LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ruled that an Atchison man is competent to be tried for murder in the death of a 5-year-old girl during a police chase.
District Judge Gunnar Sundby ruled Wednesday that Marcas McGowan is able to stand trial for first-degree murder and several other felony charges in the July 18 death of Candence Harris.
Authorities allege McGowan abducted the girl from a home they shared with the girl’s mother in Atchison. Cadence was found dead from a gunshot in McGowan’s car after a police chase ended when McGowan was shot after he pointed a gun at officers.
The Leavenworth Times reports McGowan’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 20.
McGowan is being held in Leavenworth County Jail on $1 million bond.
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – A Jefferson City woman was sentenced to five years in prison for assaulting two people over splitting $200 in bingo winnings.
Fifty-two-year-old Margaret Thomas of Jefferson City was given credit for time served after pleading guilty Monday to second-degree assault in a plea deal. She was originally charged with first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action.
Police say Thomas stabbed two Jefferson City residents with scissors as they returned from playing bingo in Moberly in October 2013.
The Jefferson City News-Tribune reports the three were on U.S. 63 near Ashland when Thomas stopped the vehicle and stabbed one victim, who required 32 stitches. Police say the second victim was hurt while helping the first victim. Thomas then left the two passengers on the side of the road.
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of an employee at a Pittsburg plant.
Authorities say 51-year-old Harley Burch Jr. of Pittsburg died Tuesday after being injured in an accident at the Vinylplex plant, which makes PVC plastic pipe products. Lt. Tim Tompkins says Burch was working near a manufacturing machine and somehow came into contact with a piece of equipment.
OSHA spokesman Scott Allen said Wednesday that investigators will interview witnesses and try to determine what caused the accident.
The Joplin Globe reports Vinylplex officials declined to comment.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Jimmy John’s sandwich chain said Wednesday that it believes customers’ credit card data was stolen from 216 of its shops between June and September.
The Champaign, Illinois-based chain said in a news release that stores in 37 states across the United States were affected. It did not say how many customers are affected.
Jimmy John’s believes someone stole log-in credentials and remotely installed malware on machines used to swipe credit cards. Some customers’ credit card numbers, expiration dates, verification codes and names were stolen between June 16 and Sept. 15, the company said.
The privately held company said it discovered the problem on July 30.
Jimmy John’s said it believes its security has been restored by installing encrypted swipe machines and taking other steps.
TOPEKA, Kan. — The 2015 KSHSAA State Baseball and Softball Tournaments will return to Pratt and Great Bend for the 2-1A tournaments while 6A softball heads to newly-constructed Rock Chalk Park. All tournaments are scheduled forMay 28th and 29th, 2015.
The softball field at Rock Chalk Park will be open for play this season for the Kansas Jayhawk softball team and will now host the 6A state softball tournament this spring. “Blue Valley West did a great job hosting the 6A softball tournament the last few years and the KSHSAA is grateful for their work managing the two-day tournament,” said KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director, Francine Martin. “We are excited about the opportunity to host the 6A tournament now at the state-of-the-art facility, Rock Chalk Park.”
Having the 6A softball tournament in Lawrence will mirror the 6A baseball tournament being hosted at Hoglund Stadium on the University of Kansas campus.
The 2-1A baseball and softball tournaments will have a little different feel this year with baseball being hosted in Great Bend and softball in Pratt. Both communities held tournaments in 2014; Pratt hosted 4A DII baseball and softball while Great Bend hosted the 2-1A tournaments.
The 5A baseball and softball tournaments will go back to Wichita after having a year in Manhattan. Wichita State’s Eck Stadium will host the baseball tournament and Two Rivers Youth Complex gears up for the softball slate of competition.
As mentioned, Manhattan, who has a terrific host for a number of KSHSAA events, brought in class 5A in 2014 but will switch back to hosting class 3A for baseball and softball.
Topeka will play host to a second consecutive year of baseball and softball tournaments with class 4A DII coming to the state’s capitol at the Topeka USD 501 Hummer Sports Complex.
For the 20th consecutive year, Salina will host a state baseball and softball tournament. Class 4A DI returns to Dean Evans Stadium and Bill Burke Complex for the second year.
Baseball 6A – Lawrence, KU, Hoglund Stadium
5A – Wichita, WSU, Eck Stadium
4A DI – Salina, Dean Evans Stadium
4A DII – Topeka, Hummer Sports Complex
3A – Manhattan, KSU, Tointon Family Stadium
2-1A – Great Bend, Great Bend Sports Complex
Softball 6A – Lawrence, Rock Chalk Park
5A – Wichita, Two Rivers Youth Complex
4A DI – Salina, Bill Burke Complex
4A DII – Topeka, Hummer Sports Complex
3A – Manhattan, Twin Oaks Complex
2-1A – Pratt, Green Sports Complex
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has sent a letter to Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Secretary Bob McDonald calling for immediate action to remove the VA employees who were found to have abused their positions, mistreated their coworkers, and disrespected veterans and their families. With the passage of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act this summer, Congress empowered the VA Secretary with the ability to more readily terminate employees for poor performance and misconduct – yet no action has been taken.
