Kansas Governor Tries to Sell Wary Retirees on Pensions Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is trying to sell wary retired teachers and government workers on her plan to reduce the state's annual payments to its public pension system. Kelly made her pitch Monday during a retirees' rally at the Statehouse amid widespread opposition to her pension plan among Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature. The governor contends her plan would make the state's annual pension payments more manageable as it closes a long-term funding gap. Her plan would give the state lower payments for 17 years and save $145 million during the budget year that begins in July. But Kansas would wait 15 years longer to close its pension funding gap and that has Republicans opposing the plan. The retirees at the Statehouse rally appeared split over the idea.
====================
55 Kansas Lawmakers Sponsor LGBTQ Anti-Discrimination Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Fifty-five Kansas lawmakers are co-sponsoring a bill that would ban discrimination in the private sector based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill introduced Monday would protect LGBTQ residents in employment, housing and services. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports 38 representatives and 17 senators are co-sponsoring the bill. Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Democrat from Shawnee who is one of the state's two openly gay legislators, said the legislation would help attract outside businesses to Kansas. The bill would amend the Kansas Act Against Discrimination to add sexual orientation and gender identity to a list that includes race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin and ancestry. Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, said the law already exempts religious institutions, and concerns by people who support those institutions are unfounded.
====================
Kansas Judge: Children Were "Aggressors" in Sexual Abuse Case
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors are researching an appeal after a Kansas judge found that a 13- and 14-year-old girl were partly to blame for a sexual encounter with a 67-year-old man and reduced his prison sentence. The Kansas City Star reports that Leavenworth County District Judge Michael Gibbens said that "the victims in this case, in particular, were more an aggressor than a participant in the criminal conduct" before sentencing Raymond Soden to five years and 10 months in prison. Prosecutors sought 13-plus years because Soden had prior convictions for battery and for sexual battery In ordering a lighter prison term than what sentencing guidelines called for, the judge noted at the December 4 hearing that the two girls had voluntarily gone to Soden's house and had taken money for sexual favors.
====================
Trump: Mike Pompeo Not Leaving Cabinet for Kansas Senate Race
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is "absolutely not leaving" the Cabinet even as top Republicans make a pitch for him to run for the Senate in Kansas. Pompeo served four terms in the House and was Trump's CIA director before moving to the State Department. The decision by longtime Republican Senator Pat Roberts to retire has prompted an effort by other GOP senators to recruit Pompeo for 2020. He's said that push has included a call from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Trump tells CBS' "Face the Nation" that McConnell may have spoken to Pompeo but "I asked him the question the other day. He says he's absolutely not leaving. I don't think he'd do that. And he doesn't want to be lame duck."
====================
Kansas Officers Investigate Shooting Deaths of Father, Son
REXFORD, Kan. (AP) — Kansas law enforcement officials are investigating the shooting deaths of a father and son on a farm in northwestern Kansas. The Salina Journal reports that the shooting happened Friday in rural Rawlins County near Rexford. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says it received a request for assistance from the Rawlins County Sheriff's Office on Friday afternoon about half an hour after the shooting was reported by a family member. Deputies say they arrived at the farm and found 74-year-old Gary Withers dead from an apparent gunshot wound. A short time later, deputies discovered the body Withers' son, 41-year-old Danny Withers, about half a mile away, also from an apparent gunshot. Autopsies have been ordered. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Rawlins County Sheriff's Office are investigating.
====================
Shooting Kills One, Wounds Another in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police are investing a shooting in Kansas City's historic Jazz District that left one man dead and another man seriously injured. Police in Kansas City, Missouri, sat the shootings happened just before 2 a.m. Sunday in the city's historic 18th and Vine district. The Kansas City Star reports that when officers arrived several witnesses pointed them toward a dead man in a vehicle. A short time later, the second victim arrived at a hospital with gunshot wounds. Police believe both men were shot in the Jazz District. The victims' names were not immediately released.
====================
Shawnee Mission Principal Resigns After Crash, DUI Arrest
SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A Shawnee Mission School District principal has resigned after police say he hit a car and left the scene while driving under the influence. The Kansas City Star reports that 34-year-old Cory Strathman submitted his resignation after the crash last week. The Shawnee Mission school board approved the resignation at a meeting Thursday. Police arrested Strathman after they say he hit another vehicle the afternoon of January 25. Police say he had been drinking and taking medication at the time of the crash and was also driving with a suspended license and had no proof of insurance. Strathman had been principal of Rosehill Elementary since 2014 and had worked in the school district since 2008.
====================
Topeka Man Dies After Van Fire
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka fire officials say a man who was burned last week after using a space heater to stay warm in a van has died. Fire Marshal Mike Martin reports 53-year-old Russell Dean Harris Sr. was living in the van when it caught fire last Wednesday. Martin says Harris was able to escape the van but he suffered second- and third-degree burns. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Martin said an investigation found the fire was accidental and caused by a space heater. The National Weather Service reports temperatures on Wednesday morning were around zero.
