WYANDOTTE COUNTY — The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a Saturday fatal hit and run accident and have identified the victim.
Just after midnight September 28, Angela M. Riley, 35, Topeka was walking on Interstate 35 at 7th Street in the #4 lane when she was struck by an unknown vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities are still asking the public for information in the case.
By BRIAN GRIMMETT
When it comes to electric scooters, it seems that people either love them, or want to see them all thrown into a river — literally.
On Monday, Dusty Lehman of Wichita posted a video to Facebook showing he discovered seven scooters in the Arkansas River. In the same Facebook post, Lehman wrote that he found at least 14 scooters on that particular bike ride.
Dockless electric scooters landed in Wichita in June. The resulting vandalism, based on what’s happened in other cities, appears entirely predictable. Driven partly by resentment of motorized devices that complicate road traffic or clog sidewalks, they’ve been targeted in almost any city where they’re deployed.
Last year, officials pulled more than 60 scooters out of Lake Merritt near Oakland, California, in one month. And earlier this year, rescue divers doing training in the Willamette River near Portland, Oregon, pulled out 57.
“We advise those people not to park scooters in the river,” Sgt. Brandon White from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office told the Oregonian.
The phenomenon is so widespread it’s spawned websites and Instagram accounts dedicated entirely to documenting scooter abuse.
Wichita city officials have said scooter companies bear the responsibility of retrieving scooters from the river.
Left in the water, the electronics and batteries in a scooter can leak toxic chemicals into the river.
But scooter companies typically can salvage their gizmos even after they’ve been dunked.
Between the app used to unlock and use the scooters and the onboard instruments such as GPS, the scooters collect quite a bit of data. It’s pretty easy for companies to see where the scooters are at all times, including if they end up in large bodies of water.
VeoRide and Spin, the two companies with scooters in Wichita, would not comment on how many scooters they’ve lost in the Arkansas River.
“We think that the systems that both of them have in place and both of the reactiveness of the groups themselves,” said Wichita Transit Director Mike Tann.
“It will be a problem that will be short-lived from the standpoint of getting people held accountable for it.”
Wichita city officials said they collect data on the whereabouts and traffic patterns of the scooters under a trial program that lets the companies operate for a year. Tann said he’s now interested in getting information about how many get destroyed.
The companies say they’re working to keep their scooters out of the river.
“We … work closely with the community and local authorities to prevent these acts from happening in the first place,” Spin officials said in an email.
Part of the solution may be geo-fencing — programming that shuts down the scooters when they reach boundaries governed by satellite navigation. The companies also shift where scooters are staged each night based on usage patterns and if they discover areas where damage is more likely to happen.
But Tann, Wichita’s transit director, said this weekend’s discovery is the first time he’s heard about large-scale scooter vandalism in Wichita. He suspects it won’t be a frequent problem.
“Obviously,” he said, “there was somebody trying to make a statement.”
Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett or email him at grimmett (at) kmuw (dot) org.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Only 18% of Kansas economic development funds were spent as intended in the last fiscal year, in part because there is little oversight of how money for a state economic development fund is spent, according to state auditors.
In a report released Wednesday, auditors said that during fiscal year 2018, nearly half of all spending _ $20.1 million _ from the Economic Development Initiatives Fund didn’t go toward programs that met requirements for receiving the funds.
In response to the audit, some lawmakers called for an overhaul of regulations and oversight of the fund.
“Of course, I was appalled by what I saw … This is just a perfect example of why we need to be looking at these things,” said Sen. Julia Lynn, an Olathe Republican who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee.
The fund, which was created in 1986, is replenished every year by lottery and gaming revenue.
It has often been used to supplement state spending, rather than directly for economic development. The Legislature is supposed to direct money into three accounts that focus on innovative products, research and development or community infrastructure.
Instead, during the last fiscal year, $20.1 million of the $42.3 million in the fund went to the state’s general fund, with the rest going to state agencies. Only 18 percent, or $7.8 million, went to eight programs that met requirements for the funds, such as an agriculture marketing program, the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors, several research and development programs administered by the Kansas Board of Regents and a housing trust fund that helps residents rent or buy homes.
Auditors said Kansas doesn’t track the performance of fund recipients or evaluate whether the fund is effective. And the auditors found state officials it approached ““were unaware of what (state law) says about these accounts.”
Rep. Tom Burroughs, a Kansas City Democrat, said the audit showed lawmakers need to fund agency programs properly.
“We’re the ones that have failed on not following our own statutes,” Burroughs said.
Department of Commerce Secretary David Toland said the current law requiring that all EDIF funding is obsolete and doesn’t match current economic development needs. In a letter in response to the audit, he asked the lawmakers to eliminate the current language.
The auditors said lawmakers should consider creating an oversight body for the fund and to consider whether state law should continue to require EDIF dollars go into the three accounts.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities and USD 260 officials are investigating a student in connection with a weapon at school.
A Derby High School student was taken into custody Thursday morning by Derby Police Department for possession of a weapon on school property, according to USD 260.
