by Fred Gough – Hutch Post

The two men suspected in the murder of Jennifer Heckel last summer will be tried separately. We learned that this Friday when both were arraigned on the charges.

48-year-old Billy Craig Jr., was arraigned Friday morning in front of Judge Tim Chambers and remained mute as to the entry of any plea. Craig along with his attorney Donald Snapp appeared via video from the Reno County Jail and his attorney told Judge Tim Chambers that his client would remain mute, meaning the court then entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Judge Chambers also indicated that he would set a pre-trial hearing in the case within the next 30-days. He also told Snapp to see if an additional attorney could be assigned to assist him at trial considering the complexity of the case.

The jury trial is tentatively set for July 17.

Friday afternoon, 32-year-old Charles Christopher Logsdon was arraigned in front of Judge Trish Rose, and entered a not guilty plea, so the judge set at pre-trial hearing for April 6.

The two face a jury trial, each charged with first degree murder and other related charges in association with the death of 27-year-old Jennifer Heckel. She was killed in her home at 501 Coronado back on June 14 of last year. Evidence suggest she was a victim of mistaken identity.

Logsdon also faces trial for a charge of aggravated battery. He’s accused of shooting Eric Harbacek in the leg after an altercation on November 26, 2010.

The victim testified that a friend had called him and asked him to come to a home in the south part of Hutchinson. He says he arrived and at one point was sitting on the couch at the home at 108 South Severance. There was apparently argument over prison stuff between Harbacek and another man sitting on the couch with him. He alleges Logsdon then shot him in the leg.

Judge Chambers set a trial date of May 22, in that case, with a motions deadline for both sides set on April 2.

In the murder case, both men could see the state seek a Hard 50 sentence in that case if they’re convicted.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. – Though influenza activity has remained lower than usual in Kansas this season, activity has been steadily increasing over the last several weeks with the latest weekly influenza surveillance report showing Kansas with “widespread” flu-like illness.

For the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify a state as “widespread,” the outbreaks of influenza or increases in influenza-like illness cases and recent laboratory-confirmed influenza are in at least half the regions of the state with recent laboratory evidence of influenza in that state.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment identified the first laboratory-confirmed influenza cases of the 2011-2012 flu season on Dec. 21. Symptoms of influenza include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, and muscle aches. Complications can include pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, and dehydration; influenza may also worsen other chronic conditions.

“Flu activity in Kansas is now widespread and is at the highest level so far this season. Influenza will continue to circulate through spring, so there is still time for people to get a flu vaccination to protect themselves, their families and the community,” said Robert Moser, MD., KDHE Secretary and State Health Officer. “The seasonal influenza types we’ve seen in Kansas are covered by the current vaccine.”

Influenza vaccination is effective for reducing the chances of getting sick and spreading influenza to others. Additional ways to avoid spreading influenza include covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands and staying home when sick.

All persons six months and older are recommended to receive an annual influenza vaccine. This is especially important for anyone at high risk of complications or who is caring for, or in regular contact with, an infant less than six months of age. Babies this age are too young to be vaccinated and are more vulnerable to the complications from influenza disease.

A key Kansas House committee is nearing the end of its work on a draft of the state budget.

The House Appropriations Committee planned to meet most of Friday to complete work on the bill. Chairman Marc Rhoades, a Newton Republican, says it closely follows the budget submitted by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

Rhoades says the measure will retain Brownback’s goal of having a projected ending balance of $465 million as of June 30, 2013. That would satisfy a law requiring Kansas to have a reserve account equal to 7.5 percent of state general fund expenditures.

The Senate is working on a version of the budget as well.

The Democratic-controlled Senate has rejected a Republican bid to speed approval of an oil pipeline that would pass through Kansas.

The 56-42 vote Thursday was the latest in a series of Washington skirmishes over the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil derived from tar sands in western Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. Sixty votes were needed for approval.

President Obama rejected the proposed $7 billion pipeline in January, citing uncertainty over a yet-to-be-settled route that avoids the environmentally sensitive Sandhills region in Nebraska. Obama said there was not enough time for a fair review before a deadline forced on him by Republicans.

Pipeline supporters call it an important job creator. Opponents say it would transport “dirty oil” that requires huge amounts of energy and water to produce.

A northeastern Kansas woman says a tornado that struck a town 40 miles away hit home for her when some of the debris turned up by her house.

