SEDGWICK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Sedgwick County are investigating a burglary and asking for help to identify suspects.
Unknown suspects burglarized P4 Firearms 1556 North Broadway in Wichita early Saturday and got away with a long list of firearms, according to a social media report.
The store was closed on Saturday due to the burglary.
If you have any information on the suspects, please call Crime Stoppers at 267-2111. Please check any firearms before you buy them to make sure you are not buying stolen property.
If you come across any of the firearms on the list, call 911 so officers can come investigate.
PRATT – Anyone who enjoys feeding and watching birds can help with conservation by just doing what they already do.
On February 17-20, 2017, bird lovers are asked to watch and record the kinds and numbers of birds seen during the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The annual four-day event engages bird watchers of all skill levels in counting birds from any location for as little as 15 minutes on one or more days of the event.
Last year, participants in more than 130 countries counted 5,689 species of birds on more than 160,000 checklists. But the event could be much bigger. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, more than 70 million Americans watch birds, 450,000 in Kansas. Bird watchers can learn more about GBBC and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.
It’s free, fun and participants can feel good about playing an important role in the management and conservation of numerous bird species. Each submitted checklist provides valuable data to researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, as well as experts in other conservation organizations, who interpret those results to learn more about how birds are doing and how we can better protect them and their habitats.
A previous plan from January of 2016.. MCI Terminal A Conceptual Layout; Expansion Inside the Ring- courtesy Wood Bagot- Click to ENLARGE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas officials are considering building an airport in Johnson County to compete with Kansas City International.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback told the Kansas City Star the state is exploring the possibility of building a major airport on the Kansas side of the metro area.
Previous talks about renovating Kansas City International and combining all its gates into a single terminal have stalled.
Airlines like the idea of a single terminal because it would be more efficient, but many people who fly out of the airport like the current multiple-terminal design because it is easy to get into and out of.
Several challenges remain for the idea of a Kansas airport because getting plans approved for a new airport often takes years.
Building a new airport is also extremely expensive.
TOPEKA — The House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice discussed a bill Thursday that would allow juveniles who commit crimes with a firearm to be placed in a juvenile correction facility.
Rep. Blaine Finch (R-Ottawa) spoke in favor of the bill, arguing there needs to be updates in how the state deals with juvenile offenders.
“We as a society, we as a state, we as a juvenile justice system, have learned, and we have grown, and this is a reflection of us trying to modernize and address that appropriately,” Finch said.
Finch added he doesn’t like the way juvenile offenders are labeled as either “high risk” or “low risk,” saying it creates more issues in the justice system.
“The whole point of this bill is to get smart about how we deal with juvenile offenses,” Finch said. “[Juveniles] are very susceptible to suggestion, and spending a lot of time with them in a small room, interrogating them, will ultimately lead them to break down and confess to about anything, and that’s not a good way for us to treat juveniles if we want to keep them out of the system.”
Rep. Eric Smith (R-Burlington), a Coffee County deputy sheriff, said he wanted to remind the committee that there are many interactions between law enforcement officers and juveniles every day, many of which result in no criminal action.
“I’ve been involved in hundreds of interactions with young people,” Smith said. “I’ve never witnessed a child being berated in a room between a cop and a child.”
Rep. Susie Swanson (R-Clay Center) said she has concerns about the rigidity of the bill. She said not everything that works in one area will work in another, using rural and urban differences as an example.
“What works, perhaps, in a school district the size of Washington, Kansas … and what works in Shawnee Mission North might be two different things,” Swanson said. “I want to guard against being so standardized and consistent that we take away our ability to be flexible in some situations.”
Both Finch and Swanson referenced youth court programs as successful alternatives for working with juveniles. Swanson said the Manhattan youth court has been successful, although her home county does not have a youth court program.
Committee Chair Russ Jennings (R-Larkin) said the committee will hear testimony on the bill through Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Brendan Dzwierzynski is a University of Kansas senior journalism major from LaGrange Park, Illinois.
RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man awaiting trial for distribution of marijuana and conspiracy to distribute was back in court Thursday on a motion to suppress evidence in the case.
Edmond Cantu, 44, is charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, conspiracy to distribute marijuana and using a communications device to make a drug transaction.
In March of 2016, A Drug Enforcement Administration agent notified Reno County authorities that a tan Cadillac Escalade carrying approximately 40 pounds of marijuana was coming to Hutchinson. It was expected to be delivered at a restaurant parking lot near Kansas 61 and 17th in Hutchinson.
Law enforcement authorities were waiting and saw the vehicle arrive. Then a second one arrived a short time later.
Police arrested Cantu in 2012 with another large quantity of marijuana
Cantu got into the Cadillac and tried to leave the parking lot. Police conducted a traffic stop and found marijuana hidden in the door and back quarter panels of the vehicle. The total weight of the marijuana was right at 43 pounds.
On Thursday, a Reno County District Court judge denied the motion.
