HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 51-year-old man on parole for a 1991 case has been bound over for trial in two cases.

Eric Harbacek is charged by the state in one case with criminal possession of a firearm for allegedly having a rifle despite prior convictions for a person felony. This occurred on July 26.

In the second case, he’s accused of stealing some firearms from a building he is supposedly going to rent for a barber shop. The owner of the property says Harbacek stole the guns on July 16. Harbacek claims he had the guns moved to a location in Careyville, where they were being stored because he knew he couldn’t have them.

He was bound over for trial for one count of burglary and two counts of theft in one case, and criminal possession of a firearm in the second case.

He’ll be arraigned on the two cases next month.

Harbacek is back in prison on a parole violation and is being housed at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Doreen Welsh, a flight attendant on U.S. Airways Flight 1549, better known as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” was the final speaker for the Dillon Lecture Series Tuesday and talked about her experience and injury on that flight.

After takeoff from New York City’s LaGuardia Airport on Jan. 15, 2009, the plane struck a flock of Canada geese and consequently lost all engine power. The plane’s pilots then chose to crash the plane into the Hudson River.

Welsh talked about the decision to crash:

 

Welsh recalled what it was like when those on board were informed the plane was going to crash:

 

She also talked about the impact on the river and says there were actually two crashes with that flight:

 

Welsh was the most seriously injured person on the flight when a piece of metal came out of the floor and went into her leg. She says she didn’t even know it at first:

 

All of the passengers on that flight survived.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 25-year-old Hutchinson man bound over for trial in association with a serious domestic case entered a not guilty plea and a trial date was set for early next year.

Bryce A. Smith is charged with kidnapping, aggravated domestic battery and criminal damage.

Smith came home just after 2 p.m. on April 9 and allegedly found his girlfriend with another man. Smith then became angry, held the victim against her will, slapped and choked her. She told police that she became dizzy and believed — had he held her any longer — she would have passed out. Smith also caused damage to a wall inside the home during the altercation.

The victim managed to get away and ran to a neighbor’s home and sought help.

Reno County District Judge Trish Rose set a tentative trial date of Jan. 22, 2018.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With the election on Tuesday, the two main candidates for governor spoke about their campaigns ahead of the election.

Both Democratic Senator Laura Kelly and Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach were asked, if elected, what they hope their accomplishments would be after four years.

Senator Kelly says she wants to accomplish a lot of things:

 

Kelly and her opponent are on opposite sides when it comes to taxes. She is proud that they overturned what she calls the “Brownback tax experiment:”

 

Kobach talked about his plan to ensure that 75 cents of every dollar going to public schools would be put toward classrooms and nothing else.

He gave his thoughts on what that would mean:

 

Kobach talked about immigration and his contention that Kansas is providing welfare to illegal immigrants:

 

Kelly disputes Kobach’s claim and says it’s simply not true.

Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A good crowd marched and then held a rally Saturday concerning the stigma and death of those addicted to drugs, especially opioids.

Matthew Griffin, who nearly died from his addiction, is now a strong advocate for finding solutions to help those addicted before it’s too late. A number of local residents have died from overdose. The drugs cause the victims to quit breathing.

Griffin talked about the reality that people are dying locally and across the nation:

 

He also talked about how the families of the victims are affected:

 

Norman Douglas was in attendance Saturday. His son was shot by a Wichita police officer after being pulled over. His son was asked to get out of the vehicle. When he did, Douglas’ son pulled out a gun:

 

Griffin and others are working to find solutions. One possibility is Narcan. It counteracts the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose.