(KAIR)--If you're heading out for outdoor activities during the Labor Day weekend, remember to steer clear of toxic blue green algae at area lakes.

That message is delivered in a release from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

One local lake remains under warning status, with the Atchison County Lake continuing to be plagued by the problematic algae.

The public health warning was issued in July.

A total of 15 Kansas lakes remain under warning status.

KDHE says activities such as boating and fishing may be safe. However, direct contact with the water is strongly discouraged for people, pets and livestock.

Fish can be eaten as long as they are rinsed with clean water. However, you should consume only the fillet portion and discard all other parts.

KDHE will continue to monitor the lakes and will provide updates as conditions warrant.

(KAIR)--In a matter of coincidental timing, a former Atchison resident attends the Arizona memorial for Senator John McCain.

When it was held Wednesday at the State Capital in Phoenix, Chris Suther was in attendance. "It just so happened that I had a work trip that was already planned down in Phoenix, and with me being down here I had the evening off. I just had the opportunity to drive down and walk through the memorial."

Suther, in a telephone interview Thursday, told MSC News he was pleased to have a chance to take part, first hand, in witnessing history. "I was excited about the opportunity to go to an event like that, which of course you typically can't plan for something like that. It just happened to be that the stars aligned and I was able to go to it. I guess to me it wasn't necessarily paying respects, it was more along the lines of witnessing history."

Suther is a 1996 graduate of Atchison's Maur Hill-Mount Academy.

Memorial services were held for McCain Wednesday and Thursday in Phoenix.

According to the Associated Press, McCain's casket Friday arrived in Washington D.C. for an additional memorial.

On Saturday, following a stop at the Vietnam Memorial, the procession for McCain will move to Washington's National Cathedral for a formal funeral service.

McCain served as United States Senator from Arizona from 1987 until his August 25 death.

(KNZA)--A grant awarded to the Robinson Fire Department has allowed the department to purchase a new piece of equipment to aid in fighting rural fires.

According to a press release,  Brown County farmer Larry Oltjen directed $2,500 to the department as part of the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, sponsored by the Monanto Fund.

Robinson Fire Department Chief Dennis Tietgens says the funds have been used to purchase a two-thousand gallon portable dump tank.

With the purchase of the collapsible dump tank, Tietgens says the fire department was able to replace an aging smaller dump tank.  

Dump tanks allow fire departments to have a steady water supply in rural areas when access to a fire hydrant is limited.

Tietgens thanked Oltjen for making the donation possible.

Each year, the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program partners with local farmers to provide grants to local non-profits.

Since 2010, the program has given more than $29 million to non-profits across rural America.

(KNZA)--There’s a vacancy on the Highland City Council.

During a special meeting August 16, Council President Charles Batchelder was sworn in as Mayor due to Mayor Jerry Twombly moving out of the city limits.

That leaves a vacant council seat, and the Council is seeking someone to fill the vacancy for a term ending in January 2022.

According to the city’s website, qualified residents interested in serving on the Council should contact Mayor Batchelder (741-1595) or call city hall (442-3765) to be considered for appointment to the unexpired term.

Applicants will be asked to give a brief one to two minute statement at the Council’s September 12 meeting.

The Council plans to fill the vacancy during the meeting.

(KLZA)--A September 5th preliminary hearing is set in Richardson County Court for a Falls City man facing drug and weapon related charges.

33-year-old Joshua Carpenter is charged with a felony count of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to manufacture, distribute or deliver.

In addition, he's charged with felony counts of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person and possession of a deadly weapon while committing a felony.

Carpenter is also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Carpenter was arrested August 5 on a warrant following a traffic stop in Falls City.

During a search of his vehicle a substance believed to be methamphetamine was allegedly discovered in the vehicle along with a knife.

He remains in the Richardson County Jail on a $5-thousand cash bond.

(KLZA)--The Richardson County Commission heard a recycling proposal when they met Tuesday.

Nancy Tomek-Wilcher, of Humboldt, met with the Board to discuss the proposal.

Recycling Enterprise of Nebraska has proposed placing collection bins in the city of Humboldt at a cost of $180 per monthly call pickup.

Wilcher said the city requested she present the idea to the County to see if they would assist with the costs since residents outside the city limits of Humboldt would also have access to the bins.

No action was taken by the Board.

In other business, the Commission voted unanimously to access the additional 1-percent budget authority allowed by state statute for the next fiscal year.

Commissioners also met with Sheriff Don Pounds to continue the budget review for the Richardson County Law Enforcement Center.

Pounds also reviewed medical costs involved with inmates and reported he is working with Community Medical Center in Falls City to develop a plan for medical services to inmates when needed.

(KNZA)--An Ohio man charged in May’s bomb threat at Highland Community College has pleaded no contest to a felony charge of criminal threat.

D’Vonte Guyton entered the plea Wednesday in Doniphan County District Court to the amended charge.

He had originally been charged with a felony count of aggravated criminal threat.

Sentencing was set for the afternoon of October 1.

The bomb threat, which was received by telephone on May 9, led to the evacuation of the Highland campus and to the postponement of finals for students.

No explosive device was discovered following a search of the campus and its buildings by law enforcement.

Authorities were able to trace the call to an address in North College Hill, Ohio.  Guyton, who was an on-line student at Highland, later turned himself in to police.  

(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) St. Joseph police are investigating a homicide after an overnight shooting left one man dead and another person injured.

KQ2-TV reports the shooting occurred in the 2500 block of Duncan Street late Wednesday night.

Police responding to a report of a shooting found two people with gunshot wounds. An 18-year-old was taken to the hospital where he later died.

The second victim, a 20-year-old man, suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Names of the victims have not been released.

Police did not release any suspect information.

Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-238-TIPS.

(KNZA)--The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has a new tribal chairman.

Joseph “ Zeke ” Rupnick was sworn in Thursday morning.

That comes after the results of the tribe’s run-off election were tallied this past Saturday.

Rupnick defeated Liana Onnen who had served as tribal chairperson the past 4 years by a 117-vote margin.

The run-off election was necessary because none of the candidates for several positions on the Tribal Council and a seat on the Gaming Commission received a majority of the vote in the election held earlier this summer.

Rupnick, of Delia, has lived on the reservation since 1995 after serving 13 years as a Cavalry Scout of the U.S. Army.

He has worked for the Veterans Administration since 2009.

Also sworn in Thursday were Camilla Chouteau,  as tribal secretary;  Bill Evans, as tribal council member; Raphael Wahwassuck, as tribal council member; and Rey Kitchkumme as gaming commissioner.

(KAIR)--The Atchison County Community High School will hold graduation ceremonies on Saturday, May 11, at 4:00.

That was the date selected following a survey to determine when graduation should be held.

The input from the families of the ACCHS graduates was sought after the original May 18 date was called into question due to its conflict with graduation ceremonies for other local schools and colleges.

According to a post on the USD 377 website, 39 surveys were issued, with 82% of the respondents choosing to move the ceremonies to May 11, while 18% wanted to retain the original date.

During a special meeting Wednesday night, the Board of Education adopted a revised school calendar to reflect the change.

(KAIR)--An Atchison home invasion leaves authorities searching for two suspects.

Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie, in a news release, says it happened around 9:00 Wednesday night at a residence located at 7232 Elm Drive.

According to Laurie, two men entered the home, armed with a pistol and a knife, and demanded the victim's safe.

With the small safe in their possession, Laurie says the two fled, and have not yet been located.

Although an exact value isn't known, Laurie says the cash in the safe is believed to be more than $500.

No one was hurt during the incident.

(KNZA)--Additional details have been released on a single-vehicle wreck Saturday evening on the southern edge of Hiawatha that sent two Hiawatha residents to the hospital.

Hiawatha Police Chief John Defore says 38-year-old Adam Kloss was southbound on Linden Road when he lost control of his car and struck a bridge pillar at the U.S. 36 overpass.

Kloss, who was trapped in the vehicle, had to be extricated.

Kloss and a passenger, 26-year-old Ashley Rhyne, were both transported by ambulance to the Hiawatha Community Hospital.

Kloss was later transported by helicopter to Topeka’s Stormont-Vail Hospital and then later flown to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City with disabling injuries.

Rhyne was transferred by ambulance to Stormont-Vail.

Defore says the wreck still remains under investigation.

(KNZA)--A rain and wind storm that moved through Brown County Tuesday morning caused damage at a rural Robinson farmstead.

Extensive damage was reported to a machine shed containing farm equipment at the Randy and Karen Korthanke residence located at 2296 270th Road about four miles north of the Brown County Lake. In addition, three large trees were blown over at the residence.

No injuries were reported.

No other damage was reported in the county from the storm.

Brown County was not under any storm warning or watch at the time of the incident around 9:30 Tuesday morning.

(KLZA)--A September 5 preliminary hearing has been set for a 33-year-old Falls City man facing felony charges of escape, assault of a police officer and possession of a controlled substance.

Falls City Police officers attempted to arrest Jeremy Vice on a warrant on July 21. During the arrest process, Vice was combative and allegedly assaulted one of the officers, then fled on foot.

Off-duty Falls City Police Officer James Wasson viewed what was occurring when officers were attempting to chase Vice on foot. Officer Wasson assisted with stopping Vice when he fled.

Vice was arraigned August 20th in Richardson County Court and the preliminary hearing was set at that time.

In addition, Vice is scheduled for a pre-trial conference September 10 on a felony charge of theft, unlawful taking in connection with the June 13th theft of a 1983 Ford pickup owned by Richard Lemerond of Falls City.

(KMZA)--A St. Mary's man was seriously injured Wednesday evening after he was struck by a motorcycle in the Pottawatomie County community.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports 32-year-old Raphael Byrd, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was traveling eastbound on U.S. 24 Highway at a high rate of speed when he entered the St. Mary's city limits.

The Patrol says Bryd entered the westbound lane to avoid a stopped car in the eastbound lane and struck 27-year-old Robert Simonton,who was walking.  Bryd then struck an unoccupied parked car head-on.

Both Bryd, who was not wearing a helmet, along with Simonton were taken to Topeka's Stormont-Vail Hospital with what the Patrol described as disabling injuries.

The crash happened around 6:15 Wednesday evening.
 

(KMZA)--No injuries were reported after a plane made an emergency landing in Pottawatomie County Wednesday morning.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports the pilot, 39-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska resident Drew Jensen, said he ran out of fuel due to a defective fuel selector on his Beech 836 Bonanza aircraft. 

Jensen made an emergency landing in a grass meadow about 13 miles east of Manhattan around 8:40, west of Lake Elbo and Noel Roads.

There were two passengers on board the plane, both from Nebraska.

The Patrol said there was no damage to the plane from the incident.

(KAIR)--No formal repercussions for the City of Elwood, following an investigation into the Doniphan County community's failure to respond to an open records request.

The Kansas Attorney General's Office conducted the probe, following a complaint filed by MSC News.

It stemmed from the city's failure to comply with the request within the time frame stipulated by state law.

In a letter received this week by MSC News, the AG's office, following the investigation, found that procedures were not in place to handle such requests, with the one filed by MSC News apparently the first Elwood had ever received.

In the letter, the Attorney's General's Office notes that City Attorney Joel Euler says he plans to make certain “that the city will take remedial action to correct” such future issues.

The investigation revealed that the city clerk, having not received such a request in the past, perceived the one filed by MSC News as “suspect” or “possibly not legitimate.”

A followup email sent by MSC News, over a week after the deadline to respond had passed, led to action being taken. However, an immediate response was not made, leading to the filing of the complaint.

The requested information, pertaining to publicly accessible personnel information regarding accused, former Elwood Police Officer Aaron Newberry, has since been received by MSC News.

MSC News, in the open records complaint, stated that the preferred solution was to receive the information, and the AG's office noted the resolution to not pursue further action was based, “in large measure,” on that.

Newberry, arrested July 21, is charged with aggravated sexual battery and mistreatment of a confined person.

Currently free on bond, the former officer is scheduled to make his next appearance in a Doniphan County courtroom on the morning of September 20 for a pre-trial conference.

Braden Charles Crowder/Credit: Jackson Co Sheriff's Office

(KNZA)--A 19-year-old Topeka man is in custody for allegedly making threats that led to the lockdown of an area high school Wednesday morning.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, in a news release, said Braden Charles Crowder is accused of making “a series of alleged criminal threats directed towards several area teenagers.”

He was arrested after the Sheriff's Office received a tip that Crowder was at a manufacturing plant in Northwest Topeka, where Kansas State Highway Patrol Troopers and Sheriff's Office Detectives took him into custody shortly before 1:30 Wednesday afternoon.

The Sheriff's Office was informed of the threats Wednesday morning, leading to Royal Valley High School, in Hoyt, being placed on modified lockdown.

Morse, in the release, said deputies were sent to the school for “precautionary purposes.”

Superintendent Aaric Davis, in response to an emailed inquiry from MSC News, said the district “ received copies of a social media post where a non-student made threat against a small group of students,” leading to the modified lockdown. Classes continued but Davis said all exterior doors remained locked.

The lockdown was lifted once Crowder was in custody.

He was arrested on a Jackson County District Court warrant for criminal threat and telephone harassment.

Following his arrest, Crowder was booked into the Jackson County Jail, held on a bond of $25,000.

(KNZA)--A Mayetta woman accused of stabbing a Holton man last November has been acquitted on a charge of attempted second-degree murder.

The Holton Recorder reports Jackson County District Judge Norbert Marek  last week issued an order finding 32-year-old Nicole Martinez not guilty on the attempted murder charge or an alternate charge of aggravated battery.

That came after Marek agreed to take Martinez’ claims of self-defense under advisement following an August 13th bench trial.

Martinez was accused of stabbing Cruz Ruiz multiple times early November 26 of last year at an apartment at Holton’s Red Roof Inn.

Ruiz was treated at the Holton Community Hospital for his non-fatal  wounds.

Martinez was arrested in February following a joint investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Holton Police Department.

MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) - Authorities say a lightning bolt has struck and killed a northwest Missouri man as he was fishing.

Maryville Public Safety says authorities found 35-year-old Ryen Browning, of Maryville, dead around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday when they responded to a call at the City Reservoir. Browning was struck while fishing from the bank of the reservoir.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says Browning's death marks the 17th U.S. lightning fatality this year and the second in Missouri. The other death in Missouri occurred in July when a 23-year-old man was struck while on a roof in Kansas City.

(KLZA)--A Falls City man facing 15 charges including several felonies is scheduled to appear again in Richardson County Court on September 19.

43-year-old Travis Kirkendall appeared in Court Monday on charges in four different cases.

The felony charges stem from July 20th incidents involving a burglary at the Harmon's O.K. Tire Warehouse in Falls City along with incidents on August 12 when Kirkendall was arrested for theft, receiving stolen property and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest.

A Falls City Police Department investigation revealed the van Kirkendall was allegedly driving had been stolen in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Prior to being arrested on August 12, Kirkendall was free on bond following his arrest in July. He is currently in the Richardson County Law Enforcement Center, being held on a $5-thousand cash bond.

Kirkendall is also facing several charges of driving under suspension, criminal mischief, willful reckless driving, various traffic violations, no valid registration as well as resisting arrest.

Kirkendall is being represented by the Richardson County Public Defenders Office.

(KNZA)--A new Doniphan County road foreman has been hired.

Following an executive session Monday, the Doniphan County Commission voted to hire Sean Price to fill the vacant position of 1st District road foreman subject to a 90-day probationary period.

Price will be paid a starting salary of $40,000, with the salary to increase to $42,080 upon completion of the probationary period with satisfactory review.

Discussion was held on courthouse security, with the Commission agreeing  to meet with county Emergency Management Coordinator Julie Meng and Sheriff Chad Clay on September 4 to review current emergency operation plans for the courthouse.

County residents Charlie and Pat Meers met with the Commission to inquire as to action taken on the cleanup of dilapidated properties in Blair and repair of 190th Road.

Commission Chairman Tad Gieger said Northeast Kansas Environmental Services, the Doniphan County Zoning Department and Doniphan County Economic Development are working to develop a notification system and policy for cleanup of properties throughout the county.

In addition, Geiger said he and 2nd District road foreman Danny Adkins met to view 190th Road.  He said the ditches will be cleaned out to prevent washing across the roadway and the road patched following completion of major summer projects.     

(KMZA)--A Seneca man is accused of rape, along with other child-related sex crimes.

According to a news release from Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert, 21-year-old Brandon Ogden is charged with rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, and aggravated sodomy.

According to the release, the criminal complaint alleges that Ogden, on August 26, “engaged in sexual intercourse, lewd fondling or touching, and sodomy with a child under 14 years of age.”

He was arrested the same day following a joint investigation by the Seneca Police Department and the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office.

Ogden remains in custody in the Nemaha County Jail, held on a $1 million bond.

According to the release, if convicted, Ogden could be sentenced under Jessica’s Law for all three offenses, which would result in a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today delivered remarks on the Senate floor to honor and pay tribute to Senator John McCain. Credit: YouTube

(KLZA)-- A Falls City man required hospitalization following a two-vehicle rear-end collison Tuesday morning. 

The Richardson County Sheriff's Office reports the wreck occurred at 648 Boulevard on the north side of Highway 8, about two miles west of Falls City.

The Sheriff's Office says 71-year-old John Martin of Falls City was westbound in a pickup on Highway 8 and slowed to turn north into a housing area driveway.

A van driven by 41-year-old David Schlapia of Maryville, Missouri was following Martin and did not realize Martin had slowed down and ran into the back of Martin's pickup.  

Martin was transported to Community Medical Center in Falls City by ambulance with what were described as non-life-threatening, but disabling injures.

Schlapia was not hurt.

The wreck was reported shortly after 10:00 Tuesday morning.

(KAIR)--The City of Atchison receives $300,000 for work on K-7 Highway.

According to a release from the Kansas Department of Transportation, that is one of 27 projects selected to receive a portion of around $13.7 million dollars through KDOT's City Connecting Link Improvement Program.

All of the projects are focused on improving intersections and roadways of state highways that extend through cities.

A release from Atchison Assistant City Manager Justin Pregont specifies that the work will include the future mill and overlay of K-7 Highway, from Country Club Road to the northern city limit.

In the release, Pregont says “city staff will immediately begin working to plan and design the project, which is likely to be constructed in the spring of 2020.”

The total cost of the project is around $500,000 with Pregont saying funding from the City of Atchison will cover the remaining $200,000 not covered by the state funds.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2020 and be completed by the summer of that year.

(KAIR)--No injuries are reported following an early Tuesday morning Atchison house fire.

Atchison Fire Chief Ted Graf, in a news release, said fire crews were called to 1312 Crowell Street, shortly before 12:45, where fire was reported in the basement of the home.

Flames and heavy smoke were found when firefighters arrived and they went to work to extinguish the blaze.

The two occupants of the home were able to escape to safety, but told firefighters their dog and cat were missing.

The two animals were located, and oxygen administered to both, with the two animals left in the care of the home's occupants, who are seeking shelter with relatives.

Graf said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Assisting the Fire Department at the scene were Atchison Police, Atchison County EMS, and the City of Atchison Street Department.

(KNZA)--Kansas Lottery players, check your Lucky for Life tickets!  

According to the Kansas Lottery, one ticket sold in northeast Kansas matched the first five numbers, but not the Lucky Ball, to win $25,000 a year for life.   

The winning numbers in Monday night’s drawing were 6-8-12-19-32 Lucky Ball 17.

The northeast region of Kansas includes twenty-one counties—including Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Nemaha and Pottawatomie.

The lucky ticket holder has 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim the $25,000 a Year for Life prize.  Once the ticket is claimed, the winner has 60 days from the claim date to decide if they wish to take the $25,000 a Year for Life annuity payments or the cash option of $390,000.

 This is the third $25,000 a Year for Life prize won in Kansas since the Kansas Lottery joined the game in November 2016.

(KNZA)--The Brown County Commission has agreed to provide funding for the purchase of a new heating and air conditioning system for the American Legion building in downtown Hiawatha, which is primary used as a senior citizens center.

Representatives of Legion Post 66 met with the Commission Monday to make the request.

Legion Commander Steve Winter said the current furnace is 40 years old and air conditioning unit is 25 years old.   

Winter said he obtained price quote’s from two contractors for the installation of a new 96 percent efficiency furnace and air conditioning system for the building, which ranged from $6,800 to $9,500.

He said the Legion currently doesn’t have the funds to pay for the purchase and requested the county’s help.  

Since the building is primarily used by the county, Commission Chairman Steve Roberts said he would like to see county pay for the entire cost. His two fellow Commissioners agreed, but said they would like to see the Legion get one additional quote and report back to them.  

(KNZA)--The woman charged in connection with a head-on crash last November in northern Jackson County that killed three members of a Sabetha family, has been returned to Kansas. 

In a news release issued Monday, Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said that 49-year-old Maria Perez-Marquez, of Omaha, Nebraska, has been extradited from Omaha and is now in custody in the Jackson County Jail.

During an extradition hearing Friday, Perez-Marquez waived extradition back to Kansas.

She was arrested in Omaha last week on a Jackson County District Court warrant for 3 counts of involuntary manslaughter, 2 counts of aggravated battery and one count of reckless driving.

The warrant was issued as a result of the accident investigation involving the death of three Sabetha residents last year.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports Perez-Marquez was driving a southbound sport utility vehicle on U.S. 75 the evening of November 25 when she oattempted to pass another vehicle.  She and a northbound mini-van driven by 42-year-old Carmen Ukele both swerved to the shoulder to avoid colliding, but instead struck head-on.

Ukele and two passengers in her vehicle, 11-year-old Marlee Ukele and 62-year-old Stephen Ukele, were killed in the wreck.

Another passenger, Lee Ukele, was injured but survived.   Also injured were Perez-Marquez and a passenger in her vehicle, Rosalao Perez of St. Joseph.

The Ukele’s were returning home from Hutchinson after watching the Sabetha High School football team capture the state 3A championship. Carmen and Lee Ukele’s two sons, Tanner and Carson, were members of the team.

(KNZA)--The Hiawatha Police Department is investigating a single-vehicle wreck Saturday evening that sent one person to the hospital.

According to a press release from Hiawatha Police Chief John Defore, the wreck was reported around 6:50 in the 22-hundred block of Linden Road.

Defore said when officers arrived on the scene they found the driver trapped in the vehicle.

He said several passersby were already rending aid and helping direct traffic when the officers arrived.

After the driver was extricated, he was transported by ambulance to the Hiawatha Community Hospital and then later transported by helicopter to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka.

The name of the driver was not immediately released.

Defore says the wreck remains under investigation.

Responding to the scene were the Hiawatha Police Department, Brown County Sheriff's Department, Hiawatha Fire Department, Squad 48, Town and Country EMS and Sac and Fox Tribal Police.

