A 48-year-old Hutchinson man arrested for aggravated assault is scheduled for court Friday where he may enter a plea.

John Moyers is alleged to have threatened 19-year-old Brett Herald with a knife during an altercation in the 700 block of North Main back in September.

Moyers has other convictions including burglary for a case in McPherson County in 2007, and then older convictions for criminal damage to property and violation of a protective order in 1998. He was also convicted of aggravated battery in 1999.

The hearing scheduled for Friday is in front of Judge Joe McCarville. However, all hearings are subject to last minute continuances.

The third of three suspects in the burglary and theft of Westphal Jewelers in Hutchinson who entered “guilty” pleas to two of the four charges against him is scheduled for court Friday for sentencing.

Kenya Breakfield entered pleas to burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary while the state dropped the other two charges of felony theft and felony criminal damage.

Both sides will be able to argue disposition in the case if sentencing occurs Friday morning in front of Judge Trish Rose.

The other two suspects in the case have already been sentenced. 38-year-old Derrick Glover, entered the plea in the case to burglary, felony theft, criminal damage to property and conspiracy to commit burglary. He was sentenced to a total of 4 and a half years in prison.

44-year old Francis Johnson was convicted of all four charges against him and District Judge Joe McCarville sentenced him to 29-months in prison.

The three were convicted of driving a stolen vehicle through the front entry way of Westphal Jewelers back on January 12, 2013 and stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise.

It caused substantial damage to the building.

Hutchinson High School will have two Kansas Army National Guard sergeants on duty April 16. Regular volunteer Staff Sergeant Eric Reichert will be joined by Sergeant Theresa Vail from 9:15 to 10:55 a-m, at Hutch High during seminar period.

In addition to wearing her sergeant chevrons, however, Vail wears something else – a tiara as the 2013 Miss Kansas.

A senior at Kansas State University, Vail became Miss Kansas last summer in Pratt.

During her visit to the high school as well as visits to Hutchinson Community College and Buhler High School later in the day, Vail will meet with students and talk about her experiences as both a citizen soldier and as Miss Kansas.

A 14-year-old boy was injured while being struck by a vehicle outside Hutchinson Middle School 8, in the 200 block of West 14 th.

According to police, 17-year-old Jacob Tyler Ice who lives in that area struck the 14-year-old as he was crossing the street. Edward Hernandez was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment. His condition is unknown.

The accident occurring around 3:20 p-m, Thursday afternoon as school was letting out for the day.

Need a tank of gas for the weekend?  Here are the latest pump prices around town.

Area Average : $3.494

Last Week: $3.490 Last Month: $3.436 6 Months Ago: $3.245 Last Year: $3.521

Average Cost To Fuel A Vehicle With a 15 Gallon Tank: $52.41
Last Week: $52.34 Last Month: $51.54 6 Months Ago: $48.68 Last Year: $52.82

