Authorities say a retired Tampa police officer has been charged with fatally shooting a man during an argument over cellphone use at a Florida theater.
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Topeka man who is charged with killing his mother is being sued by a brother. Jason Hachmeister is charged with premeditated first-degree murder in the September 2011 strangulation and stabbing of his mother, Sheila Hachmeister (58), at her home. His brother, Aaron Hachmeister, filed a wrongful death lawsuit last September. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Monday that Shawnee County District Court records show Aaron Hachmeister alleges in the lawsuit that his brother killed their mother. During a preliminary hearing in 2012, Aaron Hachmeister testified that he and his brother were equal beneficiaries of their mother’s $250,000 life insurance…
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) The Hutchinson Community Foundation recently received a $4 million bequest from the estate of a longtime Hutchinson couple. President Aubrey Abbott Patterson announced Sunday that the foundation recently received its largest bequest ever from Estella and Philip Lewis. The Hutchinson News reports Philip Lewis, who was vice president of Borton Inc., for more than 30 years, died in 1986. His wife died in January 2013 at the age of 108. Patterson said the foundation will establish the Philip E. and Estella E. Lewis Endowed Fund, and proceeds from investments will be distributed to eight charities selected by…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The trial of a couple accused of sex trafficking at Asian massage parlors in Wichita remains in limbo after a last-minute request for a mental evaluation. Prospective jurors for Monday’s trial of Gary H. Kidgell, of Waltham, Mass., and his wife, Wichita resident Yan Zhang, were sent home. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren granted an oral motion by Zhang’s attorney for the evaluation. An indictment alleges sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. One count also charges Kidgell with harboring for financial gain an immigrant who was in the country unlawfully. The couple is accused of recruiting…
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Manhattan on Monday evening expressed his happiness that $404 Million in funding for the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility at Kansas State University was included in the omnibus appropriations bill introduced Monday night and expected to come up for a vote next week. Moran released the following statement on his Facebook page: “As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, I am pleased that the Omnibus appropriations bill filed tonight includes $404 million for construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan. For those who have questioned whether NBAF…
GALENA, Kan. (AP) A fast-moving grass fire apparently caused by a downed power line burned hundreds of acres and damaged at least two structures but caused no serious injuries. Galena fire Chief Bill Hall says about 600 acres were damaged by Sunday’s fire, which was fueled by high winds. Firefighters from seven area towns responded to help Galena fight the blaze. The Joplin Globe reports two garages used for storage were damaged but the fire didn’t hit any homes. Julie Maus, spokeswoman for Empire District Electric Co., says high winds took down a transmission line north of Galena, causing a…
A Junction City man has been sentenced in connection with a human trafficking and rape case occurring in Junction City last year. Paul Goodman III, 43, was sentenced Monday In Geary County Court to 57 months on each of three counts of sexual exploitation of a child to be served concurrently, as well as a lifetime post release supervision by the Department of Corrections after he is released on other charges from prison. Another charge against him in the most recent case involves distribution of child pornography. Authorities at the time of Goodman’s preliminary hearing indicated he and his girlfriend…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Wichita police say a 70-year-old man was arrested after he accidentally shot a child in the face while showing off a gun. Sgt. John Hoofer says the 10-year-old child who was shot Saturday night was treated and released. The man was showing the gun to two children but no one else was injured. Hoofer says the shooting appeared to be an accident. Police did not release further information on the incident.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Young Kansans seeking driver’s education permits will find the task much easier starting April 1 when the Department of Revenue switches to an online application portal. Each year the department handles about 50,000 driver’s ed applications, which can take several weeks longer if there is a medical or vision issue to process. That has meant students who sign up for a driving class at the last minute or don’t get around to sending in their application might not have the necessary permit to participate in the driving portion of the class. With the new format, an instructor…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Hays pharmacist has been appointed to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission by state House Speaker Ray Merrick. Merrick says James Meier will serve a two-year term on the nine-member commission. It enforces ethics, lobbying and campaign finance laws. Meier will replace former state Rep. John Reimer, of Tecumseh, who has served almost six years on the commission. Reimer’s term expires at the end of January. Meier is a specialty oncology pharmacist, practicing at the Hays Medical Center’s cancer institute. He received his doctorate in pharmacy degree from the University of Kansas in 2011. Legislative leaders appoint…