(KAIR)--A stolen vehicle is recovered following a Monday afternoon Jackson County traffic stop.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, in a news release, says the 2001 GMC Sierra pickup truck was stopped by a Deputy on U.S. Highway 75, near 198th Road.

The stop was made due to the license plate not matching the vehicle.

It was learned the vehicle had been stolen from Topeka, and the driver was arrested.

She's identified as 49-year-old Debra Ann Blevins, of Topeka.

She was taken into custody for possession of stolen property, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving without an interlock device.

Following her arrest, Blevins was booked into the Jackson County Jail.

(KAIR)--The Elwood Police Officer, arrested last month on sex-related charges, was fired the same day he was taken into custody, just over four-months after he was hired by the Doniphan County community.

Those details are revealed in personnel records obtained by MSC News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

According to the documents, Aaron Newberry was hired March 8 of this year following approval by the Elwood City Council during the March 5 council meeting.

His employment was terminated July 21, the day he was arrested by the Elwood Police Department on charges of aggravated sexual battery and mistreatment of a confined person.

According to the criminal complaint, the female victim was allegedly “detained or confined” by Newberry at the time of the crime.

Originally held on a $50,000 bond, a Doniphan County judge August 9 granted a reduction in Newberry's bond to a $25,000 own recognizance bond, and he was released from custody following the modification.

The former officer is scheduled to make his next appearance in a Doniphan County courtroom on the morning of September 20 for a pre-trial conference.

MSC News emailed the Freedom of Information Act request to the City of Elwood July 27, seeking public information pertaining to Newberry's employment. Having not responded to the request by August 10, MSC News filed an open records violation complaint with the Kansas Attorney General's Office that same day.

Kansas law requires a response to such requests within three business days.

A letter from Elwood City Attorney Joel Euler, dated August 17, has been received by MSC News. It contained the personnel information that had been requested.

The probable cause affidavit pertaining to Newberry's arrest was released to MSC News following a formal request to the Doniphan County District Court.

However, the document is so heavily redacted, it shines no new light on the crimes Newberry is accused of committing.

(KNZA)--A Hiawatha man has died from injuries received in a motorcycle crash late last month.

According to an obituary from the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, 55-year-old Richard “ Rick” Siebenmorgen died Thursday evening, August 23rd at Select Specialty Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas.

Siebenmorgen was injured the morning of July 28 in a motorcycle crash on U.S. 36 Highway in Brown County, just west of Kestrel Road.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports he was eastbound when his Yamaha motorcycle rounded a corner and left the roadway where it struck a sign.  

Siebenmorgen, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected.

He was initially transported to the Hiawatha Community Hospital and later flown to the Kansas City hospital.

At his request, Siebenmorgen has been cremated.  A visitation will be held Friday evening from 5 until 8 at the Fisher Community Center in Hiawatha.

Among survivors are a son, Bryan, four brothers and two sisters.

Topeka - In accordance with Executive Order 10-12, Governor Jeff Colyer has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from sun up to sun down Monday, August 27th. in honor of United States Senator John McCain, who passed away Saturday, August 25th.

“Senator McCain will long be remembered for his years of dedicated service to our nation,” said Gov. Colyer, “He displayed great courage and strength in the way he lived his life. We are grateful to him for his devotion to this country and send our deepest condolences to his family as they grieve his passing.”

To receive email alerts when the Governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit http://governor.ks.gov/subscribe-to-flag-honors.

(KNZA)--The Jackson County Commission is proposing a 2019 county budget of more than $14.4 million that contains a slight mill levy decrease.

The proposed budget contains an estimated tax rate of 75.939 mills, an about  9-tenths of a mill decrease.

The budget calls for the county to collect more than $9 million in local taxes.

Even though the mill levy will decrease slightly, the county will collect nearly $318,000 in additional taxes due to a $5.5 million increase in the county’s assessed valuation.

The Commission will consider adoption of the budget following a public hearing the morning of September 4 at 10:00 in the Commissioner’s room at the Jackson County Courthouse.

(KNZA)--The  Kansas  Forestry  Service  has  awarded  a  $9,000  grant  to  
the Sabetha Fire Department for new radios.

According  the  Sabetha  Fire  Chief Jim Johnson, the grant was awarded  through the  Volunteer  Fire  Assistance  Cooperative Fire Protection Program.

The grant requires a 50 percent local match, which will be provided by the city of Sabetha.

Five 800 MHz radios will be purchased, which will allow the
SFD to communicate more effectively with local and state first response and public safety agencies who use 800 MHz radios.

(KNZA)--A single-vehicle Saturday afternoon Doniphan County wreck sent one to the hospital.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports 48-year-old Valorie Hayner, of Elwood, was westbound on U.S. 36 when she took the off ramp to Roseport Road at Elwood and lost the brakes on her pickup truck. The vehicle entered the west ditch and struck an embankment.

A passenger, 50-year-old Elwood resident Malinda Baskins, was transported to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph with what the Patrol described as possible injuries.

Hayner and another passenger, 51-year-old Wathena resident Tina Baskins, were not hurt.

The Patrol says all three were buckled up when the wreck happened shortly after 2:15 Saturday afternoon.

(KAIR)--The Libertarian candidate seeking the office of Kansas Governor, is coming to the local area Monday.

According to the itinerary released by the campaign for Jeff Caldwell II, local stops will begin Monday morning at 8:00 at Diner 36, in Wathena.

That will be followed by a two hour stop in Atchison, where Caldwell will meet constituents from 11 until 1:00 at the River Shack.

Following the Atchison visit, Caldwell will travel to Holton for a meet and greet at Boomer's Steakhouse from 2:00 until 3:00.

His final, local stop on Monday will be in Oskaloosa, for a meet and greet at Wind Wagon Cafe from 5:00 until 6:00.

The Libertarian Party is the third largest party in Kansas, and Caldwell's name will be on the ballot in November.

He's challenging Republican Kris Kobach, Democrat Laura Kelly, and Independent Greg Orman.

(KAIR)--Drug related crimes are added to the charges against the Horton High School Athletic Director arrested in Atchison last weekend for an alleged domestic altercation.

According to the Atchison County Attorney's Office, Travis George is now charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia along with domestic battery, criminal damage to property, criminal restraint, and child endangerment.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News earlier in the week, the 38-year-old George was arrested Saturday night. ““It was at 9:30 Saturday night when officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the 1700 block of Bluebird Court. There, we found a 32-year-old victim had reported that during the disturbance, she was attempting to leave the residence, in a vehicle, with her two small children when the 38-year-old suspect broke the rear window out of the SUV that she was in and climbed into the vehicle. The victim and the suspect ended up outside the vehicle and the victim, a short time later, was able to flee the area in that vehicle.”

Police located George at the residence where the alleged altercation occurred.

Suffering from what Wilson called cuts and abrasions from the vehicle's broken glass, George was transported by private vehicle for hospital treatment and then arrested.

George is in his first year of serving as Horton High School's Athletic Director.

According to the USD 430 website, George is still listed as an employee of the South Brown County Schools.

The School Board Monday night held a special meeting but no action was taken pertaining to George's employment.

Superintendent Jason Cline issued a statement to MSC News Monday, prior to the meeting.

The statement read that while the school district has been made aware of the arrest, “this is a private personnel matter, we are not at liberty to discuss details of how this matter may be discussed with the board or how, if at all, this arrest may impact Mr. George’s employment status.”  

George is scheduled to make an appearance in Atchison County District Court Monday afternoon.

According to Atchison County Jail records, George is free on bond.

(KLZA)--A Richardson County deputy sheriff was treated and released from Community Medical Center in Falls City on Thursday following an altercation with a person he was arresting.

According to a Sheriffs Office news release, Deputy Lyle McMann was treated for injuries he suffered during the arrest of 42-year-old William Holbrooks in Humboldt.

Holbrooks was arrested for driving under suspension, resisting arrest, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony.

Holbrooks was booked into the Richardson County Jail. He remained in custody Friday morning.

(KLZA)--A Falls City woman was arrested following a car fire that shut down a portion of Highway 73 Wednesday night into early Thursday morning.

The Richardson County Sheriff's Office reports 37-year-old Marcena Dean was arrested Wednesday night for driving under the influence of alcohol. Dean was booked into the Richardson County Law Enforcement Center and later released on bond.

The Falls City Volunteer Fire Department responded to a car fire shortly before midnight Wednesday. The car was on the south end of the viaduct on the south edge of Falls City.

Highway 73 was closed down for about two hours. The car was towed from the scene.

(KNZA)--The Prairie Hills USD 113 Board of Education has adopted the 2018-19 budget as published, which contains a mill levy decrease.

That came during a special meeting Wednesday evening following a hearing drawing no public comment.

The budget calls for the school district to collect more than $5.6 million in local taxes.

Because of two separate bond issues before consolidation, USD 113 has two different mill rates depending on the location of property.

Those in the former USD 441 will see a decline of 4-tenths of a mill for a total estimated tax rate of 47.56 mills, which includes the mandatory 20 mills for state aid.

Those in the former USD 488 will see a decrease of 2.3 mills for a estimated tax rate of 46.204 mills

Superintendent Todd Evans says they are planning on this being the final year they levy a tax on the former USD 488 for bond and interest.  It will be paid off a year early, saving $4,800 in interest costs for those patrons.  

(KNZA)--An Overbrook man was arrested Thursday evening in Jackson County after allegedly leading authorities on a pursuit and crashing into a police vehicle.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse says the Sheriff's office was notified shortly before 8:00 about a reckless driver on  Highway 75 near the Shawnee County line.

A deputy spotted the vehicle--a silver 2004 Ford Mustang--on Highway 75 near 134th Road.   When the deputy tried to pull over the vehicle, the driver fled north to 150th Road, then east and south to 142nd Road, before turning back toward Highway 75.

Despite running over stop sticks along the way that flattened three tires, Morse says the car made its way back to Highway 75, where it went north and then turned west on 150th.  Deputies, KHP Troopers and Pottawatomi Tribal
Police brought the vehicle to a stop west of Q. Road on 150th.  

Morse says when authorities tried to remove the driver, identified as 38-year-old Kristin Michael Downs, from the vehicle, he accelerated and crashed his Mustang into a Tribal Police car, nearly striking several law enforcement officers.

Officers received only minor injuries.

(Credit: Jackson Co Sheriff's Office

Downs was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital to be evaluated.

He was then booked into the Jackson County Jail on numerous charges—including 4 counts of aggravated assault, five counts of aggravated battery, felony flee and elude, DUI, transporting an open container, criminal damage to property, reckless driving and multiple other traffic infractions.

Bond is pending.

(KNZA)--The Omaha, Nebraska woman charged in connection with a head-on collision last November in northern Jackson County that killed three members of a Sabetha family, is now in custody.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, in a statement, said late Thursday afternoon that 49-year-old Maria Perez-Marquez was arrested earlier in the day in Omaha. She was taken into custody on a Jackson County District Court warrant in connection with the fatal crash.

Morse says an extradition hearing will be held Friday in Omaha.

Perez-Marquez is charged in Jackson County District Court with three felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and two felony counts of aggravated battery. In addition, she faces a misdemeanor count of reckless driving.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports Perez-Marquez was driving a southbound sport utility vehicle on U.S. 75 north of Holton the evening of November 25 when she tried to pass another vehicle and collided head-on with a northbound mini-van driven by 42-year-old Carmen Ukele.

Ukele and two passengers in her vehicle, 11-year-old Marlee Ukele and 62-year-old Stephen Ukele, were killed in the wreck.  Another passenger, Lee Ukele, was injured but survived.

Also injured were Perez-Marquez and a passenger in her vehicle, Rosalao Perez of St. Joseph.

The Ukele’s were returning home from Hutchinson after watching the Sabetha High School football team capture the state 3A championship. Carmen and Lee Ukele’s two sons, Tanner and Carson, were members of the team.

(KAIR)--The Board of Education for Atchison's public schools approves the budget for 2018-2019.

That happened Wednesday evening during a special meeting of the USD 409 Board of Education.

Beginning with a public hearing, Superintendent Dr. Susan Myers told MSC News only one question was posed from the public prior to passage.

Approval was granted unanimously.

The budget contains a mill levy of 54.4122 mills, representing a slight decrease from the previous year.

The approved budget allows the district a budget authority of $35.3 million.

PLATTE CITY, Mo. (AP) – Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a reprimand he received for publicly naming some residents of a northwest Missouri town who defended a convicted child sex offender.

The Missouri Supreme Court in May reprimanded Zahnd for violating professional conduct rules but didn’t suspend his license or limit his ability to remain as prosecutor.

The Missouri’s Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel filed a complaint against Zahnd after he issued a news release naming residents of Dearborn who wrote letters supporting Darren Paden while Paden was awaiting sentencing for sexually abusing a young girl.

Zahnd said in a news release Thursday that his letter was truthful and contained already-public information. And he said the Missouri Supreme Court didn’t fully explain its reason for the order.

(KNZA)--The preliminary hearing for a Hiawatha woman facing a pair of child sex charges has been pushed back again.

Brown County Attorney Kevin Hill told MSC News the attorney for 19-year-old Teaini Simmons requested a continuance Wednesday to go over the high volume of digital forensic evidence in the case.

The court granted the request and rescheduled the preliminary hearing for the morning of October 10.

During the preliminary hearing, a judge will determine if there is enough evidence for Simmons to bound over for trial on charges of rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

She was arrested May 15 following an investigation by the Hiawatha Police Department.

The investigation was launched after the department received a report from a concerned citizen that Simmons was romantically involved with a child under the age of 14.

She remains in the Brown County Jail, held on a $100,000 bond.

(KLZA)--The Richardson County Commission spent the majority of their meeting time Tuesday reviewing budgets with various county officials.

Mark Joy and Sandra Stalder, representing Humboldt Shares, Inc. presented the groups annual report of expenditures from funding received from Richardson County. Humboldt Shares is asking for the funding be continued for the next fiscal year.

During the quarterly safety committee meeting, Clerk of the District Court Pam Scott discussed courthouse security. She stated the security is for everyone in the building--the public and the employees.

Scott told the committee, including the Commissioners about an incident in the past week, when she felt that had security not been in place, that perhaps an incident involving a weapon could have occurred.

The Board approved the purchase of a computer virus protection proposal submitted by Joe Buckminster of Buck-It.

The program is required by state and federal law enforcement agencies for the Law Enforcement Centers computers to connect with their computers. The program, which costs nearly $3,500 for the first year and will also cover all other County owned computers. The cost breaks down to $82.98 per computer.

(KNZA)--Pay increases have been approved for the staff of the South Brown Schools of USD 430.

During a special meeting Monday evening, the USD 430 Board of Education approved a 4 percent salary increase for the building principals, superintendent and curriculum director. In addition, a 54 cent hourly increase was approved for all classified staff.

Following an executive session, the Board also approved the certified master agreement with teachers for the 2018-19 school year. Under the agreement, the base salary will increase $1,400, a 4.2 percent increase. The district will continue to pay for a single health insurance plan for all staff working a minimum of 20 hours a week.

After a hearing drawing no public comment, the Board approved the 2018-19 budget as published.

The budget contains an estimated tax rate of 43.379 mills, which is a 1.5 mill levy decrease. The budget calls for the district to collect nearly $1.6 million in local taxes.

The district was able to lower the mill levy due to an increase in the assessed valuation.

Although first year Horton High School Activities Director Travis George was arrested Saturday on charges relating to domestic violence, no action pertaining to his status with the school district was taken during the special meeting.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The state of Kansas will offer one day of amnesty for people who have bench warrants for not paying child support. 

The Department of Children and Families says the warrants will be lifted on Aug. 31. People must pay either $500 or two months of support, whichever is the lesser amount. 

The agency says more than 1,100 Kansans have warrants for failing to pay child support. 

Agency spokeswoman Taylor Forrest says more than 100 non-custodial parents went to DCF offices last year on amnesty day to discuss their cases but some of them didn't have active bench warrants. 

Forrest says the annual amnesty day is designed to help people avoid prosecution for failing to pay child support while also allowing their children to receive the support they deserve.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is changing how it manufactures license plates for the first time since the state began issuing the plates more than a century ago.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the state will no longer have plates embossed with raised letters and numbers printed in bulk for non-commercial traffic. Kansas changed its system this week to print license plates on demand using a digital printing process. 

The printed numbers and letters are applied to a flat sheet of aluminum and stamped out in the shape of a license plate. 

John Kalal is director of government products at Center Industries in Wichita, which makes all of the state's license plates. Kalala says the process is much faster and more efficient than stamping out and embossing the whole plate.

(KAIR)--A Leavenworth man enters a no contest plea to charges related to what authorities say was an online, sexual relationship with a young teenage girl.

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson, in a news release, said 67-year-old Raymond Soden entered the plea for felony electronic solicitation in Leavenworth County District Court Tuesday.

Thompson said the crimes occurred this year, between January 10 and March 19.

He said Soden used Facebook Messenger to communicate with a 13-year-old girl.

Thompson said Soden sent numerous messages about paying the girl for nude photos of her and her friends, as well as sex acts with her and her friends.

According to the release, Soden admitted to being aware of the girl's age during an interview with police.

(KNZA)--The Hiawatha City Commission has awarded bids for two sewer projects.

The Commission Monday evening accepted the low bid submitted by Jadwin Construction, of Hiawatha for the replacement of a sewer line in the 400 block between Iowa and Pottawatomie Streets at a cost of $8,000.

It was among four bids received and was well under what had been estimated.

During a short special meeting Wednesday evening, the Commission accepted the low bid submitted by J & B Contractors, of Hiawatha, for an about 200 foot sewer line extension at 7th and Lodge at a cost not to exceed $3,200.

It was among three bids received.

The project will provide sewer service to property previously annexed.  

(KMZA)--The Nemaha Central Board of Education has approved the 2018-19 budget as published, which calls for a slight mill levy increase.

Approval came during the Board’s meeting Monday evening following a hearing drawing no public comment.

The budget contains for an about .8 mill increase.

USD 115 patrons in the former USD 442 area will see an estimated tax rate of 41.98 mills---6.9 mills higher than the former USD 451 area because of payments for bonds issued to build the elementary/middle school.

The budget calls for the district to collect nearly $3.5million in local taxes and allows expenditures of over $12 million.

Superintendent Darrel Kohlman says the levy increase was necessary because raising operating costs are cutting away at the district’s fiscal year-ending cash balances.

(KAIR)--Injuries were avoided after a pilot lost control of an airplane early Wednesday evening and crashed into a field as he attempted to take off from Atchison's Amelia Earhart Airport.

“The pilot said that he just wasn't able to get the plane to take off, off the ground, and it just came across and crashed into the embankment,” Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie told MSC at the scene of the crash, which happened shortly after 5:00. “He took off on the runway, came straight north, and just couldn't get it to pull up and landed it back over here, on this side. We'll handle the investigation from here, and then turn it over to any other authorities that would like to have a copy of it.”

The airplane, identified as a 1974 Cessna AGtruck, is owned by McElwain Sprayers.

A post on the company's Facebook page refers to the aircraft as “Tweety.”

The pilot is identified by Laurie as Saint Joseph, Missouri resident Justin Keith Haller.

(KLZA)--Members of the Taking Back Our Community group attended the Monday night City Council meeting in Falls City to voice concerns about the number of people that sit in vehicles late at night using WiFi from the library. 

Stan  Coupe was the spokesman for the group. 

City Administrator Gary Jorn said since visiting with Coupe and Bob Witt with the Taking Back Our Community Group last week, the WIFI is currently shut down overnight based on a couple of events that have occurred.

For the time being, the WIFI is turned off at 9 in the evening and turned back on at 8:00 A.M.  What the policy will be in the future is currently unknown.

Coupe also asked several questions about the Wellness Center rental agreement the City has with the owners of the business.  Jorn said at the present time the renters are current on their rent and have insurance on the facility.  

In other business, the Council voted 5-3 to approve on first reading an ordinance that would increase the compensation for the Mayor and Council members. Voting against the proposal were Council members Charlie Bentley, Kirby Robidoux and Mike Dougherty.

During the August 6th Council meeting, Second Ward Council Person Judy Murphy proposed the Mayors compensation be increased $1,800 annually to $5,400. The proposal for the Council members is to increase the wage from $2,400 per year to $4,200 annually.

If approved as proposed, the total increase for the Mayor and eight council members would amount to $16,200 annually.  The proposal would need to be approved three times to go into effect with the seating of the next  Council in December.   

(KAIR)--With the projected assistance of grant monies if tobacco use is banned near playgrounds in Atchison parks, and with the support of ADA funding and other possible grants, the City of Atchison moves forward with the goal of installing an inclusive playground at Jackson Park.

Public Works Director Clinton McNemee addressed the plan, four years in the making, to the Atchison City Commission Monday evening, outlining the strategy moving forward, following the denial last year of an application for a state Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. “We're working with Live Well [Live Atchison] on a Pathways grant, we're hoping that will be around $30,000. That's contingent upon a tobacco free ordinance that we hopefully will be looking at, maybe next month. The ADA Advisory Board unanimously voted to use their $25,000 of 2018 funding for ADA improvements to use toward this project. We are also applying for a Courtney S. Turner Trust donation, or grant, of up to $15,000, in addition to another $15,000 grant from the Reeve Foundation. We had initially applied for a Reeve Foundation grant on the first version of this, and it wasn't successful. They didn't state the reason, I believe that it was because of the lack of wheelchair accessibility, because that group is particularly interested in paralysis issues.”

McNemee told the Commission that lack of accessibility has been addressed in the design plan. “Now that we didn't get that first round funding, we thought, let's go back, and see what else we can do. It's basically the same design that everybody picked, except for we swapped out the composite structures for something that has wheelchair accessible decking.”

The more than $100,000 project will feature a playground with equipment designed for use by children of various physical, cognitive, social, sensory, and communicative abilities.

The Commission, following McNemee's detailed outline of the project agreed to move forward, voting to hire the firm of AB Creative to make the project a reality at a cost of more than $151,000.

Ten proposals were received from five vendors, with a selection panel, comprised of City staff and advisory board members, scoring and ranking each proposal. That resulted in what McNemee calls “a clear consensus to select AB Creative's Option #1 proposal.”

Cost of the playground is included in the City's Capital Improvement Plan.

(KNZA)--Charges have been filed against an Omaha, Nebraska woman in connection with a head-on collision last November in northern Jackson County that killed three members of a Sabetha family.

The Topeka Capital Journal reports Maria Perez-Marquez has been charged in Jackson County District Court with three felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and two felony counts of aggravated battery. In addition, she faces a misdemeanor count of reckless driving.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports Perez-Marquez was driving a southbound sport utility vehicle on U.S. 75, north of Holton, the evening of November 25 when she tried to pass another vehicle.

