LYON COUNTY -Law enforcement authorities in Lyon County are investigating the case of abandoning an animal and have made an arrest.
On Wednesday, resident found a guinea pig in her mailbox in the 1600 Block of G Road, according to social media report from the sheriff’s department.
Deputies asked the public for help to locate who left the animal. On Thursday, deputies reported they located the person who abandoned the pig. No arrests have been made. However, Cruelty to animal charges are pending through the Lyon County Attorney, according to the sheriff’s department.
They reminded residents Cruelty to animals includes knowingly abandoning any animal in any place without making provisions for its proper care.
BURDICK, Kan. (AP) — An application to inject wastewater from oil and natural gas operations into a well in an area that’s near a fault zone and national park is garnering opposition.
Some of the critics demonstrated this week at Emporia State University.
The Kansas Corporation Commission is gathering public comment through June 15 on the application from the Quail Oil and Gas. An official with the company didn’t immediately return a phone call or email message from The Associated Press.
His company’s proposal calls for pumping up to 5,000 barrels of wastewater per day into a Morris County well that would be near the Nemaha Ridge-Humboldt fault zone. That’s a relatively small amount. But concerns have arisen that a new well could trigger earthquakes because the fault zone is among the state’s largest.
SALINE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a teen for an alleged threat with a deadly weapon.
On Wednesday, Joshua James, 18, Salina, became upset with a disciplinary decision implemented by his parents, according to Police Capt. Paul Forrester.
He then allegedly threatened to kill both of them with a hammer and left the residence located in the 400 block of East Republic, breaking the screen door.
Just after 6:15 p.m., police arrested him upon his return home.
James now faces two counts of criminal threat and criminal damage to property, according to Forrester.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is proposing an additional $24 million in spending over two years on extra security measures to keep concealed guns out of state hospitals.
The Republican governor unveiled the proposal Thursday among other budget measures he recommended to the House and Senate budget committees.
A 2013 law will require hospitals to allow people to bring in concealed guns starting July 1 unless the buildings have extra security such as metal detectors and guards. Some lawmakers want to change the law banning concealed weapons at hospitals.
Brownback’s proposal includes $810,000 for metal detectors for the state’s two hospitals for the mentally ill and two for the developmentally disabled.
Most of the cost would be hiring a total of 180 new employees that would include “armed personnel.”
DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is recalling about 250,000 small pickup trucks mainly in North America because the rear wheels have the potential to lock up, causing drivers to lose control.
The recall covers certain Tacoma trucks from the 2016 and 2017 model years.
Toyota says oil can leak from the rear differential. That could damage components and cause the differential to lock up and stop the wheels from moving. A differential allows the wheels to travel at different speeds while a vehicle is turning a corner.
Dealers will inspect the trucks. If no leaks are found, fasteners will be tightened. If there’s a leak, a gasket will be replaced and new fasteners installed. Toyota also will replace any damaged differential parts.
Owners will be notified of the recall by mail starting in mid-June.
SEDGWICK COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Sedgwick County are alerting the public to a dramatic increase in gun thefts from vehicles across the city of Wichita.
Police chief Gordon Ramsay reported on social media, “We’ve had 78 guns stolen from vehicles so far this year.”
“This is a preventable crime. Help us keep guns out of the hands of criminals. If you must leave a gun in a vehicle, secure your it with proper locks or cases that can’t be easily removed. “
There were 193 guns stolen from vehicles in 2016 and 151 in 2015, according to police. Only 85 similar thefts were reported in 2014, according to police.
During Thursday’s online media briefing, Wichita police spokesperson Sgt. Nikki Woodrow reminded the public to take electronics, purses and valuables from your car, or lock them up so criminals can’t easily get them.
EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — Emporia State University’s Center for Early Childhood Education is being investigated for alleged child abuse.
Emporia State spokeswoman Gwen Larson, tells the Emporia Gazette the Kansas Department for Children and Families is investigating reported child abuse at the center.
The center provides an early childhood environment for children of university students, faculty and community members. It also serves as a practicum and observation site for students training to be early childhood teachers.
Parents and staff at the center received an email Monday from center director Keely Persinger informing them of her resignation in the midst of the investigation.
Children and Families Department spokeswoman Theresa Freed says the agency cannot currently comment on the case.
Parents say the agency has told them the investigation will likely finish mid-May.
BARTON COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities in Barton County are investigating a suspect for an alleged rape and asking the public for help to find him.
The Barton County Sheriff’s Office is looking for 38-year-old Cory Little. He is wanted for rape.
Little is described 5 foot 11 inches tall and weighs approximately160 pounds and blue eyes and black hair. He also has numerous tattoos.
Little has previous convictions for drugs and flee/ attempt to elude law enforcement, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Anyone with information is asked to call crime stoppers at 620-792-1300 or 888-305-1300.
RENO COUNTY – A Kansas man died in an accident just after 5:30a.m. Thursday in Reno County.
A bicycle ridden by Jerry W. Johnson, 29, Hutchinson, was westbound on 11th Avenue at the intersection of Kansas 61 Highway, according to a media release from Hutchinson Police.
A northbound GMC Terrain driven by Ignacio Acosta, 47, Hutchinson, hit the bicycle as it entered the intersection.
Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
The accident remains under investigation.
“On Monday, we saw another example of how those who harbor prejudice attempt to create rifts within the K-State family. In this case, a poster with an anti-Semitic message was taped to a utility pole near Ahearn Field House. This type of message is unwelcome at Kansas State University.
There have been a series of random messages found on campus in recent weeks, small in number but each targeting a specific group of the K-State family. Our LGBTQ community was disparaged in one single-page flyer, our African-American family members targeted in another. These few, random incidents should be kept in perspective. The K-State family is committed to diversity and inclusion and should not be influenced by these isolated incidents. We don’t know who has distributed these missives, or why. But we do know they don’t represent the values of the K-State family.
Our Principles of Community affirm the right of freedom of expression, but we call on each other to maintain civility and respect. The tone of these messages does not honor these principles. This is not the Wildcat Way. We welcome and embrace those who bring diverse backgrounds, thoughts and opinions to our university.”
Greg Newmark, co-adviser of the university’s Jewish student organization, says he doesn’t believe the person behind the poster knew the significance of Holocaust Remembrance Day. He says the incident only highlights the purpose behind having such a holiday, which is “to not forget how quickly hate speech can become (dangerous).”
K-State University police continue to investigate the incident.
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MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — An anti-Semitic poster was put up on campus at Kansas State University during Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Kansas State Associate Vice President Steve Logback tells the Manhattan Mercury that the university was alerted to the poster through social media that Monday morning and removed it from the telephone pole it was attached to.
Logback says the situation was an unauthorized posting and, as far as he knows, an isolated incident.
Greg Newmark, co-adviser of the university’s Jewish student organization, says he doesn’t believe the person behind the poster knew the significance of Holocaust Remembrance Day. He says the incident only highlights the purpose behind having such a holiday, which is “to not forget how quickly hate speech can become (dangerous).”
Logback says that university police are currently investigating the incident.
FINNEY COUNTY – Residents in southwest Kansas and staff at the Lee Richardson Zoo are mourning the passing of Bianca, a black jaguar and long-time zoo resident in Garden City.
During a routine examination earlier this month, suspicious masses had been detected. She was euthanized Tuesday after widespread cancer was found during a follow-up procedure performed that day to remove the masses, according to a social media report.
“Bianca was facing a very painful recovery, and even if we could remove all the masses, the cancer was going to reoccur, so it was kinder to let her go now before her condition declined,” said veterinarian Eric Tuller.
Bianca was 20 years old. The median life expectancy is 17.8 years for jaguars in human care. She came to Garden City from Wildlife World Zoo in Arizona in March of 1998 with her sister. The pair spent the following years making quite an impression on guests at the zoo.
HUTCHINSON — A Kansas man jailed in the Reno County Correctional Facility for a probation violation for a case from last year and charged in two other cases entered a plea in the two most recent cases on Wednesday.
Justin Reyna, 31, Hutchinson, was charged with aggravated battery of a corrections officer, simple battery of another officer and criminal damage, but the state reduced the first charge and he entered pleas to two counts of battery of a corrections officer and the criminal damage count.
On Nov. 24, while inside the Reno County Correctional Facility that he caused a disturbance that required staff to place him in a restraint chair.
During that effort, he spit at a deputy, hitting him in the eye. He also battered another officer and did damage to a sprinkler in the facility.
On September 21, he cut himself with a homemade knife or shank, which was basically a razor blade in a comb.
As part of the plea, he’ll serve the one-year sentence in the case where he was convicted of aggravated criminal threat in Pratt County and giving a false alarm in a case from March of 2015.
Sentencing in the two additional cases is scheduled for June 30.
2 dead from carbon monoxide poisoning- photo courtesy KCTV
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say carbon monoxide poisoning killed two people who were found dead in a sport utility vehicle in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Kansas City, Kansas.
The victims identified by police Wednesday as Trevor B. Roth, 30, Dodge City and Carolyn Williams-Cottier, 26, Kansas City, were found dead in the vehicle.
Police say an autopsy determined that their deaths were accidental. But an investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to call police or a tips hotline.
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Police Chief Terry Zeigler announced the cause of death Tuesday on Twitter. The names of the two people who died weren’t immediately released. They were found Sunday morning in the parking lot across the streets from the Legends Outlets shopping center near the Kansas Speedway.
The 2 individuals we found in the parking lot of Walmart died from carbon monoxide poisoning. https://t.co/oXYtpJr5Qu
Zeigler said in a later tweet that he wasn’t sure what caused the carbon monoxide levels to reach lethal levels. He said “an exhaust issue” was a possibility.
