KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 50-year-old Kansas City woman has admitted selling heroin to a Kansas man who later died of an accidental overdose.
Valerice Ealom pleaded guilty Thursday to distributing heroin. She admitted that she sold heroin two days in a row in June 2016 to a man identified in court documents as “J.B.” The man’s body was found the next day in his Overland Park home. Investigators found heroin and drug paraphernalia near his body.
An autopsy concluded J.B. died from an accidental heroin overdose.
Ealom was on supervised release when she sold the heroin, after serving a 10-year sentence for distributing controlled substances.
The plea agreement recommends that Ealom be sentenced to 15.5 years in federal prison without parole.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is renting permanent office space for two of its research agencies in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, despite the union concerns that relocation from the nation’s capital has left the agencies critically understaffed and lacking vital expertise.
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a news release Thursday that the agencies had been “hard at work” at a temporary site in the city for the past month and that the signing of a permanent lease was “an important next step to facilitate their long-term efficiency, effectiveness, and service to our customers.”
The USDA announced plans in June to move roughly 550 employees of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture by the end of September to the Kansas City area. Congressional delegations and the governors of Kansas and Missouri heralded the high-paying jobs and economic boost the relocation would bring to the region, as well as the benefits to the nearby producers the agencies serve.
“The region is not only a hub for agriculture in America’s heartland, but it is also proving to be a diverse talent pool in proximity to many land-grant and research universities,” Perdue said.
The USDA will also be partnering with the University of Missouri and Kansas State University to host a joint career expo at Kansas State Olathe on Nov. 6.
“It is a great way to introduce our agencies to the communities there,” USDA spokeswoman Tara Weaver-Missick said.
But critics complain that the relocation has hollowed out years of specialized experience and that the pace of hiring at the Kansas City site has been too slow.
Laura Dodson, an agricultural economist and union representative at the Economic Research Service, said USDA fired three-quarters of its highly trained research staff who refused to relocate. The department’s hiring efforts in Kansas City can’t fill that expertise gap in a few months or even in five years, she said.
“These are jobs that always required a national job search, even when we were in D.C.,” Dodson said. “There are a handful of experts in each of these fields in the country and convincing somebody to take these jobs when you are still in the crosshairs of this administration is not an easy task. I don’t think we will get restaffed to full levels in any reasonable time span.”
USDA data suggests hiring has been slow so far. As of the pay period ending Oct. 12, the Economic Research Service had only 30 employees onsite in Kansas City — including 17 new hires — with 69 employees permanently remaining in Washington, D.C. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture had 62 employees, including nine new hires, in Kansas City with 18 employees remaining in the capital.
The department said it is the process of recruiting more than 100 new staffers for both agencies in Missouri. It has extended relocation dates for some existing workers and brought in retirees, short-term contractors and employees from other federal agencies to help with the transition.
“The workload right now is unsustainable — we have people that are doing four or five times as much work as they were doing previously,” said Tom Bewick, a union representative at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and national program leader for horticulture.
Among those who were pleased with the selection is U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas who praised it as a positive development for the regional economy and said he was committed to working with his colleagues in a bipartisan way to secure the resources necessary for USDA to complete the move.
“Bringing these two important ag research agencies closer to the people they serve and the leading research institutions that support their mission is the right move,” said U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly called it a victory for the Kansas City region and both states, saying “we are pleased to welcome the economic impact of these high-paying jobs in our communities and state.”
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said, “USDA’s investment will benefit both Missouri and Kansas for years to come.”
BARTON COUNTY —Police are investigating an alleged sex offense reported from a student at Great Bend Middle School.
Schwerdtfeger photo Barton County
According to a media release, the report came Wednesday morning, when the student made her report to School Resource Officer Ethan Thomas. It says there is still a long process of investigation ahead after receiving the report.
“When we receive a report like this and it involves a minor child, there is a process that takes place,” said Great Bend Police Lt. Heather Smith. “There is an interview, a process through the child advocacy center, and support and counseling.”
Police arrested 34-year-old Nicholas Schwerdtfeger of Great Bend. He was booked for an aggravated indecent liberties with a child warrant, according to the Barton County Sheriff’s report and is being held on a $1,000,000 bond.
Schwerdtfeger is a registered sex offender and was convicted in 2010 of attempted aggravated sexual battery and attempted indecent solicitation of a child under the age of 14, according to the KBI offender registry.
As interviews and counseling take place, the case will be handed over to the Barton County Attorney’s Office.
“It is a long process, but is something we take very seriously because of the nature of the crime,” said Smith.
On Monday, Planned Parenthood placed large banners near the location of the hearing…photo courtesy Planned Parenthood Missouri
ST. LOUIS (AP) — An administrative hearing to decide whether Missouri can revoke the license for the state’s only abortion clinic concluded Thursday with emotional testimony from a clinic official.
The hearing in St. Louis before a commissioner with the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission was expected to last five days but wrapped up a day early. A ruling isn’t expected until February at the earliest.
