HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Police are still working to determine the identity of the suspect who walked into a local Kwik Shop and demanded money.

It happened around 1:15 a.m. on March 7 at the Kwik Shop at 43rd and Plum. A white male, possibly in his early 20’s, entered the store, placed a black backpack on the counter and demanded money from the register. The suspect wore a hood and kept his face covered.

No weapon was actually seen according to police and the 63-year-old employee cooperated and gave the suspect cash from the register. He then left the store with the cash.

Police ask that if you have any information that could assist them with their investigation, call them at 694-2832 or Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 1-800-222-TIPS.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Parents of children birth to five-years-old in Reno County are invited to attend an evening training session on Conscious Discipline on one of six nights at locations across the county.

Conscious Discipline is a comprehensive approach aimed at improving the lives of parents and their children through self-awareness, brain information, developmental knowledge and useable skills necessary to create safe, connected, problem-solving homes.

The sessions will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the following dates:

March 29 at Hutchinson High School Childcare Center, 700 E. 13th Ave., Hutchinson
April 5 at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1602 N. Main St., Hutchinson
April 12 at Pretty Prairie Elementary School, 320 S. Rhodes St., Pretty Prairie
April 26 at Arlington Community Center, 900 W. Main St., Arlington
May 3 at Buhler Grade School, 808 N. Main St., Buhler
May 10 at Our Redeemer Lutheran Early Learning Center, 407 E. 12th Ave., Hutchinson

The training will be led by Shana Schmidt, LPC, owner and trainer at Unification Place, LLC. She is an infant mental health specialist, a Conscious Discipline certified instructor, and from 2011 to 2013 served as the executive director of the Kansas Association for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health.

Free dinner and childcare will be available. Advance registration is required by visiting www.heylittlehutch.org.

Conscious Discipline training is funded by the Early Childhood Block Grant, a program of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, and administered by Hutchinson Community Foundation.

RENO COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Chevy Impala driven by Malyssa D. Depperschmidt, 19, Sylvia, was northbound on Thompson Road one mile north of Sylvia.

After stopping at the stop sign at U.S. 50, the driver pulled out into the lanes of U.S. 50 and was struck by a 2000 Kenworth semi driven by Jimmie L. March, 43, Houstoniina, Missouri.

A passenger in the Chevy Depperschmidt, Dwayne J. Depperschmidt, 20, Sylvia, was pronounced dead at the scene.  Another passenger in the Chevy Cody A. George, 18, Sylvia, was transported to Wesley Medical Center.

Malyssa Depperschmidt was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. March was not injured.  All four were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A local man remains jailed on a bond of $106,500 for two counts of stalking, two counts for violating a protection order, burglary, theft, and a computer crime.

Jaron Bowersox allegedly broke into a Hutchinson home that belongs to the victim in his protection from abuse case. Bowersox then allegedly took items from the home. Witnesses say they spotted his purple van near the home and said Bowersox was carrying boxes out of the house.

He also faces a possible charge of hacking into the victim’s computer and deleting some of her emails.

Magistrate Judge Daniel Gilligan again warned Bowersox to have no contact with the victim. Bowersox will be back in court next week.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 35-year-old man convicted of first-degree murder in January is scheduled for sentencing Friday.

Quinton Moore was found guilty of killing 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen, who was shot multiple times while in bed at a residence at 1701 E. 30th in Hutchinson on Sept. 22, 2017.

Judge Tim Chambers set a special setting for sentencing Friday afternoon.

Moore remains jailed pending that sentencing.

Updated: Friday, March 15, at 7:25 a.m.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Fire Department responded to 134 E. Sherman for a commercial fire just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the Hutchinson Fire Department

First arriving fire units found heavy fire showing from the second floor of the Foundation of Life Ministries church. The fire was reported by an alert Hutchinson police officer patrolling the area. The fire quickly spread despite aggressive interior tactics by first-arriving firefighters. Two buildings suffered extensive damage. A third building, owned by Electrex, was threatened during the height of the incident. That building suffered only minor damage because of extensive efforts by firefighters.

The fire department operated eight engines and three ladder trucks with 40 firefighters. At the height of the fire, approximately 7,000 gallons of water per minute were utilized to fight the fire and contain it to the building of origin. Hutchinson was assisted with a ladder truck from McPherson and an engine from South Hutchinson. Reno County Fire District #3 and Pretty Prairie Fire provided engines to cover the city as all on-duty firefighters were working the fire.

Crews continue to soak down numerous hot spots and will continue to be on scene throughout the day. A notification has been made to the State Fire Marshal’s office and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as standard protocol for church fires.

Many streets remain closed in the area. Fire officials are asking pedestrian traffic to stay out of the area. Poplar Street is closed from 1st Avenue to Avenue A, 1st Avenue is closed from Poplar Street to Walnut Street, Walnut Street is closed from 1st Avenue to Sherman Avenue, and Sherman Avenue is closed from Main Street to Poplar Street.