The small Wabaunsee County town of Harveyville was hit the night of Feb. 28 by an EF2 tornado packing winds of 120 to 130 mph. The twister led to one death and damaged or destroyed numerous buildings, including the United Methodist Church.

Georgie Stebbins lives in Perry, about 40 miles northeast of Harveyville. Stebbins tells KAKE-TV she was out checking her mail six days after the tornado when she spotted what looked like a piece of trash. But it wasn’t litter – it was a program from the Harveyville church.

Stebbins says it’s a reminder how easily important papers can be lost.

by Randy Picking – Salina Post

A 21-year-old Salina man is in a Wichita hospital with serious head injuries, after he crashed his car off of the south side of the Ohio Street overpass about 5pm Wednesday evening.

According to witnesses, Andrew Hrabe was weaving in and out of traffic northbound on Ohio at a high rate of speed, when the 2001 Pontiac Grand-Am he was driving left the street, went airborne, struck the guy wires of a power pole that snapped the pole and rolled several times before coming to rest on Hoi Court.

Hrabe crawled out of the car. He was taken to Salina Regional Health Center before being airlifted to a Wichita hospital.

The investigation into the wreck continues.

A bipartisan group of Kansas legislators wants Gov. Sam Brownback to delay his proposed changes in the state’s Medicaid program until 2013.

The lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate — are circulating a petition among colleagues.

They said Wednesday there are too many unknowns about the Republican administration’s plans to move to a managed-care system of health plans for poor and elderly Kansans.

The administration wants to award three contracts to manage the program. But the legislators worry the changes will reduce benefits for Medicaid recipients or reimbursements for providers.

Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer says delaying the changes would do nothing to slow the state’s rising health care costs. Colyer says nearly 75 percent of Kansas Medicaid recipients are already covered by managed-care programs.

Arts advocates are planning to converge on the Kansas Statehouse as legislative committees review Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposal for arts funding.

Kansas Citizens for the Arts is sponsoring Thursday’s lobbying.

It comes the same day the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the House Education Budget Committee hold hearings on Brownback’s proposal to provide $200,000 to a new Kansas Creative Industries Commission.

The new commission would merge the Kansas Arts Commission and the state Film Services Commission. Many arts advocates consider it inadequate for supporting arts programs.

Brownback wants arts programs to rely more heavily on private money and less on state funds.

Last year, the governor vetoed the Arts Commission’s budget, making Kansas the first state to eliminate its arts funding.

Four months after a fire seriously damaged a mosque in west Wichita, rebuilding efforts have begun.

A fire last Halloween caused about $130,000 in damage to the Islamic Association of Mid Kansas mosque. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Donna Sibaai, a spokeswoman for the mosque, said Wednesday that members of the community raised about $100,000 for the first phase of rebuilding. She says Muslims traditionally don’t take outmortgages on their places of worship, so the reconstruction will be done in phases.

Wichita Fire Capt. Stuart Bevis said federal investigators are still analyzing evidence from the fire.

The Wichita Eagle reports the mosque was the first formal mosque in Kansas when it opened in 1978. There are now three mosques in Wichita.

by Randy Picking ~ Salina Post

A 30-year-old Larned man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Topeka for stealing cash and gift cards while working at the U.S. Post Office in Salina.

Stephen T. Mead is charged with one count of stealing the cash and gift cards from the mail between November of 2010 and January of 2011 .

If Mead is convicted, he could face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service.

House members have approved a bill that would reinstate happy hour at Kansas bars, restaurants and clubs.

The vote Wednesday was 80-41, sending the bill to the Senate, which has already approved a similar measure.

The intent is to repeal a law that prohibits businesses that sell alcoholic drinks from setting different prices at different times of the day. The ban on happy hour dates to 1985 when legislators worried about increasing alcohol abuse.

Legislators are considering more than a dozen liquor bills this year to loosen state laws that dictate who can sell beer, wine and hard liquor and under what conditions.

A House committee reviewed a proposal Tuesday that eventually would allow grocery and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer and wine.

By John P. Tretbar ~ St. Joseph Post

Scientists at the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory posted this video one of the most powerful solar flares Thursday, an X5.4-class flare.

X-class flares are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms.

It appears that right after the large X5.4 flare another slightly lower, X1 flare (5 times smaller) occurred. You can clearly see a wave going across the Sun.

They are still gathering data and the Space Weather Forecast Lab will be having updates available soon.