EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas chiropractor already facing two sexual battery charges is now charged with rape involving an underage female.
Hawkins -photo Lyon County Sheriff
The Lyon County Attorney’s office charged Eric Hawkins of Emporia on Monday with raping a patient who was 15 or 16 at the time of the incident. Court documents allege the assault occurred between October 1 and November 30, 2015.
Hawkins was charged in August with two counts of sexual battery involving a 22-year-old and a 32-year-old patient. He is scheduled to appear in court on those charges Thursday.
Hawkins chiropractor’s license was suspended in July pending the outcome of the court cases.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Zoo staff and many others are mourning the loss of an amazing animal.
Sunda -photo courtesy Topeka Zoo
Early Monday, the 58-year-old Asian elephant Sunda woke up at the Topeka zoo and was unable to stand, according to the zoo’s Facebook page.
Zoo staff moved the other elephants around to give Sunda some extra space and to give staff some space if needed to help but even though she was trying, Sunda was unable to get her legs under her to get up.
Zoo staff made unsuccessful attempts to lift her with airbags. At 9:30 a.m., a team of tactical rescue firefighters from the Topeka Fire Department arrived and worked to put together ropes and pulleys in a manner that allowed us to lift her up.
Once lifted, she was able to get her feet under her and support her own weight. She stood for a few minutes and then started eating hay and moved into another room to get treats from her keepers, almost as if nothing had happened.
Laying down for a nap and not being able to get back up without assistance is something that sometimes happens with older elephants.
On Wednesday, Sunda was unable to get up again and zoo staff made the difficult decision to euthanize her. A
As zoo staff wrote on social media, “after 52-years in Topeka, she was indeed one of the most magnificent animals any of us have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We were hopeful that we might have had more time with her but her last days were spent eating her favorite treats, enjoying beautiful weather, and surrounded by people and elephants who loved her.”
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent and District Director for the Cottonwood Extension District – Great Bend Office. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu
written by: Donna Krug, District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District
Disasters such as the tornadoes that have hit our area have been significant news stories in the past few years. Now, the devastation from Hurricane Lane in Hawaii or the wildfires in California have our attention.
There is an excellent publication from K-State Research and Extension titled, “Get Financially Prepared: Take Steps Ahead of Disaster.” One of the authors speaks from the heart since she was a resident in Greensburg when that tornado struck.
Think about it – if you had only a few moments to evacuate your home, would you have access to the cash, banking services and personal identification needed to conduct your day-to-day financial life?
Consider keeping the following items in a secure place in your home, in a waterproof, fireproof container that can be taken with you at a moment’s notice.
Create a “Grab-and-Go Box” that contains the following:
Identification and other key documents that may be needed to restore your financial records, including copies of your driver’s license, passports, social security cards.
Insurance cards, policies, or other proof of insurance coverage.
Household inventory
Immunization records
Bank account numbers, cash
Copies (front and back) of ATM, debit and credit cards
Phone numbers and account information for all financial service and insurance providers
Important telephone numbers (family members, doctors, veterinarians)
Names and prescription numbers for medications
Extra pair of glasses
Infant formula and diapers
Sleeping bag or blanket along with a complete change of clothes and sturdy shoes
Personal hygiene items
Books, games, and activities for children
Safe deposit box key
Pocket notebook and pen or pencil
If family records like birth, marriage and death certificates, wills, deeds, contracts, stocks and bonds, and titles to vehicles are not kept in a safe deposit box, these should also be kept in your grab-and-go box.
The publication includes additional tips on what to do after a disaster strikes. The importance of documenting the disaster and keeping receipts from purchases related to the disaster such as lodging, food, and clothing cannot be overemphasized.
Hopefully you will not need the information in this Extension publication but feel free to stop by either office (Great Bend or Hays) in the Cottonwood Extension District and pick up a copy.
USD 428 in Great Bend plans to use over $1.1 million dollars in federal funding during the 2018-2019 school year. The Local Consolidated Plan totals to $1,143,054 which is down $31,000 from the previous year. The federal programs include funding through Title I, Title II, Title III, and Title IV assistance.
