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2 Kan. administrators charged; failed to report teacher’s sex abuse

Krill-Photo Linn Co.

LA CYGNE, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas school administrators are charged with failing to report suspected child abuse involving a former teacher who is accused of having sex with at least one student.

Prairie View High School principal Tim Weis and former Prairie View School District superintendent Chris Kleidotsy were charged Tuesday in Linn County.

They are accused of not reporting potential sex crimes involving Keaten Krell, a former English teacher and girls’ basketball coach who was charged in May with 20 counts of unlawful sexual relations.

Kleidotsy was named superintendent of the Tonganoxie district in May and has been suspended with pay from that job. The Prairie View district said in a statement that it has

principal Tim Weis -photo Prairie View High School

placed a staff member on leave.

It wasn’t immediately known if Weis, Kleidotsy or Krell had attorneys.

Woman tied to gun in killing of Kansas teen deported

Azucena Garcia-Ferniza

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Mexican woman who tried to hide a gun her boyfriend used to fatally shoot a Kansas teenager has been deported.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson said Wednesday that prosecutors got confirmation that 22-year-old Azucena Garcia-Ferniza was deported Friday.

Garcia-Ferniza was sentenced in December to the 15 months she had been in custody after pleading guilty to a weapons count.

Court documents say she legally entered the U.S. at the age of 3, but her visitor visa expired in 1998. She had been granted a work permit under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Seventeen-year-old Allie Saum was killed in 2015 in Salina while riding in a pickup truck mistaken for someone else’s truck.

Garcia-Ferniza’s boyfriend, Macio Palacio Jr., has been sentenced to more than 50 years in prison.

4 hurt in crash involving Kansas sheriff’s deputies

Tuesday crash involving sheriff’s vehicle-photo courtesy KWCH

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say four people have been injured in a collision involving a Sedgwick County sheriff’s patrol car.

The crash occurred around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at an intersection in northeast Wichita.

Lt. Lin Dehning says two sheriff’s deputies were responding to a call when their patrol car was hit by a vehicle at the intersection. Both deputies were injured.

Authorities say two others sustained minor injuries.

Burglar alarm leads police to Kansas drug bust

BARTON COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Barton County are investigating a suspect on drug charges.

Just after 1:30p.m. Monday police were dispatched to a residence in the 2900 Block of Quivira Avenue in reference to a residential burglary alarm, according to a media release.

When they arrived, they found the back door of the residence ajar and were unable to make contact with anyone at the house.

Due to the open back door, police entered the residence to check for burglars and noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from an upstairs bedroom. No burglars were found but police did obtain a search warrant and return to the home to search for illegal narcotics.

Police found approximately 1.3 pounds of marijuana and a separate package containing what they believed to be hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Officers located the residents of the home, interviewed them regarding what they’d found and arrested Joey Steinbacher, age 46, for Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute and turned her over to the Barton County Jail.

The drugs the officers located were sealed in air-tight shrink wrap bags with coffee grounds and scented candles mixed into the package.

Officers believe the items were likely obtained in Colorado and packaged in this manner in order to conceal the scent from drug dogs if they were stopped upon return to Great Bend.

Sheriff: 4-year-old Kansas boy hospitalized after go-kart crash

COWLEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Cowley County are investigating an accident involving a go-kart that critically injured a 4-year-old boy.

Just after 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sheriff’s deputies responded to the accident at a rural residence 32202 57th Road South of Arkansas City, according to the Sheriff’s Department daily activity report.

The child was transported via helicopter to Wesley Medical Center in critical condition.

The child was reported in stable condition on Wednesday morning.

No additional details were released.

4th earthquake in February shakes portions of Kansas

Location of Wednesday morning earthquake-USGS image

HARPER COUNTY — A fourth earthquake this month shook Kansas just after 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

The quake measured a magnitude 3.3 according to the U.S. Geological Survey and was centered approximately four miles northeast of Anthony in Harper County. On February 16, a 2.7 magnitude quake was reported approximately 16 miles east of Anthony.

On February 13, a 3.3 quake hit just north of the Oklahoma State line in Sumner County.  On February 12, a 3.1 magnitude quake shook 16 miles northwest of Harper.

There were no reports of damage or injuries from the Wednesday morning quake, according to the Harper County Sheriff’s Department.

Salina Bicentennial Center gets new sponsor, name

SALINA – The City of Salina Wednesday announced the rebranding of the Bicentennial Center as the TONY’S® Pizza Events Center.

The renaming, announced during a press conference, is part of a new 15-year agreement with a subsidiary of long-time Salina employer, The Schwan Food Company.

“We’re really excited to be aligned with TONY’S Pizza, a brand that is engrained in Salina’s culture and history,” said Spectra’s Ron Rideout, general manager of the TONY’S Pizza Events Center.

