State Senator Virgil Peck continues his listening tour today.

 Peck is taking advantage of the current recess in the legislative session to find out what is on the minds of his constituents.

Today takes him to the Oswego City Hall at 3:45, then onto the Chetopa City Hall at 5pm, and finally Peck will visit the Altamont Park Building tonight at 6:30.

 The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of an inmate at the Wilson County Jail.

 At around 5pm on April 2^nd, staff at the jail found 38 year old Joshua Michael Borden unresponsive in his cell. Life-saving measures were attempted and Borden was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Borden was arrested on April 1^st on a warrant for failure to appear on a traffic violation.

No foul play is suspected. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death. The investigation is ongoing.

 Police in Abilene locate a missing child with the help of a license plate reader.

 On April 18^th, the A-P-D received an alert from a Flock license plate reader that a vehicle associated with a child abduction in Minnesota was in Abilene. Officers were able to locate the vehicle and discovered a 5 month old baby who had been taken by a non-custodial parent. The baby was taken into police custody and will be returned to the custodial parents in Minnesota. The Flock license plate readers are also used by cities in southeast Kansas including Pittsburg, Frontenac, Coffeyville, Caney, Independence, and Parsons.

 Residents who want to use facilities and services at Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo have a new, convenient way to reserve them.

 Beginning today, the new CivicRec software system will allow users to create their own accounts, reserve and pay for rentable park facilities and request group field trips or ZooMobile education programs. The new system will be accessible around the clock.

In the near future, the new system also will include registration functions for programs offered by the Independence Recreation Commission.

To setup an account, go here.

 The theater department at Coffeyville Community College will be serving up the laughs this week with their production of the play Noises Off.

 The play portrays the chaotic world of theater where egos, forgetfulness and romance make every performance a risky endeavor. The play follows a touring company through dress rehearsal, opening night, offering a slapstick filled glimpse behind the scenes.

 Performances will be Wednesday at 4pm, Friday at 7pm and the Sunday at 2pm. All shows will be at the Spencer Rounds Theater on the CCC Campus. Admission is free.

 US Senator Jerry Moran joins his Senate colleagues to address the Biden administration’s American energy restrictions while foreign adversaries like Iran continue to produce and export oil around the world.

 Moran says many Kansans earn a living from the energy industry.

The Kansas Senator says is it time for the United States to be and to remain a producer of our own energy sources.

Moran's comments come in response to the Biden Administration’s announcement that it would restrict oil development in Alaska.

 Authorities in Oklahoma are investigating what appears to be an accidental shooting of a hunter on the first day of spring turkey season.

 Oklahoma Game Wardens say an Oklahoma resident was shot by a member from his hunting party on April 16^th around 7:15am. According to an official statement, the man and a friend were hosting two Indiana residents on a turkey hunt. The victim and the friend were in a group of trees watching the other hunters near a feeder. One hunter took a shot at a jake turkey that was in line with the spectators, striking one man with several pellets. The shooter was less than 50 yards away from the victim.

Game wardens say no charges will be filed in the incident, though the parties involved were cited for illegally possessing turkeys within 100 yards of bait. The incident occurred on privately-owned land.

 This is the sound from Friday afternoon as the City of Fredonia held a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new solar farm.

 City Commissioners Brandon Tindle and Bill Jones were on hand, as well as Mayor Allen Miller, City Administrator Wesley Young, and City Clerk Kelly Bogner. Representatives from Priority Power and Z Mac Engineering were also in attendance.

City Administrator Young says the solar farm will help reduce the city's exposure to fluctuating energy costs, especially during months of peak usage.

The solar farm is expected to produce more than 2500 kilowatts of power. The city recently gained approval from the US Department of Energy to commission the facility.

 A former Kansas State football player passes away.

 Terrale Johnson passed away on Saturday at the age of 29. Johnson graduated from Manhattan High School and played two seasons of football at Hutchinson Community College. He went on to play at Kansas State from 2014 through 2016. In his last season with the Wildcats, Johnson started all 13 games on the offensive line and earned First Team All Big 12 honors.

