HARPER COUNTY — The second earthquake in two days and 6th this month shook Kansas early Monday.
The quake just after 2:30 a.m. on Monday measured 2.8 according to the U.S. Geological Survey and was centered 12 miles west of Harper.
The 1 a.m. quake on Sunday measured a magnitude 2.5 and was centered approximately 15 miles west of Harper.
On February 22, a 3.3 quake was centered approximately four miles northeast of Anthony in Harper County.
On February 16, a 2.7 magnitude quake was reported approximately 16 miles east of Anthony.
On February 13, a 3.3 quake hit just north of the Oklahoma State line in Sumner County. On February 12, a 3.1 magnitude quake shook 16 miles northwest of Harper.
There were no reports of damage or injuries from the Monday morning quake, according to the Harper County authorities.
NEWTON, Kan. (AP) — A woman who was taken into custody in connection with a central Kansas shooting that left four people dead has been released from custody.
Harvey County authorities say a 42-year-old Newton woman was arrested Thursday. But the sheriff’s department said she was released Friday after questioning and investigators don’t expect to charge her.
Three victims were found dead Thursday inside a home in Newton. A suspect in those deaths, 33-year-old David Lee Montano, of Newton, fled from the home and was shot to death by a Newton police officer during a confrontation.
Harvey County Attorney David Yoder said Friday the shootings appeared to be a domestic situation, rather than drug-related.
Yoder also said Montano was facing federal charges in a separate case, which was not related to Thursday’s shooting.
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NEWTON, Kan. (AP) — A woman is in custody in Harvey County in a shooting that left four people dead, including the gunman.
Harvey County authorities say Corina Castro, 42, Newton, was arrested for conspiracy to commit capital murder but formal charges are pending.
Three victims were found dead early Thursday inside a home in Newton. A suspect, 33-year-old David Lee Montano, of Newton, fled from the home on foot. He confronted officers with a shotgun during the pursuit and was shot to death by a Newton police officer.
Harvey County Attorney David Yoder said Friday the shootings appeared to be a domestic situation, rather than drug-related.
Investigators on the scene of triple-murder, police shooting near Newton-photo courtesy KWCH
Yoder also said Montano was facing federal charges in a separate case but that case apparently was not related to Thursday’s shooting.
Castro has previous drug convictions in Harvey County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A school record in the weight throw by Janee’ Kassanavoid and top-five program mark in the shot put by Brett Neelly led to welcomed news for Kansas State prior to the start of the Big 12 Championship meet. K-State’s throwers swept Big 12 Athlete of the Week honors after their performances at the Steve Miller Open, the conference office announced on Thursday.
The accolades mark the first Athlete of the Week honor for both Kassanavoid and Neelly, who became the 13th Wildcat woman and the eighth male to be named Athlete of the Week in the Big 12 era. The Wildcats have now earned the award three times this season, the first coming after newcomer Nina Schultz claimed the honor on February 8 after a dominant display in the pentathlon at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational.
“Both have really worked hard and have been extremely focused over the last couple of weeks,” throws coach Greg Watson said about his athletes’ performances. “Now we are looking for them to carry this momentum into the Big 12 Championship meet and continue to build on their personal bests.”
Kassanavoid broke the meet and school record with a toss of 21.81m/71-06.75 inside Ahearn Field House last week. The mark shattered Loren Grove’s school record (21.41m/70-03) and meet record (21.10m/69-02.75), both of which were set during the 2008 season.
The senior thrower, who entered the competition with the ninth-best mark in weight throw in Division I, now sits in fourth in the nation heading into the Big 12 Championship meet. She also maintained the top spot in the Big 12 with the throw.
Neelly closed out the Steve Miller Open with bang, recording a personal-best throw of 18.58m/60-11.50 in shot put to win the event and move to a tie for fifth place on the school’s all-time list with Andrew Gilliam. The sophomore has now won all of five meets that he has thrown in and he currently holds the second-best mark in the Big 12 behind Kansas’ Nicolai Ceban, who has a season-best throw of 19.85m/65-01.50.
