By STEPHEN KORANDA

State officials are hoping to keep a new Tyson Foods chicken plant in Kansas after the company put on hold plans to build the $300 million facility in Leavenworth County.

Tyson is looking at other locations in Kansas and other states after public outcry and a local decision to back away from promised incentives.

Agriculture Secretary Jackie McClaskey said 15 to 20 other Kansas communities have now expressed interest in the plant. She and others are working to determine whether those areas could meet the needs of the facility, which would produce trays of chicken for grocery stores. The demands include sufficient local workforce and infrastructure for the facility.

Right now, McClaskey is confident they can put together a new deal with Tyson.

“They have not backed out of their commitment that they want to do business in Kansas. They want to expand in Kansas,” she said. “I feel like right now they’re giving us a shot.”

Interim Commerce Secretary Nick Jordan said they’re making a sales pitch to keep Tyson looking at Kansas.

“To let them know the state wants them to be here,” Jordan said. “We’ve got plenty of other communities that fit their needs very, very well. We want to get off and running again working with them to find a spot that does fit for them.”

Jordan said if the plant goes to another state, Kansas would lose an investment of more than $300 million and 1,600 jobs.

We’re missing out on a significant economic impact on the state economy and growth to the agricultural base that we have in the state,” Jordan said.

McClaskey said the impact could go beyond just that investment. She’s concerned if this deal falls apart, other agriculture companies could think twice before considering investment in Kansas.

“That longer-term effect is pretty important to keep in mind,” McClaskey said.

Local residents voiced strong opposition to the Leavenworth County proposal, saying it could reduce the quality of life in the community.

A new, state-of-the-art facility could be built to minimize issues like odors, McClaskey said, adding that an area where similar industries already operate may be a better fit.

“Any community that has had value-added food processing of some sort and understands the benefit it brings, that’s going to be a positive,” McClaskey said.

At a large public meeting last week, people railed against building the facility outside Tonganoxie and brought up concerns about pollution and other impacts from the plant, which would be capable of processing 1.25 million birds per week.

“It means for at least 10 years and longer, our culture in this area will revolve around chicken farms and low-paying jobs. Is that the best you can do in our area?” one woman said during the meeting.

Jarret Pruitt is a member of a group opposing the plant, known as Citizens Against Project Sunset. After the announcement that the deal was put on hold, he said they’ll keep watch for any additional developments.

“Today we can smile briefly. Tomorrow we must wake up more committed and determined to continue this fight,” Pruitt said.

Critics of the project were also unhappy that the Leavenworth County deal was brokered behind closed doors and not made public until an announcement earlier this month.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for KPR a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Department of Revenue is reviewing security at its offices after a shooting this week injured an employee in Wichita.

The agency moved out of the now-vacant Finney State Office Building in downtown Wichita three years ago as part of Gov. Sam Brownback’s push to privatize office space. That building had guards and other security for employees.

There was no protection Tuesday when tax compliance agent Cortney Holloway was shot at the office. The suspect, 51-year-old Ricky Todd Wirths, of Wichita, owed nearly $400,000 in outstanding tax warrants.

Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Democrat from Wichita, and Robert Choromanski, head of the Kansas Organization of State Employees, both criticized the decision to provide no protection for state employees at offices the state rents from private owners.

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a threat at a Kansas middle school and arrested a student.

On Wednesday morning, an 11-year-old student told a staff member at Lakewood Middle School, 1135 Lakewood Circle in Salina, he was going to go home and retrieve a pistol to kill them and everyone else in the building, according to Salina police Sgt. James Feldman.

A school resource officer and a Salina Police Officer picked the boy up outside of the building.

Police released no additional details.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —  A Kansas man died in an accident just after 3p.m. Wednesday in Sedgwick County.

A 1991 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Arthur Pilant, 61, Wichita, was northbound on McClain, according to officer Charley Davidson.

The motorcycle rear-ended a 2003 Ford pickup that was stopped waiting to turn on Minisa Street.

