JOHNSON COUNTY — A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 8a.m. Friday in Johnson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1998 dump truck driven by William D. Brawkey, 58, Basehor, was southbound Interstate 435 in the #4 lane.
The driver lost control of the vehicle and it rolled onto the northbound traffic lanes.
Brawley was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The cost of protesting at the Kansas Capitol in Topeka is increasing — sometimes substantially.
Currently, Kansas charges $20 for any event at the Capitol. But beginning Jan. 1, it will charge based on the size of the event and other factors. The lowest price will be $50 for events that require no setup or cleanup.
The Kansas City Star reports factors increasing the price will include if groups require a podium, access to the public address system or tables and chairs.
Kansas Department of Administration spokesman John Milburn says the increase will help the state recover costs it incurs from providing space and cleanup for protests.
Davis Hammet, a Topeka activist, says the price for his group’s event in January went from $20 last year to $500 this year.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect with a history of violence for attempted-murder.
Just after 2p.m. Thursday, a 26-year-old woman checked into Salina Regional Health Center with injuries consistent with physical and sexual assault, according to Salina Police Capt. Paul Forrester.
“The victim had been strangled to the point of unconsciousness and it also appeared that abuse had been going on for a period of time,” said Forrester.
Just after 10p.m. Thursday, police arrested Alexander Mills, 28, Salina. He was booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of attempted first-degree murder, rape and two counts of aggravated battery.
Mills has previously been arrested for domestic battery in 2013, a probation violation in 2014 and criminal trespass in July of 2016, according to the Saline County booking report.
HARVEY COUNTY — The fire at the storage building at Midkansas Coop in the 1900 Block of North Main in Newton is out, according to Newton Fire Chief Scott Metzler, a crew is expected to remain on the scene most of the Friday. There are no injures reported. Cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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HARVEY COUNTY — Fire crews were still on the scene of a fire in North Newton early Friday.
The fire started just after 4p.m. in a storage building next to the grain elevator at Midkansas Coop in the 1900 Block of North Main in North Newton, according to Newton Fire and EMS.
Bales of compressed plastics and recyclables are burning. Old Highway 81 and Main Street in the remain closed.
There are no injuries reported and no word on what caused the fire.
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HARVEY COUNTY — Fire crews are on the scene of a fire in North Newton.
The fire started just after 4p.m. in a storage building next to the grain elevator at Midkansas Coop in the 1900 Block of North Main in North Newton, according to Newton Fire and EMS.
Bales of compressed plastics and recyclables are burning. Fire crews expect to remain on the scene overnight. Streets in the area are closed.
There are no injuries reported and no word on what caused the fire.
RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man is free on bond on a charge of child abuse in what police say was inhuman and cruel corporal punishment.
Hutchinson Police Detective Paul Sack identified the suspect as 27-year-old Michael Rinebold with the suspected abuse involving a 5-year-old boy. The abuse reportedly occurred sometime on Nov. 14, or early morning on Nov. 15.
Police were notified by a local school of the suspected abuse when the child had bruising and abrasions on his face, including a black eye.
Rinebold was able to post a $2,500 bond, so he should appear in court in the next week or so.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita landlord has been charged with demanding sex from two female tenants and evicting them when they refused his advances.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Thursday that Thong Cao is charged with housing discrimination. Cao owns multiple rental properties around Wichita and managed at least one other. He doesn’t have a listed home number.
The charges stem from complaints filed by two women evicted in 2014. He is accused of smacking both of the women’s buttocks and grabbing one woman’s breast. The documents say one woman awoke and found Cao sitting on her bed.
The other woman filed for a protection order against Cao, saying her landlord asks for sex when he is called to fix things and to get rent. She said she felt “violated.”
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with an alleged kidnapping.
Just after 11:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to the 1000 Block of SW Clay in Topeka regarding several calls of a woman being attacked and forced into a brown Cadillac SUV, according to Lt. Steve Roth.
Shortly thereafter, a security guard near 29th and SE Indiana called stating that he was flagged down by the victim who needed assistance.
The woman told officers that she had been beaten and forced into a vehicle where the suspect attempted to rape her.
A short time later, officers saw the Cadillac and conducted a high risk stop, taking the suspect identified as 67-year-old Leroy Hudson of Topeka into custody after a brief struggle.
Police booked Hudson into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for charges in connection with the incident.
The victim sought treatment at a local hospital for minor injuries. Police released no additional details early Friday.
Hudson has a previous conviction for criminal threat, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – A man accused of killing a 2-year-old Topeka boy more than 11 years ago is free after a jury acquitted him in the case.
The Shawnee County District Court jury on Thursday found 33-year-old Johnathan Davion Mango not guilty of second-degree murder in March 2006 death of Eli Clemens.
An affidavit said the boy died at a Topeka apartment from blunt force trauma to the head and abdomen.
Mango was the former fiancé of Fawn Clemens Mack, the child’s mother. He testified during the trial that he was not responsible for the child’s death.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports witnesses said the youngster had fallen off a slide in a park the day before he died, perhaps injuring his head.
Mango was arrested last year in Florissant, Missouri.
GARNETT, Kan. (AP) — Court records show a fired eastern Kansas jailer had sex with five inmates, including one who become pregnant and had an abortion.
The arrest affidavit for 27-year-old Lexington Laiter, of Garnett, was released this week. Laiter is jailed on $250,000 bail in Osage County after he was charged last month in neighboring Anderson County with 11 counts of unlawful sexual relations and two counts of attempted unlawful sexual relations. His attorney hasn’t returned a phone message.
Laiter worked at the Anderson County Jail from 2013 until he was fired last December for bringing tobacco into the facility. The court records say one of the inmates alleged she became pregnant after having sex with Laiter in January 2015. She told authorities Laiter gave her $500 to help pay for the abortion.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and asking the public for information.
Just after 1:30a.m., Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1400 Block of East Gidley Street in Wichita, according to Lt. Todd Ojile.
Upon arrival, police found 51-year-old Michael Nelson of Wichita with a single gunshot wound lying in the street. An investigation revealed the man had come to visit individuals at the residence when an unknown vehicle with unknown suspects drove up.
Words were exchanged between the man and those in the vehicle who shot and killed him, according to Ojile.
On Thursday, police reported the arrest of Jeremy Honeycutt, 37, for the shooting.
Honneycutt has seven previous convictions for theft, robbery, criminal threat and more, according to the Kansas Department of Correctons.
Wednesday’s shooting was Wichita’s 28th homicide of the year. It comes a day after a woman’s body was discovered in a Wichita home in an earlier homicide.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and asking the public for information.
Just after 1:30a.m., Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1400 Block of East Gidley Street in Wichita, according to Lt. Todd Ojile.
Upon arrival, police found a 51-year-old Wichita man with a single gunshot wound lying in the street. An investigation revealed the man had come to visit individuals at the residence when an unknown vehicle with unknown suspects drove up.
Words were exchanged between the man and those in the vehicle who shot and killed him, according to Ojile.
Police do not have a description of the vehicle or the suspects and believe the victim was targeted in some way. They did not release the victim’s name.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Wichita Police.
Wednesday’s shooting is Wichita’s 28th homicide of the year. It comes a day after a woman’s body was discovered in a Wichita home in an earlier homicide.
