KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man with a prior federal felony conviction for possessing child pornography was sentenced in federal court for printing obscene images from a computer at a local public library, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Buie -photo sex offender registry
David R. Buie, 63, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 10 years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Buie to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration. The sentence in this case must be served consecutively to a four-month sentence imposed for violating the terms of his supervised release in an earlier, unrelated federal conviction for possessing child pornography.
On May 8, 2018, Buie was found guilty at trial of one count of possessing obscene images of the sexual abuse of children. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Buie printed images of child obscenity from a computer at a public library. On July 11, 2017, Buie printed about 50 pages from a computer he was using at the Mid-Continent Public Library at 9253 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. Buie didn’t realize that the printer stopped because it was out of toner, so his print jobs were interrupted and only about half of his pages were printed. After Buie left the library, the toner in the printer was changed and the remaining pages of his original print job were printed. As one of the librarians was cleaning up, she removed the remaining pages and observed they were color copies depicting minors from a graphic sex comic.
Library staff contacted the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department to make a report. Buie was identified because his library card was associated with the print job. Security cameras within the library showed him using a computer at the time of the printing.
The U.S. Probation Office was also contacted, because Buie was on supervised release for a prior federal felony conviction for possessing child pornography. When probation officers searched Buie’s residence, they found the images of child obscenity that Buie had printed at the library. Buie told investigators that he visited various public libraries about once a week to view child obscenity anime. Buie said he often printed the images on the library’s printer.
According to court documents, Buie violated the terms of his supervised release on several occasions prior to his criminal offense at the library by possessing incest-like storybooks, “barely legal” pornography and failure to register as a sex offender. While on supervised release, Buie was provided numerous opportunities to avail himself of treatment related to his sexual attraction to minor females, including individual therapy, group therapy, re-directive therapy, and inpatient therapy. He made no progress in therapy and was discharged.
SEWARD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with woman reported missing from Kansas.
Shaila Schlenz -photo Liberal Police
On Saturday, authorities reported they located 24-year-old Shaila Schlenz in Amirillo, Texas, according to Liberal Police Captain Robert Rogers.
Schlenz was unharmed, according to Rogers. She had been reported as missing since early July.
Authorities located her with Charles Abdnor, who was arrested on warrants from Seward County.
Abdnor is being held for fraud, aggragravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest, unauthorities use of vehicles and three fugitive charges, according to the Potter County Sheriff.
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — A school janitor who subdued a 13-year-old girl with chloroform more than 40 years ago as she walked home from a suburban Kansas City pool and then killed her is set to go before a parole board later this month.
Horton-photo KDOC
John Henry Horton was arrested in 2003 for the 1974 death of Liz Wilson. She vanished while cutting through the parking lot of Shawnee Mission East High School. Horton was sentenced to life in prison.
But life, under Kansas law in force at the time of Liz’s death, meant serving only 15 years before being eligible for parole. The parole board has already heard from prosecutors and police who oppose Horton’s release. The board will announce a decision in October after hearing from Horton.
PRATT – Walk-in Hunting Access (WIHA) is one the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) most popular programs. Through WIHA, private land is leased from private landowners and opened to public hunting. In a state where less than 2 percent of the land is open to the public, hunting access is a valuable privilege. While KDWPT owns and manages about 300,000 acres for public hunting, adding substantially to that number through purchasing would be cost prohibitive.
Started in 1996, WIHA has succeeded beyond expectations. As in recent seasons, this year’s program has more than 1 million acres enrolled, but there are a couple of items to note for 2018-2019. First, hunters who have a printed 2018 Hunting Atlas should check out the online version, as well. While the printed version is great to have in-hand while afield, the online atlas is continually updated to reflect the addition or removal of tracts.
A late effort this year to increase enrollment added more than 24,000 acres after the atlas was printed. Those new areas are reflected in the online version, so hunters should compare printed maps with online maps of the areas they plan to hunt to review any potential changes. Hunters can do this by simply visiting www.ksoutdoors.com, clicking on “Where To Hunt” (on the “Hunting” drop-down menu), “Fall Hunting Atlas,” then “Post-print Changes.”
