HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran was in Hutchinson Saturday to host his annual Service Academy Day at the Cosmosphere.

His Service Academy Selection Board was expected to review applications and interview candidates who are applying for admission to U.S. Service Academies. These include the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Following the interviews, the board makes its recommendations to Sen. Moran for his decision.

Sen. Moran discussed how he decides who will be selected.

“I want to keep the politics or friendship out of the process,” Moran said. “At the end of the day, I will probably follow their recommendations, I always have. But it gives me an opportunity to help someone serve in the military to protect our country after receiving an exceptional education.”

Sen. Moran also talked about the type of individual he looks at when making his selection. “Certainly, when it comes to whether a person should be my nominee to an academy, it ought to be decided on the merits,” Moran said. “Their background tells us a lot about that, but it’s also knowing who they are as human beings and what their character is.”

Once nominated by Sen. Moran, applicants must then meet the individual admission requirements of each academy.

The academies will make the final decision on who will receive an appointment of admission in early 2020. Those selected will enter the academies in June 2020.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Commission agreed to spend around $150,000 to get the manual elevator at the Reno County Courthouse fixed. That work began Sunday.

Despite some light rain and windy conditions, officials closed the westbound lanes of 1st Street early Sunday to bring in a large crane. The crane is being used to take out some of the old parts and bring in new ones through the roof.

Boesen Plumb Elevator Solutions agreed to convert and partially modernize the elevator for a cost of $127,225. Additionally, other related expenses for the electrical work and miscellaneous items to complete the repair is estimated to cost around $22,775.

The elevator is original to the building, along with a majority of the associated wiring and mechanical controls and uses a large generator that converts AC power to run the DC motor. The generator failed.

The work should be completed in the near future.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 33-year-old man serving time for murder and other charges out of Labette County entered pleas to aggravated battery and trafficking contraband in a penal institution.

Mark Baker entered the guilty pleas for crimes that occurred Dec. 6, 2018.

It started when a correctional officer at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility told Baker to go back to his cell. Baker refused. The officer told the court at the preliminary hearing that he had to tell Baker three or four times, yet Baker refused. At one point, they were near his cell cussing at each other. Baker grabbed a shank and attacked the officer with it. The officer suffered six abrasions, including at least two puncture wounds.

The officer was taken to the Hutchinson Clinic where he was stabilized. He was then taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center as a trauma patient. He spent a day in the hospital for treatment, then was released.

Baker became upset when his request to speak with a counselor was denied. He had no paperwork associated with the request, so it was denied.

Reno County District Judge Trish Rose set sentencing for Nov. 1.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 42-year-old man serving time for numerous convictions, including murder, entered a plea Friday to a single charge of attempted rape in Reno County.

Tanner Green is now guilty of trying to rape a female officer, only known as TK, at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility. The state had filed two other alternate charges, but Green entered the plea to attempted rape. The other charges were aggravated sexual battery and battery of a law enforcement officer.

Green is serving time for aggravated battery for a case from 1999 in Reno County. Other convictions include first-degree murder in Sedgwick County for a case in 2000, aggravated battery and aggravated burglary in Ellis County in 1994, and aggravated escape from custody and aggravated assault in Leavenworth County in 2008.

Green will be sentenced Nov. 1.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The latest numbers for the Kansas Department of Labor show the unemployment rate for Hutchinson in August was 3.8%, down slightly from 3.9% in July and lower than the 4.1% in August of last year.

The rate for Reno County was also lower with a 3.6% rate in August, down slightly from July when the rate was 3.8%. The rate in August of last year was also at 3.8%.

There were 1,025 residents of Reno County looking for work last month. Most of those residents were in Hutchinson.

All of the surrounding counties also saw slight drops in their rates. McPherson County had the lowest rate in the area at 2.6%, followed closely by Pratt County at 2.8%.

Preliminary state estimates show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.2% in August, down from 3.3% in July and down from 3.3% in August 2018.

NEWTON, Kan. – One man was taken into custody Thursday night by the North Newton Police Department for alleged criminal threat against his place of employment.

Jacob A. Owens, 27, of Newton, was arrested for one count of criminal threat for posts he made on his personal social media account. Owens is an employee of Lippert Components in North Newton.

An individual reported the alleged threats to law enforcement Thursday around 8:50 p.m. The North Newton Police Department investigated, and took Owens into custody at 10:27 p.m. at his residence in Newton.

“The individual that reported these posts absolutely did the right thing. We always encourage people to report information like this,” said North Newton Police Chief Randy Jordan. “We take this extremely serious, and we will investigate.”

The threat was isolated, and there is no active threat according to officials.

The incident remains under investigation.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The second of two men accused of murder for the shooting death of a Hutchinson man waived his right to a jury trial and entered a plea in the case.

Tristan Delaney entered a plea to reckless second degree murder, the same charge that the co-defendant Curtis Garcia was convicted of. The plea to reckless second-degree murder was part of an agreement with the state. Both were charged with first-degree murder for the killing of Norman Cushinberry.

Garcia came to the home in the 500 block of Washington where Cushinberry pulled a handgun and Tristan Delaney came at the vehicle with a rifle or shotgun. It’s believed that it was a drug buy gone bad.

Police found Cushinberry in the street suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper chest, on his side around the rib cage, and around his upper arm. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 25. Delaney will be sentenced on Nov. 1.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly announced more than $1.2 million from the Federal Family Violence Prevention and Services Act grant program awarded to communities across Kansas.

BrightHouse in Hutchinson will receive $52,527. The Harvey County Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Task Force will receive $49,558.

The grant program assists states in their efforts to support the establishment, maintenance and expansion of programs and projects to prevent incidents of family violence, domestic violence and dating violence. The program helps states provide immediate shelter, support services and access to community-based programs for victims of family violence, domestic violence or dating violence and their dependents, and specialized services for children exposed to family violence, domestic violence or dating violence, including victims who are members of underserved populations.