Butler County

Butler County emergency officials have closed the 600 block of Haverhill Road in El Dorado due to a gas leak. The street will be closed from Towanda to Central until the leak is fixed. Currently, there are no evacuations. Drivers are being asked to avoid the area.

A single-vehicle crash in Butler County sends two people to area hospitals. The crash happened just after three o'clock near SE Blue Stem Road and SE 40th. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the car's driver became distracted and hit a concrete culvert, causing the vehicle to flip. The passenger, 38-year-old Lori Wirey of Leon, was airlifted to Wesley Medical Hospital in Wichita. The driver, 20-year-old Rachel Farr also of Leon, was taken to Susan B. Anthony Memorial Hospital.

by Chris Durden (BUTLER COUNTY, Kan.) The search for Adam Herrman has come to an end along the banks of the Whitewater River near Towanda. Teams did not find anything that would help explain the 11-year-old's disappearance. Butler County Sheriff Craig Murphy says Saturday's search focused on an area about a mile south of K-254. A previous search where the river passes under the highway failed to turn up any evidence. Teams used search dogs to help in the search. They plan to be back out next weekend.

Firefighters continue to monitor hot spots into the night after a large grass fire started near El Dorado.  "It takes almost nothing to start one of these fires," Butler County Emergency Management Director Jim Schmidt says.  "We've had fires started by lightening the other day--we've had chains dragging.  There's just no moisture. " Thirty trucks from ten departments responded. Four homes were threatened by the flames.  Firefighters evacuated the residents and were able to save their houses from the fire.

A pilot is hurt after their aircraft unexpectedly turned. It happened in Butler County about 10 miles southeast of Augusta. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the pilot was attempting to take off when the Skycycle unexpectedly banked. It struck the road, hit a fence and then a tree. The pilot was taken to a Wichita hospital. He was strapped in and wearing a helmet.

Two men were flown to the hospital after they crashed their ATV. Authorities in Butler County were called to Northeast 90th and Stony Creek road around 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Two helicopters flew the men to Wesley hospital in Wichita. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.

A Sedgwick County deputy is recovering at the hospital this morning.  He's now listed in fair condition. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter and Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet are holding a press conference to release more information about the shooting. Investigators worked through the night to sort out the details.  We do know the man who shot the deputy was also shot by officers.  He's in critical condition and is being guarded at the hospital.  A woman was also taken into custody.

If you're grumbling about the weekend forecast, you aren't alone. Some people want a piece of Punxsutawney Phil.  Authorities in Ohio have jokingly issued an indictment of the groundhog for his prediction spring would come early this year. Ohio is one place facing more snow this weekend. The prosecutor in Butler County, Ohio says Phil "did purposely and with prior calculation and design, cause the people to believe that spring would come early. " 

33 year-old Nicholas Lindly of Atlanta was killed this morning when the semi-trailer truck he was driving crashed according to Kansas Highway Patrol. The accident happened three miles south of Leon in Butler County. Kansas Highway Patrol officials say Lindly was driving northbound on Cole Creek Road when he lost control of the vehicle and overturned in the ditch. The tanker Lindly was hauling contained liquid fertilizer.

The Sedgwick and Butler County Sheriffs have just released new information on a shooting that sent a Sedgwick County Deputy and a suspect to the hospital Monday evening. It all started when the deputy saw a vehicle speeding and weaving in and out of traffic.  The deputy started following the white Cadillac and once the driver noticed the deputy he sped up.  A chase reached 90 to 120 mph and headed into Butler County on K-196.  The deputy described the situation on the radio and said the Cadillac started driving erratically.  When the deputy caught up with the vehicle, he realized the car was stopped and smoking and believed that the engine had blown.  The deputy said on the radio he believed the driver and a female passenger had gotten out of the vehicle.  The deputy then walked towards a hedgerow and minutes later he announced on the radio that he had been shot.