THOMAS COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before noon Monday in Thomas County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Hyundai Elantra driven by Reata Pinkerton, 17, Russell Springs, was southbound on County Road 11 ten miles south of Levant.
The vehicle left the roadway to the right and the driver overcorrected.
The vehicle came back across the roadway, entered the east ditch and rolled an unknown number of times before coming to rest in a stubble field.
Pinkerton was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Baalman Mortuary. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors plan to retry a Kansas man for a deadly shooting after his first trial ended in a hung jury.
Keys -photo Shawnee Co.
Jurors announced Friday that they couldn’t reach a verdict on first-degree murder and aggravated robbery charges in the case against Luqman Keys. Shawnee County District Court Judge Mark Braun says Keys was acquitted of the one other charge he faced, which was aggravated burglary.
The charges stem from the June 2017 shooting death of 18-year-old Arden King. Topeka police say King and at least one other person had been in an apartment when King was fatally shot.
Keys was the only person arrested in King’s death. He pleaded not guilty.
On Saturday, just after midnight, an officer with the Great Bend Police Department observed a subject, who later was identified as Charles Bower, age 25.
Bower was riding a bicycle in the 3000 block of 20th Street with no lights. The Officer also observed Bowers littering. During the stop, the officer located illegal narcotics on Bowers.
The officer arrested Bowers for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, criminal littering and no bicycle lights. Bowers was booked at BTSO in lieu of bond with charges pending in Barton County District Court.
If you have any information regarding this crime please contact the Great Bend Police Department at 620-793-4120 or Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300.
On Saturday, September 15 at 2:06 a.m. Great Bend Police Department officers were dispatched to Charlies Place, 1109 Main, in reference to several fights.
Upon officers arrival there were multiple fights going on behind the bar. Joseph Givens, age 26, pulled a handgun and fired it into the air. Once Givens discharged the gun the crowd fled the area. Givens was arrested and booked at BTSO in lieu of bond.
There were no injuries reported at this time.
If you have any information regarding this crime or any other crime please call the Great Bend Police Department 793-4120 or Crime Stoppers 792-1300.
A visioning project in Great Bend has spent time gathering information about the community in hopes of developing a plan to bring Great Bend into the future.
Great Bend’s population has declined 2.97 percent since 2010, there are 70 vacant housing units for sale, there are four employers that have over 300 employees, and 24 percent of the population is considered a millennial between the age of 15 and 34.
These statistics and many more were put together as a starting point for the master plan according to Sheila Shockey, founder and president of Shockey Consulting Services.
Sheila Shockey Audio
Shockey introduced herself and the intentions of the visioning group at the Great Bend City Council meeting earlier this month.
Shockey Consulting Services was hired by the visioning group known as, “Great Bend, Better than Great,” through money from the Harms Trust. The process includes a steering committee that is meeting to discuss what they want to see in the future.
Sheila Shockey Audio
Shockey says the visioning group will present information about trends that will help community people spur conversation about what to do in the future. Eventually an online survey will be available to identify a long-range vision for the community and strategies to reach their goals.
The master plan of is set to be revealed at the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce banquet next February.
You can learn more about the committee and its goals at gbbetter.com.
SALINE COUNTY —Authorities have located a Kansas man wanted for alleged child sex crimes.
Romig -photo Saline Co.
Jeremy Gabriel Romig, 20, wanted on an active Saline County District Court felony arrest warrant on charges of three counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child and three counts of Criminal Sodomy was in custody and bonded out of jail, according the Saline County Sheriff’s Department.
In July the sheriff’s department asked the public for help to locate Romig and advised residents not to attempt to apprehend him but call law enforcement.
Officials arrested Romig in March on a charge of failure to appear.
The Golden Belt Humane Society will continue to provide animal control services for Barton County after Commissioners approved a new three year agreement Monday. In addition, the Humane Society will continue to assist the Sheriff’s Office with animal control issues and will continue to assist the Health Department and 911 in animal bite cases. The county will have the option to determine the funding level each year, and both the county and Humane Society will have the option to opt out of the agreement by providing 30-days notice. The vote to approve the agreement was 4-1 with the only dissenting vote coming from Commissioner Alicia Straub.
Alicia Straub Audio
The funding level for 2018 will be $31,500, the same amount that has been in place since 2016. Commissioner Don Davis told Straub that the funding level can not be just calculated by taking the total funding amount and dividing it by the number of animals that are cared for.
Don Davis Audio
So far in 2018, the Humane Society has responded to 103 animal complaint calls that have taken place in the unincorporated areas of Barton County.
Garrett Kahrs, author and Forge Firebrand Itinerant speaker, will launch the release of his debut book “#Relationshipgoals” from 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 4, located at Celebration Community Church.
In “#Relationshipgoals,” Kahrs invites individuals to share his personal journey in encountering a relationship with God he never knew was possible. The book takes a fresh, unique and scriptural approach in seeing God’s desire for a relationship with us and ways to say “yes” to the life and love He’s always intended.
Kahrs describes how every day, social media pages are filled with millions of people sharing their desire for a relationship that will bring joy and depth to their life. “#Relationshipgoals” shows God’s desire for a relationship with all individuals dating back to the beginning of time and long before the invention of the internet. His book depicts the relational revolution that can happen as individuals discover God’s desire and design for a relationship with Him.
“Many young people are walking away from their faith,” explains Kahrs, “this book records the journey from me being a statistic of walking away from my faith, and how I began to return back to it.”
“#Relationshipgoals: Discovering God’s Desire and Design for a Relationship with Him” is available now for preorder on Amazon.
About the Author:
Kahrs is a Christian speaker who speaks at schools, colleges, churches, young adult events, youth groups, and conferences around the world. He graduated with a degree in Applied Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. Garrett is married to Talia Kahrs, the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Fort Hays State University.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — A 12-year veteran of a Kansas sheriff’s office and a suspected vehicle thief were fatally shot when a fight broke out during the suspect’s arrest in a rural area of Wichita, authorities said.
Robert Kunze -photo courtesy Sedgwick County
Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter said Deputy Robert Kunze was shot Sunday afternoon after receiving a call about a black truck that had been stolen. He said the 41-year-old Kunze was “an exceptional deputy.”
When Kunze arrived at the scene about 20 miles west of downtown Wichita, he found the hood open on the black vehicle. Kunze patted down the suspect’s waistband and found a 40-caliber handgun. The gun was placed away from the two of them, but a fight ensued when Kunze tried to handcuff the suspect, Easter said at a news conference Sunday.
Greeson-photo Sedgwick County. He has previous convictions for drugs and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections
Easter said Kunze’s service weapon was discharged, but investigators don’t know how many shots were fired or if the suspect’s handgun was fired too. Kunze was able to use the emergency button on his portable radio to summon help. Another deputy arrived about a minute later, and two witnesses hiding nearby said shots had been fired. The deputy found Kunze and the suspect on the ground. A 40-caliber handgun was found next to the suspect identified Monday as 29-year-old Robert C. Greeson, according to Lt. Tim Myers.
Kunze had been shot once in his upper torso above his ballistic vest, Easter said. The suspect was shot in his upper torso and waist. Kunze died at a hospital, while Greeson was pronounced dead at the scene.
The shooting is under investigation. Easter said the deputy’s vehicle was equipped with a dash camera but that footage was not yet available.
He said Greeson has been linked to several crimes in the area on Sunday — the theft of a .40-caliber weapon, a silver vehicle and the black truck. He said there are no other suspects in Kunze’s death, but that there may be more suspects in the other cases.
Easter described the deputy’s death as a “tragedy,” saying Kunze “worked with great pride, loved and encouraged the people who worked with him, but most of all he loved his family.” Kunze had a wife and child.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office posted a badge covered with a blue and black mourning band on its Facebook page to remember Kunze.
“We will always remember him for his smile, his contagious laugh and his ability to engage anyone and everyone in conversation,” Easter said.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer involved shooting Sunday in rural Sedgwick County.
The deputy who died has been identified as 41-year-old Robert Kunze, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter.
At 1:18 pm, Sunday deputies were dispatched to the area of 53rd Street North and 295th Street West for a suspicious character. Deputy Kunze found a subject matching the description of the suspicious character call near the intersection of 295th Street West on 21st Street North, at approximately 1:42 pm.
Law enforcement authorities on the scene of Sunday’s investigation-photo courtesy KWCH
At approximately 1:48 pm, Deputy Kunze activated the emergency button on his portable radio. Deputy Farias arrived on scene and notified dispatch a deputy was down. Deputy Kunze was transported to St. Francis by ambulance. Deputy Kunze succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at approximately 2:55 pm.
The suspect who shot Deputy Kunze was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff’s department has not released the suspect’s name.
The suspect was allegedly involved in three crimes, according to Easter. Just before 1 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to an aggravated robbery involving a stolen vehicle.
Just before 9:30a.m. Kunze responded to reported of a larceny of a vehicle. A .40 caliber handgun was reported stolen, according to Easter.
Police in Cheny located the stolen vehicle just before 6p.m. Sunday. Easter said the unidentified suspect is believed involved in each incident.
Kunze was a 12 year veteran of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department. He is survived by a wife and child, according to Easter.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deputy involved shooting that took the life of a Sedgwick County Deputy.
The deputy was responding to a suspicious character call. A second deputy on the scene found the deputy and suspect down, unresponsive suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Harper Police.
Authorities are expected to release more information at a press conference Sunday evening, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s office.
Please keep the Officer’s family in your thoughts and prayers, as well as his extended family at the Sedgwick County Sheriff office.
Rest in peace Sir. pic.twitter.com/TsBitlCEBN
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Hyundai Elantra driven by Reata Pinkerton, 17, Russell Springs, was southbound on County Road 11 ten miles south of Levant.
The Golden Belt Humane Society will continue to provide animal control services for Barton County after Commissioners approved a new three year agreement Monday. In addition, the Humane Society will continue to assist the Sheriff’s Office with animal control issues and will continue to assist the Health Department and 911 in animal bite cases. The county will have the option to determine the funding level each year, and both the county and Humane Society will have the option to opt out of the agreement by providing 30-days notice. The vote to approve the agreement was 4-1 with the only dissenting vote coming from Commissioner Alicia Straub.