Station	Address	Reg	Dsl	Services
KWIK SHOP #765 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	434 E 17TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.479 Apr 03 09:01 PM
KWIK SHOP #774 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	1401 E 17TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.479 Apr 03 09:01 PM
KWIK SHOP #768 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	8 N MAIN ST South Hutchinson , KS	$3.479 Apr 03 08:02 PM	$3.789 Apr 04 06:30 AM
KWIK SHOP #738 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	1330 E 30TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.479 Apr 03 09:01 PM
4TH AND WHITESIDE SHAMROCK Diamond Shamrock	828 E 4TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 03 06:01 PM	$3.749 Apr 01 09:30 AM
KWIK SHOP #726 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	500 N MONROE ST Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 03 08:30 PM	$3.789 Mar 31 01:03 PM
PIC QUIK #7 Cenex	428 E 4TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 02
KWIK SHOP #724 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	1701 N MONROE ST Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 03 04:30 PM
DICKS EAST Phillips 66	1215 E 4TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 03 06:02 AM
KWIK SHOP #725 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	1401 E 4TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 04 06:30 AM	$3.789 Apr 03 07:30 PM
KWIK SHOP #764 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	2617 N MAIN ST Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 03 09:01 AM
RED ROCK AUTO CENTER Unbranded	200 N MAIN ST South Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 04 06:30 AM	$3.789 Apr 01 04:30 PM
PIC QUIK #9 Cenex	1000 W 30TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 02
PIC QUIK #10 Cenex	1630 E 30TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 02
KWIK SHOP #769 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	1006 S MAIN ST South Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 03 10:30 PM
KWIK SHOP #736 (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Kwik Shop	4216 N PLUM ST Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 03 10:30 PM	$3.789 Apr 03 12:01 PM
PLAZA GO TRUCK STOP Conoco	1515 S MAIN ST South Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 03 08:02 PM	$3.829 Apr 04 06:30 AM
PIC QUIK #6 Cenex	901 E 11TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 01
PIC QUIK 1 Cenex	1905 E 4TH AVE Hutchinson , KS	$3.499 Apr 01
ZIP TRIP Unbranded	200 E AVENUE A Hutchinson , KS
PIC QUIK 3 Cenex	800 S MAIN ST Hutchinson , KS
FARMERS COOPERATIVE Cenex	1200 W 4TH AVE Hutchinson , KS
DILLONS FUEL # 9097 Dillon	3200 PLAZA EAST DR Hutchinson , KS

There will be multiple chances for rain from Saturday evening through Monday night. However anticipated rainfall amounts will be less than a tenth of an inch for most of the area.

———-

Here Is Your 7-Day Forecast For Hutchinson And South Central Kansas

Today… Sunny, with a high near 55. North northwest wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Tonight… Mostly clear, with a low around 33. North northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east southeast after midnight.

Saturday… Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. South wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Saturday Night… A 20 percent chance of rain after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. South southeast wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Sunday… A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after 8am. Cloudy, with a high near 58. South wind 5 to 9 mph.

Sunday Night… A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Monday… A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.

Monday Night… A chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.

Tuesday… Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Breezy.

Tuesday Night… Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Wednesday… Sunny, with a high near 71.

Wednesday Night… Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Thursday… Sunny, with a high near 76.

Hutchinson consumers safely disposed of more than 2 tons of personal documents during last week’s free document destruction event, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.

Nearly 150 consumers dropped off 4,880 pounds of documents during the event, held last Monday at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. In total, 1,600 Kansas consumers disposed of more than 30 tons of documents during the nine events held across the state in honor of National Consumer Protection Week.

“Kansas consumers clearly recognized the importance of securely disposing of documents containing personal information,” Schmidt said. “As a result, these documents have been safely shredded and recycled and are no longer at risk of falling into the hands of identity thieves.”

A 28-year-old Hutchinson man who is charged with selling drugs twice to confidential informants back in July of last year will face racketeering charges.

Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton told Judge Tim Chambers that has dismissed the two sales of drugs cases then filed a new complaint, including the charge of racketeering. Now, Matthew Gullick is still charged with the sale of drugs, but they will now be alternated counts to the racketeering charge. The racketeering charge is something that hasn’t been filed very much locally. That will mean a new preliminary hearing in those two cases.

Gulick was charged for allegedly selling of methamphetamine on July 24, and the second on July 31, of last year. In both cases, law enforcement used to informants to make the buys. In the first case, he allegedly sold less then a half a gram to the officer, and the second time, it was just over 2 grams. Gulick is also charged with having no tax stamp.

He also has a felony theft case that goes back to July of 2012. He allegedly stole items from K-Mart. Because of prior theft convictions, it is filed as a felony case. That case will still proceed to trial with Judge Tim Chambers.

Plus Gulick has a fourth case where he was arrested for aggravated Intimidation of a witness or victim and interference with the legal process. He’s alleged to have pulled his vehicle in the way of a witness in one of his other cases, gotten out of the vehicle and began yelling at the witness and allegedly threatened to kill them. This allegedly occurring on Friday February 7. He was also arrested for allegedly being in possession of stolen property.