She collided with a northbound mini-van driven by 42-year-old Carmen Ukele.  Both vehicles swerved to the shoulder at the same time to avoid colliding, but hit head-on.

Carmen Ukele and two passengers in her vehicle, 11-year-old Marlee Ukele and 62-year-old Stephen Ukele, were killed in the crash.

Another passenger, Lee Ukele, was seriously injured in the wreck.  Also injured were Perez-Marquez and a passenger in her vehicle, Rosalao Perez of St. Joseph.

The Ukele’s were returning home from Hutchinson after watching the Sabetha High School football team capture the state 3A championship.  Carmen and Lee Ukele’s two sons, Tanner and Carson, were members of the team.

(KLZA)-- The Humboldt City  Council awarded a bid for new playground equipment for the City Square Park during their August 7th meeting. 

Miracle Playground  Equipment, sold by Crouch Recreation submitted a bid of $103,993. The only other bid received was for more than $105-thousand.  The Council approved the Crouch Recreation bid as recommended by the Playground Committee.

The old equipment will be removed following the  Richardson County Fair.  Weather permitting the new equipment should be installed by November 15th. 

A proposal from PeopleService Nebraska to continue serving Humboldt, supplying the community with service for the water and sewer was tabled until the August 21st meeting.  

Evonne Fagler   informed the Council  she will be moving to the country and her request to have therapy chickens at her home would not require discussion.  A motion to approve a request from Brett Hutton to have chickens at his home on Cherry Lane died for a lack of a second. 

The City Attorney has recommended an ordinance be created  setting up a permit process for allowing domesticated animals other than dogs or cats within the city limits.  Mayor Crystal Dunekacke volunteered to create a classification list of what large and small animals would be considered.

The Council also approved renewing insurance coverage for the City of Humboldt and the City Fire and Humboldt  Rural  Fire for the next year.

The  Council voted unanimously to have Milke's Lawncare Service  edge, mow and trim the “green space” along Nemaha Street  through Humboldt prior to the Richardson County Fair at a cost of $1,600.  

(KAIR)--The boil water advisory for the City of Lancaster has been lifted.

According to a news release issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the all clear was given for the Atchison County community Tuesday.

Laboratory testing samples collected from the City of Lancaster indicate no evidence of contamination and all other conditions that placed the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be resolved.  

The advisory was issued August 14 because of a loss of pressure.

Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

(KNZA)--The contract has been awarded for the long awaited Hiawatha street improvements project to be funded by a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2016.

On the recommendation of the project engineer, the Hiawatha City Commission Monday evening voted unanimously to award the project to AHRS Construction of Bern in the total amount of $5,564,188---including the base bid, USD 415 alternate and three additional alternates.

It was lowest among three bids opened August 14, with the base bid of $4.98 million coming in nearly $179,000 under the engineer’s estimate.

The base bid includes improvements to portions of 10 city streets--including new concrete pavement along with curbs and gutters.

Alternate bids were also accepted for the improvement of Miami Street from the railroad tracks to 9th Street, Morrill Avenue from Longfellow to Oregon and Oregon Street from 1st Street to Morrill Avenue.

In addition, an alternate bid in the amount of nearly $89,000 was accepted for a bus turnout at the Hiawatha Elementary School to paid for by USD 415.

Bonds will be issued to fund the street improvements project, which will be paid off over a 30-year period with the proceeds the half-cent sales tax.  The sales tax is currently projected to generate $350,000 annually.   

(KLZA)-- Minor to moderate flooding will continue along the Missouri River from Omaha south to Rulo this week.

Flooding is expected to affect Richardson, Nemaha and Otoe counties on the Nebraska side of the river along with  Fremont County Iowa and Atchison and Holt counties in Northwest Missouri from Tuesday morning through  Friday afternoon. 

The Missouri River At Rulo was at 15.9 feet  1.1 feet below flood stage early Monday afternoon. 

Minor flooding is forecast. The forecast is for the river to rise above flood stage by late Tuesday morning and continue to rise to near 20.9 feet by Wednesday evening. 

At Brownville the flood stage is 33 feet with the crest forecast for 38.3 early Wednesday afternoon. 

At Nebraska City the crest is forecast at 21.6 feet Wednesday morning. Flood stage is 18 feet. The river reading Monday afternoon was 17.4 feet. 

Further downstream the Missouri River is forecast to crest at St. Joseph Wednesday morning around 7 at 20.4 feet which is nearly 3.5 feet above flood stage. 

At Atchision, Kansas the crest if forecast at 21.9 feet early Thursday afternoon which is just below the 22 foot flood stage. 

(KLZA)-- Unemployment rates were nearly steady in southeast Nebraska for the month of July. 

According to the Nebraska Department of Labor, only two area counties reported an increase in their jobless rate.  Richardson County's jobless rate of 3.4 percent was up two-tenths and Otoe County's rate of 3.3 percent was up a tenth of a point.

Unemployment figures dropped by two-tenths in Johnson County to 3.7 percent and by a tenth in Pawnee County to 3 percent, which is the lowest unemployment rate in the region. 

Figures were steady in Nemaha County, at 4.2 percent, which is the highest area jobless rate.  There was no change in the unemployment rate in Gage County with the figure remaining steady at 3.4 percent. 

Statewide, the unemployment rate remained steady for another month at 2.9 percent.  

(KAIR)--The Board of Education for the Atchison County schools of USD 377 has finalized the 2018-19 budget.

Following a hearing drawing no public comment, the Board August 14 approved a nearly $10.5 million budget that includes a more than 2 mill property tax levy decrease. The budget contains an estimated tax rate of 45.277 mills. It calls for the district to collect more than 3 million dollars in local taxes.

The district was able to lower the mill levy due to an increase in the district's assessed valuation.

Also during the meeting, the school board approved the 2018-2019 Atchison County Teachers' Association agreement settlement, as well as the salaries for classified staff for the new school year.

(KAIR)--Heroin is suspected in an Atchison drug overdose that led to child endangerment charges for a woman who, the next day, police say was involved in a traffic crash that downed a power pole in the City of Atchison.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News the overdose was discovered Friday evening, around 6:30. “Officers responded to a residence in the 800 block of Parallel for an unresponsive 28-year-old female. Officers and first responders, when they arrived on the scene, rendered aid, and it was determined that the use of drugs was the basis of this medical situation. Alexis Porter, the female, was transported to the hospital by EMS, and the investigation continued through the weekend, specifically focusing on the presence of a small child that was in the residence during this drug overdose.”

Not arrested immediately, Wilson says it was the next afternoon that Porter was driving on an Atchison street when she wrecked into a power pole, knocking down the power line. “Saturday, [Porter] was driving a vehicle in the 700 block of South 5th, about 1:20 in the afternoon, when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a utility pole. The utility pole was broken off and there were wires on the ground, and this caused traffic to be diverted from that area until the early evening. Her 26-year-old passenger in that vehicle was transported to the hospital by EMS for examination.”

Porter's passenger is identified as Luke Bilderback, who suffered non-life threatening injuries in the wreck.

Porter was cited for reckless driving and excessive speed.

Wilson said Porter was then arrested the next morning in connection with Friday's alleged drug overdose. “Then on Sunday morning, we were still working on the investigation on Friday night's case when we took her into custody for the endangerment of a child.”

Porter now faces a charge of endangering a child.

Following her arrest, she was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A newly-released autopsy reports says a 72-year-old man was driving drunk when he collided with a vehicle driven by an off-duty Topeka police officer, killing both men.

The crash on May 29 killed 25-year-old officer Trey McCluskey, formerly of Sabetha, and Peter Bieri, of Lawrence. 

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the autopsy found Bieri's blood-alcohol level was much as three times the legal limit when he drove the wrong way on U.S. 75 north of Topeka and collided with McCluskey's vehicle.

The autopsy listed "ethanol intoxication" as a contributing factor in Bieri's death.

No alcohol or drugs were found in McCluskey's system.

McCluskey's wife, 25-year-old Taylor McCluskey, survived after being hospitalized for injuries suffered in the crash.
 

(KMZA)--A Saturday evening two-vehicle Nemaha County wreck sent two to the hospital.

The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Department reports 30-year-old Maggie Hunninghake, of Baileyville, was westbound on U.S 36 near Y Road when the Ford Expedition she was driving struck the rear of a Chevy Silverado  driven by 31-year-old Alec Krogmann, of Sabetha.   The impact caused his  pickup truck to go into the ditch and overturn.

Krogmann and his passenger were both transported by ambulance to the Sabetha Community Hospital.

The wreck was reported around 6:30 Saturday evening.        

(KAIR)--A weekend Atchison domestic dispute sends an Atchison man to the hospital and then to jail.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News 38-year-old Travis George suffered injuries in the altercation, and was arrested hours after it happened on numerous charges related to the disturbance. “It was at 9:30 Saturday night when officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the 1700 block of Bluebird Court. There, we found a 32-year-old victim had reported that during the disturbance, she was attempting to leave the residence, in a vehicle, with her two small children when the 38-year-old suspect broke the rear window out of the SUV that she was in and climbed into the vehicle. The victim and the suspect ended up outside the vehicle and the victim, a short time later, was able to flee the area in that vehicle.”

Wilson said officers found George injured. “Officers did locate the suspect in the residence. He was taken by private vehicle, at that point, to the hospital for treatment of cuts and abrasions from the broken glass on the vehicle, and was subsequently taken into custody on a number of charges.”

George faces charges for criminal damage to property, domestic battery, criminal restraint, and endangering a child.

Following his arrest, George was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

George is in his first year as activities director at Horton High School.

His status with USD 430, following his arrest, isn't immediately known. Superintendent Jason Cline, following an emailed inquiry made by MSC News, issued a statement, saying, "USD 430 administration has been made aware of the arrest of Travis George.  However, as this is a private personnel matter, we are not at liberty to discuss details of how this matter may be discussed with the board or how, if at all, this arrest may impact Mr. George’s employment status."

(KAIR)--Violent crime is on the rise in Kansas.

That's revealed in a release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, with the 2017 Kansas Crime Index Report showing that violent crime continues to trend upward.

The report compiles crime statistics reported to the KBI by state and local law enforcement agencies across Kansas.

According to the findings, 2017 saw an overall increase of 6.3% in violent crime such as murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and battery. In the past three years, Kansas experienced a 23.1% increase in violent crime. The violent crime rate is currently 12.3% above the 10-year average.

Additionally, 176 murders occurred in 2017, which represents an 18.9% increase over the number of murders committed in 2016. The murder rate is the highest in the past 10 years, and 40.8% above the 10-year average.

 The frequency of incidents involving multiple murder victims also increased in 2017, at 21.1%.

The release says “identifying common circumstances in murder cases is difficult” as 21% were reported as unknown, and 21.7% indicated an unknown suspect. Domestic violence murders comprised 22.3% of the total cases, while arguments were reported in 21.7%. Gang activity was a factor in 11.4% of incidents, and drug dealing was a factor in 10.9%.

 In 2017, 1,213 rapes were reported in Kansas, representing a 7.8% increase over 2016. That's a 10.3% above the 10-year average.

Total property crimes declined, with the report showing a decrease of 2.1%

The release notes the statistic do not include “the numerous cyber crimes” that occurred in the state.

(KMZA)--The Seneca City Council has adopted a revised 2019 city budget of $11.6 million that keeps about the same mill levy.

Approval came during the Council’s meeting last week.

The budget contains an estimated tax rate of 32.338 mills.

City Administrator Matt Rehder noted its the 7th straight year the mill levy has remained steady.

The budget calls for the city to collect more than $760,000 in local taxes—almost $33,000 more than last year.   That’s due to an increase in city’s assessed valuation.

The city’s first budget proposal, approved for publication at the Council’s July 2nd meeting, contained a more than 4 mill increase in the levy.

(KNZA)--The Board of Education for the South Brown Schools of USD 430 heard a proposal for a new 8-lane high school track when they meet last week.

Cory Wilson with Olsson Associates of Kansas City presented the proposal.

Due to the size of the current track, the district is not able to hold high school meets.

The district is also looking at new seating and lighting for the football stadium.

Wilson estimated the project cost at about $800,000.

While a new 8-lane track was proposed, the Board felt a 6-lane track would be best.

Superintendent Jason Cline said the project could be financed with the help of fundraisers and capital outlay funds.

The Board agreed their first priority would be the lights and seating, and if funds were available to continue with renovation of the track.

The Board voted to continue to move forward with the proposed project. The next step will be to have soil testing done at the site.

In other business, the USD 430 Board accepted, with regrets, the retirement resignation of district Transportation Director Doug Schmitt. The resignation is effective June 30, 2019.

(KNZA)--The Riverside USD 114 Board of Education plans to hold a new capital outlay levy election after voters defeated a levy during the August 7th primary election by a narrow margin.

The Board made that decision during their regular meeting August 13.

The Kansas Chief reports the Board decided to hold an election in the beginning of 2019, with a date to be set at their September meeting.

Board members agreed they need to provide more information to voters about why a levy is needed.

Voters during the primary election defeated by a 39-vote margin a levy of up to 4.775 mills annually for five years for the capital outlay fund.

Currently, the Riverside school district is among only 12 districts in the state without a capital outlay levy.

The current source of revenue for the capital outlay fund is an annual transfer from the general fund budget.

(KAIR)--The Board of Education for the Atchison County schools of USD 377 has finalized the 2018-19 budget.

Following a hearing drawing no public comment, the Board last week approved a nearly $10.5 million budget that includes a more than 2 mill property tax levy decrease.

The budget contains an estimated tax rate of 45.277 mills. It calls for the district to collect more than 3 million dollars in local taxes.

The district was able to lower the mill levy due to an increase in the district's assessed valuation.

Also during last week's meeting, the school board approved the 2018-2019 Atchison County Teachers' Association agreement settlement, as well as the salaries for classified staff for the new school year.

(KNZA)--2nd District Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins will make several local stops Monday, August 20 as part of her annual Northeast Kansas Farm Tour.

The Kansas Republican will begin the tour at the Mark and Crystal Albers farm in rural Denton.

She will then travel to the Fred and Pam Meng dairy in rural Troy.

In the afternoon, Jenkins will stop at Ag Partners Cooperative in Hiawatha.

She will wrap up the tour with a stop at the Jay Armstrong farm in rural Muscotah, which will also include a stop at the Muscotah Mercantile.

(KAIR)--A Doniphan County man goes to jail, following the seizure of 45 dogs, believed to have been used for dogfighting.

A news release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a search warrant was executed Thursday morning leading to the seizure, and to the arrest of 28-year-old Colton Albright, of Bendena.

The release says the ASPCA is assisting with the collection of evidence following the discovery of what the release calls “adult dogs and puppies living in deplorable conditions” throughout the Bendena property.

Some of the dogs appeared to have “scars and injuries commonly associated with dogfighting.” Alleged dogfighting paraphernalia was also found.

Following the raid, Albright was arrested for 42 counts of dogfighting, four counts of possession of dogfighting paraphernalia, one count of animal cruelty, one count of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, one count of felony drug paraphernalia, one count of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, two counts of criminal possession of a firearm less than 18 inches, and a drug tax stamp violation.

Following his arrest, Albright was booked into the Doniphan County Jail.

The Doniphan County Sheriff's Office is assisting with the investigation.

“We are extremely thankful that the ASPCA was willing to partner with us in this investigation. Their responders are best equipped to ensure these animals receive the treatment and care they require,” said Melissa Underwood, spokeswoman for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

“Sadly, dogfighting is more prevalent than many people think and it continues to be a popular underground activity throughout the country,” added Joel Lopez, Operations Director for the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team. “The ASPCA is grateful for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for working with us to tackle this horrific form of animal abuse. Our immediate goal is to transport these dogs to a safe place where they will receive much-needed care and treatment.”

According to the release, the dogs will be transported to an ASPCA temporary shelter at an undisclosed location, where they will be cared for by ASPCA veterinary and behavior experts until custody is determined by the court. 

Great Plains SPCA is providing medical assistance to the ASPCA, but is not sheltering any of the dogs, according to Intake Manager Megan Ochoa. 

(KNZA)--A Mayetta woman arrested last week has been tied to a fourth alleged burglary in Jackson County.  

That word Friday in a press release issued by Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.

33-year-old Saleena Rae Masquat was arrested on August 9 after a  sheriff’s deputy stopped to help a disabled van she had apparently been driving.  The van was found to be stolen from the Sac and Fox Casino earlier in the day.  Masquat was subsequently arrested.  

On the same day, deputies and detectives investigated three burglaries, two being in the rural Whiting area.  One of the burglaries was an occupied residence and the other was an unoccupied residence.  The third burglary was a shed in the area of 254th and P. Road.

On Monday, Morse says a fourth report was made to the sheriff’s office of the burglary of a shed located at 26028 P. Road in rural Holton. The victim reported missing an assortment of tools and power tools.  The burglary is also believed to have occurred on August 9.  

Morse says much of the property stolen during the break-ins has been recovered.

Masquat, who is being held in the Jackson County Jail, was booked on the new burglary charge Tuesday and her bond  increased to $20,000.

Morse says the sheriff’s office has some unidentified property that doesn’t appear to be associated with these four cases.  He says if you have been a victim of burglary or theft in recent days and did not report the incident, please contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 785-364-2251.

(KNZA)--A new KANZA Mental Health and Guidance Center CEO has been hired.

David Jasper recently took over the position, replacing longtime CEO David Elsbury.

Jasper comes to the Hiawatha-based agency from Garden City where he served the past 19 years as the executive director of a non-profit organization providing services to people with intellectual disabilities.

Jasper was introduced to the Brown County Commission Tuesday by Virginia Freeze, director of business operations for KANZA.

Freeze had been serving as interim CEO since the resignation of Elsbury at the end of March.

KANZA serves Brown, Doniphan, Jackson and Nemaha Counties.

(KNZA)--The Prairie Hills USD 113 Board of Education has selected an architect for proposed project at the Axtell school.

Superintendent Todd Evans says the Board this week voted to hire Ekoe Architecture, of Manhattan, to develop plans and a cost estimate for moving the administration office to the south end of the school and re-purposing the existing space to use for learning needs.

Evans says the purpose of the project is provide better security for Axtell students.

USD 113 has received a $17, 500 Safe and Secure Schools grant to help with the project.

In other business, the Board accepted several donations—including two from Kent and Donna Saylor.

One for $11,500 will be used to remodel the Sabetha High School art room and repaint a large portion of the downstairs hallway.  The other for $5,100 will pay for half the cost of a section of new fencing at the Sabetha High School football stadium.

Also accepted was a donation of $1,610 from the Stan Keim family for the baseball program at Sabetha High School.  

Following an executive session, the Board approved a negotiated agreement with teachers for the 2018-19 school year.

Under the agreement, Evans says teachers will receive an average salary increase of two percent.

The Board also approved a compensation package for administrators for the 2018-19 school year, which will result in an average salary increase of one percent.         

(KLZA)--Weather permitting, a chip seal project will begin Monday, August 20th on US-73 Highway near Falls City.

According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, state maintenance forces will be performing a chip seal from Nebraska – Kansas State Line to the south edge of Falls City.

The work is anticipated to take two days.

One-lane traffic will occur with the use of a pilot car and flaggers.

Motorists should expect to see delays and are reminded to drive cautiously through highway work zones.

(KMZA)--Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources is hosting two open house events and opening local offices for a prospective wind energy project in southern Nemaha County.

The project, Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center, will include up to 120 wind turbines and is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs and bring millions of dollars of economic impact to the area.

Construction is set to begin in early 2019.

Westar Energy will purchase 100 percent of the energy produced by the wind farm, which will serve its customers through a 20-year power purchase agreement.

NextEra Energy Resources will host open houses next week in Corning and Sabetha to share information on the project, answer questions and offer landowners opportunities to partner with the project.

The open houses will take place Monday evening at the Corning Event Building at 6221 Fifth Street and Tuesday evening at The Main Event at 16 Main Street in Sabetha.   Both open houses will be held from 5 to 7 p.m.

NextEra has also opened two offices in Nemaha County.  One is located at 408 Main Street in Seneca and the other in Room #19 at the Glacial Hills Business Resource Center at 913 Dakota in Sabetha.  Both offices are now open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Residents with questions about the project are encouraged to drop by the offices.

(KAIR)--The families of graduating seniors at the Atchison County High School will decide the date of graduation for the 2018-2019 school year.

That approach was approved Tuesday evening during the regular meeting of the Board of Education for USD 377.

According to Superintendent Dr. Andrew Gaddis, graduation had been planned for the afternoon of May 18 at 4:00, a week later than in previous years, due, in part, to make certain that seniors had met the required amount of attendance days for graduation.

However, other local area high schools, including Atchison's USD 409, Maur Hill-Mount Academy, and Jefferson County North, all graduate on May 18, along with several area colleges.

That causes a conflict due to Atchison County students having family and friends graduating that same day.

To avoid the conflict, the possibility of moving the date was brought before the Board of Education, which Gaddis said collectively felt the determination should be made by the families of the ACCHS graduates.

The School Board Tuesday approved polling those families to approve a date, with a 2/3 majority of those polled needed for approval.

They will be asked to select a date between May 11 to May 18, with the 4:00 start time to remain the same.

Gaddis said the polling will be conducted “relatively soon,” but the timeline is not yet fully determined.

Editors note: the following was submitted by Brown County Sheriff John Merchant

(MSC News)- I would like to remind everyone with school starting, take a little extra time while driving.

Make sure to watch for children crossing the streets as they are very excited to get back to school and may not always be thinking about looking both ways. There will also be school buses on their route so please be sure to give them extra room on the roadways and do not crowd them or follow too close. Be aware of when they are picking up students or letting them off---we will be issuing citations for vehicles running school bus stop signs.

Most importantly, make sure you and your children are buckled up.  This simple task is proven to lessen the chance of serious injury or ejection during a crash.

If you see suspicious activity, vehicles or people, contact local law enforcement at once.

We wish all student parents and school staff a healthy and safe school year.
 

(KAIR)--An Atchison man is facing charges in connection with the theft of a vehicle that happened more than two-months ago.

Arrested Wednesday was 43-year Keith Allen.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News Allen was taken into custody on an Atchison County District Court warrant for burglary and theft of a vehicle.

Wilson said the 1992 Ford Explorer Allen is accused of taking was driven from the 1500 block of Atchison's North 7th Street on May 29.

Wilson said it was recovered June 1in Elwood, Kansas.

Allen now faces misdemeanor charges of theft, which Wilson said stems from his allegedly taking the vehicle, and burglary, for getting inside the vehicle in order to drive it.

Following his arrest, Allen was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

(KLZA)-- In June, Ariens Company employees in Auburn learned the Wisconsin based company planned to close the facility between August 17 and October 15. 

The company had about 190 employees at the time. 

This week it was learned that Fast Global  Solutions, an employee owned company with a plant in Falls City,  has entered agreement of intent to purchase the Ariens facility in Auburn.

Auburn Mayor Scott Kudrna confirmed the information. The Mayor said the community is very excited about the deal. He said he has a huge amount of respect for FAST and what they have done in Falls City. Kudrna said the fact it is an employee owned company makes it even better. 

The Mayor says it is his understanding that FAST is interested in hiring all of the employees currently working at the Ariens facility and hopefully want to hire more. 

According to a release from Barb Ostander with FAST Global Solutions, following the completion of the proposed transaction, which is anticipated to occur in mid-September, FAST will begin operating the facility to increase capacity for its airline ground support equipment and materials handling conveyor sales divisions.

Over the next few weeks, various teams of FAST employees will meet with the Auburn team to create transition plans, and as soon as possible, will begin integrating Auburn employees and production. FAST will also be completing standard due diligence during this time. 

Mayor Kudrna says this is the best outcome the community of Auburn could have hoped for. 

(KNZA)--The Doniphan County Commission has adopted the 2019 county budget as published, which calls for a more than three mill property tax levy decrease.

That came on a 2-1 vote Monday following a hearing draw comment from one county resident.  Commissioner Tim Collins cast the lone no vote.

Susan Studer, who is a regular observer at Commission meetings, asked the Commission’s consideration in not granting employee pay increases and spending so much on roads and bridges.  She would like to see the Commission also address other county issues.

The budget contains an estimated tax rate of 40.39 mills, with the amount of tax to be levied at nearly $5.7 million.

The Commission was able to lower the mill levy due to an about $11 million increase in the county’s assessed valuation.

Following an executive session, Commission Chairman Tad Geiger announced, with regret, the resignation of county Aging Administrator Joi Davies effective November 30th.

Davies has held the part-time position since October 2014.

The county will advertise to fill the vacancy.  

(KLZA)--The Richardson County Commissioners had a full house for a discussion on courthouse security Tuesday morning.

Gayle  Swisegood who served 20 years as a Commissioner told current Board members he thinks the courthouse security that was put in place in July is a mistake.

Swisgood said the way the system is set up if flawed, with only one of the five entrances guarded, making it easy for someone wanting to cause trouble to do so.

Swisegood noted that most of the shootings we hear about in public buildings are by disgruntled workers. He said the people most inconvenienced by the security is the people the courthouse offices are designed to serve.  

Bob Witt with the Taking  Back Our Communities group said he would rather see deputies out on patrol than sitting in the courthouse.

Jerry McKim posed a question to the Commissioners about making the south entrance the public entrance when a street level entrance already existed on the north side of the  building. Third District Commissioner Terry Frank said the north entrance did not meet ADA standards.  

 Swisegood said that he hoped member of their public would express their thoughts on the courthouse security to the Commissioners. 

Richardson County Clerk of the District Court Pam Scott told MSCnews later that while District Judge Julie Smith requested security for the courtrooms when court is in session, the elected officials were concerned about general security when the Sheriff's Office moved from the Courthouse to the new law enforcement center.

Scott said during meetings concerning courthouse security with the Commissioners, when the Sheriff's Office was moved to its new location, the elected officials felt that while something may not  happen this week, or in a month or even year,  they did not want to be the group that had said “we don't need security” when something did happen at some point in the future.  

Sickel said the Courthouse Security will be reviewed during the budget process that is currently underway.  County Clerk Mary Eickhoff estimated the cost for a Deputy Sheriff to be at the Courthouse would be about $60-thousand annually.

According to the activity report from Deputy Mike Dougherty, who fills the courthouse position, during the first 21 days the security was in place, the Courthouse averaged 155 visitors per day, a total of more than 3,200.  During the same time period there were 732 violations, meaning items disallowed were attempted to be brought into the building.  

Violations include weapons such as knives, guns, pepper spray or other chemicals as well as ammunition magazines for guns.

(KAIR)--A two vehicle Wednesday afternoon Jefferson County crash sent three to the hospital.

According to a report from the Kansas Highway Patrol, a vehicle, driven by 44-year-old Trudy Bammes, of Oskaloosa, was westbound on K-16 Highway.

As she came over a hill on the highway, her car crashed into a vehicle that was northbound on Marion Road, crossing K-16 Highway.

That driver, identified by the Patrol as 43-year-old Topeka resident Cynthia Staerkel, was transported to Topeka's Stormont-Vail for the treatment of her injuries.

The report says Bammes, and her 15-year-old passenger, Alli Dawn Bammes, were also transported there for treatment.

The Patrol says everyone was wearing a seatbelt when the wreck happened around 1:30.

(KNZA)--Two improvement projects at Hiawatha High School advance, and the 2018-19 budget is finalized, following action taken by the USD 415 Board of Education this week.

The Board voted to accept the low bid submitted by Midwest Coating, of Topeka, for $81,928, for the replacement of the high school gymnasium roof including roofs of the locker rooms and weight room.

It was among two bids received and was well under what had been estimated.

Following discussion, the Board voted to move forward with an improvement project at the high school football stadium.

Concrete will be installed near the concession stand, in front of the home bleachers and under the visitors bleachers.  In addition, railing will be purchased for installation near the concession stand at a combined estimated cost $14,760.

Donations from the USD 415 Educational Foundation and other donations will be set aside for the purchase of picnic tables and trash cans at a later date.

The Board also approved the purchase of a new waterwheel for irrigation of the practice football fields at a cost of $12,200.

The 2018-19 budget was approved as published following a hearing drawing no public comment.

It contains a nearly 2.6 mill property tax levy decrease and calls for the district to collect more than $6.3 million in local taxes.

(KNZA)--Beware of funny money.

That's the message delivered in a news release issued Wednesday by Hiawatha Police Investigator Mickey Gruber.

Gruber, in the release, says “in the last couple of weeks, [the Hiawatha Police Department has] seen a rash of counterfeit U.S. currency being passed to local merchants.”

Gruber notes that the majority of the money appears to have been washed clean of the ink printing on a smaller bill like a five-dollar bill or a one-dollar bill. He says the counterfeiters apparently use those washed bills to print higher denominations, such as fifty-dollar bills, which have been the majority reported to police.

Gruber, in the release, says to pay attention to all cash bills, but to be especially aware of fifty and twenty-dollar bills.

Anyone who receives a fake should immediately notify local law enforcement.

The release provides these tips on how to spot fake money:

• Often times the original bill’s amount is showing through on the back of the bill and you can easily see.

• Some of the bills are printed on other types of paper and they do not have the security strip in the bill and often the alignment of the print on the back is off.

• Also, some bills you can see the hologram of the original amount of the bill when held up to the light.

Credit: Hiawatha Police Department

(MSC News)--Despite recent rainfall, Kansas counties continue to be hard hit by drought.

In a news release issued Tuesday by the Kansas Water Office, the worsening conditions necessitated a change in status for a number of local northeast Kansas counties.

Moved from warning status to emergency status are the counties of Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Marshall and Nemaha.

According to the release, counties listed at the emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes, and also become eligible for the use of water in some federal reservoirs.

The release says that declining livestock water and feed supply continue to be reported, resulting in the change of the status for the counties, which have a U.S. Drought Monitor Severe Drought status.

Individuals and communities need to contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes.

(KLZA)--The Five Rivers RC&D are partnering with the County Commissioners in Southeast Nebraska counties to conduct Household Hazardous Waste Collections this week.

Friday collection points will be Nebraska City, Auburn and Falls City.

The first stop will be at the Otoe County Shop on the Highway 2 Beltway, just west of Nebraska City from 8:00 A.M. - 9:30 A.M.

The days second stop will be at the City Hall parking lot in Auburn from 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M., followed by the days final pickup spot in Falls City at the Falls City Fire Department parking lot at 1820 Towle Street between 3 and 4:30 P.M.

Items that will be accepted include cleaning products, lawn and garden chemicals, small quantities of farm chemicals, but no more than six, 2.5-gallon containers. Paint, used oil, florescent light bulbs and other household items.

Tires, appliances, science lab chemicals, items containing asbestos, wood preservatives, PCB's, explosives or commercial quantities will not be accepted.

Materials should be in disposable containers that are no larger than 5 gallons or 50 pounds. A $5.00 donation per household is requested to help keep these events going in the future.

(KAIR)--Public voices will be heard regarding the fate of the Atchison Public School mascot.

The controversial Redmen mascot has been the focus of a committee assigned to develop the pros and cons of its continued use, based on the perception that it carries racist connotations toward Native Americans.

The committee has completed it's mission, clearing the way for a public forum to be held next month. “September the 17th, at 5:30. That's when the forum is scheduled,” Herb Gwaltney, President of the USD 409 Board of Education announced Monday evening, following finalization of the plan during the School Board's regular meeting. “This is the meeting that the board has requested with the citizens of our school district, and interested individuals, to talk about the mascot.”

The forum will be held at the Atchison Elementary School as a special meeting of the Board of Education.

Serving as moderator will be Brian Jordan, of the Kansas Association of School Boards.

Jordan served as moderator in Manhattan, Kansas during a 2016 forum also focused on use of a Native American-themed mascot by the Manhattan public high school.

Despite discussion held by Atchison's public school leaders Monday evening, suggestions regarding the format, and ground rules, were not immediately decided.

Instead, discussion will be held with Jordan, prior to the forum, to determine how it will be handled.

The mascot committee was formed in 2016 after the school district received what Myers called “written communications pertaining to the use of the Redmen mascot.”

A completed cost analysis conducted by the district shows that a change in mascots would carry a pricetag of $14,764 for the High School's Redmen mascot and $4,575 for the Middle School's Braves mascot.

(KNZA)--A name has been drawn from a hat to break a tie vote from the August 7th primary election for a township clerk position in Brown County.

Brown County Commission Chairman Steve Roberts Tuesday drew the name of Tom Gudenkauf to win the position of Walnut Township Clerk.

Gudenkauf and Jared Hartter each received seven write-in votes during the primary election.

Neither candidate was present for the drawing.

The Commission meet as a canvassing board Tuesday to certify the results from the election.

Editors note: the following was submitted by Hiawatha Police Chief John Defore

(KNZA)--Citizens are warned that during the period, August 16 through Labor Day, September 3, Hiawatha Police Department will join 150 other local and state police agencies across Kansas in a crackdown aimed at removing drunk and other drugged drivers from the roadways. You Drink. You Drive. You Lose., is underwritten by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

During 2017, alcohol and other drugs were implicated in 40% of the crash deaths on Kansas roads. Over the course of the year, this equated to one person suffering death every two days, and at least 163 families receiving death notification visits, all due to drivers’ decisions to drive impaired. According to KDOT, over the past five years the average proportion of fatality crashes attributable to alcohol impairment, alone, is 23% - or almost one-fourth of all fatality crashes. The agency also reports that crashes involving at least one impaired driver are likely to be more severe than are other crashes. For example, the risk of serious injury in a chemical impairment crash is almost five times that of the crash where such impairment is determined to have not been a factor. More striking is the fact that the risk of death is over fifteen times higher in the case of an impairment crash. Clearly, impaired drivers need to be taken off the road, for their good and for the good of others sharing the road with them.

This campaign is intended to remind drivers of several things:

1. If you’re going to drink while away, do it responsibly by looking ahead and lining up a designated driver before leaving your home. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until it’s time to return home to start asking around. Chances are, if you do that you’ll wind up with someone who might appear to be more sober than yourself, but isn’t sober enough.

2. Check your medications for driving warnings. More and more, in Kansas, DUI arrests are occurring during daytime hours, largely due to the side effects of prescription drugs. It’s not uncommon to find alcohol or illicit drugs present as well.

3. Think of a family you know – maybe your own – and consider how it would be to wake up every day to the memory of your decision to drive after drinking – a decision which unintentionally brought injury or death to one of them. If you’re driving impaired, you are not only more likely to crash, but you are much more likely to cause serious injury or death to yourself and others when you do crash.

4. A DUI arrest can cost you thousands and will result in the installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle. Imagine not being able to start your car without blowing into the interlock’s alcohol sensor several times during an afternoon’s errands.

5. We are asking all citizens on the roadways – drivers and passengers, alike – to watch for suspicious driving behaviors. Note location, a description of the suspect vehicle, and its direction of travel and call 911 as soon as it’s safe to do so. You may save a life.

6. You can count on this department to vigorously enforce impaired driving and other traffic laws, not just during this campaign but through the year.

7. Always remember that the best protection against an impaired driver (even when it’s yourself) is the use of seat belts and appropriate child restraints – every trip, every time. Restraints save lives and reduce injury severity across a wide range of driving mistakes and mishaps.

Should you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to give us a call the department.

Respectfully,

John A. Defore

Chief of Police

(AP/KNZA)--A 22-year-old man convicted on charges in connection with a hit-and-run last year that left a Horton woman seriously injured has learned his fate.

 Nicolas Blaha, of Platte City, Missouri, was sentenced Monday in Riley County District Court to 20 months for aggravated battery and eight months for failure to stop at the scene of an accident. The sentences will run concurrently.
 
A jury found him guilty on the charges in April.

The Manhattan Mercury reports Blaha hit 22-year-old hit Amber Wilhelm early April 14, 2017 as she was crossing a street in Manhattan and continued driving. He said he didn't remember hitting Wilhelm but later came forward and told police he recognized his truck in a video from the scene.
 
Wilhelm, who suffered a brain injury and several broken bones, said she spent months in rehabilitation and therapy. She returned to classes in January.

Blaha apologized to Wilhelm before sentencing.
 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer conceded Tuesday evening in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary, saying he would endorse Secretary of State Kris Kobach a week after their neck-and-neck finish threatened to send the race to a recount.

Colyer accepted defeat after a review of some provisional ballots from most Kansas counties failed to find enough votes for him to overcome a deficit of 110 votes at the time of poll closing in the Aug. 7 primary, out of more than 311,000 votes initially counted.

Kobach will face Democrat Laura Kelly, and is likely to face independent candidate Greg Orman, in the November general election in the decidedly conservative state.

The disputed race was intense and prompted a lengthy county-by-county review of provisional ballots. The aftermath of the primary included both candidates challenging each other's legal interpretations, sending observers to monitor the vote count and raising the specter of lawsuits.

It included a fight over how to count unaffiliated voters who were simply given a provisional ballot by poll workers without first having them fill out a party-affiliation statement. Colyer's campaign had representatives in all 105 counties when provisional ballots are reviewed.

Colyer also questioned whether Kobach — as secretary of state the top election official in Kansas — was advising counties not to count some mail-in ballots, including those with missing or unreadable postmarks.

Kobach removed himself from election-related duties on Aug. 10 until the primary outcome was resolved, but Colyer argued that Kobach still had a conflict of interest because his top deputy took over Kobach's responsibilities.

Kobach rejected Colyer's criticisms, saying his "unrestrained rhetoric has the potential to undermine the public's confidence in the election process."

Kobach, 52, has a national conservative following thanks to his strong stance against illegal immigration and his fervent defense of voter ID laws. He was vice chairman of the Trump administration's election-fraud commission, though the commission eventually found no evidence to support Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 presidential election.

Kobach's voter ID efforts also took a hit in June when a federal judge found the Kansas voter ID law he championed was unconstitutional.

Colyer, by contrast, is far more low-key. He is a 58-year-old plastic surgeon from suburban Kansas City. He served as lieutenant governor for seven years and took over as governor in January when Sam Brownback resigned to become ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

He helped craft state health care legislation as a lawmaker before his election as lieutenant governor in 2010. As lieutenant governor, he supervised a 2013 initiative that privatized Kansas' Medicaid health coverage for the needy.

Provisional ballots are cast when questions about a voter's eligibility cannot be easily resolved. The problem could involve a name not showing up on the voter rolls or a voter's address not matching a photo ID in states where that is required.

National data from the Election Assistance Commission shows that the most common reason for rejection was that a voter was not registered in the state. Other reasons include provisional ballots being cast in the wrong county or wrong precinct and problems with a voter's identification or signature.

Colyer ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2002 before being elected to the Kansas House in 2006, then to the state Senate in 2008.

He has for three decades traveled abroad for medical relief missions, working and training local doctors in Afghanistan, Rwanda, Iraq and other countries.

Before becoming governor, Colyer was a loyal No. 2 to Brownback, even when budget problems that followed the governor's aggressive income tax cuts caused his approval levels to plummet. Lawmakers in 2017 rolled back most of those cuts.

Colyer skirted legal trouble after making three $500,000 loans to Brownback's and his own re-election campaign in 2013 and 2014. Two of the loans were paid back within days. Democrats speculated they might have been timed to inflate campaign-finance reports. They came as the Republican governor faced the prospect of losing to a well-financed Democratic challenger, Paul Davis. Brownback eventually won by a 50 percent to 46.1 percent margin.

Brownback's office said the loans were in compliance with Kansas law and ethics regulations. A grand jury investigation ended with no criminal charges.

(KLZA)-- A Falls City man is now facing additional felony charges following his arrest on Sunday.  

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Richardson County Court, 43-year-old Travis Kirkendall was arrested Sunday evening after he had fled from an officer attempting to  make a traffic stop that morning.

The affidavit alleges that about 9:30 Sunday morning, an officer observed Kirkendall operating a white cargo van at 13th and  Stone Street in Falls City.  The officer had knowledge that Kirkendall's driving privileges have been suspended and attempted to pull him over.  

Kirkendall accelerated and continued to drive at a high rate of speed.  He is alleged to have been driving an estimated 40 to 50 miles an hour over the posted speed limit through residential areas and not stopping for stop signs.   Kirkendall drove the van over a curb and through Dallas Jones Park at a high rate of speed causing damage to city property.  

With Kirkendall driving in a reckless manner endangering himself and others, the pursuit was terminated.  

A short time later, the van Kirkendall had been operating was found abandoned on Highway 8  near 649 Avenue west of Falls City. Further investigation revealed the 2004 Ford van had been stolen in Bellevue, Nebraska late August 12th.  

Police learned later that Kirkendall was at a location in the 2100 block of Harlan Street in Falls City, where he taken into custody.. 

Kirkendall has been charged with felony counts of theft by receiving stolen property and operating a motor vehicle  to avoid arrest.  He is also charged with misdemeanors counts of criminal mischief, willful reckless driving and driving under suspension. 

Kirkendall is being held in the Richardson County Jail.

 At the time of his arrest on Sunday, he was out on bond.  He  had been arrested July 30th on felony charges of burglary and resisting arrest in connection with a break-in at Harmon's O.K. Tire Warehouse and the Grand Weaver Hotel.

Kirkendall is scheduled to be arraigned in that case on August 20.  

(KNZA)--A Hiawatha altercation led to the use of a Taser to subdue a Reserve man.

That word comes in a press release issued by Hiawatha Police Chief John Defore.

It states that an officer responded Monday evening, around 8:50, to a domestic dispute on Miami Street. Two men were found to be in a fight, and the officer attempted to break it up.

During the altercation, one of the two men turned his attention on the officer, and allegedly began to fight him.

After the officer successfully radioed for backup, he was able to deploy his Taser, but was still unable to get the suspect into custody without the aid of two Brown County Sheriff's Deputies who arrived following the officer's emergency call for assistance.

The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Jesper Winsea, was ultimately taken into custody, and examined by EMS due to what the release calls “his extreme erratic behavior.”

Cleared for transport following the examine, Winsea was booked into the Brown County Jail.

According to the Brown County Jail roster, he was booked into custody on charges of interference with a law enforcement officer, battery on a law enforcement officer and domestic battery.

Defore says the Hiawatha officer received minor injuries during the incident and a broken body worn camera.

The case will be forwarded to the Brown County Attorney for consideration.

(KAIR)--A boil advisory is issued for the City of Lancaster.

Mayor Tim Callahan Tuesday afternoon said the advisory is effective immediately, and will remain in place until further notice.

Issuance of the boil advisory follows the start of water line work in the Atchison County community.

Callahan said when the work began Tuesday morning, the water pressure at several residences dropped to zero, leading to the need for the advisory.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residual levels and bacterial contamination.

Customers should boil water to be consumed for one minute prior to use, or choose bottled water while the advisory remains in place.

( AP)-- Nebraska has carried out its first execution since 1997 with the lethal injection of Carey Dean Moore, who fatally shot two Omaha cab drivers almost four decades ago.
 
Moore was executed Tuesday morning with a combination of four drugs that had never been used before in an execution in the United States, including the powerful opioid fentanyl. The execution also marked the first lethal injection in Nebraska.
 
Moore was one of the nation's longest-serving death row inmates. His death comes about three years after Nebraska lawmakers abolished the death penalty, only to have it reinstated the following year through a ballot initiative partially financed by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.
 
A German pharmaceutical company tried to block the execution by alleging the state had illicitly obtained at least one of its drugs. A federal judge refused to stall the execution.
 

(KNZA)--No major damage was reported following a fire at a Hiawatha hotel Monday afternoon.

The Hiawatha Fire Department was called to the Best Western Hotel located on East Lodge Road shortly after 2:40.

Upon arrival, Fire Department Public information Officer Jordanne Shockley says the fire was on the south side of the hotel.

She said it was a small fire and extinguished quickly.   Shockley said there was smoke damage inside the hotel.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation and no other information is being released at this time.

Assisting at the scene were the Robinson Fire Department, Squad 48, Town and Country EMS and Hiawatha Police Department.

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) - A mistrial has been declared in the case against an inmate who had pleaded not guilty to murder in connection with a 2017 prison uprising in southeast Nebraska.
 
The trial of 27-year-old Eric Ramos ended Monday after the judge learned that three prison investigators, who are all witnesses in the case, met over the weekend in violation of a court order.
 
Prosecutors will decide whether to refile charges against Ramos. He was accused of killing 31-year-old Michael Galindo during a violent outbreak at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.
 
The bodies of Galindo and 39-year-old Damon Fitzgerald were found after authorities restored order.
 
Authorities have said the uprising began because inmates were angry that prison staffers had confiscated 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of homemade alcohol from them.

(KAIR)--Steps to strengthen school safety were explored Monday night when Atchison's Board of Education met, with discussion focused on how to utilize grant funds allocated by the state of Kansas.

Received through the Safe and Secure Schools grant is more than $21,000, with a 50/50 match from USD 409 meaning more than $42,000 is available for safety use.

A topic of contention is the possible requirement of clear backpacks in the Atchison schools.

Board members said they've received push back on the proposal, with Board Vice-President Carrie Sowers stating she's received strong feedback opposing the possibility. “All I know is we ditch the clear backpacks, because I've had more discussion about those backpacks.”

Dr. John Eplee pushed back against the lack of enthusiasm, saying clear back packs are a change in culture that the public needs to get used to. “It's a safety issue. I'm going to push back hard on this because it's a change, people have a hard time with change, they worry about the perception. I'm kind of like, get over it, because we are held to a high standard. If something happens and we didn't have clear backpacks, they're going to say, “oh gosh, you had that opportunity for clear back packs? Why didn't you do that?” We won't have a funding source for it again. I just think we're sticking our head in the sand, worried about the perception.”

Other possible safety additions could include metal detectors or a system to allow internal communications in a time of an emergency.

No decision was immediately made, with the matter to be brought back to the school board in November.

Additional discussion is expected prior to that meeting.

What do you think of the clear backpack possibility? MSC News would like to hear your thoughts.

Go here to voice your feelings about the proposal.

(KLZA)--A Falls City woman has been jailed on a pair of felony charges.  

According to Falls City Assistant Police Chief Jamie Baker, an officer was investigating a child abuse complaint against  31-year-old Colby Elms Friday evening.

When the officer attempted to arrest Elm's she allegedly assaulted the officer.

Elms was booked into the Richardson County Jail on charges of child abuse, assault on an officer and resisting arrest.

Elms remained in jail as of Monday afternoon.                                                  

(KNZA)--A Mayetta woman suspected in three Jackson County burglaries is in custody after a deputy found her stranded on the side of the road.

According to a press release from Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, 33-year-old Saleena Rae Masquat was arrested last Thursday after a deputy stopped to assist a 2008 Dodge Caravan broken down on P Road near 254th Road.

Morse says the deputy determined that vehicle had been stolen earlier in the day from the Sac and Fox Casino.

While being taken into custody, Masquat was allegedly found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Morse says she has been tied to the burglary of a home and an unoccupied building on August 9th, both located in the 16-thousand block of 326th Road in rural Whiting.  In addition, Masquat is suspected in the burglary of a shed near where she was arrested.

A television and other items were taken from the home, and assorted tools from the shed.

Morse says deputies recovered a considerable amount of the missing property that had been in Masquat's possession.

She was booked into the Jackson County Jail on charges of felony possession of stolen property, possession of stolen property, theft, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, burglary of a dwelling, burglary of a non-dwelling and driving while suspended.

Morse says more charges are possible.

Masquat remains jailed on $16,000 bond.

(MSC News)--An early Monday morning fire in Valley Falls leaves a trailer home destroyed.

KSNT is reporting that the fire began shortly after midnight at 204 Walnut Street.

The residents were able to escape unharmed, but their home is considered a total loss.

No injuries are reported.

The TV station reports that the investigation indicates the fire was caused by the improper disposal of smoking materials at an outside area near the trailer.

The Red Cross is assisting the family.

(KAIR)--Water line work in Lancaster could mean some affects for water customers in the Atchison County community.

Mayor Tim Callahan told MSC News the work is planned to begin Tuesday.

When that happens, it's possible that low pressure will be experienced by water users.

Callahan said the low pressure is likely both Tuesday and Wednesday.

The current forecast calls for possible rain, and Callahan said that could affect the project schedule.

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) - A former Leavenworth police officer has been indicted in the fatal shooting of a Leavenworth man in 2017.
 
Leavenworth County Prosecutor Todd Thompson announced Monday that Matthew Harrington, of Henderson, Nevada, has been indicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Antonio Garcia Jr.
 
The shooting happened in July 2017 when Harrington was investigating a domestic dispute involving a reported stolen vehicle.
 
Harrington was fired in January for what Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens called a violation of the department's use of deadly force policy.
 
Attorney Ken Barnes says the Garcia family is "relieved" and is considering a wrongful death lawsuit.
 
Harrington's bond was set at $50,000 when he appeared in court Monday. His attorney didn't immediately return a phone message.
 

(KAIR)--Matters of student safety are among the issues set for discussion Monday, August 13 when Atchison's Board of Education for USD 409 holds its regular meeting.

On the evening's agenda is the need for discussion regarding how funds received through the Safe and Secure Schools grant will be spent.

Received through the grant allocated by the State of Kansas is more than $21,000. Factoring in the 50/50 match from the school district, USD 409 has more than $42,000 to use for the purpose of safety.

Although options aren't specifically outlined, it's expected that the possible requirement of clear back packs and metal detectors will be included as part of the discussion. However, despite rumors to the contrary, Superintendent Dr. Susan Myers tells MSC News no decision has yet been made pertaining to those potential strategies, with no forward movement to be made until the issue is discussed by the School Board Monday.

Working towards the goal of school safety has been a key commitment of the district, with that effort being aided through a partnership with the Atchison Police Department.

Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News that includes the now approved Student Resource Officer, who will be on the job for the new school year. "[Corporal Josh Sinclair is] a 12-year veteran, but he just went through an intensive, [week-long] SRO school, where they train in the protocol of what SRO's do. It's really advantageous to both law enforcement and the schools to have that SRO in the building. It's another staff member that they have and another outreach for law enforcement to have. We know that's going to be a big benefit.”

The Monday, August 13 meeting of the Board of Education begins at 7:00 at the School Board Office, at 626 Commercial Street, in Atchison.

(KMZA)--A Topeka motorcyclist was injured early Saturday morning in a Nemaha County wreck.

The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Department reports 47-year-old Shawn Hamner was eastbound on U.S. 36 when he attempted to pull off to the shoulder just west of Y Road.  Once Hamner hit the loose gravel, he laid his Harley Davidson motorcycle over.

Hamner was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for the treatment of unspecified injuries.

The wreck was reported around 1:40 Saturday morning.  

(KAIR)--When Atchison's public school leaders meet Monday, August 13, discussion will include a focus on the proposed expansion of the diesel program at the Highland Community College Technical Center.

According to a news release issued by USD 409, Highland Community College is seeking the expansion due to an increasing enrollment.

The program has grown from 45 students in 2015 to 50 students in 2018, and that increase is cited as one reason for the need for more space.

Currently, the release says, there is a waiting list for those wanting to enroll.

Citing the economic benefits of the technical center, including an annual expenditure of $350,000 in Atchison and Atchison County, and what the release calls “the pivotal role in the educational development of students,” USD 409 is voicing support for the expansion.

Proposed by Highland Community College is the construction of a new facility, located off of Atchison's Country Club Road, on land owned by the school district.

The release says “creating a new facility would allow the technical school to have more open space on campus and would bring more of the programs that are now off campus back onto campus.”

Currently, Diesel I and Diesel II are in two different locations, and the planned expansion would bring the two programs together in one building, expand the program from two instructors to three, and open up the program to new students.

The Board of Education is, according to the release, currently in discussions surrounding different options to help achieve the goal. Possibilities include deeding the amount of land needed for the expansion too the college, USD 409 having first right of refusal if HCC chooses to sell the expansion building/land in the future, and, place a sunset clause in the agreement, or deed, that if ground is not broken by an undetermined certain date, the land would revert back to the local district.

The school board is seeking community input about the proposal during the August 13 meeting.

The release says more discussion is likely during the September Board of Education meeting, with possible action to be taken at that time.

(KNZA)--The Horton City Commission is proposing a 2019 city budget of $4.6 million that keeps the property tax levy about the same.

The proposed budget, recently approved for publication,  contains an estimated tax rate of 67.755 mills.

It calls for the city to collect nearly $423,000 in local taxes.

The Commission will consider adoption of the budget following a public hearing at their August 20th meeting.   

(KNZA)--More than 2 1/2 years in prison.

That was the sentence handed down Friday to a resident of southern Mexico convicted in Jackson County on a charge of aggravated sexual battery.

Jackson County Attorney Shawna Miller tells MSC News that 38-year-old Antonio Ramirez-Garcia was sentenced to 32 months in prison on the felony charge, which is be followed by 36-months post release supervision.

Miller says Ramirez-Garcia will also be required to register as a sex offender for 25 years.

He pleaded no contest to the charge last month.

In exchange for the plea, charges of rape and aggravated criminal sodomy were dismissed.

Ramirez-Garcia was charged with sexually assaulting a former co-worker during a party at a Holton residence during the early morning hours of February 10th.

He was arrested five days later after Jackson County Sheriff's deputies located him in Topeka.

(KNZA)--A late Saturday night Atchison County crash involving two all-terrain vehicles sent two people to the hospital.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says it happened on 206th Road about one mile west of Potter around 11:15.

The Patrol reports 22-year-old Cummings resident Krissy Hanshaw was driving an ATV westbound when she crested a hill and struck another ATV that was stopped facing westbound, causing her ATV to overturn. Hanshaw and her passenger, 13-year-old Kreyton Bauerlee of Lancaster, were ejected.

Both were transported to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City with unspecified injuries.

The driver of the second ATV, 18-year-old Cummings resident Ryan Hanshaw, was not hurt.

The Patrol says none of the occupants were wearing helmets.   

(KAIR)--A dinner at a Doniphan County church is being investigated as the possible cause of a possible salmonella infection outbreak.

According to a news release issued by the Doniphan County Health Department, that agency, in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, is seeking information pertaining to the election day Indian Taco Dinner, held at the Highland United Methodist Presbyterian Church, on Tuesday, August 7.

The release states that one Kansas resident has tested positive with salmonella after attending the dinner, in Highland.

Anyone who attended the dinner is being asked to complete an online survey that has been established, or to call 785-985-3591 or 877-427-7317.

The release notes that anyone who became ill following the dinner should contact a health care provider.

(KAIR)--The Atchison County Attorney is one of four nominees selected to fill a judicial vacancy.

According to a news release from the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration, Jerry Kuckelman's name has now been submitted, along with three others, to Governor Jeff Colyer, by the 1st Judicial District Nominating Commission.

Colyer has 60-days to decide which of the four will fill the vacancy created by the June 16 retirement of Judge Gunnar Sundby.

The 1st Judicial District is composed of Atchison and Leavenworth Counties.

Along with Kuckelman, attorney Terri Harris, of Basehor, Assistant Leavenworth County Attorney Michael Jones, and Deputy Leavenworth County Attorney Joan Lowdon, are submitted as nominees to replace Sundby.

Nominees for district judge must be at least 30 years old, a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least five years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school, and a resident of the judicial district at the time of taking office and while holding office.

The release identifies the 1st Judicial Nominating Committee members as Kansas Supreme Court Justice Eric Rosen, who serves as the nonvoting chair, Atchison residents Julie Clem and Rosemary Nies, Leavenworth residents Ronald Bates, Mark Preisinger, and Kevin Reardon, Todd Thompson, of Basehor, Douglas Waters Jr., of Lansing, and Lois Meadows, of Tonganoxie.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach stepped aside from his duties as the state's top elections official Friday until his hotly contested primary race with Gov. Jeff Colyer is resolved, but rejected Colyer's accusations that the advice he has been giving local election officials on handling ballots violates state law.

Kobach said in a letter to Colyer that he was turning his election duties over to his top deputy. Colyer had demanded in his own letter Thursday to Kobach that the secretary of state stop providing guidance to county officials as they counted late mail-in ballots from Tuesday's Republican primary and prepared to count other ballots next week.

Under state law, mail-in ballots are counted if they were postmarked Tuesday and arrive in county election offices by Friday. The secretary of state's office was updating vote totals as it received new numbers from individual counties.

With 25 of the state's 105 counties reporting, Kobach's lead almost doubled to a still-tiny 241 votes out of more than 311,000 cast. It had been 121 votes after discrepancies were found between results reported by two counties and what Kobach's office posted on its website.

(KAIR)--No effect on any statewide race, including the as-yet undecided Republican primary race for Governor, despite incorrect paper ballots having been provided in Atchison County.

That word comes in a press release issued Friday by Atchison County Clerk Michelle Phillips.

The release states that 24 Atchison County voters were provided the incorrect ballots through a clerical error at the United Methodist Church polling place. That location was where two precincts, East Second and West Second, cast their ballots in Tuesday's primary election.

According to the release, all Republican voters at that site were initially given a paper ballot for the East Second precinct, and all Democratic voters were given the ballot for the West Second precinct.

14 Republican voters from the West Second precinct, and 10 Democratic voters from the East Second precinct were given incorrect paper ballots.

The release states that Phillips “learned of the problem around noon on Tuesday, and her office immediately contacted the Kansas Secretary of State for advice. The County immediately corrected their processes, and voters were given correct paper ballots afterwards.”

The release says the only affect was on local elections for 1st District County Commissioner, as well as the Precinct Committeeman and Precinct Committeewoman races, none of which were contested in Tuesday's primary election.

The error was limited to paper ballots, as all votes cast through the new electronic voting machines were correct.

The error affected only 1% of all ballots.

Countywide, there were 2,340 votes cast in the primary election.

Phillips, in the release, says she takes “full responsibility for the election and all training” associated with it. She adds that training, focused on the new equipment, was offered prior to the election, while a more broad and extensive training will be available prior to the next election.

(KAIR)--A 36-year-old man goes to jail on drug charges following a report of suspicious behavior at the Holton Walmart.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, in a news release, says Deputies were called to the store Thursday after they received a report that a suspicious person was causing an alleged disturbance.

Deputies located the man, identified as Joshua Helfrich, of Hill City, Kansas, and a search that followed found that he was in the alleged possession of a substance believed to be methamphetamine.

Deputies then searched a room where Helfrich had been staying at an area motel and located an as-yet unidentified substance and drug paraphernalia.

Helfrich was arrested on charges for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

He was booked into the Jackson County Jail.

(KNZA)--An Elwood police officer, accused of alleged sex-related offenses, is free on bond after a judge grants a request for a bond reduction.

During a hearing Thursday afternoon in a Doniphan County courtroom, a judge granted a request by the attorney for 30-year-old Aaron Newberry to reduce his $50,000 bond to a $25,000 O.R. ( own recognizance ) bond.

Newberry is scheduled to make his next appearance in court the morning of September 20th for a pre-trial conference.

He was arrested July 21 by the Elwood Police Department on charges of aggravated sexual battery and mistreatment of a confined person.

According to the criminal complaint, the female victim was allegedly “detained or confined” by Newberry at the time of the crime.

Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert is serving as special prosecutor in the case.

It remains unknown how long Newberry had served as an Elwood Police Officer prior to his arrest.

His current status with the department, following his arrest, also remains unknown.

A telephone message left for Elwood Police officials on the morning of July 27 has gone unreturned.

A Freedom of Information Act request sent to the City of Elwood by MSC News later that day, seeking public information pertaining to Newberry's employment, has also gone unanswered.

MSC News on August 10 placed a phone call to Elwood City Hall inquiring about the status of the FOIA request. Kansas law requires response to such requests within three business days. 

Directed to contact the City Attorney's Office, a message left at that number was not immediately returned.

A photo posted on Newberry's now deleted Facebook account/Credit: Facebook

(KLZA)-- Richardson County Commissioners Tuesday approved agreements between the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and the Richardson County Attorney and the Clerk of the District Court. 

Under the annual agreements, the Dept. of Health and Human Service will reimburse the County Attorney's Office up to $115,000 and the Clerk of the District Court up to just over $47,000 for their efforts on child support.

In other business, Sheriff Don Pounds presented information in regards to the need to meet the FBI requirements for the computer data security by adding specially developed anti-virus and malware protection.  

Falls City EDGE Executive Director Beckie Cromer presented the organizations quarterly report and requested Commissioners continue funding of the organization in an amount of $25-thousand.  Last year, the County gave EDGE $15-thousand while the amount had been $20-thousand for several years prior. 

(KLZA)-- The third annual Falls City Night Out event sponsored by the Falls City Police Department was once again a big success.

The Tuesday evening event featured representatives from about a dozen various  agencies and provided food, fun and information for people of all ages.  

Falls City Police Officer Zach Ractliffe who helps coordinate the program estimated the crowd at at least 500 people.  

Displays were set up and information shared by groups such as the Falls City Police Department, Richardson County Sheriff's Department, Iowa  Tribal Police, Sac & Fox Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol,  Operation Life Saver, Falls City Volunteer and Falls City Rural Fire Departments, the State Fire Marshall's Office, Community Medical Center, Falls City Volunteer Ambulance Squad and others.  

One of the highlights was the Nebraska State Patrol helicopter landing and a chance for the crowd to view the unit inside and out.  

State Patrol Colonel John Bolduc rode along. The Colonel said it is important for the State Patrol to engage with the public and other agencies. He calls the bond between the community and law enforcement essential, calling public safety a partnership between law enforcement and the citizens. He said this type of event helps build trust. 

This year the Night Out event was held at Stanton Lake Park which offered more room and shade for everyone.  The evening wrapped up with two hours of free swimming at the Falls City Aquatic Center.  
                                                     

(KNZA)--The Kansas Forestry Service has awarded a grant to the Hiawatha Fire Department for radios.

According to a press release, the Department was awarded nearly $5,000 through the Volunteer Fire Assistance Cooperative Fire Protection Program. The grant is 50/50 with the City of Hiawatha providing half the funds.

Two 800 MHz radios will be purchased, which will allow the HFD to communicate more effectively with local and state first response and public safety agencies who use 800 MHz radios.

Fire Chief Ryan Shockley noted “The radios will be an asset to the Department to stay up to date on calls, as no member of the Department utilizes 800 MHz radios”.

The grant was written by retired Fire Chief Gary Shear and Public Relations Officer Jordanne Shockley.

The Department and the City Commission would like to thank the Kansas Forestry Service for the grant.

(KNZA)--The Board of Education for the South Brown County Schools of USD 430 is  proposing a 2018-19 budget of $12.1 million that contains a 1.5 mill levy decrease.

The Board approved the proposed budget for publication during a special meeting Monday evening.

The budget contains estimated tax rate of 43.379 mills, with the amount of tax to be levied at nearly $1.6 million.

Included is a 20 mill levy for the general fund, which is set by the state.  The levy for the local option budget is 20.379 mills, which is a 1.5 mill decrease.  The capital outlay levy will remain at 3 mills.

Superintendent Jason Cline says they were able to decrease the mill levy due to an increase in the district’s assessed valuation.

The Board will consider adoption of the budget during a special meeting the evening of August 20th at 6:00 in the USD 430 Board of Education office in Horton.

.

(KAIR)--One person is injured following a two vehicle, Thursday afternoon Atchison wreck.

A report from Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson says it happened shortly before 2:30, on U.S. Highway 59, at the Omaha Junction, on the western edge of the city.

It was there that a car, driven by 63-year-old Ruth Henderson, of Palmer, Kansas, pulled out of the parking lot of Max's BP convenient store, headed north onto the highway, intending to make a left hand turn.

That's when the car collided with an eastbound pickup truck, driven by 43-year-old James Knowles, of Leavenworth.

Henderson was transported by Atchison County EMS to the Atchison Hospital to be examined for possible chest injuries and reported back pain.

Knowles was not hurt.

(AP)--Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s lead over Gov. Jeff Colyer in the Republican primary has shrunk to only 91 votes after election officials discovered a mistake in the listing for one county’s results in the state’s tally of votes.

The lead is minuscule when compared with the 311,000 votes cast.

The final, unofficial results posted on the secretary of state’s website show Kobach winning Thomas County in northwest Kansas, with 466 votes to Colyer’s 422. But the tally posted by the Thomas County clerk’s office shows Colyer with 522 votes, or 100 votes more for him, a number the clerk confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Bryan Caskey, state elections director, said county officials pointed out the discrepancy Thursday following a routine request for a post-election check of the numbers to counties by the secretary of state’s office.

County election officials have yet to finish counting late-arriving mail-in ballots or provisional ballots provided to voters at the polls when their eligibility wasn’t clear.

(KAIR)--The boil order for the City of Effingham has been lifted.

That word comes in a notice issued by the office of Atchison County Emergency Management.

The all clear was made public around 2:00 Thursday afternoon.

The boil order had been in place since August 3.

It was issued, for precautionary reasons, following a water line break.

(KAIR)--A 25-year-old Atchison man goes to jail after brandishing what appeared to be a handgun during an apparent road rage incident. “It was about 2:15 on Wednesday afternoon when we responded to the area of the 200 block of South 10th, near the railroad tracks at 10th Street,” Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News. “What we learned was there had been two vehicles westbound on 59 Highway. Actually, both had been in Missouri, proceeded into Atchison. Apparently there was some type of lane change dispute between the two vehicles as they continued westbound.”

Wilson said it was during the dispute that Cody Vanwey is accused of aiming the gun, which police later learned was not an actual handgun, at the driver of the other vehicle. “As they approached 10th Street, a driver in one vehicle, specifically a van, pulled what we learned to be a BB gun out, aimed it at the other driver, who was in a pickup truck next to the van, pointed it at him, and then fired several shots. Both vehicles then proceeded near the tracks, northbound, where the van, [driven by] the man with the gun, hit the tracks at a high speed, causing the van to become disabled and stopped.”

Wilson said Vanwey was still with the van when police arrived.

Following an investigation at the scene, he was arrested on charges for aggravated assault and reckless driving.

Once he was in custody, Vanwey was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

(KAIR)--A woman is offered marijuana by the operator of a ride at the Atchison County Fair in Effingham, and he goes to jail for his inappropriate generosity.

That's the allegation made by Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie who told MSC News it happened Wednesday night as the woman was observing her child on the ride. “There was a parent watching the child ride the ride there. The male started making some inappropriate advances to the female that was watching their child. It ended up that [the ride operator] offered marijuana to that citizen. She ended up reporting it to the deputies that were working at the fair that night.”

Arrested around 10:15 was 26-year-old Hunter Vaughn, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

He faces charges for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after deputies located what's identified as marijuana and numerous drug paraphernalia items.

Following his arrest, Vaughn was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

Items seized following Vaughn arrest/Credit: Atchison Co Sheriff's Office

Editors note:  the following was submitted by Hiawatha Police Chief John Defore

This year’s National Night Out was a huge success thanks to our long time sponsors; Sonic, Walmart, Casey’s, Nigus Retail Liquor, Seneca Wholesale, Citizens Bank, and Farm and Home. Please help us in thanking these businesses wherever you go through them. We had in the neighborhood of 600 people that came out to help us celebrate National Night Out.

Businesses and organizations that had booths at this years’ event are as follows; Brown County Mothers Association. Brown County Juvenile Services, NEKCAP, Brown County Sheriff Department, Karen Sweet (with her balloon pets) NEK AAA, Horizons Mental Health, Thrivent Financial, and Squad 48

A special thanks to Sheriff Merchant and the Brown County Sheriff Office for conducting a car seat check lane. We always want to promote safety at all of our public functions. In Hiawatha, all car seat checks and education are handled through the Brown County Sheriff and the Hiawatha Community Hospital.

As with years past, the festivities kicked off at 6pm and included a free public swim at the pool from 7pm to 9pm. We would like to thank Hiawatha for coming out this year it was a great event and we all had a lot of fun and we hope next year will be even bigger. Next year will be our 25 year for National Night Out in Hiawatha and we are going to make it our best one yet.