Rep. Brenda Landwehr, center, who chairs the House Social Services Budget Committee, acknowledges that there are substantial gaps in the Kansas mental health system but says lawmakers are virtually powerless to respond because of the depth of the state’s budget problems. CREDIT MEG WINGERTER / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
A key Kansas lawmaker says the state doesn’t have the money to fix problems in its mental health system, which a new report says are getting steadily worse.
The report, the second from a task force created in 2015 to advise the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, says the system has continued to deteriorate. The task force’s first report, issued about 18 months ago, concluded the system was “stretched beyond its ability to provide the right care at the right time in the right place.”
Rep. Brenda Landwehr, who chairs the House Social Services Budget Committee, agreed there are substantial gaps in the system but said lawmakers are virtually powerless to respond because of the depth of the state’s budget problems.
“The situation we’re in is tough,” said Landwehr, a Wichita Republican. “We just don’t have the money to do that (pay for more services).”
The state faces a projected $320 million deficit in the current budget year. Lawmakers must close that gap by the end of June to comply with a provision in the Kansas Constitution that prohibits deficit spending. Before adjourning, they also must cover a projected budget deficit of more than $800 million for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Given the amount of projected red ink, Landwehr said the state can’t afford to implement task force recommendations that would require significant new spending. Specifically, she said, it can’t afford to add psychiatric residential services for people covered by KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid program.
A lack of supervised living arrangements for people who are too ill to live on their own but who don’t need to be in a hospital is one of the most critical gaps in the system, said Amy Campbell, a task force member who lobbies on behalf of the Kansas Mental Health Coalition.
“If we are not going to create an opportunity for (supervised housing), we are going to continue spinning in the cycle,” Campbell said.
When patients with serious mental illnesses are released from state psychiatric hospitals without adequate support, their symptoms can escalate quickly, forcing them back into the hospital, Campbell said.
“When we did this last year, we didn’t have any money,” Campbell said, referring to the first set of recommendations made by the task force. “When we came back, we had lost ground. These are important investments that have to be made.”
“The members of the ACC Task Force are discouraged at the continued erosion of the Kansas behavioral health continuum of care since the last report,” the update said. “While there have been positive developments (since 2015) … the overall system has degraded and cannot meet the statewide need.”
In the updated report, task force members also signaled their opposition to privatizing Osawatomie State Hospital, citing concerns about the quality of care delivered by for-profit contractors in other states.
“Other states have seen privatized hospital beds decertified or worse; patients and employees harmed because privatization cannot resolve the problems of understaffing and underfunding,” the report said.
The state’s proposal to privatize Osawatomie State Hospital called for a contractor to continue operating the hospital with reduced funds from the state and to provide new facilities while maintaining 206 inpatient beds. KDADS officials began pursuing privatization after federal officials cut Medicare payments to the hospital over concerns about patient safety.
The report also called for the state to reopen 60 closed beds at Osawatomie State Hospital. The facility has been running at a reduced capacity since mid-2015, forcing people in crisis to wait in emergency rooms for an open bed, the report said.
Landwehr, however, said she thinks the state should look into the advantages and pitfalls of privatizing or closing Osawatomie State Hospital. It might no longer be practical to maintain a state hospital in an aging facility, she said.
“I think we need that picture,” she said. “If we don’t start looking now, that critical moment is going to hit us.”
Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, a Kansas City, Kan., Democrat, is among the task force members skeptical of privatization.
“I’m not saying that we should never privatize,” Wolfe Moore said. “I’m saying that we need to have a comprehensive plan and then see how that might fit into it. And right now, I don’t think it does.”
A majority of House members agree. More than 60 have signed on to a bill that would prohibit the privatization of either of the state’s mental health hospitals unless authorized by the Legislature.
Other recommendations in the updated report include:
Increase funding for community mental health programs that have shown results.
Continue funding programs for people transitioning out of state hospitals.
Increase the number of beds for substance abuse treatment. Small substance abuse programs are scattered throughout the state.
Assist primary care practices with managing psychotropic medications or use telemedicine so psychiatrists can monitor patients remotely.
Update rules to allow rehabilitation services in mental health nursing facilities.
Meg Wingerter is a reporter for kcur.org‘s Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics in Kansas. You can reach her on Twitter @MegWingerter.
COMANCHE COUNTY – A Kansas woman died in an accident just before 7:30p.m. on Saturday in Comanche County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy Tahoe driven by Peggy Lee Snodgrass, 62, Ashland, was eastbound on U.S. 160 two miles west of Protection.
The driver swerved into the ditch to miss a deer in the road.
The SUV rolled and the driver was ejected. The SUV came to rest about 20 feet from the driver body.
Snodgrass was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Wilkinson’s Funeral Home Buffalo, OK. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
PRATT – It’s still early to think about scouting turkeys for the spring season because the big birds are still in their winter flocks. However, it’s not too early to be thinking about finding a place to hunt. One way to find a great hunting spot is through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) Special Hunts Program.
