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Carnival workers extradited for death of Kansas couple

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VAN BUREN, Ark— An Arkansas judge has dismissed local charges against four carnival workers suspected in the deaths of a retired couple for the July deaths of 78-year-old Alfred Carpenter and 79-year-old Pauline Carpenter who were working at the Barton County Fair in Great Bend.

Michael Fowler -photo Barton Co.
Kimberly Younger -photo Barton Co.

Investigators say one suspect texted the others posing as a carnival mafia boss and ordered them to kill the couple.

The suspects were originally charged in Arkansas with abuse of a corpse and other crimes after the couple’s bodies were found in Arkansas.

Rusty Frasier -photo Barton Co.
Christine Tenney -photo Barton Co.

Prosecutors asked that the Arkansas charges be dropped because the suspects have been extradited to Great Bend. A Crawford County judge granted the motion last week.

The suspects are 52-year-old Kimberly Younger and 54-year-old Michael Fowler Jr., both of Florida; and 35-year-old Rusty Frasier and 38-year-old Christine Tenney of Texas.

Thomas Drake -photo Barton Co.

Fowler Jr., is being held on a Barton County District Court warrant for capital murder, two counts of murder in the first degree and theft. Bond set at $1,000,000.

Frasier is being held on a Barton County District Court warrant for capital murder, two counts of murder in the first degree. Bond set at $1,000,000.

Younger is being held for capital murder, two counts of murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, solicitation to commit first degree murder and theft. Bond set at $1,000,000.

Tenney is being held on a Barton County District Court warrant for three counts of obstruction. Bond set at $300,000.

In addition, 31-year-old Thomas Drake of Van Buren, Arkansas is being held a Barton County District Court warrant for obstructing apprehension. Bond set at $300,000.

-The AP contributed to this report.

Foreign Ag Service Worked to Expand Trade in 2018

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The USDA worked diligently in 2018 to expand trade opportunities around the world for U.S. ag producers. Those efforts paid off as global sales remained strong in spite of challenges in the trade arena through the year.

Ted McKinney, Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, says it’s been a “rollercoaster ride this year,” but U.S. farm exports remain strong, thanks in no small part to the Foreign Agricultural Service. One of the biggest highlights of the year was the successful negotiation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

USDA also broke down trade barriers and provided more access to overseas markets for several commodities. They included poultry and dairy to Canada through the USMCA, as well as lamb and goat meat to Japan, beef and pork in Argentina, poultry to India and Namibia, lamb to El Salvador, beef and poultry to Morocco, eggs to South Africa, and dairy to Turkey.

FAS staff also worked around the globe to assist U.S. exporters in releasing hundreds of shipments that had been detained in foreign ports. USDA made sure that more than $77 million of perishable U.S. products arrived safely at their intended destinations. Among them was beef to Bulgaria, cherries to Taiwan, cranberries to China, and even lobsters to the United Arab Emirates.

Missouri man jailed after 100-mph chase on I-70 in Kansas

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GEARY COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a Wednesday chase on Interstate 70.

Keady-photo Geary Co.

The pursuit started at the Fort Riley exit on Interstate 70 after report of an alleged stolen license plate on a 1999 Jeep Cherokee, according to the Geary County Sheriff’s Department.  The chase at speeds of 100-miles-per-hour continued to the Abilene exit in Dickinson County.

Just before 4p.m., authorities stopped the Jeep and arrested 38-year-old Scott Keady, of Kansas City, Missouri.

He is being held on suspicion of Fleeing and Eluding, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, two counts Possession of Stolen Property, Driving while License Revoked, Passing on the Left, Improper Driving on Laned Roadway, No Turn Signal, Speeding, Reckless Driving, Possession of Heroin and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

There were no injuries reported, according to the sheriff’s department.

Second Round of Trade Aid Payments Underway

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USDA is moving forward on the second and final round of trade mitigation payments to farmers hurt from retaliation by America’s trading partners. Commodity producers are now eligible to receive Market Facilitation Payments on the second half of their 2018 production.

USDA has been sending out the first round of MFP payments to producers since September on the first 50 percent of their 2018 production. The MFP payments are designed for almond, cotton, corn, dairy, hog, sorghum, soybean, fresh sweet cherry, and wheat producers. Producers are only required to register one time for both the first and second round of payments.

The MFP signup period runs through January 15, 2019, but producers actually have until May 1 to certify their 2018 production numbers. Farmers who haven’t done so can find signup information and instructions at www.farmers.gov/mfp. Eligible producers must wait until harvest is completely finished as payments are made based on 2018 total production.

Farmers that have already applied, completed harvest, and certified their production, will receive a second payment on 50 percent of their production, multiplied by the MFP rate for each commodity.

Federal Government Shutdown FSA County Offices to Remain Open Through Friday, December 28

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(FSA) During a government shutdown, agencies that have funds appropriated in prior years that are carried forward can continue to serve customers until that money is used up. As a result, FSA county offices will be remain open through Friday, December 28.