====================
Official: Horton Hospital Struggling with Lack of Funds
HORTON, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas hospital run by a troubled hospital management company is operating without enough supplies or the necessary funds to buy medications and food for patients, according to its chief nursing officer. Krissy Torkelson said she has had to negotiate with city officials to keep the lights on at Horton Community Hospital and trash piled up because the bill wasn't paid, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported . Torkelson said employees weren't paid on Friday but were assured they would be paid Monday. The hospital in the town of about 1,700 people is operated by EmpowerHMS, a subsidiary of The Empower Group. That Florida-based corporation has struggled to pay its bills across the country and was recently removed as operator of the hospital in Hillsboro, Kansas, because of funding problems. Hospital CEO Ty Compton attributed the lack of paychecks on Friday to a problem transferring money between bank accounts, according to an email obtained by the Capital-Journal. Messages left Monday for Empower officials, Compton and Torkelson were not immediately returned. Torkelson said the hospital has been cleaning out freezers to provide food for patients, the business office's utilities were cut off and the accounts payable list is close to $1 million for vendors who are owed money. Torkelson said she spent four hours on New Year's Eve negotiating with Police Chief John Calhoon, who is acting city administrator, to keep electricity on at the hospital. The business office was shut off but Calhoon won't shut off the hospital because of employees and patients, she said. She said employees also have encountered problems with promised benefits and questions about their insurance coverage. In an email from Compton to the staff last week, he said EmpowerHMS has agreed to pay back insurance premiums that were withheld. He said he is negotiating over problems with 2018 insurance claims not being paid and insurance for 2019 has been prepaid after the hospital switched to another insurer. The hospital's 40 to 50 full-time employees have become increasingly frustrated, Torkelson said, and she's not sure how long employees will stay.
====================
Real Pic in Fake Facebook Profile Leads to Suspect's Arrest
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a Hutchinson man was arrested on suspicion of using counterfeit bills to purchase electronics because the fake Facebook profile he's accused of using to arrange the transactions included a real picture. The Hutchinson News reports that the man was arrested last week and booked into jail on suspicion of counterfeiting, theft and drug charges. Police say that last month, he used a counterfeit $100 bill to purchase a computer and five fake $20 bills to buy an iPhone 6. Minutes after posting the photo from the suspect's fake Facebook profile online, a parole officer called to say the man was a client. Police say he had a powdery substance in his pocket that is believed to be methamphetamine when he was arrested. His bond is set at $9,500.
====================
Woman Guilty of Murder in Shooting, Burning of Ex-Boyfriend
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A woman has been convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend whose body was found inside a burning home near Lawrence. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that jurors deliberated 1½ hours Friday and Monday before finding 39-year-old Tria Evans guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, arson and aggravated burglary in the November 2017 killing of 34-year-old Joel Wales. Evans and Wales had a child together and a history of domestic disputes. Prosecutors say text messages show that she plotted his death with a friend for more than a month. One text between the women reads: "This needs done this week." A murder charge is pending against the friend, 38-year-old Christina Towell. She is accused of driving Evans to the scene. Sentencing for Evans is set for March 19.
====================
Kansas Man Charged with Rape Was Out on Bond in Other Case
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Court records show a Kansas man charged with rape had been out on bond for a previous child molestation case. The Kansas City Star reports that 23-year-old Crosson Saisi of Shawnee was arrested Friday and charged in Johnson County District Court with rape and aggravated sexual battery. The crimes allegedly occurred last October in Shawnee. The victim is listed as 22 or 23 years old. Court records in the case do not show a defense attorney. Saisi was charged in July with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, age 14 or 15, in Lenexa. He was free on bond in that case. He is also out on bond for a separate identity theft filed in October. His bond for the latest charges has been set at $500,000.
====================
Lawsuit Filed over Death of 88-Year-Old Hurt at Nursing Home
DERBY, Kan. (AP) — The family of an 88-year-old woman who died after she was hurt at a nursing home that was taken over by the state has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The suit alleges that Westview of Derby failed to properly care for Barbara Ann Bennett after she slipped out of her recliner in January 2018 and hit her leg on a wheelchair. The Wichita Eagle reports that despite swelling and bruising, she didn't receive antibiotics until almost a month later, after she fell again. The suit also alleges that the facility failed to send her to a wound clinic for treatment as her condition worsened. She died in March, and the state took over the facility in September due to insolvency. An attorney for LSL of Derby, a limited liability company named in the lawsuit, declined to comment.
