New Kansas Governor Names 3 Agency Heads to Complete Cabinet
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor-elect Laura Kelly has named top administrators for three state agencies to fill the remaining openings in her Cabinet. The incoming Democratic governor announced Friday that she plans to nominate former state Rep. Delia Garcia of Wichita as secretary of labor and Westar Energy environmental official Brad Loveless as secretary of wildlife, parks and tourism. Their appointments must be confirmed by the state Senate. Kelly also said Mark Beshears will be interim secretary of revenue. He held the job in the 1990s under Democratic Gov. Joan Finney. Garcia served in the House from 2005 through 2010 and has been CEO of a group working to increase diversity among elected officials. Loveless is Westar's senior director of environmental conservation. Westar is the state's largest electric utility. Kelly takes office Monday.
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Man Who Fled Lansing Prison Recaptured in Missouri
LANSING, Kan. (AP) — A man who escaped from Lansing Correctional Facility on Monday is back in custody. Corrections department spokesman Brett Peterson said Cal Henry Green III was captured without incident Thursday in Independence, Missouri. Further information about the arrest was not immediately available. Green, a minimum security inmate, left the prison in a camo-painted state vehicle. The truck was later recovered in Kansas City, Kansas. Green is a minimum-security inmate currently imprisoned on an aggravated battery charge out of Wyandotte County. He has a long criminal record in Wyandotte County, including convictions for theft, burglary, fleeing to avoid arrest and forgery.
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Man Fatally Shot at Apartment Building Near Downtown Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a man has been shot and killed at a Topeka apartment building. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that police say the shooting happened Wednesday afternoon near the city's downtown. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died. His name wasn't immediately released. Police spokeswoman Gretchen Koenen says everyone believed to be involved in the shooting is in custody. She didn't release their names or other details of the crime.
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1 Killed, Another Wounded in Kansas City, Kansas, Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are investigating after one high school student was fatally shot and another wounded in Kansas City, Kansas. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Monday's shooting killed 18-year-old Bradley Samsel, who was a senior at Tonganoxie High School, which is about 20 miles west of Kansas City, Kansas. The other victim also was a senior at the school. Police say she remains in critical condition. The Tonganoxie school district said a crisis team was on campus Wednesday for students and school personnel.
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DA: Kansas Trooper Won't Be Charged in Man's Death in Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay says a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper was justified in fatally shooting a man whose vehicle was dragging the trooper and a Topeka police officer through the snow. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Kagay says the trooper won't be charged in the death of 35-year-old Jarmane Logan in November. The trooper and police officer were trying to take Chelsee Retana into custody when she and another woman got into Logan's vehicle in Topeka. Investigators say Logan was driving away with the women while dragging the officer and trooper. Investigators say the trooper shot Logan when he refused to stop the vehicle . Retana is charged with interference with law enforcement and possession of methamphetamine and two misdemeanors. The other woman hasn't been charged.
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Man Jailed in Shooting Death of Friend in Western Kansas
GOODLAND, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old man is jailed in the shooting death of a mixed martial arts fighter in western Kansas. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says in a news release that Jesus Soto was being held in Sherman County on an unrelated charge when an involuntary manslaughter arrest warrant was served. The warrant stems from the December 20 death of 21-year-old Zachary Chavez in a rural part of the county. The KBI says the men were friends. Online jail records also list an attempted criminal damage to property charge, as well as a probation violation. The prosecutor didn't immediately return a phone message about whether Soto had an attorney. Chavez' obituary said he had recently taken an interest in MMA, with his first title fight to take place in 2019.
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Schlitterbahn Mum on Plans for Water Park Where Boy Died
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The operators of a Kansas water park where a 10-year-old boy was decapitated aren't saying whether the attraction will open for the upcoming season. Schlitterbahn spokeswoman Winter Prosapio said Friday in an email that the Texas-based company doesn't have an announcement "at this time" about the park where Caleb Schwab died in 2016 on a 17 story-slide that was billed as the world's largest. Work began last year to dismantle the slide — called Verruckt. And prosecutors have charged several people, alleging that shoddy planning and maintenance led to Caleb's death. Season passes for 2019 for the Kansas City, Kansas, park aren't available on Schlitterbahn's website. But they are available at the company's four Texas locations, which open for spring break. Prosapio says those locations are a "focus."
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Study Criticizes High Costs of Air Ambulances in Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A state report says sick or injured Missourians who need air ambulance services often face steep medical bills, even if they have insurance. The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration issued a report Tuesday detailing the high costs and sometimes aggressive collection efforts patients face if they can't pay. KCUR Radio reports air ambulances billed Missourians nearly $26 million for services in 2017, leaving patients with $12.4 million in bills after coinsurance, copays and deductibles. The report says that equates to an average cost of $20,000 per person. The Association of Critical Air Transport, which includes air and ground ambulance providers, said in a statement that it was concerned about the exorbitant bills. It supports federal legislation that would improve consumer protections for air ambulance patients.
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Wichita Police Detail Shooting of Suspect
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say two officers shot a 29-year-old man after he tried to hit one of the officers with a stolen car. Police spokesman Charley Davidson said in a news release that the two Wichita officers and another person were trying to arrest the suspect Thursday. Davidson says when two Wichita officers drew their handguns, the suspect put the car in reverse, hit a corrections department vehicle and then drove forward, nearly hitting one of the officers. The two officers fired at the suspect, hitting him several times. He is being treated for critical injuries. One officer suffered minor injuries. The suspect was wanted for three counts of aggravated robbery, aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He also had traffic warrants.