A tip was given to administration about a student possibly in possession of drugs. This student was immediately brought in, questioned, and searched.
An unloaded handgun was found during the search of his backpack and was secured by the School Resource Officer (SRO) and building administration without incident.
No threat was made towards students or staff at any time. Because no threat was made and the student was immediately secured, a lockdown was not necessitated.
The school district reminded the public, “we take all threats seriously. As always, if you hear something or see something, please let law enforcement or administration know immediately. We appreciate this tip being reported. Individuals can also submit a tip through See Something Say Something by calling (316) 267-2111 to anonymously report any potential school violence 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.”
NASA astronaut Nick Hague returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Thursday, alongside Soyuz commander Alexey Ovchinin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and visiting astronaut Hazzaa Ali Almansoori from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The crew landed safely at 6:59 a.m. EDT in Kazakhstan.
.@AstroHague returned to Earth from the @Space_Station after completing a 203-day mission, spanning 3,248 orbits of Earth and a journey of 80.8 million miles. Learn more about his journey home alongside fellow crew members Alexey Ovchinin & @Astro_Hazzaa: https://t.co/iAnRKXOcj8 pic.twitter.com/kKKDYbDafR
— NASA (@NASA) October 3, 2019
Hague and Ovchinin launched March 14, along with fellow NASA astronaut Christina Koch. Six hours later, they began their 203-day mission on the station, orbiting Earth 3,248 times and traveling 86.1 million miles.
Koch remains aboard the orbiting laboratory for an extended mission that will provide researchers the opportunity to observe effects of long-duration spaceflight on a woman, in preparation for human missions to the Moon and Mars. She is expected to return to Earth in February 2020, almost a year after her launch.
For Almansoori, this landing completed an eight-day stay on the station that covered 128 orbits of Earth and a journey of 3.1 million miles since launching Sept. 25 with NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos. Almansoori made history as he became the first person from the UAE to fly in space.
After postlanding medical checks, Hague will return to Houston, and Ovchinin and Almansoori will return to Star City, Russia.
The Expedition 60 crew contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science, including investigations into devices that mimic the structure and function of human organs, free-flying robots, and an instrument to measure Earth’s distribution of carbon dioxide.
Hague conducted three spacewalks during his mission, totaling 19 hours and 56 minutes. Ovchinin conducted one spacewalk lasting 6 hours and 1 minute.
Hague’s first two spacewalks in March continued the overall upgrade of the station’s power system with newer, more powerful lithium-ion batteries on one pair of the station’s solar arrays. During his third spacewalk, he and NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan successfully installed the second of two international docking adapters that Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon commercial crew spacecraft will use to connect to the space station.
Hague completes his second flight in space totaling 203 days, while Ovchinin has now spent 375 days during three flights. Hague and Ovchinin flew together on an abbreviated mission in October 2018, cut short by a technical problem that triggered an ascent abort minutes after launch and a safe landing back on Earth.
When the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft with Hague, Ovchinin and Almansoori undocked at 3:37 a.m. Oct. 3, Expedition 61 officially began aboard the station, with NASA astronauts Koch, Meir and Morgan, cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos as flight engineers, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano as the station’s commander.
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NASA astronaut and Expedition 60 Flight Engineer Nick Hague and two crewmates on the International Space Station concluded their stay on the orbiting laboratory Thursday.
📍 There’s no place like home! Mission teams confirmed that @AstroHague, Alexey Ovchinin and @Astro_Hazzaa landed safely at 6:59am ET after a mission to conduct science and maintenance aboard the @Space_Station. Coverage continues: https://t.co/vMxa9kWyuI pic.twitter.com/DhqgyYADmL
— NASA (@NASA) October 3, 2019
What an extraordinary journey! Part of what has made this experience so special was being here with my friends, classmates and our international partners. Thank you to all involved in the success of my mission on @Space_Station. I’m coming home🌎 pic.twitter.com/IGlvd4d2vA
— Nick Hague (@AstroHague) October 3, 2019
Nick Hague, Alexey Ovchinin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and visiting astronaut Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates undocked the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the space station at 3:37 a.m. EDT and landed successfully near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan at 6:59 a.m. EDT.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug and weapons charges.
On Tuesday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Task Force (DETF) with the assistance of DEA agents served a narcotic search warrant in the 600 Block of SE 35th Street, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.
Deputies seized Methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, prescription drugs and a firearm.
Lisa M. Kisner, 38, of Topeka, who was armed with a firearm, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for Possession of Methamphetamine, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Child Endangerment, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Her school age child was at home during the investigation and was placed into police protective custody along with another child who was at school at the time of the search warrant.
Robert Lininger, 49, of Topeka, was also at the residence and was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Marijuana.
Marquan O. Byrd, 19, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for Distribution of Marijuana.
By JOHN HANNA
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ two Republican senators argued Wednesday that the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump arises from partisan opposition to the president and said it is preventing Congress from taking up important legislative business.