If you need to visit your FSA county office, please call your local office to ensure we are open before you make the trip. Farm loan services will be limited. You can find your local office by visiting https://www.farmers.gov/service-locator.

As a reminder, signup for the Market Facilitation Program ends on January 15, 2019. You do not need to be finished with harvest to sign up. Farmers have until May 1, 2019 to certify production.

Sheriff: Body found in Kansas River

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POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspicious death.

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Just after 10a.m. December 24, Pottawatomie County Dispatch received a report of a body in the Kansas River, approximately 1/2 mile West of Wamego, according to Sheriff Greg Riat.

Deputies, Wamego police and Wildlife and Parks units responded to the area as well as Wamego Fire and Pottawatomie County EMS.

Sheriff Water Rescue launched from the Wamego boat ramp heading west up the Kansas River, according to Riat.

Authorities located the body of a deceased man approximately one mile west of Wamego near the north bank of the Kansas River.

With the assistance of the Manhattan Fire Water Rescue, the victim was recovered from the water. The cause of death of the victim is pending completion of an autopsy.

The identity of the victim will be released pending positive identification.

The death at this time is being investigated as suspicious, according to Riat.

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office is asking for anyone with information on this incident contact to contact the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office at 785-457-3353, or leave a crime tip at ptsheriff.com

Bill in Missouri Legislature would let drivers turn left during red light

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(Missourinet) – A bill in the state legislature would allow motor vehicles to turn left on a red light when turning onto a one-way street.

Missouri is one of a handful of states that doesn’t allow the traffic maneuver.

Rocheport Republican state Representative Chuck Basye says his proposal is a response to a constituent in mid-Missouri’s Columbia who continually gets held up at a red light.

“He said many times it’s early or late in the evening when he’s sitting there,” says Basye.  “And he’s got to sit there with no traffic and wait for the light to turn.  And it is a long light.  I’ve been there many times.”

The bill would allow for left turns during a red light when the vehicle is in the left-most lane on a one-way street turning onto another one-way street.

Thirty-eight states currently permit the move.  In addition to Missouri, the U.S. states and territories that don’t allow for the left turn procedure are South Dakota (unless permitted by local ordinance), Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, the District of Columbia, and Guam.  New York City also prohibits left turn on red lights, unless a sign indicates otherwise.

Representative Basye says his constituent has requested to have a driving option that already exists under different signal conditions.

“He would just like the option of what they do in many areas where they have a blinking yellow light with an arrow, where you can safely turn left on a blinking yellow light,” says Basye.

The measure would allow local authorities to prohibit left on red turns if safety conditions require it.  Basye says the driving procedure would be subject to authorization from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

“It’s subject to MoDOT’s approval to make sure it’s safe,” Basye says.  “We don’t want people just arbitrarily turning left on a red light anywhere.  MoDOT would set the places where this would be possible.”

The intersection in Columbia where Representative Basye’s constituent has complained of being held up turning left because of a red light is known as a “Diverging Diamond Interchange.” According to MoDOT, the very first such configuration in the country was opened to traffic in Springfield in 2009 at the interchange of the Kansas Expressway and Interstate 44.  Numerous other Diverging Diamond Interchanges now exist within the state.  The one in Columbia is at the interchange of Stadium Drive and Interstate 70.

Missouri law doesn’t specifically prohibit left turns on red lights in its section on “Rules for traffic where controlled by light signals”.  It only describes conditions when a right turn on red is legal:

“The driver of a vehicle which is stopped as close as practicable at the entrance to the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then at the entrance to the intersection in obedience to a red signal, may cautiously enter the intersection to make a right turn but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection.”

Representative Basye introduced the same proposal in the last legislative session this year.  The measure did not receive a public hearing and failed to advance.

Trump, First Lady surprise troops in Iraq

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AL-ASAD AIRBASE, Iraq (AP) — President Donald Trump made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Wednesday, leaving behind a partially shuttered U.S. government to greet American troops helping hold off extremists in a country where thousands of Americans died during the recent war.

It comes a week after Trump stunned his national security advisers by announcing that he would withdraw U.S. troops from neighboring Syria where they have been fighting Islamic State militants. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis abruptly resigned following the announcement, and Trump’s decision rattled allies around the world, including in Iraq.

Trump’s trip was shrouded in secrecy. Air Force One flew overnight from Washington, landing at an airbase west of Baghdad under the cover of darkness Wednesday evening. It is his first visit with troops stationed in a troubled region.

Fifteen years after the 2003 invasion, the U.S. still has more than 5,000 troops in Iraq supporting the government as it continues the fight against remaining pockets of resistance by the Islamic State group. IS has lost a significant amount of territory in Iraq and Syria but is still seen as a threat.

