HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 31-year-old Hutchinson woman has accepted a plea deal in a crash that killed one person and injured six others. Viola Rhodes pleaded guilty Wednesday to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence and six counts of aggravated battery. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to charge her with reckless second-degree murder. Investigators said Rhodes was driving toward Hutchinson on Dec. 5 when her vehicle ran off the road and overturned. One passenger, 44-year-old Brian Bookout, was thrown from the car and later died from his injuries. Two other people were hospitalized and four others were treated at…
Author: KMAN Staff
EMPORIA, Kan. — Prosecutors say a 71-year-old Cedar Point man is jailed on 155 counts after child pornography was found in his home. Leland Zachariah Taylor was charged last week with sexual exploitation of a child. The Chase County Sheriff’s office said in an affidavit that deputies were called to Taylor’s home on May 8 by Taylor’s son and the son’s girlfriend. They reported finding the child porn on his laptop and flash drive as they were cleaning his home. Taylor was hospitalized at the time recovering from injuries suffered in a car crash. He is currently jailed in Chase…
On Friday’s edition of In Focus KSRE – 4H agent John Jobe spoke about upcoming camps. Riley Co. Senior Center Program Coordinator Elizabeth Nelson discussed May and June events and its upcoming Friday speaker series. T. Russel Reitz Animal Shelter Animal Control Officer Brandon Sokol discussed kittens and an upcoming series of adoption events. And in our final segment K-State Band Director Dr. Frank Tracz discussed the return of the Municipal band summer series, summer camps and the return of the marching band to Section 26 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
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 aggravated assault in 2000 block of Tuttle Creek Blvd. in Manhattan on May 20, 2021, at approximately 9:29 p.m. Officers listed a 36-year-old male as the victim when it…
Riley County Health Department held a mass vaccination clinic for those aged 12-17 at Pottorf Hall on Thursday. The vaccination event encouraged those in that age group to get vaccinated with free goodies available at their carnival. Health Department Director Julie Gibbs says it’s important to get as many vaccinated as possible, as demand for the vaccine among older residents has declined. The event was set up to not only be safe, but fun. “Getting more of our 12 and up population vaccinated is important to increase vaccination rates, but also to protect them against COVID,” says Gibbs. “With all…
More than 180 businesses and organizations in the state have sent a letter to Governor Laura Kelly asking she opt the state out of the extra federal unemployment benefits program. The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce signed on to the letter, and President Jason Smith said on KMAN’s In Focus Thursday that the Little Apple isn’t isolated from the labor shortages that have developed in retail, food service and hospitality as demand begins to pick up. Smith noted there were exceptional traffic numbers last weekend for hospitality-related businesses, putting a pinch on them to provide quality service while short on staff.…
A Manhattan man accused of multiple felony sexual crimes against a 15-year old girl appears to be headed to an October trial. District Court Judge Grant Bannister ruled this morning (THU) that statements made by Alan Ingwersen before his arrest will be admissible when the case goes in front of a jury starting October 4th. Ingwersen’s statements came during an voluntary interview at the Riley County Jail with a detective who was looking into the accusations. The 67-year old has been charged with three rape counts, six of aggravated criminal sodomy and four of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas House member who was arrested after videos began circulating online of him arguing with teenage students and pushing one of them while he was working as a substitute teacher has entered a not guilty plea to three counts of misdemeanor battery. Republican state Rep. Mark Samsel on Wednesday also was given three weeks to undergo a mental health evaluation. The next hearing was set for July 12. The charges against Samsel arose from a student reporting an April 28 incident involving Samsel in what videos showed to be a noisy classroom in his hometown of…
WICHITA, Kan. — Police in suburban Wichita say another mountain lion sighting has been captured on a doorbell camera, and Kansas wildlife officials suspect it’s the same big cat caught on camera last week sauntering through a Wichita alley. Police say the most recent video was captured just before 11 p.m. Tuesday, showing the puma padding along a sidewalk in front of a house in Andover. That’s about 12 miles away from the site in Wichita’s Riverside neighborhood where a doorbell camera showed a cougar trotting through an alley around 4 a.m. May 10. Kansas Department of Wildlife Research Biologist…
WICHITA, Kan. — A Wichita tax preparer has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding the Internal Revenue Service out of more than $100,000. Sonia Hernandez-Smith, also known as Sonia Raquel Vazquez, was sentenced Tuesday. She had pleaded guilty to one count, after originally being charged with 20 counts. Hernandez-Smith admitted she knowingly prepared income tax returns that falsely claimed tax credits for children her that her clients should not have received. The federal public defender had sought probation for Hernandez-Smith, saying a prison sentence was harsher punishment than necessary for the crime.