KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who seriously injured two people and killed a dog that was walking with them.

Police say a 28-year-old man and 41-year-old woman were either riding a bicycle or standing alongside it when they were hit Sunday on a sidewalk near an intersection. The man was listed in critical condition, while the woman was in serious but stable condition. The dog died at the scene.

Police say the vehicle lost one of its front lights during the collision. No other details about the vehicle were released.

By ROXANA HEGEMAN

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Nearly a century ago, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a large dam near Augusta to supply water for the steam locomotives that at the time were chugging across the dusty Kansas prairie.

Today the aging Santa Fe Lake Dam is considered a high-hazard dam because of its potential for the loss of life if it fails. An analysis by The Associated Press of dams across the country has found that it’s among more than two dozen potentially dangerous dams in Kansas that are in such poor shape they are vulnerable to failure.

Augusta acquired the Santa Fe Lake Dam, located about 3 miles west of town, in 1950 as a supplemental water supply. The dam, built in 1927, is 1,110 feet long and 38 feet tall with a maximum water depth of 11 feet. Its spillway was found during an inspection last year to be in “extremely poor condition.” Inspectors noted it also has inadequate capacity that makes it vulnerable to overtopping or failure during a significant storm.

Several farmsteads, roads and a bridge are located immediately downstream, but it is unclear how many houses would be affected by a breach. The emergency action plan filed two decades ago only broadly mentions housing additions and residences along various roads that would need to be evacuated.

A two-year investigation by the AP identified at least 1,680 dams nationwide that are rated as high-hazard because of the potential for loss of life if they failed and are considered to be in poor or unsatisfactory condition.

Emergency plans obtained by the AP indicate that thousands of people across the nation are living and working downstream and could be at risk if those dams were to catastrophically fail, while separate inspection reports cite a variety of problems. Those include leaks that can indicate a dam is failing internally, unrepaired erosion, holes from burrowing animals and extensive tree growth, which can destabilize earthen dams. In some cases, inspectors also flagged spillways that are too small to handle the amount of water that could result from increasingly intense rainstorms due to a changing climate.

Kansas has 6,205 dams, including 309 classified as high-hazard, of which 26 were rated in unsatisfactory or poor condition in 2018. One of those was missing an emergency action plan in the event of a failure, and six had out-of-date inspections as of summer 2018.

“Anytime we’ve had like emergency situations, we have kind of known about it in enough time to get people notified and then nothing has happened with the structure anyway,” said Terry Medley, the state’s water structures program manager. “So, no, I don’t think there are any that keep me up at night.”

The state has had 31 reported dam incidents, including seven failures, since 1925, according to Stanford University’s National Performance of Dams Program. The most notable one occurred in 1951 when the Fall River Dam in Greenwood County failed, resulting in 11 deaths.

When the city of Augusta repaired a separate dam in 2012, it was able to partner with the state to help pay for it. But that program is no longer available for repairs on the Santa Fe Lake Dam, said Augusta City Manager Josh Shaw. A preliminary estimate pegged the cost of repairing the Santa Fe Dam’s crumbling spillway at $930,000. The city has been working with state regulators to address various concerns, he said.

As in many other states, Kansas has seen its dam safety staffing levels and budgets cut since the Great Recession. In 2009, the equivalent of 13 staff people worked on dam safety issues, according to data examined by AP. That fell to an equivalent staff of about five by 2017. In 2010, Kansas budgeted $458,986 for dam safety; by 2017, that had been cut to $308,773.

The average age of Kansas dams is slightly more than 42 years, and the state notes in its hazard mitigation plan that some are exhibiting structural problems such as deteriorating pipes and other components.

Among those where inspectors found problems is Rimrock Lake Dam, known locally as Homer’s Pond, in Junction City.

A 2014 inspection said the dam has been in violation of state regulations since it was built in 1952. The dam is considered hydrologically inadequate and a downstream embankment is in poor condition. A dam failure could potentially flood homes, a child care facility, church, school, and several businesses in Junction City, according to its 2009 emergency action plan.

It originally was designed for flood control and as a livestock water supply before being given to Junction City in 1967. Today, it’s a popular local fishing pond encircled with walking trails.

Junction City Manager Alan Dinkel pushed back on the state’s risk assessment, insisting the dam is in “great shape” and called its high-risk designation and the state’s demands to fix it “one of those overzealous regulations.” The city is now trying to obtain easements so repair work on it can begin next spring.

“We are going to spend basically a half million dollars to make changes,” Dinkel said. “They actually wanted us to take it out, but it is a pond that is at the center of our community.”

In Kansas and elsewhere, there is a growing concern that many small flood control dams built by local watershed districts with U.S. Department of Agriculture assistance are now at or near the end of their 50-year design life. Kansas has 831 flood control dams, according to its 2018 hazard mitigation plan.

