A few showers and thunderstorms are possible over far southeast Kansas, southern Missouri, eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas Friday, as an upper level disturbance approaches from the northwest. Warmer and breezy conditions will prevail Saturday, with thunderstorm chances increasing late in the day through overnight. Precipitation chances will continue to increase for Sunday and Sunday night, with a strong cold front triggering widespread showers and thunderstorms across the region, and ushering much colder air south. This may result in light wintry precipitation over generally the northwest two-thirds of Kansas Sunday and Sunday night. Light snow accumulations are possible.

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

Tonight… Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. East winds 5 to 15 mph.

Friday… Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night… Partly cloudy. Lows near 50. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday… Partly sunny. Highs near 80. South winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night… Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows 55 to 60.

Sunday… Windy…cooler. Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs 60 to 65. Temperature falling into the upper 40s in the afternoon.

Sunday Night… Windy. Much colder. Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain or snow. Lows in the mid 30s.

Monday… Cooler. Mostly sunny. Highs 50 to 55.

Monday Night And Tuesday… Mostly clear. Lows 30 to 35. Highs 60 to 65.

Tuesday Night And Wednesday… Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows near 40. Highs 65 to 70.

An 81-year-old Butler County man was taken to the hospital after a two vehicle accident in Hutchinson Wednesday afternoon.

Police report that Ronald Watts of Augusta was attempting to make a left turn at the intersection of 17th & Lorraine when he pulled into the path of an oncoming vehicle driven by 53-year-old Janice Stewart.

Watts was taken by Reno County EMS to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment because of being confused. Stewart was not injured. Watts was also cited for making an improper left turn.

The accident occurring just after 1:30 p-m.

The 35-year-old Hutchinson man arrested Sunday afternoon after he allegedly fled a Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper and Hutchinson Police has not yet made a court appearance for the reading of formal charges and apparently won’t until April 16.

Dominic Vargas faces a number of charges after the chase which started around 4:40 p-m, when the trooper observed Vargas driving and knew him to be an absconder and had warrants for his arrest. He was seen driving in the area of the 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. Vargas at some point is alleged to have struck a patrol car.

He allegedly abandoned the vehicle he was driving 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 after about an hour. 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, driving while suspended and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer.

Vargas has other charges pending for possession of K-2 or synthetic marijuana for an arrest with two others in April of last year. He also 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 is scheduled for a status hearing in these two cases Friday in front of Judge Tim Chambers.

His bond in the new case is 150-thousand, but bonds total 165-thousand.

What Assistant District Attorney Andrew Davidson described as bizarre, a 27-year-old Hutchinson man called police Wednesday to report a burglary at a neighbors home. Turns out, David Wiggs is alleged to be the one who committed the burglary.

Police were called on the report of a burglary at a home in the 700 block of West 6th, around 10:45 a-m. When they arrived, they found a broken window to the basement of the home and the back door had been kicked in. They also found blood inside the residence and a boot print found on the back door.

When police made contact with Wiggs, he had one of his hands in his pocket. At first, he refused to take it out, but when he did, it was clear that his hand had recently been cut. They also found blood inside his residence which is located in the same area as the burglary scene. Wiggs had taken off his boots, but when police saw the boots, they matched the boot print found at the burglary scene. The one boot also had some paint that had chipped off when it made contact with the door.

The only thing taken from the residence was three packs of cigarettes according to Davidson. They were allegedly found in Wiggs home. Also found was some marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Charges include burglary of a dwelling, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal damage to property.

In court he asked for a reduction of the 8-thousand, 250-dollar bond, but when asked by Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen why he should reduce the bond? Wiggs could only state. “I don’t know.” Bond reduction was denied.

Wiggs will be back in court next Wednesday for a status hearing.

The United Way of Reno County announced Thursday a new admission to its agency partnerships, Circles of Hope- Reno County.

They says admission to the United Way can be a very competitive field and that they have an obligation to donors to be very thorough and to ensure good stewardship of their donation. After a lengthy process, the Board of Directors of United Way voted to admit Circles of Hope-Reno County.

“We are pleased to welcome Circles of Hope into our agency partnership,” states Tona Turner, Executive Director of United Way. “Circles of Hope’s mission is very much aligned with the goals that this United Way has set out to achieve”.

United Way of Reno County is working hard to create opportunities for a better life for all in our community. The focus is on education, income and health because these are the building blocks for a good quality of life. United Way has set a goal to help reduce the number of lower income working families who are financially unstable in Reno County. Circles of Hope centers on low income families who often lack not only financial advantages, but a circle of social assets to guide them. This alignment will allow that work to continue to strengthen and expand in our community.

Circles of Hope have been operating in Hutchinson Kansas for 3 years. For more information about Circles of Hope-Reno County please contact Susan Smith, Coordinator for Circles of Hope at susanfrickssmith@gmail.com. If you would like to learn more about or get involved in United Way of Reno County’s work on education, income or health, please contact Lisa Gleason, Director of Community Impact for United Way at lgleason@unitedwayofrenocounty.org.

The 25-year-old Hutchinson man convicted on child sex charges is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.

Michael Wayne Stahl entered pleas to 4-counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, two counts of electronic solicitation, one count of attempted indecent liberties with a child and exploitation of a child. However at sentencing, the two sides are recommend running all of the counts concurrent to each other, then asking for a departure from Jessica’s Law to the regular sentencing grid with the charges being level-1 person felonies. He was looking at multiple life sentences under Jessica’s Law.

The case centers on Stahl communicating with two 13-year-old girls through Facebook and also by text. That apparently led to him meeting the girls and then the sexual encounters occurring.

Police became involved in the case when two reports were made to them and a detective then started communicating with Stahl. He posed as a 14-year-old girl and that led to Stahl showing up at an abandoned residence where he thought he was meeting the 14-year-old, but met police instead.

After his arrest in October, he apparently admitted that he inappropriately touched the girls. The crimes occurring in September and October of last year.

Stahl is looking at a sentence of between 147-months to 653-months, depending on his criminal history.

After a jury found a Hutchinson man guilty of two counts of aggravated battery, aggravated burglary and aggravated assault back on March 7, Troy Bell is scheduled to be sentenced on those charges on Friday.

Bell had been charged with attempted murder in that case as well, but was found “not guilty” on that count.

Bell was charged in the case where six men allegedly went to the home of Jeffrey Payne with most breaking in and physically attacking and stabbed the victim numerous times in the leg and torso at his home at 633 East 4th. The attack took place back on February 18, 2013.

The motive for the attack is over an incident where the mother of the two co-defendants Joseph and Jordon LeShore was slapped. That led to the six men going to Payne’s home and attacking him. Ironically, he’s not even the person who allegedly attacked the LeShore brothers mother.

Others accused of being involved in the attack with cases pending include Jordon LeShore, John Cantu and Sean Arevalo-Mendoza.

Desmund Cantu has already been convicted and is serving 7-years.

Joseph LeShore was allowed to withdraw his plea to attempted 2nd degree murder and will now face trial on a charge of attempted 1st degree murder as well as the other charges. He had been awaiting sentencing after he entered a plea to an amended charge of attempted 2nd degree murder, as well as aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and aggravated battery. He at that time admitted in court his involvement in the beating and stabbing of Payne. But he says felt coerced into entering the plea by his then attorney Alice Osburn. So Judge Tim Chambers allowed him to withdraw his plea on the attempted 2nd degree murder charge.

Hutchinson is one of the country’s most dangerous suburbs, according to a study posted on the website of a national real estate research blog. 

Movoto.com, released a study of “America’s 10 Most Dangerous Suburbs.” The only problem, Hutchinson is not a suburb. Yes,we’re close to Wichita, but hardly a suburb. According to the blog, Hutch was listed as number 11 most dangerous suburb in the country.

The blog says they analyzed crime data for a total of 116 suburban cities. These comprise the largest suburbs of the 50 largest cities in the country for which crime data is available. This data comes from the FBI’s uniform crime report for 2012, the latest full-year edition of the bureau’s publication. The data they say they looked at comprised seven main types of crime of murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft and vehicle theft. This based on per 100 residents.

They show the city with two murders, 619-violent crimes, 5-thousand, 947-property crimes in 2012 for a total of 6-thousand, 566.

On this blog, they also considered Newton as a suburb. That city came in at 29 on the list. Yes, Newton is also close to Wichita, but no where close to being a suburb of the Air Capital.

Movoto is a real estate company that helps connect buyers and sellers with local real estate agents across the country.

