Two Teens Shot and Wounded at Lawrence City Park
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Lawrence police are investigating a shooting at a city park that left two teenagers wounded — one of them critically. The shooting took place just before 4 pm Friday at Holcom Park in southwest Lawrence. As of Friday evening, one victim -- an 18-year-old man -- was listed in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. A second victim, a 16-year-old boy, was listed in serious condition. Within an hour of the shooting, two males described as "persons of interest" were taken into custody and detained for questioning. Police say they are not looking for any additional suspects at this time. Witnesses -- or anyone with additional information -- is asked to contact the Lawrence Police Department.
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2 Top Kansas Highway Patrol Leaders Resign
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two top leaders of the Kansas Highway Patrol are leaving the agency. Governor Laura Kelly announced Thursday in a news release that Colonel Mark Bruce, the patrol's superintendent, and Lt. Colonel Randy Moon, an assistant superintendent, have resigned. Kelly said Shawnee County Sheriff Herman Jones will take over the agency on Wednesday. Maj. Jason De Vore will be acting superintendent until Wednesday. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the governor's spokeswoman, Ashley All, said she couldn't comment on the departures because they were personnel matters. Kelly said in December that she would retain Bruce because he was an effective leader and a strong advocate for law enforcement officers. Jones led the Shawnee County Sheriff's Department since 2012 and was a highway patrol employee for more than 20 years.
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California Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Fatal 'Swatting'
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A California man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a hoax call that led police to fatally shoot an unarmed Kansas man following a dispute between two people over $1.50 bet in a "Call of Duty: WWII" video game. Twenty-six-year-old Tyler R. Barriss was sentenced Friday. He pleaded guilty in November to 51 charges related to fake calls and threats, the most serious one for making a false report resulting in a death. Officers who responded shot a Wichita man who opened the door at the former address of a gamer involved in the dispute. Prosecutors sought a sentence of 25 years. The defense sought 20. The case drew attention to the practice of "swatting," a form of retaliation used by gamers and others get police to descend on an address.
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State of Kansas Dropping Additional Charges After Sentencing 'Swatter'
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas authorities are dropping involuntary manslaughter and other state charges against a California man who was sentenced in federal court to 20 years in prison for a hoax emergency call that led to a Wichita man's death. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said Friday he will dismiss the state charges because Tyler Barriss would be getting more prison time in the federal case than in state court. Barriss was sentenced on 51 federal charges related to fake calls and threats, the most serious one for making a false report resulting in the death of Andrew Finch. Finch's sister, Dominica Finch, says Barriss got what he deserved. The family wants to see police also be held accountable. Finch was unarmed when an officer responding to a bogus kidnapping call shot him. Barriss apologized to Finch's family in court Friday. He said he takes full responsibility for what happened.
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Flooding Prompts Criticism of Way Missouri River Dams Run
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — This spring's massive flooding along the Missouri River has renewed criticism of the agency that manages the river's dams. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says much of the water that created this month's flooding came from rain and melting snow that flowed into the river downstream of all the dams. At the same time, massive amounts of water filled the reservoirs and some had to be released. But many people who live near the Missouri River believe the Corps isn't doing enough to prevent floods or is placing too much emphasis on other priorities, such as protecting endangered species and preserving barge traffic. Republican Senator Josh Hawley, of Missouri, says Congress should consider serious reforms to ensure flood control is the agency's top priority.
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EPA: No Toxic Releases at Superfund Sites in Flooded Midwest
MEAD, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators say flooding in the Midwest temporarily cut off a Superfund site in Nebraska that stores radioactive waste and explosives. It inundated another one storing toxic chemical waste in Missouri, and limited access to others. The Environmental Protection Agency reported Wednesday that there were no releases of hazardous contaminants at any of eight toxic waste sites in flooded parts of Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. The EPA identified the Nebraska Ordnance Plant in Mead, Nebraska, and the Conservation Chemical Corporation site in Kansas City, Missouri, as heavily flooded Superfund sites that required the agency to take immediate action to prevent the spread of contaminated groundwater. Two Iowa sites had some minor flooding but did not require the agency to immediately do anything. It plans to reassess once the floodwaters recede.