Pilant was transported to a local hospital where he died. The 39-year-old pickup driver was not injured.

Pilant was not wearing a helmet, according to Davidson.

It is the 24^th fatality accident in Wichita in 2017.

NEW YORK (AP) —The Securities and Exchange Commission says its corporate filing system was hacked last year and the intruders may have used the nonpublic information they obtained to profit illegally.

The disclosure comes two months after a government watchdog said deficiencies in the agency’s computer systems put the information they contain at risk. It also follows a massive hack at the credit reporting agency Equifax.

The SEC issued a statement late Wednesday that said the breach was discovered last year but the possibility of illicit trading was only discovered last month. The statement did not explain why the hack itself was not revealed sooner.

The SEC files financial market disclosure documents through its EDGAR system, which processes over 1.7 million electronic filings in any given year.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated burglary and have a suspect in custody.

Just after  4a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a residence located in the 400 block of NE Sumner in Topeka for an aggravated burglary.

The woman reported awaking and noticing a man in her bedroom. Realizing the man was not her husband a confrontation ensued. The male suspect fled the residence and was not located at the time. Surveillance images were disseminated to identify the male suspect identified as Thomas R McNeil Jr, 30,

Officers  located him in the 2000 Block N Topeka Blvd when he was reported as a suspicious person. He was transported to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning and then to the Department of Corrections for charges of aggravated burglary, theft and battery related to this incident.

McNeil has previous convictions for theft, burglary, drugs and criminal use of a financial card, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 

 

DOUGLAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have made an arrest.

Just before 10p.m. Tuesday, police responded to the 2000 block of W. 27th Terrace in Lawrence for reports of a shooting, according to a media release.

Responding officers located 26-year-old Lawrence resident Bryce Holladay with fatal injuries.

Police questioned Steven Austin Drake III, 20, in relation to this incident and took him into custody. He has been booked in to the Douglas County Jail on one count of Voluntary Manslaughter.

Anyone with more information on this incident is asked to contact the Lawrence Police Department at (785)832-7509, or Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at (785)843-TIPS. Tips to Crime Stoppers can be anonymous.

TOPEKA— A Colorado man already serving time for a bank robbery in Arkansas was indictedWednesday on charges he robbed a bank in Manhattan, Kan., according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Kenneth Wayne Fisher, Jr., 41, formerly of Colorado Springs, Colo., is charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 26, 2015, Fisher robbed Sunflower State Bank at 2710 Anderson Ave. in Manhattan.

A few months after the Manhattan robbery, Fisher was arrested in California. He was extradited to Arkansas to face charges of robbing a bank in Bentonville, Ark., on Aug. 28, 2015. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced earlier this month to more than eight years in federal prison for the Arkansas robbery.

Deputies located the teen and he is in custody, according to the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department.

————

GREENWOOD COUNTY —  Law enforcement authorities are looking for a teen who skipped out of a Kansas sheriff’s office.

Just after 1p.m. Wednesday a teen taken into custody in Greenwood County earlier in the day walked out of the sheriff’s office in a southeasterly direction, according to a social media report.

Deputies arrested the teen for an offense and he was held as a juvenile offender until his parents could pick him up. He left prior to his parents arrival. He was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.

Deputies asked anyone with information on the teen please call the Sheriff’s office at 620-583-5568

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — A second Kansas teenager says he wants to run for governor next year.

Tyler Ruzich, of Prairie Village, who will turn 17 next week, filed campaign papers with the state this week. He is a junior at Shawnee Mission North High School.

Ruzich considers himself a moderate Republican but says he is still developing specific policy positions.

Another 16-year-old, Jack Bergeson of Wichita, is running for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Ruzich says he contacted Bergeson, who encouraged him to run.

Ruzich says the young candidates agree that having two teenagers in the race is an opportunity to get young people involved in politics and government.

Kansas has no age requirement for running for governor.