The state health department wants to revoke the license for Planned Parenthood’s St. Louis clinic, citing concerns about four instances of what the state called “failed abortions.” Planned Parenthood officials say conservatives are trying to use the licensing process to end abortions in Missouri.
Revocation would make Missouri the first state since 1974, the year after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, without a functioning abortion clinic. The St. Louis clinic remains open pending the commission’s ruling.
Kawanna Shannon, director of surgical services at the clinic, testified that the state’s March inspection was tense from the start. It was the first inspection under the administration of Republican Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch abortion opponent who ascended to governor in June 2018 after Republican Gov. Eric Greitens resigned.
Investigators were adamant that the clinic should be performing two pelvic exams before an abortion, at a patient’s first visit and again immediately before the procedure. The clinic initially agreed to the second exam, but soon decided it was so “unbearable” for patients that it stopped in defiance of the state law, Shannon said, her voice breaking.
“Patients were made to get unnecessarily violated,” Shannon said.
The health department relented in June, issuing an emergency rule relieving Planned Parenthood of the requirement.
Shannon said that a month after the March inspection, a top health department official showed up to scrutinize records. That investigator was William Koebel, chief of the division that oversees licensing of abortion clinics and other surgical centers. Koebel told Shannon he was there in response to an unspecified complaint, Shannon said. She later learned it was Koebel himself who filed the complaint, she said.
The investigation eventually turned up four instances where women required multiple procedures before abortions were successfully completed.
WICHITA — Today the Kansas Board of Regents voted to name Dr. Jay Golden as the 14th president of Wichita State University.
Please welcome the 14th president of Wichita State University, Jay Golden! Hear what he has to say about joining Shocker Nation. Learn more about the president-elect at https://t.co/bku6Hp1gNo. pic.twitter.com/t0wY4XO4op
“The regents are excited to announce Dr. Jay Golden as the next president of Wichita State University,” said Regent Shane Bangerter, KBOR Chair. “The Regents are confident that Jay is the right president to lead Wichita State in the future and continue to advance the university as a leader in higher education and applied learning. I’m grateful to interim president Andy Tompkins for his leadership during this transitional period. I’d also like to thank the search committee for its outstanding work in identifying great finalists for the board.”
“I’m honored to be the next president of Wichita State University,” said Golden. “I want to thank the Kansas Board of Regents for its confidence in me. I look forward to continuing to grow Wichita State and help drive economic growth for our region and state. My wife, Dina, and I are looking forward to meeting the students, faculty and staff of this outstanding institution and to joining this great community.”
Golden has been serving as the Vice Chancellor of Research, Economic Development and Engagement at East Carolina University. Prior to his appointment there, he served as an associate vice provost at Duke University and as a professor at the University of California Santa Barbara and at Arizona State University. In addition, he has experience as CEO of Golden Environmental Management and Vice President at WMX Technologies.
Golden received his doctorate in engineering from the University of Cambridge where he also earned a master’s in environmental engineering and sustainable development, in a joint program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds an Organizational Master of Project Management from Stanford University and an MLE from Harvard University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in management.
Golden was selected by the board as president after a committee of students, faculty, staff, and business and community leaders led a search and forwarded finalists to the regents. He succeeds Dr. John Bardo, who passed away earlier this year.
BARTON COUNTY —For the second night in a row, sheriff’s deputies in Barton County seized suspected controlled substances on a traffic stop.
Gordon -photo Barton Co.
Just before 1:30a.m. a deputy sheriff observed a suspicious vehicle in a rural area of Barton County near the 500 block of NW. 70th Road, according to sheriff Brian Bellendir.
The vehicle was stopped for a traffic infraction and a deputy arrived with K9 Maxx who indicated the presence of suspected controlled substances in the vehicle.
Harley photo Barton Co.
During the course of this investigation deputies found suspected methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in the vehicle.
Deputies arrested Brandon Gordon, 38 and Morgan Harley age 34, both of Hoisington.
They were booked on charges of requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both are being held in lieu of a $10,000 bond.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating an accident that included a Kansas sheriff’s deputy.
photo from the accident scene courtesy Shawnee Co. Sheriff
Just after 8:30 a.m. Thursday, a Shawnee County Sheriff’s Officer was assisting at the scene of a slide off involving two vehicles near the onramp to westbound Interstate 470 from SW Burlingame Road, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.
The officer was out of his patrol unit assisting drivers involved in the slide offs when his patrol vehicle was struck from behind by a 2004 KIA Sorento SUV.
The driver of the KIA was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The Sheriff’s Officer was not injured.
The crash temporarily shut down the highway. Authorities did not release the names of the drivers or the deputy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats rammed a package of ground rules for their impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump through a sharply divided House Thursday, the chamber’s first formal vote in a fight that could stretch into the 2020 election year.
The tally was 232-196, with all Republicans who voted opposing the resolution and just two Democratic defectors joining them: freshman Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and 15-term veteran Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, one of his party’s most conservative members. Both represent GOP-leaning districts.