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Wichita's Winefest Loses Partner for Excluding LGBTQ Bars
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita's annual Midwest Winefest fundraiser will have to find a new wine distributor after its partner pulled out of the event because organizers decided not to invite back certain bars and restaurants with LGBTQ clientele. Standard Beverage's chief financial officer, Angie Wilhelm, tells The Wichita Eagle that the Wichita liquor distributor will not work with the festival this year. The liquor company took issue with a recent decision by the event's organizer and beneficiary, Guadalupe Clinic, to not invite businesses it deemed "morally and ethically" at odds with Catholic values. The clinic provides medical services to uninsured community members and is part of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita. The clinic's executive director David Gear says LGBTQ bars and restaurants weren't the only businesses that weren't back this year.
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Missing Topeka Man Found Dead; Dog Found by His Side
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have found a missing 70-year-old man dead with his dog at his side after his pickup truck became stuck in the mud in rural Kansas. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Dannie Smith, of Topeka, hadn't been seen for five days when his body was found Wednesday afternoon on a low-maintenance road in Jackson County, near the Shawnee County line. Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse says Smith was known to drive to the reservation in Jackson County to purchase cigarettes. Morse said Smith was reported missing Sunday because he hadn't been seen since Friday. An autopsy is planned. His chocolate Labrador retriever, named Bear, was determined to be in good health.
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Former Kansas Soccer Player Charged with Molesting Student
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A former goalkeeper for the University of Kansas soccer team has been charged with molesting a student while coaching and working as a teacher's aide at a Seattle high school. Court records show that 35-year-old Meghan Miller was charged last month with third-degree child molestation and two counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. She was placed on administrative leave from Ballard High School before her arrest. Court records say Miller met the student in 2014 when the girl was 14 and going through a difficult period. Authorities say the relationship turned sexual when the girl turned 15. The records say they had sexual encounters in the school locker room and Miller's office. Miller graduated in 2004 from the University of Kansas, where she held several school records.
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Friendly McDonald's Worker Given Car by Regular Customer
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A friendly worker at a Hutchinson McDonald's is riding high after one of her regular customers surprised her with a major gift. Wichita businessman Chris Ellis says he always looked forward to being waited on by Vicki Anderson when he visited the restaurant. On Monday, Anderson asked Ellis if he knew anyone who was selling a car. Her 1994 vehicle needed repairs that would cost more than the car was worth. The Wichita Eagle reports Ellis' son was trying to sell his 2009 Pontiac. So Ellis bought it and drove it to Hutchinson Wednesday. Anderson says she had no idea why Ellis and his son asked her to come out to the parking lot. There, they presented a shocked and tearful Anderson with the Pontiac.
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Topeka Racetrack Owner Threatens to Relocate Amid Tax Fight
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The owner of the Heartland Motorsports Park says he's looking into razing the Topeka racetrack and moving to the Kansas City area because of a tax fight. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Chris Payne says several parcels of land are for sale and bids are being taken to remove some of the buildings. He says the current tax situation makes it nearly impossible to run a profitable business. The Shawnee County Appraiser's website says that Payne currently owes nearly $522,000 in back taxes. He purchased the facility in 2016. Payne says he's offered to donate the property to the city and then pay rent on it. Payne says the idea was rejected, but Topeka city manager Brent Trout says it's being reviewed. Trout says the situation is "concerning."
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New Kansas Governor Names Agriculture, Administration Heads
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor-elect Laura Kelly has picked an industry group's leader to be the state's top agriculture official and a former longtime budget director to be interim secretary of administration. The incoming Democratic governor announced Thursday that she plans to nominate Mike Beam to head the Department of Agriculture. Beam has worked 38 years for the Kansas Livestock Association and is its senior vice president. Beam's appointment requires state Senate confirmation because Kelly intends for it to be permanent. Kelly's interim secretary of administration is Duane Goossen. He advised her campaign. Goossen is a former Kansas House member who previously served as secretary of administration. But he is best known for serving as budget director from 1998 through 2010 under Republican and Democratic governors. Kelly takes office Monday.
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Judge Approves Settlement in St. Joseph Police Shooting
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge has approved a settlement of a lawsuit filed by the family of a man who was fatally shot by St. Joseph police in 2017. Under a settlement approved Thursday, the parents of 27-year-old Jacob Fanning will each receive about $13,900. Fanning's two minor children will receive more than $223,000, to be distributed by their mother. Attorneys will receive more than $199,000. The St. Joseph News-Press reports officer Justin Bever stopped Fanning for a traffic violation. A dashboard came showed Fanning rapidly backing up his car, narrowly missing a woman outside the car, before he stopped. Bever shot Fanning through the windshield of Fanning's vehicle. The lawsuit contends Fanning was no threat and the shooting involved excessive force. The prosecutor declined to file criminal charges against the officer.
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New Kansas Mayor Who Spent Time in Prison Helps Ex-Offenders
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas mayor who was recently elected after serving three years in prison has spent his first day in office helping qualified ex-offenders get their criminal records expunged. The Kansas City Star reports that Jermaine Wilson presided over his first Leavenworth City Commission meeting as the new mayor on Tuesday evening. Wilson stepped into the mayor's seat roughly 12 years after starting his prison sentence for drug charges, serving as a symbol of redemption for the city. Wilson worked with Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson on Wednesday to launch a program assisting those who qualify under Kansas law to be considered for having their criminal records erased. Thompson is planning a 60-day event to offer rebounding ex-offenders help from the prosecutor's office. Wilson had his record expunged in 2015.
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