Respectfully,

John A. Defore

Chief of Police

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A St. Joseph home health care nursing assistant has admitted stealing more than $200,000 from one of her clients.
 
 Thirty-three-year-old Ashley Garr pleaded guilty Wednesday to filing a false tax return and aggravated identity theft.
 
 Federal prosecutors say Garr was caring for the victim for about a year when she found her checkbook, purse and identification at her home.
 
 The victim's bookkeeper later discovered fraudulent charges and reported them to the Nodaway Valley Bank, which found Garr wrote numerous checks on the victim's account.
 
 Garr also admitted that she filed fraudulent tax returns for 2014 and 2015.
 
 She was ordered to pay $207,638 in restitution to the victim and $151,589 in restitution to the IRS. She also must forfeit to the government $207,638.
 

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) - Federal labor officials say a Leavenworth businesswoman has been sentenced to more than four years in prison and ordered to pay $4.3 million in restitution for embezzling from companies she owned.
 
 Brenda Wood was sentenced this week on two counts of bank fraud and one count of theft from an employee benefit plan.
 
Wood owned Professional Cleaning and Innovative Building Services, a commercial cleaning services company in Kansas City, Missouri, and four businesses in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
 
Prosecutors said she embezzled from employees' 401(k) plans and took about $4.3 million from fraudulent loans and identity theft.
 
She also received a $350,000 line of credit after falsely telling a Great Bend bank that her cleaning company had a contract with the IRS building in Kansas City, Missouri.
 

(KNZA)--The Prairie Hills USD 113 Board of Education has approved for publication a proposed 2018-19 budget of $16.9 million that calls for a property tax levy decrease.

The Board of Education took the action during a special meeting last Friday.

The proposed budget calls for the school district to collect more than $5.6 million in local taxes.

Superintendent Todd Evans says a year ago the Board had the wisdom to extend the flexibility of the local option budget from 30 percent to 33 percent.  He says because of the difference in state aid for the LOB and capital outlay, they are proposing to reduce their capital outlay mill levy and increase the LOB from last year.

Evans says that results in a reduced mill levy rate from last year, but allows the district to pick up more than $57,000 in state aid they wouldn't have been eligible to receive under the previous resolution.

Because of two separate bond issues before consolidation, USD 113 has two different mill rates depending on the location of property.  

Those in the former 441 will see a decline of 4-tenths of a mill for a total proposed mill levy of 47.56, which includes the mandatory 20 mills for state aid.

Those in the former 488 will see a decline of 2.3 mills for a total proposed mill levy of 46.204 mills.

Evans added they are planning on this being the final year they levy a tax on the former 488 for bond and interest.   It will be paid off a year, saving $4,800 in interest costs for those patrons.  
   
The USD 113 Board will consider adoption of the budget during a special meeting the evening of August 22nd at 6:00 at the district office in Sabetha.
 

(KNZA)--The Brown County Commission has adopted a 2019 budget of nearly $11 million that contains a nearly one mill property tax levy decrease.

Approval of the budget followed a hearing Monday drawing no public comment.

The budget contains an estimated tax rate of 31.9 mills, with the amount of tax to levied at more than $6 million.

The Commission was able to lower the mill levy due to a nearly $16 million increase in the county’s assessed valuation.

Even through the budget contains a mill levy decrease, the county will collect an additional $335,000 in local taxes due to the increase in the assessed valuation.

(KAIR)--The sound of gunfire might be heard near Atchison schools Wednesday and Thursday due to a training session provided by Atchison Police.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Myers told MSC News the special training is intended to allow staff to understand what the sound of gunfire might sound like.

It is being overseen by Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson. “This specific training focuses on active shooters and using simulated gunfire as part of that training. We will instruct staff, teachers, administration, on the perception of when they hear a threat, such as gunfire occur, how to react to that. The idea of simulated gunfire is to give you an idea of what your reaction should be.”

Neighbors near the Atchison schools are being made aware of the training so that they know there is no reason for alarm.

The training is planned for Wednesday afternoon from 3 until 4:00 at the Atchison Elementary School.

Thursday's gunfire simulation training is scheduled from 12:30 until 1:30 at the Atchison High School; from 1:45 to 2:45 at the Atchison Middle School; and from 3 until 4:00 at the Central School.

(KLZA)-- 911 issues in Southeast Nebraska have been resolved.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission early Wednesday morning reported that 911 centers in the southeast region of the state were experiencing difficulty receiving 911 calls.

14 counties were affected---including Richardson, Pawnee, Nemaha, Otoe and Johnson.

The counties were affected in varying ways, with some not having any issues and others experiencing difficulties.

The PSC State 911 Department worked with the Southeast Region and its service provider, Windstream, to determine the cause of the outage. Around 11 Wednesday morning the issues were reportedly corrected.

 The cause of the outage has not yet been determined.

(AP)--Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s lead over Gov. Jeff Colyer in the Republican primary has shrunk to only 91 votes after election officials discovered a mistake in the listing for one county’s results in the state’s tally of votes.

The lead is minuscule when compared with the 311,000 votes cast.

The final, unofficial results posted on the secretary of state’s website show Kobach winning Thomas County in northwest Kansas, with 466 votes to Colyer’s 422. But the tally posted by the Thomas County clerk’s office shows Colyer with 522 votes, or 100 votes more for him, a number the clerk confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Bryan Caskey, state elections director, said county officials pointed out the discrepancy Thursday following a routine request for a post-election check of the numbers to counties by the secretary of state’s office.

County election officials have yet to finish counting late-arriving mail-in ballots or provisional ballots provided to voters at the polls when their eligibility wasn’t clear.

(KLZA)-- Pawnee County Commission Chairman Dennis Schaardt will be heading to Washington D.C. 

During the July 31 Board meeting, Commissioners discussed a invitation to the white House for an Intergovernmental Affairs Conference with Nebraska Leadership.  

  Schaardt informed the Board that he will be attending the conference and there will be no cost to Pawnee County.   

In Board action during the meeting Commissioners approved a resolution making changes to the Pawnee County Employee Handbook. 

Highway Superintendent Chris Rauner also met with the Board, discussing progress on having one, unified County Handbook.  Board Chairman Dennis Schaardt has spoken to the Union Representative about the proposal.  

Heather Duryea and  County Clerk Candi Nicholas will continue working on the proposed changes to the Handbook for approval.  
                                                     

(KLZA)-- Community Medical Center in Falls City has released the results of a Community Health Needs Assessment for 2018. 

Input was gathered from the medical staff, government, law enforcement, churches, health department and other care providers and community members.

Identified as the top priorities were: Behavioral Health: A need to increase support and care for those with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Fitness and Obesity: There is a need to promote fitness and reducing the prevalence of obesity.  

Chronic Diseases and  Cancer:  The need is to improve tools, education and systems to prevent cancers and chronic diseases, and to aid in their early detection and management. 

Other concerns included: a lack of access or insecure access to health care, including emergency services,   maternal and newborn needs and home care;  the inability of individuals, families and businesses to afford care, including medications; and the need for more education and support to community members, families and care gives for end-of-life decisions. 

You may view the entire report and implementation plan at the CMC website:  www.cmcfc.org. The report is located in the Community tab.                                        

(KLZA)-- There will be a new Presiding Commissioner and a new Collector of Revenue in Holt County, Missouri following Tuesday's primary election. 

Thomas Bullock of Big Lake won the Republican primary for Presiding Commissioner receiving 562 votes.  Billie Y. Banks was second with 350, Ed Dearmont was third with 188 and Randy Patterson received 170 votes.  

No one ran for the position on the Democratic ticket and current  Presiding Commissioner, Mark Sitherwood did not seek re-election. 

For the position of Collector of Revenue Cindy  Wohlford won the Republican Primary with 7117 votes.  Nicole Brown received 282 votes and incumbent Samantha Timothy received 264 votes.  There were no candidates on the Democratic ticket.

Forest City voters approved a 30-cent levy per $100 of assessed valuation for a period of 8-years to fund police services in the community by a vote of 43to 15. 

There were no locally contested races in Atchison County, Missouri. 
 

(KLZA)-- 911 Emergency Call Service is currently out in portions of Southeast Nebraska.

Outages have been confirmed in Pawnee, Johnson and Nemaha counties.  The Falls City Police Department reports the 911 system is working.

If you have an emergency and need police, ambulance or fire department services where there are outages you should contact your local authorities on their regular phone.

The numbers to call are: 
Nemaha County Sheriff  - 402-274-3139
Pawnee County Sheriff – 402-852-2969
Johnson County Sheriff - 402-335-3307              

(KNZA)--A Hiawatha teen accused of the rape of 13-year-old girl has pleaded no contest to amended charges.

19-year-old Nicholas Miller entered the plea Monday in Brown County District court to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

Miller had originally been charged with a felony count of rape.

Sentencing was set for September 10th.

Miller was arrested in June of last year following an investigation by the Hiawatha Police Department.

A judge found him in competent to stand trial in November.

Miller remains in the Brown County Jail, held on a $150,000 bond.

(KAIR)--One person is dead, one is wounded, and one is in custody, following a Monday evening shooting in Saint Joseph, Missouri.

KQ2-TV identifies the victim as 29-year-old Mack Jenkins.

Injured in the shooting was a 23-year-old man who was transported for hospital treatment.

The TV station reports that on Tuesday, one person was in custody in connection with the shooting, but no details about the suspect have been made public.

Police say the investigation is continuing.

The shooting happened just north of downtown Saint Joseph around 6:30 Monday evening, and is believed to have followed an argument in the area of 10th and Henry Streets.

Investigators say shots were fired into a vehicle.

(AP) — Laura Kelly, Dem, nominated Governor, Kansas.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer was locked in a tight Republican primary race for governor Tuesday with Kris Kobach, the conservative agitator for strict immigration and voter ID laws who has advised President Donald Trump and was endorsed by him.

With nearly half the precincts counted, results Tuesday showed Colyer and Kobach close together atop of a field of seven Republican candidates.

Colyer raised more in campaign contributions than Kobach, received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, brandished his anti-abortion credentials and had the backing of Kansas political legend Bob Dole.

Then, less than 24 hours before polls opened, Trump endorsed the Kansas secretary of state. It was not a huge surprise because Kobach was an early supporter of Trump in the presidential race, advised him during the campaign and in the White House, and served as vice chairman of a now-disbanded presidential commission on election fraud.

Kobach told reporters before polls closed that the endorsement "came just in time" and that he expected it to help him, as it has helped other candidates in other races. Trump's tweet backing Georgia Republican governor hopeful Brian Kemp vaulted him to an easy primary runoff win two weeks ago. Trump also has recently given a boost to GOP primary candidates in Florida, South Carolina and Alabama despite an overall approval rating that is underwater.

Richard Cronister, a 73-year-old retired construction company owner from Topeka, said that Trump's endorsement was important to him as he voted for Kobach. He said he thinks Trump's tax cuts have helped the economy and likes Trump's stance against illegal immigration. As for Kobach, Cronister said, "He is doing his best to stop immigration and the illegal voting. The ACLU and all those organizations are against him."

But Bruce Underwood, a 59-year-old engineer, said he voted for Colyer because he believes Kobach is "detrimental" to Kansas. He said he would likely vote for a Democrat in the general election because Republicans aren't standing up to Trump.

"Trump is supporting Kobach and I just can't stand Trump, he is not good for our country," Underwood said.

Like the president, Kobach promises a no-apologies style, telling voters repeatedly: "I don't back down. I double down." His use of a Jeep with a replica gun mounted on top during campaign stops at local parades this summer prompted backlash. Kobach called his critics "snowflakes" and continued to use the Jeep.

Kobach's penchant for provoking outrage could serve him well in a crowded seven-candidate Republican primary Tuesday. Kansas does not hold runoff elections, and Kobach's conservative base could allow him to win the primary with a third or less of the vote.

Some Democrats hope that is exactly what will happen, betting Kobach is such a lightning rod that a Democrat could snatch a red state victory in November.

Democrats picked 14-year state Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka in the party's first contested primary for governor since 1998. She defeated former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, who had sought to be the first-ever black nominee, and ex-Kansas Agriculture Secretary Joshua Svaty, who had stressed his youth and potential rural appeal.

The mild-mannered Colyer is seeking a full four-year term after moving up from lieutenant governor in January when unpopular Gov. Sam Brownback took an ambassador position in Trump's administration. His defeat would mark the first primary loss by a sitting Kansas governor since 1956 and the first nationally since Hawaii's Neil Abercrombie lost a primary in 2014.

Kobach attracted Donald Trump Jr. and gun-rights "Cat Scratch Fever" rocker Ted Nugent for fundraisers yet couldn't keep up with Colyer in raising cash. But Kobach's running mate, a wealthy Wichita businessman, loaned their campaign more than $1.5 million over four months.

Kobach got a strange boost in July when the American Civil Liberties Union unleashed a $200,000 voter education campaign against his positions on immigration, voting rights and other issues. He relished the attacks and said if elected governor he would be the group's "worst nightmare."

In the Democratic race, the 38-year-old Svaty pitched himself as the candidate of the future in his race against the 68-year-old Kelly and the 61-year-old Brewer. He also stressed his ties to his rural hometown of Ellsworth.

But as a legislator before becoming agriculture secretary, Svaty had an anti-abortion voting record and refused to put a label on his views even after expressing support, during a recent forum, for women making their own health care decisions.

Besides Colyer and Kobach, the other major GOP candidates are Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer and former state Sen. Jim Barnett, a Topeka physician.

While the marquee race in Kansas this year is for governor, voters are also picking candidates to contest two House seats that Democrats are hoping to flip in November.

(AP)--Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has won the Republican nomination in one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate races.

Voters on Tuesday picked Hawley as expected over 10 other GOP challengers in the race for Democrat Claire McCaskill's seat. He was the only candidate to have previously won a statewide election and had considerably more money than the other Republicans in the field. He's backed by President Donald Trump.

Republicans are eyeing the now-Democratic seat as a prime pickup opportunity in a state Trump won by nearly 19 points.

A McCaskill-Hawley matchup is expected to be one of the nation's top showdowns. McCaskill is running as a moderate in the red state. Hawley is campaigning largely on support for Trump. He is attempting to paint his rival as a liberal obstructionist.

---

Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri has won the Democratic primary in her campaign for a third term.

Voters picked McCaskill on Tuesday as expected over six other Democratic challengers.

Republicans are eyeing the Democratic seat in a state that President Donald Trump won by nearly 19 points in 2016. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley was favored in an 11-candidate Republican primary for the right to face McCaskill in November.

A McCaskill-Hawley matchup is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races in the nation. McCaskill is running as a moderate in the red state. Hawley is campaigning largely on support for Trump and is attempting to paint his rival as a liberal obstructionist.

(MSC News)--Voters went to the polls Tuesday to decide the Republican and Democratic nominees for local, state and federal offices.

In local Kansas elections, voters in Riverside USD 114 voted on a capital outlay levy. Defeated was a levy of up to 4.775 mills for five years for capital outlay improvements which fell by a narrow margin, 349 to 310.

Locally, there were several contested races in the Republican primary for 1st District County Commissioner.

In Brown County, Richard Lehmkuhl defeated longtime Commissioner Steve Roberts by a 40-vote margin, 350 to 310. Lehmkuhl will face no opposition in November

In Jackson County, former Commissioner Ed Kathrens defeated incumbent 1st District Commissioner Rob Ladner. Kathrens received 58 percent of the vote. Kathrens will face no opposition in November.

In Jefferson County, incumbent Commissioner Lynn Luck won the Republican primary with 70 percent of the vote over challenger Jerry White. Luck will face no opposition in November.

In Nemaha County, incumbent Commissioner Gary Scoby won the Republican primary with 81 percent of the vote over challenger Lester Niehues. Scoby will face no opposition in November.

In Marshall County, Barb Kickhaefer won a five-way race in the Republican primary for 1st District Commissioner. She will face Democrat Steve Boyda in November. Incumbent Commissioner Bob Connell did not seek re-election

In the race for 22nd Judicial District Magistrate Judge in Nemaha County, Scott Anson defeated incumbent Elizabeth Deiter in the Republican primary. Anson received about 54 percent of the vote. The race is a repeat of the 2014 primary contest, narrowly claimed by Deiter by 13 votes.

For up to the minute state and federal offices, go here. 

Riverside USD 114 special question:--final

Capital outlay levy of up to 4.775 mills for 5 years

Yes--310                   no-349 *

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Local races

1st District Brown County Commissioner—Republican primary

5 out 5  precincts 

Steve Roberts ( incumbent) --310

Richard Lehmkuhl--350 *Winner

( Winner will face no opposition in November)

--------------------------------------------------------------------
1st District Jackson County Commissioner---Republican primary

9 of 9 precincts

Rob Ladner ( incumbent)--309
Ed Kathrens--432 * Winner

( Winner will face no opposition in November)

--------------------------------------------------------------------
1st District Jefferson County Commissioner---Republican primary

5 of 5 precincts

Lynn Luck ( incumbent )--574 * Winner
Jerry White--246

( winner will face no opposition in November )

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st District Nemaha County Commissioner---Republican primary

6 of 6 precincts

Gary Scoby ( incumbent)--537 * Winner

Lester Niehues--124

( winner will face no opposition in November)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st District Marshall County Commissioner—Republican primary

6 of 6 precincts

Shane Hartner-127
Barb Kickhaefer--210 *Winner

Marty Nordus--60
Bill Phillipi--86
Dave Zutterman-81

( Winner will face Democrat Steve Boyda in November )
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

22nd Judicial District Magistrate Judge---Nemaha County—Republican primary

30 of 30 precincts

Elizabeth Deiter ( incumbent)--776
Scott Anson--900 * Winner

(KAIR)--Permanent all way stops are approved, and additional enhancements in the name of pedestrian safety are forthcoming, following action made Monday by the Atchison City Commission.

The current temporary stop-signs, which stand at the intersections of 5th and Santa Fe and 6th and Santa Fe, were implemented by the Commission at the start of the year. Failing to be made permanent in June by the Commission, a public push, followed by a meeting between City and USD 409 officials in July, kept the issue in the spotlight, leading to Monday's approval.

The stop signs stand in the area of the Atchison Middle School, and Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson during Monday's meeting outlined another plan for visibility to make motorists aware of young pedestrians in another location near the school. “It's kind of a unique approach,” Wilson told the Commissioners as he outlined the goal for added visibility. “There's just a lot of traffic, not only of pedestrians and students, but of the vehicles going up and down. Public Works is going to next week paint that entire intersection, between those crosswalks, green with a pedestrian type sign that's in the middle of it. In other words, it's drawing attention: this is a crosswalk.”

The high profile crosswalks at both 5th and Atchison and 6th and Atchison didn't need Commission approval due to cost.

Requiring approval was a change in the speed limit in that same vicinity.

The recent discussion between the city and school leaders led to the proposal of changing from 30 mph to 20 mph the speed limit on 5th Street and 6th Street between Kansas Avenue and Atchison Street.

That change gained commission approval.

Assistant City Manager Justin Pregont told MSC News all components of the approved safety plan will either be installed, or at least begun, within the next two weeks.

Approval came on a vote of 3-2, with Commissioners Charlie Perdue and Dave Butler, following lengthy discussion, saying no to the changes.

(KLZA)-- During the July 17 Humboldt City Council meeting much of the meeting time was spent in a contentious discussion on City finances. 

Council memeber Dolores Martinez suggested the City “slow down” on making financial commitments. The discussion centered on the finances and how financial commitments will impact the City.  

Discussion on recycling programs was also held.  Nancy Tomek-Wilcher provided information gathered from a Lincoln recycling company that provides several dumpsters as a drop-off site for recycling.  The  Council directed City Clerk Carol Glathar to contact Hamilton Recycling in Falls City to find out information on how they do recycling and the costs.  

A recommendation from the Tree Board to purchase nine shade trees from Grimm's Gardens for the camper side of the city lake was approved with a limit of $2,200. Council members also approved the expenditure of up to $200 for chemicals to control Bag Works  on trees in the Lake Park. 
 

(KLZA)-- A Falls City man is facing felony charges after being stopped for a traffic violation by the  Falls City Police Department. 

Police say Joshua Carpenter was stopped Sunday. Carpenter was wanted on a warrant and was arrested. 

Following his arrest, during a search of his vehicle a substance believed to be methamphetamine was allegedly discovered in the vehicle along with a knife.

Carpenter is facing felony charges of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person. Carpenter was previously convicted of a felony which means he cannot possess a weapon.                   

(MSC News)--A self-inflicted gunshot wound sent a woman for hospitalized treatment after she barricaded herself inside a residence in southern Mayetta Tuesday.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse told MSC News the woman, at last check, was listed in non-life threatening condition.

She was flown to the hospital around 1:45 when the situation ended at 15712 Rock Island Drive, just south of the Mayetta city limits.

When Deputies arrived on the scene, which they located through the use of cell phone GPS coordinates, they reported the sound of gunshots. 

As a precautionary measure, U.S. Highway 75, between 150th Road and 158th Road, was shut down, but has since been reopened.

The incident began around 10:30 Tuesday morning after the Sheriff's Office was notified of a suicidal individual by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. 

Assistance was provided at the scene by the Kansas Highway Patrol, Potawatomi Tribal Police, the Hoyt Police Department, and the Holton Police Department.  

Screen capture of the alert issued late Tuesday morning by Jackson Co Sheriff Tim Morse/Credit: Twitter

(KLZA)-- A Falls City Council member that will complete her term in December has proposed increasing the pay for the Mayor and City Council members in Falls City. 

 During Monday nights meeting, Second Ward Council representative Judy Murphy proposed increasing the salary for the Mayor from the current $3,600 annually or $300 per month to $5,400 annually or $450 per month.  She suggested the Council salaries be increased from $2,400 per year or $200 per month to $4,200 per month or $350 monthly.

Murphy presented comparisons in annual salary to the following communities:  
Waverly -  Mayor $8,000; Council salary $4,000
Cozad -    Mayor $6,000;  Council salary $4,800
Fairbury - Mayor $4,050  Council salary $2,700
Wahoo -    Mayor $4,000 Council salary $2,000
Auburn –   Mayor $3,600  Council salary $2,400
Aurora – beginning in December 2018 – Mayor $3,600 Council salary $1,200.   

While the compensation for the Mayor of four of the six communities was higher and the same in two others, the Council member compensation was higher in three communities, the same in one and less in two of the communities.

Of the six communities Murphy used for her survey,  only Fairbury also has an eight-member city council.  Three of the communities, Wahoo, Auburn and Aurora have six council members  while Waverly and Cozad have only four City Council members. 

The amount of the increase would add an additional $16,200 to the annual budget if approved.  The increase would require a change in statute and would have to pass three times.  

