GOP Leader Seeks to Bar Kansas Governor from Naming Judge
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle is trying to bar Governor Laura Kelly from nominating a new state Court of Appeals judge after Kelly was forced to withdraw her first choice. The Senate's top Republican sent a letter Friday to Attorney General Derek Schmidt asking him to file a lawsuit to keep the Democratic governor from submitting another choice to the Senate for confirmation. Kelly withdrew her first choice of Labette County District Judge Jeffry Jack last month because of political posts on Jack's Twitter feed in 2017. Wagle contends that Kelly can't make another nomination under a 2013 law. Wagle says the power to make the nomination now goes to Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. Kelly disagrees. Schmidt has urged legislative action to clarify the law.
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Kansas Lawmaker: US Senate Hopeful Should Be with His Kids
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas legislator is suggesting that the state treasurer should drop his bid for the U.S. Senate because he "needs to be at home, helping to raise his young children." State Treasurer Jake LaTurner responded Friday that state Sen. Gene Suellentrop's comments were "cowardly." LaTurner is a Republican running for the seat held by four-term GOP U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, who is not seeking re-election in 2020. LaTurner is the only candidate to have filed so far, but at least seven other Republicans are considering the race. The 31-year-old LaTurner has four young children. Suellentrop is a 67-year-old Wichita Republican and made his comments about LaTurner in a tweet responding to a news report about the race. LaTurner replied that Suellentrop should "be a man" and talk to him personally.
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Spring Snowstorm Moving into Great Lakes Region
A spring snowstorm that pummeled Colorado and Wyoming before sweeping into the Plains is now moving into Great Lakes states, where it's already setting records. Winter storm warnings are posted for northern Wisconsin and Michigan, which could see heavy snow, strong winds, sleet and freezing rain. The National Weather Service reports that daily snowfall records have already fallen in La Crosse, Wausau and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Weather service meteorologist Steven Fleegel says as much as 25 inches of snow has been reported in northeastern South Dakota, and it will continue to snow into Friday. The weather service says the threat of severe weather will shift this weekend to southern states including Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Threats include damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes.
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Iowa, Nebraska leaders: Wet Weather Could Curb Road Repairs
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Iowa and Nebraska transportation officials say they're hoping to have nearly all roads and bridges damaged in the wake of massive flooding repaired by midsummer, but note that wet weather this spring could hamper that effort. Iowa Department of Transportation Director Mark Lowe and his Nebraska counterpart, Kyle Schneweis, held a news conference Thursday in Council Bluffs to update the public on damage in their states and how long it might take repair it all. In Iowa, the damage is concentrated in the west along Interstate 29, with the heaviest damage closest to the Missouri state line. In all, Iowa had nearly 50 miles along the I-29 corridor that are damaged, nearly half of that categorized as severe, with damage estimates between $70 million to $90 million. In Nebraska, 180 miles of roadway and 27 bridges were damaged — 12 of which are still closed. Schneweis estimates road and bridge damage at $160 million.
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Topeka Area School Superintendent Placed on Leave
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka area school district superintendent has been suspended after a drunken driving arrest. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the school board for the Shawnee Heights district announced Thursday that Martin Stessman was placed on administrative leave until June 1. The board ordered him to forfeit 20 days' pay, with those funds going toward an alcohol awareness program. Upon returning from leave, he will spend the next year on probation, during which time he must complete an alcohol assessment. Board president Eric Deitcher says Stressman also must speak to students to "make this a teaching moment." Stessman was booked Saturday night into the Jefferson County Jail and released on $1,000 bond. The board said in a statement that Stessman's conduct "during both school and non-school periods directly reflects the district."
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Priest Arrested After Money Missing at Kansas Church
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Reno County authorities say a Roman Catholic priest has been arrested after an investigation into money missing from a church. The sheriff's office said in a news release that 51-year-old Juan Gregorio Garza-Gonzalez, of Wichita, was arrested Thursday. The Hutchinson News reports the Catholic Diocese of Wichita contacted Reno County authorities in February with questions about finances at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in South Hutchinson. The release said detectives determined nearly $14,000 was missing from several locations at the church. Garza-Conzalez has been pastor at the church since June 2018. He was removed from his position at the church in March. The priest was released on a $2,500 own recognizance bond. No further court date has been set.
