MERRIAM, Kan. (AP) A 36-year-old Topeka man has been charged in the death of a woman whose body was found recently at a Johnson County motel. Jason Munjak was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the death of 37-year-old Toby Rock, a mother of five children. Rock’s body was found last week in a Merriam hotel. Authorities said she was killed Jan. 19. Police arrested Munjak on Wednesday. The Kansas City Star reports that police have also arrested a second man Thursday and are calling him a person of interest. Munjak was being held in the Johnson County jail. Bond…
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Wichita man has been found guilty for his role in a traffic accident that killed a 5-year-old girl. The Wichita Eagle reports that that a jury on Friday convicted 29-year-old Ronald Bevan of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Amber Randolph. Bevan was also found guilty of aggravated battery and involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence. Police said Bevan was drunk and racing a friend last February. Bevan cut off his friend’s vehicle, which caused it to slide over the median and into the car driven by the child’s mother, Michelle Randolph. The driver of…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Bioscience Authority funds are being used to pay the legal fees of former CEO Tom Thornton as an audit and investigation into his tenure continues. Invoices obtained Friday by The Associated Press show the KBA has spent more than $51,000 in public funds to Jim Eisenbrandt and a fellow law partner to represent Thornton. The fees began in April 2011 shortly after Thornton resigned and a forensic audit was started. The KBA’s bylaws provide for the agency to pay legal fees for its top executives in matters related to their tenure. The KBA is has also…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The National Agricultural Statistics Service says the nation’s cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size in 50 years. Ranchers in Texas and Oklahoma made the most drastic cuts to their herds amid drought conditions that shriveled pastures and drove hay prices to record levels. The agency’s inventory released Friday counts 90.8 million head of cattle and calves on Jan. 1 in the United States. That is 2 percent below last year. It’s the lowest inventory since 1952, when the nation had 88.1 million head of cattle. Texas still led the nation with 11.9 million head of…
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) A Reno County jury found a 28-year-old Wichita man guilty of using his sister as a shield during a standoff with police last year. Deron McCoy Jr. was found guilty Thursday of 12 of the 18 charges. He was arrested after a five-hour standoff on March 22, 2011, a Hutchinson hotel. The standoff began after McCoy’s former girlfriend came to pick up their child. Prosecutors say when emergency responders entered the room, McCoy was holding his sister and 7-month-old daughter as human shields. They were not hurt and McCoy eventually surrendered. The Hutchinson News reports the jury…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) State officials say they will accelerate work on 32 road projects worth nearly $50 million to take advantage of low construction prices. Legislative leaders and Gov. Sam Brownback said Friday the accelerated projects will create 470 construction jobs and another 900 indirect jobs. Construction is expected to begin this fall. The projects are mostly repair and reconstruction of roads and bridges. Many of the projects had been scheduled for next year and others did not have a start date. The 32 projects are part of a 10-year, $8 billion transportation program passed by last year’s Legislature.
After coming in just under 200 votes shy of defeating Sydney Carlin in 2010’s 66th District State Representative race, Lee Modesitt is back for more in 2012. He says, being a native Kansan, he understands the challenges facing the Sunflower State. “Having gotten a degree in political science, I understand the political process,” he told KMAN News. “I interned in the legislature and saw the inner-workings that way. And my wife and I are a hard working family and we understand how family budgets work and I think that’s how government budgets need to work as well.” Modesitt says he sees…
A Clay Center woman was picked up on drug charges in Manhattan after allegedly stealing a car. RCPD Lieutenant Josh Kyle tells KMAN News Jandrea Siebold, 46, was stopped by a RCPD officer Thursday afternoon around 4:45 p.m. at the intersection of McCall Road and Tuttle Creek Boulevard after the officer noted the 2005 Mercury Montego was similar to a stolen vehicle in an alert put out in Clay County. Siebold was arrested for numerous charges, including possession of methamphetamine, felony theft, driving on a suspended license, DUI, and possession of oxycotin. She was still confined in the Riley County…
Drugs have landed two Ogden residents in hot water, as the Riley County Police Department busted them for methamphetamine Thursday. Arrested during the 9:00 a.m. raid were Amanda Silva, 32, and Keith Singson, 31. Singson was charged with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possession of hydrocodone, and misdemeanor possession of a fire arm, among others. Silva faces charges of possession of meth with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in addition to other charges. Both had bonds of nine-thousand dollars. Singson has been released, Silva remains in RCPD custody as of…
Friday morning saw the National Research Council’s public hearing on risk assessments associated with the National Bio- and Agro Defense Facility. The hearing was held in Mosier hall, and council members asked pointed questions about the new facility’s ability to handle possible out breaks of diseases like hoof and mouth disease. Council members also seemed concerned about the interaction between the facility and surrounding area emergency operations. Those safety questions were answered by faculty and staff, and local and state officials attending the meeting. The hearing opened up for public comment and questions, and received several more questions about safety…