Mulvane

Things are going smoothly as voters cast their ballots in Mulvane. Election workers swapped out several malfunctioning voting machines this morning. Eyewitness News reporter Dave Roberts says the machines were not reading the voting software. The problem was discovered before voting began. About 35 people had to use the one working machines or fill out paper ballots while the machines were changed out. No one was allowed to use the faulty machines. Election workers say the only delays now are people waiting in line to vote.

The cities of Augusta and Mulvane have both put mandatory water restrictions in place this week. City leaders in Augusta approved water restrictions Monday and a day later, Mulvane followed. Mulvane leaders said that the city buys all their water from Augusta and due to the extreme heat and dry weather, two of Augusta’s lakes are drying up, limiting water for Mulvane. Augusta officials will go around to residents this week, telling them whether they can water on odd or even days.

Changes are on the way for the city of Mulvane and its post office. "It's sad, everybody is tight with their money and it's hurting us," explains Mulvane resident Donald Montgomery. Starting June 18th, the carriers currently based in Mulvane will be based out of the Derby post office, six miles away. A representative with the postal service says the change should be transparent for the people of Mulvane, the mail will simply come a little later. But not everyone is buying it. "The fact is we have a lot of seniors here that just wouldn't be capable of driving up to Derby if they miss their package and it creates a delay for them," said Gary Townson.

A ribbon cutting begins a new era in housing for the Mulvane area.  A new senior affordable housing property is now officially open. It provides 40-housing units for seniors. And it's the first ever financed by the federal government to meet "super green" energy standards. For residents like Patty Ingram, it also offers her first ever storm shelter. It's right in her laundry room, all concrete with a steel door. "It gives you a sense of relief for when you see the storm clouds rolling in. " Patty has lived here for six weeks.

Life in downtown Mulvane moves like it did a year ago.  A one-point-six million dollar payment from its new neighbor to the east hasn't sped it up.  But City Administrator Kent Hixson says the Kansas Star Casino is quickly cutting some bills. "Some of that gaming revenue has allowed us to lower our electric rate for our citizens in east Mulvane by 5-percent,” Hixson said. Hixson says the casino also helped the city lower its property taxes by about 10-percent. "And that is due directly to the increased in the assessed valuation or the property tax of the city because of the casino,” Hixson said.

On paper, this was set up to be a great game. At the end, it wasn't even close as Rose Hill used a 22-point third quarter to route Mulvane, 38-7 on homecoming night. Derrick Decker led the Rockets to three scores and guided them to the others as Rose Hill dominated the Wildcats in nearly every category before districts play begins. "(Our defense) allowed us to drive the ball and put some points on the board early,"said Rose Hill coach Greg Slade. "They just continued to play great all game.

Mulvane police are searching for two men they say robbed a Dillon's grocery store early Sunday morning.  The two suspects forced their way in, assaulted a pair of employees, and forced them to open a safe.  Officers say the robbers made off with cash.  Police believe a third person was also involved. A contract employee who was already inside the store was arrested. 

"She was amazing, she brought smiles to everybody," says her uncle, Steve Hastings. So many words to describe a young woman who lived such a short life.  Taylor Heersche was just 15-years-old when she died. The teen had been battling leukemia for four and a half years.  She died Tuesday morning. "I prayed for her and thought about her and it just really breaks my heart that she had to die so young," says her former classmate, Monica Biltz. Now people in her hometown of Mulvane aren't mourning her death but celebrating her life, just the way she wanted it. "It's still a homecoming in our eyes, it's just a different home that she's going to, a better home that she's going to, so it's more of a celebration than the grief," says Maggie Keys, one of Taylor's classmates.

Mulvane doesn't plan to hire any more police officers or fire fighters when the Kansas Star Casino opens next year.  The casino gave money to build a public safety station, but the city says it's not needed right now.  In fact, research shows the casino will have little impact on Mulvane's emergency services.  " Nothing we're doing in any way is going to degrade the safety for citizens of Mulvane. I'm a citizen of Mulvane, I want those services as badly as anyone else," said city administrator Kent Hixson.

Legal questions surrounding one of the Sumner County casino sites are over. The Kansas Supreme Court declined to review the Appellate Court decisions on Mulvane's use of strip annexation. That means the Appellate Court's ruling that the annexation was done legally stands.  It's one less thing Peninsula Gaming has to worry about. It wants to build its Kansas Star casino on the site that was in question. The Lottery Review Board votes next week on which casino should be built. You may remember, Mulvane pieced together strips of property connecting its city limits to land on the other side of the turnpike.

Confusion may be the best way to explain it.     Last year Mulvane passed a $12.5 million bond issue to focus on safety and security. The concern started after a post on Facebook that said money for a FEMA approved storm shelter was taken out of the budget. “I did see it on Facebook,” says parent Samatha Saville. “I heard the rumor about storm shelters on Facebook yesterday,” says parent Tina Faught. The post raised concerns about the district possibly scrapping plans to build a FEMA approved storm shelter.  Now the district is explaining exactly what students at Munson Primary School in Mulvane will have by the time they return next fall.