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Kansas Diocese IDs 14 Priests Credibly Accused of Abuse
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina, Kansas, has identified 14 priests with substantiated allegations of clergy sexual abuse with a minor. Bishop Gerald Vincke released a list of the names Friday after a county prosecutor who's now a judge audited the diocese's clergy files. A lay board then reviewed the findings and identified the 14 substantiated cases. Twelve of those priests are now dead; the other two have been removed from the priesthood. The allegations date from 1907 to 2012. Vincke wrote in a message posted on the diocese's website that his "heart aches" for the victims and their families. He acknowledged times in the past when the "the Church failed to address the needs of the people who are victims in favor of protecting the reputation of the priest."
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Catholic Order Identifies Friars Accused of Sexual Abuses
DENVER (AP) — A Catholic order in Colorado has released the names of 13 friars accused of sexual abuse. The Denver Post reports that the Capuchin Franciscans of the Province of St. Conrad in Denver provided information obtained through a 2018 audit ordered by its head minister that uncovered abuses of minors or vulnerable adults. The order says two of the 13 friars are dead and five have left the order, but none are currently in active ministry. The province says it is unaware of the number of victims or incidents, but 10 of the accused spent time in Colorado and all the cases have been submitted to the Denver District Attorney or district attorneys where abuses occurred. The newspaper reports the Capuchin order is in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Texas.
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New Trial Ordered for Jacob Ewing in Divisive Rape Cases
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Court of Appeals has ordered a new trial for a man whose conviction of two rape cases divided his small northeast Kansas town. The court on Friday said mistakes by the prosecutor denied 24-year-old Jacob Ewing of Holton a fair trial. Ewing was convicted in June 2017 of two counts of rape and several other offenses. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Ewing argued in his appeal that special prosecutor Jacqie Spradling misstated evidence in her closing arguments that inflamed the "passions of the jury." He also argued the court made other errors in allowing some evidence in his trial. The appeals court ruled the cumulative effect of the errors required that Ewing get a new trial. The allegations against Ewing, a member of a well-known family, divided Holton, a town of about 3,300 residents.
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Kansas Sheriff Suspended Without Pay During Investigation
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas sheriff is suspended without pay while a case against him is investigated. KOAM-TV reports a court issued the suspension to Montgomery County Sheriff Robert Dierks on Friday. Undersheriff Richard George will be acting sheriff. Court documents say Dierks was charged with two misdemeanors after he tried unsuccessfully to interfere in the drunken driving arrest of his girlfriend. He is charged with interference with law enforcement and witness intimidation. Dierks's then-girlfriend, Valerie Smith, was pulled over in January 2018 on suspicion of drunk driving.Prosecutors allege Dierks tried to talk deputies out of taking Smith to jail, and then asked them not to show up at her court hearing. The deputies did not agree to Dierks's requests.
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Kansas Woman Sentenced After Child Injured at Home Day Care
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A 27-year-old Olathe woman was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after a child in her home day care was injured so badly he was left blind and with brain damage. The Kansas City Star reports Paige Hatfield was sentenced Thursday for aggravated battery and operating an unlicensed day care. Hatfield was found guilty in January of injuring 4-month-old Kingston Gilbert in January 2017. Doctors at Children's Mercy Hospital diagnosed the infant with abusive head trauma. Court records said a doctor told police the type of injuries are caused only by "violent non-accidental physical trauma." Hatfield testified at her trial that she did not hurt the child.
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Kansas Farmers Plan to Plant More Corn, Soybeans
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas farmers are planning to plant this spring more corn and soybeans on their land, and fewer acres of sorghum. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Friday that growers intend to seed 5.7 million acres of corn, up 5 percent from a year ago. Soybean acreage is expected to be 4.95 million acres, up 4 percent from last year. Farmers indicated that they will put in just 2.75 million acres of sorghum, down 2 percent from a year ago. Winter wheat acres, seeded in the fall, are expected to total 7 million in Kansas. That is down 9 percent from the previous season. Stocks stored from the last soybean crop are up 22 percent to 135 million bushels. Sorghum stocks are up 51 percent with 137 million bushels in storage.
