” Grassley contended, basing his comment on a briefing he said he’d received from committee aides. He added, “This investigation found no hint of misconduct.”

Democrats have complained that the FBI’s reopening of its Kavanaugh background check has been far too limited, leaving out contact with crucial potential witnesses. They say some people had reached out to be interviewed by the FBI or the Judiciary Committee but were not questioned.

White House spokesman Raj Shah rebuffed that idea, saying, “What critics want is a never-ending fishing expedition into high school drinking.” He said the FBI reached out to 10 people and interviewed nine, including “several individuals at the request of the Senate, and had a series of follow-up interviews … following certain leads.”

While the FBI interviews were to focus on sexual assault allegations, Democrats have also questioned his drinking habits during high school and college and dishonest comments they say he’s made about his background. Kavanaugh has said stories of bad behavior while drinking are exaggerated.

Grassley said the FBI could not “locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations,” and he said there is “no contemporaneous evidence.” He provided no specific detail.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has already started a process that will produce a crucial test vote in his polarized chamber Friday on Kavanaugh’s fate. Should Republicans get the majority of votes they need — and Vice President Mike Pence is available to cast the tie-breaker, if necessary — that would set up a decisive roll call on his confirmation, likely over the weekend.

“Senators ought to wipe away the muck from all the mudslinging and politics and look at this nomination with clear eyes,” Grassley said, echoing accusations against Democrats that McConnell has been making. He added, “It’s time to vote. I’ll be voting to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.”

Three women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in separate incidents in the 1980s. Kavanaugh, 53, now a judge on the powerful District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, has denied the claims.

The White House received the FBI report around 3 a.m. Thursday.

President Donald Trump weighed in hours later in a tweet in which he denounced what he called “the harsh and unfair treatment” of Kavanaugh. “This great life cannot be ruined by mean” and “despicable Democrats and totally uncorroborated allegations!”

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois told reporters Thursday that time slots for reading the FBI file are so full that senators are being told they might have to wait until Friday to read it. “They’re so swamped,” she said.

The report arrived at a Capitol palpably tense over the political stakes of the nomination fight and from aggressive anti-Kavanaugh protesters who have rattled and reportedly harassed senators. Feeding the anxiety was an unusually beefy presence of the U.S. Capitol Police, who were keeping demonstrators and frequently reporters at arm’s length by forming wedges around lawmakers walking through corridors.

Barring leaks, it was unclear how much of the FBI report, if any, would be made public. While senators from both sides have expressed support for revealing at least parts of the findings, FBI background checks on nominees are supposed to remain confidential.

With Republicans clinging to a razor-thin 51-49 Senate majority and five senators — including three Republicans — still publicly undeclared, the conservative jurist’s prospects of Senate confirmation could hinge largely on the file’s contents.

The three undecided GOP senators rebuked Trump for mocking one accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, by mimicking her responses to questions at last week’s dramatic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters that Trump’s lampooning of Ford at a Tuesday night Mississippi campaign rally was “just plain wrong.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, called it “wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable,” and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said on NBC’s “Today” show that the remarks were “kind of appalling.”

Those senators, along with Democrats Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have yet to declare how they will vote.

Trump drew laughs Tuesday with his rendition of how Ford answered questions at last week’s hearing. “I had one beer — that’s the only thing I remember,” he stated inaccurately.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump’s insults marked a “new low.”

Underscoring rising tensions, Democrats suggested that previous FBI background checks of Kavanaugh may have unearthed misconduct by the nominee.

Democrats wrote to Grassley challenging a Tuesday tweet by GOP aides saying prior investigations never found “a whiff of ANY issue — at all — related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior or alcohol abuse.” Democrats wrote that the GOP tweet contained information that is “not accurate.”

Committee Republicans tweeted in response that their prior tweet was “completely truthful” and accused Democrats of “false smears.”

The California psychology professor has testified that a drunken Kavanaugh sexually abused her in a locked room at a high school party in the 1980s and has said she believed he was trying to rape her.

The FBI interviewed several people, including three who Ford has said attended a 1982 high school gathering in suburban Maryland where she says Kavanaugh’s attack occurred, plus another Kavanaugh friend. The agency has also spoken to a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who has claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a Yale party when both were freshmen.

___

JACKSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have a teen in custody.

Just after 3:30p.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to report of a shooting in the 15000 Block of L Road west of Mayetta in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

According to investigators, a car occupied by three teen girls drove into the driveway of the residence, when Lance Malone Bailey, 18, of Mayetta allegedly opened fire with a rifle striking a 17-year-old girl twice as she was standing in the driveway.

The incident is believed to have occurred during a verbal altercation between the suspect and victim, according to Morse.

The three girls left the scene in the vehicle and called law enforcement. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Potawatomi Tribal Police responded to the scene and took Bailey into custody.