====================
$1 Million Powerball Prize Sold in Kansas Still Unclaimed
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Lottery officials are urging people to check their Powerball tickets from December 29. One ticket sold in south central Kansas is worth $1 million. The ticket matched the first five numbers of the drawing but not the Powerball. The winning numbers in the Dec. 29 Powerball drawing were 12-42-51-53-62 with a Powerball of 25. The winner has a year from the date of the drawing to claim the prize.
====================
Kansas Tax Collections $49 Million Short of Expectations in January
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas says it collected $49 million less in taxes than anticipated in January, giving Gov. Laura Kelly and lawmakers a dose of bad news as they consider budget issues. The Department of Revenue reported Friday that the state collected $646 million in taxes last month when its fiscal forecast predicted more than $695 million. The shortfall was 7.1 percent. Continuing monthly shortfalls would cloud the debate over a plan from Kelly to boost education funding and a Republican proposal for tax relief. The state has collected $4 billion in taxes since its current budget year began in July. That's $36 million less than expected, or 0.9 percent. Interim Revenue Secretary Mark Beshears said last month's shortfall is not yet a trend but added that Kansas faces a "storm of uncertainty."
====================
Man Arrested After Homeless Woman's Blankets Set on Fire
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Pittsburg police say a man is being held on $100,000 after he allegedly tried to start a homeless woman's blankets on fire while she slept. Police say in a news release that the woman, Chrystal Thompson, originally thought a hand warming device accidentally set her blankets on fire Thursday night while she slept in the alcove of a business. The Pittsburg Morning Sun reports the business owner told police Friday that surveillance video showed a man intentionally setting Thompson's blankets of fire and walking away. The blankets burned briefly before the fire went out. The suspect, 60-year-old Richard Lee Dickerson, of Pittsburg, was arrested Saturday. He is facing potential charges of attempted murder, aggravated arson and criminal damage to property.
====================
Former Teller Pleads Guilty to Bank Embezzlement
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former bank teller in Leavenworth has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $125,000. Federal prosecutors say 42-year-old Charles Lee Staples pleaded guilty Monday to embezzlement by a bank employee. He was a bank teller at Mutual Savings Association in Leavenworth. An audit revealed that Staples took the money from his teller drawer. He entered false entries in bank reports to cover his crimes. As part of his plea, Staples agreed to pay back the full amount of the theft. He will be sentenced April 22. Both parties agreed to recommend a sentence of three years on supervised release.
====================
90-Year-Old Woman Dies While Feeding Birds in Extreme Cold
CHICAGO (AP) — A 90-year-old woman has died in the extreme cold after locking herself out of her home in southwestern Michigan. WOOD-TV says Ada Salna was found covered with snow on the steps of her home Wednesday near Three Rivers in St. Joseph County. Pathologist Joyce deJong says Salna died of hypothermia. Blood loss from a cut also contributed to her death. The TV station says Salna was feeding birds when she was locked out.
====================
Man Admits Fatally Stabbing Girlfriend in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 25-year-old man has admitted that he stabbed his girlfriend to death in June in Wichita. Sedgwick County authorities say Dylan Barbert pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old MacKenzie Payne, of Emporia. The Emporia Gazette reports Payne had graduated from the University of Kansas and was scheduled to begin classes at the University of Kansas Medical School when she was killed on June 26. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for April 30.
====================
U.S. Government Appeals Ruling that Blocked Keystone XL Pipeline
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration is appealing a court ruling that blocked the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Justice Department attorneys on Friday appealed the November ruling from U.S. District Judge Brian Morris that blocked a construction permit for the 1,184-mile pipeline. The line sponsored by Calgary-based TransCanada would begin in Alberta and shuttle as much as 830,000 barrels a day of crude through a half dozen states to terminals on the Gulf Coast. It was rejected by former President Barack Obama in 2015. That decision was reversed in 2017 by President Donald Trump, who has promoted the $8 billion project as part of his effort to boost American energy industries. After environmental groups sued, Morris said the administration had not fully considered potential oil spills and other impacts and that further reviews were needed.
====================
Jackson County, Missouri, Courthouse Reopens After Extensive Flooding
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The county courthouse in downtown Kansas City is reopening after a water main break flooded its basement with about 10 feet of water. The Jackson County Courthouse closed Thursday and Friday after the flooding knocked out power and filled the building with thousands of pounds of mud and debris. Jackson County spokeswoman Marshanna Hester says in a news release that crews worked around the clock to make repairs. The building will reopen Monday. The work isn't done, though. Hester says it will continue for months.
====================
Kansas Geology Department Buys 600 Acres of Colorado Land
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas geology department bought 600 acres of land in Colorado to ensure geology students continue to take a class there each summer. The department bought the land, known as Blue Ridge, from the landowner. It is in the mountains outside Canon City, Colorado. The geology department has used the land since 1922 to teach a six-week "field camp" class there. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the department paid $360,000 for the land, which offers wide rock diversity. The owners recently decided to sell the land and the department was concerned a new owner would not allow students there. Money for the purchase came from a fund established by the family of late Lawrence resident Bob Harrison, who took the field camp course almost 90 years ago.
