The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department has reported that Deputies conducted a traffic stop in Enterprise on September 26th. At that time they recognized what they believed to be stolen property from a burglary reported the day before. The driver, Robert L. Litzinger Jr., 18, Enterprise, was taken to the Dickinson County jail.
Over the course of several days Deputies conducted multiple interviews and searches, and Litzinger was believed to allegedly be involved in as many as six different burglaries throughout Dickinson County. He was arrested on suspicion of three counts each of Aggravated Burglary, three counts Burglary, one count Felony Theft, three counts Misdemeanor Theft, two charges of Criminal Damage to Property, and one count of Conspiracy.
The investigation led Deputies to arrest a second person, Alexander Q. Madacs, Abilene, in connection with as many as three of the burglaries. Madacs was arrested on suspicion of one count of Aggravated burglary, one Felony Theft charge, two counts Burglary, one count Criminal Damage to Property, two counts Misdemeanor Theft and one count Conspiracy.
Deputies are still investigating the string of burglaries and say more arrests are possible.
Cloudy. Chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. south winds 15 to 20 mph shifting to the southwest 5 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Geary County man was sentenced Monday to 16 years in federal prison for taking part in the kidnapping of a Junction City woman who was killed during the abduction, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Drexel A. Woody, 27, who lived on Fort Riley at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The body of Amanda Clemons, 24, of Junction City, was found in February 2014 in Geary County, Kan.
In Woody’s plea, he admitted that on Feb. 7, 2014, he and some of the co-defendants met the victim, who was a prostitute, at a hotel in Junction City and kidnapped her. The defendants beat the victim in retribution for comments she had made on social media. During the beating, the defendants demanded the victim pay $300. They took the victim to another hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to get the money, after which they transported her to the Woody residence on Fort Riley.
While at the Woody residence, the defendants allowed the victim to call her young son and her mother. The victim’s mother realized the victim was in danger and called Junction City Police. When police called the victim’s number to check on her, and the defendants listened to the call on speakerphone. Fearing arrest, the defendant along with Anderson and Middleton took victim to a bridge in a remote part of Geary County, where Anderson and Middleton resumed the beating and attacked her with a knife. The victim broke free and jumped off the bridge, falling 15 feet and breaking her ankle. Anderson and Middleton found the victim in the snow and resumed the assault during which they cut her throat and killed her.
Co-defendants include:
Larry L. Anderson of Manhattan, Kan., who was sentenced to 336 months.
Marryssa M. Middleton of Fort Riley, Kan., who was sentenced to 336 months.
Shantrell D. Woody of Fort Riley, Kan., who is set for sentencing Nov. 20.
Christopher Pugh of Junction City, Kan., who is set for sentencingOct. 10.
Beall commended the Junction City Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, the Riley County Police Department, the Fort Riley Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Geary County Attorney Steven Opat for their work on the case.
Jim Cross – Public Information Officer for U.S. Attorney Tom Beall in the District of Kansas
The City of Manhattan has received notice of being awarded two grants from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). One is for the Juliette Brick Streets Rehabilitation, Phase III project and the other is Safe Routes to Schools, Phase II. The grants are both part of KDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program and together total $1,308,640.
Juliette Bricks Phase III
This project has a total estimated cost of $1,135,800 with the grant covering $908,640 and local City match covering the rest. The project will complete brick rehabilitation from Osage Avenue to Poyntz Avenue along Juliette. Phase I and Phase II projects (also covered via TA grants from KDOT) went from Bluemont Avenue to Osage Avenue, so this phase will complete the remainder to Poyntz. Phase I construction will begin within the next few weeks and is expected to last approximately 3.5 months. Phase II construction will begin in the spring of 2018 and is also expected to last approximately 3.5 months. In addition to rehabilitation of Juliette’s brick street, the newly awarded Phase III project includes waterline replacement, storm sewer improvements, concrete intersection improvements and crosswalk improvements to increase bicycle/pedestrian safety. Phase III construction is expected to begin in late 2018 or early 2019.
