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UPDATE: Search for wanted suspect in central Kansas

Abbott-photo Rice Co. Sheriff

RICE COUNTY —  For the third day a suspect who fled from law enforcement in Rice County on Sunday remains at large.

Michael Edward Abott, 48, who is wanted by authorities in Colorado, led a Rice County Sheriff’s Deputy on a brief chase Sunday night, according to a media release from Sheriff Bryant Evans. He then fled on foot near the intersection of Silver and 9th Street in Geneseo.

“We have received some tips and searched all the outbuildings in the area,” Evans said on Tuesday morning.

The Kansas Highway Patrol and Ellsworth County Sheriff Deputies assisted with the initial search. Sheriff Evans did not report any additional details on the status of the search.

Abbott is described as 6-foot tall and weighs approximately 170-pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is listed as a fugitive inmate with 7 prior convictions, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Anyone who sees the suspect should call 911, according to the Evans.

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RICE COUNTY —  Law enforcement authorities continue searching for a suspect in Rice County who is wanted in Colorado.

In a media release, the Rice County Sheriff’s Department reported a Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by Michael Edward Abbott, 48, led a deputy in a brief pursuit just after 5p.m. Sunday.

Abbott’s vehicle failed to stop and became disabled. He fled on foot and was last seen near the intersection of Silver and 9th Streets in Geneseo.  Abbott is described as 6-foot tall and weighs approximately 170-pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes.

The Kansas Highway Patrol and Ellsworth County Sheriff is assisting with the search. Anyone who sees the suspect should call 911, according to the Rice County Sheriff’s Department.

Homeowners Assn. embroiled in parking flap with Kan. family with sick relative

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas homeowner association says a couple caring for an ailing parent must stop parking a third car in their driveway overnight because its parking policy requires vehicles to be kept in garages.

The Kansas City Star reports that the Avignon Villa Homes Community Association says it has a responsibility to maintain “the integrity” of the Olathe neighborhood where Stuart and Marsha Holland live with her parents. Her father 83-year-old father is battling cancer.

The issue has pit neighbor against neighbor in an HOA already embroiled in a lawsuit with another homeowner over a landscaping project it deemed was “over the top.” Legal fees in that case are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Stuart Holland says “there appears to be no sense of compassion, no sense of empathy.”

2 Kansas women die in head-on semi crash

KIOWA COUNTY —Two Kansas women died in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Monday in Kiowa County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 GMC Terrain driven by Mary C. Garrison, 56, McPherson, was eastbound on U.S. 54.

The vehicle crossed left of center and struck a semi head-on on the far north shoulder.

Garrison and a passenger Patsy J. Lamber, 75, McPherson, were transported to the hospital in Dodge City where they died.

The semi driver Anthony M. Rigdon, 35, Skiatook, OK., was not injured. Rigdon was properly restrained at the time of the accident.

The KHP reported they did not know if the occupants of the GMC were wearing seat belts.

3rd mental competency evaluation for alleged killer of Kan. officer

Jamaal Lewis- photo KCK police

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man suspected of killing a Kansas City, Kansas, police captain will undergo a third evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial.

Defense attorneys for 21-year-old Jamaal Lewis sought the evaluation by a defense expert. Lewis already has been evaluated locally and at Larned State Hospital.

The Kansas City Star reports District Judge Wes Griffin granted the defense request Monday. A status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5.

Lewis is charged with capital murder in the July 2016 shooting death of Police Capt. Robert David Melton in Kansas City, Kansas.

Melton was investigating a shooting when a man fired shots into Melton’s patrol car, killing him.

An odd trend in wheat country: farmers turning to other crops

DAVID PITT, Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Many wheat farmers facing low prices have turned this year to other crops, including chickpeas and lentils, in hopes of turning a profit.

This year’s wheat crop of 45.7 million acres (18.49 million hectares) is the smallest since 1919 and it comes after a 2016 crop that was the least profitable in 30 years.

