HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The suspect in a weekend stabbing incident in Carey Park in Hutchinson failed to get a bond reduction when he made a first court appearance.

Elijah B Norris faces potential charges include aggravated battery, distribution of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond set at $50,000 and Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen denied a request for any bond reduction.

The victim who had been stabbed multiple times in the head and was bleeding profusely when police arrived was first taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, then transported to Via-Cristi St. Francis Regional Medical Center for treatment which included stitches for the five wounds she suffered. There were two children in the vehicle, ages one and three. They were safe and unharmed.

They eventually located Norris at the intersection of Blanchard and Emerson Loop East. He was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for a laceration to his hand believed to have occurred during the attack. He also had blood on his person according to statements made in court.

Officers also found a bloody kitchen knife as well as several small plastic baggies of suspected marijuana believed to be connected to the case. One had blood on it.

Norris will be back in court on Feb. 13 for the formal reading of charges.

He’s served time in prison for aggravated battery, possession of drugs and burglary and he’ll be back in court on Feb. 13 for the reading of any formal charges.

 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Retired Reno County Sheriff Jim Fountain passed away Friday according to the current sheriff, Randy Henderson.

Fountain served as sheriff from 1973 to 1993 and was very well respected throughout Kansas Law Enforcement according to Henderson.

The public meeting room at the Reno County Correctional Facility bears his name.

Fountain was the first sheriff from Kansas to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia.

Funeral arrangements are pending according to Henderson.

MCPHERSON COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities continue to investigate a suspect following a high-speed chase in McPherson County.

Just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol received a call about an erratic driver traveling at a high rate of speed, heading northbound on Interstate 135.

KHP located the driver in north McPherson County traveling at speeds over 100 mph with hazard lights on. The female driver was finally stopped near the Mentor, Smolan exit in Saline County.

According to Trooper Ben Gardner, the vehicle was located by the KHP but the driver did not respond to emergency lights.
She continued at a high-rate of speed for several miles before the pursuing trooper called in an active pursuit.

Other law enforcement officers set up ahead of the suspect on Interstate 135, attempting to use stop sticks to deflate the vehicle’s tires.

The driver evaded the stop sticks but spun into the median where her car came to rest. She was quickly taken into custody by the Kansas Highway Patrol and booked in the McPherson County Jail.

According to Trooper Gardner, the pursuing officer charged her with misdemeanor fleeing and eluding, felony eluding of stop sticks, speeding (109 mph in a 75) and failure to maintain a single lane. She was not charged with driving under the influence but her mental state is still being evaluated.

 

———-

MCPHERSON COUNTY — A woman is facing charges after a high-speed chase on Wednesday afternoon.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported troopers chased the driver through parts of McPherson County and into Saline County on Interstate 135, according to dispatch.

She was driving erratically, reached speeds over 100 miles per hour and would not yield to the troopers’ emergency lights.

The chase ended when the driver spun her car into the median just south of the East Mentor-Smolan Road exit.

She was taken to McPherson to face charges. The driver’s name was not released.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Reno County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to the intersection of 56th and Hendricks Tuesday for a three vehicle injury accident. When they arrived, they found five patients, three with minor injuries and two with serious injuries.

The driver of one of the vehicles was trapped inside the vehicle and was extracted by the Hutchinson and Nickerson Fire Department.

Fifty-six-year-old Clayton Kaegi of Hutchinson was northbound on Hendricks when he failed to yield at the posted stop sign. He entered the intersection and was struck by a east bound pickup driven by 32-year-old Tony Killingsworth of McPherson. Both vehicles were then struck by a westbound car driven by 15-year-old Luis Jaime Jr. of Hutchinson.

Kaegi and his passenger, 57-year-old Jacqueline Kaegi of Hutchinson were transported by Reno County EMS to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Killingsworth reported only minor injuries and Jaime reported minor injuries and was taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center by private Vehicle. His passenger 14-year-old Jalen Moriasi of Hutchinson reported no injuries and was released to a parent.

Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor to the accident and is pending blood results.

The accident occurred just after 5 p.m. and is still under investigation.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — While wind power interest always hangs in the balance by what happens in Washington, there is good news from Siemens.

The company’s  wind and renewables business posted a first quarter profit of €111m, up 119% over the year-ago period, on the back of a 16% increase in revenue to €1.38bn.

