WICHITA— President Trump’s daughter and senior advisor Ivanka Trump arrived in Kansas late Wednesday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Senator Jerry Moran.

Landed in Wichita w/ @SecPompeo and @JerryMoran!
Brilliant innovators such as Walter Beech & Clyde Cessna established this city as the hub for aircraft making during the early half of the 20th Century. 100 yrs later, Wichita remains a leader worldwide in aviation manufacturing! pic.twitter.com/KeEa6S9V8T

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) October 24, 2019

Trump and her traveling companions are in Wichita for a roundtable on workforce development, according to a media release from the White House.

The trip will include a tour of WSU Tech and Textron Aviation where a group of Wichita-based aviation companies will sign the Pledge to America’s Workers. The pledge is an initiative that boasts pledges from over 360 companies who have so far committed to over 14 million new or enhanced career and job training opportunities for American workers, according to the release.

Sheree Utash, President of WSU Tech is a member of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.

Trump made a stop in Kansas City earlier this month on a tour with the U.S. Department of Education.

CHEYENNE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Wednesday in Cheyenne County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Polaris ATV driven by Gaylen M. Weeden, 83, Kanorado, was northbound on County Road 3 ten miles south of U.S. 36.

As the ATV attempted to make a left turn into a driveway, it struck a northbound 2004 Peterbilt semi driven by Jose Madrid Araujo, 58, Bethune, Colorado, that was in the left lane attempting to pass.

Weeden was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Knodel Funeral Home. Araujo was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

( Some might find the details in the story graphic and disturbing)

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man accused of mutilating a cat in a fast-food restaurant restroom is facing animal abuse and property damage charges.

Court documents show 19-year-old Tanner Maggard had worked at an Arby’s in the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit but was fired in June. Police say Maggard entered the restaurant Saturday, placed an order and went into the men’s restroom. They say that when Maggard came out, he said to the manager, “Oh, I see you remodeled the bathroom.”

Police say the manager found the remains of a cat that had been mutilated and decapitated on a changing table for infants.

Maggard does not have an attorney listed who could comment on his behalf.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita-area pharmacist was sentenced Wednesday to 150 months in federal prison for unlawfully dispensing opioid prescription drugs, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Ebube Otuonye, 47, Bel Aire, Kan., was convicted on charges of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription drugs, unlawfully distributing prescription drugs and health care fraud.

The crimes occurred while Otuonye owned and operated Neighborhood Pharmacy at 2810 E. 21st in Wichita, where he filled prescriptions for patients of Dr. Steven R. Henson. In October 2018, Henson was convicted of unlawfully distributing prescription drugs outside the usual course of professional medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In March 2019, Henson was sentenced to life in federal prison.

During trial in July, prosecutors presented evidence that Henson’s patients had difficulty filling Henson’s prescriptions at pharmacies other than Neighborhood Pharmacy. Otuonye’s pharmacy charged more than other pharmacies and he set up a system requiring Henson’s patients to fill three non-narcotic prescriptions when filling a narcotic prescription.

A sign in the pharmacy said: “You may use another pharmacy if all you want to fill is (a) narcotic prescription.”

Evidence at trial showed Henson’s patients took their prescriptions to Otuonye himself because another pharmacist at Neighborhood Pharmacy refused to fill them. Prosecutors argued that Otuonye failed to perform his professional responsibilities by continuing to fill prescriptions for Henson’s patients despite warning signs including: Large numbers of prescriptions for highly addictive drugs, customers paying cash, multiple patients coming in at once with Henson’s prescriptions and patients from the same family presenting identical prescriptions.

Otuonye filled prescriptions for more than 21,600 tablets of oxycodone, more than 48,600 tablets of methadone, more than 18,000 tablets of hydromorphone and more than7,800 tablets of alprazolam.

Prosecutors also presented evidence that Otuonye submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for filling Henson’s prescriptions.

BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, a Great Bend Police Department detective stopped a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan in the 900 block of 2nd Street in Great Bend for a traffic violation, according to a media release.

During the course of the traffic stop, the Great Bend Police Department K-9 Menta was deployed to do an exterior sniff of the vehicle. Upon completion of the sniff, it was determined a search of the vehicle would be completed.