North Dakota, Montana and Nebraska are among the states with significantly fewer wheat acres.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says acres planted in chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are up nearly 86 percent from last year. Lentils reached a U.S.-record 1.02 million acres (0.41 million hectares) planted this year.

Chickpeas are the main ingredient in hummus. Lentils are increasingly used in cereal and pasta as a way to boost protein and fiber.

Kansas woman formally charged with 4th DUI after police chase

Brown-photo KDOC

RENO COUNTY— A Kansas woman with three prior DUI convictions who fled from law enforcement on August 18 has been formally charged.

Kristine Lynn Brown, 46, Langdon, is charged with felony flee and elude, DUI and driving while suspended.

Just before 11:30 p.m. August 18, a Reno County Sheriff’s Deputy observed a truck traveling east on 4th Street near Lorraine in Hutchinson with a defective tag light. The deputy followed the truck to 3rd and Kansas 61 Highway and continued to follow.

The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop in the area of Avenue G and K-61. He activated his lights and siren and the vehicle stopped. As the deputy approached the truck, the driver took off and the deputy followed, noting that the driver was being reckless and eventually got onto U.S 50, often going left of center or weaving over the fog line.

At one point, the driver came within a foot of hitting a guardrail on Highway 50, according to the deputy.

A South Hutchinson Police Officer used stop sticks on the highway and all four tires were struck, but the truck continued for about another half mile before the driver stopped.

Her passenger was taken into custody, but Brown refused to exit the vehicle. She was assisted out of the vehicle against her will and taken into custody.

Her case now moves to a waiver-status docket on Sept. 6.

Trump travel ban arguments head back to US court

SEATTLE (AP) — The Latest on an effort by the administration of President Donald Trump to appeal of a ruling allowing some relatives of family members already in the U.S. to enter the country (all times local):

 

The fight over President Donald Trump’s travel ban is returning to a federal appellate court with the government’s appeal of a ruling that allows grandparents, cousins and other family members of those already in the U.S. to enter the country.

In June the U.S. Supreme Court said the president’s 90-day ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen can be enforced pending arguments scheduled for October as long as those visitors lack “a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.”

The Trump administration has said the ban won’t apply to people with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling already in the U.S.

In July a federal judge ordered the government not to enforce the ban on grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins of people in the United States.

Attorneys from the Justice Department and the state of Hawaii will make arguments before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday afternoon.

Suspect in fatal shooting of Kansas man jailed in California

Colson- photo KBI

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. –  The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of authorities in California, made an arrest connected to the August 12 shooting death of Matthew Schoshke in Ottawa County, according to a media release.

A family member discovered Schoshke’s body in his Tescott home. Schoshke’s Ford F150 pickup truck was also stolen from the scene.

Authorities attempted various investigative methods to locate the missing truck and on Tuesday, Aug. 22, information was received that led them to believe the victim’s truck may have been located in the city of Los Angeles.

KBI agents and Ottawa County Sheriff Keith Coleman traveled to California. They collected evidence from the abandoned truck and were also able to identify a suspect. On Friday evening, Aug. 25, a warrant for first degree murder was issued for the arrest of 34-year-old Robert Colson of Bucksport, Maine.

KBI agents, the Sheriff, and Los Angeles Police Department homicide detectives were working to locate Colson, but prior to identifying his location he was involved in an incident at approximately 11:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 25 in Martinez, Calif. During this incident he allegedly stabbed a person while aboard an Amtrak train. Colson was attempting to escape from the train when he was injured. He was then transported to a regional hospital for medical treatment. The Ottawa County Attorney will pursue extradition efforts following Colson’s release from the hospital.

The Ottawa County Attorney’s Office is expected to prosecute the case.

Hays Post looking for camera operators for 2017-18 sports crews

Eagle and HaysPost.com are looking for people who would be interested in joining our sports crew this year to cover the local high school Football and Basketball sports seasons. This is our sixth season that we have live streamed the Hays High and Thomas More Pre-Marian Football and Basketball seasons. We also cover other high schools and sports throughout the year.

