SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County are investigating two suspects in connection with a Thursday convenience store robbery.

Just after 9 a.m., police responded to report of an armed robbery at the Casey’s Convenience store in the 900 Block of SE Rice Road, according to a media release.

The suspect was described as a black male wearing a black hoodie and jeans.

Police located a suspect in the 2100 Block of SE 11th Terrace. Upon investigation, police located items from the robbery. They arrested

Marsolano Ryland, 34, and Christopher Bush, 26, both of Topeka. The

FBI is assisting with the investigation, according to police.

RENO COUNTY— A Kansas man arrested after leading Reno County Sheriff Deputies on a high-speed chase was back in court this week.

Reno County prosecutors formally charged Richard Franklin Newkirk, 44, Hoisington, with felony flee and elude including five or more moving violations associated with the chase.

A deputy reported he was patrolling west bound on 4th Street at Peace Road at 1:30 a.m. and attempted a traffic stop for what he suspected was a person with a suspended driver’s license.

The driver refused to stop, leading to the chase. It ended at Jordan Springs and Longview Road when the driver attempted to go west, but stopped when the road came to a dead end at a cattle gate.

After identifying Newkirk, deputies learned he had outstanding warrants in both Barton and Ellis Counties.

In court Wednesday, he requested a bond reduction so he could take care of those issues in the other counties. Bond is only $1,500 and Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen denied the request, saying she thought the bond was appropriate.

The case now moves to a waiver-status docket on Feb. 22.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Two suspects in a Mississippi pawn shop robbery that left three people dead are back in the state after being captured in Kansas.

Thirty-five year old Jamison Townsend and 37-year-old Joshua Garcia face three counts of capital murder in the Dec. 17 shooting deaths at Bill’s Pawn Jewelry Coin/Stamp Exchange in Jackson.

Police say 81-year-old Cleveland Mosley, 60-year-old Robert Ivy and 77-year-old Ted McLemore were killed during the robbery.

Townsend and Garcia were arrested days later near Junction City after an interstate chase. Both waived extradition from Kansas and were returned to Jackson police custody Thursday. They also face armed robbery charges.

Police say Townsend and Garcia are also suspected in burglaries at two Gulfport pawn shops and a Pascagoula jewelry shop.

It’s unclear if they have attorneys.

BROWN COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities in northeast Kansas are investigating suspects on hunting violations.

A Kansas Game Warden and K9 partner responded to an Operation Game Thief call on the last weekend in January, according to a social media report.

Following the K9 discovery of evidence and interviews, the warden issued tickets for alleged violations; Wanton waste of wildlife X3, Over limit of white front geese X2, No Federal Duck stamp X2, No state/HIP stamp X1, Criminal hunting on private property without permission X1, Take turkey without a valid tag X1 and Fail to tag turkey upon kill X1.

Charges are pending in Brown County.

PAOLA, Kan. (AP) — A church pastor and longtime eastern Kansas homeless shelter director has admitted that he sexually abused two children.

The Kansas City Star reports 58-year-old Jay Preston on Thursday pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated liberties with a child. Under his plea agreement, attorneys will recommend a prison sentence of 13 years.

Preston was charged last July with the lewd fondling or touching of two children who were born in 2008 and 2006.

He was pastor of Grace Revolution Church of the Nazarene and president and CEO of My Father’s House, a homeless shelter in Paola.

He was suspended from the church and shelter after his arrest.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials say relisting the lesser prairie chicken as threatened or endangered would negatively affect the state’s economy and agricultural industry.

The Hutchinson News reports Gov. Sam Brownback, state Attorney General Derek Schmidt and state Department of Agriculture Secretary Jackie McClaskey are asking government officials to consider having Kansas landowners implement efforts to protect the lesser prairie chicken.

In a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services the officials noted that categorizing the chicken as threatened or endangered would unduly affect the state’s primary interest in controlling how the land within its borders is used.

The lesser prairie chicken was removed from the Endangered Species Act List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife after a September 2015 order from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man charged with killing a passenger in another vehicle during a police chase will go on trial May 1.

A Shawnee County District Court judge set the trial date on Wednesday for 21-year-old Marcos Adan Cruz Jr., who faces four felony charges, including first-degree murder in the commission of a felony.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Cruz’s attorney was interested in taking part of mediation to resolve the case.

A witness at a preliminary hearing testified a speeding car ran a red light and hit another car, which was forced into a fence at the Topeka Zoo. A passenger in that car, 69-year-old Edward Greene of Tecumseh, died at the scene. The driver was injured.

Cruz’s 8-month-old son was in his car but was not seriously injured.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is asking lawmakers to pass two measures aimed at fighting illegal immigration.

Republican state Rep. John Whitmer, of Wichita, introduced two proposals in a House committee Thursday at Kobach’s request. Republican Sen. Caryn Tyson, of Parker, introduced identical versions in a Senate committee.

One measure would bar cities and counties from adopting sanctuary policies protecting immigrants in the country illegally and would require their cooperation with federal immigration and customs authorities. A similar bill got a hearing in a House committee last year but did not make it to the House floor.

The other bill would require the Kansas Highway Patrol to partner with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the “enforcement of federal immigration laws, detentions and removals, and related investigations.”

MCPHERSON COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities continue to investigate a suspect following a high-speed chase in McPherson County.

Just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol received a call about an erratic driver traveling at a high rate of speed, heading northbound on Interstate 135.