While none of the  Council members commented on the proposal,  an audience member who was attending for another agenda item did speak. Lonnie Blevins asked how the extra money for the pay increases would be raised an suggested the citizens should decide if the elected officials receive a pay increase. 

The proposal is expected to appear on the agenda for the August 20th Council meeting.  

(KMZA)--An Onaga man was arrested early Monday morning after a 16-year-old suffered a burn to his arm during an altercation.

Pottawatomie County Sheriff Greg Riat says on Sunday the Sheriff’s Office was notified that a teenager had been the victim of a battery during an altercation with a man identified as 34-year-old Ryan Hager.

Riat says Hager allegedly acted in a reckless and intentional manner that caused the burn to the teenager.

Deputies with the sheriff’s office along with the Onaga Police Department responded. Hager was contacted by law enforcement at his Onaga residence, but refused to leave.

A search warrant was issued and Hager was taken into custody about 3:30 Monday morning without incident.

He was booked into the Pottawatomie County Jail on charges of arson, aggravated battery, endangering a child, interference with a law enforcement officer and drug offenses.

Riat says 34-year-old Rachel Hager was also taken into custody for interference with a law enforcement officer.

The investigation will be forwarded to the Pottawatomie County attorney for review.

(KNZA)--A new senior housing project is underway in Holton.

With the first two duplexes under construction and sold, an open house and community meeting is planned Thursday evening for the new Parkview Estates being built in Holton.

According to a news release from Homestead Affordable Housing, an open house will be held Thursday evening from 6 to 7 at the new duplex units on South Pennsylvania Avenue. The release says the open house will give people an opportunity to see the accessible units and their features.

After the tour, there will then be a meeting at the Homestead Affordable Housing offices at 603 Pennsylvania Avenue from 7 to 8 to meet with the builder and review options for the next duplexes that will begin construction soon.

With seven duplex lots approved along First Street, Parkview Estates will eventually have 14 duplexes owned and occupied by senior households, 55 years of age and older.

Drippe Construction, of St. Mary’s, is the builder for all the duplexes.    

(KNZA)--The third and final suspect in a 2017 Hiawatha home invasion has been sentenced to more than 4 years in prison.

Brown County Attorney Kevin Hill says 28-year-old Oscar Martinez, of Bern, was sentenced Monday to 49 months in prison on a charge of aggravated robbery and to 41 months on a charge of aggravated battery.

The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently or at the same time.

Martinez pleaded no contest to the charges in July. In exchange for the plea, charges of aggravated burglary and criminal restraint.

He was arrested in February on a Brown County warrant and extradited from the state of Nebraska where he had been held on separate charges.

Co-defendants, Sabetha residents Edgar Martinez and Jazmene Hicks, were sentenced last November on charges in the case.

Edgar Martinez was sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison, while Hicks was placed on 36-months supervised probation.

Authorities say the trio broke into a home at 121 Apache Street in Hiawatha on May 16th of last year. The occupant, Ray Atlakson, told police he was battered and robbed, with his hands bound behind his back before the suspects fled the scene.

Taken were pair of car keys, billfold and a RCA tablet.

Atlakson was treated for injuries at the Hiawatha Community Hospital.

(KNZA)--A Sabetha man accused of sex offenses involving a three-year-old child has pleaded no contest to a pair of felony charges.

Brown County Attorney Kevin Hill says 27-year-old Roy Tidwell III entered the plea Monday in Brown County District Court to charges of rape and aggravated internet trading in child pornography.

In exchange for the plea, a charge of sexual exploitation of a child was dismissed.

Hill says Tidwell faces life in prison on each count when he scheduled for sentencing September 10th.

Tidwell was arrested in May following an investigation by federal, state and local authorities into alleged crimes committed in Hiawatha between July and December 2017.

He also faces charges in Nemaha County of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and sexual exploitation of a child.

Tidwell remains in the Brown County Jail, after his $3 million bond was revoked.

(KLZA)-- A Neosha, Missouri man suffered serious injuries Friday morning in a Holt County, Missouri motorcycle wreck. 

A Missouri Highway Patrol report indicates 64-year-old Jackson Coyle was northbound on Interstate 29, approximately four miles south of Mound City when his 2017 Harley Davidson traveled off the west side of the  road and overturned.

Coyle was transported by the Atchison-Holt Ambulance Squad to Mosaic Life Care Hospital in St. Joseph.

The motorcycle suffered extensive damage.

The Holt  County Sheriff's Office and Missouri Department of Transportation assisted at the scene of the wreck.                    

(KAIR)--The woman killed in a two vehicle Saint Joseph, Missouri crash last week had ties to Atchison.

KQ2-TV reports Saint Joseph Police identify the victim of Friday's wreck as 29-year-old Cassandra Blackmore.

Her obituary from the Alden-Harrington Funeral Home, in Bonner Springs, names her as Cassandra Blackmore-Stroble, listing her fiance as Joseph Stroble, who lives in Atchison.

The obituary names Blackmore-Stroble as a resident of Bonner Springs.

Her funeral service is set for Saturday afternoon at the funeral home.

Blackmore-Stroble died when 23-year-old Faucett, Missouri resident Bronson Cooper ran a red light on Saint Joseph's South Belt Highway, near U.S. Highway 36, and struck Blackmore-Stroble's vehicle. 

The Buchanan County prosecutor's office has charged Cooper with one count of second-degree involunatry manslaughter. 

Blackmore's 8-year-old passenger was transported by helicopter to Children's Mercy Hospital, in Kansas City, with serious injuries. 

PERRY, Kan. (AP) - Authorities say a Denver, Colorado man has died in Perry Lake in Jefferson County.
 
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says the man was unresponsive Sunday when friends and family pulled him out of the water and onto a boat. They attempted CPR and called 911 while they headed to the nearest boat ramp. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Monday afternoon, Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig identified the man as 48-year-old Jason Michael Southard. 
 
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and the sheriff's department are investigating the death as a possible drowning.

(KLZA)-- Pawnee City Mayor Charlie Hatfield updated  City Council members on the swimming pool project during the July 23rd Council meeting.  

The Mayor said he had spoken with a representative of Prochaska &  Associates about the warranty on the pool liner.  Hatfield wanted to know if problems with the caulking would affect the warranty on the liner which he was told it would have no effect.

The Mayor asked for that in writing and for the Prochaska group to have representatives with Premier Pool & Spas present for the final pool meeting which will be held this month.      

In other business City Councilman Ric Helms reported the street overlay project in Pawnee  Cit is off to a good start despite some mechanical issues that had arisen.  

The Council also voted to remove a STOP sign on “P” Street   northbound just before 5th Street.  Helms said this would be a hazard in the winter time for those hauling cattle.  

A resolution to have the sign put back up will need to be approved at the next Council meeting.                                        

(KLZA)-- There will be very few local races during Tuesday's Missouri Primary Election.

In Holt County, four people seek the Republican nomination for Presiding Commissioner Thomas Bullock, Ed  Dearmont, Billie Banks and Randy Patterson are running.

Current Presiding Commissioners Mark Sitherwood did not seek reelection. 

Three people are seeking the position of Collector or  Revenue.  Cindy Wohlford and Nicole Brown are challenging incumbent Samantha Timothy for the position.         

Forest City voters will vote yes or no on or a 30-cent per $100 of assessed valuation levy for eight years to fund having police in Forest City. 

Atchison County has no contested races on the local ballot.   

(MSC News)-- Voters will go to the polls Tuesday to decide the Republican and Democratic nominees for local, state and federal offices.

In addition, voters in Riverside USD 114 will decide whether to approve a levy of up to about 4.8 mills for five years for capital outlay improvements.

There will be contested races in Brown, Jackson, Nemaha and Marshall Counties in the Republican primary for 1st District County Commissioner.

In Brown County, longtime Commissioner Steve Roberts is being challenged by Richard Lehmkuhl.

In Jackson County, incumbent Commissioner Rob Ladner is being challenged by former Commissioner Ed Kathrens.

In Nemaha County, incumbent Commissioner Gary Scoby is challenged by Lester Niehues.

The winners in all three races will face no opposition in November.

In Marshall County, five Republicans are vying for the seat currently held by Commissioner Bob Connell who did not seek re-election. They include Dave Zutterman, Bill Phillipi, Marty Nordus, Barb Kickhaefer and Shane Hartner.  The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Steve Boyda in November.

In Nemaha County, there is a contest race in the Republican primary for district magistrate judge with incumbent Elizabeth Deiter being challenged by Scott Anson.  The winner will face no opposition in November.

There are also contested races for several state offices—including governor.  Seven candidates have filed on the Republican ticket for governor/lieutenant governor, while Democrats will chose their nominee between five candidates.

Seven Republicans are running to replace 2nd District U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, who did not seek re-election.  The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Paul Davis in November.  

The polls will be open Tuesday from 7 in the morning until 7 in the evening.

(KMZA)--A new 2019 Seneca city budget has been drafted that keeps the mill levy steady.

A proposed budget had been published that contained a more than 4 mill levy increase and the City Council held a hearing on that budget at their August 1st meeting,  which drew no public comment.

City Administrator Matt Rehder says the Council had expressed a desire to keep the mill levy steady, and a new budget was drafted with a 32.338 levy, about where its been for the last seven years.   

Rehder says they were able to keep the mill levy steady and still fund the city’s needs due to an increase in the city’s assessed valuation.

The new proposed budget calls for the city to collect more than $760,000 in local taxes—nearly $33,000 more than this year.

The Council delayed adoption of the budget until their August 15th meeting when the 2017 city audit is to be presented.

In other action, the Council approved a request to commit to funding the Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative for the next three years at $5,000 per year.  

That’s the same level of funding as the city has provided the past three years.

The program provides free, confidential business coaching to aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners in five counties---including Nemaha.

Editor's note: Rescue crews returned to the scene of the river Monday. Shortly before 12 noon, Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News the truck was expected to be pulled from the river by early afternoon. Atchison Fire Chief Ted Graf later confirmed that the truck had been removed. Wilson said the recovery came around 3:00 following what he said was a challenging effort, due to a very swift current in the river. 

(KAIR)--The driver of a pickup truck that sank into the Missouri River at Atchison Sunday has been located.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson tells MSC News the 48-year-old man was found safe early Monday morning. “He confirmed that he had driven the truck into the river based on some mental health issues that we're addressing this morning. Once he drove into the river, he actually got out of the truck and left the area.”

The truck, when it went into the river around 8:30 Sunday night, had been spotted by an eyewitness on the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge. “It was still somewhat daylight at that point, it was twilight, so you could see pretty well looking out there. We had a passerby actually on the bridge that looked down and saw it go in. We had two officers that arrived within seconds. Both of them saw the vehicle just before it became completely submerged.”

Local rescue teams joined police at the river, with the Atchison County Rescue Unit and the Atchison Fire Department, utilizing rescue boats to search for the truck.

Believing that they had located the vehicle underwater, the location was marked, and the effort was called off around 11:15 Sunday night.

Wilson said the recovery of the truck is expected to resume Monday morning. “Several boats on the river did locate a vehicle about 15-yards off shore, about 75-yards south of the south boat ramp, and that is where we believe that it is now lodged and that is where we will attempt to hook on it in the morning.”

Atchison Fire Chief Ted Graf said that effort is expected to be assisted through the expertise of a dive team, likely coming from the Kansas City area.

Because of the driver's reported mental health issues, MSC News will withold his name. 

Editor's note: The following is the initial complete story after Sunday night's recovery was called off. 

(KAIR)--Although it can't be said with certainty, authorities remain hopeful that a pickup truck, submerged in the Missouri River, at Atchison, was unoccupied at the time it went into the water Sunday.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News at the scene the truck was spotted by an eyewitness on the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge around 8:30 Sunday night. “It was still somewhat daylight at that point, it was twilight, so you could see pretty well looking out there. We had a passerby actually on the bridge that looked down and saw it go in. We had two officers that arrived within seconds. Both of them saw the vehicle just before it became completely submerged.”

Local authorities joined police at the river, with the Atchison County Rescue Unit and the Atchison Fire Department, utilizing rescue boats to search for the truck.

Believing that they had located the vehicle underwater, the location was marked, and the effort was called off around 11:15 Sunday night.

Wilson said the recovery of the truck is expected to resume Monday morning. “Several boats on the river did locate a vehicle about 15-yards off shore, about 75-yards south of the south boat ramp, and that is where we believe that it is now lodged and that is where we will attempt to hook on it in the morning.”

Atchison Fire Chief Ted Graf said that effort is expected to be assisted through the expertise of a dive team, likely coming from the Kansas City area.

As the water rescue was underway, Wilson said his department began the search for the suspected driver of the truck. “The person who we believe [was] driving that vehicle, we actually had a couple of reported sightings of him as we were down at the river scene. We've actually been to a number of residences, as we approach the midnight hour, attempting to locate the driver of that vehicle after several sightings.”

Along with the Atchison area authorities, representatives of the Missouri Water Patrol were on site as the rescue and recovery was conducted Sunday night.

(KAIR)--A 23-year-old Faucett, Missouri man faces an involuntary manslaughter charge for a crash on Saint Joseph, Missouri's Belt Highway that claimed the life of a woman Friday.

KQ2-TV reports the Buchanan County prosecutor's office has charged Bronson Cooper with one count of second-degree involuntary manslaughter in the wreck Friday on South Belt Highway near 36 Highway.

St. Joseph police said a car exiting off Highway 36 was turning north on to the Belt when it was hit by Cooper's car.

A 29-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the car that was hit, died from the injuries she suffered in the crash.

Her 8-year-old son was also a passenger in the vehicle, and was flown by helicopter to Children's Mercy Hospital, in Kansas City, with serious injuries.

Names of the victims have not yet been made public, but the TV station reports St. Joseph Police said the 8-year-old boy suffered broken bones but was expected to make a full recovery. 

The driver also suffered serious injuries.

Prosecutors requested a bond of $200,000.

According to the Buchanan County Jail's inmate records, Cooper's court date is set for August 14. 

(KAIR)--Although it can't be said with certainty, authorities remain hopeful that a pickup truck, submerged in the Missouri River, at Atchison, was unoccupied at the time it went into the water Sunday.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News at the scene the truck was spotted by an eyewitness on the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge around 8:30 Sunday night. “It was still somewhat daylight at that point, it was twilight, so you could see pretty well looking out there. We had a passerby actually on the bridge that looked down and saw it go in. We had two officers that arrived within seconds. Both of them saw the vehicle just before it became completely submerged.”

Local authorities joined police at the river, with the Atchison County Rescue Unit and the Atchison Fire Department, utilizing rescue boats to search for the truck.

Believing that they had located the vehicle underwater, the location was marked, and the effort was called off around 11:15 Sunday night.

Wilson said the recovery of the truck is expected to resume Monday morning. “Several boats on the river did locate a vehicle about 15-yards off shore, about 75-yards south of the south boat ramp, and that is where we believe that it is now lodged and that is where we will attempt to hook on it in the morning.”

Atchison Fire Chief Ted Graf said that effort is expected to be assisted through the expertise of a dive team, likely coming from the Kansas City area.

As the water rescue was underway, Wilson said his department began the search for the suspected driver of the truck. “The person who we believe [was] driving that vehicle, we actually had a couple of reported sightings of him as we were down at the river scene. We've actually been to a number of residences, as we approach the midnight hour, attempting to locate the driver of that vehicle after several sightings.”

Along with the Atchison area authorities, representatives of the Missouri Water Patrol were on site as the rescue and recovery was conducted Sunday night.

(KAIR)--A Sunday afternoon traffic stop in Holton sent a Topeka man to jail, accused of driving a stolen vehicle.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, in a news release, says 21-year-old Christian Chardon was behind the wheel of a car that was reported speeding around 4:00 Sunday afternoon.

Stopped by a deputy near the intersection of K-16 and U.S. Highway 75, in Holton, it was learned that the car had been reported stolen from Kansas City, Missouri.

Chardon was arrested on charges for possession of felony-stolen property, driving under the influence, and driving while suspended. He was also wanted on an outstanding warrant for vehicle theft in Douglas County.

Following his arrest. Chardon was booked into the Jackson County Jail.

(KAIR)--The Atchison County Attorney is among nine named as nominees to become the next judge for the Kansas 1st Judicial District.

Jerry Kuckelman is named in a release issued by the Office of Judicial Administration announcing the nominees.

The Leavenworth County vacancy was created by the June 16 retirement of Judge Gunnar Sundby.

The release notes that the 1st Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene at 9:00, on the morning of August 8, to conduct nominee interviews.

The process, which will take place at the Leavenworth County Justice Center, at 601 South Third Street, in Leavenworth, is open to the public.

Joining Kuckelman in the running to fill the vacancy are Lansing County Attorney Michael Jones, Deputy Leavenworth County Attorney, Joan Lowdon, of Bonner Springs, Assistant Dickinson County Attorney Amy Coppola, of Abilene, attorney Pamela Campbell Burton, of Leavenworth, attorney Terri Harris, of Basehor, Christopher Kellogg, of Leavenworth, who serves as Administrative Law Judge for the Kansas Department of Administration, attorney Keyta Kelly, of Leavenworth, and attorney Geoffrey Sonntag, of Tonganoxie.

The nominating commission will select from three to five nominees whose names will be submitted to the governor to fill the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements. If there are not three nominees who reside in the judicial district who are deemed qualified by the commission, the commission may consider nominees who reside outside the district. The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint. After serving one year in office, the new judge must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, the incumbent will serve a four-year term.

(KAIR)--Atchison area rescue crews remain on the Missouri River at Atchison. Rescue boats are searching for a pickup truck that eyewitnesses around 8:30 Sunday night say they saw in the river.
Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News it can't be confirmed whether or not the truck was occupied.

(KMZA)--There will be no public vote this November in Marshall County on a proposed countywide half-cent sales tax to benefit Community Memorial Hospital in Marysville.

Hospital officials say two recent motions to place the issue on the ballot failed to receive the approval of the Marshall County Commission.  

Commissioner Dave Baier initially made a motion to place a10-year, half-cent sales tax for the hospital on the ballot at the July 23rd meeting, and then a motion at the July 30th meeting for a 5-year, half-cent sales tax.  But both motions failed due to the lack of second.  Commissioners Bob Connell and Lynn Feldhausen declined their support.

Community Memorial Healthcare CEO Curtis Hawkinson says he’s disappointed by the outcome, adding he had hoped the Board would see the long-term economic impact of local healthcare to the community and allowed a public vote.   He said the hospital will continue to dialogue with the public, and advocate for candidates who support the hospital in the upcoming primary and general elections.     

Hawkinson says the hospital was seeking the sales tax support because of several years of deficits, brought on by uncompensated care, the level of uninsured or under-insured patients and the state’s unwillingness to expand Medicaid.

The hospital submitted a petition in June containing more than 460 signatures in support of a public vote on a sales tax for the hospital.

The two commissioners who didn’t support placing the sales tax issue on the ballot said they did not receive positive personal responses on the issue, questioned the legitimacy of the petition and did not feel enough financial information had been given by the hospital.

(KNZA)--It‘s fair time in Atchison County.

The 112th annual Atchison County Fair kicks off  Monday, August 6th and runs through Saturday, August 11 at the fairgrounds in Effingham.

Besides the traditional 4-H events, the fair will include food, contests, a parade, free entertainment and a carnival.

The Atchison County Family Feud showdown will make a return this year.  The game show will take place Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the Gazebo, with the finals on Saturday.

On Wednesday evening, entertainment will be provided by the Dance with Me Dance studio from Atchison, Jefferson County native Katelynn Schultz and the Atchison Jazz Express.

On Thursday evening, the Entertainment Dance Company from Nortonville and aspiring country singer Paul Root will provide the entertainment.

Also on Thursday is the Kiddee Pedal Power Tractor Pull contest and Lawn Garden Tractor Pull contest.

On Friday evening, the fair parade will be held through downtown Effingham at 7:00.  The theme of this year’s parade is “ Sweet Family Fun at the Country Fair.”

Following the parade, the country music band Silver Road will take the stage.

The final day of the fair on Saturday will bring a full day of activities--including the Knuckle Draggers Car Show, a BBQ cook-off contest and the 4-H livestock auction at 4:30.  Doniphan County native and aspiring country singer Lisa Scholz will perform  at 4:00.   Country singer and songwriter, Muscotah native Erik Dylan, will wrap up this year’s entertainment, taking the stage following the Family Feud finals at 6:00.

Doniphan, Missouri-based Fun Time Shows will provide the carnival attractions Tuesday through Saturday evenings on the fairgrounds along with Saturday afternoon.  

(KAIR)--A Kansas City man, accused of child rape in Leavenworth, is going to prison.

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson credits Kansas City's Children's Mercy Hospital staff with reporting the abuse to Leavenworth Police, which led to the arrest of 43-year-old Christopher Jason Ellis.

Ellis on Monday was sentenced to nearly 26-years in prison.

In May, he plead to three counts of rape in Leavenworth County District Court.

In October of last year, Thompson, in a news release, says a 3-year-old child disclosed to Children's Mercy staff details about sexual abuse as the child was undergoing a medical examination.

The resulting investigation led to the discovery of a second little girl, with the 6-year-old also raped by Ellis.

Charges were filed, and Ellis was taken into custody, admitting to investigators that he had sexual contact with both victims, including multiple times with one of the girls, over the course of a two-year period.

Ellis will be subject to lifetime registration and post-release supervision after his prison sentence is served. 

Left to right: Nicholas Harding, Cheryl Russell, and David Pickens

(KAIR)--A substantial amount of methamphetamine.

That's what Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie said was found during a Thursday afternoon traffic stop. “When you get into over a half-ounce, which in this case was over a half-ounce of methamphetamine, that is typical of distribution of methamphetamine, or to be redistributed at that point. It's substantial for Atchison, for sure.”

Three arrests came as a result of the stop, made due to traffic violations, an underway investigation, and the knowledge that two of the vehicle's occupants were wanted on warrants.

Laurie said 25-year-old David Pickens, 38-year-old Cheryl Russell, and 30-year-old Nicholas Harding, all of Atchison, now face charges following the stop that was made on U.S. Highway 73, near Thomas Road. “[Deputies] followed them into Leavenworth and then were able to keep an eye on them so when they were coming back into Atchison they were able to make a traffic stop on them at that point.”

Pickens faces charges for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, no drug tax stamp, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also arrested for a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant for parole violation

Laurie said Russell and Harding both face charges in connection to the investigation for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Harding was also arrested for two Atchison County District Court warrants for failure to appear in court.

All three were booked into the Atchison County Jail.

The Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office assisted with the investigation.

(KNZA)--In an energy savings move, the city of Hiawatha will be installing LED bulbs in the town’s historic post lantern street lights.

