WICHITA – A Kansas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to brandishing a gun during a robbery at a local credit union, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Colvin-photo courtesy Wichita PD
Mack W. Colvin, Jr., 32, Park City, pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In his plea, he admitted that on Dec. 19, 2017, he robbed the Wheat State Credit Union at 1400 S. Oliver.
He pointed a firearm at tellers and demanded money. According to court records, an employee got the tag number of the car he was driving and police used the information to locate Colvin and arrest him.
Sentencing is set for Dec. 17. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of seven years in federal prison.
TOPEKA, KS – Kansas consumers will have their choice of up to three health insurance companies, depending on where they live, when open enrollment begins Nov. 1, according to the Kansas Insurance Department.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Medica Insurance Company, and Ambetter from Sunflower Health Plan will offer plans in 2019. The three companies signed agreements with the federal government to offer 23 total individual marketplace plans online through www.healthcare.gov. Also, all three companies will offer plans outside of the online marketplace as well.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas plans are available in all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. Medica will have plans available in all counties, and the Ambetter from Sunflower Health Plan coverage is available in Johnson, Wyandotte, Miami and Leavenworth counties.
The federal government has indicated that consumers will be able to “window shop” for all plans on the federal website prior to November 1, 2018, the official date for 2019 open enrollment to begin.
“During open enrollment, Kansans need to evaluate whether to enroll in coverage, stay on their current policies, if available, or enroll in different policies,” said Ken Selzer, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance.
Commissioner Selzer said it is also important for consumers to understand the network requirements of the various plans and to check that all of their providers of medical services are in the plan’s network. In addition, consumers should be aware that the types of policies companies sell may change from year to year.
Open enrollment for the 2019 plan year ends December 15, 2018. The open enrollment period is for coverage purchased on the healthcare.gov platform as well as for policies purchased offline.
Kansans have likely heard about Short Term Limited Duration policies and Association Health Plans (AHPs). These types of plans offer other options for Kansans who are seeking health insurance coverage, according to the Commissioner.
“We know that consumers will have questions about open enrollment,” Commissioner Selzer said. “We will assist callers through our Consumer Assistance Division by answering questions they have or by referring them to the proper agencies for help.”
The department’s Consumer Assistance Hotline is 800-432-2484. Questions can also be answered through the department’s online chat feature at www.ksinsurance.org.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The second trial of a woman charged with killing her ex-husband and his fiancée in 2002 has been delayed until Jan. 29.
Dana Chandler -photo Shawnee County
58-year-old Dana Chandler’s trial was scheduled to begin Monday.
Chandler was seeking a 60-day continuance because several motions remain unresolved. Chief deputy district attorney Dan Dunbar said the 60 days would put the trial too close to the holidays.
Chandler was convicted six years ago for the 2002 murders of Michael Sisco and Karen Harkness. The Kansas Supreme Court overturned her conviction in April because of misconduct by the prosecutor.
The next motion hearings are scheduled for Oct. 22 and 30.
KANSAS CITY – A $736,313 grant from the Department of Justice will help Kansas expand its K-TRACS prescription drug monitoring program, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.
The Kansas Board of Pharmacy, which operates K-TRACS, will receive the money. The grant comes from a justice department program aimed at helping law enforcement and public health officials across the nation address prescription drug and opioid misuse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 72,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses.
“We are facing the deadliest drug crisis in American history,” said U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We’ve never seen anything like it.”
Stephen McAllister, U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas, said: “Kansans and all Americans need to understand that opioid addiction is a national public health emergency. Tens of thousands of people every year are disappearing into a whirlpool of addiction, bankruptcy, divorce and death.”
The Kansas Board of Pharmacy will use the money to develop a public awareness campaign for K-TRACS, to conduct an audit of K-TRACS records and to hire a special investigator who will use K-TRACS data to identify suspicious and harmful prescribing patterns.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican congressional candidate Steve Watkins acknowledged Wednesday that claims he made on the campaign trail about starting and expanding a small business in the Middle East are not accurate.
Steve Watkins courtesy photo
Watkins, who is running against Democrat Paul Davis for the 2nd District congressional seat in Kansas, often cited his experience starting the small business as one of his strengths in the race.
“I got out of the military, started a small business and grew it from three people to 470 people. So I know what it’s like to have to sweat it and work to make payroll, to not take any salary so you can make ends meet,” Watkins told a Miami County GOP candidate forum in March.
And in June he told supporters in Neosho that he started an engineering and security paramilitary company that worked for the U.S. government in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We grew to a number of countries. We grew from three people to 470 with me as the principal during that growth period,” he said.
The Kansas City Star reported that records and interviews it conducted with company officials show the company, which Watkins called VIAP Inc., existed years before he was a consultant.
VIAP Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Versar Inc., a global project management firm based near Washington, D.C.
Theodore M. Prociv, who was CEO of Versar from July 2000 to February 2010 and company president from 1999 to 2010, said Watkins was “nobody that I’ve heard of.” Several other executives also told The Star they didn’t remember Watkins.
Watkins acknowledged last week that he didn’t own VIAP and The Star found no public records showing that Watkins had any ownership stake in VIAP or Versar.
“I didn’t own it, no … when I say I helped start and grow, it was operational,” Watkins said. “There were processes, systems that didn’t exist and I helped to start and create those processes and systems and products and services that we provided clients.”