If you have experience running a camera or running production, we want to hear from you. There are two types of positions available, Camera and Director. The Camera maintains a constant view of the action, making the image look good. Directors produce the program, from setting up and shutting down the live stream, running commercials, running scoreboard. Both positions are responsible for the safe care of the equipment.

Candidates must have a familiarity of the sports we cover, have an eye for good composition, and good problem-solving skills. There will be some heavy lifting involved. There is travel that comes with the position and you would be traveling with a small crew. There will be room for a main crew and a separate backup crew if needed.

During the Football season, work is typically once a week on Fridays and a Thursday. During Basketball season, games are typically Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with the occasional Monday, Wednesday and Saturday during Tournament portions of the season.

Football season starts Sept 1. We are hiring immediately and would like to have crews setup and trained at least a week prior to season start. Please send a resume and, if possible, a link to video of previous work.

For more information or to apply, email [email protected].

Dillard’s employees in Salina told Central Mall store closing

SALINA — The Dillard’s Corporate web site no longer includes their store at the Central Mall in Salina.

The store is going to close in December, according to company spokesperson Julie Bull.

“We informed the employees Monday,” said Bull. “This is not a real surprise. We have 40 employees in Salina and are working to place them in neighboring stores, if that works for them.”

Dillard’s has two additional locations in Kansas including the Town East Mall in Wichita and Oak Park Mall in Overland Park.

The Salina store will remain open through mid-December and is now offering clearance prices on merchandise. Dillard’s is the second major retailer this year to announce they are leaving the Salina Mall.  Sears announced in January they intended to close.  They did close in the spring while the Sears Automotive store at 2259 9th Street is still in business.

Suspect jailed for fatal Kansas stabbing

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Wichita police say a 26-year-old man is in custody after a fatal stabbing.

Lt. Jason Stephens says police were called to a home on the city’s south side Sunday night. He says a 35-year-old man suffered several stab wounds and later died at a Wichita hospital.

Witnesses told investigators the victim and suspect had a physical confrontation and at some point the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the man.

According to the Sedgwick County jail records, the suspect identified as Jonathan C. Miller was booked into jail on a possible second-degree murder charge.

Stephens says the victim and the suspect did not know each other.

The death was the 23rd homicide in Wichita this year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kansas hydraulics manufacturing plant to close this week

Eaton facility in Reno County- google image

RENO COUNTY — After the announcement earlier this year that Eaton would close down its Hutchinson hydraulics facility, the end has come.

After slowly depleting its workforce over the past several months, the plant will cease operations on Thursday, according to Eaton Spokesperson Kelly Jasko.

The company’s first staff reductions started in May.  By the end of the week, all employees will be finished with production.

Jasko said that there will be a small crew left on board to decommission the facility over the next several months.

The shutdown of the plant comes 10-years after an all-out effort by the city of Hutchinson and the state of Kansas to provide a $3 million incentive package for the company to stay.

While Eaton did keep the Hutchinson plant open at that time, it moved a number of jobs out of the facility.

The company announced in January that the closing was the result of the ongoing declines in key markets and demand for the products made at the facility.

The facility manufactured components that go into piston and gear pumps for use in mobile and industrial hydraulic applications primarily served the construction and agriculture markets. Since 2013, agricultural equipment production has declined 21 percent and construction equipment production has declined 16 percent.

Kansas City area neighborhoods recover from weekend flooding

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas City area neighborhoods are recovering after weekend storms flooded some streets.

The Kansas City Star reports that the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department responded to multiple vehicles caught in high water after downpours moved through the area late Sunday morning, dumping up to 3 inches in some areas.

Mike Wilson was among the people wading through knee-deep water in one Kansas City, Kansas, neighborhood after he was told that his trailer had been inundated. Wilson said, “I didn’t think it was going to be this bad.”

Police in nearby Merriam reported that there was a lot of water across the city’s streets. Police urged drivers on Twitter to “Be safe, turn around and don’t drown.”

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