During the search of the vehicle, authorities found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

They arrested Cheslea Purcell, 23, for a requested narcotics violation, obstruction and multiple warrants. She is being held without bond, according to police.

Police also arrested Gwen Finnigan, 37,  and Lacy Glenn, 28, on a requested charges that include a narcotics violation and both were booked on a $10,000 bond.

Purcell has previous convictions for drugs and battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. She was listed as an absconder, according to the KDOC.

 

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on charges filed against a Missouri farmer in the killing of two brothers from Wisconsin (all times local):

5p.m.

An employee of two slain Wisconsin brothers says he believes a Missouri cattleman promised to give the men money to lure them to his farm so he could kill them.

Twenty-five-year-old Garland Nelson, of Braymer, was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 35-year-old Nick Diemel and 24-year-old Justin Diemel, of Shawano County, Wisconsin.

Rob Chubb managed the feeder cattle side of the business operated by the brothers.

Chubb says he is angry, but that he knew from the day the brothers went missing that Nelson was involved. He says the brothers had done business with Nelson in January, and that Nelson owed them money.

Court documents indicate Nelson owed the Diemel family $250,000. Authorities haven’t said the brothers were lured to the property.

Chubb says he “just can’t believe somebody is so selfish, so cruel.”

12:05 p.m.

Court documents say a Missouri cattle farmer fatally shot two Wisconsin brothers who drove to his business to collect a $250,000 check, then burned their bodies.

Twenty-five-year-old Garland Nelson, of Braymer, was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Nick and Justin Diemel of Shawano County, Wisconsin. Their father reported them missing July 21 after they didn’t board a homebound flight.

The probable cause statement says Nelson abandoned a pickup truck the brothers had rented. He then used a skid loader bucket to move the large metal barrels containing the brothers’ bodies to a pasture, where he burned them. He said he dumped what was left of the remains on a manure pile and used the skid loader to crush the barrels.

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11:10 a.m.

A Missouri sheriff says the investigation into the disappearance of two slain Wisconsin brothers was very challenging.

Caldwell County Sheriff Jerry Galloway spoke briefly with reporters Wednesday after 25-year-old Garland Nelson, of Braymer, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Nelson is accused in the deaths of Nick and Justin Diemel of Shawano County, Wisconsin, who were reported missing July 21.

The charges carry a possible sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty. Garland is jailed without bond.

Galloway says multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the months-long investigation, including the FBI and the U.S. Postal Service.

The brothers were involved in cattle business with Nelson and had been visiting his northwestern Missouri farm when they were reported missing. Human remains were found at the property but have not been publicly identified as the Diemel brothers.

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KANSAS CITY (AP) — A northwest Missouri cattle farmer was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two missing brothers from Wisconsin.

Garland Nelson, 25, of Braymer is also charged with two counts of abandonment of a corpse, two counts of tampering with physical evidence in felony prosecution, two counts of armed criminal action, tampering with a motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to documents filed in Caldwell County.

Brothers Nick Diemel, 35, and Justin Diemel, 24, of Shawano County, Wisconsin, were reported missing July 21 . They had been visiting Nelson’s farm in northwestern Missouri while on a trip related to their cattle business.

Human remains were found on the farm, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Kansas City, Missouri, but have not been publicly identified.

Nelson was charged in July with tampering with a vehicle rented by the brothers. Authorities said he drove the brothers’ rented truck from his farm to a commuter parking lot, where it was found abandoned.

Nelson was involved in a business arrangement with another farmer that included calves owned by the brothers, people involved with the deal told the Kansas City Star in August.

Kansas dairy farmer David Foster told the newspaper that he purchased 131 calves from Nelson in November. Nelson was to raise the calves and the farmers would split the cost after the animals were sold. Foster said 100 of the calves belonged to the Diemel brothers.

Nelson’s mother, Tomme Feil, said the calves became ill shortly after arriving at the farm. She blamed the illnesses on a bad winter and weakened immune systems. She said many died even though they followed the advice of veterinarians and gave the cattle medications and feed.

Feil said her son returned the remaining calves when Foster’s bank claimed them as collateral.

