WICHITA, KAN. – A Mexican man who was arrested in Kansas with 4.5 pounds of heroin was sentenced Monday to 41 months in federal prison, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister

Elesvan Garcia-Matinez, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin.

In his plea, he admitted the Geary County Sheriff’s Office stopped his car on I-70 in Geary County.

In the trunk, they found a modified fire extinguisher containing about 4.5 pounds of heroin.

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A man accused of repeatedly grabbing his Uber driver’s genitals during a drive through Lawrence was sentenced to two years of probation but must register as a sex offender for 25 years.

Landon Roberson,  23, Lawrence, was sentenced Friday after pleading no contest in July to attempted aggravated sexual battery. He would serve a year in prison if he violates probation.

Prosecutors say the Uber driver, a 30-year-old man, told police the man grabbed the driver’s crotch or tried to grab his genitals about a dozen times.

The driver told police each time he told the man to stop, the passenger became agitated and angry, which made the driver fear for his life.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An all-Republican state board on Monday rejected a liberal Kansas activist’s challenge to Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s listing as the GOP nominee for governor on the November ballot after he argued that hundreds of legal votes were not counted in the primary election.

The State Objections Board concluded that Davis Hammet, of Topeka, could not show that Kobach’s narrow victory over Gov. Jeff Colyer in the GOP primary could be overturned by the issues Hammet raised. It also rejected Hammet’s argument that Kobach’s chief deputy should not have been involved in reviewing the challenge.

Kobach defeated Colyer by 343 votes out of more than 317,000 cast. Colyer’s supporters initially raised some of the same questions Hammet did in his objection, but the governor conceded the race a week after the primary.

“It is not merely that an objection has been made for one of the appropriate grounds. You also must present evidence that this election would be overturned,” said Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rucker, who presided over the board’s meeting.

But Hammet said later that he couldn’t show that Kobach’s victory might be overturned because counties wouldn’t give him information about voters whose ballots were not counted. Also, he said, counties aren’t consistent in how they report the number of rejected ballots. He did not rule out filing a lawsuit.

“None of my objections were addressed,” Hammet said. “They just ignored every single argument I made.”

Hammet is the founder and president of a voting rights group, Loud Light, and has frequently been critical of Kobach, other Republicans and their policies.

Kobach’s campaign was represented at the hearing by Mike Roman, a former special assistant to President Donald Trump, who endorsed Kobach the day before the primary. Kobach advised Trump’s presidential campaign and has advised the White House; the Kansas secretary of state also served as vice chairman of Trump’s now-disbanded commission on election fraud.

Roman argued that Hammet did not have the right under Kansas law to file an objection to Kobach’s nomination because Hammet is a registered Democrat and cannot legally vote in the Republican primary.

“I really don’t think he has standing,” Roman said.

The board rejected Roman’s argument, based on previous cases, but Hammet criticized members for even considering the issue. He also argued that Rucker shouldn’t have been involved in reviewing the objection because he’s Kobach’s top deputy and a past contributor to Kobach’s campaigns.

Kansas law says objections like Hammet’s are reviewed by a board made up of the secretary of state, the attorney general and lieutenant governor, or their representatives. Rucker was Kobach’s substitute on the board, and the other two officials sent substitutes as well.

Hammet argued that someone outside Kobach’s office should have replaced Kobach on the board, instead of Rucker.

Board members said there’s nothing in state law allowing the officials to appoint representatives outside their offices to serve on the board.

But Hammet replied: “This is a ridiculous board in need of reform.”

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a woman to the hospital and have identified the victim.

Just after 10:39 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to a report of shots being fired in the 3600 block of SW Skyline Parkway in Topeka, according to Lt. John Trimble.

Officers located a woman identified as Keisheona Wilkins, 28, Topeka, with what appeared to be several gunshot wounds. She was transported to a local hospital and was reported in critical condition, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.

She was also pregnant, according to Lt. Andrew Beightel. The baby did not survive. Police are now investigating the incident as a homicide.

Officers and detectives are working strong leads but have not made an arrest.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact the Topeka Police

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SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent one person to the hospital.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security toured the National Agro-Defense Facility that is under construction in Manhattan.

Today, I toured the National Bio & Agro-Defense Facility at @KState, an asset that'll provide indispensable capabilities essential for food security in a global economy. Together with @USDA we will defend our Ag industry & public health. Learn more here: https://t.co/V5pO6vrzIL pic.twitter.com/ofoaKEJXtM

— Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) September 10, 2018

Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen visited the facility Monday with a host of federal and state leaders. They include U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, U.S. Reps. Roger Marshall and Kevin Yoder, Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer and Kansas State President Richard Myers.

