UPDATE: The pipeline fire in rural Harvey County is contained but will burn for several hours, according to Harvey County Emergency Services. ‘
There are no injuries reported and officials have not determined a cause of the explosion and fire.

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HARVEY COUNTY  —— No injuries are reported in a gas pipeline explosion and fire in Harvey County.

Just before 8a.m., crews responded to the pipeline fire near West Dutch Avenue and Nor Hertzler Road, west of Hesston, according to the Harvey County Emergency Management.

Authorities asked the public to avoid the area.

The gas line belongs to Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline. Company spokesman Rob Southard says everyone is safe and that the gas supply has been shut off. He says crews will wait until the excess gas in the line burns off before repairing it.

He says the cause of the fire is under investigation. He says there was no excavation work being done in the area beforehand.

RENO COUNTY — A bridge in northeast Reno County will be out of use for an extended period of time after a large wheat cart fell through the deck and into the North Fork Blaze Creek Wednesday.

Don Britton of Reno County Public Works says the single-axle cart was way too much for the 91-foot wooden structure to handle. He expressed frustration that people aren’t paying attention to, or simply disregarding, weight limits on the spans they are crossing.

Britton said it’s too early to tell if the bridge will be replaced or not. The structure is maintained by Reno County and shared by McPherson County. The north side the road is McPherson County. The south side in Reno County.

MARION COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Wednesday in Marion County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Chevy pickup driven by  Shelbi E. Kind, 22, Wichita, was westbound on U.S. 50 at Turkey Creek.

The vehicle crossed the center line and collided head-on with an eastbound semi.

Kind was pronounced dead at the scene.  The semi driver Daniel I. Coyle, 56, Hillsboro, was not injured.

Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

 

PRATT COUNTY— Two people died in an accident just after 3p.m. Wednesday in Pratt County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Kenworth semi driven by Evaristo S. Mora, 63, Chaparral, NM., was eastbound on US 54.

The semi was approaching some slower moving traffic ahead, made an evasive maneuver to the left to avoid it and collided head-on with a westbound 2003 Volvo semi driven by Patricio Maturino, 36, El Paso, TX.

Maturino was transported to the hospital in Pratt where he died.

A passenger in the Kenworth Arturo Mora, 42, Chaparral, NM., was transported to the Kingman County Hospital where he died.

Evaristo Mora was transported to the hospital in Wichita.  All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and asking the public for help to identify suspects.

The robbery occurred between 1:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Tuesday in the Walgreens parking lot located at 3770 N. Woodlawn, the Dillions parking lot located at 3707 N. Woodlawn, and a nearby bank, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Just after 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Officers responded to a robbery report call at the Walmart, 3030 N. Rock Road in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Officers contacted a 66-year-old woman who reported being approached in the parking lot of Walmart, by an unknown female suspect.

The female suspect was able to talk the elderly victim into giving her a ride to the parking lot of Walgreens located at 3770 N. Woodlawn.

Video footage from the Walmart shows a Silver Cadillac STS suspect vehicle being driven by an unknown male suspect following the elderly victim and female suspect out of the parking lot of Walmart to the parking lot of Walgreens.

Once the victim arrives at Walgreens parking lot the male suspect exits the suspect vehicle and gets into the victim’s vehicle.

The victim then is robbed at gunpoint by the female suspect of her wedding ring and cash from her purse.  The suspects then force the elderly victim to drive to nearby bank and withdrawal $8000 dollars from her bank account.  The suspects then flee in the Silver Cadillac STS.

One suspect is identified as an unknown black female wearing dark khaki pants, light colored shirt, and a tan hat.  The second suspect wore a tan hat, dark pants and a gold necklace.

If anyone recognizes this vehicle or suspects or has any additional information on this case please call Crime Stoppers 267-2111, WPD Robbery Detectives at 268-4518, or 911.  Also, video footage from the Wal-Mart shows both suspects contacting multiple people in the parking lot between 10:00 a.m. up until the reported incident.  If you were contacted by theses suspects please call the WPD Robbery Detectives, Crime Stoppers, or 911.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman who beat her fiance’s 2-year-old daughter to death has been sentenced to nearly 27 years in prison.

Lindsey Thomasson of Gardner was sentenced Tuesday to 26 years and eight months in prison for the death of 2-year-old Presley Porting.

The girl was found unresponsive in the family’s home in February 2017.

Assistant District Attorney Jason Covington said in April that Presley died from blunt force trauma to the head, which she suffered while Thomasson was babysitting her.

Doctors testified that Presley could have been saved if she received immediate medical attention. Instead, the evidence showed Thomasson tried to cover up the crime by putting makeup on the girl to conceal bruises.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing and have made an arrest.

Just after 10:30 p.m., Friday, police responded to a cutting call in the 1600 block of south Erie in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.  Police located a 68-year-old man in the street who was pronounced dead.

Through the investigation it was learned the victim was driving his 2003 black Chevy Z71 Silverado extended cab pick-up truck north on Erie Street.

The truck stopped and a disturbance ensued in the street between the victim and a suspect.  The victim was stabbed multiple times by the suspect who then fled in the victim’s black truck.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., Saturday, at 27^th Street south and Magnolia, Wichita Police Department Officers arrested a 53-year-old   man. He has been booked into jail for first degree murder, according to Davidson.

Officers recovered the victim’s 2003 black Chevy Z71 Silverado.

Officers recovered the vehicle and made the arrest after a citizen called 911 alerted authorities of the whereabouts of the pickup truck.

Police did not release the name of the victim or the suspect.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.

Just after 10:30 p.m., Friday, police responded to a cutting call in the 1600 block of south Erie in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.  Police located a 68-year-old man in the street who was pronounced dead.

Through the investigation it was learned the victim was driving his 2003 black Chevy Z71 Silverado extended cab pick-up truck north on Erie Street.

The truck stopped and a disturbance ensued in the street between the victim and a suspect.  The victim was stabbed multiple times by the suspect who then fled in the victim’s black truck.  The suspect is described as an unknown black male, 5-foot-8-11, 250 pounds and wearing a light colored hat.

The truck has chrome rims, a chrome handle on the tailgate and the passenger window has been taped up.  The truck also had a 60-day tag.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.