To see the entire blog, go to www.movoto.com/blog/top-ten/dangerous-suburbs.

A bumpy weekend with showers and thunderstorms developing Saturday afternoon/evening and spreading across the area Saturday night and throughout the day Sunday. Some storms could be strong Sunday over southeast Kansas. Highs will be above normal on Saturday in the 70s and 80s with cooler temperatures arriving with the cold front Sunday afternoon. Highs on Monday will be in the 50s. A chance for snow will be possible early Monday morning.

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

Today… Sunny. Highs near 80. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight… Mostly clear. Warmer. Lows in the mid 50s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday… Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 80 to 85. South winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Saturday Night… Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows near 60. South winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph in the evening.

Sunday… Mostly cloudy. A chance of thunderstorms in the morning…then a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Windy…cooler. Highs near 70. Temperature falling into the lower 40s in the afternoon. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph becoming north 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday Night… Windy. Much colder. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain or snow. Lows 30 to 35.

Monday… Breezy…cooler. Mostly sunny. Highs near 50.

Monday Night And Tuesday… Warmer. Mostly clear. Lows near 30. Highs 60 to 65.

Tuesday Night And Wednesday… Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows near 40. Highs in the mid 60s.

Wednesday Night… Breezy. Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s.

Thursday… Breezy. Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers. Highs 60 to 65.

A 28-year-old Hutchinson man who entered pleas the cases against him was ordered to prison in one case, while granted community corrections in the other.

Judge Trish Rose ordered Timothy Bohannan to prison for 21-months for three counts of burglary. She couldn’t find any compelling reason to give a departure which was requested by the defense.

But, later in another courtroom with District Judge Tim Chambers, Bohannan’s attorney again asked for a departure which was against the wishes of the state, but this time it was granted. Judge Chambers sentenced Bohannan to a total of 26-months for three charges, that being theft by deception and two counts of forgery. He then granted 12-months community corrections, however the corrections won’t even begin till after he serves the nearly two years in prison.

The cases start against Bohannan for a burglary occurring between December 14, and December 21, 2012 when he broke into a home and stole electronic items from the owner. He’s also accused of making false information on a pawn ticket.

For burglaries back on June 10, 2013, he’s alleged to have broken into two different apartments at 441 North Washington where he stole personal items from two women.

And between June 10 and June 13, 2013, he stole a camera and lens and then again making false information on a pawn ticket. The theft case rises to a felony because of two or more prior convictions.

Bohannan has a felony conviction for drugs that goes back to 2005. He was discharged from that case in 2008. He also has prior misdemeanor theft convictions.

A 51-year-old Hutchinson man accused of pointing a loaded cross bow at a neighbor entered a plea to a reduced charge Friday in front of Judge Tim Chambers.

Jackie Thomas was charged with a single count of aggravated assault stemming from the incident November 2, 2013. But, he entered a “guilty” plea to a single count of criminal threat.

Thomas pointed the weapon at the victim who lives just a few doors down the street from the defendant.

He’ll be sentenced on the single count on May 30, and his attorney Sarah McKinnon asked for a signature bond considering the conviction is presumptive probation. Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell had only one concern, that being the victim being afraid of Thomas.

Judge Chambers granted the thousand dollar signature bond for Thomas to be released from jail, however, he warned Thomas that any contact of any kind with the victim and he’ll be taken back to jail where he’ll stay until sentencing.

The 20-year-old Hutchinson man who was arrested back on April 4, for two counts of electronic solicitation faces three additional charges.

Matthew O’Keefe appeared via-video from the Reno County Jail where he was told of the charges which includes electronic solicitation of a 13-year-old girl and a second count for contact with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl.

Other charges includes attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child which is alleged to have occurred between March 18 and April 4. Then an additional charge of electronic solicitation for contact with a 15-year-old child allegedly occurring between November 1, 2012 and January 26, 2013. The final count is for aggravated indecent solicitation of a child under 14, occurring during that same time period.

Two of the counts listed in the complaint are filed a level 1 person felonies, but District Attorney Keith Schroeder believes that at least two of the counts should be off grid felonies under Jessica’s Law. So, we may see the complaint refiled at some point to reflect that.

The case started when O’Keefe allegedly made contact online with a 13-year-old girl back in March and solicited a sexual encounter.

