Man loses legs fleeing cops; uneven sidewalk costly; 'ridiculous' sentence
- Updated
Odd and interesting news from the Midwest.
- Updated
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police say a Columbus man shot and wounded his own son after mistaking him for an intruder.
Officers responded to a home Tuesday morning for an unknown complaint.
When they arrived they say 51-year-old Biyaga Ceesay told them that an unknown person had shot his son. Later, the man said he accidentally shot his son because he thought he was an intruder trying to rob the family.
The boy is hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to recover.
Ceesay has been charged with domestic violence, assault and child endangerment.
- Updated
DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — The city of Decatur is hoping to turn sidewalks and electrical boxes into works of art.
The (Decatur) Herald and Review reports (http://bit.ly/1pBN9o8 ) the City Council has approved a measure to allow public art displays on city property.
Assistant City Manager Billy Tyus says the city will work with the Decatur Area Arts Council to find local artists to participate.
Jerry Johnson is director of the arts council. Johnson says the group is putting out a call for artists to submit designs to cover some downtown electrical boxes. He says it's an opportunity for local artists to get their work seen by the community.
City officials say a downtown electrical box that's been covered with brick, climbing ivy and a brass horn is a good example of what's possible.
___
Information from: Herald & Review, http://www.herald-review.com
- Updated
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Authorities say a 26-year-old woman driving in Milwaukee was shot to death when a child in the back seat got hold of a gun.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says the woman was struck once in the back as she drove south on U.S. 41/Highway 175 around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
When deputies arrived, the woman had no pulse and was not breathing. Officers tried to revive her but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A sheriff's spokeswoman tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1qQw76A ) that detectives were interviewing witnesses. The age and gender of the child were not released.
The spokeswoman did not know the relationship between the woman and the child, what type of weapon was used or how the child managed to get a gun and fire it.
___
Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com
- Updated
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A sheriff's deputy in western Michigan is getting praise for helping to rescue a bunch of ducklings from storm sewer drain as their mother looked on.
The Holland Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/1MVuEGz ) Ottawa County sheriff's Deputy Tony Boersema collected the ducklings outside a fast food restaurant in Holland Township. The encounter drew attention after woman posted about it on Facebook.
Undersheriff Steve Kempker says the ducks were relocated to an area that's less busy following the weekend rescue. He says responding to reports involving wildlife is part of the job in Ottawa County, where authorities might get calls about a horse or cow on the loose.
Kempker says "it makes us feel good that we have employees who will go that little extra on these types of calls."
___
Information from: The Holland Sentinel, http://www.thehollandsentinel.com
- Updated
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) — The city of Royal Oak has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit from a woman who broke her hip and wrist during a crash while biking along an uneven sidewalk.
The Daily Tribune of Royal Oak reports (http://bit.ly/1pBRwzH ) that city commission members signed off on the settlement Monday night.
The crash happened in May 2012 when 49-year-old Judith Angeloff of Royal Oak was riding her bike beneath a Grand Trunk Railroad viaduct. Angeloff said the accident aggravated an earlier back problem and her injuries caused pain, suffering and lost wages.
The uneven sidewalk that was cited as the cause of the accident has since been repaired.
___
Information from: The Daily Tribune, http://www.dailytribune.com
- By JOHN HANNA AP Political Writer
- Updated
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is withdrawing from the federal government's refugee resettlement program over safety concerns, Gov. Sam Brownback announced Tuesday after taking what could be a largely symbolic action to show displeasure with President Barack Obama's administration.
Brownback's move means the state will reject between $1.6 million and $1.8 million a year in federal funds to provide cash benefits and health care coverage to refugees. Brownback told the director of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement earlier this month that he wanted the withdrawal to be effective "at the earliest possible date."
But the Republican governor's letter, dated April 19, came less than a week after another federal official told him that if Kansas withdrew from the program, federal officials would work directly with local agencies to provide help and, "refugees will continue to arrive in the state." Mark Greenberg, acting assistant secretary for children and families in the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, wrote Brownback on April 13, saying the state's withdrawal would have "no effect" on the placement of refugees or their benefits.
HHS spokesman Kevin Griffis said Tuesday in an email: "Not all states participate in the administration of the refugee resettlement program, and refugee resettlement will continue in Kansas, coordinated by nonprofit organizations."
