The Highland, Kansas, Police Department is investigating after two people were found dead at a residence last week.
The police department, along with the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Dept. and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into the deaths of 61-year-old Daniel Ingles and 57-year-old Theresa Gurwell.
Around 6 p.m. on July 3, the Highland Police Dept. was requested to conduct a welfare check at 108 S. Vermillion St. in Highland. Officer Williams discovered both residents were deceased.
According to a press release, the investigation is ongoing, but no other persons are believed to have been involved.
It’s going to be a hot out there as we transit from the work week to the weekend. The oppressive heat and humidity will stick around through much of the weekend before slightly “cooler” air filters south behind a frontal boundary that will sweep across the region Sunday night. This will allow the potential for storms to visit the region Saturday and Sunday, with near normal conditions looking to dominate the region by early next week. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Heat index values as high as 108. South southeast wind 5 to 9 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. South wind 5 to 8 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 102. South wind 5 to 8 mph.
Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. South wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
The United Way is looking for volunteers for their Stuff the Bus back-to-school supply drive in August.
United Way of Greater St. Joseph President Kylee Strough said the event at both St. Joseph Walmart locations will be held in August during Missouri’s tax free weekend.
“We hope that shoppers will pick up a few extra items, school supplies, and donate them to the volunteers who will be standing at the doors,” Strough said. “You’ll find us by the big yellow school bus that’ll be parked in front of the store. We’ll be there daytime hours both Friday and Saturday. In addition to shoppers donating new school supplies, we also need volunteers. It takes about 300 volunteers throughout those two days to hand out flyers at the doors, collect the donated supplies, sort them and put them on the bus.”
All the supplies are delivered to the Salvation Army and are distributed the next week during their Back to School Fair. Strough said in 2017, there were over 700 children served with the items collected.
The Stuff the Bus event will be August 3rd and 4th.
For more information, or to register as an individual or group for a volunteer shift, click here or call (816) 364-2381.
The City Parks, Recreation, and Civic Facilities Department announced that the Aquatic Park will be closed Wednesday.
According to a press release, due to a situation where loose feces was discovered in the pool, the Aquatic Park is closed until the pool water, filters, and equipment can be properly sanitized and the chemicals and ph levels are at safe levels for people to enter the water. The incident occurred Tuesday evening and the pool was cleared and closed immediately.
While the Aquatic Park is closed, Krug Pool will be operating on their regular schedule, opening at noon and closing at 6 p.m. Entrance is $3.00 for 8 and under and $4.00 for all others.
The Parks Department requests that anyone who does not feel well, has a child or children that don’t feel well, has been exposed to an illness, or knows that they are coming down with the illness, postpone their trip to the pool so that it can remain open for the public to enjoy.
According to the Parks Department, it is also important that proper swim wear be worn at the pool, including swimmer diapers for children who are not toilet trained. Swimmer diapers are available at the front desk for those who do not have their own.
It is anticipated that the pool will be open at 11 a.m. Thursday unless something unforeseen occurs.
The hot, oppressive weather will persist through the rest of the work week, though there is a little relief in sight this weekend as some cloud cover and/or a few scattered storms (best chances looks to be Sunday night) may help take the edge of the heat. However, what everyone is likely really looking forward to will be the beginning of next work week, as we expect temperatures to return to near normal for at least a few days. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Heat index values as high as 103. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 74. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph.
Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 102. South wind 5 to 8 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 74. South southeast wind 5 to 9 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 95. South wind 3 to 6 mph.
Friday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 93.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 93. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A heat advisory remains in effect for the area from 1 p.m. Tuesday until 8 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
* TEMPERATURE – High temperatures will rise into the mid to upper 90s with heat indices between 100 to 105 degrees through at least Friday. This advisory may be extended into the weekend if the forecast temperatures remain on track. * IMPACTS – Heat illnesses are possible for those spending prolonged time outdoors or those more susceptible to heat illnesses, such as children and the elderly. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS A Heat Advisory means that a period of hot temperatures is expected. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear light weight and loose fitting clothing when possible and drink plenty of water.