Safe Routes to Schools Phase II (SRTS Phase II)
This project is $515,800 in total cost with the grant covering $400,000 and local City match covering the rest. This project phase includes 7 different locations where construction of sidewalks/trails/signals will occur in order to address needs or safety concerns around schools serving grades K-8. When the City passed the street maintenance sales tax ballot initiative in 2016 a portion of that yearly sales tax was to be dedicated to SRTS projects. The City will be utilizing those sales tax dollars for the local match in this case. The City will continue to try and be aggressive in seeking grants for these projects so that the local sales tax dollars can be leveraged to get the most projects for our dollar. Phase II has been a great partnership in coordination between the City, USD 383, and the Riley County Police Department. All entities have worked together to identify needed projects that address areas of concern. Construction is estimated to occur in late 2018 or early 2019
USD 475 will host a town hall meeting Saturday on the proposed new Junction City High School. It will begin at 9 a.m.at the Warren Settles Auditorium at the current senior high. The session will be broadcast on 1420 KJCK AM at 9 a.m.
During the town hall the proposed project will be explained and questions answered. Prior to the town hall and again afterwards patrons can tour the current high school facility.
Voters on November 7 will cast ballots on a bond issue for the project. If it is approved the State of Kansas would pay 47% of the cost of the project, with federal heavily impacted military aid received by USD 475 funding the remainder of the new school. Officials have indicated no increase would be necessary in the local property tax levy.
Richard Witt will run a write-in campaign for mayor of Grandview Plaza.
Witt said he has lived in Grandview all his life. “My grandfather was actually one of the co-founders of Grandview Plaza, C.C. Witt. So it’s little bit of a heart feel…heart and pride.”
Witt wants to restore a community feel. “I want to get our police department more involved with the kids again, even the fire department up there, and then try to do some community activities. We’ve got a community center that I’d like to see used for the community.”
On his agenda if elected Witt wants to find out about the city budgets, and ensure there are good spending plans. He wants to work on getting a new upgraded park in place and said he wants to work with businesses in town on some other ideas.
Witt is a write-in candidate so his name will not appear on the ballot. He will challenge two candidates who did file for election, Rick Geike and Honey Grant.
FORT RILEY, Kan. – The “Big Red One” will welcome its newest leader with a Victory with Honors ceremony at 4 p.m. Oct. 3 at the 1st Infantry Division’s headquarters on Fort Riley.
Brig. Gen. Stephen G. Smith will serve as the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley deputy commanding general for support. Smith comes to the division from Kuwait where he served as the director of operations for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.
Smith previously served in the Big Red One as the commander of Battery B,
25th Field Artillery (Target Acquisition), 1st Inf. Div. Artillery, from October 1997 to April 1999. His decorations and badges include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
The seventh annual telephone company reunion is scheduled in Junction City on Saturday, October 21st at Coach’s Neighorhood Grill & Bar at 720 Caroline Avenue.
This will be a gathering of current and former employees, contractors and friends of United Telephone / Sprint / Embarq and Century Link.
Junction City Police Chief Dan Breci reported this past week it has gone down 12 percent. “When there’s only small percent of people that ever commit crimes, and so when you look at it you could have one thousand crimes, and it could be 100 people.”
As of last Thursday the JCPD had responded to 14,906 calls by comparison, for example, to 2009 when there were 32,000 calls for police service. The vast majority of those are not for crimes.
Breci noted it’s always a good thing knowing that crime is going down. “Across the country though, violent crime is going up and I’m hoping that stays out of Junction City. Back in the early 90’s it was a different town. I think we’ve done leaps and bounds. I think the majority of the community trusts the police, regardless of what’s going on around the country, it’s still a personal relationship. Do they know our officers, do they trust our officers, and that trust is every single interaction.”
Breci reported that so far this year in Junction City there have not been any homicides, 12 robberies, nine rape incidents, 59 burglaries, 317 thefts and 19 auto thefts.
The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department has reported that Deputies conducted a traffic stop in Enterprise on September 26th. At that time they recognized what they believed to be stolen property from a burglary reported the day before. The driver, Robert L. Litzinger Jr., 18, Enterprise, was taken to the Dickinson County jail.
