HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 19-year-old man faces felony charges after he was caught inside the offices of Gowans Stadium on the Hutchinson Community College campus just before 9 p.m. Saturday.
Personnel found Jacob Eells. He allegedly had some supplies from that office in his pocket when he was arrested. Eells was also reportedly in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Potential charges include aggravated burglary, and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A series of fights involving two to three inmates at a time last week at Hutchinson Correctional Facility’s Central Unit led to the cancellation of visitation for inmates over the weekend.
Several homemade stabbing devices were used during the fights, but officials say inmates involved were medically checked for non-life-threatening injuries.
Officials began restricting movements for maximum-security inmates housed in central unit Friday.
Another fight involving five medium-security inmates occurred Saturday morning, which led to the lockdown of medium-security inmates in the central unit as well.
The incidents, including their causes, are under investigation. The restoring of visiting privileges will be determined at a later date.
SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Dr. Roger Marshall was immediately asked Saturday about the possibility of another government shutdown.
He spoke before the legislative forum and said he supports President Trump’s position on building a wall on the southern border:
The congressman talked about things he saw happening at the border when he went to take a look for himself:
After he spoke, Marshall spent some time with the media and was asked about any type of comprehensive immigration reform:
As for the DACA recipients or dreamers, as they’re commonly referred to, Marshall says the president agreed to help them as part of his proposal to solving the border wall controversy:
During his conversation with the media, the congressman didn’t specifically say he will run for the Senate seat currently held by Senator Pat Roberts. Marshall says he is looking at the possibility. His wife and two of his kids have already told him to go for it.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kilo Luna was crowned king and Jayla Bynum was crowned queen for the Hutchinson High School 2018 Winter Homecoming. Both are seniors at HHS.
The two were crowned at festivities Friday in conjunction with the HHS vs. Newton basketball games.
Other finalists for king were Garrett Davis, Tavian Gray, Harrison Pankratz, Trevor Rhoades and Davian Vigil. Candidates for queen were Brevin Armstrong, Destanee Brigman-Reed, Aulora Eales, Alejandra Fernandez and Novalie Rodriguez. All the finalists are seniors at HHS.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After not having a meeting last week for lack of quorum, the Reno County Commission will have a meeting Tuesday.
Commissioners have a couple of action items and one discussion item that will come before them.
Action items include consideration of a proposal from Foley Equipment to perform a certified power train rebuild on a Solid Waste CAT 826H compactor at a cost of $347,841.
The commission will consider a contract with Reno County Community Corrections and Horizons Mental Health Center for behavioral health service for drug court participants at a cost of $26,190 to be funded by a Justice Assistance grant.
A resolution to cancel certain county warrant on Feb. 19 will be up for discussion only.
The commission will also hear monthly department head updates from Human Resources, Youth Services and the Reno County Health Department.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community Foundation, in partnership with Hutch Rec and Young Professionals of Reno County, is hosting a public discussion next week led by Katherine Loflin, Ph.D., an expert on place science.
The event will be at 6 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Hutchinson Art Center at 5th and Washington.
Officials say Loflin can help Reno County better understand how to strategically invest in public places in ways that will lead to local economic growth.
Loflin will present “Place Science: Loving Where You Live and Why It Matters to People, Places and Local Economies,” the place science and place-making framework.
Officials say that place science is the study of the relationship between people and a city, and place-making is the strength-based strategy by which places are optimized in key areas to foster that relationship for the benefit of people and places.
Following her talk, local resident-led place-making examples from the recent grassroots, grant-funded Raising the Flag effort that resulted in a new city flag and Hutch Rec’s Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative will be highlighted for lessons learned and gauge impact, as well as explore further opportunities to apply the place-science framework in the city.
Loflin is an award-winning and internationally recognized place-science expert. She has held leadership roles in some of the most groundbreaking place-science projects and research in the world. She was the lead consultant on the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s “Soul of the Community” project, a three-year Gallup study surveying 26 cities and 43,000 people that found social offerings, openness and aesthetics were most related to community attachment.
She is also the author of “Place Match: The City Doctor’s Guide to Finding Where You Belong.” She is principal of her own global consulting practice and a two-time TEDx speaker on place science. Loflin holds a doctorate in social work with a concentration in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, she served as program director for the Knight Foundation in Miami where she guided the foundation’s annual investment of millions in the areas of civic engagement, nonprofit capacity building, program evaluation, community foundations, disaster relief and city-specific grant-making.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 37-year-old man charged with aggravated domestic battery and aggravated kidnapping has been bound over for trial.
Burgess Martin is accused of choking the victim during an altercation on Oct. 28, 2018. He’s also accused of kidnapping for holding the victim against her will. That charge is a level one felony.