RELATED: Crews continue to monitor fire that destroyed Hutchinson church

Original story

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Authorities are working to determine the cause of a large fire at Foundation of Life Ministries church in Hutchinson early Friday.

Crews from multiple agencies responded to the fire just before midnight at 134 East Sherman Street, according to a social media report from the Hutchinson Fire Department. There are no injuries reported.

Update: all crews working. Heavy fire still showing. pic.twitter.com/A7JzZOAAXW

— Hutchinson Fire Dept (@Hutchinson_Fire) March 15, 2019

The Kansas Fire Marshal’s office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will begin their investigation later Friday morning.

Streets near Sherman and Poplar are closed and officials ask that drivers avoid the area.

Check back for more information on the story as it becomes available.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court Friday ordered the suspension of a local attorney for a year and a half after a complaint was filed by the office of the Disciplinary Administrator.

In April of 2015, the court suspended Sam Kepfield’s license to practice law for one year for violating Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct. However, that action was suspended and he was placed on supervised probation for three years.

In May of 2018, a hearing panel convened after another complaint was filed. Before that, Kepfield stipulated to certain facts and rule violations against him in the complaint. The panel ruled that he had not violated any rules and continued the three years of probation.

The disciplinary administrator then filed a motion with the Kansas Supreme Court to revoke that probation.

It was found that Kepfield misled the attorney assigned to investigate his conduct. Kepfield led the investigating attorney to believe he deposited unearned fees from a client into a trust account. However, Kepfield did not have a trust account at the time. Accordingly, the hearing panel concluded that Kepfield was dishonest with the investigator.

The panel also indicated that Kepfield suffers from depression. The panel believes his depression may have been a contributing factor to the misconduct.

After going through all the facts of the case, the high court ordered Kepfield to serve the original one-year suspension and suspended him from practicing law for another three years. However, after six months of that suspension, he will again be placed on a three-year probation.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Clean up continues at 134 E. Sherman where a major structure fire destroyed Foundation of Life Ministries church in Hutchinson Thursday night.

Fire crews spent the day Friday putting out hot spots that continued to burn through the afternoon. Heavy machinery was brought in to tear down the remaining structure. Fire Inspector Tony Arpin says the areas of the building that are still standing are too unstable to allow anyone to enter. The instability could make it difficult to find an exact cause of the blaze.

A notification has been made to the State Fire Marshal’s Office and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as standard protocol for church fires.

There were no injuries reported.

ORIGINAL STORY

After a tremendous hard day of fighting fire, Firefighter take a minute to talk to a future young HFD firefighter. We always have time for our community. Thanks for all your prayers. Zero injuries reported today. pic.twitter.com/sTKxw7Qyt1

— Hutchinson Fire Dept (@Hutchinson_Fire) March 16, 2019

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Hutchinson man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced Friday afternoon in a Reno County courtroom.

Judge Tim Chambers handed down the life sentence for 35-year-old Quinton Moore. Moore was recently convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen. Under the sentence, Moore won’t be eligible for parole for 51 ½ years.

Allen was shot multiple times in a home in the 1700 block of East 30th. Moore fled the scene of the shooting, but was taken into custody. Under his Miranda rights, Moore admitted to the shooting. Moore had been Allen’s on-again-off-again roommate.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Nearly two years ago, Reno County District Judge Trish Rose ordered the state to give 30-year-old Paul Stotts an offer that was originally given to his attorney before trial in his 2007 case.

Stotts was convicted of attempted manufacture of methamphetamine, aggravated battery and several other charges.

He entered a plea to the original offer and was sentenced to 13 ½ years as opposed to the original sentence of more than 24 years.

In his appeal, Stotts argued that his lawyer, David Holmes, never told him about an offer from the state that would have granted him less prison time. The state argued his attorney did inform him about the offer. The state said Stotts turned the offer down.

Currently, Stotts is serving roughly 25 years for the case that included a 24-minute high-speed chase through both South Hutchinson and Hutchinson. That March 26, 2007, chase ultimately ended with a crash on what is now the old K-61 Highway.

With the new sentence, Stotts could be released from prison in the near future.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council will consider a contract for site work on the T-Hangar project at the Hutchinson Airport during Tuesday’s agenda session. The recommended bid comes from Prairie Landworks at $310,476.

Also Tuesday, the council will hold a public hearing on the request to raze the old sugar mill building. The building suffered a partial collapse last month and the building’s owner wants to take the rest of the structure down. The council is being left to take action on the matter since the Landmarks Commission cannot authorize such demolition since the building is on the list of historic buildings.

Finally, the council will seek approval to follow the state’s change in liquor laws to allow the sale of beer exceeding 3.2 percent alcohol in stores.

Tuesday’s meeting of the Hutchinson City Council begins at 9 a.m. in the Hutchinson city offices.

HUTCHINSON — Three people arrested in the early morning hours of March 9 on drug-related charges were before a judge again Monday for the reading of formal charges.

David Joshua Logan, 26, Alisha Brown, 20, and Dustin Ray Berry, 22, face charges of being in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, and personal use drug paraphernalia.

