Great Bend

A leader of a drug trafficking group could spend the rest of his life in prison.  On Monday,  a federal judge sentenced Adan Molina, 30, Great Bend, to life in prison without parole.  He pleaded guilty in November to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  Federal investigators found more than $690,000 in cash, 10 pounds of methamphetamine, firearms and vehicles when they served search warrants at  homes in Topeka, Kansas City and Great Bend.  Agents say the houses were controlled by the traffickers.

Great Bend Chamber of Commerce officials announce plans for a new farm and ranch expo in Central Kansas. The announcement today comes after an announcement Wednesday that the 3i Show is moving to Dodge City. For the past six decades the annual 3i agriculture trade show by the Western Kansas Manufacturers Association has alternated between Garden City and Great Bend. The Great Bend chamber says it is developing an annual show to be called The Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo. It would be held the second week of every April.

American Red Cross offices in Great Bend and Colby could soon be closing, as the organization deals with the still struggling economy. A spokesperson for the Red Cross in Wichita says there are plans to close the officers by Sept. 2. The Red Cross says the changes come as part of a nationwide reorganization in response to the down economy and increases the organization faces in health and retirement benefits. The Red Cross says the change will not impact health and safety classes, blood drives and response to emergencies in those communities.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued an Emergency Order of Suspension against Dee's Day Care Home operated by Delilah L. Godfrey in Great Bend, Kansas. The state says inspectors were initially denied access to the home. They later found 25 children ranging in age from infancy to 12 years. The licensee was the only adult in the day care home. She admitted she did not have records for some of the children and she didn't know their names.

A western Kansas man crashes his motorcycle and dies while fleeing the Hays police.  Hays police say 32-year-old Ryan McGinness was driving a 2012 Suzuki GSX 1300 motorcycle in a reckless manner Friday evening.  An officer noticed him speeding, running a red light and several other traffic infractions.  The officer tried to catch the motorcyclist, which sped up to speeds around 100 mph.  Police say the pursuit lasted less than a minute when...

Kansas is losing its remaining World War II Veterans at the rate of about 28 veterans a day.  Now, a program designed to recognize their service could be in jeopardy and local organizers say they don't understand why. Veterans like George Grenyo, who've already made the Honor Flight trip to D-C to visit the new national World War II memorial, call it the trip of a lifetime and say it meant everything to them. “But the bottom line is all the vets got to go, they got to see that,” Grenyo said.

Some parents in Great Bend will soon find out their day care home is closed, its license suspended. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment  has issued an Emergency Order of Suspension against Dee's Day Care Home. The suspension order says state officials tried to survey the day care home Friday but at first, they weren't allowed access. When the officials were allowed in later on, the state says they found 25 children in the home, ranging between infants and 12 years old.  There was only one adult with them.    The suspension order says the day care provider admitted that she told children to hide.  It also says that records were not available for many of the children and that the provider wasn't aware of some of the children's names.

Adam Longoria will face the death penalty for the death of Alicia DeBolt. Longoria was in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing. The Barton County judge ruled there's enough evidence to bound Longoria over for trail. He's charged with capital murder and criminal sodomy against the 14-year-old Great Bend teen. KBI investigators testified Longoria and DeBolt texted back and fourth the day she went missing. He texted around 9PM asking if she wanted to hang out. He later responded saying he had bottles and beer and there would be a lot of people.

Follow Joan on Twitter: @KWCH_JBarrett Joan has been in the media business since high school, when she started working part-time at a local radio station in Great Bend and as a sports reporter for her high school newspaper. Her part-time job and hobby turned into a broadcasting career. After graduating from Kansas State University, Joan took a job as a reporter in Texas. Her work as a journalist took her to Texas, Kansas and Arizona. In Phoenix, she was the Vice President of News for KPNX, a Gannett owned station.

State fire investigators say a fire at a mobile home in central Kansas is suspicious. Fire crews were called to the mobile home in the Barton County town of Pawnee Rock Monday. When they arrived, they found the mobile home fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters from Pawnee Rock and Great Bend were able to get the fire under control. Investigators say there were no utilities hooked up to the home. No one was hurt. The Kansas Fire Marshal's office is assisting with the investigation.