LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — A man whose wife’s remains were found in a storage unit where he was staying with his two small children was removed from a Kansas courthouse after a screaming rant against authorities.

Justin Rey, a 35-year-old from Flagstaff, Arizona, was in court Thursday for a hearing on child endangerment charges.

The Kansas City Star reports an irate Rey yelled that Johnson County authorities were trying to take his children after his wife killed herself. A judge ordered him removed from the courtroom.

Rey was arrested after he and his children — and human remains stuffed in a cooler — were found at a Lenexa storage unit.

The remains haven’t been publicly identified, but court records indicate Rey said they belonged to his wife, Jessica Monteiro Rey. He has not been charged in her death.

RENO COUNTY — One man was killed in a house fire in the Reno County early Thursday morning according to Sheriff Captain Steve Lutz.

Just before 8:30 a.m., county fire units were dispatched to a house fire at 917 N. Dean Rd., in Rural Reno County. Firefighters from Reno County Fire District #3 arrived on scene and began to fight the fire. This fire appeared to be engulfing the rear of the house, however, it spread throughout and into the roof. It was believed that the house was unoccupied at this time. At some point, the roof collapsed into the house.

The fire was contained fairly quickly and, around 10:30 a.m., firefighters began a search of the inside of the house and discovered the body of an adult white male who was deceased and inside of the residence.

At that time, deputies from the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Investigators from the Hutchinson Fire Department, the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, and a Coroner Investigator were called in to assist.
Lutz says the investigation continues into the cause and the origin of the fire. Name of the victim has not been released.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kansas City animal control officers rescued 24 dogs from squalid conditions at a suspected Kansas City breeding operation.

The underweight and filth-encrusted dogs were taken Thursday from a home in eastern Kansas City. The 12 adult pit bull mixes and 12 puppies were taken to the KC Pet Project for evaluation and treatment.

The Kansas City Star reports officials found raw sewage and other unsanitary conditions at the home and are treating the situation as a cruelty case. The property owner was not located on Thursday.

None of the rescued dogs will be ready for adoption soon.

Shelter spokeswoman Tori Fugate said KC Pet Project is documenting the dogs’ conditions for authorities if they decide to prosecute the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A former civilian hospital employee was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison plus 3 years of supervised release for attacking a woman whom he set on fire, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall. In addition the Defendant was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,464,965.80 to the victim, Lieutenant Katie Ann Blanchard.

In August, a jury found Clifford Currie, 55, Leavenworth, Kan., guilty of one count of assault with intent to commit murder.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that on Sept. 7, 2016, Currie threw gasoline or some other inflammable liquid on his supervisor, Katie Ann Blanchard, lit her on fire and assaulted her with a straight edge razor and scissors. A co-worker came to Blanchard’s aid when she heard screams and saw Blanchard on fire from the chest up. Currie was subdued by hospital employees and then arrested

 

RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of racist graffiti in Manhattan.

Just before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Riley County Police Department received a report of a vehicle  defaced with graffiti in the 2200 block of Claflin Road in Manhattan, just a few blocks south of the Kansas State University campus.

Officers have since filed a report for criminal threat. Officers listed Dauntarius Williams, 21, of Manhattan as the victim. The case is being investigated as a hate crime.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now the lead agency on the case. The Riley County Police Department will continue to assist the FBI in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact RCPD, the FBI or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00.

By Jim McLean

A security lapse at the El Dorado Correctional Facility led to a June 24 disturbance during which inmates used makeshift weapons to threaten guards, according to new information provided Wednesday to Kansas lawmakers.

The report, compiled by the prison’s Serious Incident Review Board, said the failure of guards to secure “multiple” doors allowed between 50 and 70 inmates to leave their cells and enter the prison yard where inmates from another cellblock had gathered for their scheduled “evening recreation.”

The inmates entering the yard refused orders to return to their cells. Fights broke out among prisoners affiliated with rival gangs, triggering a series of events as guards struggled to maintain control of the facility.

Rep. Russ Jennings, the Lakin Republican who chairs the Legislature’s corrections oversight committee, said the report heightens his concerns about security at El Dorado and other state prisons.

“It’s an absolute failure of security,” Jennings said. “The most fundamental thing that you have in prisons is locked doors. If you prop a locked door open or don’t properly close it, you’re failing at the most fundamental level.”

Jennings said he believes the security lapse was a byproduct of the high staff vacancy rate at the prison that has depleted the ranks of veteran guards.

The turnover rate at El Dorado in the last budget year was 46 percent, said Corrections Secretary Joe Norwood in a briefing to the committee. It averaged 33 percent across the system.

To stabilize staffing, Gov. Sam Brownback in August approved pay raises for corrections officers — 10 percent at El Dorado and 5 percent at the state’s other prisons.

Responding Wednesday to questions from legislators, Norwood acknowledged that the differential pay rate was negatively affecting morale among officers who work at facilities other than El Dorado.

“It has, to be honest with you,” Norwood said. “There is no other way to put that.”

The El Dorado incident and a riot in September at the Norton Correctional Facilityhave focused the attention of lawmakers on prison staffing issues ahead of the 2018 session, Jennings said.

“I don’t think that it’s a system in crisis, but there are significant challenges,” he said. “The Legislature is going to have to step up and support solutions for this.”

Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the tax overhaul from House Republicans (all times local):

11:25 a.m.