Like other Republican governors, Brownback has been a strong critic of the Democratic president's decision last year to resettle thousands of Syrian refugees in the U.S. Brownback contends the Obama administration isn't doing enough to ensure that potential terrorists are kept out of the country.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another Republican, took the same action earlier this month.
Since Oct. 1, 354 refugees have been resettled in Kansas, and five of them were from Syria, according to the state Department for Children and Families. Another eight Syrian refugees settled in Kansas from January through September 2015.
Brownback's office released a copy of Greenberg's letter on April 13, as well as 15 other documents meant to show that the governor has repeatedly sought assurances that refugees were being thoroughly screened.
In November, after attacks in Paris, Brownback issued an executive order to bar state agencies from helping Syrian refugees. In January, he expanded it to cover assistance to "refugees that present a safety and security risk."
"While our preference would have been to preserve the State's long history of participation in the refugee resettlement program, that is no longer possible in the current security environment," Brownback wrote in an April 25 letter to Robert Carey, director of the federal office of Refugee Resettlement.
The New York-based International Rescue Committee, which provides services to refugees in Kansas, said it will continue to resettle them in the state. Jennifer Sime, a senior vice president for the group, said in a statement that Brownback's action "is completely out of touch with local communities' overwhelming support and embrace of refugees."
And Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said Brownback's announcement is a "symbolic statement" because the state will find local groups to "step into the void." He said in the short term, as federal officials adjust, groups may find it harder to help refugees — and refugees may struggle to get assistance.
"You still couldn't stop refugees from crossing the state line," he said. "The federal government is the one who gets to decide when and where and how refugees get resettled."
Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said the governor has strong compassion for refugees but is taking the only action available without "the assurances we need as a state" from federal officials about screening refugees.
"This is not an action the governor takes lightly," Hawley said. "There comes a time when you have to take a stand."
___
Online:
Documents released by governor's office: http://1.usa.gov/1SyB636
___
Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna .
- Updated
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois woman was sentenced to four years in prison after she admitted to lying about having cancer to defraud thousands of dollars from a fellow churchgoer.
Felica Howard, 44, of Rock Island pleaded guilty Friday to felony theft by deception, The Rock Island Argus (http://bit.ly/1YRRNup ) reported. She was ordered to serve two years of supervised release after her four-year prison sentence and to repay about $133,000.
Howard is accused of telling a 78-year-old East Moline man who she met at church that she was facing a divorce and a cancer diagnosis. According to authorities, the man gave Howard more than $100,000 over two years, which he believed she was using to pay for her medication, treatment and other expenses.
The man, who served as the church's treasurer, initially arranged for Howard to receive some charitable donations through the church and eventually began providing her with his own money, court records state.
The East Moline Police Department launched an investigation after it received an anonymous tip that Howard was taking financial advantage of the man. Investigators determined that Howard was never diagnosed or treated for cancer, nor was she in the midst of a divorce.
The man told police that he had Parkinson's disease and his family had a history of Alzheimer's disease, according to court records in the theft case.
___
Information from: The Rock Island Argus, http://www.qconline.com/index.shtml
- By MARGERY A. BECK Associated Press
- Updated
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — After nearly three years of trying to overcome a lifetime of drug abuse, a Lincoln man will report to prison Wednesday to serve a mandatory 10-year sentence that even a federal judge has called "absolutely ridiculous."
Advocates for reforming the nation's system of mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes argue that Leo Guthmiller's case is an example of why Congress needs to make changes.
Guthmiller would seem to be a prime candidate for the U.S. Justice Department's "Smart on Crime" initiative launched three years ago that instructs federal prosecutors to decline pursuing charges that trigger mandatory minimum sentences for defendants who are not organizers, leaders, managers or supervising others in the drug trade. The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell illegal drugs, and prosecutors say Guthmiller connected users to people who sold 15 pounds of methamphetamine over several months.
"I take responsibility for the things I did," said Guthmiller, who will be in federal prison in Springfield, Missouri. "I just don't think it should cost you 10 years of your life for being an addict."
Federal prosecutors cited Guthmiller's criminal history — which public defenders and an advocacy group argued were nonviolent misdemeanors or infractions stemming from his drug addiction — in seeking the minimum-sentence count.