The Kansas Jayhawks will be looking for a new linebacker this year after Huldon Tharp announced he would forgo his final year of eligability due to injuries. Tharp, who graduated from Mulvane in 2009, already used his redshirt in 2010 because of injury. He also sat out his senior year of high school (2008) due to injury. “Physically my body just can't hold up anymore,” said Tharp, who has battled injuries throughout his Jayhawk career. “I love KU and have enjoyed my time being a part of the football program.

Update: Police in Mulvane have released several surveillance images of the man who robbed the Carson Bank Tuesday morning.  Police say he got away in an 80's model Chevy S10 extended cab, long bed pickup truck.  The truck is faded red and white. See More Surveillance Pictures Police believe he is also responsible for a bank robbery in Haysville back in November. Anyone with information on where he is is asked to contact police. The suspect got away with cash and caused a gas leak.  The robbery happened around 10:45 Tuesday morning at Carson Bank at 122 S. Main.

The Kansas Star Casino has meant lower taxes, money for students and teachers, and even lower electric bills. In just one year, the casino has had an impact on Mulvane and Sumner County. “The majority of it is good,” says Luciano Mottola, owner of Luciano's restaurant in Mulvane. He enjoying lower taxes and more customers since the casino opened. Others in Mulvane are also enjoying the benefits. “Honestly I was against it when they first opened up, but it has had a positive effect on the community,” says Donetta Summers who lives in Mulvane and works at the restaurant.

A Mulvane homeowner shoots an intruder in his garage around 3:30 Wednesday morning. That was on the 1000 block of E. 149th Avenue N, which is just south of the Sedgwick County line. Investigators say the man woke up to sounds coming from his garage. When he went to his garage he found an intruder inside. The homeowner held the intruder at gunpoint while his wife called 911. That's when the thief attacked the homeowner. The gun was fired once, hitting the thief in the upper chest.

Life in downtown Mulvane moves like it did a year ago.  A one-point-six million dollar payment from its new neighbor to the east hasn't sped it up.  But City Administrator Kent Hixson says the Kansas Star Casino is quickly cutting some bills. "Some of that gaming revenue has allowed us to lower our electric rate for our citizens in east Mulvane by 5-percent,” Hixson said. Hixson says the casino also helped the city lower its property taxes by about 10-percent. "And that is due directly to the increased in the assessed valuation or the property tax of the city because of the casino,” Hixson said.

"She was amazing, she brought smiles to everybody," says her uncle, Steve Hastings. So many words to describe a young woman who lived such a short life.  Taylor Heersche was just 15-years-old when she died. The teen had been battling leukemia for four and a half years.  She died Tuesday morning. "I prayed for her and thought about her and it just really breaks my heart that she had to die so young," says her former classmate, Monica Biltz. Now people in her hometown of Mulvane aren't mourning her death but celebrating her life, just the way she wanted it. "It's still a homecoming in our eyes, it's just a different home that she's going to, a better home that she's going to, so it's more of a celebration than the grief," says Maggie Keys, one of Taylor's classmates.

Two people are dead and a third is in critical condition after a head-on collision involving two pick-ups south of Mulvane. The Kansas Highway Patrol blocked off a large area Monday morning on K-15 near Webb Road as investigators worked to piece together the accident. "At this point, it looks like one vehicle did leave their lane and cross into the other lane, causing the crash to occur," Trooper Sean Hankins said. Hankins said it's still unclear what caused one pick-up to leave its lane.  The driver of the pickup that crossed the center line is identified as 30-year-old Kyle Staab of Arkansas City.  Also killed was 33-eyar-old Kristy Roszel of Wichita.  A 27-year-old passenger in the first vehicle was thrown from the pickup and found lying on the ground by EMS crews.  He is hospitalized in critical condition.

“We are in a hot dry period,” said Kent Hixson, Mulvane City Manager.  “We are a growing community.” That combination has led to friction between the cities of Mulvane and Augusta over water use.  Back in the 90's the two cities signed a contract saying Augusta would sell Mulvane up to 200 million gallons of water a year.  Neither expected what's happened since. Now people in Augusta are frustrated that Mulvane's using more water while Augusta has to conserve. “Believe me, there's nobody out there that's more frustrated than I am,” said Bill Keefer, Augusta City Manager.

Mulvane police say they've never seen anything like it in their town, a brutal robbery.  We told you about when it happened and now we have the video. The police department says two men entered the Dillons one morning last month.  The store wasn't open yet, but two employees were getting ready for the day.  The men got in a back door and knocked one employee to the ground and tied him up.  The other suspect went to the front of the store and did the same thing to a woman.  The video shows her being slammed to the ground and also tied up. Mulvane police say they need help finding the suspects.  "I'm hoping people would see this video and be shocked at what they say and if they have some knowledge and no one that wears some clothing in this video that they have the decency to give us a call," said Mulvane Police Officer Matt O'Brien.