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Man Guilty of Blocking Kansas Internet Provider's Computers
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 35-year-old man has been convicted of making a Kansas internet provider's computers inaccessible to the public because he was upset his classified ad was removed. Michael Golightley, of Larned, was convicted Thursday on seven counts of damaging a protected computer and one count of threatening to damage a computer connected to the internet. The U.S. Attorney of Kansas said in a news release that Golightley arranged six denial of service attacks on Nex-Tech's computers in March 2017. The attacks made Nex-Tech's computers inaccessible to the public. Prosecutors say Golightley was angry that Nex-Tech removed his ad for a PlayStation 3 that had been modified to bypass a system security check. He placed the ad a second time and threatened to retaliate if it was removed again. Sentencing is set for July 1.
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Single-Vehicle Crash Knocks out Power to Kansas Town
MULVANE, Kan. (AP) — A small Kansas town is in the dark after a power line was damaged in a single-vehicle crash. KWCH-TV reports that the crash happened early Friday in Mulvane, which has about 6,000 residents. Police say the main line that feeds power to the town was damaged. No information was provided on whether the driver was injured. Mulvane is located about 15 miles south of Wichita.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Girlfriend's Toddler Daughter
HOISINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A man has pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend's toddler whose body was found in a rural area of central Kansas. The Kanas attorney general's office says 26-year-old Chaz Stephens admitted Thursday to a reduced charge of second-degree intentional murder in the March 2018 death of Iviona Lewis. He initially was charged with first-degree murder. Iviona had already been gone for more than 48 hours when she was reported missing. Her body was found the next morning near Hoisington. Police said at the time that the girl's mother had been visiting her brother in Great Bend, and the delay in reporting Iviona's disappearance stemmed from confusion over who was supposed to be caring for her. Her obituary described her as "smart, kind and gentle." Sentencing is set for June 3.
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Wichita Couple Arrested After Death of 2-Year-Old Son
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a couple has been arrested in the death of their 2-year-old son. Police spokesman Officer Charley Davidson says the boy was found dead in a crib in a south Wichita home Thursday night. A 4-month-old boy was hospitalized and will be placed into protective custody. The Wichita Eagle reports 22-year-old Brandi Kai Marchant and 28-year-old Patrick Javonovich were booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on Friday. Davidson said they are being held on suspicion of committing felony murder. Davidson says police who responded to a call about a domestic disturbance found the couple walking back to the home. Hey says it was not yet clear how long the children were left alone in the home. An autopsy will determine the boy's cause of death.
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Wichita Teenager Dies After Falling off Skateboard
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita teenager who was hurt when he fell off a skateboard has died. Wichita police said Thursday that a 15-year-old boy died from injuries he suffered Sunday. His name has not been released. Officer Charley Davidson previously said the boy fell off his skateboard and hit his head on the ground near Edgemoor Park. The boy was found lying in the street and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The Wichita Eagle reports he was one of two teens holding onto a vehicle by the car's open windows. The other teenager let go of the car and safely stopped on his skateboard. A 16-year-old boy was driving the car. Police say the three teenagers were friends.
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Fort Hays Receives $20 Million Gift from Late Hays Couple
HAYS, Kan. (AP) — Fort Hays State University officials say the school has received a $20 million gift from the estate of a couple who met at the school in Hays. The university held a celebration Thursday to honor Earl and Nonie Field, lifelong residents of Hays and longtime supporters of Fort Hays State. Nonie Field died in 2009 and her husband died in 2013. Earl Field was a board member and president of the university's Alumni Association. Jason Williby, president and CEO of the FHSU Foundation, said in a news release that the gift will support student scholarships for art, athletics and music. The couple built the Field Abstract and Title Co., which Earl Field operated it from 1946 until he retired in 1979.