Trump, who speaks often about his support for the U.S. military, had faced criticism for not yet visiting U.S. troops stationed in harm’s way as he comes up on his two-year mark in office. He told The Associated Press in an interview in October that he “will do that at some point, but I don’t think it’s overly necessary.” He later began to signal that such a troop visit was in the offing.

Trump had planned to spend Christmas at his private club in Florida, but stayed behind in Washington due to the shutdown. It’s unclear whether his trip to Iraq was added after it became apparent that the government would be shut down indefinitely due to a stalemate between Trump and congressional Democrats over the president’s demand for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Adding to the tumult, the stock market has been experiencing heavy losses over concerns about a slowing global economy, Trump’s trade war with China and the president’s public slamming of the Federal Reserve and its chairman over interest rate hikes by the independent agency.

Trump’s visit comes at a time when his Middle East policy is in flux. He went against the views of his top national security advisers in announcing the Syria withdrawal, a decision that risks creating a vacuum for extremists to thrive.

There are dire implications in particular for neighboring Iraq. The Iraqi government now has control of all the country’s cities, towns and villages after fighting its last urban battles against IS in December 2017. But its political, military and economic situation remains uncertain, and the country continues to experience sporadic bombings, kidnappings and assassinations, which most people attribute to IS.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi recently said Iraqi troops could deploy into Syria to protect Iraq from threats across its borders. Iraq keeps reinforcements along its frontier to guard against infiltration by IS militants, who hold a pocket of territory along the Euphrates River.

Trump campaigned for office on a platform of ending U.S. involvement in foreign trouble spots, such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Syria decision will ultimately affect all of the approximately 2,000 troops deployed in the war-torn country. The Pentagon is also said to be developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops still serving in Afghanistan.

During the presidential campaign, Trump blamed Democrat Hillary Clinton for the rise of IS, due to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq at the end of 2011 during her tenure as secretary of state.

President George W. Bush is the one who set the 2011 withdrawal date as part of an agreement with the Iraqi government to gradually shrink the U.S. footprint and slowly hand off security responsibilities to the government and Iraqi security forces.

His successor, President Barack Obama, wanted to leave a residual force in Iraq to help the government manage ongoing security challenges. But he ultimately went ahead with the scheduled pullout in 2011 after Iraqi’s political leaders rejected terms the U.S. sought for legal protections for the U.S. troops that would have remained.

Two of Trump’s recent predecessors visited Iraq early in their terms.

Bush visited Iraq in November 2003, about eight months after that conflict began. Due to security concerns, Bush waited until 2006 to make his first visit to Afghanistan.

Obama visited Iraq in April 2009, the first year of his eight years in office, as part of an overseas tour. He visited Afghanistan in 2010.

Vice President Mike Pence visited Afghanistan in December 2017, not long after Trump outlined a strategy to break the stalemate in America’s longest war. Pence met with Afghan leaders and visited with U.S. troops stationed in the country. Trump has not visited Afghanistan.

Ag Broadband Coalition Applauds Connectivity Provision in Farm Bill

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The Agricultural Broadband Coalition welcomes the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act included in the just-signed 2018 Farm Bill. Coalition co-Chair Nick Tindall says, “U.S. farmers and ranchers are deploying more and more data-driven technologies and solutions in their operation, and their need for reliable broadband connections in the field is intensifying. This important provision highlights this need to expand broadband services, including mobile coverage, to U.S. croplands and ranchlands.”

Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau, says bringing together the USDA, the Federal Communications Commission, along with public and private stakeholders to address the needs of precision agriculture ensures current and future generations of farmers and ranchers will have the necessary connectivity to achieve their goals.

Brian Cavey, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for CoBank says, “Rural communities depend on broadband to keep their businesses competitive in the marketplace. The inclusion of the connectivity provision in the 2018 Farm Bill is an important step towards developing widespread broadband internet access across America’s farmland.”

Ag Groups Pleased 2018 Farm Bill is Finished

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Ag commodity and policy groups across the board are pleased the 2018 Farm Bill is over the finish line. The National Corn Growers Association says it’s pleased farmers can look forward to 2019 with the certainty of a new farm bill in place.

An NCGA statement says, “Between depressed commodity prices, record low farm incomes, as well as tariff and trade uncertainty, this is welcome news.” The American Soybean Association is happy with provisions in the bill that maintain the ARC and PLC programs, as well as a strong crop insurance program, funding for Foreign Market Development program, and many of its other priorities.

Incoming House Ag Chair Collin Peterson says the new bill provides expanded, affordable risk management options for dairy farmers, as well as permanent, mandatory funding for a host of other valuable programs.

The National Cotton Council says the legislation means the continuation and enhancements of a much-needed safety net, crucial for many producers still dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters in 2018. The U.S. Meat Export Federation says one of the most critical components in the new bill is support for the international promotion of U.S. agricultural products.

The American Farm Bureau says the bill improves on risk management programs, invests in research and beginning farmer programs, is budget neutral, and ensures environmental stewardship programs continue to be available.

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