Sen. Jerry Moran said he can’t yet draw conclusions from a whistleblower’s complaint that disclosed a call by Trump in July to Ukraine’s president. A rough transcript of the call released by the White House before the complaint’s text became public showed Trump pressed for an investigation of Democratic rival and ex-Vice President Joe Biden and Biden’s son Hunter.
Moran suggested the 2020 presidential election is the proper vehicle for deciding whether Trump remains in office and said some Democrats in the House have favored impeaching Trump “almost since the day he was elected.
“It seems to me that the wolf has been cried so many times,” he said.
Moran hosted U.S. Attorney General William Barr for tours of law enforcement laboratories and training centers in Topeka and Wichita, and Barr participated in a closed discussion with law enforcement officials at Wichita State University about fighting crime. Barr ignored a shouted question about whether he had spoken with Trump or personal attorney Rudy Giuliani about Ukraine.
“It’s troublesome to me that we can’t elect a president, allow that president _ work with that president for the next four years and try to move the country forward and advance an agenda,” Moran told reporters after the round table. “We need a country in which we’re working together and not pulled apart.”
Roberts said in a statement that “the left” doesn’t want Trump to be president and, “That is their sole focus.” He said he wants to work on issues such as trade and health care.
“The rest of this is political theater,” he said.
Before Barr’s and Moran’s talk with law enforcement officials, about 20 people protested outside the law enforcement training center at Wichita State, where it was held.
They held signs with slogans such as “Barr should be disbarred,” and one with a cartoon portraying Barr as Trump’s emotional support dog. Donna Wirth, a retired small business owner and community activist, said she “absolutely” supports the impeachment inquiry.
“We want our country back,” she said. “I’m tired of seeing each of these instances of corruption coming up and nobody being held accountable.”
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a mother and boyfriend in the death of a child and have filed murder charges.
The case was presented Wednesday to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Bernardo Gonzalez-Mejia, 31, Wichita is now being held on charges of felony murder and child abuse and the boy’s mother Stephanie Aviles, 24, Wichita on charges of felony murder and aggravated child endangerment in the death of 2-year-old Jacob Aviles.
An autopsy completed on Jacob by the Regional Forensic Science Center led to the new charges, according to Davidson.
At approximately 11 a.m. on Sunday, officers responded to an assist fire call at a residence in the 1100 block of west Munnell, regarding Jacob not breathing.
Upon arrival, officers, firefighters and Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Services staff contacted Jacob and medical treatment was performed. Jacob was pronounced dead on the scene.
Through the investigation, Jacob was found to have extensive bruising on his body.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a child and have made two arrests.
Just after 11a.m. Sunday, police responded to a residence in the 1100 Block of Munnell in Wichita where a two-year-old boy was not breathing, according to Captain Brent Allred. Despite efforts by police, fire and EMS crews, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators found the child had extensive bruising all over his body. This led to the arrest of the boy’s mother Stephanie Avilas, 24, for alleged aggravated child endangerment and her boyfriend Bernardo Gonzalez-Mejia, 31, Wichita for alleged child abuse, according to Allred.
The mother had called 911. She was on an errand and not home at the time and the boyfriend had contacted her about the child not breathing. Gonzalez-Mejia and the 2-year-old were home alone at the time of the incident.
An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death. That will determine if additional charges will be filed, according to Allred. He did not release the boys’s name.
Two other children in the home a 6-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl are in police protective custody, according to Allred.
There was one report from the Department of Children’s Familes in 2015 on the family. It did not involve abuse, according to Allred.
SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a drive-by shooting and have made two arrests.
Just after 8:30p.m. Monday, police responded to a drive-by shooting call in the 300 Block of West 27th Street in Wichita, according to office Kevin Wheeler. Police located a residence that had been struck by gunfire multiple times. There were five people home at the time of the shooting including an adult and four children. An 11-year-old received minor injuries from broken glass as a result of the shooting.
On Tuesday night, police acting on a tip from a community member about the suspect vehicle made a traffic stop and arrested a 16-year-old and 17-year-old.
They are being held in juvenile detention on requested charges that include possession of firearm by a juvenile, carrying a concealed weapon, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and criminal discharge of a firearm, according to Allred. Police also recovered two guns from the vehicle. They were stolen, according to Allred.
One was stolen from a vehicle in Topeka and the other from a vehicle in 2015 in Wichita.
The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County Attorney’s office.
SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — A former suburban Kansas City day care owner has been charged with abusing a 6-month-old baby.
53-year-old Katherine Konon, of Shawnee, was arrested last week on the felony charge. Court documents say she caused bodily harm June 20.
The child’s father, Brett Braun, says Konon told his wife that the baby had been vomiting when she went to pick him up that day. He says his son also had red marks on his head. Doctors told the parents their baby suffered a brain bleed.
Konon’s attorney, Thomas Bath, says Konon denies the allegations and plans to plead not guilty. Bath says Konon has been in the day-care business for at least a decade and has “scores of parents” who will attest to her abilities.