"In this case, as in all cases, we follow the district-specific guidelines we developed as part of the department's Smart on Crime initiative, to ensure that our prosecutors use their discretion to charge mandatory minimums in only those cases that warrant it," John Higgins, the narcotics enforcement unit chief for the Nebraska U.S. Attorney's Office, said in a written statement.
Guthmiller said his addiction began when his mother starting feeding him painkillers and other drugs when he was 8 as a way to keep a rambunctious boy quiet.
"Drugs were always just a part of my life," he said. "I didn't feel victimized or anything. That was just normal to me."
By the time he was 18, he was an addict, shoplifting items to feed his habit and spending time in jail for petty crimes. The cumulative result of years of minor crimes came in 2013, when charges of shoplifting and possession of a small amount of meth turned into a felony.
His break came when he was placed into a halfway house and a drug treatment program, where he stayed clean for a year, and then participated in a drug court program. He thrived under the rehabilitation regimen, successfully completing several drug, alcohol and behavior-modification treatment programs and eventually leading his own Alcoholics Anonymous group.
"It was my new life, and I loved it," Guthmiller said. "It was the life I always wanted."
He had been clean for nearly two years when the federal indictment came in 2015. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and the 10-year minimum to avoid a harsher sentence. Drug treatment counselors, his boss and even state probation officers wrote glowing letters extolling his virtues.
U.S. District Judge John Gerrard made note of Guthmiller's progress and blasted the law that demanded a 10-year sentence and called for Congress to pass sentencing reforms.
"A 10-year mandatory minimum sentence in a case like this is absolutely ridiculous," Gerrard said. "And the only reason I'm imposing the sentence ... is because I have to."
Families Against Mandatory Minimums Vice President Kevin Ring said Guthmiller's case highlights the need for sentencing laws to be changed.
"This isn't some abstract thing," Ring said. "Not everybody is a monster. These are real, three-dimensional people who made mistakes, who deserve to be punished, but they don't need the sentences that they're being laden with."
- Updated
GIRARD, Kan. (AP) — A mother is charged with aiding her son and another man in a southeast Kansas jail escape.
The Pittsburg Morning Sun (http://bit.ly/1rxhcPG ) reports that 57-year-old Marlene Louise McAfee, of Arma, is jailed in Crawford County on $50,000 bond.
After her son, Shaun Steven Simpson, and fellow inmate Steven Ray Barnes escaped Saturday from the Crawford County Jail, surveillance video from a nearby hospital showed them getting into McAfee's sport utility vehicle and leaving.
Authorities continued searching Tuesday for the men. The 33-year-old Simpson was being held on kidnapping and other charges, while the 26-year-old Barnes was jailed on a parole violation.
McAfee said at a bond hearing Monday that she is "cooperating with everyone." Her attorney, Jason Wiske, didn't immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
___
Information from: The (Pittsburg, Kan.) Morning Sun, http://www.morningsun.net
- Updated
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — An Internet filter used by the Sioux Falls School District carries a potentially harmful anti-LGBT bias, according to some students.
Roosevelt High School senior Briggs Warren told the Argus Leader newspaper (http://argusne.ws/1rwKVs8 ) that students are barred from accessing some resource sites for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, such as such as "It Gets Better" and "GLADD," on district devices.
When students try to access such websites, a large exclamation point under bold read letters reading, "access denied," pops up on the screen.
"It's just being denied about who you are and that it's just not OK," said Tristen Bly, a sophomore at New Technology High School. "You feel like you don't belong."
At the same time, students are able to access sites conservative sites such as the Family Resource Council and Focus on the Family are accessible.
Bly called the lack of access to LGBT sites "discriminatory."
"It would be very similar if you were to block a black rights movement website or any other type or major rights movement," Bly said.
The district uses school Internet filters from two companies, which sift through sites and divides them into categories, and then the district decides which categories to wholly or partially block, according to Bob Jensen, director of assessment, technology and information services for the district.
"Very rarely have we run across where there is a site that is blocked that shouldn't have been blocked," he said, adding that the district chooses to err on the side of caution.
ACLU of South Dakota Executive Director Heather Smith said the blocked sites send a message that being gay, bisexual or transgender is wrong or shameful.
Jensen said the district has unblocked some sites providing LGBT resources upon request.