“We’re creating a great fan experience in Salina, and we’re fortunate to work with the people from Schwan to further enhance it.”

As part of the multi-year deal with a Schwan subsidiary, the TONY’S Pizza Events Center will rebrand the concession areas, bring refreshing changes to menus with help from Schwan, and launch a new mobile-friendly website in the coming weeks.

The name change takes effect immediately and all new facility branding is expected to be in place by the end of spring 2017

Former Kansas police chief enters plea in theft case

Lewis-photo Stevens Co.

HALSTEAD, Kan. (AP) — A former southern Kansas police chief has entered a no contest plea to two misdemeanors involving the theft of ammunition from the town of Halstead.

A 60-day jail sentence was suspended after Steven Lewis agreed to pay $1,255 in restitution to the city, $230 in court costs and to surrender his law enforcement certification.

In exchange for the plea, the Harvey County prosecutor dismissed a felony charge alleging Lewis misused public funds.

The charges against Lewis arose after a KBI investigation found that Lewis deposited into his personal bank account checks meant to reimburse the city for ammunition he ordered for private individuals. Halstead’s former city administrator is facing a felony perjury charge. He’s accused of failing to disclose the reason for Lewis’ retirement.

Kansas woman dies in head-on semi crash in Nebraska

First responders on the scene of Tuesday night’s fatal crash -photo courtesy NTV

HOLDREGE, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Kansas woman has died in a head-on collision in south-central Nebraska.

The collision was reported around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. Highway 183, about four miles north of Holdrege.

The Nebraska State Patrol says a northbound car collided with a southbound semitrailer, killing the car driver.

She was identified as 26-year-old Satien Marie Vest, of Emporia, Kansas.

The patrol identified the truck driver as 63-year-old Wayne Tresz, of Vinton, Iowa. He was hospitalized for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The collision is being investigated.

Cause of explosion at Kansas gas plant under investigation

Explosion on Tuesday night in Rice Co.-photo courtesy KWCH

RICE COUNTY – Investigators are on the scene of an explosion at the OneOk plant, 777 Avenue Y in rural Rice County.

The blast, just after 9:40p.m., was felt up to 55 miles away in Hutchinson and destroyed a brick building, according Gregg Klein, with Rice County Emergency Management.

He said the fire was under control in about 30-minutes and there were no injuries.

Debris from the blast was spread on nearby roads and across a wide area, according to Klein.

The blacktop road off Kansas Highway 4 leading into the facility remained closed Wednesday morning.

Location of the OneOk plant near Bushton in Rice County- google map

OneOk gathers, processes, stores and transports natural gas and natural gas liquids across the U.S.

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RICE COUNTY – Investigators are on the scene of an explosion at the OneOk plant, 777 Avenue Y in rural Rice County.

The blast was felt across a wide area of central Kansas. There were no injuries, according Rice County Communications.

Check Hays Post for additional details as they become available.

Man held on $130K bond for Kan. domestic abuse formally charged

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A Kansas man arrested on February 12 after a domestic altercation has been formally charged. 

William Woodmansee

William Woodmansee, 23, Hutchinson, remains jailed on a bond of $130,500 and was read the seven charges that includes three counts of aggravated battery for the abuse of the victim. That includes striking her in the mouth, the use of a knife and allegedly choking her. 

Other charges include criminal threat, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia

He is accused of battering, threatening and holding a victim against her will at a residence in the 1500 block of East Sixth in Hutchinson.

She at some point managed to get away from the suspect, made it to another residence and was taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment of injuries.

During the investigation, police found a pipe with suspected methamphetamine inside of it.

With the charges filed, the case now moves to a waiver-status docket.

Kansas man dies after motorcycle hits embankment

COWLEY COUNTY – A Kansas man died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. on Tuesday Cowley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Honda motorcycle driven by David M. Ancell, 62, Longton, was eastbound on U.S. 160 one mile east of Cambridge.

The driver veered off the roadway, struck an embankment and was ejected from the motorcycle.
Ancell was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Shelley Funeral Home.

3 jailed in Kansas after attempt to take baby without permission

Mitchell-photo Geary Co.
Berry-photo Geary Co.

GEARY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are investigating 3 people on kidnapping charges after a weekend child custody fight, according to police.

Police arrested Jody Sandage37; Todd David Berry, 22; and  Letoshia Ann Mitchell, 20, all of Indiana.

“It was a child custody [incident] and after a scheduled visit, the mom attempted to take the baby without permission,” said Junction City Police Department Lt. Trish Giordano.

Sandage-photo Geary Co.

All three suspects face possible kidnapping charges.  Sandage also faces a charge of Aggravated Battery and Mitchell faces additional charges of Aggravated Battery and Assault.

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