4.2 Magnitude Earthquake Reported in Kansas
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A series of earthquakes shook parts of Kansas near Hutchinson, knocking down ceiling tiles and breaking some windows. The largest earthquake measured 4.2 and struck around 8 a.m. Friday, with an epicenter about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from Hutchinson. The U.S. Geological Survey received reports that it was felt in Topeka; Ponca City, Oklahoma; and even Kansas City, Missouri, which is some 200 miles (322 kilometers) from Hutchinson. Rick Miller, of the Kansas Geological Survey, says three temblors with magnitudes ranging from 2.8 to 3.3 quickly followed in the same area. He says the epicenters were within 200 yards (183 meters) of each other, near the intersection of U.S. 50 and Kansas 96. A 2.5 earthquake on Wednesday may have been a foreshock.
(– earlier reporting –)
USGS Confirms 4.2 Magnitude Earthquake Near Hutchinson
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH / KPR) - An earthquake shook parts of south central Kansas this (FRI) morning. The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed a 4.2 magnitude quake in Reno County... with an epicenter located about 3 miles west, south-west of South Hutchinson. Wichita TV station KWCH reports that people as far away as Manhattan and Wamego also felt the quake. The Kansas Geological Survey has also been reviewing the earthquake data and monitoring after shocks.
(AP version)
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake Reported in Reno County
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake shook parts of Kansas near Hutchinson. The earthquake occurred this (FRI) morning, with an epicenter about 3 miles from Hutchinson. The federal agency said the earthquake registered at 4.2 magnitude. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. WIBW reports people some 140 miles away in Topeka reported feeling the earthquake.
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Kansas Cancels Grant for Early Literacy Program in Schools
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is cancelling a grant with the company that administers an early literacy program for public school children after an audit found the company received millions of dollars it wasn't entitled to during former Governor Sam Brownback's administration. The Kansas Department for Children and Families announced today (FRI) that it was ending the contract with Hysell & Wagner, which operated the Kansas Reading Roadmap program. For the next academic year, the agency will directly fund schools planning to offer the program. Auditors found Hysell & Wagner received nearly $2.3 million in 2014 and 2015 that it was not entitled to, including excessive payments to company executives. The agency said in a news release the audit that uncovered the incorrect payments began during Brownback's administration but was never finalized or released.
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Mother Arrested in Death of 2-Year-Old Wichita Boy
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The mother of a 2-year-old boy who was found dead in a Wichita hotel has been arrested in his death. Wichita police spokesman Charley Davidson said Thursday that 23-year-old Kimberly Compass faces a possible felony murder charge in the death of Zayden Jaynesahkluah. The boy was found dead May 31 at the Sunset Motel in Wichita where he lived with his mother. Davidson said in a news release that new information from the Regional Forensic Science Center led to the arrest. He did not elaborate. Information on how the boy died has not been released. Davidson said the investigation is continuing. State Rep. Michael Capps, a Wichita Republican, said when the boy died that state welfare officials had previous contact with Zayden's family.
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Kansas Man Convicted in Wellington Woman's Death
WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas man has been found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the death of a woman who was his son's mother. Bradley Aue had been charged with second-degree murder in the May 2018 death of 26-year-old Sierra Craft-McGee in Wellington. KWCH reports a Sumner County jury on Wednesday found Aue guilty of the lesser charge. Prosecutors allege Aue hit Craft-McGee several times and pushed her into a window, severing an artery and causing cuts throughout her body. He also didn't obtain timely medical attention for the victim. Emergency responders were unable to revive Craft-McGee, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Missing Kansas Sheriff's Deputy Believed to be in Turkey
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A missing Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputy is believed to be in Turkey. Sheriff Jeff Easter says Homeland Security was able to confirm that the deputy -- Derick Chandler -- flew to Istanbul. KAKE-TV reports Chandler is implicated in an investigation in Wellington of a sex crime involving a 13-year-old. On Monday, a deputy found Chandler's gun, badge, identification and armor in the back of his patrol car. He hadn't been on duty for about a week. Investigators believe he drove from Wichita to Dallas, flew to Houston and took another flight to Istanbul. Wellington officials have not issued a warrant for Chandler, so he is not currently considered a fugitive. Sheriff Easter said termination proceedings will begin, which can take at least a couple of weeks.
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Missouri Gives Businesses More Time to Apply to Run Medical Marijuana Facilities
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Missouri is giving businesses that want to run medical marijuana facilities more time to file applications. The state has extended the deadline until 4:30 Monday afternoon. The deadline was scheduled to end Saturday. Missouri is expecting a large number of applications to be submitted in a short amount of time. Already, more than 230 applications have been submitted by businesses hoping to open facilities in Missouri. The state plans to license 60 cultivation facilities, 192 dispensaries, 86 medical marijuana-infused manufacturing facilities and 10 testing labs.
