Benjamin Crump and Anthony Gray, Brown family attorneys at Thurs. news conference
CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — Attorneys for the family of Michael Brown are urging restraint on the part of both protesters and police once a grand jury decides whether the officer who shot him should face criminal charges.
Attorneys Anthony Gray and Benjamin Crump held a press conference Thursday outside the St. Louis County Justice Center, where the grand jury is meeting and Dr. Michael Baden, who performed a private autopsy on the family’s behalf, was scheduled to testify.
Crump said attorneys would not get into the substance of Baden’s testimony, except to say he had identified one additional entry wound in Brown’s chest. He did not elaborate on what that might mean.
Brown’s parents, who were in Geneva this week as the U.N. Committee Against Torture heard testimony about U.S. policies, did not attend.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, of Missouri, says she won’t support Sen. Harry Reid’s bid to be the Senate minority leader.
McCaskill said Thursday that she believes the recent election results show voters want change in Washington and that must begin with a change in leadership.
Reid, of Nevada, currently is the Senate majority leader. But Democrats lost control of the U.S. Senate to Republicans in the Nov. 4 elections.
Republicans also fared well in McCaskill’s home state, picking up seats in both the state House and Senate despite McCaskill’s efforts to aid local races by pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Missouri Democratic Party.
Many Republicans across the country campaigned against the leadership of Reid and President Barack Obama.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 24-year-old man is charged with second-degree murder in a man’s shooting death near City Hall in downtown Kansas City.
Jackson County prosecutors charged Rickey C. Battee, of Kansas City, in Wednesday’s death of 45-year-old Jai T. Scott, who died shortly after dropping his wife off for work at the city’s business license office.
Officers who heard the shots chased and arrested Battee near the scene. Scott, who worked for the Salvation Army, died during surgery.
The charging document said a witness told police Battee kick Scott’s tire as he drove by. Scott got out of his car and the two men argued before the shooting.
It was not immediately clear if Battee had an attorney.
Built in 1936, the Rush County Line limestone bridge, straddles Russell County and is less than a mile from Ellis County. The deteriorating structure was torn down earlier this year, forcing its removal from the National Register of Historic Sites.
TOPEKA–As a popular southwestern Kansas tourist attraction was recently nominated by the Kansas Historical Society for the National Register of Historic Places, two northwest Kansas locations already on the national list had to be removed because they both were destroyed earlier this year.
The Rush/Russell County Line masonry arch bridge was demolished earlier this year after county officials determined it would be too expensive to repair the crumbling WPA project.
Rush County agreed to nominate to the National Register another similar New Deal-era bridge– the Sand Creek Tributary Stone Arch Bridge about 3 miles northwest of LaCrosse–to mitigate the loss of the Rush County Line Bridge. The Sand Creek Bridge was built in 1946; the Rush/Russell County Line Bridge was built in 1936.
The First Presbyterian Church in Abilene, operating as the Great Plains Theater, was destroyed by fire July 23, 2014.
Removals – National Register of Historic Places
The Rush County Line Bridge was demolished in 2014.
Rush County Line Bridge – Rush/Russell County Line
The Rush County Line Bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of the Masonry Arch Bridges of Kansas multiple property nomination for its local significance in the areas of engineering and transportation. The bridge plaque indicated it was a project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and was completed in 1936.
The bridge was demolished in 2014. The proposal to demolish the bridge required a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, a federal agency, and was reviewed under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Rush County agreed to nominate to the National Register another similar New Deal-era bridge (Sand Creek Tributary Stone Arch Bridge) in their county to mitigate the loss of the Rush County Line Bridge.
The First Presbyterian Church/Great Plains Theater in Abilene was destroyed by fire July 23, 2014.
First Presbyterian Church of Abilene – 300 N. Mulberry Street, Abilene, Dickinson County
The First Presbyterian Church of Abilene was listed in the National Register of Historic Places May 25, 2001 for its local significance in the area of architecture. The limestone building was built in 1882 and 1883 and reflected the Gothic Revival and Romanesque styles. A new wing was added to the building in 1931. The Presbyterians moved to a new church in 1968 and the Southern Baptist Church congregation later purchased the building. In 1994, Terry Tietjens purchased the building for use as a Center for Performing Arts. The building was destroyed by a fire July 23, 2014.
At its regular quarterly meeting held at the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka on Saturday, November 8, the Historic Sites Board of Review voted to forward seven nominations to the office of the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C., to be evaluated by its professional staff. If staff members concur with the board’s findings, the properties will be included in the National Register. The board also voted to list one property in the Register of Historic Kansas Places and to remove two properties from both registers.