The German engineering giant said profitability in the business segment was driven by higher productivity, positive results related to project execution and higher capacity use.

A large contribution also came from the service business.

While profits and revenue were up there could be some challenges along the way as Orders in the three months were down 24% year on year at €1.44bn with fewer large contracts going into the system.

Offshore wind in Europe were a highlight with a €700m deal in Belgium and a €1bn order in the UK

 

KINSLEY, Kan. — A Hutchinson man was involved in a fatality accident Tuesday afternoon in Edwards County.

The Kansas HIghway Patrol reports that 70-year-old Sandra Kerns of Kinsley was going north on 80th Avenue when she pulled onto US-50 and into the path of an oncoming car driven by 38-year-old Todd Sullivan of Hutchinson Sullivan’s car hit Kerns vehicle in the driver’s side door.  She was taken by EMS to Edwards County Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Sullivan was not injured in the accident.  

The accident happened around 12:30 p.m. about a mile west of Kinsley.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Reno County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the report of shots fired.

At approximately 11:00 p.m., Sunday night, deputies with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 5300 Block of North Old K-61 Highway for the report of a shooting.

When Deputies arrived, they made contact with the resident at the scene, Patrick Hill. Hill told deputies that just prior to the call, he had noticed a truck out on the road in front of his house revving its engine. Mr. Hill said he recognized the truck and went outside of his residence to investigate. He says as he exited his residence, he began to be shot at from the truck. Hill returned fire with his own weapon and the truck sped away.

Although there were three others at the residence besides Hill, there were no injuries. With the assistance of the Hutchinson Police Department, the person who was known by Hill to own the truck was found close to his home in the city of Hutchinson.

After further investigation and interviews, 38-year-old Michael Sifuentes was arrested on the charges of aggravated assault, criminal threat, and criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling. He’s being held at the Reno County Correctional Facility with a bond set at $21,500. Unless he post bond, he should make an appearance in front of a judge Tuesday.

The investigation is still ongoing in this situation.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Members of the Reno Co Drug Enforcement Unit served a warrant at 801 E 3rd in Hutchinson last Thursday which is the home of Stephen and Sophia Montaldo.

During the search, they say they found about a quarter pound of methamphetamine and about 19 grams of marijuana or marijuana hash, a small baggie with an unidentified substance believed to be heroin, Oxycodone, packaging material, working scales, and multiple pieces of drug paraphernalia.

A 16-year-old girl was placed into protective custody and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia due to items found in her room.

Sophia Montalbo is jailed with a bond of $65,000 and appeared via video from the Reno County Correctional facility and her bond was left where it is. Stephen Montalbo was able to post bond meaning he will appear in court at a later date.

The case is still under investigation at this time.

NEWTON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas prosecutor plans to seek the death penalty against one of two people accused of killing three people before fleeing to Mexico.

Harvey County Attorney David Yoder announced the plans to seek the death penalty against 35-year-old Jereme Nelson in a news release Friday. Yoder didn’t say whether he would seek the death penalty against 31-year-old Myrta Rangel.

Nelson and Rangel are charged with one count of capital murder and three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 33-year-old Travis Street, 37-year-old Angela May Graevs and 52-year-old Richard Prouty. The victims’ bodies were found in October outside a rural home near Moundridge. An 18-month-old child was found unharmed.

Nelson and Rangel were extradited Thursday to Kansas, and the prosecutor’s office declined to say whether they have attorneys.

———-

HARVEY COUNTY- With the cooperation of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, both Jereme
Nelson, 35, and Myrta Rangel, 31, have been safely and successfully extradited back to Harvey County.
They arrived in Newton around 5:45 Thursday evening, according to a media release.

Harvey County prosecutors have charged Nelson and Rangel each with one count of capital murder and three counts of first-degree murder.

They were arrested earlier this month in Mexico and were returned to the U.S., where they remain jailed in California until their return to Kansas.

Authorities have said the bodies of 33-year-old Travis Street and 37-year-old Angela May Graevs, both of Moundridge, and 52-year-old Richard Prouty of Newton, were found Oct. 30 outside a rural home near Moundridge.

An 18-month-old child was found unharmed.

Nelson and Rangel are currently being housed in the Harvey County Detention Center.