“There has been no shortage on news stories and investigations exposing employees – particularly managers – at the VA who engages in objectionable and outrageous behaviors that must never be tolerated for anyone in public service,” Sen. Moran wrote in a letter to Secretary McDonald along with nine of his Senate colleagues. “…Yet, more than a month since the President signed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act into law on August 7, the Department has yet to use its authority to fire senior officials and administrators for poor performance and unethical conduct… Americans expect and deserve immediate action from the VA to demonstrate the culture and expectations at the Department are changing.”
Click here to read Sen. Moran’s entire latter to VA Sec. McDonald calling for the removal of those who endangered the health and lives of veterans.
A call for accountability at the VA also came this week from the National Commander of the American Legion Michael D. Helm, of Norcatur, Kansas, in a separate letter to President Obama on Sept. 18, 2014, which called for corrupt managers within the agency to be “fired immediately.”
“The only way those culpable will get their just desserts, and credibility will be restored to the thousands of VA employees who really deserve it, is for you to demand that those who caused this scandal, and those who oversaw it and did nothing, be fired and removed from government,” said National Commander Helm said in a letter sent to President Obama. “Let me assure you that if someone on my staff were found to be cooking the books, committing fraud or putting career ambitions ahead of veterans’ lives, they wouldn’t be transferred or suspended with pay. They would be fired immediately. Our VA employees should be held to the same standard.”
CLAYCOMO, Mo. (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is adding 1,200 workers and another shift to a Missouri plant that makes its new Transit van.
The company announced Thursday that the workers already have been hired and are expected to start in late November at the plant just outside Kansas City in Claycomo. The second shift of Transit workers will bring the number of hourly workers at the plant to more than 6,000. The plant also has three crews making the F-150 pickup truck.
Ford spokeswoman Kristina Adamski says once the new shift is on duty, the Claycomo plant will be making more vehicles per year than any other Ford plant in the world.
The plant will have the capacity to make 500,000 vehicles, also the highest number in the company.
SPRINGFIELD (AP) – An inmate at a federal prison hospital in Springfield has been sentenced to nearly 20 years for assaulting a counselor at the facility.
The U.S. Attorney’s office says 34-year-old Willard Begay must also pay $2,500 for the counselor’s injuries under the sentence he received Thursday.
The attack happened in October 2012 at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, where Begay was serving more than seven years for an assault in Arizona.
Begay was convicted earlier this year of punching the counselor and smashing a computer printer on the man’s face, breaking a bone near his eye.
Prosecutors say the counselor was meeting with Begay to discuss problems he was having with other inmates. The counselor was handcuffing Begay before his move to another unit when the attack occurred.
CLEVELAND (AP) — They’re alive, barely, but it beats the alternative. The Indians’ playoff hopes are fragile, and they’re doing all they can to keep them from shattering.
Yan Gomes hit a three-run homer, Michael Brantley got three more hits and Cleveland stayed in the AL wild-card chase for at least one more day with a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
A loss would have eliminated the Indians, but after blowing a 3-0 lead, they rallied and moved within 3 1/2 games of Kansas City and Oakland in the wild-card standings. There are four days left in the regular season.
“We said all year long as long as we have life, we’re going to keep battling and that’s exactly what we did tonight,” outfielder David Murphy said. “We’ve had some good moments. We’ve had some bad moments this season, but hopefully we’re going to be going into the last series of the season still alive.”
The Royals, who haven’t made the playoffs since 1985, fell two games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central.
Zach McAllister (4-7) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and Cody Allen worked the ninth for his 23rd save as the Indians kept their season relevant.
They’re off on Thursday, but the Indians will closely monitor Kansas City’s game in Chicago and Oakland’s visit to Texas.
“It has all to do whether or not we have life coming into Friday,” Murphy said, “so regardless we’re going to come ready to play, but hopefully we’re going to be playing for something.”
Brantley has hit safely in 15 straight games and needs one more hit to be the first Indians player with 200 in a season since Kenny Lofton in 1996.
The Indians took the lead in the fifth off rookie Brandon Finnegan (0-1) on Carlos Santana’s RBI groundout. Cleveland added a run in the sixth on Murphy’s pinch sacrifice fly.
Cleveland entered the unusual series — the teams completed a suspended game on Monday — 3 1/2 games behind the Royals and the Indians ended in the same place. Unfortunately for them, they wasted a chance to pull closer and now have to win their final three games and hope for help from other teams to play in the postseason.
Billy Butler had three RBIs for Kansas City, which can lock up one of the two wild cards by winning one of four games in Chicago against the White Sox starting Thursday.
“I know things are close, we’re close,” Butler said. “We’ve got four games left. If we could do it right now, we’d be in a playoff spot. You can’t help but realize that it’s right around the corner, but you have to keep grinding and keep your head down.”
