Suspect in Iola Doubled Murder Commits Suicide Upon Capture
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma official says a man sought in the deaths of two people in eastern Kansas has died after he shot himself as law enforcement officers approached him. Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office spokeswoman Amy Elliott confirmed Saturday that Ben Converse had died and that his organs were being harvested for donation before an autopsy was conducted. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said Friday that Converse had been located in Tulsa and shot himself with a handgun as officers closed in on him. Kansas authorities say Converse was a person of interest in the shootings deaths of 36-year-old Molly Wilson and her father, 69-year-old John Tadlock, in Iola, Kansas. The two were found Thursday in their home in Iola.
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18 Seek Kansas Court of Appeals Seat
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Eighteen attorneys and district court judges have applied for a soon-to-be vacant seat on the Kansas Court of Appeals. Governor-elect Laura Kelly's office released a list of the applicants Friday. She also appointed a bipartisan, nine-member committee to screen the applications and name three finalists. Her choice must be confirmed by the state Senate. Applicants include former Secretary of State Chris Biggs and District Judges Daniel Cahill of Wyandotte County, Jeffry Jack of Labette County and Teresa Watson of Shawnee County. Kelly's appointee would replace Judge Patrick McAnany. He is retiring January 14th, when Kelly becomes governor. State law does not require a governor to have a committee screen applications or conduct public interviews as Kelly plans . Former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback refused even to release applicants' names.
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Kansas Medical Board Bars Doctor, Chiropractor from IV Clinic
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas medical board has directed a doctor and chiropractor to temporarily stop working at a suburban Kansas City clinic that gives intravenous infusions of vitamins and minerals. The Kansas City Star reports that the Board of Healing Arts issued emergency orders this month saying the Overland Park, Kansas, clinic's advertising overstated the health benefits of such infusions and it didn't have procedures that ensure the IVs are safe. Chiropractor Tara Zeller and medical doctor Angela Garner cannot practice at IV Nutrition or any similar IV therapy clinic until further hearings can be held. The board set one for January 18th. Their attorney, Brian Niceswanger, said allegations of unsafe clinic conditions are false and he hasn't seen any advertising materials like the ones the board alleges the clinic used improperly.
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Kansas Campus Minister to Go to Antarctica
BALDWIN CITY, Kan. (AP) — A minister from a private Christian university in Kansas has been selected for a two-month deployment as a chaplain at a research center in Antarctica. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Baker University campus minister Kevin Hopkins will leave Jan. 2 for the assignment at McMurdo Station. The base houses about 1,000 National Science Foundation researchers, as well as military personnel who maintain the facility. Hopkins says he'll undergo a two-day orientation at Christchurch, New Zealand, where he'll receive gear needed for the extreme cold. He says that while temperatures can reach a high of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the station is known for its strong winds. Hopkins says he'll conduct Sunday morning services, worksite ministry and counseling at the Chapel of the Snows. He'll also visit the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