K-State opens competition at the Big 12 Championship on Friday at the Lied Recreation Center in Ames, Iowa. More information on the conference championship can be found on the Big 12 website by clicking here.
For the latest on K-State track and field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
A member of the JCHS Way Forward Steering Committee Pat Landes told the USD 475 Board of Education there’s a big opportunity here. He spoke before the school board voted to accept a committee recommendation by agreeing to try and build a new high school at new location. The cost could not exceed $105 million and the local property tax levy could not be increased.
Landes told the Board, “I want to see this school district, and this community and this county grow. And to do that we need a great school, a great high school, to attract people to come here. I think that’s vitally important.”
Committee member Jim Schmidt informed the Board the committee those are the right steps to move forward. “We believe that this presents an opportunity to address safety and security, and ADA issues, but also gives us an opportunity to positively affect the academic system going forward.” Schmidt added infrastructure challenges with the current high school facility speak for themselves.
The Board has scheduled a bond issue election for May 9th. Voter approval of a bond issue would be necessary to obtain state aid to help fund the project. Federal heavily impacted aid would provide the remainder of the money to build a new high school.
ELLIS COUNTY -The Hays Police Department has cancelled the missing person report for Mary Jenkins.
According to a press release from the Hays Police Chief Don Schiebler, Jenkins is no longer considered a missing person.
Jenkins has been in contact with her family, according to the release and is no longer considered in danger.
ELLIS COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating a woman reported missing over the weekend in Hays.
The Hays Police Department shared a missing person poster on their Facebook page Sunday evening asking for assistance in locating Mary Jenkins.
She was in Hays for her grandmother’s funeral and was last seen Saturday morning at 4 a.m. when she was apparently take to her hotel room, according to police.
Jenkins has blonde hair and blue eyes and is 5’3” tall and weighs 104 pounds.
Police are asking anyone with information to call the Hays PD at 785-625-1030.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have given final approval to a bill rewriting rules for special congressional elections so military personnel overseas have more time to vote.
The Senate approved the measure on a 40-0 vote Tuesday. The House passed the bill last week. It goes to Gov. Sam Brownback and he is expected to sign it.
The measure arose from congressman Mike Pompeo’s nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as Central Intelligence Agency director.
If Pompeo is confirmed, the 4th District in south-central Kansas would have the state’s first special congressional election since 1950.
State law says a special election must occur from 45 to 60 days after the governor declares a vacancy. The bill would make the window from 75 to 90 days to give people overseas more time to return ballots.
KANSASCITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid doesn’t believe the holding penalty on left tackle Eric Fisher that cost KansasCity a tying 2-point conversion against Pittsburgh on Sunday night should have been called.
After watching film of the decisive play in the Steelers’ 18-16 playoff victory, Reid said Monday that “I don’t want to be fined any money, but I’d lean a different way.”
Fisher appeared to hook Steelers pass rusher James Harrison on the conversion attempt with less than 3 minutes left in the game.
But the play was not cut-and-dried: Harrison dipped especially low and may have been losing his balance, and he likely would not have gotten to the quarterback anyway.
Still, the flag negated the successful 2-point conversion. And when the Chiefs tried again from the 12-yard line, Alex Smith’s throw fell incomplete and the Steelers were able to run out the clock.
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Wichita woman with bank robbery, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.
Christina A. Messerschmidt, 25, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on Dec. 16, 2016, Messerschmidt robbed Intrust Bank at 1544 S. Webb in Wichita. Court documents allege she gave a teller a note written on a deposit slip saying, “Give me $1,000 or I will shoot you.” She told the teller, “If you push it, I’ll do it.”
Bank employees told police they recognized the woman as a customer who had opened an account in November and they provided police with her address, leading to her arrest.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Wichita Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.