The Hiawatha City Commission Monday evening gave Water and Lights Superintendent Brad Scott approval to solicit bids for the purchase of 380 LED bulbs.

He says the street lights currently have metal halide bulbs, which use about 70 watts of power.  Scott said the LED bulbs would use about 25 watts.

With the energy savings, he estimated a payback of 2 to 4 years.

Scott estimated the cost to replace the bulbs at around $21,000.

He said the bulbs should last more than 10 years.

City crews will install the new LED bulbs.  Scott said the project should take 2-3 months and will be done during the winter months.

(KLZA)--The third annual “Falls City Night Out” program sponsored by the Falls City Police Department with the help of a large number of agencies and many Falls City businesses is scheduled for Tuesday, August 7. 

Falls City Police Officer Zach Ractliffe handles a majority of the organizing of the event. He says the main purpose is for the public, especially children to get to know police officers and first responders and for the kids to  understand the Police are there to help them when they need it.

This years event will begin at Stanton Lake Park offering more parking and more shade. The activities at Stanton Lake will be from 6 – 8:00 P.M. Later there will be a “March Against Crime” to the Falls City Aquatic Park and it will be free swimming until 10. The evening includes free food and a large number of demonstrations by public safety agencies, including a couple of helicopter landings.                                  

(KLZA)-- The Pawnee City Council conducted a public hearing during their July 23 meeting on a notice of intent to use Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Program Income Reuse Grant Financing.  

The ReUse Committee recommended the City Council grant the sum of $251,256 from the ReUse Revolving Loan Fund to the “601 G Street Restoration Project” subject to a 20-percent matching fund requirement.

Plans are to renovate the former Kobza building and include a meeting room. Renovation plans include masonry repair, including sidewalk work, window repair or replacement , a new roof, HVAC  system and making the restrooms ADA accessible.  

Following a five-minute public hearing the Coucnil voted unanimously to adopt a resolution and Memorandum of Understanding approving the grant request in the amount of $251,256 for the City of Pawnee City for direct assistance on the building renovation. 

(KLZA)-- The passenger on a motorcycle suffered moderate injuries Thursday evening when the motorcycle struck a deer in Atchison County, Missouri. 

The Missouri Highway Patrol reports 40-year-old Frank Kephart of Tarkio was northbound on U.S. 59 Highway, driving a 1981 Honda Goldwing, approximately four miles north of  Fairfax when the incident occurred. 

39-year-old Angela Orozco of Westboro, Missouri was a passenger on the motorcycle, which came to rest  on its side, facing south following the impact. 

Orozco was transported by the Atchison-Holt Ambulance Squad to the Fairfax Hospital.  Kephart was not injured. 
                                          

(KAIR)--An Atchison woman is in custody, arrested in connection with a drug raid that happened last month.

Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie, in a release, said 41-year-old Erin Russell was taken into custody Wednesday, apprehended on a District Court warrant issued after drugs seized during the raid were determined to allegedly belong to her. “We did locate methamphetamine, cocaine, some drug paraphernalia,” Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie told MSC News.

Russell was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana.

Following her arrest, she was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

Her arrest followed the execution of a search warrant on July 19 at a residence located in the 400 block of Atchison Street.

At the time of the raid, 41-year-old Landon Bain, Sr. was arrested on drug related charges.

A second drug related arrest came about an hour after Russell was apprehended, this one following a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 59, near 274th Road.

Laurie said it was there, around 6:00 Wednesday evening, that a vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation.

The driver, 30-year-old Megan Lynch, was found to be driving on a suspended license, and was taken into custody for the violation. During the arrest, it's alleged that methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were located.

Lynch faces charges including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, no drug tax stamp, and driving while suspended.

Following her arrest, Lynch was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

(KAIR)--An Atchison woman is in custody, arrested in connection with a drug raid that happened last month.

Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie, in a release, said 41-year-old Erin Russell was taken into custody Wednesday, apprehended on a District Court warrant issued after drugs seized during the raid were determined to allegedly belong to her. “We did locate methamphetamine, cocaine, some drug paraphernalia,” Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie told MSC News.

Russell was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana.

Following her arrest, she was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

Her arrest followed the execution of a search warrant on July 19 at a residence located in the 400 block of Atchison Street.

At the time of the raid, 41-year-old Landon Bain, Sr. was arrested on drug related charges.

A second drug related arrest came about an hour after Russell was apprehended, this one following a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 59, near 274th Road.

Laurie said it was there, around 6:00 Wednesday evening, that a vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation.

The driver, 30-year-old Megan Lynch, was found to be driving on a suspended license, and was taken into custody for the violation. During the arrest, it's alleged that methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were located.

Lynch faces charges including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, no drug tax stamp, and driving while suspended.

Following her arrest, Lynch was booked into the Atchison County Jail.

(KAIR)--A boil order is put in place for the City of Effingham.

A release issued Friday morning by Atchison County Emergency Management says the boil order was issued due to a broken water line.

It will remain in place until further notice.

Effingham water customers are advised to boil the water they use for drinking or food preparation for one minute prior to use, or to use bottled water instead.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

(KNZA)--Street work is planned in Hiawatha next week, weather permitting.

According to the city, several city streets will be chip and sealed starting around  Monday, August 6th and continuing until around Friday, August 10th.

They include 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Streets.

Residents are asked to remove their vehicles from the streets throughout the duration of the project.  Vehicles not removed, will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Crews will start work at 7:00 in the mornings.  Residents are asked to have their vehicle removed prior to that time.

Those with questions can call the Hiawatha Street Department at 742-7850.   

(KNZA)--The city of Horton has a new assistant chief of police.

Horton Police Chief John Calhoon has announced that Sergeant Jonathan Boller III has been promoted to the position.

He was recently sworn in as Assistant Chief by Deputy City Clerk Carol Stirton.

Boller has been with the department since September 2014, and has served as sergeant since November 2015.  

He previously served with the Holt County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri.

Boller also serves on the Horton Volunteer Fire Department.

He and his wife, Carmela, have four children, and have made Horton their home for the last three years.    

(KLZA)--Richardson County Commissioners reviewed information for the proposed Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget during their Tuesday meeting.

To keep the budget at the same levy as the current fiscal year, nearly three quarters of a million dollars will need to be cut from the proposed budget requests.

The valuation of Richardson County property is estimated to decrease by just over 3.6 percent to $1,425,671,008. That amounts to a decline of more than $53.7-million.

The submitted budget requests are more than $1.8-million higher than last years budget coming in at $15,038,852. That represents an increase in expenditures of 13.2 percent.

The tax requirement on that amount would be an additional 5.4 percent or an increase of more than $5.3-million. That would increase the levy by more than 3-cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

Commissioners will be reviewing the budget requests throughout the month of August.

(KNZA)--Federal funding will be sought through a Kansas Department of  Transportation program for the replacement of two Doniphan County bridges.

The Doniphan County Commission agreed Monday to submit an application for funding through KDOT’s Off-System Bridge Replacement program for fiscal year 2020 for the two structures.

The first structure is located at 140th and Castleton Roads, southwest of Denton.  The bridge is on a mail and bus route, has a sufficiency rating of 28.2 and current posting of 3 tons.   It services 10 landowners and 3 homes within a ½ radius.

The second structure is located on Oxide Road, south of the intersection with Ottumwa Road, northeast of Troy.  The bridge is on a mail route, has a sufficiency rating of 16.9 and current posting of 3 tons.  It services 4 homes and eight landowners within a ½ mile radius.

If approved, federal funding would pay for 80 percent of the construction cost with the county responsible for the remaining 20 percent.

KDOT is to announce in September which projects are awarded funding.

Members of multiple generations of the Berger family, owners of the Berger Company in Atchison, will be honored as recipients of the Cray-Seaberg Vision of Excellence Award during a ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the historic Santa Fe Depot, 200 South Tenth Street, in Atchison. 

The event will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by a presentation ceremony recognizing outstanding dedication and service provided to the local community by A.C. Robert "Bob" Berger, his son, Rick, and Rick's son, Reed. Guest speakers will include U.S. Senator Pat Roberts and U.S. Representative Lynn Jenkins.

The Vision of Excellence Award was established by the Santa Fe Depot's Board of Trustees in 2014 as a way to honor individuals and families who demonstrate extraordinary foresight and commitment in helping create progressive opportunities for the betterment of the overall community. It is named in recognition of outstanding community leadership exemplified by the award’s first recipients, Cloud L. “Bud” Cray, Chairman Emeritus of MGP Ingredients, Inc., his late wife, Sally, current MGP Board Chairman Karen Seaberg, her late husband and former MGP Chairman and CEO Ladd Seaberg, and other members of the Cray and Seaberg families.

"The Berger family has long personified this mission by leading seemingly countless community enhancement initiatives, as well as through philanthropic support," said Jonathan Mize, chairman of the depot's board.

Bob Berger is retired chairman of the board of directors of the Berger Company, a leading leather and textile supplier, which he founded in 1973. He previously owned and operated Atchison Leather Products Co., which was started by his father, the late A.C. Berger, in 1908 and subsequently became a division of the Berger Company.

Before joining his father's business in 1951, and after earning a degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma, Bob served in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a petroleum engineer in Houston. Upon his return to Atchison, he began his many decades of active involvement serving and leading numerous community organizations, groups and projects.

Through the years, Bob has served in several volunteer leadership capacities for the YMCA, Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce, Santa Fe Depot Board of Trustees, Atchison Area United Way, Boy Scouts of America, Amelia Earhart Festival and Courtney S. Turner Charitable Foundation Advisory Committee.

Bob has also been a member of several other organizations, including the Atchison Rotary Club, Atchison Elks, American Legion, Bellevue Country Club and Pineview Country Club.

Rick Berger, who serves as president and CEO of the Berger Company, has energetically continued the family legacy of supporting and leading the efforts of several community-oriented organizations and initiatives. He currently is a member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Greater Kansas City and is a former board member of the Atchison YMCA where he helped spearhead the successful multi-million dollar building renovation and expansion project that was completed last year.

Like both his father and grandfather, Rick has been president of the Atchison Rotary Club, and is also a founding member and past president of the Atchison Rotary Foundation. He is chairman of the Atchison Hospital Foundation and a former longtime member and past chairman of the hospital's board of directors. He additionally is a current board member and founding member and past chairman of the Atchison Area Economic Development Corporation.

Heavily involved in scouting since childhood, Rick currently sits on the board of the Pony Express Council of the Boy Scouts of America, is former chairman of the Kanza District Friends of Scouting, and has received an array of local, district and regional awards recognizing his service to youth through boys' and girls' scouting programs.

Rick also serves as a local advisory board member for a number of foundations, including the Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust, Guy I. Bromley Residuary Trust, and the Exchange Bank/Adair Family Foundation, and is co-trustee of the Pratt Family Charitable Foundation. He additionally was a member of the board of the Atchison Salvation Army, a past drive chairman for the Atchison Area United Way, a member of the Atchison Elks, and a former board member and officer of Bellevue Country Club.

Rick's entire business career has been spent with the Berger Company, which he joined full-time in December of 1979 after completing studies for a juris doctorate degree at Washburn University Law School. He previously received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Kansas State University in 1977.

Reed Berger went to work at his family's company in 2006, serving as chief operating officer, after earning dual degrees in business management and operations management at Kansas State University that same year.

Following in his father's, grandfather' and great-grandfather's footsteps, Reed also has served as president of the Atchison Rotary Club, has been an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, and is a strong supporter of the YMCA in Atchison, where he serves as annual campaign chairman. He is a former board member of Clubs for Kids and the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and, similar to his father, remains very active in Boy Scouts of America programs.

Reed additionally serves on the board of the Atchison Rotary Club Foundation, is vice president of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation and a member of the Atchison Elks.

Among their numerous community enrichment undertakings, the Bergers and their company were instrumental in helping spearhead successful efforts in the late 1980s to convert the Santa Fe Depot from a closed down railroad freight station into a major, highly used center of activity for local inhabitants and tourists alike. Following significant upgrades, the 138-year-old Depot became home to the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce, the Atchison Visitors Center and the Atchison County Historical Society Museum. The Depot hosts thousands of guests annually, along with community-oriented meetings, forums, seminars and other events of public interest.

Funds raised through events associated with the Cray-Seaberg Vision of Excellence Award go toward future embellishments and improvements to the Depot, thus helping perpetuate a prominent symbol of visionary endeavors beneficial to Atchison and the surrounding region.

For more information about the 2018 Vision of Excellence Award event, including tickets and reservations, persons may contact the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 913-367-2427.

(KAIR)--One person is in custody in connection with a Wednesday evening Jackson County shooting that left one injured.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, in a news release Thursday, said 40-year-old rural Mayetta resident Alva Bryant McKinney was arrested for aggravated battery.

McKinney was detained and questioned following the shooting.

According to Morse, the shooting happened at a residence near Mayetta shortly before 7:00.

His office, along with Jackson County EMS, the Mayetta Fire Department, and Potawatomi Tribal Police, all responded to the residence, located at 17537 R. 4 Road, where the victim had been shot in the head.

Morse identifies the victim as a 59-year-old man who was related to McKinney.

The victim, whose name is not yet made public, was transported to a Topeka hospital for treatment.

Morse said as of late Wednesday, he remained in stable condition.

Editor's note: Below is the initial story written as details developed. 

(KAIR)--A Wednesday evening Jackson County shooting sends one to the hospital and leaves another questioned by authorities as the investigation continues.

According to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, the shooting happened at a residence near Mayetta shortly before 7:00.

In a news release, Morse says his office, along with Jackson County EMS, the Mayetta Fire Department, and Potawatomi Tribal Police, all responded to the residence, located at 17537 R. 4 Road where the victim had been shot in the head.

A man at the residence was detained for questioning, while the victim was transported to a Topeka hospital in stable condition.

Names are not immediately released as the investigation is ongoing.

(KNZA)--The Hiawatha Board of Education is proposing a 2018-19 budget that contains a nearly 2.6 mill property tax levy reduction.

During a special meeting Tuesday evening, the Board approved the proposed budget for publication.

The budget contains an estimated tax rate of 52.7 mills, with the amount of tax to be levied at more than $6.3 million.

The budget includes a 1.7 mill levy decrease for the bond and interest fund.  The district will be making its last bond payment for the middle school September 1st.  

The Board was also able to lower the mill levy for the local option budget due to an increase in the district’s assessed valuation.

Superintendent Lonnie Moser said district’s assessed valuation grew by more than $7.2 million.

He said the goal was to give some relief to taxpayers and still address funding needs aligned with the district’s goals and objectives.

The Board will consider adoption of the budget following a public hearing at their August 13th meeting.   

(KLZA)-- A Falls City man is being held in the Richardson County Law Enforcement Center on a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking.

On July 9th, a Falls City woman reported a large sum of cash, all in $5-bills was missing from her home.  

Following an investigation and arrest warrant was issued for 24-year-old Joshua W. Perman..

The money was taken from his girlfriends home.  The investigation alleges Perman had deposited $1-thousand in $5-dollar bills in a local bank, explaining it was a loan from a relative.  In addition, Perman paid off a loan to a local automobile dealership during the same time period. 

Perman was arrested Tuesday by Assistant Falls City Police Chief Jamie Baker.  He is alleged to have taken an amount between $500 and $5-thousand. 

His bond has been set at $2,500.                     
                                

(KLZA)-- A Falls City man is being held in the Richardson County Law Enforcement Center on a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking.

July 9th a Falls City woman reported a large sum of cash, all in $5-bills was missing from her home.  

Following an investigation and arrest warrant was issued for 24-year-old Joshua W. Perman of Falls City.

The money was taken from his girlfriends home.  The investigation alleges Perman had deposited $1-thousand in $5-dollar bills in a local bank, explaining it was a loan from a relative.  In addition, Perman paid off a loan to a local automobile dealership during the same time period. 

Perman was arrested Tuesday, July 31 by Assistant Falls City Police Chief Jamie Baker.  He is alleged to have taken an amount between $500 and $5-thousand. 

His bond has been set at $2,500.                     
                                

(KLZA)-- A Falls City man is being held in the Richardson County Law Enforcement Center on a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking.

July 9th a Falls City woman reported a large sum of cash, all in $5-bills was missing from her home.  

Following an investigation and arrest warrant was issued for 24-year-old Joshua W. Perman of Falls City.

The money was taken from his girlfriends home.  The investigation alleges Perman had deposited $1-thousand in $5-dollar bills in a local bank, explaining it was a loan from a relative.  In addition, Perman paid off a loan to a local automobile dealership during the same time period. 

Perman was arrested Tuesday, July 31 by Assistant Falls City Police Chief Jamie Baker.  He is alleged to have taken an amount between $500 and $5-thousand. 

His bond has been set at $2,500.                     
                                

(KLZA)-- A Falls City man is facing felony charges of burglary and resisting arrest. 

According to an affidavit in Richardson County Court,  43-year-old Travis R. Kirkendall was arrested early Monday morning by Falls City Officer James Wason. 

According to the court document, Officer Wason was on patrol and noticed someone walking south in the alley of the 1900 block between Highway 73, which is Harlan Street and Stone Street. The individual was between Harmon's O.K. Tire Store and the Harmon's O.K. Warehouse.  The individual ran west on 19th then  south on Stone Street. 

Officer Wason was headed south on Stone when he heard a door close in the alley in the 1800 block of  Stone Street and discovered a door to the basement of the Grand Weaver Hotel was partially open.

Upon further investigation, Officer Wason located Kirkendall crouched behind a bench seat in the basement. Being aware of an active warrant for Kirkendall, Wason attempted to place him under arrest. Following a brief struggle Kirkendall was handcuffed. 

Officer Wason then discovered a cam-shaft he believed to be stolen, in a box near where Kirkendall was hiding.

Falls City Police Sergeant Chuck DiGiacomo went to Harmon's O.K. Tire warehouse and discovered the lock on the door had been cut. In addition, he found multiple new tires, rims and other items piled just outside the doorway.  

Later a set of bolt cutters were discovered in a trash can in the 1800 block of Stone Street. 

Kirkendall appeared in Richardson County Court Monday and cash bond was set at $4-thousand.  

Arraignment was scheduled for the morning of August 20th.   

(KNZA)--The city of Hiawatha is taking steps to address the growing number of  foxes seen in town.

Commissioner Toni Hull brought up the issue at Monday’s City Commission meeting.

Hull says she was contacted last week by a couple of business owners very concerned about the foxes running lose in town, which have frequently been seen in the downtown area.  Hull said residents are allowing children to get close to them, which is dangerous. In addition, she says some residents are feeding the foxes, which is strongly discouraged.   

Police Chief John Defore says his department has received a lot of fox complaints since last fall. “ They are city fox.  They have socialized and learned how to live in town, and they prefer not leave town.” Defore added.

Defore says he has contacted the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism about the problem.  He said they are convinced of a couple of things—they are socialized and the city needs to get rid of them.

Defore the state has given the city permission to begin “live trapping” the foxes for re-location to the county.  “For the safety of the fox more than anything, we are going to try and relocate them.  At least the ones that are the daredevils downtown.”

Defore says residents who feed their pets outdoors are advised to watch them while they eat and to remove their food bowl when they're done.     

(KNZA)--The Hiawatha City Commission was urged Monday evening to keep the brick streets in the 100 blocks of  North 6th and 7th for now instead of paving them with concrete.

Ian Schuetz, who was part of the brick streets committee, urged the Commission to amend the scope of the bid package already sent out for the street improvements to be funded by a ½ cent sales tax approved by voters in 2016.  

 “I think that if we forfeit the possible preservation of this big section right now, it's both premature and actually unnecessary. The Commission, in the past, and through the survey that was put out, has already sort of acknowledged that the brick, in general terms, is a valuable part of the downtown aesthetic. I think it would then follow that the goal should be to retain as much as possible within practical limits.”   

Schuetz says he recently became aware that the two blocks were among those to be paved with concrete.

The Commission previously agreed to keep the brick streets around the courthouse square, and the city has received a grant to help fund restoration of the brick street in the 600 block of Utah.  

Schuetz says the brick streets in the 100 blocks of North 6th and 7th make up about 40 percent of those in the downtown, and he doesn’t want to see them condemn before they have too.

“I think that if we can just grant those two blocks a stay of execution for now, kind of hold off and then see where we're at. After we do Utah Street we'll have a really good idea how much brick we're going to have to replace, and so forth, and then the next time we take the grant we can always concrete them later. In the scope of how long it's going to take them to do these projects, by the time we know what we need to know to make those calls, they're probably still going to be working on other streets here. You know the concern about economy of scale for those two blocks not getting in, I think we can probably still get a pretty good deal if the contractors are in town.”

City Administrator Mike Nichols said if the Commission decided to remove the two blocks, the project engineer would have to issue an addendum to all bidders.

Voicing concerns about possible additional costs, the Commission voted unanimously, following discussion, to stay with the original project scope.        

(KNZA)--A Tuesday evening Jackson County crash sent a Holton woman to the hospital.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse, in a news release, says 31-year-old Jessica Holmes was the only occupant of the car that crashed.

Morse says Holmes was westbound on 214th Road when the car left the roadway east of Q. Road and struck the north side guardrail, causing the car's airbags to deploy.

Holmes was first transported to the Holton Community Hospital for treatment, but later transferred to Stormont Vail Regional Medical Center, in Topeka, by Jackson County EMS.

Morse says the wreck remains under investigation.

(MSC News)---The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is reporting the first two human cases of West Nile Virus in the state this year.

KDHE said Tuesday the two individuals live in Johnson County.

KDHE says four regions of the state remain under a high-risk warning for WNV, including north central, south central, northwest, and southwest Kansas. Northeast and southeast regions are at moderate risk for WNV infections.

WNV can be spread to people through mosquito bites, but it is not spread from person to person. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms.

Roughly one out of 150 infected people develop the more severe version of the disease, which includes swelling of the brain or brain tissue and, in some cases, death. There are no vaccines or medications to treat WNV. People who have had WNV before are considered immune.

“Although for most people West Nile virus may not cause a great deal of concern, we encourage residents, especially our vulnerable populations, to take steps to prevent infection because of the potential for complications,” said Dr. Greg Lakin, Chief Medical Officer, KDHE.

KDHE recommends you know your risk of WNV and take action to prevent mosquito bites and protect yourself against WNV:

• When you are outdoors, use insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient on skin and clothing, including DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535. Follow the directions on the package.

• Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. Be sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants at these times or consider staying indoors during these hours.

• The elderly or those with a weakened immune system should consider limiting their exposure outside during dusk and dawn when the Culex species mosquitos are most active.

• Make sure you have good screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.

• Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used.

• Horses can also be infected with WNV. Talk with your veterinarian about vaccinating your horse to protect them against WNV.