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Former Catholic Bishop with Ties to Kansas City Now Facing Sex Abuse Allegations in Wyoming
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - A former Catholic bishop is facing multiple allegations of sexual abuse of boys during his career, including 25 years in Wyoming. The Casper Star-Tribune reports at least three Wyoming men say former Bishop Joseph Hart abused them while he worked in the Diocese of Cheyenne. A spokesman for the Kansas City, Missouri, diocese says it settled lawsuits in 10 other cases involving Hart over the years. Four people have leveled abuse claims against Hart in the past year. Hart has consistently denied allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct, while his attorney has not responded to repeated messages seeking comment. Hart was among 11 people named in a June report by the Diocese of Cheyenne about sexual abuse between 1957 and 2003. Hart led the diocese from 1976 until 2001.
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Former Lawrence Police Officer Sentenced to Probation in Road Rage Case
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) - A former Lawrence police officer has been sentenced to 12 months of probation for threatening another driver with a gun on a suburban Kansas City highway in a case of road rage. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that 35-year-old Jeffrey Brian Holtzman faces up to five months in prison if he violates the terms of the probation under the sentence imposed Thursday in Johnson County District Court. He initially was charged with aggravated assault but pleaded guilty in June to a reduced charge of criminal threat. The victim told police that he was driving on Interstate 435 near Interstate 35 in October 2018 when Holtzman pulled alongside him and pointed a handgun at him. It wasn't clear what prompted the incident. Holtzman resigned from the Lawrence Police Department the following month.
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Tyson Officials: Welding Spark Likely Caused Holcomb Plant Fire
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) - Tyson officials say a spark from welding during maintenance is the likely cause of a fire that damaged the company's plant in Holcomb. Tyson representatives met Wednesday with state and other government officials to discuss Friday night's fire, which caused extensive damage. No one was injured. KWCH reports the company reaffirmed its commitment to rebuild the plant and reopen it as quickly as possible. Company officials said the fire damaged a small area but affected critical operating systems. The company's president and CEO, Noel White, and Steve Stouffer, president of Tyson Fresh Meats, told officials work will begin immediately on structural damage. Other repairs, particularly electrical, will likely take more time. The company is currently completing a full assessment of the plant with electrical and structural engineers.
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Kansas Man Awaits Sentencing After Pleading No Contest in Death of Woman at Dodge City Hotel
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) _ A 20-year-old Kansas man is awaiting sentencing after pleading no contest in the death of a woman at a Dodge City hotel. Ford County Attorney Kevin Salzman said Boston Boswell pleaded no contest Monday in the death of 27-year-old Shantel Rose Winkler. The Dodge City Daily Globe reports prosecutors say Boswell went to work at Howell County Feeders on March 3, 2018, and told co-workers he had killed a woman. Officers found Winkler's body at a Super 8 hotel in Dodge City. She had been shot in the head. Sentencing has not been scheduled.
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Man Sentenced in Fatal Shooting at Lawrence Motel
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - A 20-year-old Kansas City, Missouri, man has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for his role in a hotel shootout in Lawrence that killed one man and injured two others. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Shawn Smith was sentenced Wednesday to 32 months for robbery. Smith was originally charged with first-degree felony murder and several other counts in the September 2017 shooting death of 23-year-old Cameron Hooks, of Lenexa, and the wounding of two other men. The shooting happened while two groups of friends were drinking and smoking marijuana at a Motel 6. Each group accused the other of trying to rob them, sparking the shooting. Two other co-defendants from Kansas City, Kansas, previously were convicted of voluntary manslaughter and other charges in the case.
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Mother, 2 Young Children Killed in Eastern Kansas House Fire
BURLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a mother and her two young children have been killed in a house fire in eastern Kansas. WIBW-TV reports that Coffey County Sheriff Randy Rogers says a fourth person suffered severe burns Friday morning while escaping from the home in Burlington. The survivor was flown to an area burn center. Rogers didn't identify any of the victims, pending notification of their relatives. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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83-Year-Old Convicted of Killing Man Who Was Buying His Home
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An 83-year-old man has been convicted of fatally shooting the buyer of his Topeka home because he felt too much was being asked of him before he moved out. WIBW-TV reports that jurors found Anthony Darcy guilty Friday of second-degree murder and assault in the death of 36-year-old Stephen Matthew Snyder. He also was convicted of child endangerment because the killing happened in front of Snyder's 8-year-old son. Prosecutors allege Snyder was shot three times in May 2017 when he went to the house he was buying from Darcy to measure a room for carpet. Snyder had closed on the house but allowed Darcy to live in it for two weeks before moving out. The defense argued that Darcy acted in self-defense. His sentencing is set for Nov. 8.
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Latest Bankers Survey Indicates Shrinking Rural Economy
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The latest monthly survey of bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states indicates a shrinking rural economy, and three-quarters of bankers said President Donald Trump's trade policies are having a negative effect on their local economies. The Rural Mainstreet survey released Thursday shows the its overall index falling from an already anemic 50.2 in July to 46.5 this month. Any score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says trade tensions "are driving growth lower for areas of the region with close ties to agriculture." Goss also noted that despite negative consequences from tariffs, nearly 7 of 10 bank CEOS surveyed support either raising or continuing the Trump administration's current tariffs. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.
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