When the preliminary hearing for the two drug sales cases and the intimidation case is unknown.

Gulick remains jailed on a bond of 148-thousand, 500-dollars.

Four Kansas Lottery players from Hutchinson will get to watch the NASCAR races under the lights at Kansas Speedway in May! The lucky winners have each won a VIP racing weekend in the first of two Kansas Speedway online-only second-chance drawings.

To become eligible for the May NASCAR races, players entered their non-winning $5 Super Red Hot Crossword instant scratch tickets online through the Kansas Lottery Players Club from December 18, 2013 through noon April 1, 2014. There were 22,896 entries in the drawing.

Those local winners from Hutchinson include, John Smith, Amy Wiggins, Gerrod Hearon and
Patti Warnken.

Each Kansas Speedway grand prize includes two tickets for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race May 9 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race May 10; double occupancy hotel room for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; round trip trolley tickets between hotel and track; two admissions to the Kansas Lottery winners’ suite at Kansas Speedway, including food and beverage; $400 cash; and mandatory state and federal income withholding taxes. Each prize is valued at approximately $4,500.

The local winners will receive an email for address verification followed by a mailed claim form. Winners must claim their prize package within 14-days from the date of the drawing, or the next eligible entry will be declared the winner.

Non-winning $5 Super Red Hot Crossword entries for the May NASCAR races will be eligible to win prizes in the second Kansas Speedway promotion for the October NASCAR races. The deadline for entries is noon August 19, 2014. The winners will be announced August 22.

There were 26-other winners from across the state.

The third of three suspects in the burglary and theft of Westphal Jewelers in Hutchinson who entered “guilty” pleas to two of the four charges against him was sentenced to 40-months in prison.

Kenya Breakfield entered pleas to burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary while the state dropped the other two charges of felony theft and felony criminal damage. He was given 34-months for the burglary count and 6-months for the conspiracy count. Judge Trish Rose ordered the sentences to run consecutive to each other after denying a defense motions for a downward departure.

His sentence will also run consecutive to the sentence he’s currently serving time on. That includes convictions for two counts of attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child, felony theft, obstruction and aggravated robbery. Those crimes occurring in Johnson County in 1997 and 1998.

The other two suspects in the case have already been sentenced. 38-year-old Derrick Glover, entered the plea in the case to burglary, felony theft, criminal damage to property and conspiracy to commit burglary. He was sentenced to a total of 4 and a half years in prison.

44-year old Francis Johnson was convicted of all four charges against him and District Judge Joe McCarville sentenced him to 29-months in prison.

The three were convicted of driving a stolen vehicle through the front entry way of Westphal Jewelers back on January 12, 2013 and stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise.

The three will also have to pay thousands in restitution in the case with a hearing on the matter to be scheduled within the next 30-days.

A 24-year-old Hutchinson man was taken to a Wichita hospital late Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle.

Hutchinson Police report that a van driven by 44-year-old Patrick S. Helms of South Hutchinson was westbound on a green light, while 24-year-old Steven Langston was walking northbound in the crosswalk on the west side of the intersection and was struck by the van.

Langston was first taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, then flown to Wesley Medical Center with possible head injuries.

Police Sgt. Brian Hirt say there is no evidence that alcohol was a factor in the incident. He says no citations have been issued, but the collision is still under investigation.

(photo courtesy of Downtown Hutchinson and Patsy Terrell)

The K & O Train is offering three excursions on April 26. The train will depart downtown Hutchinson at 10 a-m, 1 p-m and 3 p-m. Tickets are 12-dollars and can be purchased from any HutchRec location including Dillon Nature Center, Elmdale Community Center and the main office at 17 E 1st.