Johnson went on to work as an assistant football coach at Shawnee Mission South High School and Mill Valley High School in the Kansas City area.

  An Osage Nation Police Department Officer passed away on Wednesday when undergoing his mandatory yearly firearms qualification standard near Hominy.

 Investigator Brian Herbert was partaking in the strenuous activity when he began feeling signs of discomfort and had to stop. After losing consciousness, Herbert was taken to the hospital and later passed away. 

Herbert had been with the Osage Nation Police Department since 2007 and served in law enforcement for 28 years. He was also a U.S. Army Veteran. Herbert is survived by his wife and a sister.

 A Jenks man is sentenced for his role in the 2019 death of a Broken Arrow man.

 On Friday, 37 year old Bradley Wade Wofford was sentenced on Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil ordered Wofford to 19 ½ years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Wofford was driving under the influence of methamphetamine when he rear-ended a car driven by 48 year old Scotty Dilbeck. Dilbeck was killed in the collision. State Troopers say Wofford was traveling at 66 miles per hour while Dilbeck was going 11 miles per hour when the accident occurred.

Wofford was previously convicted of driving under the influence on four separate occasions. He is a citizen of Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The FBI and Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case.

 The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Saturday afternoon in Topeka .

 Just after 3pm Saturday, Topeka Police received a 911 call reporting that a suspect connected to an armed carjacking that occurred in Topeka earlier in the day had been spotted.

Responding officers discovered 34 year old Terrell Hayes-Osby fleeing on foot. Law enforcement gave chase and during the pursuit, Hayes-Osby fired at the officers, who then returned fire. Hayes-Osby was struck and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Hayes-Osby was reported in serious condition but is expected to survive.

Once KBI finishes its investigation, findings will be turned over to the Shawnee County District Attorney for review. The investigation is ongoing.

 A Saturday night car crash in Crawford County claims the life of a Pittsburg woman.

 Around 9:15pm, 53 year old Ann Marie Edgett was traveling northbound on K-3 near 630^th Avenue or about 6 ½ miles west of Girard. When her vehicle veered off of the road to the right, Edgett over-corrected, crossed the southbound lane, and overturned in the ditch where it came to rest on its roof.

Edgett was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.

 A weekend house fire leaves an Independence firefighter with injuries.

 Independence Fire and EMS responded to reports of a structure fire around 7pm Saturday evening at 11^th and Hickory in Independence. Fire crews were able to get the blaze under control quickly, but the house sustained significant damage to the rear and attic of the house and to a detached garage. The residents of the house were all able to escape safely, but one Independence firefighter was injured during the incident.

Independence Rural Fire and Independence Police were also on the scene.

Chautauqua County commissioners have agreed to new accepted contracts for fuel prices.

The county has entered an agreement with MFA Oil, which has headquarters in Skiatook. The updated contract prices are for road diesel at approximately $3.28, unleaded gasoline for approximately $2.93, and agricultural/off-road fuel for approximately $3.29.

Public Works Superintendent Mark McCall presented the proposed contracts to the commission, which were approved by a 3-0 vote by the commissioners.

Additional items of business at this week's Chautauqua County commission meeting was the approval of an estimate from Maverick Elevator Inspections, LLC, as well as the approval of claims from Blue Cross & Blue Shield. Commissioners also went into two separate executive sessions, one regarding personnel matters of non-elected personnel, and one regarding security measures.

The commission next meets at 8:30 a.m. on April 30th in the commission room on the second floor of the county courthouse in Sedan.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelley vetoes a number of bills and allows two to become law without her signature.

Kelly has vetoed proposed tax breaks for pregnancy crisis centers while allowing restrictions on college diversity initiatives to become law without her signature. Kelly announced the actions Friday on bills approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Besides the abortion-related measure, she vetoed two election bills saying there's no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Kansas and that the bills would disenfranchise voters by making advanced voting more difficult. She also vetoed a bill increasing the penalties for killing police dogs, saying the issue needs more study. The new law on diversity will bar state colleges from requiring applicants for admission, jobs and promotions to state their views on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

 Authorities in Newton County, Missouri, are investigating reports of a gun found in a student backpack.