The heat advisory is in effect for the following area:
Atchison KS-Miami-Linn KS-Doniphan-Leavenworth-Wyandotte- Johnson KS-Atchison MO-Nodaway-Worth-Gentry-Harrison-Holt-Andrew- De Kalb-Daviess-Buchanan-Clinton-Caldwell-Livingston-Platte-Clay- Ray-Carroll-Chariton-Jackson-Lafayette-Saline-Howard-Cass- Johnson MO-Pettis-Cooper-Bates-Henry- Including the cities of Atchison, Paola, Osawatomie, Louisburg, Pleasanton, La Cygne, Mound City, Wathena, Elwood, Troy, Highland, Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Lansing, Kansas City Kansas, Overland Park, Stanley, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa, Tarkio, Rockport, Fairfax, Maryville, Grant City, Albany, Stanberry, King City, Bethany, Oregon, Maitland, Forest City, Craig, Savannah, Country Club Villa, Maysville, Stewartsville, Osborn, Union Star, Clarksdale, Gallatin, Jamesport, St. Joseph Airport, St. Joseph, Cameron, Plattsburg, Lathrop, Hamilton, Braymer, Polo, Breckenridge, Chillicothe, Parkville, Platte City, Riverside, Weatherby Lake, Weston, Gladstone, Liberty, Excelsior Springs, Richmond, Lawson, Carrollton, Salisbury, Brunswick, Keytesville, Kansas City, Independence, Odessa, Higginsville, Lexington, Concordia, Marshall, Fayette, Glasgow, New Franklin, Belton, Raymore, Harrisonville, Pleasant Hill, Warrensburg, Sedalia, Boonville, Butler, Adrian, Rich Hill, Clinton, and Windsor
Temperatures will range through the middle to upper 90s this afternoon with heat indices around 100 degrees today, increasing to between 100 and 105 degrees, or maybe hotter, Wednesday. Similar readings are expected through the rest of the work week and the coming weekend as a hot, humid, air mass remains in control of the weather across the Plains States. There is some hope that oppressive heat will let up early next work week, but until then it will be dangerously hot and humid. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 100. Calm wind becoming east southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. East wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 101. Light east southeast wind becoming south southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 96. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 95.
Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 76.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 96.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump chose Brett Kavanaugh, a politically connected conservative judge, for the Supreme Court Monday, setting up a ferocious confirmation battle with Democrats as he seeks to shift the nation’s highest court further to the right.
Trump welcomes Kavanaugh -photo courtesy White House
With customary fanfare, Trump unveiled hs choice on prime-time TV.
A favorite of the Republican legal establishment in Washington, Kavanaugh, 53, is a former law clerk for retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. Like Trump’s first nominee last year, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Kavanaugh would be a young addition who could help remake the court for decades to come with rulings that could restrict abortion, expand gun rights and roll back key parts of Obamacare.
“There is no one in America more qualified for this position and no one more deserving,” said Trump, who called Kavanaugh “one of the sharpest legal minds of our time.”
With Kavanaugh, Trump is replacing a swing vote on the nine-member court with a staunch conservative. Kavanaugh, who serves on the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, is expected to be less receptive to abortion and gay rights than Kennedy was. He also has taken an expansive view of executive power and has favored limits on investigating the president.
A senior White House official said Trump made his final decision on the nomination Sunday evening, then phoned Kavanaugh to inform him.
The official said Trump decided on Kavanaugh, a front-runner throughout the search process, because of his large body of jurisprudence cited by other courts, describing him as a judge that other judges read.
On Monday, Trump phoned retiring Justice Kennedy to inform him that his former law clerk would be nominated to fill his seat. Trump signed Kavanaugh’s nomination papers Monday evening in the White House residence.
Top contenders had included federal appeals judges Raymond Kethledge, Amy Coney Barrett and Thomas Hardiman. Relishing the guessing game beyond the White House gates, Trump had little to say about his choice before the announcement.
Some conservatives have expressed concerns about Kavanaugh, questioning his commitment to social issues like abortion and noting his time serving under President George W. Bush as evidence he is a more establishment choice. But his supporters have cited his experience and wide range of legal opinions.
Ahead of his announcement, Trump tweeted about the stakes: “I have long heard that the most important decision a U.S. President can make is the selection of a Supreme Court Justice – Will be announced tonight at 9:00 P.M.”