EMS transported the victim to a Topeka hospital where she was in satisfactory condition Wednesday evening, according to Morse.

Deputies and Officers obtained a search warrant Wednesday evening processing the scene and interviewed witnesses.

Bailey was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of attempted 1st degree murder, aggravated battery, 3 counts of aggravated assault, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bond had not been set early Thursday.

 

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas man was indicted Wednesday on charges of robbing a bank in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Ralph McGinnis, 62, Kansas City, Kan., was charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on Sept. 6, 2018, McGinnis robbed the Bank of Labor at 756 Minnesota Avenue.

According to documents filed in the case, McGinnis told a teller, “Don’t say anything,” as he handed her a note. The note said: “This is a robbery. Give me 100’s and 50’s.” After the robbery, a security guard followed the robber to a nearby apartment building where McGinnis was living.

If convicted, McGinnis faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man was bound over for trial Wednesday for two drug cases that occurred earlier this year.

In the first case 30-year-old Mark Ray of Great Bend was bound over for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to package, theft of property and conspiracy to commit theft.

On April 6, police arrested Ray, 27-year-old Michael S. Moore and 23-year-old Courtney Clark after an employee of Dunham’s Sports in Hutchinson reported a theft. The employee’s description led officers to the Great Bend trio at the Yesway at 11th & Severance in Hutchinson.

Ray was also bound over for trial in a separate case where he was caught pulling parts from a vehicle at a local car lot. He’s also accused of giving police a fake name and running while officers investigated the theft.

Ray will be arraigned on the charges Nov. 5.  He has previous convictions for burglary, obstruction, aggravated battery and trafficking contraband into a correctional facility, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Democrats have pulled their support from a deaf legislative candidate who is accused by three women of being emotionally abusive.

The state party and the Kansas House Democrats said in a joint statement that the allegations against Chris Haulmark are “deeply troubling.”

The party says it won’t invest any resources in Haulmark’s effort to unseat Republican John Toplikar. The National Association of the Deaf says Haulmark would be the first deaf legislator — at the state or national level — if he wins the House seat is in a GOP-leaning Olathe district.

Haulmark told The Star the Democrat’s decision was “reached prematurely and without merit.” Days earlier, Haulmark said in a Facebook post that he is “far from perfect.”

DODGE CITY  – A Kansas man was sentenced Tuesday to more than eight years in prison after being found guilty of drug crimes, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Rogelio Medina-Campos, 35, Dodge City, was found guilty in July by a Ford County jury of two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of receiving/acquiring proceeds from drug offenses and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Judge Van Z. Hampton sentenced Medina-Campos to 100 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. The crimes occurred between September and November of 2016.

The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, Dodge City Police Department and the Ford County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant Attorneys General Jason Oxford, Melissa Johnson and the late Steven W. Wilhoft of Schmidt’s office prosecuted the case.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The 26-year-old Missouri woman charged with intentionally driving her children into the Kansas River waived her right to a preliminary hearing and did not enter a plea at a brief court hearing.

Scharron Dingledine, of Columbia, Missouri, on Tuesday waived her right to a preliminary hearing. Her attorney, Carol Cline, said she and her client need more time to prepare before Dingledine’s arraignment, which is scheduled for Dec. 3. No trial date is scheduled.

Dingledine is charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Police allege she drove her car into the Kansas River near Lawrence on Aug. 3 in an attempt to kill her children and herself. Her 5-year-old daughter died and a 1-year-old son was critically injured. The boy remains hospitalized in fair condition.

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to unlawfully importing endangered leopard cats, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

The leopard cat is a small wild cat native to Asia. It is considered as an endangered species under federal law.

Lawrence E. Payne, 34, Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Endangered Species Act. The investigation began when Payne applied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a breeding license for Asian leopard cats. When investigators served a search warrant at Payne’s home, they found three Asian leopard cats. Payne admitted importing the animals.

Sentencing will be set for a later date. He faces a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine up to $50,000. McAllister commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.

TOPEKA —President Donald Trump is bringing his MAGA tour to Topeka’s ExpoCenter on Saturday, October 6.

Law enforcement authorities are working diligently with area agencies and in partnership with the Secret Service to make sure this visit is safe for all involved, according to Lt. Andrew Beightel with Topeka Police.

As procedures dictate, police will not be disclosing route information or road closures for security and safety reasons.

Police in Topeka have received questions about where people with contradicting views of President Trump can exercise their 1st amendment right, according to Beightel.

The Public sidewalks are available on either side of SW Topeka Blvd, from 17th to 21st street.

In addition, the grass areas at the Expocentre will be open to the public.

Saturday’s rally is a month before the November election. The President will stump for gubernatorial candidate Sec. of State Kris Kobach, 2nd district congressional nominee Steve Watkins and other GOP candidates.  Tickets for Trump’s MAGA Rally are available here.