Two arrested in Junction City after SWAT raid
Following a SWAT team raid in Junction City Friday, two people were arrested on charges of aggravated battery.
Joshua Renell Dantzler, 28 of Junction City, and an unidentified 17-year-old were arrested. The Junction City/Geary Co. SWAT, as well as the Junction City police, executed a search warrant at 48 Riley Manor after two aggravated battery cases, which resulted in “substantial injuries,” were reported. A firearm was found inside the home.
Dantzler was taken to the Geary Co. Detention Center; the teen was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center.
Salina teen taken to hospital after ‘ice and salt challenge’
A Salina teenager was taken to the Salina Regional Health Center Sunday for treatment of frostbite on his arm after participating in a “salt and ice” challenge.
Zakree Lindsey, 15, was hanging out with a friend Saturday when they decided to participate in the challenge, which includes sprinkling salt on your arm, and placing ice on top. The winner of the challenge is whoever keeps the ice on the longest. Lindsey won the challenge, as he lasted seven minutes to his friend’s one minute.
Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water, which can pull heat out of surrounding tissue.
The Salina Journal reported that Lindsey received “second- or third-degree burns” on his arm, measuring 4 inches by 2 1/2 inches. This is the first case of burns caused by the challenge, according to the Salina Regional Health Center.
Riley County Courts decision reversed by Kansas Court of Appeals
A ruling by the Riley County Courts concerning a previous K-State employee was reversed by the Kansas Court of Appeals Friday. According to KMAN, Rachel Platt appealed the district court’s decision, which dismissed her claim of retaliation discharge against K-State; the court claimed she failed to exhaust administrative remedies available to her.
Platt, hired as a probationary employee in September 2011, complained of headaches and migraines due to the air quality in the office. The university found problems with the ventilation in her office and attempted to fix the problem.
In March 2012, shortly before her probationary period expired, K-State terminated Platt’s employment on the grounds of excessive absences. Platt later filed a lawsuit against the university on the grounds that she was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for having a potential claim under the Kansas Workers Compensation Act.
The Kansas Court of Appeals reversed the decision, stating that Platt had “no administrative remedy with which to comply under state civil service or judicial review regulations,” according to KMAN. The Kansas Court of Appeals also reprimanded the lower court and directed that the action be reinstated.
6.0 magnitude earthquake hits Tokyo
The Japan Meterological Agency reported that a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Tokyo at 5:18 a.m. Monday morning. It was centered 160 kilometers under the seabed near the Izu Oshima island south of Tokyo.
It was the strongest shaking registered in Tokyo since March 2011, when the magnitude-9 earthquake and resulting tsunami left more than 18,500 people dead or missing.
The subway systems were stopped after the earthquake, leading to 10-minute delays. The nuclear power plants in the vicinity were also not damaged. No reports of any fatalities were available Sunday evening.
Sunday marked seventh anniversary of Greensburg tornado
Sunday, May 4 marked the seventh anniversary of the EF-5 tornado that tore through Greensburg, Kansas, killing 11 people and destroyed 95 percent of the town.
In 2000, before the tornado, the town’s population was 1,574. In 2010, after the tornado, that number had deceased to 777. During the rebuilding efforts, the city council passed a resolution to build all new structures to LEED-platinum standards, or “green,” the first town of its kind in the nation.
Much of the rebuilding is completed, and the community is now focusing on strengthening their economy, according to KSN. They currently have a business incubator and media center to help encourage people to start businesses and work in the community.
In the time since the tornado, Greensburg has served as a model for green rebuilding, as well as hosted recovery summits for communities who have experienced similar destruction from a natural disaster.
K-State alumnus’ staff reporter receives Pulitzer Prize
A reporter under Bill Buzenberg, 1969 K-State graduate, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. Buzenberg is the executive director of the Center for Public Integrity in Washington D.C. He served as the editor-in-chief of The Collegian in 1968, as well as opinion editor during this time. The Center for Public Integrity is a nonpartisan investigation news organization that works to reveal “abuses of power, corruption and betrayal of public trust by powerful public and private institutions, using the tools of investigative journalism.”
Buzenberg’s staff reporter, Chris Hamby, received his masters degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Richmond. His award-winning work looked at how some doctors and lawyers rigged a system to deny benefits to coal minors with black lung disease.
