MANHATTAN  —Following an incident of racist graffiti found on a car near the K-State campus Wednesday morning, Kansas State University President Richard Myers released this statement to students and faculty.

“The racist messages found on a car parked off campus are a direct attack on the values of our community.

Those who wish us harm should not be allowed to create a culture of fear and divisiveness. As I hear from student leadership following this incident, your message is clear: We need to ensure the safety of those affected by this attack.

The K-State Police Department will immediately increase its patrols and visible presence on the Manhattan campus. Those who need support should use the many resources we make available through student life and our counseling center.

Please avail yourselves of assistance if needed, including our LiveSafe app and Wildcat Walk services. If we need to make additional resources available, we will.

We call on the Riley County Police Department to use all available resources in its criminal investigation, including any necessary state and federal resources. There has already been widespread misinformation about this incident; we need to make decisions based on factual information, not rumors, unsubstantiated social media posts or stories. Let’s get it right.

My military career taught me that our collective safety depends on strength and vigilance. We all need to exercise both. I am asking Vice President Cindy Bontrager to conduct a complete audit of security cameras on our Manhattan campus and develop a plan to improve our coverage. We will review security plans and improve as needed.

In this uncertain time, I ask each of us to reach out to anyone who needs support and be alert for ways to help. We need to come together and resist those who wish to pull us apart.”

WARREN COUNTY, MO ‑A Kansas man died in an accident just before 8:30p.m. Wednesday in Warren County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by Shannon J. Meyer, 44, De pere, WI., was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Route 47. The pickup traveled off the right side of the road and overturned.

A passenger Austin R. Wiebe, 37, WaKeeney, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Meyer was transported to by Warren County Ambulance to a St. Louis area hospital

Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

TOPEKA —  Starting Thursday, the Kansas Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) utilizing the statewide call handling system now have the ability to receive 911 text messages in 71 Kansas Counties, according to a media release from the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council

Text-to-911 service will be available for those individuals who cannot safely make a voice call to 911 in an emergency. This will be a valuable service to the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Testing for Text-to-911 has been completed and is available with plans from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, & Verizon Wireless. If a text is made to 911 where that service is not available, a message will be sent back to the phone advising the customer to make a voice call.

Some situations when Text-to-911 is appropriate:
• Deaf, hard of hearing callers, or individuals with a speech disability
• A caller who is unable to speak due to a medical or other condition
• Emergency situations that would put the caller in danger if making a voice call
• Examples include abduction, domestic violence or active shooter situation

When texting to 911, follow these guidelines
• Provide your exact address or location- Location accuracy is not as reliable through text messaging
• Explain the type of emergency or help that is being requested
• Be prepared to answer any questions that the 911 telecommunicator texts back.
• Use plain language; do not use abbreviations, symbols, emoticons, or photos.
• Messages should be brief and concise

Texting 911 can be done by typing “911” in the field for a phone number. No other numbers need to be used. Texting should be done through your wireless phones text messaging service and not from a third party texting applications.

Text-to-911 does require an active telephone service plan with data or it will not work.
Remember, the best way to contact 911 is by making a voice call. Please only utilize this service in emergency circumstances where a voice call is not possible or safe.

 

CHEROKEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman involved in a fatal car accident in southeast Kansas.

Galena police issued a warrant last week for 25-year-old Shelby Colon’s arrest. The Cherokee County district attorney has charged Colon with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of 66-year-old Charles Burkybile Jr. and 86-year-old Glen A. Roosa.  Authorities say Burkybile and Roosa were struck by a vehicle Colon was driving on July 6. Burkybile died at the scene. Roosa later died at a nearby hospital.

Detectives developed information that she was at a home in Joplin. Patrol officers responded to the home just after 10p.m. Monday to locate her. While there, she arrived in a vehicle in the alley behind the house and was taken into custody. She is awaiting extradition back to Kansas, according to a media release.

Police Chief Billy Charles says Colon stopped at the scene of the crash and didn’t attempt to flee. He says there was no indication she was impaired at the time, but a blood sample was sent to the state crime lab for analysis.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A former teacher of the year for a northeast Kansas school district has been charged with sex crimes with a teenager.

Two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy were filed Tuesday against 45-year-old Todd Burd, of Gardner. Bond is set at $250,000. No attorney is listed for him in online court records. Court documents say the nonconsensual sexual acts are alleged to have occurred last fall with a 15- or 16-year-old.

Burd was a choir director and vocal teacher at Gardner Edgerton High School, but is not currently an employee. He received Gardner-Edgerton district’s Teacher of the Year honor in 2015.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement reported some good news for a Kansas dog owner.
On October 28, employees with Sedgwick County Animal Control brought in a stray Boston Terrier, according to police department officer Paul Cruz.

The dog was scanned and determined it had a micro-chip. Police learned someone stole the dog from the owner in July of 2013.

After some computer research, police tracked down the dog’s owner. They contacted the owner to tell her the dog was at the animal shelter. “She was shocked and excited, according to Cruz. The woman quickly came to get Missy who was in good health other than having an eye surgically removed.

Cruz said, “This is a prime example of how important it is to micro-chip pets.”
Police did not release details on how the dog was stolen in 2013.

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on multiple charges after racing a truck down city streets in Salina.

Just after 9p.m. Tuesday, a 2002 Chevy Silverado driven by Ronald Hanchett, 44, Salina, was racing a 2012 Infiniti G20 driven by 17-year-old Koltin Montey of Salina, down Broadway Street in Salina, according to police Capt. Paul Forrester.

As the vehicle turned onto South Ninth Street, the Chevy rear-ended the Infiniti, traveled into the median and rolled.

Police arrested Hanchett and booked him into the Saline County Jail for child endangerment, driving under the influence, following too close, speeding and transporting alcohol.

A 36-year-old Salina women and two children under the age of five in the Chevy were transported to Salina Regional Hospital for observation.

The children in the Silverado were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to Forrester.
Montey was not injured in the accident but was cited, according to Forrester.

BARTON COUNTY – On Wednesday morning Barton County Sheriff Brian J. Bellinder, 55, of Great Bend, Kan. was issued a summons to appear in Barton County District Court following an investigation by Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents.

According to the summons, Bellinder is alleged to have mistreated a confined person while serving an arrest warrant on Aug. 10 in Great Bend. Mistreatment of a confined person is a level A person misdemeanor.

At the request of Barton County Attorney Amy Mellor, the Chase County Attorney William Halvorsen will serve as special prosecutor for the case.

The KBI released no additional information.

Police reported Josh Shelburn has been found and is safe.

They released no additional details on his disappearance.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Authorities are asking for help locating a missing Kansas man.

Just after 10p.m. Tuesday, police issued an alert to help find 26-year-old Joshua Shelburn. He was last seen at a Paradigm facility in the 300 block of north Wabash in Wichita at noon Tuesday, according to officer Charley Davidson in a media release.

Shelburn currently lives at a Paradigm Group home in the 1300 block of north Perth.

Joshua is diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome. He was last seen wearing a brown camouflage colored hoodie, blue jeans, brown boots, and was carrying a green or black back pack with rope draw strings. He also has a tattoo of “Shelburn” on his left tricep.

Anyone with information on Joshua is asked to call 911 immediately.