The National Register of Historic Places is the country’s official list of historically significant properties. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources.
Below are summaries of the nominations and related documents:
National Register of Historic Places
Little Stranger Church and Cemetery – Leavenworth County
The Little Stranger Church congregation built this wood-frame house of worship in 1868, and at the time of nomination, it stands to be the oldest wood-frame church in Kansas listed in the registers. The congregation traced its roots back to a group of settlers from Farley, Missouri, who arrived in Leavenworth County in 1858. Frequent announcements in the newspapers regarding various guest preachers suggest the church may have relied on the assistance of area churches for Sunday sermons. Despite the apparent success of the church in the 1910s, it closed in 1919 during the flu epidemic, never to reconvene again. The building remained shuttered until 1929 when a 4-H club requested to use the building for its meetings. Various organizations held meetings in the building through the mid-20th century. The church stands as a reminder of mid-19th century building techniques. It has a rectangular form and gable-front roof that presents a straight-forward image of utilitarian design. The associated cemetery includes more than 100 known graves, with the earliest deaths dating from the late 1850s and early 1860s, suggesting the cemetery may have pre-dated the construction of the church. It is nominated for its local significance in the areas of early settlement history and architecture.
Young Buck Site (14RY402) – northwest quarter Section 14, Township 10S, Range 7E, Manhattan, Riley County
The Young Buck site (14RY402) along the wooded south bank of Wildcat Creek in Riley County is the location of a prehistoric American Indian settlement. Recent archaeological investigations led by Kansas State University Research Associate Professor Brad Logan have yielded evidence of prehistoric habitation dating to the Woodland (AD 1-1000) and Late Prehistoric (AD 1000-1500) periods. The investigation targeted areas of potential future development identified by the City of Manhattan. The 2.5-acre site is nominated for its potential to yield significant information in the area of prehistoric archaeology.
Hotel Roberts – 120 W. Fourth Street, Pratt, Pratt County
Built in 1930, Hotel Roberts is the largest and most highly styled historic hotel in Pratt. Construction of the hotel was initiated by the Pratt Chamber of Commerce, which formed a committee in the late 1920s specifically to facilitate the construction of a large new hotel. Seen as a potentially valuable asset for the community, the hotel was financed in part through a public subscription campaign and constructed on land provided by the Chamber. The Pratt Hotel Company owned and operated the hotel and hired Wichita architect Samuel S. Voigt and Kansas City contractor Webster L. Elson to design and build the building. Elson not only supervised the rapid construction of the “fire-proof” building, he was a founding member of the Pratt Hotel Company and retained an ownership interest in the property for many years. The community hospital was established on the eighth floor of the building in 1932, complete with an operating room and an x-ray machine. Architecturally, the building is significant as an early and sophisticated example of the Art Deco style in central Kansas. The hotel opened as the Hotel Roberts in 1930 and continued under that name until 1959, when it was purchased by Monte Parrish and renamed the Hotel Parrish. It is nominated for its local significance in the areas of architecture and community planning and development.
Ray L. Smith House – 812 W. Central Avenue, El Dorado, Butler County
Pipeline engineer Ray L. Smith commissioned the construction of this Colonial Revival-style residence in 1936. The P. T. Cortelyou Construction Company of Wichita built the residence, which is speculated to have been designed by Topeka-based architect Thomas W. Williamson who was overseeing the construction of El Dorado’s high school and junior college that was completed in 1937. Smith’s residence is located in the Cooper Park Addition to El Dorado, which was platted in 1877 but not fully developed until the 1920s and 1930s. The residence is an excellent local example of the side-gable subtype of the Colonial Revival style. Its characteristic features include a pedimented front door, many plain and fluted pilasters, multi-light sash windows, end chimneys, cornice returns, and working shutters. It is nominated for its local significance in the area of architecture.
Wirkler-Krehbiel House – 2727 N. Main Street, North Newton, Harvey County
The history of the Wirkler-Krehbiel House is intertwined with that of Bethel College located across the street. Christian and Elizabeth Wirkler were charter members of Bethel College, which formed in 1887 and opened its doors in 1893. Wirkler erected the Queen Anne-style residence in 1898, and he served the college by housing student boarders. It was later home to Wirkler’s daughter Mary and her husband C. E. Krehbiel, an important local figure in early 20th century Mennonite circles and whose father had played a key role in the Mennonite settlement in the area. Bethel College acquired the home in 1958 and sold it in 1992 for use as a private residence. The house was built toward the end of the period during which the Queen Anne style was popular. The stylistic features include its irregular form, asymmetry, fishscale shingles, and turned spindles on the porch and balustrade. It is nominated for its local significance in the areas of education and architecture.
