TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of groups representing Kansas counties and cities are arguing for the repeal or overhaul of a state-imposed property tax lid.

They made their case this week to lawmakers. The tax lid took effect in January and requires voters to approve property tax increases above the rate of inflation. The law contains exceptions for bond payments, spending on court judgments and other items.

It is meant to limit the growth of cities and counties. But Kansas Association of Counties executive director Randall Allen notes that the oil and gas downturn has affected a lot of counties.

Greg Wellbrock is the county appraiser for several southwest Kansas counties, and says he’s hoping they can just ride out the storm. He described the loss as “dramatic.”

RENO COUNTY – A Kansas man was arrested early Wednesday after leading Reno County Sheriff Deputies on a high-speed chase.

Richard Franklin Newkirk, 44, Great Bend, was  jailed on suspicion of felony flee and elude with five or more moving violations associated with the chase.

A deputy testified he was west bound on 4th Street at Peace Road in Reno County  at 1:30 a.m. and attempted a traffic stop for a suspended driver’s license.

The driver wouldn’t stop.

The chase 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.

Deputies also learned Newkirk also has warrants in both Barton and Ellis County.

He is scheduled to be back before a judge next week to see what charges are filed.

Newkirk has previous convictions for drugs and forgery in Reno and Barton counties, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas lawmaker has introduced a bill to prevent transgender students in public schools from using facilities associated with their current gender identities.

Republican state Rep. John Whitmer of Wichita introduced the bill Thursday in the House. He argues the measure would protect students.

Under the bill, schools could not allow transgender students to use bathrooms or locker rooms associated with the gender opposite of theirs at birth. The policy also would apply to overnight accommodations when student groups travel.

Schools could provide “alternative facilities” for transgender students.

Those who think a school has violated the policy could file complaints with the attorney general’s office, which would be allowed to take the school to court.

LGBT advocate Tom Witt decried the bill as giving the attorney general unfettered prosecutorial power.

SALINE COUNTY – Philips Lighting announced the layoff of thirty-two employees on Thursday, according to a company news release.
Melissa Kanter, Philips public relations spokesperson, said the layoffs are specific to the Salina branch, located in the 3000 block of South Ninth Street.

“The lighting industry continues to transform and we have to look for ways to increase operational efficiency,” Kanter said.
“As a result, we had to make a small reduction in the workforce.”

The Salina Philips had 281 employees before the reduction that took place Thursday morning.
Training and placement programs will be made available for those laid off, according to Kanter.

“Reductions in workforce are always a difficult decision, and Philips Lighting is committed to managing all matters related to the employees affected in a respectful and professional manner,” she said.

HARVEY COUNTY- Two people were injured during a high-speed chase and crash just before 1:30p.m. on Thursday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Lexus RX driven by Gary Beall, 47, Sterling, CO., was being pursued by law enforcement in the left lane northbound on Interstate 135 just north of Arapaho Road.

The driver made an erratic lane change to right shoulder, continued at a high rate of speed and struck a 2013 Chrysler Town car driven by Baker, James C. Baker, 71, Hillsboro, that was yielding to law enforcement on the right shoulder.

The Lexus left the roadway to left, traveled across the median, crossed southbound lanes of traffic, entered the left ditch and struck a KDOT fence and came to rest.

Beall and Baker were transported to the hospital in Newton. In addition to a variety of charges, Beall was also not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
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HARVEY COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Harvey County are investigating a suspect after a high-speed chase and crash.

Just after 1p.m. on Thursday, Newton police officers attempted to stop a vehicle that had reportedly stolen fuel from a gas station, according to a social media report.

The vehicle fled at speeds exceeding 100 mph. During the chase officers reported the driver swerved at and intentionally ran officers off the roadway.

The vehicle crashed on Interstate 135 just north of Arapaho and the driver fled on foot.

Officers captured him a short time later. The driver claims he is a parole absconder from another state and had stolen the vehicle, according to deputies.

The fleeing driver and the driver of the vehicle he collided with were transported for medical treatment.
A Hesston patrol car was lost due to a vehicle fire.

This driver will be booked for three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, pending review of potential attempted murder of a law enforcement officer charges by the County Attorney’s Office.

DOUGLAS COUNTY – A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 9a.m. on Thursday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Turnpike Authority reported a Chevy Silverado driven by Rene Rodriguez Lopez, 30, Topeka, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Lawrence.

The pickup rear-ended a westbound semi and struck the barrier wall.

