Water Rescues in Tiny Missouri Town
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Emergency officials are conducting water rescues in the tiny northwestern Missouri town of Levasy in the wake of a levee breach along the Missouri River. Kansas City station WDAF reports the breach happened Saturday, flooding part of the town of about 80 people. Levasy is located about 26 miles east of Kansas City on U.S. Highway 24 just south of the Missouri River. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol were conducting the rescues by boat Saturday. Access to Levasy is restricted to residents only. Proof of residency is required to enter. No injuries have been reported.
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More Kansas Counties Declared Federal Disaster Areas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) Fifteen more Kansas counties have been declared federal disasters. Governor Laura Kelly announced yesterday (SAT) that last week's storms and tornadoes added 15 counties to the original 18 counties that had been declared disaster areas on May 26th, making 33 of the state's 105 counties eligible for federal support and resources. The new declaration includes Allen, Doniphan, Dickinson, Douglas, Geary, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marshall, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, Salina, and Wabaunsee counties, where flooding and storm clean-up continues. Governor Kelly's announcement said that additional designations may be made at a later date.
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McCurdy Auction to Sell Wichita Home for Charity
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — McCurdy Auction is preparing to sell to a house that a Wichita man willed to the Union Rescue Mission in 2018 before he died. The Wichita Eagle reports that McCurdy will sell Amin L. Brandhorst's four-bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house to the highest bidder on Saturday.All of the profits will be given to the Union Rescue Mission, an evangelical Christian ministry, to help the charity continue its work helping house homeless men. The house will be available for visits for one hour before the auction and will be shown to prospective buyers by appointment. The Sedgwick County Appraiser's Office shows the house is worth at least $114,100. But it will be sold at what's denoted as an absolute auction, which means there is no established minimum bid or reserve price.
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Ex-Kansas Band Teacher Pleads Guilty in Student Sex Case
WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A former south-central Kansas band instructor has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. The Wichita Eagle reports that 30-year-old Benjamin Olson entered the plea Thursday in Sumner County District Court. As part of the plea, Olson admitted to having a nude photo of a 17-year-old girl. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four other felony counts in the case. Prosecutors will recommend Olson serve 16 months in prison when he's sentenced July 25th. Olson was arrested in March. Police say he asked for nude photos and video from a student, of sending the student sexually explicit texts and fondling the girl. Olson had been the band teacher for the middle school and high school at Wellington since 2015.
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Two Killed in Head-on Crash in SE Kansas
PARSONS, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says two people have died in a head-on crash involving a semitrailer in southeastern Kansas. Television station KAKE reports the crash happened around 4:30 p.m. Friday when a westbound pickup truck crossed the center line of a rural highway just west of Parsons and hit a semitrailer head-on. The crash resulted in the vehicles erupting in flames. The patrol says the crash killed 39-year-old pickup driver Steven Bradford, of Jetmore, and the semi driver, 53-year-old Harry Pierce, of Torrington, Wyoming. The fiery crash shut down the highway until early Saturday morning. Authorities continue to investigate.