The vote laid down the rules as lawmakers transition from weeks of closed-door interviews with witnesses to public hearings and ultimately to possible votes on whether to recommend Trump’s removal from office.
The action also took on more than technical meaning, with each party aware that the impeachment effort looms as a defining issue for next year’s presidential and congressional campaigns.
The vote, which occurred on Halloween, drew a familiar Twitter retort from Trump: “The greatest Witch Hunt in American History!”
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats of an “unhinged obsession with this illegitimate impeachment proceeding.”
During the debate, Democrats spoke of lawmakers’ duty to defend the Constitution, while Republicans cast the process as a skewed attempt to railroad a president whom Democrats have detested since before he took office.
“What is at stake in all this is nothing less than our democracy,” said Pelosi. Underscoring her point, she addressed the House with a poster of the American flag beside her and began her remarks by reading the opening lines of the preamble to the Constitution.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Trump had done nothing impeachable and accused Democrats of trying to remove him “because they are scared they cannot defeat him at the ballot box.”
No. 3 House GOP leader Steve Scalise, R-La., accused Democrats of imposing “Soviet-style rules,” speaking in front of a bright red poster depicting St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow.
Independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who left the Republican Party earlier this year after saying he was open to considering whether Trump should be impeached, also backed the measure.
Democrats said the procedures — which give them the ability to curb the president’s lawyers from calling witnesses — are similar to rules used during the impeachment proceedings of Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. Republicans complained they were skewed against Trump.
It is likely to take weeks or more before the House decides whether to vote on actually impeaching Trump. If the House does vote for impeachment, the Senate would hold a trial to decide whether to remove the president from office.
Both parties’ leaders were rounding up votes as Thursday’s roll call approached, with each side eager to come as close to unanimity as possible.
Republicans said a solid GOP “no” vote would signal to the Senate that the Democratic push is a partisan crusade against a president they have never liked.
Democrats were also hoping to demonstrate solidarity from their most liberal elements to their most moderate members. They argued that GOP cohesion against the measure would show that Republicans are blindly defending Trump, whatever facts emerge.
“It will show the other party has become the party of Trump. It’s really not the Republican Party any longer,” said Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich.
Republicans said they’d use the vote to target freshman Democrats and those from districts Trump carried in 2016. They said they would contrast those Democrats’ support for the rules with campaign promises to focus on issues voters want to address, not on impeaching Trump.
The House GOP’s campaign arm sent emails to reporters all but taunting some of those Democrats including freshman Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H. “Pappas wants to be a one-termer,” one said.
GOP leaders called the rules “Speaker Pelosi’s sham process designed to discredit the Democratic process” in their daily impeachment email to lawmakers.
Pelosi decided to have the vote following weeks of GOP claims that the inquiry was invalid because the chamber had not voted to formally commence the work.
The rules lay out how the House Intelligence Committee — now leading the investigation by deposing diplomats and other officials behind closed doors — would transition to public hearings.
That panel would issue a report and release transcripts of the closed-door interviews it has been conducting.
The Judiciary Committee would then decide whether to recommend that the House impeach Trump.
According to the rules for hearings, Republicans could only issue subpoenas for witnesses to appear if the entire panel approved them — in effect giving Democrats veto power.
Attorneys for Trump could participate in the Judiciary Committee proceedings. But in a bid for leverage, panel Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., would be allowed to deny “specific requests” by Trump representatives if the White House continued refusing to provide documents or witnesses sought by Democratic investigators.
The rules also direct House committees “to continue their ongoing investigations” of Trump.
Top Democrats think that language will shield their members from weeks of Republican complaints that the inquiry has been invalid because the House had not formally voted to begin that work.
Democrats have said there’s no constitutional provision or House rule requiring such a vote.
ELLIS COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting in Hays.
Just after 5:30 a.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Mission Mount for a female gunshot victim call. She died at the scene.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigations Crime Scene Unit has been called in to assist. Officers will be working in the area. The scene is secure, and the neighborhood is safe, according to police.
We are asking the general public to avoid the area to allow the officers to work,” the HPD said in a news release. They did not release the name of the victim.
TOPEKA, Kan. – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that may be connected to a car burglary.
Just after 10:30 p.m., Tuesday, police were dispatched to Walgreen at 3900 SW 29th in Topeka for report that a subject walked in the store and told the staff he had been shot, according to Lt. Manuel Munoz.
At the scene, officers located a man who was suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot
wound. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
While the officers were traveling to the call at Walgreens, dispatch received a call in the 4200
block of 29th Terrace on a report of a burglary to a vehicle. Dispatch advised that the victim saw someone burglarizing his vehicle and the victim went out to confront the suspect. The victim
fired one shot towards the burglary suspect.
The suspect was last seen running in the direction of Walgreens. Officers responded to that scene and detectives are working to determine if the two incidents are related. Police have not reported an arrest.