___
Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com
- Updated
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — Military officials say 4,000 feet of mold-infested ductwork has been removed from the U.S. Strategic Command's new headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base.
The Omaha World-Herald (http://bit.ly/1YRTNCN ) reports that earlier construction glitches and the mold problems have extended the $1.2 billion project by 11 months and potentially "tens of millions" of dollars.
"It's a troubled project," said Col. John Henderson, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District, which is overseeing the StratCom project. "None of this is good news. But we're working through it."
Last September, the corps' quality-assurance inspectors found the mold in the insulation lining some ducts and temporarily paused installing parts of the heating and cooling system. Engineers determined mold was located in about 7 percent of the building's ductwork.
"We removed all that at great cost and disruption," Henderson said. "We have to guarantee that this isn't going to be a sick building."
The corps and the U.S. Strategic Command have said that building contractor KiewitPhelps should be held responsible for the damage because the company failed to monitor temperature and humidity at the job site.
The company declined a request for an interview, but company spokesman Tom Janssen released a brief statement.
"(KiewitPhelps and the corps) differ on the cause and financial responsibility, and the subsequent schedule and cost impacts," Janssen said. "We are working collaboratively. ...to settle these issues."
The corps and KiewitPhelps agree that the company's early estimate of $55 million in expenses for the mold problem was probably too high. The cost is still being added up.
But the corps already asked Congress last year to raise its authorized spending for construction from $564 million to $601 million because of earlier setbacks and construction changes.
Henderson said the building is scheduled for occupancy in October 2017. It was originally expected to be ready at the end of 2016.
___
Information from: Omaha World-Herald, http://www.omaha.com
- Updated
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a 5-month-old baby has died while taking a nap in bed with his mother.
The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/1TunM29 ) reports that police say it was the seventh time this year that a child has died while sleeping in the same bed as someone else. The practice is called co-sleeping.
Kansas Infant Death and SIDS Network director Christy Schunn says babies are safest sleeping alone, on their backs in a clutter-free crib. Some parents view co-sleeping as a way to bond with their children. But experts say adult beds can be dangerous for babies because blankets and pillows can suffocate them.
___
Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police say a Columbus man shot and wounded his own son after mistaking him for an intruder.
Officers responded to a home Tuesday morning for an unknown complaint.
When they arrived they say 51-year-old Biyaga Ceesay told them that an unknown person had shot his son. Later, the man said he accidentally shot his son because he thought he was an intruder trying to rob the family.
The boy is hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to recover.
Ceesay has been charged with domestic violence, assault and child endangerment.
DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — The city of Decatur is hoping to turn sidewalks and electrical boxes into works of art.
The (Decatur) Herald and Review reports (http://bit.ly/1pBN9o8 ) the City Council has approved a measure to allow public art displays on city property.
Assistant City Manager Billy Tyus says the city will work with the Decatur Area Arts Council to find local artists to participate.
Jerry Johnson is director of the arts council. Johnson says the group is putting out a call for artists to submit designs to cover some downtown electrical boxes. He says it's an opportunity for local artists to get their work seen by the community.
City officials say a downtown electrical box that's been covered with brick, climbing ivy and a brass horn is a good example of what's possible.
___
Information from: Herald & Review, http://www.herald-review.com
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Authorities say a 26-year-old woman driving in Milwaukee was shot to death when a child in the back seat got hold of a gun.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says the woman was struck once in the back as she drove south on U.S. 41/Highway 175 around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
When deputies arrived, the woman had no pulse and was not breathing. Officers tried to revive her but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A sheriff's spokeswoman tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1qQw76A ) that detectives were interviewing witnesses. The age and gender of the child were not released.
The spokeswoman did not know the relationship between the woman and the child, what type of weapon was used or how the child managed to get a gun and fire it.
___
Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A sheriff's deputy in western Michigan is getting praise for helping to rescue a bunch of ducklings from storm sewer drain as their mother looked on.
The Holland Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/1MVuEGz ) Ottawa County sheriff's Deputy Tony Boersema collected the ducklings outside a fast food restaurant in Holland Township. The encounter drew attention after woman posted about it on Facebook.
Undersheriff Steve Kempker says the ducks were relocated to an area that's less busy following the weekend rescue. He says responding to reports involving wildlife is part of the job in Ottawa County, where authorities might get calls about a horse or cow on the loose.