Martin has prior convictions for misdemeanor drugs charges.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas Court of Appeals Friday upheld the conviction and sentence for a 41-year-old Nickerson man convicted for three counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
Shanon Patrick Williams was given two consecutive life sentences on two of the three charges by District Judge Trish Rose. He was sentenced to another 41 months for the third count.
Williams was convicted for taking pictures of his autistic step-daughter who was 13 and 14 years old at the time of the crimes. That included lewd close-ups of the child, some with clothing, but most without. He was trying to trade the photos for other pornographic pictures and movies. The crimes occurred between September 13, 2011, and July 31, 2013.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The jury in the case against a 35-year-old man charged with first-degree murder found him guilty.
Quinton Moore is now guilty of killing 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen, who was shot multiple times while in bed at a residence at 1701 E. 30th in Hutchinson on Sept. 22, 2017.
The jury received the case just after 11 a.m. Thursday following closing arguments. The jury had its verdict just after 4:30 p.m.
District Attorney Keith Schroeder says he wasn’t as prepared for the case coming before a jury, but was happy with the outcome:
There was a suppression motion decided before trial against the defense. It was contended that Moore was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but Schroeder says that was not an issue at trial and no instruction was given to the jury:
The state contended that Moore committed the crime, while the defense contended others could have committed the crime, including Jessica Crowe, who lived with the victim or her brother, Steven Griffith.
Moore didn’t take the stand in his own defense.
With the guilty verdict, Judge Tim Chambers set a special setting for sentencing on March 15.
Moore remains jailed pending that sentencing.
Updated Jan. 30 at 2:42 p.m.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The jury trial for a 35-year-old man charged with first-degree murder continues in front of District Judge Tim Chambers.
Quinton Moore is accused of shooting and killing 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen while he slept at a residence at 1701 E. 30th in Hutchinson back on Sept. 22, 2017.
This morning, Sgt. Curtis Black was on the stand. Video of Moore’s interrogation was shown. In the video, Detective Black repeatedly asked Moore why he did it. Black even misled Moore in the video by saying officers had the murder weapon with his fingerprints and DNA. Black also told Moore he found blood on the sandals he was wearing. That is legal for suspect interrogation.
After about three hours of questioning, Moore eventually admitted to the shooting and even demonstrated in the video how he did it.
Moore may have killed Allen for allegedly abusing children who lived in the home Allen was killed.
The jury was provided a transcript of the interrogation because Moore was hard to hear in the video.
Before trial, the defense tried to keep the video out, saying Moore may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the interrogation. However, Moore was given a breathalyzer test before questioning and even said he was fine to answer questions.
The case continues with more testimony and could last all week.
Jan. 29
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The jury trial for a 35-year-old man charged with first-degree murder continues with the state presenting their case.
Quinton Moore is accused of shooting 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen multiple times in his head and neck while Allen slept at a residence at 1701 E. 30th in Hutchinson. This occurring on Sept. 22, 2017.
Moore was staying with Allen and his girlfriend, Jessica Crow when the shooting occurred. Crow apparently called her brother, Steven Griffith who came and got her and Moore at the home after the shooting. Testimony centered on two interviews detectives did with Griffith and how his story changed during those interviews.
The defense also questioned the fact that some messages were deleted off a phone belonging to the Steven Griffith during that period after the killing.
Some statements allegedly made by Moore to Crow and her mother included “he’s dead” and “I shot him in the face.”
Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday.
Original story
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The jury trial for a 35-year-old man charged with first-degree murder is getting underway in front of District Judge Tim Chambers.
Jury selection in the case against Quinton Moore began Monday morning.
Moore is accused of shooting 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen multiple times in the head and neck while Allen slept at a residence at 1701 E. 30th in Hutchinson. This occurred Sept. 22, 2017.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A former Hutchinson Community College student who recently withdrew his plea in a sexual battery and kidnapping case is still awaiting a preliminary hearing.
Because Victor Pedraza Jr. withdrew his plea, the state reinstated two counts of rape. The counts had been dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
However, the state has a problem: finding the victim. Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton has filed a motion to allow hearsay testimony at any hearing. Because the victim can’t be located in Japan, the state wants to use hearsay testimony. The state says Pedraza was ordered to have no contact with the victim after his arrest, but contacted the victim through social media and attempted to dissuade her from testifying. The state believes that contact may have worked. Because of that contact, the state believes Pedraza forfeited his right to confrontation and says he’s responsible for the victim’s unavailability.
A hearing on that matter had been scheduled this week, but because of a possible jury trial, it was continued. Judge Joe McCarville will reset a hearing for this motion in the coming weeks.
Pedraza is accused of beating a female college student from Japan who he had been dating off-and-on. He then allegedly set her passport and documents on fire. Police say the victim was tied to a bed and beaten, then forced into sex twice. The state entered the agreement so that the victim would not have to come back to the U.S. to testify, but he withdrew that plea.