Hutchinson Police Detective Scott Carlton says he then made contact with O’Keefe 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 girl, but met police instead.

But, apparently there are some incidents that go back even further with the additional charges.

Bond in the case was only set at 15-thousand dollars at the time of his arrest and he asked for a reduction which was opposed by Schroeder. Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen raised the bond to 25-thousand which is still very low considering the seriousness of the charges.

A 48-year-old man is jailed after allegations of rape, kidnapping and aggravated battery were made against him.

It started with Reno County Sheriff’s Officers being dispatched to the report of a disturbance in Nickerson. When they arrived, they made contact with the victim who reported that she been battered by her boyfriend, Woodson Crable. She reports that Crable forced her into the backseat of his vehicle to take her to Hutch.

Crable left the residence and a deputy located him where he was taken into custody.

The victim also told investigators that starting Wednesday night and then through the early morning hours on Thursday, she has been battered and sexually assaulted by Crable. She also reports he would not allow her to leave. This allegedly at a location here in Hutchinson.

Even though part of the crime occurred in Hutchinson, the investigation was started by the Sheriff’s Department, so they also did the investigative work in Hutchinson.

Crable made a court appearance Friday morning where he was told of the potential charges and then asked for a reduction of his bond. But, District Attorney Keith Schroeder argued against it stating that he believes the defendant had been convicted of bank robbery, however couldn’t find any information on the conviction. It turns out that robbery occurred while Crable was a juvenile. Schroeder did indicate that he does have other misdemeanor convictions and thought the bond of 160-thousand was appropriate. But, Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen thought a reduction would be in order and reduced it to 100-hundred thousand dollars.

Crable will be back in court for a status hearing next Wednesday to see of the state has filed formal charges.

Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System employees recently donated 1-thousand, 51-dollars to the Salvation Army as a part of the Healthcare System’s “Blue Jeans Friday” promotion.

Blue Jeans Friday was established in 2011 at Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System. To participate, employees donate $3 weekly or $10 monthly and, in return, are permitted to wear jeans to work on Fridays.

Each month, a committee of healthcare system employees meet to designate an area non-profit organization as a recipient of these funds.

Kevin Miller, President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, said the donation to the Salvation Army is very timely in that the needs of this organization are increasing.

To date, Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System employees have donated approximately $30,000 to area non-profits during the three year history of “Blue Jeans Friday.”

The Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System includes Health-E-Quip, Ray E. Dillon Living Center, Horizons Mental Health Center, Hospice and Homecare of Reno County, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and the Hutchinson Regional Medical Foundation.

Governor Sam Brownback Announced Friday re-appointments To Kansas State Fair Board

The board aims to ensure that the annual state fair is presented in a comprehensive format and satisfies the needs and desires of people from all walks of Kansas life.

Angie Clark of Garden City, is being re-appointed to a three year term. Clark earned her bachelor’s degree at Kansas State University and currently serves as director of the Finney County Fairgrounds in Garden City.

Also appointed to another term was Jeffrey Deeds of Goodland. He is also being reappointed to serve a three year term. Deeds has been a member of the Kansas State Fair Board for ten years, is a former chairman of the Kansas Sunflower Commission and serves on the Groundwater management District #4 Board of Directors. He currently operates a diversified grain farm in northwest Kansas.

The Kansas State Fair Board has thirteen members who serve three year terms. Nine members are appointed by the governor.

Greg Meredith has joined the Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System as Vice President of Compliance and Ethics. Meredith, a Hutchinson attorney, is a graduate of the Washburn University School of Law in Topeka.

Kevin Miller, F.A.C.H.E., President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, said Meredith will hit the ground running in a position of growing importance within the organization.

“With increased government oversight and regulation as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the Vice President of Compliance and Ethics will assume increased responsibility to insure that our healthcare system remains abreast of all that is happening on the state and national level,” Miller said. “Also, a part of Greg’s job will be to keep the 1,400 employees of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System informed and in compliance with the myriad of regulations.”

Miller said that when searching for an upper level manager, the healthcare system often advertises nationwide to find the person who best fits the criteria needed to accomplish our objectives.

“It is especially gratifying when we find the person we are seeking right here in Hutchinson, Kansas,” Miller said.

Meredith and his wife, Mimi, reside in Hutchinson and are the parents of William, Patrick and Mary Charlotte.

The Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System includes Ray E. Dillon Living Center, Horizons Mental Health Center, Hospice and HomeCare of Reno County, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Health-E-Quip and the Hutchinson Regional Medical Found.

Hutchinson Police report that over the past nine months, they have received a large volume of calls from businesses and citizens in the city reporting a female asking for money for a variety of different reasons.

The female was persistent enough in most cases to the point where it was upsetting the citizens or disrupting the business she was panhandling from.

Citizens have also been concerned that the female is not always being truthful with the reason why she was asking for money. The Hutchinson Police Department has identified the female as having the first name of Kristi. She is a 49-year-old white female, standing 5 ft., 3-inches tall, weighing around 160 pounds with blue eyes, blonde hair, and has been driving a silver 2007 Nissan Altima with KS tag 181GPK.

At this time, the city of Hutchinson doesn’t have a law against panhandling. However, if you are approached by Kristi and you are concerned about her of if she is disruptive to the business that she’s at, you’re asked to notify police immediately so we can address the matter.

The strong winds and dry conditions certainly didn’t help firefighters fighting grass fires around the area Friday.

The Hutchinson Fire Department responded to two separate grass fires with the first being reported in the 900 Block of South Devena Drive at 5:35 p-m. When they arrived, units found 3 to 5 acres of grass on fire north of the rail road right of way. Several cedar trees were also on fire and units had to contend with several propane tanks that were being threaten by fire. The fire was controlled in 30-minutes with units remaining on scene for 3-hours dealing with rubbish that was burning.

The second fire was reported at Avenue G and Mayfield at 5:43 p-m. When units arrived, they found 2 to 3 acres of grass on fire north of the rail road right of way. The fire had jumped the driveway and made it through two large rows of cottonwood and cedar trees. A cabin and a garage on the Shear’s sand pit was nearby, but was never involved in the fire. It was controlled in 40-minutes with units remaining on scene again for 3-hours working with several cottonwood trees.

Reno County Fire District-8 responded 2-brush units on mutual aid to assist.

Westar was also summoned to the scene to check some burnt utility poles and assist with several trees that were near the power lines.

Both fires were sparked by a passing train and no injuries were reported at either fire.

A 10-year-old boy was taken to the hospital Friday evening after an ATV accident in the county.
The accident occurred around 7:20 p-m, at 5005 N Tobacco Rd.

10-year-old, Mason Mayfield was riding his four wheeler when he lost control and struck a tree. The collision caused him to launch over the handle bars and hit the tree with his helmet. The contact broke the sun visor off of the helmet.

His parents were outside watching and ran to his aid and called 911. He was conscious and breathing while the paramedics assessed him. He was ten transported by Reno County EMS to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for further medical examination.

Sheriff Deputy Jack Trussell says the boy wearing a helmet made his injuries were far less severe and could have been worse if he hadn’t been wearing one.

A bumpy weekend will begin today with well above normal highs and thunderstorms this afternoon. Some of these storms this afternoon and evening may be severe with the primary threat of hail. Thunderstorms will spread across the area on Sunday. Some storms could be severe with large hail and damaging winds on Sunday especially over south central and southeast Kansas. Cooler air will arrive with the cold front on Sunday afternoon. Highs on Monday will be in the 50s. A chance for snow will be possible early Monday morning.

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

Today… Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Breezy. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Tonight… Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows 60 to 65. Southeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph in the evening.

Sunday… Mostly cloudy. Breezy…cooler. A chance of thunderstorms through the day. Showers likely in the afternoon. Highs 70 to 75. Temperature falling into the upper 40s in the afternoon. North winds 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Sunday Night… Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain or snow. Windy. Much colder. Lows near 30. North winds 25 to 30 mph with gusts to around 40 mph.

Monday… Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain or snow in the morning…then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Windy. Much cooler. Highs in the mid 40s. North winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts to around 35 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 25 mph in the afternoon.

Monday Night And Tuesday… Warmer. Mostly clear. Lows near 30. Highs 60 to 65.

Tuesday Night… Not as cool. Mostly clear. Lows near 40.

Wednesday… Windy. Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.

Wednesday Night… Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s.

Thursday… Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of showers. Highs near 60.

Thursday Night… Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows near 40.

Friday… Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.