USD 428 Director of Teaching and Learning Tricia Reiser says when the district switched over to a district-wide Title I status, it has helped out with how USD 428 uses the federal dollars.
Tricia Reiser Audio
The Title I status only included the five elementary schools for the district until the switch last September to add the Great Bend Middle School and Great Bend High School.
Title I exists to provide federal money to school districts with high-poverty schools. To become Title I, a district must have over 40 percent of their students in poverty, receiving free or reduced-priced lunches.
CLAY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the former director of the Clay Center Kansas Area Chamber of Commerce and USD 379 school board member on child sex allegations.
Contreras -photo Clay County
Sixty-year-old Andrew James Contreras arrested in Tennessee on a Clay County District Court warrant has been transferred to Kansas, according to the Davidson County Tennessee Sheriff’s department.
Contreras remained jailed Tuesday in Clay County on a $35,000 Bond for two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the sheriff’s department.
In 2008, Contreras arrived in Clay Center from San Antonio, Texas. In addition to a couple of years with the chamber of commerce, he also was a member of the USD 379 school board. He resigned from the board in August 2017.
He has not made a first court appearance, according to the sheriff’s department.
Mario Magana of the Barton Community College men’s soccer team has been named the KJCCC’s week three Player of the Week. The award is the second straight week members of the Cougar squad have been honored as Gabriel Arraes and goalkeeper Oliver Semmle received last week’s recognition.
The freshman from Emporia, Kansas, tallied five points this past week helping the Cougars to a 1-1 road stretch over the weekend. Magana put the Cougars ahead two goals early in the second half Saturday in distributing his fourth assist of the year before a late team collapse resulted in the 3-2 loss at now 17th ranked Iowa Western Community College.
Reyna Gonzalez of the Barton Community College women’s soccer team has
Reyna Gonzalez
been named the week three KJCCC Goalkeeper of the Week.
The sophomore from Liberal, Kansas, faced a barrage of shots Saturday at Hutchinson Community College, facing thirty shots with fifteen on frame in registering twelve saves as the teams battled to a 3-3 double overtime time.
The USD 428 Board of Education approved another trip to Washington D.C. for the Great Bend High School A Cappella Choir. The choir will take flight to the east coast over spring break of 2019.
Director of Vocal Music at the High School Susan Stambaugh says this year the choir wants to partner with veterans in town to share the experience of going to the nation’s capital.
Susan Stambaugh Audio
Not only would the students spend time with the local veterans and assist in chores for them, the students would stream and post images of their trip to Washington D.C.
It costs $1,500 for each student to go on the trip that includes musical performances and sightseeing. The students and the choir do all the fundraising for the trip that will leave on the Wednesday of spring break and fly back to Kansas the following Monday, missing one day of school.
Susan Stambaugh Audio
Stambaugh expects 90 to 100 students plus parents to make the trip next spring.
SEWARD COUNTY — A Kansas woman reported missing in July is out of jail, her alleged partner in crime is still in custody following a weekend arrest.
Shaila Schlenz -photo Liberal PoliceAbdnor -photo Potter County Sheriff
Charles Abdnor, 26, is being held for fraud, aggragravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest, unauthorized use of vehicles and three fugitive charges, according to the Potter County Texas Sheriff’s Department.
Abdnor is also wanted on a Seward County warrant in connection with burglary and arson, according to Liberal Police Captain Robert Rogers.
Abdnor was with 24-year-old Shaila Schlenz in Amarillo, Texas. She was first reported missing on July 5, according to officials in Seward County. Both were arrested after found driving a stolen car.
Just after 7p.m. Saturday, police responded to the 1600 block of East Amarillo Boulevard where they found Schlenz and Abdnor who both gave fake names to the officers, according to a media release. Police say the suspects were in a car that had been stolen in Kansas.
When police tried to remove Abdnor from the car, he accelerated the car with one of the officers holding onto him, dragging the officer and causing the officer to fall.
Schlenz and Abdnor drove away, and officers located the abandoned car at Southeast Third and Mirror and later found both of them in the 300 block of South Aldredge.
Schlenz has bonded out of jail. Abdnor remains in custody on a total bond of $67,000.