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Trump Issues New Permit for Stalled Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has issued a new presidential permit allowing construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, two years after he first approved the long-stalled project. Trump said the permit issued Friday replaces one granted in March 2017. It is intended speed up development of the controversial pipeline, which would ship crude oil from tar sands in western Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. A federal judge blocked the project in November, saying the Trump administration had not fully considered potential oil spills and other impacts. Judge Brian Morris ordered a new environmental review. An appeal filed by the project's developer, Calgary-based TransCanada, is pending. Stephan Volker, an attorney for environmentalists who sued to stop the project, said it was highly unlikely that pipeline work could proceed without court approval.
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Kansas Mom Sentenced in Death of Son Found in Concrete
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the abuse and murder of her 3-year-old son, whose body was found encased in concrete in the family's Wichita home. Miranda Miller was sentenced Thursday in the 2017 death of Evan Brewer. She pleaded guilty in late 2018 to second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, child abuse and aggravated endangering a child. Prosecutors allege Miller and her boyfriend, Stephen Bodine, abused Evan for months, including forcing him to stand naked in chains for hours with a belt around his neck. As part of her plea, Miller testified against Bodine, who was sentenced in December to more than 100 years in prison for Evan's death. Police believe Evan died in May 2017. His body was found that September after Miller and Bodine moved out.
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Kansas House Votes to Keep Campus Concealed Carry
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House has rejected a move to repeal part of a state law allowing concealed carry of firearms on college campuses. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Lawrence Democratic Representative Barbara Ballard on Thursday offered an amendment to an unrelated gun bill that would have added college campuses to a list of places exempt from the state's concealed carry law. The law requires that most government-owned buildings allow people to carry concealed firearms unless there is adequate security to prevent anyone from bringing in a weapon. Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas, and Ballard told lawmakers that some parents have decided to send their children to out-of-state or private institutions that do not permit concealed carry of firearms. Ballard's amendment failed on a 43-75 vote.
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Police: Man Driving 130 MPH was Headed to the White House
KINGWOOD, W.Va. (AP) — A Kansas City man who police say had a gun and was speeding to the White House has appeared in court after being accused of threatening President Donald Trump during a traffic stop in West Virginia. Forty-two-year-old Eric Leonardo Charron of Kansas City, Missouri, was arraigned Thursday on charges of reckless driving and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. State police say Charron was going 130 mph on Interstate 68 when he was pulled over Wednesday near Bruceton Mills. A trooper said in a criminal complaint that Charron claimed to be running late to a dinner with Trump and also wanted "to meet with the leader of the Army to return a phone." The trooper says a vehicle search turned up a handgun, 300 rounds of ammunition and gunpowder.
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Ban on 3 K-State Students at Kansas Capitol is Lifted
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three Kansas State University students who were barred from the Kansas Statehouse for a year have been reinstated. The Kansas City Star reports capitol officials on Thursday reversed the ban that was imposed Wednesday after the students helped hang large banners saying top Republican legislators who oppose expanding Medicaid have "blood on their hands." The four banners were up for only a few minutes before they were taken down. Capitol Police Officer Scott Whitsell said Wednesday that he banned the students because they violated a policy that requires protesters to get permission before hanging banners. They were escorted out of the building by the Kansas Highway Patrol, which operates security in the Statehouse. An explanation for the reversal was not immediately available.
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U.S. House Investigates Voter Irregularities in Kansas, Texas
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Congressional investigations over voter irregularities have expanded with Democratic lawmakers now requesting information from state officials in Kansas and Texas. The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent letters Thursday seeking communications related to the decision by Ford County, Kansas, to move the only Dodge City polling site outside of city limits for the 2018 midterm elections. It is also seeking communications about efforts in January by the Texas secretary of state's office to purge voter rolls amid disputed claims that thousands of registered voters may not be U.S. citizens. The four letters were signed by Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the Oversight Committee, and Representative Jamie Raskin, chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The letters ask that the communications be produced by April 11.