The $1.25 billion research facility, or NBAF, will study diseases that can be spread from animals to humans. The facility is expected to open in 2022.

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MANHATTAN – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts will host U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on a tour of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), currently under construction, and of Kansas State University’s Bio Research Institute (BRI) next door.

Roberts will be joined by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, Representatives Roger Marshall and Kevin Yoder, and Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer.

The federal and state leaders will be joined by Kansas State University President Richard Myers.

Senator Roberts invited Secretary Nielsen to see NBAF firsthand to ensure the protection of plant and animal health remains a national security priority.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Olathe police say an 18-month-old boy died after being hit by a vehicle.

Police said the child was hit shortly after noon in Olathe. Investigators believe a family member may have been backing out of the driveway when the incident happened.

The child was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The investigation is continuing.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University’s football team may have lost the game Saturday, but fans at the stadium still erupted in cheers as one of the school’s drum majors proposed to a graduate student during halftime.

💜 #Family pic.twitter.com/OVDaaVCszy

— The Pride of Wildcat Land (@KStatePride) September 9, 2018

Carly Tracz said that she couldn’t say “yes” fast enough after boyfriend and Kansas State Marching Band drum major Blake Moris got down on one knee while fans watched on the big screens at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Moris says Tracz “loves halftime proposals.” He knew he wanted to propose in front of the university’s band of more than 400 people. The couple began dating just days after meeting during a 2016 football game, with band and football an integral part of their relationship.

Moris says the proposal “worked so perfectly.”

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal accident and have identified the victim.

Just after 9p.m. Sunday, police responded to an accident in the 5900 Block of North Meridian in Wichita involving a pedestrian, according to officer Charley Davidson.

A 2000 Ford Escort driven by a 21-year-old man was northbound Meridian and did not see 42-year-old Jason Murphy of Park City walking in the roadway.

The vehicle hit Murphy. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.  It is believed Murphy may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, according to Davidson.

This is the 19^th fatality accident in Wichita in 2018.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A man has been ordered to spend nearly 25 years in prison for hiring someone to kill a Salina man.

James Pavey, 41, was sentenced last week for intentional second-degree murder, solicitation to commit first-degree premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping. He pleaded no contest to the charges in June.

Prosecutors say Pavey entered an agreement with 31-year-old Charles Rodgers to kill 29-year-old Brandon Lee Shelby.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in an affidavit that Rodgers beat, choked and stabbed Shelby, expecting Pavey to pay him with money or drugs. Shelby’s body was found in June 2017 on a path near a popular fishing area northeast of Salina.

Rogers is awaiting sentencing. Two others who are accused of helping are awaiting trial.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on various charges but have not identified him.

Just before 2p.m. Sunday, officers stopped a light blue Honda for a traffic violation near SE 29th Street and SE Indiana Avenue in Topeka, according to Lt. Aaron Jones.

The officers were unable to positively identify the male driver, likely in his 20’s. They did locate a stolen Smith and Wesson 9 mm handgun in the vehicle. Police took the man to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections under suspicion of expired tag, open container, and possession of a stolen firearm.

Further charges could result pending the identification of the driver.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for aggravated assault after an arrest.

Just after 5 a.m.Sunday, police responded to a disturbance with a weapon call at a residence in the 3400 block of south Illinois Street in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers observed 59-year-old David England, of Wichita, on the front porch of the home with a gun in his hand.

Officers gave England verbal commands to put the gun down.  England complied and he was taken into custody without further incident. Upon England’s arrest he was found to be in possession of three handguns and marijuana.

The investigation revealed a 40-year-old man and a 50-year-old man of the home were asleep along with their three juvenile children.

England, who was unknown to them, woke them by banging on the front door.  The family observed England talking out loud and watched him fire two shots from the handgun into the air.

England is being held on five counts of aggravated assault and one count of criminal discharge of a firearm, according to Davidson.

 

DICKINSON COUNTY— One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Sunday in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Ford Econoline Van driven by Scott L. Rowan, 58, Aurora, Co., was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of Rain Road.

The van rear-ended a 2002 Ford Expedition driven by Elizabet Douglass Baker, 71, Philadelphia, PA., that was traveling at approximately the minimum posted speed limit.

