Butler County

Authorities in Butler County want residents to keep an eye on their mailboxes. Since the first of the year, the sheriff's office has had 18 reports of mail theft. In 2012, there were 56 mail thefts for the entire year. Thieves are taking anything where they can make an identity theft. The Butler County Sheriff says it started earlier in the month north of Rose Hill. It's moved north of Andover towards the Benton and Towanda area. Sheriff Kelly Herzet says the best advice he can give people is to get your mail as soon as you can. Anyone who sees anything suspicious is asked to call 911.

Crews were called in from several Butler County towns to help fight a house fire between Towanda and Augusta overnight. According to our news partners at KFDI, firefighters were called to the home in the 4200 block of SW Hopkins Switch just before 2:00 Monday morning. The first responders made sure no one was inside the house, then fought the fire from the outside. Once other departments showed up, firefighters were able to go inside and get a better handle on the fire. Two people and a dog were inside the house, they were not hurt.

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.

"Lindsey Giovinazzo gave no consideration for my mother's precious life. She's a cold blooded killer. "  Family members break down in court as they address their mother's killer. Lindsey Giovinazzo admitted she killed 69-year-old Loyce Cody because she and her boyfriend wanted to steal from her.  Many of Cody's family members were in court Thursday to hear the judge sentence Giovinazzo to 25 years in prison.  Before the sentence was read, they made sure Giovinazzo heard about the heartache she's caused.  "She was a very beautiful woman as you can see," said Cody's daughter Lori Daly.

Authorities think bitter overnight lows may have contributed to the death of an El Dorado woman. 30-year-old Beth Ann Noffsinger was found dead early Monday morning in a field. The Butler County Sheriff's office says deputies were called to Highway 54 and SE Cattle Pen Road for the report of a missing person around 12:45 Monday morning.  The victim's fiance was in his car parked in the area.  He said he drove to the area with Noffisnger, but then she became disoriented and got out of the car and started running.  He told officials he doesn't know why she left.

A fire damaged the Hope Community Church, just east of Andover near 21st and I-35, Wednesday morning.  No one was hurt. A pre-school connected to the church was evacuated. Investigators say construction workers accidentally started the fire while doing welding on an addition to the building. An eyewitness says a spark flew up and caught the back of the church on fire. The building filled with smoke. Damage is estimated at around $45,000. People were allowed back inside the church, but firefighters say the building will smell like smoke for awhile.

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 people are killed in separate crashes in Butler County overnight. The first happened just before midnight at Highway 77 and SW 120th Street, south of Augusta.  One person, identified as 38-year-old Charles White of Douglas, was killed in that crash.  According to our news partners at KFDI, White's two daughters, ages two and three, were standing next to his body when emergency crews arrived. Both were taken to a hospital in Wichita with potentially serious injuries.  They are expected to be okay.

Butler County emergency crews respondED to a fire at a two-story home in the town of Smileyberg.  Firefighters were called to the home Thursday morning. Crews from Douglass, Atlanta and Augusta helped put out the fire. No one was home when the fire started.

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.