House Republicans have released their tax cut plan — and it would slash the corporate tax rate, lowers taxes for most people and limit a cherished deduction for homeowners.

President Donald Trump and the GOP are trying to deliver on the first tax revamp in three decades.

The proposal would add $1.5 trillion to the nation’s debt over the next decade.

Middle-income families would pay less thanks to doubling of the standard deduction and an increase in the child tax credit.

The wealthy would benefit from the repeal of the alternative minimum tax and a phase out of the estate tax.

Some two-income, upper middle class families would pay more after being bumped into a higher tax bracket and losing a valuable deduction on state income taxes.

___

10:30 a.m.

The House GOP tax plan would require some upper-income taxpayers to pay a higher top rate under a new rate structure.

The result would be to increase the tax burden on those subject to a lower rate under the current system.

Families earning more than $260,000 now have a top rate of 33 percent. They’d get kicked up to the 35 percent bracket. At present, the 35 percent rate starts at $416,700 for married couples.

High-bracket earners, especially in high-tax states, would lose the benefit of deducting state income taxes.

But middle-class earners would benefit. That’s because the bill would nearly double the standard deduction to $24,000 for couples and an increase in the per-child tax credit from $1,000 to $1,600.

And the child credit would be available to households earning up to $230,000, more than double the current income limit. A $300 credit would apply to each parent and nonchild dependent.

___

9:45 a.m.

House Republicans are proposing to place new limits on the tax deduction for mortgage interest in their soon-to-be-released overhaul.

A summary of the plan says it would reduce the cap on the popular deduction to interest on mortgages of $500,000 for newly purchased homes. The current mortgage cap is $1 million.

The idea is sure to generate opposition from the real estate lobby, but it’s being used to help pay for tax cuts elsewhere in the plan.

The plan also limits the deductibility of local property taxes to $10,000 while eliminating the deduction for state income taxes.

The child tax credit would rise from $1,000 to $1,600, though the $4,050 per child exemption would be repealed.

___

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are set to unveil their far-reaching tax overhaul Thursday. They are making major changes while looking to preserve current tax rules for retirement accounts popular with middle-class Americans and retain a top income-tax rate for million-dollar earners.

GOP negotiators scrambled this week to finalize details of the first major revamp of the tax system in three decades. Though working furiously, they missed a self-imposed Wednesday deadline as top Republicans batted down rumors that the public rollout could be delayed until next week.

The legislation is a longstanding goal for Capitol Hill Republicans who see a once-in-a-generation opportunity to clean up an inefficient, loophole-cluttered tax code.

GEARY COUNTY —  Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects in connection with sexual assault.

.Just before 3a.m. October 22, deputies responded to K-57 Highway just west of U.S. 77 Highway, according to the Captain of Investigations for the Geary County Sheriff’s Department, Brian Hornaday.

On Wednesday, following an extensive investigation, sheriff’s detectives with assistance from the Fort Riley Criminal Investigations Division located two suspects and the suspect vehicle on Fort Riley.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Wayne Harry Harris, 20, and Corey Lee Horman, 20, both of Fort Riley.

Deputies booked both suspects into the Geary County Detention Center where they were held without bond pending a first court appearance on suspicion of Rape, Kidnapping and Conspiracy to Commit Rape.

WASHINGTON  — After years of public controversy and debate, work is finally beginning on a massive memorial to President Dwight Eisenhower.

Watch a replay of the  groundbreaking ceremony here 

The ceremony marks the start of the project, plagued for years by a bitter fight over the memorial’s design and aesthetics.

Famed architect Frank Gehry was commissioned to design the memorial, but Gehry’s original plan was strongly opposed by three of Eisenhower’s grandchildren. Eventually, after Gehry made changes to his proposal, the Eisenhower family announced their support last year, enabling the project to go forward.

Gehry’s vision would transform a four-acre space on Independence Avenue in front of the Lyndon B. Johnson Department of Education Building.

Organizers still hope to have the Eisenhower memorial ready by June 2019, the month that includes the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

MANHATTAN  —Following an incident of racist graffiti found on a car near the K-State campus Wednesday morning, Kansas State University President Richard Myers released this statement to students and faculty.

“The racist messages found on a car parked off campus are a direct attack on the values of our community.

Those who wish us harm should not be allowed to create a culture of fear and divisiveness. As I hear from student leadership following this incident, your message is clear: We need to ensure the safety of those affected by this attack.

The K-State Police Department will immediately increase its patrols and visible presence on the Manhattan campus. Those who need support should use the many resources we make available through student life and our counseling center.

Please avail yourselves of assistance if needed, including our LiveSafe app and Wildcat Walk services. If we need to make additional resources available, we will.

We call on the Riley County Police Department to use all available resources in its criminal investigation, including any necessary state and federal resources. There has already been widespread misinformation about this incident; we need to make decisions based on factual information, not rumors, unsubstantiated social media posts or stories. Let’s get it right.

My military career taught me that our collective safety depends on strength and vigilance. We all need to exercise both. I am asking Vice President Cindy Bontrager to conduct a complete audit of security cameras on our Manhattan campus and develop a plan to improve our coverage. We will review security plans and improve as needed.

In this uncertain time, I ask each of us to reach out to anyone who needs support and be alert for ways to help. We need to come together and resist those who wish to pull us apart.”