HUTCHINSON — The Reno County Sheriff’s Office is seeking help in locating 26-year-old Patrick McCroy. He stands 5 foot 8, weighs 173 pounds.

The Sheriff’s office reported McCroy is wanted by the sheriff’s office for failure to appear with an original charge of aggravated robbery and aggravated Battery.

McCroy is accused of breaking into a Hutchinson apartment and beating the occupant, wanting items from his apartment.

McCroy has been convicted of other felony crimes including criminal possession of a firearm, drugs, burglary and criminal damage to property.

He had been paroled in March of last year, but was discharged from those previous crimes on February 19.

If you know the location of McCroy, you’re asked to call 911 and give this information or call Crime Stoppers of Reno County and you may be eligible for a cash reward. (620) 694-2666 or 1-800-222-TIPS and you can remain anonymous.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are considering a proposal to permit grocery stores to sell full-strength beer, wine and liquor starting in July 2018.

The bill up for debate Monday in the House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee also would permit convenience stores to sell full-strength beer starting in July 2018.

Groceries and convenience stores now can sell weaker beer known as cereal malt beverage. Only liquor stores can sell full-strength beer, wine and liquor.

The measure is backed by grocery and convenience store chains. Many liquor store owners oppose it, fearing they’ll be run out of business.

It would cap the number of retail liquor store licenses and allow store owners to transfer theirs to grocery stores in the same county starting in July 2018.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A second professor has resigned from the University of Missouri-Kansas City after an audit found that its business school knowingly submitted false data when applying for rankings and awards from national organizations.

The university said Friday that John Norton’s exodus as associate director of its Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will take effect March 15.

Norton’s supervisor, Michael Song, quit as the institute’s director last week.

Norton told auditors he felt pressured by Song to do improper things related to the ratings but didn’t speak up because he feared for his job and believed in Song’s vision for the institute.

In a statement released by the school, Norton says he remains passionate about teaching entrepreneurship but believes his “role in events of recent weeks may distract from that mission.”

FORT RILEY, Kansas – Soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, are returning to Fort Riley following a successful
nine-month deployment to Kuwait according to a media release from the Division.

The first group of Soldiers arrived on post earlier this month, with the remaining set to redeploy in large groups in
the next few weeks. The entire brigade will return by late March.

Several thousand Soldiers from the brigade departed for Southwest Asia in
June.

During the deployment, Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, then-Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army’s chief of staff, visited the brigade’s Soldiers.

“What you’re doing here, this joint task force, is really the centerpiece,”
Hagel told the “Devil” brigade troops during his in December visit. “It is
the pivot point. It is absolutely critical to everything that happens. This
business of what you do right here is essential to make it all work, along
with the 60 coalition partners that have been assembled to degrade and
defeat ISIL.”

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is filing a complaint against a company that makes wrist bands intended to repel insects, saying there is no evidence they work.

Online listings say the Viatek Bugband10 repels mosquitoes and other pests up to five days. The FTC says the Tennessee-based company doesn’t have reliable scientific evidence supporting those claims and calls its marketing deceptive.

Viatek did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Bugband10 could not be found on Viatek’s website but were available online at retailers including Amazon and Wal-Mart.

The FTC’s complaint names Viatek Consumer Products Group and its president, Lou Lentine. The agency says Lentine is violating an order from 2003 that involved a device that was supposed to keep insects, mice and rats away using electromagnetic waves.

Kansas Securities Commissioner

TOPEKA–Kansas high school seniors have the opportunity to win up to $2500 in scholarship money to help cover the cost of tuition at a Kansas school of higher education by entering the Kansas Financial Scholars Essay Scholarship Contest. The contest is jointly sponsored by the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner (KSC) and the Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC). A total of five scholarships, ranging from $500 to the top $2500 prize, will be awarded to Kansas high school seniors.

In a three to four page essay, students are asked to profile an individual whose personal financial habits impacted the lives of others, and apply the wisdom or a lesson from that person’s life to their own future financial plans.

“Investing in the financial education of our college-aged citizens is central to our mission of equipping Kansans to grow and protect their assets,” said Securities Commissioner Josh Ney. “Through this scholarship program, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of financial prudence to the individual lives of Kansans and the future of our state.”

“We are pleased to support financial education programs that help students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to make sound financial decisions for their future. These scholarships give students the opportunity to earn money for higher education by sharing what they have learned through participation in these programs,” said Bank Commissioner Deryl Schuster.

Participation in one of the three financial literacy programs sponsored by both agencies (EverFi, the Stock Market Game or Life$marts) is a prerequisite to entering the contest. Teachers, parents or students may contact the KSC to sign up today for one of the free prerequisite programs by calling 800-232-9580 to speak with Shannon Stone, the Director of Investor Education for the KSC.

Essays will be accepted from Feb. 16, 2015 through April 1, 2015. To learn more about participating in the Financial Scholars Essay Scholarship Contest, visit www.ksc.ks.gov, www.osbckansas.org, or send an email to Shannon.Stone@ksc.ks.gov.