Also, new this year, the 2018 atlas includes both fall hunting tracts and spring hunting tracts, so hunters will want to hang on to the atlas they pick up this fall. A spring hunting atlas will not be printed.
Registered nurses at 15 hospitals owned by the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain — including Research Medical Center and Menorah Medical Center — have voted to authorize a strike if contract negotiations remain at an impasse.
Research Medical Center’s 700 nurses have authorized a strike if ongoing contract issues are not resolved. DAN MARGOLIES
The 15 hospitals in Missouri, Kansas, Florida, Texas and Nevada are owned by HCA Healthcare Inc. and employ about 7,000 RNs affiliated with the National Nurses Organizing Committee, or NNOC.
The nurses voted to authorize NNOC’s negotiators to call a strike if issues raised during ongoing contract negotiations remain unresolved, according to a statement by the nurse’s union.
Those issues include nurse turnover rates, recruitment and retention, and compliance with the hospitals’ staffing grids.
Staffing grids are meant to ensure the right ratio of nurses to patients, taking into account the acuteness of the patients’ conditions.
Leslie Rogers, an operating room nurse at Research for 43 years and a member of NNOC’s negotiating team, said Research does not have a problem recruiting nurses. She said it has a problem retaining them.
Rogers said 400 registered nurses have left Research since the nurses’ last contract took effect three years ago. Some of them retired, but Rogers said many left because “they were disenchanted by the staffing grid not being solid.”
“What happens is the hospital sets their own staffing grid according to acuity and when the nurses report to duty it’s not being followed,” she said.
“What we’re asking them to do is to follow their own grid that they established that we want to follow. But that’s not being done,” she said.
In a statement, HCA said that Research and Menorah “deeply value our nurses and the compassionate care they provide to our patients.”
HCA said its turnover rates “are stable and reducing” and its staffing grids meet national standards.
The company said it would “not allow union negotiating tactics to come between the admiration and trust we have for our nurses.”
“Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for tactics like this to be used when a union and an employer are in contract negotiations, as is the case with this nursing union,” HCA said. “We look forward to continuing our negotiations. Patient care will not be disrupted.”
The vote to authorize a strike does not mean the nurses will go on strike, only that if negotiations remain at an impasse, striking is an option. The nurses have been working without a contract since June 1.
The issues at play have been festering for months.
At the time, the union contended nurse-to-patient ratios in December 2017 showed the inpatient oncology unit at Research was 66 percent understaffed, the intensive care unit 21 percent understaffed and the orthopedic, neurology and trauma unit 52 percent understaffed.
Rogers said the union has proposed more staggered shifts as one solution to the staffing problem. She said the hospital “actually permitted a short trial and we felt that it was successful,” but the hospital discontinued it.
Contract negotiations resume next week.
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies
Only two years ago, a powerful new financial tool became available to persons living with a disability across the country. The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) savings account is a tax-advantaged savings account that qualified individuals may open. Funds saved in an ABLE account grow tax-deferred and are withdrawn tax-free if used for qualified disability expenses like education, housing, transportation, healthcare and wellness, job coaching, assistive technology and so on – offering a plethora of options for day to day expenses for an individual with a disability. Each year, you can contribute up to the gift tax limit, currently $15,000 annually, and if you’re a working-age individual with a disability, an additional (approximately) $12,000 a year, into your ABLE account. And now, thanks in large part to Kansas lawmakers and national and state disability advocates, if you’re someone living in the great state of Kansas with a disability, there is another tremendous benefit to owning an ABLE savings account – Kansas has become one of only two states to waived its discretion to force your family to pay back Medicaid with funds in an ABLE account.
Up until the passage of the ABLE Act in 2014, individuals with disabilities could only possess $2,000 in assets at any given time in order to remain eligible for several federal means-tested benefits programs. Today, with the launch of the ABLE program, individuals with disabilities can save up to $100,000 without affecting eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or save beyond $100,000 up to a states 529 limit (Kansas’ cap on 529 accounts is $402,000) – all the while, the individual with a disability will never lose their Medicaid benefits at any point. Essentially, ABLE accounts provide a mechanism to increase this $2,000 asset limitation so that individuals with disabilities (and their families) can save money for their future, increase opportunity and improve their quality of life.