With Democrats determined to vigorously oppose Trump’s choice, the Senate confirmation battle is expected to dominate the months leading up to November’s midterm elections. Senate Republicans hold only a 51-49 majority, leaving them hardly any margin if Democrats hold the line. Democratic senators running for re-election in states Trump carried in 2016 will face pressure to back his nominee.
Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said he was bracing for a tough confirmation battle as Democrats focus on abortion. Kennedy, a member of the Judiciary Committee, which will get the first chance to question the nominee, predicted a “rough, tough, down in the dirt, ear-pulling, nose-biting fight.”
Trump’s success in confirming conservative judges, as well as a Supreme Court justice, has cheered Republicans amid concerns about his limited policy achievements and chaotic management style. Of the court’s liberal justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 85 and Stephen Breyer turns 80 next month, so Trump may well get another opportunity to cement conservative dominance of the court for years to come.
Kavanaugh is likely to be more conservative than Justice Kennedy on a range of social issues. At the top of that list is abortion. A more conservative majority could be more willing to uphold state restrictions on abortion, if not overturn the 45-year-old landmark Roe v. Wade decision that established a woman’s constitutional right.
Kennedy’s replacement also could be more willing to allow states to carry out executions and could support undoing earlier court holdings in the areas of racial discrimination in housing and the workplace. Kennedy provided a decisive vote in 2015 on an important fair housing case.
While the president has been pondering his choice, his aides have been preparing for what is expected to be a tough confirmation fight. The White House said Monday that former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl would guide Trump’s nominee through the grueling Senate process.
Kyl, a former member of Republican leadership, served on the Senate Judiciary Committee before retiring in 2013. He works for the Washington-based lobbying firm Covington & Burling. The White House hopes Kyl’s close ties to Senate Republicans will help smooth the path for confirmation.
Trump is hoping to replicate his successful nomination of Justice Gorsuch last year. The president spent the days leading up to his announcement discussing the pros and cons of various contenders with aides and allies.
The White House invited a number of senators to attend the Monday night announcement, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and committee member Kennedy.
Democrats who were invited but declined included Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Doug Jones of Alabama, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Dianne Feinstein of California. Feinstein is the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. The others are Republican targets for the confirmation vote who come from Trump-won states where they face re-election this fall.
Kavanaugh is expected to meet in coming days with senators at their offices, going door-to-door in get-to-know-you sessions ahead of confirmation hearings.
Democrats have turned their attention to pressuring two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, to oppose any nominee who threatens Roe v. Wade. The two have supported access to abortion services.
One Democrat up for re-election, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, announced Monday he would oppose any nominee from Trump’s list of 25 possible candidates, drafted by conservative groups. He called it the “fruit of a corrupt process straight from the D.C. swamp.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said opponents were using “40-year-old scare tactics” over abortion and other issues but they “will not stop us from doing the right thing.”
ATCHISON COUNTY —The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Atchison Police Department have issued a $5000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for detonating an explosive device in the 100 block of North 8th Street in Atchison.
Security camera image of suspect van courtesy Atchison PD
Just after 2:30a.m. Friday, Atchison Police and Fire were dispatched on reports of an explosion in the downtown area. Upon arrival, authorities found considerable damage to numerous structures in the 100 block of North 8th Street.
Investigators from the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office and United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded to the scene and began a “post-blast” investigation.
Investigators determined the cause of the explosion was likely an improvised explosive device placed outside the Hair Spital Barber Shop, 120 North 8th Street.
Downtown businesses damaged from an incendiary device -photo courtesy KSHB TV
The blast shattered windows and spread debris across a one block area of downtown Atchison.
Investigators would like to speak to with anyone who may recognize the minivan seen in security videos near the blast moments before the device detonated. The vehicle may be a 2004-2008 Nissan Quest, according to police.
Anyone with information about this vehicle or the explosion is asked to contact the ATF at 1-888-ATF-BOMB (1-888-283-2662), contact ATF through its’ website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips, or text 63975 using the code ATFKC. Tipsters can remain anonymous. A $5000.00 reward is available for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Hot conditions are here to stay. Stay hydrated and take frequent breaks if working or playing outside. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 71. Light south southeast wind.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 99. Calm wind becoming east southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 95. Light southeast wind becoming south southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 74.
Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 95.
Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 95.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
