KU Athletics Under Fire from NCAA
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas received a notice of allegations from the NCAA on Monday that alleges significant violations within its storied men's basketball program, including a responsibility charge leveled against Hall of Fame coach Bill Self. The notice includes three Level 1 violations tied primarily to recruiting and cites a lack of institutional control. It also includes notice of a secondary violation in football tied to then-coach David Beaty that involved the use of an extra coach during practice. While the document does not go into detail about what the basketball program is accused of doing, Kansas was among the most prominent programs swept up in an NCAA probe into a pay-for-play scheme that began with an FBI investigation into apparel company Adidas. A former Adidas employee testified that he made payments to the family of one Kansas recruit and the guardian of a current player. Text messages presented in court revealed a close relationship between Self and the Adidas employee. The school said in a statement that it "strongly disagrees with the assertion that it 'lacks institutional control.' In fact, the university believes the record will demonstrate just the opposite." ( Read more about this story.)
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Fort Riley Soldier Arrested on Charge of Sharing Bomb Instructions
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities said Monday they arrested an Army soldier who they accused of discussing with an FBI informant a possible bomb attack within the United States as well as the targeting of left-leaning activists and a media organization. Jarrett William Smith, a 24-year-old private first class infantry soldier from South Carolina stationed at Fort Riley, was arrested Saturday and later charged with one count of sharing bomb-making instructions online. During his first court appearance on Monday, the magistrate ordered that he remain in custody pending a detention hearing on Thursday. His defense attorney, Thomas Bartee, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. A criminal complaint alleges that Smith discussed his plan to kill far-left-leaning "antifa" activists and described how to build a bomb that could be triggered by calling a cellphone. They accuse him of posting on Facebook that he was interested in traveling to Ukraine to fight with a paramilitary group known as Azov Batallion. Court papers say Smith also suggested targeting a major news network with a car bomb. The news network was not identified.
In an online chat group, Smith allegedly discussed with a confidential source in August a plan to conduct an attack within the United States and said he was looking for more "radicals" like himself, the complaint alleges. He talked about destroying nearby cell towers or a local news station. In an interview before his arrest, Smith told investigators he knows how to make improvised explosives devices and that he routinely provides instruction on building them. He stated he did this to cause "chaos." He said if chaos results in the death of people as a result of information he provided, it would not affect him, according to the complaint.
In one exchange Friday with an FBI undercover agent on the encrypted messaging service Telegram, Smith discussed using various household chemicals and commonly available equipment to make a bomb. "That's the best way to fight people," Smith is quoted in the complaint as writing. During that same exchange, Smith allegedly sent the agent instructions for building a "Middle East style bomb" that if big enough could destroy U.S. military vehicles. An FBI bomb technician later determined the specific instructions could have constructed a viable device. When the undercover agent asked Smith if there was anyone in Texas who would be a good fit for "fire, destruction and death," Smith reportedly replied, "Outside of Beto? I don't know enough people that would be relevant enough to cause a change if they died" — an apparent reference to former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
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Beto O'Rourke Campaign Takes Threat Seriously
WASHINGTON (AP) — The presidential campaign of former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke says it is in direct contact with the FBI regarding the case of an Army soldier accused of sharing bomb-making instructions online and targeting left-leaning activists. When an FBI undercover agent asked Jarrett William Smith if there was anyone in Texas who would be a good fit for "fire, destruction and death," Smith reportedly replied, "Outside of Beto? I don't know enough people that would be relevant enough to cause a change if they died." O'Rourke spokeswoman Aleigha Cavalier said in an emailed statement that they take any threat like this very seriously. The campaign says this isn't about any one person or one campaign, and they "won't let this scare us or cause us to back down in fighting for what's right." The 24-year-old soldier was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.
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'Miscommunication' About Gun Causes Fear at Lawrence School
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Police say a report that someone with a gun was at a Lawrence middle school led worried parents to break a window and pull children out. Officials say the report at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School Tuesday turned out to be a "miscommunication" and there was no threat or gun at the school. The Lawrence Journal-World reports police spokesman Patrick Compton said some students told school administrators that another student might have brought a gun to school. As a precaution, the school was put on lockdown while administrators questioned the child. Parents began arriving at the school after receiving text messages from students. Police arriving at the school found concerned parents trying to help the students out of the broken window. Five students suffered minor cuts from the glass.