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Census: Number of Kansas Farms has Dropped 5% over 5 Years
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The government's latest Census of Agriculture for Kansas shows the number of farms in the state has dropped 5 percent from the count taken five years earlier. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Thursday that there were 58,569 farms in Kansas during 2017. They covered some 45.8 million acres, down 1 percent from the 2012 census. Farms comprise 87.5 percent of total land in Kansas. Kansas farms averaged 781 acres, about 34 acres larger than when the agency counted five years ago. Kansas producers sold $18.8 billion of agricultural products in 2017, up 2 percent from 2012. About 66 percent of those products came from livestock and 34 percent from crops. Average net farm income was $49,291 in 2017, down 3 percent from 2012. The government's agricultural census is conducted every five years.
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Agriculture Report Shows Fewer but Larger Farms in U.S.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The latest Census of Agriculture shows the number of farms and ranches in the U.S. has fallen but the remaining operations are larger and are responsible for a higher percentage of agricultural sales. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the 2017 Census of Agriculture on Thursday, marking the 29th release of the report since the government began collecting the data in 1840. Since 1982, it has been released every five years. The census shows there were 2.04 million farms and ranches in 2017, down 3.2 percent from 2012. The average size of those operations was 441 acres, an increase of 1.6 percent. About 75 percent of all sales came from only 105,453 of those farms, down more than 14,000 from 2012. The average age of producers was 57.5.
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KU Museum Pulls T.Rex Fossil from Public View Amid Dustup
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has pulled the fossil of a juvenile Tyrannosaur Rex from public view at its Natural History Museum after anger erupted when the fossil's private owner listed it for sale for $2.95 million. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Alan Detrich, who isn't a trained paleontologist, says he originally shared his rare fossil with the museum two years ago because "the public ought to get to see it." The sales pitch for the fossil highlighted its ties to the school. Detrich says has now edited the eBay listing. Detrich has long been a source of frustration to some in the scientific community. They think fossils should be uncovered by people with more training and then donated for scientific study. Detrich says fossil hunting is a risky, expensive business. Read more about this story.
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Conservative Speaker Michael Knowles Speech Disrupted
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A University of Missouri-Kansas City student is facing charges after he allegedly sprayed a substance toward conservative political commentator Michael Knowles during a speech. Knowles was giving a speech titled "Men are Not Women" on the Missouri-Kansas City campus Thursday when protesters disrupted the event. The university said in a news release that during the disruption, student Gerard Dabu launched the substance toward Knowles, who was not injured. Police tackled and subdued Dabu with a stun gun near the stage. Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said in a letter to the campus Friday that police reacted that way because they didn't know if the substance was dangerous. Tests later determined it was lavender oil and other non-toxic household liquids. Dabu was charged Friday in municipal court in Kansas City with assault and other violations. Knowles is a conservative contributor to The Daily Wire and published a book titled "Reasons to Vote For Democrats" with blank pages.
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Man Who Fled to Oklahoma During Trial Sentenced to 71 Years
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 31-year-old Wichita gang member who fled to Oklahoma during a trial in 2018 has been sentenced to 71 years in prison. Tremain Shears was sentenced Friday for nine felonies, including attempted first-degree murder. District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a news release that Shears shot at Marcqual Hightower three times in 2016. Hightower was wounded three times but survived. A motive was not disclosed in court. While Shears was on trial, he had his GPS monitoring bracelet removed and fled to Oklahoma. The jury found him guilty the day after he fled. Shears was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Oklahoma City a few days after he fled.
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Former Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Walter White Has Died
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs say former tight end Walter White has died. White was 67. The team said White's family said he died Wednesday of complications from pancreatic cancer. He played his entire five-season pro career with the Chiefs, retiring after the 1979 season. In his second season, White finished among the top 10 in the NFL in receiving yards and touchdowns. White also played at Mesa Junior College in Colorado and at Maryland. In 1989, White became a founding member of the Kansas City Ambassadors, former players and team executives who represent the Chiefs in outreach and charity events. White was the group's inaugural president. White was employed at Commerce Bank in Kansas City for 22 years and most recently served as vice president of the bank's investment group.