On May 17, 2018, legislation was signed in to law that restricts Kansas Medicaid’s option to “clawback” monies from an ABLE account owner when he or she passes away.
The effort in our state is a great example of the power of the disability grassroots movement and how leaders and lawmakers in Kansas are listening to their constituents. Disability advocates spoke up and spoke out – and were heard loud and clear. Advocates from around the state and across the country voiced concern about the Medicaid clawback provision through social online circles, statewide conferences and Kansas ABLE Savings forums. As a result, I as the state ABLE administrator, opened up discussion about improving the Kansas ABLE Savings Program early on. This open dialogue turned into a working partnership that led to, swift passage of the bill which ultimately became law. This collaborative effort between our office, legislative leadership, Kansas advocates and national advocacy organizations like the National Down Syndrome Society, the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome, was imperative in addressing the concerns tied to Medicaid clawback.
With Kansas continuing to lead the way, we are teaming up to urge other state legislatures as well as the U.S. Congress to enact measures to amend the original ABLE law to push back against the Medicaid clawback.
Every year Congress takes a break in August to return home from our nation’s capital — known as the “August Recess.” Each year, the Congressional recess is meant to serve as an opportunity for all lawmakers to hear from their constituents. From town halls to coffee shop roundtables to one-on-one office meetings, this month is a time when your elected officials are back home and listening to the issues you hold dear. The federal ABLE Act was one of the most bipartisan laws of all time — in 2014, it garnered the support of 85 percent of the entire Congress — and the ABLE law is hailed as the most significant disability legislation since the Americans with Disabilities Act, which just celebrated its 28th birthday last month.
Your personal stories, your voices and your advocacy matters. With friendly ears on both sides of the political aisle, now is a perfect opportunity to respectfully reach out to your Congressional and state legislative leaders. Ask them to follow our Kansas yellow brick road and allow families to preserve their own private ABLE funds and eliminate the Medicaid payback once and for all. Together, we can ensure that Americans with disabilities, from sea to shining sea, have the ability to achieve a better life.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man whose young son was found dead in a bathtub last year has pleaded no contest in the boy’s death.
Michael Ray Hatfield
In a plea agreement filed last week, 44-year-old Michael Ray Hatfield of Salina agreed to plead no contest to one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of aggravated endangering of a child. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22.
The charges stem from the May 2017 death of Hatfield’s 10-month-old son, Waylon Hatfield.
Hatfield was originally charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child endangerment, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
An older brother found the child face down in a bathtub filled with water and paramedics could not revive him.
Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in the home.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Saturday debate at the Kansas State Fair between the three top candidates for Kansas governor brought a nearly-packed house of supporters. The lively crowd cheered and booed throughout.
The candidates discussed taxes. Secretary of State Kris Kobach wants to go back to former Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax plan, but he would like to cut more spending. Democratic challenger Laura Kelly believes the course the state is on now is working, but she also wants to cut sales tax on food. Independent candidate Greg Orman says Kansas has to grow the economy and create a strong tax base to cover priorities.
None of the candidates said they could produce a 7 1/2 percent ending balance at this point.
Other topics included: the tariffs on agriculture — put in place by President Donald Trump — and expanding Medicaid.
Democrat Laura Kelly says she will expand Medicaid and get rid of Kan-Care:
Secretary of State Kris Kobach fired back at Kelly with his response against any expansion:
Independent candidate Greg Orman is also in favor of expanding Medicaid in a reasonable way:
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — An elementary school teacher in Kansas City, Kansas, has been charged with sexual solicitation of a minor.
Jason Crum -photo Johnson County
42-year-old Jason Crum, of Shawnee, was charged Friday on a felony count of sexual exploitation of a child. He was released from jail after posting $100,000 bond.
The charge alleges that between January 2014 and January 2015, Crum attempted to convince a child under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
Crum is listed on the Kansas City, Kansas, school district’s website as an elementary school teacher.