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Missouri Man Pleads Guilty in Terrorist Attack Plot
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 28-year-old Missouri man charged with plotting a terrorist attack on buses, trains and a train station in Kansas City has pleaded guilty to one count. KRCG reports Robert Lorenzo Hester, of Columbia, entered his plea Monday to providing material support or resources to terrorists. Federal prosecutors charged Hester in February 2017 after a monthslong FBI investigation. An affidavit released at the time said undercover agents posing as Islamic State sympathizers met with Hester several times. At their request, he provided materials such as nails and duct tape that he believed would be used to create bombs. An FBI employee told Hester the attacks were planned for Presidents Day in Kansas City. Hester received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in mid-2013 after serving for less than a year.
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4-Year-Old Girl Among 3 Wounded in Wichita Shooting
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 4-year-old girl and two men have been wounded in a shooting at a Wichita home. KAKE-TV reports that shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. Sunday in the northeast part of the city. Police say an officer rushed the child to the hospital in a patrol vehicle before emergency crews arrived. She was initially in critical condition but now is listed as stable. Police say the men's injuries weren't life-threatening. Wichita Police Sgt. Paul Kimble says the three victims and a 21-year-old woman were in the house at the time of the shooting. Police say they were likely targeted and that one of the wounded men is a documented gang member. Police believe that multiple suspects were involved.
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Man Shot by Kansas Police During Traffic Stop Files Lawsuit
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence motorist who was shot by police claims in a lawsuit that officers used excessive force and the city doesn't properly train its police. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Akira Lewis filed the lawsuit Friday against the city, the police department and its chief, and the two officers involved in the March 2018 altercation. Lewis was shot by Officer Brindley Blood as he fought with Officer Ian McCann when Lewis refused to get out of the car during a traffic stop. Lewis, who is black, contended the stop was racially motivated. Blood, a rookie officer, said she meant to draw her Taser but drew her gun instead. An aggravated battery charge against her was dropped in March. Lewis is seeking damages in excess of $100,000. City Attorney Toni Wheeler said she could not comment on the lawsuit.
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Kansas Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Death of Drug Informant
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the October 2017 death of a confidential drug informant. Steven Meredith was sentenced Monday for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the shooting death of 48-year-old Carrie Jones. Both were from Junction City. Jones's body was found by deer hunters in rural Riley County in October 2017. The Manhattan Mercury reports prosecutors contend Meredith shot Jones because he thought she would tell authorities that he was selling drugs. Meredith pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge in July, days before his trial was set to begin. He initially was charged with first-degree murder. Meredith testified Monday that he was present when Jones was shot but said he did not shoot her.
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Police Look for Suspect in Apparent Random Wichita Stabbing
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police are searching for a man who stabbed a woman several times in what is believed to be a random attack. Police spokesman Paul Cruz says the 28-year-old woman was stabbed on Monday as she was standing near her vehicle in front of her home in northeast Wichita. The victim was in serious but stable condition Tuesday at a Wichita hospital. The man fled after stabbing the woman. Police are looking for a white man in his 40s. He's about 5-foot-9 and 140 pounds, with blonde or brown short hair and a scruffy beard.
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Flooding Forces Closure of Nebraska-Missouri Highway Link
RULO, Neb. (AP) — A highway linking southeast Nebraska with northwest Missouri has been closed. The Nebraska Transportation Department says U.S. Highway 159 east of Rulo is closed on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River bridge. The Missouri Transportation Department reports that water is rising over the highway on the Missouri side. The Iowa Transportation Department says a 16-mile stretch of Interstate 29 remains closed north of Council Bluffs, and Interstate 680 east of Omaha also remains closed by Missouri River flooding.