The collision caused the Expedition to enter the north ditch and roll.

Baker was transported to the hospital in Abilene where she died.

Rowan was possibly injured but the KHP did not report where or if he was treated. Baker was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder and his Democratic challenger are having a hard time keeping their political footing on immigration issues, complicating their efforts to win a competitive swing House district in Kansas that President Donald Trump narrowly lost.

Yoder is under pressure from the right despite an endorsement from Trump, and he backed away this week from supporting a Democratic proposal to ensure that immigrants fleeing domestic and gang violence can claim asylum.

Democrat Sharice Davids continues to battle GOP ads that say she supports abolishing ICE. She did say that during a liberal podcast interview in July but has disavowed that position, including in a recent television ad.

“The sweet spot is so hard to find, even in the best of times,” said Frank Sharry, the executive director of the pro-immigrant America’s Voice, a frequent Trump critic. “The Sharice Davids-Yoder race is kind of a microcosm.”

Davids and Yoder are running in a Kansas City-area district that has fast-growing, conservative suburbs; older, centrist suburbs, and diverse, heavily Democratic city neighborhoods. More than 81 percent of its residents are white; 11.7 percent are Hispanic, and 8.6 percent are black. Democrat Hillary Clinton’s margin in the 2016 presidential race was 1.2 percentage points.

Davids is generating national attention because of her unusual profile as an LGBT and Native American lawyer and mixed martial arts fighter. Yoder, seeking his fifth term, became chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security in May, boosting his visibility on immigration issues and role in funding decisions.

Yoder received Trump’s tweeted endorsement in July after House Republicans unveiled legislation including money for Trump’s wall on the Mexican border.

On the left, Yoder already was considered a solid Trump ally. Weeks before, several hundred pro-immigrant demonstrators had rallied outside a district office and local officials had pressured him to demand the end of the Trump administration’s soon-to-be dropped policy of separating parents and children when families tried to cross the Mexico border illegally.

But the homeland security funding measure that cleared committee also contains Democrat-backed provisions on immigration law that have riled Breitbart News and hard-right commentators such as Laura Ingraham and Ann Coulter. Conservatives attacked the asylum proposal, and Yoder said this week it will be dropped; Davids’ campaign called it a flip-flop.

“I’m trying to find something that can pass Congress that will be consistent with our hopes and promises to have better border security while recognizing that legal immigration is an important part of our economy and our country’s future,” Yoder said during in a recent interview.

The district’s mix of voters includes Republicans like 45-year-old Andrea Baker, an optometrist who said she favors strong borders.

“And I would expect the same if I went somewhere else, to another country, that I would go through the proper processes,” said Baker, who hasn’t decided which candidate to support.

Davids has said she favors comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents. She worries that debates too often treat all immigrants as a potential national security problem, dehumanizing them.

The first-time candidate stumbled over whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be abolished, a rallying cry on the left that has polled poorly . Her answer in the July podcast prompted a post-primary GOP super PAC ad; she responded with an ad saying she does not support abolishing the agency.

Davids also immediately pivoted to family separations at the border.

Yoder decried the policy publicly and wrote a critical letter in June to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions shortly before the practice was dropped. But Davids has criticized him for not going further, and she said he’s not been a leader on bipartisan immigration reforms.

In addressing the July podcast, Davids issued a statement: “What I also believe — and what I was addressing — is that the practice of ripping families apart at the border is inconsistent with our core values as Americans and an ineffective deterrent to illegal immigration.”

Rachel Chick, a 35-year-old Democrat and mother of two, does not support abolishing ICE but called family separations “extremely hard to watch.”

“I don’t want to disregard that people are looking for opportunities here and are trying to make things better for themselves,” she said.

Meanwhile, critics of the homeland security funding bill Yoder helped craft remain vocal on the right — and include Kris Kobach , the GOP’s conservative nominee for governor.

The funding bill contains $5 billion for physical barriers along the Mexican border.

But the legislation also would protect young immigrants from deportation and allow visas year-round for guest agricultural workers, rather than making the visa program seasonal.

Critics consider the asylum provision problematic, arguing that asylum is legally designated for refugees persecuted for their race, ethnicity, religion or political views.

They also contend the immigration provisions collectively undercut border security.

“You’re creating these problems, and then you’re trying to sort of patch those problems up by doing better border security?” said David Inserra, a policy analyst for the conservative Heritage Foundation. “You’re sort of canceling out your own efforts.”

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