Arkansas City

An Arkansas City man is at a Wichita hospital after a weekend fireworks accident. Police say the 39-year-old was hurt around 11:30 Sunday night in the 400 block of South D Street. Police are not releasing information about exactly what happened. Fireworks are illegal in Arkansas City. Setting off fireworks in city limits is a misdemeanor. The fine for possessing and/or discharging fireworks is $50 plus $71 incourt costs for a first offense.

One person has died and a second was critically injured in a motor vehicle accident north of Arkansas City, Kansas Monday afternoon, according to radio traffic from the scene. The accident occurred on U.S. 77 highway and has led to the closure of the northbound lanes, according to preliminary reports. Information courtesy Newscow.

Police are investigating a homicide in central Arkansas City. Investigators say a 62 year old man called 911 just before 1:00pm on Sunday, saying his wife had life-threatening injuries. When officers arrived on scene, they found a 69 year old woman dead inside the home. Police arrested the husband, who was also inside the home. Investigators will not comment on the manner of death. Police are releasing few other details. The Cowley County Attorney's Office will have a press conference Monday morning about the case.

Arkansas City police say a man found in critical condition at a grassfire has died. Police say the 76-year-old Eugene Hoag was found by firefighters who were also battling that fire just east of Arkansas City on Thursday. The man was found with burns to his body. He was rushed to Cowley County Hospital, then to a Wichita hospital where he later died. The cause of fire was determined to be related to a brush pile being burned in the vicinity that got out of control, burning on 6 different properties covering approximately 4 acres.

There's concern in Arkansas City about the town's trash pick-up. The city's considering a change: closing the sanitation department and giving the business to a private company. One Ark City resident was concerned about what she was hearing in town about the trash so she took it to the streets and gathered over one thousand signatures in support of keeping sanitation local.  She presented her petition to the city commission where the ball got rolling on whether to keep trash local or send it out of town.

Investigators are looking for a cause after a fire destroyed an Arkansas City home Tuesday. Crews were called to the scene in the 10800 block of 284th Street around 4 p.m. Due to deteriorating conditions, firefighters were forced to battle the blaze from the outside.  No one was hurt.  The home is a total loss.

Years of waiting will soon be over for residents in Arkansas City. The South Central Kansas Medical Center is moving to a new spot next week. On Thursday a dedication ceremony was held at the new location. The building is replacing the current location which is more than 50-years-old and was last renovated in the early 1970's. Hospital officials say the old location just became inadequate with time. It's not just about getting a new building. The facility will also have new equipment and technology.

One man is arrested after a stabbing at a home in Arkansas City. Police were called to the hospital where a 28-year-old Winfield man was in the emergency room being treated for multiple stab wounds. After interviewing witnesses, officers determined that a fight took place at a residence in the 500 blk. of North 3rd St. that led to the stabbing.  Police interviewed and booked a 20-year-old man in the Cowley County Jail on the charge of aggravated battery.  He later bonded out from the jail on $5,000.

Police arrested a man in Arkansas City for kidnapping Thursday morning. Investigators say a woman and her friend were sitting outside her home when the suspect walked up to their vehicle saying he wanted to kill somebody. The suspect forced his way into the vehicle and told her to drive. The woman was fearful that he might do something to her children who were asleep inside the home so she did what he asked and drove. The woman was able to trick the suspect by telling him that she needed gas in her vehicle so she drove to a local convenient store.

Investigators are looking for a cause after a fire destroyed an Arkansas City home Tuesday. Crews were called to the scene in the 10800 block of 284th Street around 4 p.m. Due to deteriorating conditions, firefighters were forced to battle the blaze from the outside.  No one was hurt.  The home is a total loss.

An Arkansas City man accused of sexually abusing children has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison. A Cowley County judge sentenced Jerry Mills to 262 months behind bars in connection to charges of rape, sodomy and indecent liberties with a child. Mills entered an Alford plea, which is pleading guilty without admitting guilt, in March. Prosecutors dropped seven charges in exchange for the plea deal. His victims reported Mills touched them inappropriately "too many times to count.

Cowley County authorities are looking into whether skeletal remains found earlier this month belong to a former hospital patient.  Tree trimmers found the remains in the 7000 block of 146th Road, northwest of Winfield, March 11. A hospital-issued wristband was located nearby. A man's name, Adam Miller, was printed on the wristband. It was dated Sept. 9. Police said a man in the picture was in the Arkansas City and Winfield area at the time, but he is not believed to be a resident in the area.

Dozens of Kansans are on the East Coast, prepared to help people affected by Hurricane Sandy. One group of Kansas Red Cross volunteers is currently stationed in Albany, New York. They're giving food and shelter to anyone affected by the storm. But since the city missed the brunt of the storm one volunteer says they'll likely be moved. "Probably expect to be deployed from here because the damage isn't as bad as expected," says Wichita Red Cross Volunteer Jim Kuhlmann.  "We'll be transferred down to New York City because all the news is telling us it has a much greater damage area.

Police in Arkansas City are asking for help after a construction vehicle is stolen. A skid steer was taken sometime between October 23rd and 24 from a construction site at Maple and Summit. The vehicle has rental station stickers on the arms and back door. It also has a sticker on the front that says, "no chain hook by hydraulics". More information about stolen skid row: MakeJohn Deere ModelJD315 Year2012 Serial #1T00315ATCG231566 OwnerThe Rental Station If you have any information you are asked to call the Arkansas City Police Department at 620-441-4444.

There's concern in Arkansas City about the town's trash pick-up. The city's considering a change: closing the sanitation department and giving the business to a private company. One Ark City resident was concerned about what she was hearing in town about the trash so she took it to the streets and gathered over one thousand signatures in support of keeping sanitation local.  She presented her petition to the city commission where the ball got rolling on whether to keep trash local or send it out of town.

A 25-year-old Arkansas City woman is sentenced to 36 months (3 years) probation for the death of two-year-old boy. An additional 5 months will be added if she violates the terms of her sentence. Jennifer Bowman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Davin Manly.  Last October, Bowman was babysitting the boy when he drank rust remover.  He was hospitalized and later died. "I did not intend for Davin to die. I thought he was going to be okay but a couple of hours after Davin went home, I found out he was not going to be okay," said Bowman to the court.

An Arkansas City man is killed after an accident in Cowley County Sunday. It happened right around midnight just southeast of Arkansas City. Authorities say49-year-old  Bret Clark was southbound in a grass field when he lost control of his jeep and rolled. Clark was not wearing a seat belt. He was taken to an Ark City hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A man and woman arrested in Emporia are being investigated as suspects in church burglaries there, and police are looking into possible links to a rash of similar crimes elsewhere in Kansas and Oklahoma.     KVOE-AM reports the 22-year-old man and 33-year-old woman are both from Ponca City, Okla. They were arrested Thursday night in Emporia, where three churches were burglarized earlier this week.     Police in Arkansas City tell Eyewitness News the man was arrested on a warrant from that south-central Kansas community.

Westar Energy is sending crews to help restore power to areas that were hit by strong thunderstorms in West Virginia. Millions were left without power in the eastern United States. Contract crews will be sending 41 Westar lineman, supervisors, safety and support personnel to assist with restoration efforts. Employees from Westar's Topeka, Marysville, Hutchinson, Atchison, Pittsburg, Independence, Newton, Arkansas City, and Wichita offices will assist.