TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A 77-year-old former mail carrier has admitted in court that she failed to deliver thousands of pieces of mail on her 115-mile northeast Kansas route. Dixie Bontrager, of Whiting, pleaded guilty to mail theft Thursday in federal court in Topeka. Bontrager told The Associated Press last month she didn’t believe she had stolen mail, but simply failed to deliver it. She also said that much of the undelivered mail consisted of advertising. In her plea deal, Bontrager admitted that agents searched four nonworking vehicles on her property in 2010 and found 496 first-class items and more than…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Prosecutors have argued in closing arguments that an Oklahoma woman was so enraged that her ex-husband was remarrying that she killed him and his fiancee as they slept in a Topeka duplex. But an attorney for 52-year-old Dana L. Chandler of Duncan, Okla., countered Thursday that police bungled the investigation into the 2002 killings, describing the lack of evidence as “overwhelming.” The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the case is now in the hands of jurors in Shawnee County District Court. Chandler is charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder in the 2002 slayings of Karen Harkness and…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A spokesman says a northeast Kansas prosecutor’s investigation into private meetings of Republican legislators with Gov. Sam Brownback is likely to continue into next month. Lee McGowan, chief of staff to Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor, said Thursday that Taylor’s staff is still interviewing some of the 90-plus lawmakers invited to seven meetings in January at the governor’s residence. Taylor, a Democrat, launched his investigation in February. Brownback, a Republican, met with GOP members of 13 legislative committees, but spokeswoman Sherriene (SHUH’-reen) Jones-Sontag said Brownback is confident the gatherings didn’t violate the Kansas Open Meetings Act.…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Wichita area students have been using their spring break to help others and that includes teaching senior citizens how to play video games. Students volunteered this week at the Andover Senior Center, where they helped residents master a Wii video game that mimics bowling. The center bought the video game system with a grant from the Butler County Department on Aging. Students from Maize, Goddard, Derby, Rose Hill and Wichita are making the trek to Andover this week to help out with the Wii training and spring cleaning at the senior center. The Wichita Eagle reports that…
SALINA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas teenager who pleaded guilty in the death of his 9-year-old stepbrother has been referred to a psychiatric hospital. Ryan Velez of Assaria pleaded guilty in September to unintentional but reckless second-degree murder in the shooting death of his stepbrother, Kaden Harper. Velez had been certified to stand trial as an adult. The Salina Journal reported that Velez is referred to Larned State Hospital on Wednesday. His lawyer, Mitch Christians, said Larned is better equipped to deal with Velez’s mental health needs than prison. A sentence report recommended Velez be admitted to Larned. His maximum stay…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Closing arguments began Thursday in the trial of a 52-year-old Oklahoma woman charged with killing her former husband and his fiancee. Dana L. Chandler, of Duncan, Okla., is charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder in the 2002 slayings of Karen Harkness and 47-year-old Mike Sisco. They were found dead in Harkness’ home. Prosecutors allege Chandler shot the two after Sisco told her he planned to marry Harkness. Chandler was arrested in Oklahoma last July. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that prosecutors began presenting their closing arguments Thursday morning. During the 13-day trial, jurors heard 100 witnesses…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Closing arguments began Thursday in the trial of a 51-year-old Oklahoma woman charged with killing her former husband and his fiancee. Dana L. Chandler, of Duncan, Okla., is charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder in the 2002 slayings of Karen Harkness and 47-year-old Mike Sisco. They were found dead in Harkness’ home. Prosecutors allege Chandler shot the two after Sisco told her he planned to marry Harkness. Chandler was arrested in Oklahoma last July. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that prosecutors began presenting their closing arguments Thursday morning. During the 13-day trial, jurors heard 100 witnesses…
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) Garden City will host Amtrak and BNSF representatives next month for a discussion about the future of an Amtrak route that runs through the area. City Manager Matt Allen told the Garden City Commission this week that the meeting is scheduled for April 10. The Garden City Telegram reports that Allen said the objective of the summit is to discuss issues relating to the future of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, Amtrak’s passenger rail route that runs from Chicago to Los Angeles daily, passing through Kansas. Amtrak uses BNSF Railway lines. Because of dispute over rail maintenance, Amtrak…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission has fined a Wichita City Council member for using his government computer to send an e-mail supporting a friend’s campaign. The commission fined Michael O’Donnell $500 on Wednesday. O’Donnell had agreed to a consent decree acknowledging that his actions violated state ethics law. The Wichita Eagle reports that the e-mail at issue was sent by O’Donnell to 39 people on Oct. 4 during a council meeting. It was an invitation to a political fundraiser on behalf of his friend, state Sen. Garrett Love, a Republican from Montezuma. O’Donnell on Wednesday expressed contrition…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A federal magistrate’s pretrial order shows that the Topeka housing manager rejected a settlement offer the city made late last year in a federal discrimination lawsuit she is pursuing. The order also shows that Corrie Lynn Wright is seeking more than $397,500 in the case filed last July. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathryn Vratil issued the order Friday setting legal ground rules for the case and indicating it would go to a jury trial as scheduled Aug. 27 in Topeka. The lawsuit contends the city denied Wright a promotion she was promised. The…