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Kansas Reports 2nd Death from Vaping-Related Lung Disease
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is reporting its second death from a vaping-related lung disease in less than two weeks. Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that a man over 50 has died. The state health department said it is not releasing the names, hometowns or other details about people who've died or become sick to protect their privacy. The state's first reported death related to e-cigarette use was a woman over 50 and reported September 10. Kelly's office said both people who died had other underlying health issues. Seven other Kansas residents have been sickened in an outbreak tied to more than 500 reported vaping-related illnesses nationwide. Five have been treated and released from a hospital, while two remained hospitalized Monday. Kelly said the state is considering policy options, without being more specific.
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GM Says Strikers Made Threats, Put Nails in Road
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says some United Auto Workers strikers at its Tennessee plant have blocked traffic, placed screws and nails on public roads and damaged vehicles during the ongoing nationwide walkout. GM detailed its complaints before a local judge approved a temporary restraining order Sunday barring certain unruly behavior at the Spring Hill plant. Court documents say about 100 nonunion salaried GM employees and contractors remain working at the plant so it can resume normal operations when the strike ends. GM is also shipping 1,000 finished vehicles ordered by customers via commercial haulers. The company says safety and security is the highest priority and a minority of picketers was unlawful. Several protesters were arrested for blocking the roadway last Wednesday. UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg says the union is committed to conducting strike-related activities safely and lawfully and is continuing to work with law enforcement as issues arise.
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Monkey Injured in Apparent Break-in at Kansas Zoo Now Recovering
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — A capuchin monkey at a western Kansas zoo is recovering after it was injured while apparently trying to stop an intruder from taking a younger monkey. Officials at the Wright Park Zoo in Dodge City say the older monkey, named Vern, was hurt and his son, Pickett, was found on the outskirts of Dodge City Sept. 3. The younger monkey was not injured. The Dodge City Daily Globe reports officials initially thought Vern's injuries were minor but a veterinarian found injuries apparently caused by blunt force trauma. The monkey underwent surgery at Kansas State University Sept. 10 to repair broken bones. Zoo spokeswoman Abbey Martin said Monday Pickett is doing well and is back on display. Vern remains in quarantine while he recovers. Dodge City police are investigating the incident. Martin says there are no developments in the investigation.
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Kansas Man Blames Pharmacy for Stroke After Medicine Mix-Up
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man is blaming CVS Pharmacy for his stroke, and he says in a lawsuit that the pharmacy filled his prescription for a blood thinning medication with the wrong drug. The Wichita Eagle reports that Ben Huie said in his lawsuit he suffered a stroke in July 2017 after taking the wrong medicine. Kansas CVS Pharmacy said in a formal response it didn't provide the incorrect medicine or cause the stroke. Huie says taking the incorrect medicine lowered the level of warfarin sodium in his system, which contributed to the stroke. That medicine is an anticoagulant used to treat and prevent blood clots. Huie had filled his warfarin prescription at its store for several years without problems. Kansas CVS says Huie's existing medical conditions contributed to the stroke.
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Gay Pride Flag Burned at Wichita Home
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the burning of a gay pride rainbow flag that had been hanging on the front porch of a Wichita home. Wichita police say the flag was burned between 1 am and 6 am Saturday. At the time, a man, woman and 11-year-old girl were inside the home. It is in the city's Riverside neighborhood, which is located near the Wichita Art Museum and a botanical garden. Police are investigating the incident as an aggravated and a hate crime. Anyone with information is urged to call police.
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Kansas Wesleyan Nursing Center Campaign Closer to Goal
SALINA, Kan. (AP) _ A new $250,000 grant brought Kansas Wesleyan's efforts to establish a new Nursing Education Center less than $1 million from its goal. The Dane G. Hansen Foundation announced the grant Tuesday to the fundraising effort. So far, the project has attracted $3.75 million. The Salina Journal reports the center will be built in a renovated 13,400-square-foot building donated by the Salina Regional Health Center. The Dane G. Hansen Foundation, based in Logan, was established in 1965 through an estate donation from Dane Hansen. It awards grants and scholarships every year to qualified recipients in northwest Kansas who demonstrate a strong desire for community improvement.
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