====================
Study: Most Americans Overestimate Gun Ownership
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A recent study says most Americans tend to overestimate how many people own guns, a finding that some experts say could have political ramifications nationwide. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that University of Kansas political scientists Don Haider-Markel and Mark Joslyn examined the results of a 2016 nationally representative survey of nearly 1,300 American adults. The researchers found that more than 75 percent of those who responded to the survey overestimated what percentage of Americans own guns. The researchers say approximately 25 percent of Americans are gun owners, but most of the survey's respondents believed that slightly over half of the country's population owns guns. Joslyn says the overestimation could cloud Americans' expectations for the future. The survey found people expect gun ownership to increase, but history shows it's been declining.
====================
Audit: Utah Gives Misbehaving Police Officers Less Severe Punishment than Kansas, Missouri
OGDEN, Utah (AP) — A new state report found that Utah police officers caught committing misdeeds on the job such as driving under the influence or using drugs receive lighter punishments than law enforcement in six other states. The Standard-Examiner reports that the State Auditor's Office reviewed eight years of discipline records and concluded Utah doles out less severe punishment than Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The report that was released Wednesday found that while other states often revoke an officer's police credentials for a DUI, Utah has never done that in the eight-year span reviewed. Scott Stephenson, the director of the state's Peace Officer Standard and Training, defended the sanctions that are designed to balance discipline and fairness. He says the state gives more severe punishment for some offenses.
====================
Kansas Business Owner to Open Car Collection to Public
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A software company owner in northeastern Kansas has decided to open an exhibit to showcase his car collection to the public. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that CivicPlus owner Ward Morgan and his wife, Brenda, have spent the past 18 months purchasing some of the vehicles that will be featured in the Midwest Dream Car Collection museum in Manhattan. Morgan plans to open the exhibit of 60 cars this spring. Morgan says the car collection ranges from what he calls "automotive icons" to "dream cars." Some vehicles include a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador, a 1961 Morgan Plus 4 Drophead Coupe and a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette. Morgan hopes to share automotive history with the exhibit's visitors. He says all proceeds will go toward the museum's preservation of the cars.
====================
Kansas Explores Appeal of NCAA Punishment for Silvio De Sousa
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self was forceful but measured in his response to the NCAA's punishment of sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa, who was declared ineligible for this season and next because his guardian had received impermissible benefits. Texas Tech coach Chris Beard was much more succinct. "The NCAA does what they do," Beard said after his No. 16 Red Raiders were routed by the 11th-ranked Jayhawks on Saturday, "stuff that makes no sense." At issue is not whether De Sousa's guardian, Fenny Falmagne, accepted a $2,500 payment from former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola to steer the prospect to Kansas. Rather it's whether De Sousa, a native of Angola, had any knowledge of the pay-for-play scheme or benefited from it in any way. The NCAA said in its ruling that ignorance is no defense. Kansas clearly disagrees. School officials also took umbrage with the length of the process, pointing out that it took more than three months and miles of red tape to get a decision. And they disagreed with the penalty, calling it excessive and unjust while vowing to explore all avenues of an appeal. "We're fortunate that we have a university that will stand up and fight for him," Self said. "I believe it ain't over, but you know what? To me, if you knew something was not right, would you ever accept it? So to me, no matter what happens, you're never going to stop fighting. Because it's just not right."
Kansas athletic director Jeff Long grew emotional in discussing the case during a brief news conference before the game. Long said the school had provided the NCAA with all documents or information requested, and had held De Sousa out of competition in good faith all season. "I have always respected the NCAA and trusted the process, but I must tell you that my faith has been shaken," Long said. "We stand behind our student-athletes when we believe they've been wronged." De Sousa's name came up during Gassnola's testimony last summer amid the FBI's corruption probe into college basketball. Gassnola acknowledged making the payment to Falmagne, but he steadfastly denied Self or anybody associated with Kansas knew of it.
Still, Long said the NCAA would only consider De Sousa's reinstatement under two conditions: The school had to declare him ineligible, which it did on January 13, and Kansas had to identify Gassnola as an agent or booster of our program "only as a hypothetical for the purposes of reinstatement." "We disagreed on Gassnola's role in all of it," Long said. But with no other alternatives, Long said Kansas agreed to the conditions and began the reinstatement process. It dragged on for three weeks before the NCAA handed down its punishment. Kansas responded with a swift statement late Friday in which it vowed to challenge the decision. "I do feel our university will do whatever they humanly can to create a situation to put our best foot forward to get that penalty reduced, without question," Self said Saturday. "I know that Jeff and our chancellor are on board with fighting for him — not that you wouldn't fight for every student-athlete, you should. But this one is a little more special the way he's handled everything so far."
====================