The arrests came during a traffic stop on K-96 and Kent Road. The Reno County Sheriff’s deputy who made the stop reportedly could smell marijuana when he made contact with the occupants, and a search of the vehicle allegedly led to the discovery of a gallon-sized bag of marijuana, paraphernalia and a fully-loaded handgun.

It is believed that they purchased the marijuana in Wichita and intended to sell it in Hutchinson.

During a court hearing Monday, Brown claimed she was being threatened by the family of one of the other suspects. After the hearing, she was taken to the law enforcement center to make of report over the threats.

The three are scheduled to be back in court next month.

HUTCHINSON – A 26-year-old man was arrested just after 11:30 p.m. Friday in what police said appears to be a domestic case.

Demetrius Cantu was jailed for battery/domestic violence, but more serious charges include attempted robbery and felony flee and elude.

The arrest occurred in the 100 block of West A after Cantu reportedly tried to flee from police after an attempted robbery report.

The Reno County Correctional Facility inmate log showed he bonded out, but was arrested again early Sunday for violation of a no-contact order with the victim. He again posted bond and is scheduled to make an initial court appearance this week.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Fire investigators continue to look for the cause of a fire that destroyed a church at 134 E. Sherman last week.

The fire destroyed Foundation of Life Ministries church in Hutchinson. Hutchinson Fire Investigator Tony Arpin says they’re still looking for what may have happened to cause the fire.

Heavy machinery was brought in last week to tear down the building. Arpin says the areas of the building that were still standing were too unstable that resulted in it being torn down.

A notification was made to the State Fire Marshal’s office and to The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms which is standard protocol for church fires.

There were no injuries reported.

RENO COUNTY — One person was injured in a home accident Monday in rural Reno County.

Just after 4:30p.m., deputies and emergency crews were dispatched to a home at 27119 W. Pleasant Valley Road in Reno County for a report of an explosion with an injured person, according to the Reno County Sheriff’s Department.

Gary Osenbaugh, 50, Turon, was blowing out a pressure tank with an air compressor when the pressure tank exploded.

The tank was blown out of the underground housing and struck Gary in the head.

Reno County EMS transported Osenbaugh to Wesley Medical Center for treatment of a severe head injury, according to the sheriff’s department.

Check out game recaps from the NJCAA tournament in Hutchinson.

Catch up with the action and stay up-to-date throughout the tourney at HutchPost.com.

Click HERE for the latest hoops news.

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — A local Special Olympian has won a gold medal in the Special Olympics World Games held in Abu Dabi in The United Arab Emirates.

Hutchinson’s Taryn Grub won the gold medal in singles bowling Sunday. Grub was also a part of the USA team that won a silver medal during the event. Grub is the daughter of Wonda Deventhal and Mike Grub.

Grub and team USA were among the more than 7,000 athletes from 170 countries competing in 24 summer sports, along with 2,500 coaches and 20,000 volunteers.

These are the first Special Olympics World Games to be held in the Middle East/North Africa region.

HUTCHINSON – The certified public accounting firm of Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball announced the hiring of Bridget Pearcy to their professional team.

She joins the firm as a staff accountant and will serve in the companies tax and audit departments. She has seven years of accounting experience, most recently working for the state of Kansas.

“We’re excited to welcome Bridget to the ABBB team,” said Brian Staats, CPA, CGMA, managing partner of ABBB. “Both her prior experience and dedication to the profession will greatly benefit our firm and the clients we serve. We look forward to her contributions to our team and clients.”

A 2012 graduate of the University of Kansas, Pearcy holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting. She remains affiliated with her alma mater via the KU Alumni Association.

Pearcy lives in Hutchinson with her husband, Kyle, and their daughter, Allie.

HUTCHINSON – After a public hearing Tuesday, the Hutchinson City Council agreed to tear down the old Sugar Mill building in the 600 block of East First.

The building suffered a partial collapse in February, and owner Ted Robinson wants to tear down the rest of the structure.

“You know I hate to see the building get torn down, honestly. But, at this point, I don’t see that there are any other options. I don’t have the funds to correctly rebuild it,” he said.

The cost to repair the structure would come to around $204,000, but to bring the structure to the point that it would be usable space is estimated to be around $2 million, according to statements made by officials at the meeting.

There was some discussion of trying to save some of the materials from the building that could be used to remember it. Robinson was open to the suggestion and said he would work with the Landmarks Commission.

The council was left with the decision to take action since the Landmarks Commission cannot authorize such demolition, since the building is on the list of historic buildings. The council also voted to remove the structure from that list.

HUTCHINSON – With little discussion, the Reno County Commission on Tuesday approved a resolution for the payment of bonds used to build the Reno County Correctional Facility, improve the Reno County Jail Annex and improve security at the courthouse.

The next step will be to provide notice to the Kansas Department of Revenue that the county intends to sunset the sales tax used to fund the bond repayment. Notification will be made by April 1, and the tax will sunset on July 1.

The county expects to save $879,400 in interest and have as much as $1 million from the sales tax collected that won’t need to be spent on the project.