LYON COUNTY – Roads are closed due to heavy rain is some of Kansas. Fire crews rescued a delivery driver attempting to drive in the 1200 Block of 210 Road north of Emporia on Wednesday.
“He misjudged the rapidly rising water on the road,” according to Lyon County Sheriff’s Detective Jacob Welsh.
The driver was not injured.
An additional 2 inches of rain fell of portions of southeast Kansas Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka and more rain is in the forecast.
WASHINGTON – Kansas Senator Jerry Moran met with U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch at the White House Tuesday.
Moran wrote on social media, “The meeting allowed me to learn more about his judicial philosophy and commitment to the Constitution. We discussed a number of the rulings he made presiding in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which gave me a better understanding of his decision-making process.
Judge Gorsuch is undeniably qualified and fully prepared for the responsibilities bestowed on the justices of the highest court in the land, and I look forward to supporting his confirmation.”
Democrats announced they are going to filibuster Gorsuch’s nomination during floor debate next week, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to lead an effort to change Senate rules to permit Gorsuch to be confirmed by a simple majority vote. Current rules set a 60-vote threshold.
By Deanna Ambrose
KU Statehouse Wire Service
TOPEKA – A bill that would lower penalties for owning drug paraphernalia and give harsher penalties to those convicted of domestic aggravated assault was unanimously passed in the House on Tuesday, after being consolidated with several other bills.
Originally, Senate Bill 112 focused on matching the penalty for possession of paraphernalia, objects for ingesting or using drugs, to the penalty of owning drugs.
Last year, legislators dropped marijuana to a slightly lower offense. Now SB 112 includes what used to be four separate bills, but all relate to crime.
Kim Parker, the prosecutor coordinator of the Kansas County and District Attorney Association, said the legislation needed to be updated.
“Last year when they changed possession of marijuana classes they essentially kind of forgot about paraphernalia and left it higher than possession of marijuana, which was unintended,” Parker said. “For prosecutors, it was very unusual to start thinking about prosecuting people for a higher class than the drug itself.”
Rep. Blaine Finch (R-Ottawa) said the bill is not an effort to decriminalize marijuana use.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as a step in decriminalization; I would characterize it as a step in proportionality,” Finch said.
The bill also classifies strangulation of a partner as aggravated domestic assault. The new definition would include any people who are or were in a dating relationship, not just couples living together.
“Oftentimes [choking] doesn’t leave physical marks; because of that it becomes a different type of proof than what you’re normally used to,” Parker said.
It already is a crime if a person attempts to strangle a partner but the new bill would give it a higher penalty.
The bill would also require audio recording of police interrogations and reclassify the felony charge on home burglaries to reflect the personal nature of a home burglary.
Parker also said the association supported all the bills separately and still does after being added together to SB 112. The bill now needs to be approved by the Senate with the additions before it can be sent to Gov. Sam Brownback’s desk.
Deanna Ambrose is a senior studying journalism at the University of Kansas from Frankfort.
GARDEN CITY – A Garden City physician assistant has been permanently banned from providing medical services in Kansas, according to a media release from Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
Under the terms of a consent judgment approved today by Judge Michael Quint in Finney County District Court, Joel Erskin, who is part owner and operator of Renovo Medical LLC, and University Medical LLC, is permanently banned from engaging in any medical consumer transactions, providing any medical services or being employed by a provider of medical services. As part of the agreement, Erskin was also required to pay investigative fees, refund all payments received from consumers after June 1, 2016, and forgive or cancel accounts receivable as of June 1, 2016.
Schmidt filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Erskin in June 2016 after a lengthy investigation of the defendant’s business practices conducted by federal authorities and the attorney general’s office. The lawsuit alleged the defendant violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act by failing to tell customers he used Botox purchased from overseas suppliers that was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States, misrepresenting to patients that he was a medical doctor and operating without the appropriate physician supervision required by Kansas law. The consent judgment references court filings in a separate federal criminal case in which Erskin pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor related to the same conduct.
GEARY COUNTY – A semi driver was injured in an accident just before 9a.m. on Wednesday in Geary County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 semi pulling a flatbed full of concrete powder and driven by Matthew Weah, 40, Kansas City, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of the U.S. 77.
The driver lost control of the truck. It entered the center median, overturned and the trailer separated from the truck.
Weah was transported to Geary Community Hospital.
He was wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
TOPEKA -To enable charitable groups to better leverage the fund-raising potential of selling fireworks leading up to the upcoming Independence Day holiday, the Office of the State Fire Marshal has issued a policy statement which permits organizations to sell fireworks without requiring them to operate their own fireworks stand, according to a media release.