Among those raising alarm with inspectors is the Samuel Rogers Detention Dam located a half mile from Manhattan. It is operated by Kansas State University and owned by the university’s real estate fund since 2015.

The dam — 33 feet high and 560 feet long — was built in 1961. Although it does not regularly hold water, the potential to do so during a significant rainstorm is a concern, according to its 2016 inspection report. Its emergency plan estimated a major flood caused by a dam failure would inundate 82 homes and 17 roads.

“The dam is in unsatisfactory condition and is in need of immediate remedial action,” inspectors wrote. “It could pose a risk to downstream residents.”

Its responsibility now falls to the university’s department of animal sciences, where officials are getting an engineering assessment to determine whether it would be better to repair or remove the dam entirely. The dam is located in the middle of a 20-acre parcel that the department wants to use as a horse pasture.

KANSAS CITY. (AP) — Authorities are investigating a shooting outside an adult entertainment club in northeast Kansas City that left four people injured.

The shooting outside Baccala’s strip club happened around 2:40 a.m. Sunday.

Kansas City, Missouri, police say one victim was found in front of the club. Three others were taken to hospitals. All four were in stable condition Sunday.

Officers responding to a disturbance near the club before the shooting rushed to help after shots were fired.

Several suspects were arrested.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The family of an unarmed man who was fatally shot by police while responding to a bogus emergency call is seeking $25 million in damages in a lawsuit.

Recent documents filed in the lawsuit brought by Andrew Finch’s family outline the damages they are seeking for his death and their pain and suffering. The 28-year-old Finch was fatally shot by police in December 2017.

Officials have said that officers feared Finch was reaching for a firearm when he was shot, not knowing that a hoaxer had reported a fake homicide and hostage situation at Finch’s home.

The lawsuit filed by Finch’s family is pending. The city has already spent nearly $250,000 to defend against the lawsuit.

KANSAS CITY– Two Kansas City men were sentenced in federal court Friday for their roles in a series of armed robberies, according to the United States Attorney’s office.

Clyde H. Jackson, Jr., 30, and Thomas E. Davis, 43, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. Jackson was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison without parole. Davis was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison without parole.

Jackson pleaded guilty on July 9, 2019, to seven counts of robbery, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Davis pleaded guilty on July 1, 2019, to five counts of robbery and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Co-defendants Brion L. McDonald, 30, and Bianca C Seaton, 26, both of Kansas City, Missouri, have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing. McDonald will be sentenced on Nov. 25, 2019, and Seaton will be sentenced on Dec. 19, 2019.

The defendants were part of a group of individuals committing armed robberies in the Kansas City metropolitan area from October 2017 through March 2018. According to court documents, Jackson and Davis brandished knives and firearms during the robberies.

During one robbery, Davis cocked a firearm, pointed it at the neck of one of the victims, and said, “Hurry up and give us the money, or I’ll kill this [expletive] white lady.” During another robbery, Davis discharged a firearm because the clerk was not moving fast enough.

Jackson cocked a gun during one robbery, walked toward a customer, grabbed the customer, placed the gun to the back of the customer’s head, and pulled the customer around the counters to the checkout counter. During another robbery, Jackson pointed a firearm at a victim and ordered the victim to retrieve the money faster, stating, “Come on, do you want to die?” During each of the three knife-related robberies in which Jackson participated, he put a knife to the victim’s neck and made various demands related to obtaining money. According to court documents, Jackson has previously been associated with the 5-1 Gangster gang, a subset of the Crips street gang, and has tattoo of a “51” inscribed on his right arm.

Jackson and Davis admitted they were involved in the armed robberies of Family Dollar, 5242 Blue Ridge Blvd. in Kansas City, on Jan. 12, 2018; Dollar General Store, 8716 Blue Ridge Blvd. in Kansas City, on Jan. 20, 2018; Family Dollar, 9120 E. 35th Street South in Independence, Missouri, on Jan. 22, 2018; and Family Dollar, 3017 Prospect Ave. in Kansas City, on Jan. 26, 2018 (Davis discharged a firearm during this robbery).

Jackson, McDonald, and Seaton each admitted to being involved in the armed robbery of Pizza Hut, 7624 Wornall Road in Kansas City, on March 19, 2018.

Davis was also involved in the armed robbery of Dollar General Store, 9101 E. 63rd St. in Raytown, Missouri, on Oct. 25, 2017. Davis brandished a knife during that robbery.

Jackson admitted he also was involved in an attempted robbery of the Pizza Hut at 7624 Wornall Road on March 20, 2018, and of Dollar General, 5008 N.E. Parvin Road in Kansas City, on March 20, 2018. Jackson also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock .45-caliber pistol and various rounds of ammunition on March 23, 2018. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jackson has prior felony convictions for larceny and robbery.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A second driver has been charged in a crash near Wichita that killed a 24-year-old Kansas man last year.