 School officials in Granby say an unloaded pistol was found in a backpack at Granby Elementary and Junior High School Thursday. The weapon was found after a student reported having seen it in another student's bag.

The Student Resource Officer and the Newton County Juvenile Office are assisting in the investigation.

 Kansas Senator Jerry Moran questions the U.S. Attorney General on the southern border and national security.

 This week Moran pressed U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on violent crime and the national security threats facing the United States during a committee hearing. The hearing was to review the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Department of Justice. Moran says the Biden Administration has caused a diffcult problem.

Moran is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. He says these threats affect all Americans and they have hit close to home here in Kansas.

Moran added that  the cyber capabilities of U.S. enemies continue to improve which puts American systems at greater risk.

 As the weather warms, people everywhere start looking for fun things to do.

 In Coffeyville, one of those things is to pay a visit to the Aviation Heritage Museum. The museum is currently hosting a traveling display from Johnson Space Center in Houston. Coffeyville Area Chamber President Candi Westbrook says, if you haven't seen the display yet, it's definitely worth a look.

The exhibit will be on display in Coffeyville until June 14^th at the Coffeyville Aviation Heritage Museum at 2002 North Buckeye. Admission is free.

 The Fortitude Masonic Lodge # 107 in Independence is hosting a Health and Cancer Screening tomorrow.

 From 9 to noon, there will be screenings available for common types of cancer. There will also be materials available to help those who wish to quit tobacco. The public is invited to attended. No registration is required.

The event happens at the Masonic Building at 2000 West Laurel in Independence.

 A Crawford County high school student is honored at the KDOT Traffic Safety Conference in Topeka.

 Kendyl Renn a sophomore at Southeast High School in Cherokee received the 2024 Hero Award this week. More than 300 attendees looked on as Renn was recognized for her actions in rendering aid to students involved in a school bus injury accident on January 25^th.

Renn's parents and Southeast High School Principal Larry Malle were on hand to see her receive the award.

Photo courtesy Crawford County Sheriff's Office

 Police in Miami, OK, help out a familiar face who was having car trouble.

 The City of Miami posted a photo on their Facebook page of a Miami police officer with actor John Schneider. Schneider is well-known for his portrayal of Bo Duke on the television show the Dukes of Hazzard.

Schneider was traveling through Miami when he encountered some engine problems with his RV. Schneider posted on his own Facebook page “Thank you to the great law enforcement in Miami and their very own 'Cooter!' Greatly appreciate your hospitality all!”

Cooter was also a character on the show who was an auto mechanic.

 A federal judge sentences a southwest Missouri woman for her role in a 2020 kidnapping conspiracy of a Carthage man.

 40 year old Amy Kay Thomas of Webb City was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole for the July 2020 kidnapping of Michael Hall. Court documents show that Thomas entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Thomas is the fourth of six defendants to be sentenced in the case.

 A Cedarvale man is in a Tulsa hospital following a one-vehicle wreck on Thursday in Osage County, OK.

 The accident happened around 7:45am on Thursday. 21-year-old Tyler Vogele was driving a 2010 Dodge Ram on Oklahoma Highway 18, just north of Shidler when his pickup left the roadway to the right for an unknown reason. Vogele overcorrected to the left, causing the truck to go into a slide and roll.

The truck struck a fence and came to rest on its wheels.

Vogele was transported via ambulance to a Ponca City hospital, where he was later transported via medical helicopter to a Tulsa hospital. He was admitted in good condition with internal injuries.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Shidler Fire and EMS assisted at the scene.

 A Bartlesville woman faces charges of felony charge of child abuse.

 41 year old Leah Young is accused of hitting a minor child across the chest and shoulders with a belt.

According to an affidavit, police reviewed the forensic interviews with the juveniles and found that the victim told interviewers that he went into his room and shut his door because he was upset. Young then allegedly came through the door and started swinging a belt at him and struck him multiple times.

Police found bruising on the victim consistent with those made by a belt.

Young was ordered to have no contact with the victim and was given a $50,000 bond. Her next court date is set for May 3rd.