A district spokeswoman says officials had recently been made aware of Crum’s arrest and placed him on administrative leave.
LAWRENCE — The 2018 recipient of the Fred Ellsworth Medallion for extraordinary service to the University of Kansas is Bernadette Gray-Little, the university’s 17th chancellor, who stepped down in 2017 after eight years of leadership.
Gray-Little -photo University of Kansas
According to a media release, the KU Alumni Association will honor her Sept. 14 during the fall meeting of the Association’s national board of directors. Since 1975, the medallions have recognized KU volunteers who have continued the tradition of service established by Ellsworth, a 1922 KU graduate who was the Alumni Association’s chief executive for 39 years, retiring in 1963.
During her tenure as chancellor, Gray-Little led the record-breaking $1.6 billion Far Above fundraising campaign and led the successful proposal and implementation of new admissions standards and the launch of a new undergraduate curriculum, KU Core, both aimed to increase student retention and graduation rates. From 2012 through 2016, KU’s freshman class experienced growth for five straight years.
Gray-Little oversaw the physical transformation of KU in 50 capital improvement projects totaling $700 million in Lawrence as well as on the Edwards Campus in Overland Park and KU Medical Center campuses in Kansas City, Wichita and Salina. Most notable is the Central District in Lawrence. Other highlights include the expansion of the schools of Engineering and Medicine, including the construction of the new Health Education Building at KU Medical Center; a new home for the School of Business; new residence halls; and the restoration of Jayhawk Boulevard.
KU also made historic strides in research, achieving National Institutes of Health designations for the Alzheimer’s Disease Center, the KU Cancer Center and Frontiers, the KU Clinical and Translational Science Institute. KU is one of only 26 U.S. universities to house three NIH-designated research centers. The research enterprise also expanded with the recruitment of 12 Foundation Distinguished Professors, a key component of the Bold Aspirations strategic plan to enhance research initiatives on campus.
“We are pleased to recognize Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little with the Fred Ellsworth Medallion,” said Heath Peterson, president of the KU Alumni Association. “One of the most visible and important parts of her legacy at KU was making a commitment early in her tenure to establishing a strategic enrollment management plan. The plan was anchored by a data-driven, highly customized approach to recruitment and supported by a new and very robust four-year renewable scholarship model. The results from this transformation over the previous eight years speak for themselves. Of course, there are many other significant milestones, but enrollment growth stands out for me because it is incredibly important to the health of the entire institution.”
Since 1975, 157 KU alumni and friends have received the Fred Ellsworth Medallion.
HARVEY COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 7a.m. Saturday in Harvey County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 GMC Acadia driven by Max Turnbull, Jr., 77, Vermillion, was westbound on U.S. 50 nine miles west of Newton.
The vehicle crossed the center line into the east bound lanes. An eastbound 2017 Freightliner semi driven by Angel Zatare, 22, Reseda, CA., in an attempt to avoid striking the GMC crossed the center line and drove into the west bound lanes.
The GMC then drove back into the westbound lane and collided with the semi.
A passenger in the GMC Darlene Turnbull, 73, Vermillion, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Sedgwick County Forensics Center. Max Turnbull was transported to the hospital in Wichita.
Zatare and a passenger were not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A judge has ordered two men to stand trial in the shooting deaths of a man and woman in Colorado Springs.
Nashid Rayon Rivers-photo El Paso Co. Sheriff
20-year-old Nashid Rayon Rivers and 19-year-old Marquis Dantre Hazard are charged with murder in the deaths of Serena Lee Garcia and Marcus Howard Denton.
Garcia was 21 and lived in Parker. Denton was 20 and was a native of Atchison, Kansas. Their bodies were found in a car on April 21.
Investigators testified that Rivers’ brother told police the defendants planned to steal marijuana from the victims.
In a hearing Friday, District Judge Larry Edward Schwartz noted Rivers and Hazard each blamed the other for the shootings. Schwartz said the evidence was sufficient for both to be tried.
The firefighters stopped at a local fast-food restaurant and saved a kitten trapped in the engine compartment of a car.