There are 84 spring turkey hunts offered this year with a total of 165 Special Hunt permits available. Twenty-five are Mentor Hunts, 29 are Open Hunts and 30 are Youth Hunts. Hunters must apply online by March 6, 2017 to be drawn for a hunt. There’s no fee to apply, and the draw is open to residents and nonresidents. Apply at https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Special-Hunts-Information.
Special hunts are part of KDWPT’s recruitment and retention program, Pass It On. These hunts are conducted on department lands, including state parks, wildlife areas, and refuges. The hunts also occur on Walk-in Hunting Areas; national wildlife refuges; city and county properties; and other locations where access may be limited. The hunts limit the number of participants to ensure high-quality experiences.
Open Hunts are open to all persons with no age or experience restrictions. Youth Hunts are open to youth 16 and younger, who must be accompanied by adult mentors 18 or older (adults may not hunt). Mentor Hunts are open to youth and/or inexperienced (novice) hunters who are each supervised by a licensed adult mentor. Both the novice and mentor may hunt. Several hunts allow for additional hunters to accompany a permit holder.
Successful applicants will be notified by email shortly after the computer-generated drawing has occurred. Special Hunt permits only provide access, so hunters must purchase all necessary licenses, permits and have hunter education certification, unless exempt.
The 2017 Spring Turkey Season opens April 1-11, 2017 for youth and hunters with disabilities; April 3-11, 2017 for archery only; and April 12-May 31, 2017 for the regular season. Permits and game tags are available over the counter for all turkey management units except Unit 4. Hunters who have purchased a spring turkey permit may also purchase a second turkey game tag valid in units 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. For information on permits, regulations and other spring turkey hunting opportunities, visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting,” then “Turkey Information.”
SHAWNEE COUNTY -Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County are investigating a stabbing asking the public for help.
Just after 4p.m. on February 2, police responded to 2630 SE California Avenue in Topeka after report of a dispute between two men in the Walmart parking lot, according to a media release issued on Saturday.
A third party conceal-carry holder intervened and stopped knife assault from continuing.
The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening. The witness was taken in for questioning by police.
Anyone with additional details is encouraged to contact Topeka police.
Dr. Ann Kristin Neuhaus -image courtesy Fox 4 Kansas City
JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ medical board is enmeshed in a lengthy legal dispute over revoking the license of a doctor whose second opinions allowed the late Dr. George Tiller to terminate late-term pregnancies.
A Shawnee County judge has for the second time overturned a board decision against Dr. Ann Kristin Neuhaus and directed it to reconsider its punishment.
The judge narrowed the case in 2014 to problems with her record-keeping and last month ruled that the board did not adequately justify its revocation of her license on those grounds.
The board expects to take up the case again in June.
Its case against Neuhaus involved mental health exams in 2003 on 11 young patients. State law required a second doctor to find that their mental health would be permanently damaged without the procedure.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Democrats are hoping to channel voter discontent into an upset as they picked their nominee Saturday for a south central Kansas congressional seat held for more than two decades by Republicans, but vacated when Mike Pompeo became President Donald Trump’s CIA director.
Congratulations to #ks04 nominee James Thompson! He will run against Ron Estes for Pompeo’s vacated seat. #VoteBlue
A special election April 11 will decide Pompeo’s replacement, the nation’s first special congressional election since Trump took office. Democrats view it as their best chance to flip a seat in a heavily Republican district.
Republicans have represented the district that encompasses the state’s largest city of Wichita since Todd Tiahrt unseated veteran Democratic Rep. Dan Glickman in 1994. Pompeo won the 4th District seat in 2010, when Tiahrt gave it up to run unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate.
Fire on Friday in Reno Co.-photo courtesy Hutchinson Fire Department
RENO COUNTY – Fire officials say a neighbor using a burn barrel and red flag burn conditions are responsible for damage to a home on Friday.
Just before 3:30p.m. Friday, the Hutchinson Fire Department responded to the 900 Block of North Wilshire for a reported grass fire and a home was involved in the blaze.
Crews quickly extinguished the grass fire and then the exposed exterior of the home was extinguished.
The fire damage to the home was estimated at $15,000.
The cause of the fire was due to a neighboring home burning in burn barrels and due to Red Flag burn conditions, spread rapidly.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita have suspended use of a tire-deflation device after a police officer was run over and critically injured by a fleeing and stolen SUV.
Police are reviewing procedures and policies in the wake of the injury to officer Brian Arterburn. The 25-year police veteran suffered chest, abdomen and brain injuries Tuesday when he was hit by a fleeing vehicle as he placed spike strips on a road in south Wichita.
The man suspected of running over the officer, 31-year-old Justin Terrazas, faces several charges.
Deputy Police Chief Jose Salcido says there is no suggestion that Arterburn or other officers did anything wrong, but he believes it is wise to step back and review use of the tire-deflation device.
