Allen County Man Arrested in Connection with Death of Neighbor
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - An elderly Allen County man has been arrested in connection with the death of his neighbor. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Allen County Sheriff's Office arrested 78-year-old Raymond Maloney Friday on suspicion of first-degree murder for the killing of 68-year-old Richard Diehl. Diehl's body was found by a relative Tuesday morning in the shop outside his home in LaHarpe in southeast Kansas. In a press release issued Friday night, the KBI says the investigation is continuing and formal charges are expected from the Allen County Attorney.
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No Sirens Heard in Some Rural Areas Impacted by Sedgwick County Tornado
UNDATED (AP) - Some residents in rural Sedgwick County did not hear sirens going off before an EF-3 tornado struck the Wichita area. While most attention after Friday's tornado centered on Andover, rural areas also suffered significant damage. Several homes were damaged and two people were injured in the rural neighborhood of Gypsum Township less than a mile outside Wichita city limits. Sedgwick County officials acknowledge many residents in rural areas might not have heard tornado sirens that are often miles away. They say several factors go into where the sirens are placed and it is not realistic to expect that all rural areas will be covered by tornado sirens.
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Missouri Lawmakers Pass $48 Billion State Budget
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers have passed a roughly $48 billion state budget bolstered by federal aid. The spending plan approved Friday includes enough money to fully pay for the state's share of public K-12 busing costs, as well as a program to increase teacher pay to at least $38,000 a year. Local districts would need to kick in 30% of the needed funding to get a 70% match from the state for teacher raises. The budget also pays for expanded access to the Medicaid health care program and a 5.5% funding increase for four-year colleges.
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Ex-Kansas Police Officer to Face New Manslaughter Trial
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas police officer accused of shooting a man to death five years ago while on duty will face a new trial next month after his first trial ended in mistrial. Prosecutors tell the Kansas City Star that Matthew Harrington's new trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge will begin June 6th. A mistrial was declared last month in his first trial after a jury in Leavenworth could not reach a unanimous verdict. Harrington is charged in the July 2017 shooting of 47-year-old Antonio Garcia Jr. as Garcia sat inside a vehicle in Leavenworth. Prosecutors say Garcia had a knife but didn’t threaten Harrington. Harrington was fired from the Leavenworth force after a department investigation found he had violated policies on use of deadly force.
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Kansas Gamer Pleads Guilty for Role in Fatal 'Swatting' Case
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man will be sentenced in July for his role in a hoax call that led to a fatal police shooting in 2017. Shane Gaskill pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud related to a “swatting" call that ended with Wichita police shooting and killing 28-year-old Andrew Finch. In his plea agreement, Gaskill said he taunted another online gamer and gave him an old address in Wichita. Another gamer in Los Angeles called Wichita police and falsely reported a shooting and kidnapping at the address. Finch, who had nothing to do with the online dispute, was shot when he opened the door to his home. The other two gamers are serving prison sentences.