Hunter Nelson Black was arrested Wednesday and charged with involuntary manslaughter. Investigators say he ran a stop sign on Dec. 20, causing his car to be hit in the passenger side by another car. The crash killed Black’s passenger, Logan Kirk Owens.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office says in a crash report that Black told officers he had been drinking.

The driver of the other car, Garrett Creigh Neff, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated battery in the crash. His case is pending.

LAWRENCE —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Lawrence.

Just after 2.am., police responded to multiple 911 calls in reference to a shooting at Playerz Sports Bar, 1910 Haskell Avenue in Lawrence, according to Police Department spokesman Patrick Compton.

Officers learned that a shooting had occurred in the parking lot of the bar resulting in serious, but non-life-threatening injuries to both a man and a woman.

Police located the suspect vehicle shortly after and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The suspect tried to evade police, but eventually stopped in the vicinity of E. 23^rd St. and O’Connell Road.

The suspect was discovered by police in his vehicle with serious, life-threatening injuries from what appeared to be a gunshot wound and was transported to an area hospital.

Police temporarily closed 23rd Street from Harper to East Hills Drive to traffic as a result of this investigation. They reopened 23rd Street just after 8:30a.m. Sunday.
Police have not released names of the victims or additional details.

By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN

Kansans reported more sexual assaults, domestic violence and stalking to the police in 2018, according to a report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Compared to the previous year, it’s a 6% increase in domestic violence incidents, a 9% increase in rapes and a 27% increase in stalking incidents.

But the numbers don’t necessarily reflect an increase in those crimes being committed, KBI spokeswoman Melissa Underwood said.

“The statistics ONLY encompass crimes that are reported to law enforcement,” Underwood said in an email. “Crimes of domestic violence and sexual assault are underreported.”

There are many reasons people who experience sexual and domestic violence may not go to the police, said Valerie Guile, a therapist and advocate at Safehome, a domestic violence organization in Johnson County. Survivors may not trust law enforcement or may be scared their abuser will retaliate.

“They may fear not being believed,” Guile said, “or that if they reach out for help, nothing will happen to the abuser and they will punish the survivor.”

The 2018 statistics might also show more survivors are willing to come forward due to the “Me Too” movement, said Michelle McCormick, director of the Center for Safety and Empowerment at the YWCA in Topeka. In the same year, her organization saw more people take advantage of its sexual and domestic violence services.

“In many ways that’s a good thing that people are reaching out,” McCormick said. “I think that more people are finding their way to support services.”

Gun violence

The KBI compiled the statistics from hundreds of state, county, city and tribal law enforcement agencies.

There were 37 domestic violence homicides in Kansas in 2018, according to the report. Twenty-six of those deaths — about 70% — involved guns.

Nationwide, pro-gun control activists have argued that there is a link between guns and domestic violence. Over half of women killed by intimate partners are fatally shot, according to research conducted by anti-gun group Everytown for Gun Safety.

Even if a gun isn’t being used to hurt or kill someone, it can be used to threaten or intimidate.

And just having a gun in the home is a risk factor for an abuser potentially killing a partner or family member, Guile said. If a victim attempts to leave, the situation can turn violent.

“We know that that is one of the most dangerous times,” Guile said. “When an abuser begins to feel they’re losing that control, that risk for homicide heightens.”

Kansas has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country. But in 2017, the state passed a law that bans people from owning firearms if they were convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors in the past five years or if they have a court order barring them from stalking or harassing a partner or child.

The legislation was intended to bring state statutes in line with federal domestic violence laws.

But enforcing the law can be difficult, McCormick said, and the burden is often on the victim to tell the police that their partner has a gun.

“There’s that challenge of actually getting folks to relinquish their access to the firearms,” she said. We’re putting too much pressure, once again, on the person who’s most vulnerable in this situation.”

Nomin Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas News Service.  Follow her on Twitter @NominUJ or email nomin (at) kcur (dot) org. 

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kanas felon and a passenger in his vehicle on charges after a traffic stop.

On Friday, a deputy from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop for a registration violation near SW 37th and S.Topeka Boulevard, according to St. Todd Stallbaumer.

During the investigation, the driver, identified as Edgar B. Branch IV, 47, of Oskaloosa, was arrested booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Possession of methamphetamine and other misdemeanor traffic violations.

He has previous convictions for theft, burglary, aggravated robbery and flee and elude, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

A passenger in the vehicle, identified as Staci A. Stahlheber, 38, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for an outstanding Shawnee County warrant as well as requested charges Criminal use of a weapon, Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Stallbaumer.