A Kansas man who called police last year to report committing a sexual act on a 3-month-old child has now pleaded guilty to the crime.

The Hutchinson News reports that 25-year-old Michael Sherman faces up to life in prison following the plea Monday to aggravated criminal sodomy of a child. He could receive parole after 25 years, under Kansas law.

Sherman’s lawyer and Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder both say there was no plea agreement in the case. Sherman had been scheduled to go on trial Tuesday.

Sherman was arrested at his Hutchinson home last December after reporting to police what he had done.

Hutchinson Police Detective Scott Carlton says it’s unusual for a suspect to report himself and then plead guilty.

A conservative congressman representing Kansas has apologized for any offense caused by his naked swim in the Sea of Galilee last summer.

Politico reported Sunday that freshman U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder was among 20 lawmakers and staff who swam at the holy site during a fact-finding trip to Israel last August. Yoder was the only one not wearing clothes.

Yoder told The Kansas City Star he is “incredibly remorseful” and apologized for any embarrassment he has caused. He said it was dark and that he was only in the water for about 10 seconds.

Politico says the FBI is investigating but does not say why. It is not clear if Yoder broke any laws or if his actions generated complaints.

Yoder is unopposed for re-election in Kansas’ 3rd District.

 

The state wildlife department will set dates for this year’s duck season this week, which has become a contentious issue in southeast Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism commission will meet Thursday in Great Bend.

The Wichita Eagle reports duck hunters say the birds arrive later in southeast Kansas than in other parts of the state, where the season opens in late October.

The department is suggesting opening the season Nov. 3. But commissioners Don Budd, of Kansas City, and Robert Wilson, of Pittsburg, think it should open one or two weeks later. That way, the 74-day season could last longer into January.

Duck hunters in the northern part of the southeast zone want the Nov. 3 opening, while those farther south want a mid-November opener.

Patrons of a small central Kansas drive-in will be part of a national effort to save venerable outdoor movie theaters.

A miniature “film festival” will play at the Kanopolis Drive-In on Aug. 25. It will include two original short films followed by two major movies.

The evening is part of a New York woman’s efforts to promote drive-in theaters. Five years ago, C.C. Webster started a nonprofit group called Drive-In Film Festival. She says the mission is to bring independent films and film classics to small-town drive-ins across the U.S.

Webster thinks no other theater offers the same relaxed and fun approach to watching the movies.

In addition to the movies, the film festival includes old-fashioned carnival games, raffles and merchandise.

A Shawnee, Kansas man was injured around 8:15 Saturday evening in a motorcycle accident five miles east of WaKeeney.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Glen Newell, 56, was traveling westbound on I-70 on a 2009 Harley Davidson when he came up on a pick-up, hit the brakes and laid the bike down to avoid hitting the pick-up. Newell became separated form the motorcycle and slid along the roadway, eventually coming to rest in the lane of traffic, while his motorcycle came to a stop on the north shoulder.

Newell, who was not wearing a helmet, was transported to HaysMed with undisclosed injuries.

A Kansas pilot from Sharon Springs was injured Friday morning after a crash landing in a Greeley County cornfield.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, around 10:40 a.m. A.B. Smith, 52, was flying a 1971 Cessna fixed wing, single engine plane about 13 miles north of the K-27 and K-96 junction at Tribune when he lost control of his plane when banking to turn. Smith was able to regain control of the plane and straighten out but crash landed in a cornfield hard on his landing gear, in an upright position.

Smith was transported to Greeley County Hospital with undisclosed injuries.

by Randy Picking ~ Salina Post

A 30-year-old Salina man was arrested Thursday on 2 counts of rape, 12 counts of aggravated sodomy, and one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

Christopher Cunningham is charged with having sexual contact with a child under the age of 14 between August of 2009 and July of this year at a north Salina residence.

Police would not release the gender of the child, but the child was an acquaintance of Cunningham.

Cunningham was arrested at the Salina Police Department.

Police began an investigation after the Department of Children and Families contacted authorities.

Kansas officials say they’re seeing positive economic trends even though the state’s jobless rate moved higher last month.

In a report Friday, the Kansas labor department says the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 6.3 percent in July from 6.1 percent in June. Unemployment in July of last year was 6.7 percent.

The agency also says Kansas had about 22,000 more private-sector jobs in July than it did a year earlier, an increase of about 2 percent. The state had about 1.1 million private-sector jobs last month.

Employment by business and professional services companies had the biggest year-to-year increase at roughly 8 percent. Manufacturing employment also grew, while the number of government jobs declined.