The train will board at Avenue C and Main Street. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to train departure time and be ready to board on the north side of the tracks. Park south of the tracks on the west side of Main or along Avenue C on the East side of Main.

These passenger trains are historic equipment and are not handicap accessible. No food or drink is allowed. Not responsible for changes in equipment, route, schedule or cancellation (if necessary). Tickets are non-refundable.

The route will be determined that day, based on other rail traffic. The round trip ride will be about one hour.

For more information, check downtownhutch.com.

Very high grassland fire danger is forecast this afternoon across central Kansas, roughly west of a line from Salina to Hutchinson. For Saturday night through Monday night, periodic sprinkles and light showers are expected over the entire area. Rainfall amounts will generally range from about one to two tenths of an inch.

———-

Here Is Your 7-Day Forecast For Hutchinson And South Central Kansas

Today… Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs 60 to 65. South winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight… Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain. Not as cool. Lows in the mid 40s. South winds 5 to 15 mph.

Sunday… Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Highs in the mid 50s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night… Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain. Lows 40 to 45. South winds up to 5 mph becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight.

Monday… Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning…then a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Breezy. Highs near 60. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph becoming north 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Monday Night… Partly cloudy. Lows 35 to 40.

Tuesday And Tuesday Night… Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 60s. Lows near 40.

Wednesday Through Thursday… Mostly clear. Highs 75 to 80. Lows near 50.

Thursday Night And Friday… Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. Highs near 70.

There will be a wide range of temperatures this week. Temperatures on Sunday through Tuesday will be either near or well below normal. However starting Wednesday, temperatures will likely climb well above normal. The normal low for this time of year is in the lower 40s, with highs averaging in the mid 60s.

———-

Here Is Your 7-Day Forecast For Hutchinson And South Central Kansas

Today… Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain. Highs near 60. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight… Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Lows 40 to 45. South winds 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight.

Monday… Cloudy. Rain likely in the morning…then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Breezy. Highs 55 to 60. North winds 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Monday Night… Mostly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Lows in the mid 30s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tuesday… Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tuesday Night… Clear. Lows 40 to 45.

Wednesday Through Thursday… Mostly clear. Highs 75 to 80. Lows 50 to 55.

Thursday Night And Friday… Partly cloudy. Lows 45 to 50. Highs near 70.

Friday Night… Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Lows near 50. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Saturday… Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs near 70. Chance of rain 40 percent.

A 35-year-old Hutchinson man with other cases pending in District Court was arrested Sunday afternoon after he allegedly fled a Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper and Hutchinson Police.

It started around 4:40 p-m, Sunday when the trooper says he observed Dominic Vargas who he knew to be an absconder and had warrants for his arrest driving in the area of 900 block of West 4th. The trooper attempted to stop the vehicle and Vargas allegedly refused to pull over and officers with the Hutchinson Police assisted the trooper.

He allegedly abandoned the vehicle in the 100 block of East 10th and fled on foot and went into a residence in the 100 block of East 11th. Officers set up a perimeter and were able to negotiate with the occupants of the residence to exit the house. Four people exited the house and were detained. One of the occupants was Vargas and he was placed under arrest.

Potential charges include felony flee and elude, leaving the scene of an accident, failing to give information of an accident, and driving while suspended. The jail log also shows a charge of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer.

He already has charges pending for possession of K-2 or synthetic marijuana for an arrest with two others in April of last year.

Vargas has another case where he’s charged with possession of meth, possession of marijuana, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms and possession of drug paraphernalia. This case goes back to September of 2012.

He has a bond of 165-thousand dollars and unless he post that bond, should make a court appearance Monday morning.

E-Cigarettes are becoming more and more popular, but they’re also starting to fall under no smoking policies in various areas. And that will include Reno County if action is taken by Commissioners during their regular meeting Tuesday.

The commission will seek approval of a ban on E-cigarettes in all county buildings and vehicles. It would treat the electronic devices just like any other tobacco product and would be ban. It would include all chemical supplies, chargers, batteries atomizers and any other items related to an e-cigarette.