The driver and a passenger Santiago Campos-Ramirez, 19, Topeka, were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the pickup.

Campos-Ramirez died. Lopez and a passenger in the semi Cristian Maldonado-Ortiz, 19, Topeka, were transported to a local hospital.

The semi driver from Oklahoma was not injured.

WICHITA–Passenger traffic at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport increased 1.97% over 2015, making it the second busiest year on record with 1,602,311 total passengers, according to a media release.

The growth in traffic is due in part to the addition of three new, nonstop destinations, St. Louis, Phoenix, and Orlando-Sanford, plus, the convenient and modern new terminal continues to draw passengers.

In 2016, June, September and October set new monthly records in passenger traffic.
The busiest year at the Wichita airport occurred in 2008 when there were 1,619,075 total passengers.  The 2016 achievement is significant because the capacity (number of available seats) was down 15% compared to 2008, yet traffic was down just 1% from that record year.

SALINE COUNTY –Fire officials including the Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating three fires that broke out in Saline and Ottawa counties Wednesday afternoon.

Investigators believe that someone set the grass fires that burned about 230 total acres, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

Just after 2 p.m., Saline County Rural Fire District 3 took responded to the intersection of Humbarger Road and House Road.

High winds pushed two of the western fires together, burning around 150 acres. The eastern fire burned around 80 acres.

No structures were damaged in the blazes but three landowners were affected.

The estimated cost of the damage was around $3,000 as landowners will need to replace fence posts in the burned area.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas legislator has confirmed that he inadvertently left a loaded handgun under a table in a Statehouse committee room that is open to the public.

Republican Rep. Willie Dove, of Bonner Springs, told reporters Thursday that the incident occurred after Tuesday afternoon’s meeting of the Kansas House Education Committee. A secretary found the gun minutes later.

Dove says he has a concealed carry permit and that he took the gun out of his leg holster because of a swollen ankle. He says he’ll start using a shoulder holster and will be more careful.

Firearms are allowed in the Statehouse.

Earlier this month, a New Hampshire lawmaker’s loaded gun fell from her waistband at a meeting but did not go off.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republicans are meeting Feb. 9 to pick their nominee for the congressional seat formerly held by CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

The special GOP convention in the 4th Congressional District will be in Wichita at Friends University and starts at 7 p.m. The choice will be made by 126 precinct committee members in the 17-county district.

Gov. Sam Brownback has called an April 11 special election to fill the seat. Democrats also will have a special convention to pick their nominee but have not scheduled it yet.

Republicans expressing an interest in the seat include State Treasurer Ron Estes, former congressman Todd Tiahrt and Donald Trump campaign adviser Alan Cobb.

The Democratic candidates are former State Treasurer Dennis McKinney, Andover police officer Charlie Walker and Wichita businesswoman Laura Lombard.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY – A semi driver was injured in an accident just after 3 a.m. on Thursday in Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 International semi driven by Joseph W. Dyer, Paris, TN, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of 12th Road.

The semi left the roadway into the median. The driver overcorrected and the semi rolled onto its side.

Dyer was transported to the hospital in Ellsworth. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 3-year-old boy has been killed after darting into the path of a pickup truck in a gas station parking lot.

The  boy’s family stopped for gas Wednesday night in Wichita. Wichita police Lt. Dennis Wilson says the boy’s father walked into the store after pulling up to the gas pumps.

The boy was struck when he ran from the family minivan and toward the store. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

WICHITA– After the Kansas Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of a Kansas man for contempt of court, he sought a review with the Kansas Supreme Court and they accepted.

Jose Delacruz, 35, Hutchinson, was found guilty of the charge for refusing to testify in a murder trial of co-defendant Anthony Waller for the April 2010 killing of Joshua Haines.

A Reno County judge sentenced Delacruz to 9-years in prison.

The sentence was also ordered to run consecutive to the nearly 7-years he received in the aggravated robbery case in association with the murder.

He had been found not guilty of murder in that case, but convicted of the aggravated robbery charge against him.

A hearing over the contempt case will be heard by the state’s high court on Thursday, according to Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder

The murder case centers on Haines being savagely beaten and strangled in a Hutchinson apartment and then placed in his own car and driven to a nearby street where police found it later that day.

A co-defendant in the murder case, Vassie Coons entered pleas to aggravated robbery, possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana while the murder charge against him was dropped.

He was given the maximum sentence for the aggravated robbery conviction and ordered to prison for nearly 12-years.

Waller, the man the state suspected of being responsible for the murder was sentenced to 40-years in prison.