GREAT BEND, Kan. — A 37-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to life in prison in the deaths of a Kansas couple who were vendors at a Kansas county fair. Rusty Frasier, who was sentenced Friday, was one of several people charged in the July 2018 deaths of Alfred “Sonny” Carpenter and Pauline Carpenter. They were killed at the Barton County, Kansas, fair. Their bodies were later found in shallow graves near Van Buren, Arkansas. Investigators say one suspect posed as a member of a mafia group and ordered the couple’s deaths as part of initiation. Police say there is…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. — Police say a 16-year-old pedestrian hit by a vehicle in Topeka over the weekend has died. Topeka police say in a news release that the crash happened around 5:30 p.m. Sunday on NW Lyman Road. Officers called to the scene found the teen gravely injured. The teen later died at an area hospital. Police have not released the teen’s name or indicated whether charges are imminent in the case. Police are asking witnesses or anyone with information about the crash to contact investigators or Shawnee County Crime Stoppers.
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas has reported another seven-day record for new coronavirus cases. The state Department of Health and Environment on Monday added 7,234 confirmed and probable cases to the state’s tally for the pandemic since Friday, increasing it to 122,741. The department also reported another 10 COVID-19-related deaths over three days, bringing the total to 1,266 since the pandemic reached the state in early March. The state had a record average of 2,741 new cases a day for the seven days ending Monday. Kansas reported 19,188 new coronavirus cases over the past seven days. That’s the equivalent of one…
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. — A small community college in northeast Kansas has settled a lawsuit accusing it of directing coaches to recruit more white athletes and targeting Black prospective students with excessive scrutiny such background checks before offering scholarships. A brief stipulation of dismissal was filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. The ACLU had alleged in the lawsuit that Highland Community College instituted a plan to reduce the number of black students. The college has said its recruiting is not determined by students’ race or ethnicity and denied it ever instructed coaches to exclude out-of-state athletes…
WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita police have arrested a 34-year-old suspect in the stabbing death of a man there. Police say 59-year-old Bryan Turner of Wichita was found dead early Sunday after suffering multiple stab wounds at a home. Police spokesman officer Charley Davidson says Kenneth Junious was arrested Monday in connection with Turner’s death. The investigation showed Turner and Junious were visiting the home when they were involved in a disturbance. Police say the death was not a random incident. Kansas Corrections records show Junious was on parole after serving prison time for aggravated battery and a weapons violation.
After two weeks of ballot counting and an election canvas, a winner has finally been announced for the Riley County commission District 3 seat. Kathryn Focke has won the seat over Candidate John Matta after a race that was too close to call for the past two weeks. The final results from Monday’s election canvas put her at 4,982 votes, over Matta’s 4,856 votes. Focke says she is very happy and excited about her win after multiple count days. Her feelings after election night were almost like a sigh of relief, as there wasn’t much else she could do. However,…
Riley County is reporting 180 new positive COVID-19 cases and 54 recoveries since Friday. This brings the county’s total number of active cases to 551 and recoveries to 2,422. Ascension Via Christi Hospital is currently caring for 11 positive patients and two Persons Under Investigation (PUI). Two of the PUIs and three of the positive patients are in the Intensive Care Unit. The Riley County Health Department began reporting test results on Saturday for the 630 people tested at the free testing event that took place last week. Positive test results are being reported first. Of the nine active outbreaks…
On Monday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with Cheryl Collins Director of the Riley County Historical Museum and Dr. Steve Smethers.
The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police. Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MANHATTAN, KAN. – Officers filed a report for theft in the 500 block of McCall Rd. in Manhattan on November 13, 2020, at approximately 5:15 p.m. Officers listed Menards as the victim when it was reported two…
WICHITA, Kan. — A Republican county commissioner in Kansas has resigned after the district attorney concluded there was sufficient evidence to begin ouster proceedings for his role in plotting to cover up their part in a false ad against a mayoral candidate in the state’s largest city. The Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell tendered his resignation Friday after District Attorney Marc Bennett notified his attorney that he intended to initiate legal proceedings for forfeiture of public office. The district attorney’s office says in a news release it will release in the coming days information regarding two other officials who were…