Ira E. Lloyd Stock Farm – 1575 Avenue JJ, Ellsworth, Ellsworth County
Ellsworth attorney Ira E. Lloyd, who settled in Ellsworth in 1873, developed a stock farm east of town in the early 20th century. Lloyd served as the city’s attorney in 1874 and as the county’s attorney from 1875 to 1878. He had a brief political career in state-level politics, serving in the Kansas Senate representing District 30 from 1885 to 1887. He remained active in Republican Party politics, but he developed other interests in real estate, stock breeding, and horse racing. He partnered with W. H. Huntington to manage his Ellsworth Horse Farm north of town until 1902. Lloyd slowly acquired parcels of land that eventually became his 172-acre stock farm on the eastern outskirts of Ellsworth. Although the timeline of development and land acquisition is not fully known, it is speculated that after his wife’s death in 1899, Lloyd transitioned away from the horse farm north of town and focused on his new stock farm east of town. At this property, Lloyd managed a rather diverse small farm raising shorthorn cattle, chickens, and turkeys, and growing crops such as wheat and corn. It is nominated as part of the Historic Agriculture-Related Resource of Kansas multiple property nomination for its local significance in the area of agriculture.
Dalton Gang Hideout and Museum – 502 S. Pearlette Street, Meade, Meade County
The Dalton Gang Hideout and Museum is a product of the auto-tourism era of the early and middle 20th century. The Meade Chamber of Commerce, with assistance from the Work Projects Administration (WPA) and the National Youth Administration, developed the site in 1940 around the former residence of John and Eva (Dalton) Whipple, a sister of the famed outlaw Dalton brothers known for their robbery of trains and banks. Though stories of the Dalton Gang visiting Meade in the late 1800s surfaced in the early 20th century, primary source evidence to support these claims has remained elusive. Nevertheless, local officials hoped to attract visitors using the colorful Dalton Gang tales and showcase history through the collections of local history buffs at this site. WPA officials reportedly turned down the community’s first proposal because it romanticized a gang of outlaws. The plans were resubmitted under the name Meade Historical Park, and greater emphasis was given to developing local history at the site. This mid-20th century roadside attraction is nominated as part of the New Deal-era Resources of Kansas and Roadside Kansas multiple property nominations under Criterion A for its local significance in the areas of social history, government, and tourism.
Register of Historic Kansas Places – Nominations
Ritz Theatre – 1145 N. Military Avenue, Baxter Springs, Cherokee County
The Ritz Theatre opened in 1926 in a converted two-story commercial building along Route 66 in downtown Baxter Springs. The building had previously housed John M. Cooper’s Dry Goods and Clothing Store, which opened in the 1880s, and the upper floor had served as a gathering space for various social organizations. Under the guidance of Joplin architect T. E. Martinie, the building was converted to a theater in 1926 and officially opened on April 30, showing The Ancient Highway, distributed by Paramount Pictures. A packed house heard music from Mrs. Roy Brooks, an organist at the Victory Theatre in Rogers, Arkansas. The popularity of drive-in theaters throughout the tri-state area likely contributed to the closing of the theater in the mid-1950s. The building then functioned as the Blue Castle Restaurant from 1957 to 1980. At the time of nomination, the building is being renovated to reflect its former use as a theater. It is nominated to the Register of Historic Kansas Places under Criterion A for its local significance in the area of entertainment/recreation.
Related Internet Links:
National Register of Historic Places: http://www.nps.gov/nr/
Kansas Historical Society (National and State Registers): kshs.org/14638
To read drafts of these nominations and links to photographs, see this link: kshs.org/14633
FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — Leaders of the Ferguson police shooting protests want area shoppers to bypass the Black Friday retail holiday as part of an economic boycott in response to Michael Brown’s death.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Justice for Michael Brown Leadership Coalition is calling for the boycott to begin on Thanksgiving and extend through the four-day holiday weekend. They’ve named the effort “No Justice, No Profit.”
The calls for economic protests come as a St. Louis County grand jury is expected to soon decide whether to indict Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, who is white, on criminal charges in the death of Brown, who was black.
Coalition leaders renewed calls for peaceful protests should the grand jury opt against criminal charges. They want holiday shoppers to support black-owned local businesses.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today slammed comments by “the ObamaCare architect,” MIT professor Jonathan Gruber, who claimed that “the stupidity of the American voter” was “critical” for him and Democrats to hide the true cost of President Barack Obama’s health care law from people in Missouri and nationwide.