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Andy Tompkins Named Interim President at Wichita State University
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Regents has named former regents president and CEO Andy Tompkins as interim president of Wichita State University. The regents announced Thursday that Tompkins will serve as interim president until a full-time replacement is found. Tompkins will replace John Bardo, who died earlier this month after suffering from a chronic lung condition. Tompkins was interim president at Fort Hays State University from December 2016 to November 2017 while that university conducted a search for a new president. He was president and CEO of the regents from 2010 to 2015 and has worked in education since 1969.
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Oklahoma Company Seeks Approval for Pipeline to Cross Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An Oklahoma-based energy company is seeking approval for a pipeline that would carry volatile gas liquids through the Kansas county that is home to Wichita. Williams Companies Inc. met with Sedgwick County officials Wednesday about the 187-mile Bluestem pipeline that would run from McPherson County, Kansas, to Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, the Wichita Eagle reported. The line would carry pressurized gas liquids, such as propane and butane, across mostly farmland in Sedgwick County, according to pipeline officials. But the plans also call for the line to pass through the city of Cheney. Sedgwick County officials would need to issue permits for the Bluestem pipeline to cross county roads. Williams Companies contractor Jay Vincent told county commissioners that the pipeline would carry 225,000 barrels a day of pressurized gas liquids, which he said are byproducts of natural gas production. The volatile liquids would be separated from natural gas at the company's plant in Conway. The proposed pipeline would connect the Kansas plant to the Targa Grand Prix pipeline in Oklahoma, so that the liquids could move to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico. Vincent said the liquids are typically safer than an oil pipeline and don't pose a threat to groundwater. The pipeline would also be frequently inspected and protected by a cathodic system that uses a weak electrical current to prevent metal corrosion, Vincent said. The company hopes to obtain permits along the pipeline route by January and to complete construction in November 2020.
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New Hampshire Courts: Tech in Hep C Cases Took Too Long on Sentence Request
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A traveling medical technician convicted of infecting patients with hepatitis C waited too long to ask a judge to vacate his sentence, New Hampshire prosecutors said Friday. David Kwiatkowski was sentenced in 2013 to 39 years in prison for stealing painkillers and replacing them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood. In January, he acted as his own attorney and asked to be released, saying his former lawyer was ineffective. In a response filed Friday, U.S. Attorney Scott Murphy said that such claims must be made within a year of conviction. While there are some exceptions to the requirement, none apply in this case, he wrote. Despite being fired numerous times over drug allegations, Kwiatkowski had worked in 18 hospitals in seven states before being hired by Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire in 2011. After his arrest the following year, 46 people in four states were diagnosed with the same strain of the hepatitis C virus he carries, including a woman who died in Kansas. At his sentencing hearing, Kwiatkowski apologized to his victims, saying his crime was caused by an addiction to painkillers and alcohol. In the motion he filed himself from prison in Florida, he argued that his lawyer allowed him to plead guilty under extreme emotional distress and that his sentence was calculated incorrectly. He also said the sentence should have been much lower and that his mental state "should have been in question" for agreeing to the deal. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that attacks the liver. In all, 32 patients were infected in New Hampshire, seven in Maryland, six in Kansas and one in Pennsylvania. Kwiatkowski also worked in Michigan, New York, Arizona and Georgia.
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KU Running Back Williams to Do Diversion in Domestic Violence Case
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas running back Pooka Williams agreed to diversion terms for a misdemeanor domestic battery charge, though the Jayhawks' biggest offensive weapon remains suspended from the program. Court records filed Thursday show the agreement requires Williams to complete 40 hours of community service by Nov. 30. He also must submit to domestic violence offender assessment, and if that assessment doesn't result in any recommendations, Williams must take an anger management course. If he successfully completes the diversion, the allegation would be dropped from his record. Williams was charged in December after an 18-year-old Kansas student he was dating accused him of punching her in the stomach and grabbing her throat. He was suspended by the football program Dec. 7. Associated athletic director Jim Marchiony said in a statement that Williams "remains suspended from all team-related activities at this time while the university continues to evaluate the Dec. 5 incident. We continue to take this matter very seriously. Williams was the Big 12 offensive freshman of the year and a first-team all-Big 12 selection as running back and kick returner under former coach David Beaty last season. Beaty was fired after another lackluster season, and one of the first significant decisions that new coach Les Miles had to make was whether to suspend Williams from the team.
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