KHP located the driver in north McPherson County traveling at speeds over 100 mph with hazard lights on. The female driver was finally stopped near the Mentor, Smolan exit in Saline County.

According to Trooper Ben Gardner, the vehicle was located by the KHP but the driver did not respond to emergency lights.
She continued at a high-rate of speed for several miles before the pursuing trooper called in an active pursuit.

Other law enforcement officers set up ahead of the suspect on Interstate 135, attempting to use stop sticks to deflate the vehicle’s tires.

The driver evaded the stop sticks but spun into the median where her car came to rest. She was quickly taken into custody by the Kansas Highway Patrol and booked in the McPherson County Jail.

According to Trooper Gardner, the pursuing officer charged her with misdemeanor fleeing and eluding, felony eluding of stop sticks, speeding (109 mph in a 75) and failure to maintain a single lane. She was not charged with driving under the influence but her mental state is still being evaluated.

 

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MCPHERSON COUNTY — A woman is facing charges after a high-speed chase on Wednesday afternoon.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported troopers chased the driver through parts of McPherson County and into Saline County on Interstate 135, according to dispatch.

She was driving erratically, reached speeds over 100 miles per hour and would not yield to the troopers’ emergency lights.

The chase ended when the driver spun her car into the median just south of the East Mentor-Smolan Road exit.

She was taken to McPherson to face charges. The driver’s name was not released.

SEDGWICK COUNTY – Five horses died Wednesday night in a Kansas barn fire.

Just before 11p.m. on Wednesday, fire crews were dispatched to report of the fire in the 5500 Block of North Armstrong Avenue in Wichita, according to Kelly Zane an investigator with the Wichita Fire Department.

The fire started accidently by a wood stove and caused over $20,000 in damage to the structure.

No other injuries were reported.

SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County are investigating a carjacking and searching for a suspect.

Just before 10p.m. on Tuesday, officers responded to a carjacking at the intersection of SW 6th and SW Lane in Topeka, according to a media release.

A woman told police she was getting gas for her vehicle when a suspect dressed in all dark clothing approached. The suspect had a gun and took her car. She last saw the vehicle heading north on SW Lane, according to police.

A short time later, police located the car. It was disabled after hitting a pole at SW 5th and SW Western.

Witnesses to the accident told police the suspect ran from the scene.

No injuries were reported during the robbery and no arrests have been made.

By STEVE KORANDA

Opponents of allowing guns on university campuses are not giving up their fight despite a setback this week in a Kansas Senate committee.

State law says Kansas colleges and universities must allow concealed weapons on campus starting in July. Bills in the House and Senate would exempt higher education institutions from the law, allowing them to continue banning guns on campus.

A Senate committee voted Tuesday not to advance the bill to the full chamber. Just a day later, the House Federal and State Affairs Committee had a public hearing on a similar measure.

Rabbi Moti Rieber, of the group Kansas Interfaith Action, believes approval by the Kansas House could boost the bill’s chances in the Senate.

 

The conceal carry exemption bill died in Senate committee; today the House committee hears testimony. Packed room. #ksleg pic.twitter.com/IdKKduYYEN

— Kansas House Dems (@kshousedems) February 1, 2017

“We think that if the bill gets to the House floor, it’ll pass,” Rieber said Wednesday. “It would give the bill momentum to come out of the House with a strong majority, which I think we would get.”

University of Kansas professor Ron Barrett told the House committee that guns should not be allowed on campuses. He says many university labs contain chemicals that could cause an explosion — or worse — if they’re struck by an errant bullet.

“Some universities even store more dangerous materials, like tens of thousands of gallons of poisonous, carcinogenic flammables right in the middle of campus,” Barrett said.

But for Emporia State University student Megan Hilbish and others who support concealed carry, the issue comes down to constitutional rights, which they say don’t end on a college campus.

“We want to be able to conceal carry on college campuses to be able to defend ourselves and feel more safe and secure, especially with the inadequate security measures that colleges have now,” Hilbish said.

The overflow hearing Wednesday appeared to be dominated by supporters of changing the law, but Kathleen Wade, president of the Kansas State Rifle Association, said that didn’t tell the whole story. She said the group has supporters who aren’t able to attend events like the hearing.

“We will fight this until the last minute, until the last vote is counted,” Wade said.

Travis Couture-Lovelady, a former Republican Kansas legislator who now works for the National Rifle Association, said the group has been mobilizing supporters to contact lawmakers with emails and phone calls.

“We’re OK with discussion. We feel confident in our arguments and confident in the people of Kansas, that this is the direction they want to go,” Couture-Lovelady said.

Rep. John Barker, an Abilene Republican and chairman of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, said he wants to give members of the committee time to consider all the comments before taking any action on the bill.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for KPR a partner in the Kansas News Service.

BARTON COUNTY – A former Kansas high school coach has been charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

On Thursday, officials filed a complaint with the Barton County District Court charging Todd Eric Kaiser.

In June of 2016, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case against Kaiser and used a search warrant  for electronic media.

Police then arrested Kaiser and he posted a $50,000.00 surety bond, which remains in effect.

Kaiser was employed by USD 428 as Eisenhower Elementary School’s Physical Education instructor. Kaiser also served as the head coach for the Great Bend High School cross country and track and field teams.

He is expected to make a first court appearance on March 6.

Amy Mellor will prosecute the case for the Barton County Attorney’s Office.