Their flimsy playoff hopes fading, the Indians scored twice in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead.
Jason Vargas hit Michael Bourn with a pitch to open the inning and Royals manager Ned Yost pulled the left-hander, who has just one win in his last seven starts.
Jose Ramirez doubled off the wall and the speedy Bourn, waved around by third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh, scored the tying run on a headfirst dive into the plate, reaching in with his left hand to avoid catcher Salvador Perez’s tag.
“When you see a guy dive into home like that you realize nobody’s playing out the string,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He was pretty fired up.”
Gomes’ two-out shot, his 21st homer, to straightaway center gave the Indians a 3-0 lead in the first.
WALK THIS WAY
Santana walked three times, giving him 112 this season, the sixth most in club history. Santana has walked more than any major league switch-hitter since Lance Berkman (127) for Houston in 2002.
NO RELIEF
Indians reliever Bryan Shaw tied the club record with his 79th appearance, matching the mark set by Bobby Howry in 2005.
K KINGS
Cleveland’s pitchers have combined for 1,419 strikeouts, nine shy of the major league record set by Detroit in 2013.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: Nick Swisher rejoined his teammates after undergoing surgery on both knees last month. Swisher tried to play through pain for several months before deciding to have his knees “cleaned out.” He expects to be ready for the start of spring training.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP James Shields (14-8) makes his team-leading 34th start as Kansas City tries to clinch a playoff spot in Chicago. Shields is 20-5 with a 2.48 ERA on the road since the start of 2013.
Indians: The Indians end a stretch of 30 games in 30 days with their final off day of 2014. They open a three-game series vs. Tampa Bay on Friday as Corey Kluber (17-9) tries to strengthen his case for the Cy Young.
CHICAGO (AP) — Preparing for the final weekend of the regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals hoped to easily move past the non-contending Chicago Cubs.
Instead, they ran into Chicago’s buzzsaw — Jake Arrieta.
Arrieta (10-5), coming off a one-hit shutout against Cincinnati last week, limited St. Louis to two hits and an unearned run while striking out 10 in seven innings, leading the Cubs to a 3-1 victory.
“He’s got swing-and-miss stuff in the strike zone and he’s got the ability to get it out of the strike zone as well, and that makes him tough,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said. “Anytime you got a guy with that type of electric stuff, you kind of feel like you’re on defense up there. Anytime he gets ahead of you, you’re in a bad spot.”
Arrieta outdueled St. Louis’ John Lackey (3-3), both on the mound and at the plate. After Lackey intentionally walked Logan Watkins in the fourth inning, Arrieta hit a two-run triple — the first triple of his career and the first by a Cubs pitcher since 2012. The Cubs never surrendered the lead.
“It’s amazing that that at-bat is the one that does it,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.
Lackey gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight, his most since joining the Cardinals at the trade deadline.
The Cardinals, who clinched a playoff berth earlier in the week, remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL Central. The Pirates lost at Atlanta, reducing St. Louis’ magic number to three for clinching the division title.
“I’m tired of looking up there and waiting for somebody else to help us,” Matheny said following the game. “Nobody’s helped us all season long. Why are they going to start now?”
The Cardinals’ loss assured NL East champion Washington will open a division series at home.
The Cardinals were held without a hit through four innings but managed two singles in the fifth. Yadier Molina came in to score on Welington Castillo’s throwing error, cutting the Cubs lead to 2-1.
Molina has hit safely in seven consecutive games and 12 of his past 14.
Chris Valaika had a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth to extend the Cubs lead to 3-1.
The Cardinals mounted a two-out rally in the ninth, but Hector Rondon worked out of the jam for his 13th consecutive save and his 27th in 31 opportunities this season.
After the game, Arrieta took pride in playing the role of spoiler.
“To pitch well against them, at this time of the season with the implications on the game that are there, it’s meaningful,” Arrieta said. “It’s just another positive thing to use moving forward into the offseason.”
Arrieta has allowed two or fewer runs in 19 of 25 starts this season.
TRAINING ROOM
Cubs: SS Starlin Castro will miss the remainder of the season, according to manager Rick Renteria. Castro injured his left ankle sliding into home against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 2.
Cardinals: OF Jon Jay missed Wednesday’s game due to a personal matter. He will rejoin the team on Friday in Arizona.
UP NEXT
Cubs: LHP Eric Jokisch (0-0, 1.74) will make his first career start on Friday when the Cubs open a three-game set at Milwaukee.
Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.18), who missed approximated three months earlier this season with a stress reaction in his throwing shoulder, starts for the Cardinals on Friday against Arizona.
WRIGLEY FACELIFT
Now that the Cubs’ regular-season schedule is over, improvements and renovations at the 100-year-old ballpark — including constructing a large video scoreboard in left field — are expected to begin soon. The scoreboard and other outfield signs are expected to be in place by the start of next season, but the new home clubhouse isn’t slated to be completed until 2016.
