El Dorado

An El Dorado man keeps beating the odds. Sixty-one-year-old Danny Shipman had to give up golf two years ago, when he almost gave up the ghost. The retired Bluestem High School golf coach suffered complications from heart surgery that caused a coma and stroke.  "We didn't think he was going to make it," Shipman's wife, Linda, says.  "They didn't give up much hope. " He survived, but suffered paralysis in his right hand.  Shipman never thought he would play golf again.

Attendance numbers are up at El Dorado State Park this summer. That's compared to last summer Park managers say the attendance has been up slightly all summer long. They cite two reasons for the increased attendance. El Dorado Lake levels haven't dropped as much as others in the area during this drought. Also, with gas prices being higher people are staying closer to home. Attendance numbers were up during the Labor Day Holiday. Park managers also say that it's been a pretty safe holiday with no major accidents.

When you have a classic boat like Greg Largen's 1972 Century Arabian, you want to take it out and enjoy it.  And, for the first summer in years, Largen has been enjoying a lot of evenings on El Dorado Lake. "Everything's been great," Largen says.  "We love it!" Largen and his wife have had a lot of company out on the lake, because El Dorado is one of the few Kansas lakes that hasn't been devastated by the hot, dry weather which is shriveling up a lot of lakes and, in a lot of cases, causing blue-green algae outbreaks.

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.

Agents with the special operations division of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, El Dorado Police Department, Lyon County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Department of Revenue have culminated a 7-month investigation into the sale of synthetic cannabinoids, also called  'potpourri' with 10 search warrants on businesses and residences in Emporia and El Dorado. The investigation began with undercover agents purchasing several types of potpourri, investigation of emergency room admissions of persons being admitted to the hospital after using the substances and financial records.

Firefighters put out a house fire in El Dorado Thursday afternoon. No one was hurt when flames damaged the home in the 300 block of W. Kansas Thursday afternoon. Investigators are looking for a cause.

Two people are in critical condition and two others in serious condition after a house fire in El Dorado. It happened Sunday afternoon in the 1900 block of Jason Drive. Authorities say the patients suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

They hope her death helps raise awareness of child abuse. 18-month old Jayla Haag-Watters died in March from what the coroner says was blunt force trauma. From her death came the organization 'Justice for Jayla.' The group, started by Jayla's grandmother is raising awareness of child abuse. Sunday afternoon they held an event in El Dorado's East Park. Besides having snow cones, hot dogs, and raffles, organizers also gave out education materials dealing with domestic violence and child abuse.

El Dorado firefighters continue to battle a house fire. The fire broke out in the back of the home around 2:30 Friday morning. It was still burning at four o'clock Friday morning. The home is in the 300 block of N. Star.  Emergency dispatchers tell us firefighters would put part of the fire out, but before it spread to other areas of the home. It's not clear what started the fire or how much damaged has been done. One man in the home made it out safely.

Prosecutors say she was covered in bruises, and lost six teeth before going to the hospital. Tuesday a judge rules a couple will go to trial in the death of an El Dorado toddler. Alyssa Haag and Justin Edwards were in court for a preliminary hearing. They're charged with murder in the death of Haag's 18-month-old daughter Jayla. “Sometimes it sounded like things were hitting the wall. So I don't know if that would have been Jayla.  Sometimes I would wake up and hear her crying and then she would just go silent and then I'd hear her gasping for air like she was being choked,” said roommate Jennifer Quarter.