After a pursuit, Junction City Police arrested a man on a host of charges in the early morning hours of Tuesday, according to officials. Jerry Hassler was arrested after 12:30 a.m. and is charged with driving with a canceled, suspended or revoked license as well as possession of a controlled substance and intent to distribute within 1,000 feet. Additional charges include attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, failure to yield to both a motor vehicle and stop signs, speed violations, obstruction, permitting a dangerous animal to be at large and driving with a defective tail lamp. Hassler…
Author: KMAN Staff
KANSAS CITY — A 52-year-old Wyandotte County Sheriff’s deputy has been charged with sexual crimes involving a victim under 14. District Attorney Mark Dupree said Wednesday that Michael Mastel is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count each of rape and aggravated criminal sodomy. Dupree says the investigation began last year when the child came forward. He says Mastel knew the child but not through his work as a deputy. Sheriff Donald Ash said Mastel is on leave without pay. Mastel has worked at the sheriff’s office since 2010. The sodomy is alleged to…
WICHITA — A judge has rejected a move by Spirit Boeing Employees Association seeking to dismiss the lawsuit filed by a Muslim aerospace engineer alleging discrimination stemming from a party at a Kansas lake. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ruled Tuesday that there remains a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Munir Zanial’s rights were violated on the basis of race, religion or national origin. The Malaysian national of Indian ancestry rented a pavilion at the group’s lake in 2017 to celebrate Malaysian Independence Day. The lawsuit alleges the association suspended his rental privileges and reported him to…
WICHITA — A judge has delayed the trial of a Kansas online gamer allegedly involved in a deadly hoax while federal prosecutors consider an alternative to prosecution that would spare him from the criminal justice system. The attorney for 20-year-old Shane Gaskill of Wichita has applied for pre-trial diversion, and prosecutors have asked the court to delay Tuesday’s upcoming trial so the application may be given full consideration. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren has postponed the trial to May 21. Gaskill is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and making false statement during an investigation. Prosecutors say he…
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has taken steps to prevent a crippling internet outage similar to the one that occurred in 2016. University spokeswoman Mary Walsh says the school recently installed a third fiber cable to campus. That will allow the university to have access to the internet if one of the other lines fails. In 2016, a construction crew accidentally cut both of the university’s fiber internet cables. That cut internet services to the University of Kansas in Lawrence and Overland Park, websites hosting online classes, and to state testing for thousands of K-12 students in more than…
Officers filed a report for forgery in the 200 block of Seth Child Rd in Manhattan on April 16, 2019, at approximately 9:40 AM. Officers listed Community First National Bank of Manhattan as the victim when it was reported an unknown suspect used a false check to obtain cash. The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $897.12. Police ask that anyone with information please contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00. Officers filed…
RILEY — A local family left a sizable financial gift to the Riley City Library following his passing, according to the Riley Countian Newspaper. Val Burgman gave a $53,000 bequest to the library in honor of his wife, Maxine, when he died in 2018. Maxine is reported to have been a faithful patron of the library during her life. The Riley City Library acknowledged the Burgmans during National Library Week last week. A special tribute is being planned in recognition of the bequest. KMAN was unable to reach anyone from the library board.
WICHITA — Soggy fields may be slowing the planting of corn this season in Kansas. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that about 6% of the corn seed has been put in so far in Kansas. That is somewhat in line with the 5% planted at this time last year, but it is well behind the 14% that is average for the state. Meanwhile, a wet spring has replenished soil moisture levels with 97% of the state now reporting adequate to surplus topsoil moisture. The agency says the Kansas winter wheat crop is mostly faring well with 59% in…
TOPEKA — Lawyers for Kansas argued that the state Supreme Court should sign off on a new public school funding law partly because it was enacted with broad, bipartisan support. Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office filed legal arguments Monday defending the new law. It increases education funding by roughly $90 million a year. The law contained Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan for complying with a high court ruling last year that Kansas wasn’t spending enough money on its schools. The court said a 2018 law boosting funding wasn’t sufficient because it didn’t account for inflation. Attorneys for four school districts…
WICHITA — Police say child welfare authorities had received abuse reports about a Wichita couple whose 3-year-old had been dead for days when his body was found in a crib in their mobile home. Capt. Brent Allred says an autopsy will determine the cause of death for Zaiden Javonovich, whose parents were booked into jail last week on suspicion of murder. Police also say a 4-month-old boy who was taken from their home Thursday in critical condition is improving. Police responding to a domestic disturbance first encountered the parents as they walked back to the home. Police said they hadn’t…