HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 27-year-old man who has been on parole for a number of convictions including burglary and theft was arrested on Friday after a short chase made his bond increase.

Bryson Allen is accused of stealing a vehicle from the 100 block of West F. He was later spotted in the vehicle in the area of Longview and McNew Roads, and led to the chase which including him going through numerous stop signs, stop sticks and barbed wire fences.

The chase ended in the 200 block of East U.S. 50, where he crashed the vehicle.

Potential charges include felony flee and elude, felony theft and criminal damage to property. He also faces a parole violation.

Reno County District Judge Joe McCarville increased his bond from $3,500 to $25,000, because he put others at risk with the chase.

Allen will be back in court on Dec. 19.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Hutchinson Police report that they have received several calls from citizens who are being notified of winning the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, but believe it’s a scam.

It starts with a call or letter saying you’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. But to collect your prize, they say, you need to send money to pay for fees and taxes. Typically you’ll be asked to send money by Western Union or MoneyGram, or by getting a reloadable card or gift card. Scammers ask you to pay these ways because it’s nearly impossible to trace the money — and you’ll almost never get it back.

But that’s not the only way scammers get your money with this scam. Some will send you a realistic-looking fake check in the mail. You’re told that to claim your prize, you need to deposit the check and send some of the money back for made-up expenses. But when the check you deposit bounces — even after it seemed to clear — you may be on the hook for the money you sent.

Never send money to collect any prize, sweepstakes check, or lottery winnings. If you have to pay, it’s a scam.

Never deposit a check and send back money, even if the funds appear in your account. That’s a sure sign of a scam.

If anyone calls asking you to pay for a prize, hang up. Don’t follow any directions given by the caller to go anywhere such as a bank and call them back. You should also know that numbers that show up on your caller ID are most likely false. It is common for scammers to use other phone numbers, even local numbers, that will show up on your caller ID.

If you lose your money, there is almost nothing that can be done to get it back. Most of these scammers are operating from a foreign country.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A 33-year-old woman was arrested Friday on drug distribution charges after two search warrants were served by the Reno County Drug Enforcement Unit.

Francesca Wharton was arrested and booked into the Reno County Correctional Facility on suspicions of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of personal use drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of stolen property.

It all started when the drug unit executed two search warrants. The first was on a 2005 Pontiac Bonneville. They found a locked bank bag which contained approximately 189 grams of methamphetamine, an operational digital scale and unused packaging materials. A smoking pipe with methamphetamine residue was found in the glove box. An additional zipper style bag was found containing approximately 1.7 grams of methamphetamine.

The second search warrant was served on the residence at 924 East 2nd and during a search of the residence, officers located approximately 6.3 grams of marijuana, multiple pieces of various drug paraphernalia, packaging materials, and owe sheets.

Officers also found a Winchester .22 caliber rifle that was reported stolen through the Reno County Sheriff’s Office. An additional handgun was also found in the residence.

Wharton has prior convictions for aggravated robbery, burglary, forgery, drugs and bringing contraband into a jail facility. She had been discharged from those convictions back in May.

Wharton is jailed on a $30,000 bond and should make a first appearance in court Monday morning.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of two people arrested for drug distribution charges on Nov. 29 was back in court Friday for the formal reading of charges.

Twenty-seven-year-old Lacy Glenn and 42-year-old Jamie Bahr are both facing charges of possession of methamphetamine, hydrocodone and clonazepam with intent to distribute. Other charges include conspiracy to distribute drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and felony theft. Bahr also faces a charge of driving while suspended.

During a court appearance Friday morning, Glenn again asked for a signature bond. That was quickly denied by Reno County District Judge Joe McCarville, who cited the nature of the charges. A conviction would call for presumptive prison time.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 33-year-old man arrested back in July on a warrant for violating his community corrections for two drug convictions stipulated Thursday to violating his corrections. During that same hearing, Dustin Lytle also entered pleas to charges in a third case.

It was July 10 when law enforcement went to a home on East 28th and performed a search of the residence. Officers found drugs and other paraphernalia.

Charges include possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia — all with the intent to distribute within a thousand feet of a school — possession of prescription drugs, and felony theft.

Lytle was convicted for having and selling the drugs within a thousand feet of Morgan Elementary School, however, he entered a plea to simple possession of methamphetamine while all the other charges stayed the same.

Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton says it’s most likely Lytle will be ordered to prison after being convicted in his latest case.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Commission’s decision against a moratorium on the proposed wind farm in the county was good news for the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, which works to bring new industry to Kansas.

Marcy Kauffman, director of membership, represented the chamber at the meeting this past Tuesday. She says the chamber was against the moratorium and explains why:

 

She says the chamber had concerns that any moratorium on the project could kill it and that’s why they were against it. Kauffman says they are happy with the outcome:

 

Although there were plenty who wanted the moratorium to put a temporary hold on the project, Kauffman says there were also others who were against it:

 

NextEra Energy is expected to fill out the necessary paperwork and request for a special use permit to begin the planning process for the project.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Crews were scheduled to begin repairing cracks on more than eight miles of U.S. 50 in Reno County this week, but that work has been suspended until March 4, 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The project was scheduled to start on U.S. 50 from the four-lane/two-lane division east of Hutchinson and continue east to the Reno/Harvey county line.

Pavement Pros, LLC, of McPherson will be the primary contractor for the $117,977 project once it begins and will have 45 days to complete the work.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A man who was extradited to Kansas from Florida is now charged with three felonies that could see him spend the rest of his life in prison.

Charles E. Richmond is charged with rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child. All three fall under Jessica’s Law statutes, meaning he could face a life sentence on each count if convicted.

The alleged crimes occurred over a period from Jan. 1, 2013, to Dec. 31, 2017. However, the crimes were not reported until August of this year.

District Attorney Keith Schroeder says he received the information in October and filed the charges. It involves a relative of Richmond and started when the victim was 8-years-old.

Richmond apparently left for Florida after learning there was an investigation involving the report. He was brought back to Kansas to face the charges.

In court, District Judge Joe McCarville set a bond of $50,000 and set another court date for Jan. 9.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — At approximately 3 a.m. Wednesday, the Hutchinson Fire Department responded to 1620 E. 8th for the report of a structure fire.

First-arriving units found a fire on the porch at the rear of the structure against a patio door. The fire was quickly extinguished with little damage to the exterior of the house. The fire did not extend into the interior of the house, but crews had to clear smoke out of the house using portable fans.

The house was occupied at the time of the fire, but there were no injuries reported.

The fire was determined to be caused by an electrical short.