“Missourians are not ‘stupid’ – that’s why they’ve rejected the president’s flawed health care law from the start,” said Blunt. “Now we know that the president and his party intentionally hid ObamaCare’s true costs. But families, seniors, workers, and small business owners across Missouri understand very clearly that ObamaCare has resulted in skyrocketing premiums, canceled coverage, fewer doctors, and devastating job losses.”
“ObamaCare is fundamentally flawed, and it needs to be repealed and replaced with common-sense health care solutions,” Blunt continued. “I’ll keep fighting to protect consumers from the consequences of this flawed law in the new Congress.”
In the year following the disastrous launch of the ObamaCare exchanges, Blunt went to the U.S. Senate floor almost every week it was in session to share health care news and stories from Missourians. Click here to watch highlights from Blunt’s speeches. Click here to read more about the health care solutions Blunt supports.
Kansas State women’s head basketball coach Jeff Mittie announced the signing of three players to National Letters of Intent during the Fall National Signing period on Wednesday.
The three new additions to the K-State roster for the 2015-16 season are guards Kayla Goth and Anna Hammaker, and center Cheyenne Hooper. Hammaker and Hooper are joining the Wildcats after teaming up at Christian Academy of Knoxville, Tennessee.
“We were wanted to add length and versatility in this class,” said Mittie about his new additions for next season. “We were able to sign three players that add that capability with the skill level that we need in the Big 12.”
Goth, a 6-foot guard from DeForest, Wisconsin, enters her senior season at DeForest High with career totals of 1,007 points, 560 rebounds, and 285 assists.
Hammaker is a 5’9 guard, and the daughter of former Kansas City Royals pitcher Atlee Hammaker. She helped lead Christian Academy to the Class AA state sections with averages of 18.3 points, 5.1 steals, and 4.9 assists.
Hooper is a 6’6 center from Knoxville, Tennesse, who will be tied as the tallest player in program history with former K-State letter winner Olga Firsova ( 1998-00 ). She is returning to basketball for her senior season after a year away from the sport to focus on volleyball.
Prior to her departure from basketball, Hooper helped Christian Academy to a 24-8 record in her sophomore season and District, regional, and sectional titles.
Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber has announced the signings of high school standouts Barry Brown ( St. Petersburg, Fla. / Gibbs ), Dean Wade ( Saint John, Kan./Saint John ), and dante Williams ( Arlington, Texas / Bowie ) on the first day of the Fall National Signing Period on Wednesday.
Brown is a combo guard, Wade a power forward, and Williams a center.
Brown averaged 20.5 points on 51.3% shooting including 37.6% from 3-point range, to go with 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.9 assists per game as a high school junior in 2013-14.
Wade is a 6’8 215 pound forward for Saint John. He enters his senior season of high school with 1,103 points and 202 blocks. Wade helped Saint John to a 26-0 record enroute to the 2014 Class 2A state title at Bramlage Coliseum. He tallied 20 or more points in 14 contests, despite averaging just 18 and a half minutes per game because Saint John’s won its games by an average of 30 points.
Williams is a 6’11, 220 center. He has been rated the No. 16 player in Texas for the Class of 2015 by TexasHoops.com. He helped Bowie High School to a 28-6 record in 2013-14. He was named the Class 3-A Defensive player of the Year.
MOUNT MORIAH- A Missouri man died in an accident just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Harrison County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 GMC Sierra driven by Charles V. Booram, 71, Gilman City, was southbound on Route B three miles north of Mount Moriah.
The vehicle struck the trailer of a 1993 Kenworth semi driven by Brian A. Tass, 42, Cainsville.
The semi rotated counter-clockwise, struck several road signs and traveled into the path of a 2004 Kia Rio driven by Richard J. Kokesh, 40, Cainsville.
Booram was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Roberson Funeral Home in Bethany.
Kokesh was transported to Harrison County Community Hospital. Tass was not injured.
The MSHP reported Booram was not wearing a seat belt.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri lawmaker is trying again to require health inspections of abortion clinics.
State Sen. Wayne Wallingford has submitted legislation that would mandate the Department of Health and Senior Services conduct annual health inspections of certain abortion clinics.
The bill is scheduled to be introduced during the General Assembly session that begins in January.
If it passes, clinics that perform abortions for women in the second or third trimesters would be subject to inspection. Clinics that perform at least five first-trimester abortions each month also would be inspected.
The Republican senator from Cape Girardeau says the bill is intended to make abortions safer for Missouri women by ensuring procedures are conducted in clean facilities.
Wallingford introduced similar legislation last session that never made it to a full Senate vote.