Until now, in order for an organization to generate fund-raising revenue through fireworks sales, they were required to operate a licensed fireworks stand.
This requirement prevented many organizations from selling fireworks because of the cost and manpower requirements of operating a fireworks stand.
As of Wednesday, organizations can now sell fireworks as a fundraiser as long as the delivery of fireworks to the purchaser occurs during the retail fireworks season of June 27 through July 5 as established by K.A.R. 22-6-5.
The full “Policy Statement & Interpretation of Law” is available here.
DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 440,000 vehicles in North America to fix problems that can cause engine fires and doors to open unexpectedly.
The first recall covers over 230,000 Escape SUVs, Fiesta ST subcompacts, Fusion midsize cars and Transit Connect vans with 1.6-Liter turbocharged engines from 2013 through 2015.
The company says engines can overheat, causing the cylinder head to crack and leak oil that can catch fire. Ford has 29 reports of fires, but no injuries.
Owners can keep driving the vehicles but should go to a dealer if the cars overheat or frequently need coolant.
The company also is adding 211,000 vehicles to a previous recall to replace faulty door latches. That recall covers the 2014 Fiesta and the 2013 and 2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ.
WYANDOTTE COUNTY – Two men died in an accident just before 10p.m. on Tuesday in Wyandotte County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Lincoln Navigator driven by Troy Elliott Reliford, 34, Lee’s Summit, MO., was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of the 18th Street Expressway in the wrong lane.
The Lincoln hit a 2004 Dodge Ram driven by Tyrone A. Jennings Jr, 30, Kansas City, Kansas.
Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics.
They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
Just before 2a.m., the Kansas Department of Transportation cleared the accident scene and reopened the road.
NORTON — 1980s teen icon and of-late performance artist Corey Feldman made an impromptu stop in northwest Kansas on Tuesday night.
According to social media reports and messages to the Post, Feldman’s vehicle had mechanical issues Tuesday in Norton and he stopped to have it repaired.
Feldman posed for pictures with fans at the local Love’s Travel Stop, and this photo with Norton Police Officer Jody Enfield was posted on the Norton Police Department’s Facebook page Tuesday evening.
https://www.facebook.com/NPD67654/photos/a.537423259767505.1073741828.530762773766887/792232687619893/?type=3&theater
Feldman posted this explanation on his Instagram account.
Feldman’s stop was confirmed by the Norton Police Department on Wednesday morning.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Sweden’s prime minister says the United Nations and Congo must investigate after three bodies, including those of Swedish and American investigators with the United Nations, were found in central Congo.
Stefan Lofven says he learned with “great sorrow and dismay” that the bodies of Swedish national Zaida Catalan, American Michael Sharp and their interpreter Betu Tshintela were found this week.
Sharp is the son of Hesston Kansas College Bible faculty members John and Michele Sharp.
They went missing March 12 along with driver Isaac Kabuayi and two motorbike drivers while looking into large-scale violence and alleged human rights violations by the Congolese army and local militia groups.
Lofven said Wednesday that Catalan worked “tirelessly for peace and justice,” adding Sweden was “naturally ready to assist” in investigating their death.
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BENI, Congo (AP) — Congolese authorities say the bodies of an American Michael Sharp and a Swedish U.N. expert and their interpreter have been found in the Central Kasai region where they recently disappeared.
Police inspector general Charles Bisengimana said Tuesday the bodies of the two U.N. experts were identified after being found Monday.
Sharp is the son of Hesston Kansas College Bible faculty members John and Michele Sharp.
Government spokesman Lambert Mende says tests confirm the bodies are the experts and their local interpreter.
Sharp, Zaida Catalan of Sweden and interpreter Betu Tshintela disappeared March 12 with their drivers while looking into alleged human rights violations by the army and local militia groups.
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DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Congo’s government says the bodies of two Caucasians and a Congolese have been found in the Central Kasai region where two U.N. experts and their colleagues recently disappeared.
Government spokesman Lambert Mende told Top Congo FM on Tuesday that national police confirmed the discovery of the male and female Caucasians and one Congolese.
The finding raises fears about the two U.N. experts and four Congolese who went missing two weeks ago.
Mende says the government knows no other foreigners missing in the region, but the provincial commissioner still must identify the bodies.
Michael Sharp, the son of Hesston Kansas College Bible faculty members John and Michele Sharp, according to the school’s social media page is among 7 who went missing March 12.
In addition to Sharp, Zaida Catalan of Sweden, interpreter Betu Tshintela, driver Isaac Kabuayi and two motorbike drivers were looking into alleged human rights violations by the army and local militia groups.