Foster said only 35 calves were returned to him and that Nelson owed him more than $151,000, though Feil disputed the amount. She said several people owe her son money and that he planned to pay Foster back when others paid their debts to him.

Nelson was sentenced in 2016 to two years in prison for selling more than 600 head of cattle that did not belong to him. Nelson pleaded guilty to cattle fraud that caused more than $262,000 in losses. He was released from prison in March 2018. He also pleaded guilty in August 2015 to two misdemeanor counts of passing bad checks.

Nelson also faces charges in Kansas of endangering the food supply. Prosecutors there said Nelson didn’t have proper health papers in May when he took 35 calves from his family’s farm to a farm in Fort Scott, Kansas.

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KINGSTON, Mo. (AP) — A Northwest Missouri prosecutor and sheriff will give an update Wednesday into the disappearance of two Wisconsin brothers missing since July north of Kansas City and presumed dead.

Caldwell County Maj. Mitch Allen told said that new charges will be filed against Garland Nelson, the Missouri man already charged with tampering with a vehicle rented by Justin and Nick Diemel of Shawano County, Wisconsin. Officials with the sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices would say only that a news conference is planned at the courthouse.

The brothers were reported missing July 21. They had been visiting Nelson’s farm while on a trip related to their cattle business.

Human remains were found on the farm but had not been identified.

A message left Tuesday with Nelson’s attorney was not immediately returned.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated robbery that sent a teen to the hospital.

Just after 7p.m. Tuesday, police responded to report of a shooting in the parking lot of Dillons in the 1900 Block of West 21st Street North, according to officer Charley Davidson.

At the scene police located shell casings and damage to a vehicle. A short time later Rico Brown, 20, Wichita, and a 16-year-old boy arrived at a local hospital. The teen had been wounded and treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Davidson.

Investigators learned that the16-year-old, Brown and an 18-year-old boy met a group of others in the parking lot over an alleged drug deal. During the meeting several shots were fired and wounded the teenager, according to Davidson.

Police arrested Brown on requested charges that include aggravated battery and felon in possession of a firearm for an October 14 shooting at Schweiter Park, 900 S. Chautauqua in Wichita, according to Davidson. He is being held without bond, according to online jail records.

TOPEKA —The Kansas Supreme Court this week will hear the appeal of a former Ellsworth Correctional Facility employee seeking to avoid being tried for murder.

Freddie Alec Thomas claimed immunity on the basis of self-defense in the 2015 Barton County shooting death of Jeremy Alan Saldana, 36. That claim was overruled by the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2017.

Thomas filed a petition for a review by the Kansas Supreme Court.

Issues on review are whether: 1) the district court correctly applied the law on self-defense immunity from prosecution; and 2) the Court of Appeals erred by reversing and remanding by finding the district court’s failure to make specific findings of fact precluded appellate review.

Thomas, a former Ellsworth Correctional Facility officer, was dating Saldana’s ex-girlfriend at the time of the 2015 shooting. It happened after Thomas went to visit the woman’s daughter and her husband, not knowing that Saldana was living with the couple. An unarmed Saldana was shot during a pushing match.

Thomas told a detective he’d heard Saldana was known to carry a weapon and could be violent.

The hearing is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Topeka.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Police in Lawrence are investigating after three fossils were stolen from a display case at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum.

The fossils were reported missing Monday but were believed to have been stolen Friday or Saturday.

The university police crime log says someone pried hooks from a display case to open it and take the fossils. It’s not clear what kind of fossils were taken or how much they’re worth.

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ANTHONY, Kan. (AP) — A 3.7 magnitude earthquake centered near the Kansas-Oklahoma border was felt as far as 75 miles away, but no injuries have been reported.

The temblor happened just after 4 p.m. Tuesday and was centered in northern Oklahoma, about 15 miles south of Anthony, Kansas. The town of about 2,200 residents is 10 miles from the Oklahoma state line.

Light to moderate shaking was measured near the epicenter. People as far away as Wichita, 75 miles away, reported feeling the earthquake.

Dozens of small earthquakes have rattled the same area in recent days, but the earthquake on Tuesday was the strongest in the area in the last 30 days.