Kempker says "it makes us feel good that we have employees who will go that little extra on these types of calls."
___
Information from: The Holland Sentinel, http://www.thehollandsentinel.com
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) — The city of Royal Oak has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit from a woman who broke her hip and wrist during a crash while biking along an uneven sidewalk.
The Daily Tribune of Royal Oak reports (http://bit.ly/1pBRwzH ) that city commission members signed off on the settlement Monday night.
The crash happened in May 2012 when 49-year-old Judith Angeloff of Royal Oak was riding her bike beneath a Grand Trunk Railroad viaduct. Angeloff said the accident aggravated an earlier back problem and her injuries caused pain, suffering and lost wages.
The uneven sidewalk that was cited as the cause of the accident has since been repaired.
___
Information from: The Daily Tribune, http://www.dailytribune.com
- By JOHN HANNA AP Political Writer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is withdrawing from the federal government's refugee resettlement program over safety concerns, Gov. Sam Brownback announced Tuesday after taking what could be a largely symbolic action to show displeasure with President Barack Obama's administration.
Brownback's move means the state will reject between $1.6 million and $1.8 million a year in federal funds to provide cash benefits and health care coverage to refugees. Brownback told the director of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement earlier this month that he wanted the withdrawal to be effective "at the earliest possible date."
But the Republican governor's letter, dated April 19, came less than a week after another federal official told him that if Kansas withdrew from the program, federal officials would work directly with local agencies to provide help and, "refugees will continue to arrive in the state." Mark Greenberg, acting assistant secretary for children and families in the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, wrote Brownback on April 13, saying the state's withdrawal would have "no effect" on the placement of refugees or their benefits.
HHS spokesman Kevin Griffis said Tuesday in an email: "Not all states participate in the administration of the refugee resettlement program, and refugee resettlement will continue in Kansas, coordinated by nonprofit organizations."
Like other Republican governors, Brownback has been a strong critic of the Democratic president's decision last year to resettle thousands of Syrian refugees in the U.S. Brownback contends the Obama administration isn't doing enough to ensure that potential terrorists are kept out of the country.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another Republican, took the same action earlier this month.
Since Oct. 1, 354 refugees have been resettled in Kansas, and five of them were from Syria, according to the state Department for Children and Families. Another eight Syrian refugees settled in Kansas from January through September 2015.
Brownback's office released a copy of Greenberg's letter on April 13, as well as 15 other documents meant to show that the governor has repeatedly sought assurances that refugees were being thoroughly screened.
In November, after attacks in Paris, Brownback issued an executive order to bar state agencies from helping Syrian refugees. In January, he expanded it to cover assistance to "refugees that present a safety and security risk."
"While our preference would have been to preserve the State's long history of participation in the refugee resettlement program, that is no longer possible in the current security environment," Brownback wrote in an April 25 letter to Robert Carey, director of the federal office of Refugee Resettlement.
The New York-based International Rescue Committee, which provides services to refugees in Kansas, said it will continue to resettle them in the state. Jennifer Sime, a senior vice president for the group, said in a statement that Brownback's action "is completely out of touch with local communities' overwhelming support and embrace of refugees."
And Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said Brownback's announcement is a "symbolic statement" because the state will find local groups to "step into the void." He said in the short term, as federal officials adjust, groups may find it harder to help refugees — and refugees may struggle to get assistance.
"You still couldn't stop refugees from crossing the state line," he said. "The federal government is the one who gets to decide when and where and how refugees get resettled."
Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said the governor has strong compassion for refugees but is taking the only action available without "the assurances we need as a state" from federal officials about screening refugees.
"This is not an action the governor takes lightly," Hawley said. "There comes a time when you have to take a stand."
___
Online:
Documents released by governor's office: http://1.usa.gov/1SyB636
___
Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna .
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois woman was sentenced to four years in prison after she admitted to lying about having cancer to defraud thousands of dollars from a fellow churchgoer.
Felica Howard, 44, of Rock Island pleaded guilty Friday to felony theft by deception, The Rock Island Argus (http://bit.ly/1YRRNup ) reported. She was ordered to serve two years of supervised release after her four-year prison sentence and to repay about $133,000.