VIAP was founded as Versar Services in 1997, according to Versar’s general counsel and incorporation documents filed in Delaware. At the time, Watkins was a student at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, where he graduated in 1999.
Watkins’ federal financial disclosure forms also don’t mention VIAP as an asset but do show him earning income from Versar in 2017 and 2018.
Watkins began working as a consultant for Versar in 2004, said Nayna M. Diehl, Versar’s corporate counsel and director for contracts. He was a consultant for the entire time he was involved with Versar, except from February 2011 to March 2012, when he was listed as an employee before returning to work as a consultant.
“Mr. Watkins’ work throughout the time he was involved with Versar helped to grow our international operations in those countries,” Diehl said.
At the request of the Watkins’ campaign, Brian Arbuckle, a former military colleague of Watkins who is now vice president of engineering and construction management at Versar, provided some information on the congressional hopeful, which he stressed was not a statement from Versar.
Arbuckle said in an email that Watkins and a small team started, developed and grew international operations under the name VIAP. Arbuckle said Watkins led teams of hundreds of professionals that provided engineering and construction quality assurance services in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Campaign spokesman Bryan Piligra called Watkins “a key leader during Versar’s beginning phase of International operations” who “helped design and oversee initial products, services, and various business operations.”
ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have linked a drive-by shooting suspect to an armed home invasion near Atchison.
Marcell Bailey -photo Atchison County Sheriff
19-year-old Marcell Bailey made his first appearance Wednesday on 13 felony counts, including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault. He is jailed on $500,000 bond after the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him Tuesday in Topeka. He doesn’t yet have an attorney.
Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie says Bailey is suspected of being among the armed men who stormed into a house with children inside last month. The intruders are accused of demanding a safe containing at least $500 in cash and other valuables before fleeing. Bailey also is accused of firing into a pickup truck with five people inside on Sept. 5 in Atchison.
Law enforcement on the scene in rural Harvey County-photo courtesy Harvey County Sheriff
HARVEY COUNTY —One person is in custody following a burglary attempt and standoff west of Hesston. The suspect had barricaded himself inside the home in 8600 block of N. Mission Road.The suspect received minor injuries while being taken into custody. No one else was hurt.
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HARVEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are working a standoff at a residence the 8600 block of N. Mission Road, west of Hesston, according to the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department.
As of 3p.m., Mission was blocked to traffic from West Dutch Avenue to NW 96th Street.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A mother has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment after one of her 2-month-old twins died after a week of heavy drinking with the babies’ father at a Wichita hotel.
Rollings- photo Sedgwick CountyKempton-photo Sedgwick County
Christy Rollings, 39, entered the plea last week. Police said in the affidavit that Rollings told officers she awoke on Aug. 30 to find her son, Patrick Kempton, not moving or breathing while snuggled against the chest of his father, 34-year-old Kyle Kempton. Rollings told investigators that she heard Kempton say “I must’ve rolled over on him.” He’s also charged with manslaughter.
Police found the couple drunk two days earlier and took the twins to Rollings’ mother. But Rollings picked the babies up the next morning and returned to the hotel.
BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are seeking the public’s help in locating a wanted a convicted Kansas felon wanted on several outstanding warrants in Barton County.
Burrow -photo Barton Co.
In addition to the warrants, 41-year-old Shirley A. Burrow is wanted for parole violations and failing to appear, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.
Burrow is described as a white female with black hair, brown eyes, and weighs approximately 225 pounds. She was last known to be in the Hoisington area. She has previous convictions for cocaine possession and possession of opiates and other stimulants, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Anyone with information about Burrow or any other crime, please call crime stoppers at 620-792-1300 or 888-305-1300 remember we don’t want your name just your information.
SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have released a description of the suspects.
Just after 3a.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of an armed robbery at a convenience store in the 700 Block of West 29th Street North in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
An 18-year-old female employee told police at the scene that two unknown suspects entered the business, pointed handguns at her and demanded money. The suspects took cash and fled the business on foot, according to Davidson. In addition to the employee, there were others in the business but no injuries.
One suspect is described as a 5-foot-9, thin build, black male. He wore a blue hooded sweatshirt, a skeleton mask, black and white gloves, black basketball shorts, white shoes and carried a black handgun.
The other suspect is described as an unknown race male, 6-foot tall, thin build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a skull bandana, black stocking cap, black sweats with white stripes, black gloves and carried a black backpack and silver handgun.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call police.
SALINE COUNTY — A Kansas teen was injured in an accidental shooting Tuesday in Saline County.
Just before 10p.m., Tuesday, a 17-year-old boy was cleaning a .22 caliber rifle at in the 300 Block of Anderson in Brookville, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.
The boy didn’t know gun was loaded when it discharged into his abdomen and the bullet continued through his back, according to Soldan.
The boy was transported to Salina Regional Health Center and after surgery was in stable condition, according to Soldan.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police have released body camera footage of a Topeka police officer taking a man to the ground and breaking his jaw in a confrontation that has led to a federal lawsuit.
Timothy Harris -photo Shawnee County
The recording of 35-year-old Timothy Harris’ arrest was obtained through an open records request.
Harris alleges that constitutional rights were violated in January after the officer approached as he was sitting in his car. After Harris gets out of his car, the officer then is heard saying that he didn’t tell Harris to do so. The officer takes him to the ground moments later and tells Harris to stop trying to get up several times.
Harris was convicted of parallel parking too far away from the curb and interference with a law enforcement officer.