Also Tuesday, the commission will consider a right of way agreement with Cox Communications for supplying cable service to rural areas of the county.

Tuesday’s meeting of the Reno County Commission begins at 9 am at the Reno County Court House.

For the first time in eight years, the Cosmosphere’s Liberty Bell-7 Space capsule is preparing to leave its home at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center for The Art and Exhibition Hall in Germany. In August, the craft will become part of a temporary exhibit, “Outer Space: The Space Between Art and Science.” The exhibit, developed in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center and will be on display October 3, 2014, through February 22, 2015, at which point Liberty Bell 7 will return home to the Cosmosphere.

As you may remember, Liberty Bell 7, piloted by Virgil “Gus” Grissom, ended with the craft lost at the bottom of the ocean for 38 years until a joint recovery effort by the Kansas Cosmosphere’s SpaceWorks team and The Discovery Channel in June 1999.

A farewell exhibit, opening at the Cosmosphere May 10, 2014, titled “A New Flight Path for Liberty Bell 7,” will highlight this remarkable piece of the Cosmosphere’s collection with supporting artifacts recovered from the craft during the restoration process.

Warm, mostly sunny and dry weather is anticipated Tuesday and beyond across the region. The next chance of precipitation enters back into the forecast by next weekend.

———-

Here is Your 7-Day Forecast For Hutchinson And South Central Kansas

Today… Partly sunny. A chance of showers late in the morning…then a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs near 60. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight… Mostly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Lows in the mid 30s. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph in the evening.

Tuesday… Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Tuesday Night… Mostly clear. Lows near 40. West winds 5 to 10 mph becoming south after midnight.

Wednesday… Sunny…breezy…warmer. Highs near 80. South winds 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night And Thursday… Mostly clear. Lows near 50. Highs 70 to 75.

Thursday Night And Friday… Partly cloudy. Lows 45 to 50. Highs 70 to 75.

Friday Night… Partly cloudy. Lows 50 to 55.

Saturday… Breezy. Partly sunny with a slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Saturday Night… Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Lows 50 to 55. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Sunday… Breezy…cooler. Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

A 20-year-old Hutchinson man made a first court appearance Monday after his arrest Friday for two counts of electronic solicitation.

Matthew O’Keefe is alleged to have made contact online with a 13-year-old girl back in March and solicited a sexual encounter, that according to Hutchinson Police Detective Scott Carlton.

Carlton says he then made contact on Facebook as a 15-year-old girl and began chatting with him and they decided to meet last Friday at Rice Park, on the city’s west side. O’Keefe showed up thinking he was going to meet the 15-year-old, but met police instead.

Carlton says because his initial contact was with a 13-year-old, that count could fall under Jessica’s Law, meaning he could be looking at a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25-years, if convicted. Of course its up to the state to decide what charges will be filed.

O’Keefe made an appearance in court on the potential charges and his 15-thousand dollar bond was left the same. Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen set a status hearing in the case for April 9.

The trial for a Hutchinson man charged with first degree murder has been continued till late summer.

District Judge Tim Chambers says that the trial for Michael Brisco will now begin on August 25. It had been scheduled to begin on May 5.

Brisco is charged with two alternate counts of murder for the shooting of 26-year-old Sem Adrien. One is for premeditated first degree murder and the alternate count is for intentional second degree murder. Other charges include criminal possession of a firearm, aggravated intimidation of a victim or witness, possession of methamphetamine and solicitation to commit perjury.

The alleged crimes occurring after Adrien may have been rude to Brisco’s girlfriend and the two began to fight inside Brisco’s home. The shooting occurring outside with the victim collapsing on a nearby parking lot near 8th & Plum. The crime occurring back on September 9, 2013.

Both sides anticipate filing motions in the case prior to trial meaning there will be a motion hearing scheduled at some point prior to trial beginning. But, again the trial is now continued till August 25.