Howard is accused of telling a 78-year-old East Moline man who she met at church that she was facing a divorce and a cancer diagnosis. According to authorities, the man gave Howard more than $100,000 over two years, which he believed she was using to pay for her medication, treatment and other expenses.
The man, who served as the church's treasurer, initially arranged for Howard to receive some charitable donations through the church and eventually began providing her with his own money, court records state.
The East Moline Police Department launched an investigation after it received an anonymous tip that Howard was taking financial advantage of the man. Investigators determined that Howard was never diagnosed or treated for cancer, nor was she in the midst of a divorce.
The man told police that he had Parkinson's disease and his family had a history of Alzheimer's disease, according to court records in the theft case.
___
Information from: The Rock Island Argus, http://www.qconline.com/index.shtml
- By MARGERY A. BECK Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — After nearly three years of trying to overcome a lifetime of drug abuse, a Lincoln man will report to prison Wednesday to serve a mandatory 10-year sentence that even a federal judge has called "absolutely ridiculous."
Advocates for reforming the nation's system of mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes argue that Leo Guthmiller's case is an example of why Congress needs to make changes.
Guthmiller would seem to be a prime candidate for the U.S. Justice Department's "Smart on Crime" initiative launched three years ago that instructs federal prosecutors to decline pursuing charges that trigger mandatory minimum sentences for defendants who are not organizers, leaders, managers or supervising others in the drug trade. The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell illegal drugs, and prosecutors say Guthmiller connected users to people who sold 15 pounds of methamphetamine over several months.
"I take responsibility for the things I did," said Guthmiller, who will be in federal prison in Springfield, Missouri. "I just don't think it should cost you 10 years of your life for being an addict."
Federal prosecutors cited Guthmiller's criminal history — which public defenders and an advocacy group argued were nonviolent misdemeanors or infractions stemming from his drug addiction — in seeking the minimum-sentence count.
"In this case, as in all cases, we follow the district-specific guidelines we developed as part of the department's Smart on Crime initiative, to ensure that our prosecutors use their discretion to charge mandatory minimums in only those cases that warrant it," John Higgins, the narcotics enforcement unit chief for the Nebraska U.S. Attorney's Office, said in a written statement.
Guthmiller said his addiction began when his mother starting feeding him painkillers and other drugs when he was 8 as a way to keep a rambunctious boy quiet.
"Drugs were always just a part of my life," he said. "I didn't feel victimized or anything. That was just normal to me."
By the time he was 18, he was an addict, shoplifting items to feed his habit and spending time in jail for petty crimes. The cumulative result of years of minor crimes came in 2013, when charges of shoplifting and possession of a small amount of meth turned into a felony.
His break came when he was placed into a halfway house and a drug treatment program, where he stayed clean for a year, and then participated in a drug court program. He thrived under the rehabilitation regimen, successfully completing several drug, alcohol and behavior-modification treatment programs and eventually leading his own Alcoholics Anonymous group.
"It was my new life, and I loved it," Guthmiller said. "It was the life I always wanted."
He had been clean for nearly two years when the federal indictment came in 2015. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and the 10-year minimum to avoid a harsher sentence. Drug treatment counselors, his boss and even state probation officers wrote glowing letters extolling his virtues.
U.S. District Judge John Gerrard made note of Guthmiller's progress and blasted the law that demanded a 10-year sentence and called for Congress to pass sentencing reforms.
"A 10-year mandatory minimum sentence in a case like this is absolutely ridiculous," Gerrard said. "And the only reason I'm imposing the sentence ... is because I have to."
Families Against Mandatory Minimums Vice President Kevin Ring said Guthmiller's case highlights the need for sentencing laws to be changed.
"This isn't some abstract thing," Ring said. "Not everybody is a monster. These are real, three-dimensional people who made mistakes, who deserve to be punished, but they don't need the sentences that they're being laden with."
GIRARD, Kan. (AP) — A mother is charged with aiding her son and another man in a southeast Kansas jail escape.
The Pittsburg Morning Sun (http://bit.ly/1rxhcPG ) reports that 57-year-old Marlene Louise McAfee, of Arma, is jailed in Crawford County on $50,000 bond.
After her son, Shaun Steven Simpson, and fellow inmate Steven Ray Barnes escaped Saturday from the Crawford County Jail, surveillance video from a nearby hospital showed them getting into McAfee's sport utility vehicle and leaving.
Authorities continued searching Tuesday for the men. The 33-year-old Simpson was being held on kidnapping and other charges, while the 26-year-old Barnes was jailed on a parole violation.
McAfee said at a bond hearing Monday that she is "cooperating with everyone." Her attorney, Jason Wiske, didn't immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
___
Information from: The (Pittsburg, Kan.) Morning Sun, http://www.morningsun.net
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — An Internet filter used by the Sioux Falls School District carries a potentially harmful anti-LGBT bias, according to some students.
Roosevelt High School senior Briggs Warren told the Argus Leader newspaper (http://argusne.ws/1rwKVs8 ) that students are barred from accessing some resource sites for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, such as such as "It Gets Better" and "GLADD," on district devices.
When students try to access such websites, a large exclamation point under bold read letters reading, "access denied," pops up on the screen.
"It's just being denied about who you are and that it's just not OK," said Tristen Bly, a sophomore at New Technology High School. "You feel like you don't belong."
At the same time, students are able to access sites conservative sites such as the Family Resource Council and Focus on the Family are accessible.
Bly called the lack of access to LGBT sites "discriminatory."
"It would be very similar if you were to block a black rights movement website or any other type or major rights movement," Bly said.
The district uses school Internet filters from two companies, which sift through sites and divides them into categories, and then the district decides which categories to wholly or partially block, according to Bob Jensen, director of assessment, technology and information services for the district.
"Very rarely have we run across where there is a site that is blocked that shouldn't have been blocked," he said, adding that the district chooses to err on the side of caution.
ACLU of South Dakota Executive Director Heather Smith said the blocked sites send a message that being gay, bisexual or transgender is wrong or shameful.
Jensen said the district has unblocked some sites providing LGBT resources upon request.
___
Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — Military officials say 4,000 feet of mold-infested ductwork has been removed from the U.S. Strategic Command's new headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base.
The Omaha World-Herald (http://bit.ly/1YRTNCN ) reports that earlier construction glitches and the mold problems have extended the $1.2 billion project by 11 months and potentially "tens of millions" of dollars.
"It's a troubled project," said Col. John Henderson, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District, which is overseeing the StratCom project. "None of this is good news. But we're working through it."
Last September, the corps' quality-assurance inspectors found the mold in the insulation lining some ducts and temporarily paused installing parts of the heating and cooling system. Engineers determined mold was located in about 7 percent of the building's ductwork.
"We removed all that at great cost and disruption," Henderson said. "We have to guarantee that this isn't going to be a sick building."
The corps and the U.S. Strategic Command have said that building contractor KiewitPhelps should be held responsible for the damage because the company failed to monitor temperature and humidity at the job site.
The company declined a request for an interview, but company spokesman Tom Janssen released a brief statement.
"(KiewitPhelps and the corps) differ on the cause and financial responsibility, and the subsequent schedule and cost impacts," Janssen said. "We are working collaboratively. ...to settle these issues."
The corps and KiewitPhelps agree that the company's early estimate of $55 million in expenses for the mold problem was probably too high. The cost is still being added up.
But the corps already asked Congress last year to raise its authorized spending for construction from $564 million to $601 million because of earlier setbacks and construction changes.
Henderson said the building is scheduled for occupancy in October 2017. It was originally expected to be ready at the end of 2016.
___
Information from: Omaha World-Herald, http://www.omaha.com
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a 5-month-old baby has died while taking a nap in bed with his mother.
The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/1TunM29 ) reports that police say it was the seventh time this year that a child has died while sleeping in the same bed as someone else. The practice is called co-sleeping.
Kansas Infant Death and SIDS Network director Christy Schunn says babies are safest sleeping alone, on their backs in a clutter-free crib. Some parents view co-sleeping as a way to bond with their children. But experts say adult beds can be dangerous for babies because blankets and pillows can suffocate them.
___
Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com
More information
Most Popular
-
Arizona lawmaker seeks to jump-start I-11 construction
-
Report: Sheriff Nanos improperly used position, resources in political foe's suspension
-
Faculty concerned about changes to U of A admissions policy -
Over 70 fun events happening in Tucson in April 🎡🐰
-
Sean Elliott: Homegrown talent gives Arizona basketball special spark in Final Four run
