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Central Topeka Kwik Shop robbed: CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - Central Topeka Kwik Shop robbed

The Capital-Journal
Published Tuesday, July 08, 2008
A Kwik Shop convenience store in Central Topeka was robbed early Sunday, police said.

The incident occurred about 4:50 a.m. at the Kwik Shop at 1700 S.W. Topeka Blvd., according to police reports.

A man entered the business, threatened the clerk and demanded cash, police said.

The clerk handed $20 in cash to the robber, according to police reports. No weapon was shown.

The robber was seen leaving the area in a white, four-door car. He was described as a black man standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 250 pounds, wearing a red baseball cap, long white T-shirt and black jean shorts.

Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call police detectives at (785) 368-9400 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007.

Like the crime do you. Good here is more. Reader comments at the site.

Vigils planned for shooting victims: CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - Vigils planned for shooting victims

The Capital-Journal
Published Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Tree dedication ceremonies and candle-light vigils are planned Friday night for Topeka's sixth and seventh homicide victims of the year.

The events — sponsored by the Blackstar Project Stop the Violence Memorial Tree Dedication Committee Program and by Bias Busters of Kansas — will honor Rodney Tyrone Jennings Jr. at 6 p.m. in the Samuel Jackson Park, and Timothy Lister at 7:15 p.m. in Aaron Douglas Park.

Jennings, 21, died Tuesday after being shot earlier that day in the 1400 block of S.E. 10th. Lister, 20, was shot and killed early Saturday in the 1300 block of S.W. Lane.

For more information contact about the vigil, contact Sonny and Susan Scroggins at (785) 845-6148, (785) 232-3761 or (785) 734-487-2000.

Was this the 3rd killing of the year? can't recall. But they got someone! Reader comments at the site.

Hotel shooting trial starts Sept. 22: CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - Hotel shooting trial starts Sept. 22

The Capital-Journal
Published Tuesday, July 08, 2008
The trial of a 27-year-old Topeka man accused of shooting and killing a woman outside an area hotel will begin Sept. 22.

Sterling Ray Hall III faces charges of premeditated murder in the first degree and criminal possession of a firearm stemming from an incident in May when Pamela K. McMaster, 50, was shot to death.

The Shawnee County District Attorney's Office accuses Hall of approaching McMaster while she sat with her fiance and a friend outside her room at the Regency Inn and Suites at 3802 S.W. Topeka Blvd. Hall allegedly approached the trio from the breezeway at the front of the hotel, came up behind McMaster and shot her four times in the back without saying a word.

Authorities said in May they had been unable to establish a connection between Hall and any of the three who were sitting outside the hotel room.

I guess your city is safer than mine. I mean you don't even have a thing to post about your citys. lol

Police arrest one in burglary: CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - Police arrest one in burglary

The Capital-Journal
Published Tuesday, July 08, 2008
A Topeka man has been arrested and booked into Shawnee County Jail on charges of burglary, criminal damage, felony obstruction and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.

Kristi Pankratz, spokeswoman for the Topeka Police Department, said officers apprehended Robert Besenyi, 48, after checking on a burglary alarm at a business at 4609 S. Topeka Blvd. at about 6:40 p.m. Sunday.

When they arrived, officers discovered that a storage shed had been broken into. An officer spotted a vehicle matching description of the burglar's vehicle at about 7:35 p.m. near S. 45th and Topeka. It was stopped in the 5000 block of S. Topeka.

On a differeent note..... Again reader comments are posted at the site.

Funny money keeps popping up: CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - Funny money keeps popping up

About 70 counterfeit bills have been collected in past month or so, police spokeswoman says
By Michael Hooper
The Capital-Journal
Published Monday, July 07, 2008
Watch out. Fake U.S. currency has been circulating in Kansas.

Retailers, such as Walgreens, do their best to make sure currency isn't counterfeit, but sometimes they get stuck with paper that isn't worth the ink printed on it.



Mike Burley / The Capital-Journal
John Shellenberg, clerk for Walgreens on S.W. 29th, checks a $20 bill Thursday as he does on every bill $20 and larger.
HOW TO AVOID COUNTERFEIT MONEY

Look at the money you receive. Compare a suspect note with a genuine note of the same denomination and series, paying attention to the quality of printing and paper characteristics.

Look for differences, not similarities.

• Portrait

The genuine portrait appears lifelike and stands out distinctly from the background.

The counterfeit portrait is usually lifeless and flat. Details merge into the background which is often too dark or mottled.

• Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals

On a genuine bill, the saw-tooth points of the Federal Reserve and Treasury seals are clear, distinct, and sharp.

The counterfeit seals may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw-tooth points.

• Paper

Genuine currency paper has tiny red and blue fibers embedded throughout. Often counterfeiters try to simulate these fibers by printing tiny red and blue lines on their paper.

Close inspection reveals, however, that on the counterfeit note the lines are printed on the surface, not embedded in the paper.

It is illegal to reproduce the distinctive paper used in the manufacturing of United States currency.

Source: Secret Service
"We use a pen to tell if the bill's paper is of the higher quality U.S. currency paper," said Jim Heinz, store manager at Walgreens, S.W. 29th and Gage Boulevard.

"All of our stores have had their share (of fake bills)," he said. "We had a (fake) $50 bill a week ago."

The Topeka Police Department has noticed a rise in the incidence of fake currency, ostensibly because of the struggling economy and the increasing costs of food and energy.

"We have seen a higher number of counterfeit bills being passed in the last month or so. We've collected around 70 counterfeit bills," said Kristi Pankratz, spokeswoman for the Topeka Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren this past Thursday charged Vincent Cunningham, 50, of Olathe, with counterfeiting. Cunningham sold $1,150 in counterfeit bills to an informant for $250.

A woman named Angela Peoples, who had been arrested by Topeka police on a forgery warrant, told authorities she had received counterfeit money from Cunningham.

She passed some of the counterfeit money to a Leroy Bradshaw, who was arrested by Topeka police when he attempted to pass a counterfeit $20 at a Dillons grocery store.

Peoples agreed to go to Cunningham's house, where he sold her $1,150 in counterfeit money for $250 legitimate money.

"The counterfeit money appears to be made using a computer printer, or what is known as a three-in-one printer/scanner/copier," said an affidavit in support of charges against Cunningham.

Counterfeiting of money is one of the oldest crimes in U.S. history. It was a serious problem during the 19th century when banks issued their own U.S. currency.

At the time of the Civil War, it was estimated one-third of all currency in circulation was counterfeit, according to the U.S. Secret Service Web site. The Secret Service is responsible for handling counterfeit crimes.

Special Agent Justin Oesterreich, of the Secret Service, said the quality of the counterfeit bills circulated in the Topeka area was poor.

Oesterreich said counterfeiting runs in cycles. There tends to be more volume of counterfeit bills when there is a lot of retail activity.

He said counterfeiting is easier today because of access to desktop publishing. An Internet search on the subject of counterfeiting yields many results.

The Secret Service says consumers should look at the money carefully and compare a suspect note with a genuine note of the same denomination and series, paying attention to the quality of printing and paper characteristics. Look for differences, not similarities.

Michael Hooper can be reached at (785)295-1293 or michael.hooper@cjonline.com.

Suspect in Wednesday night robbery arrested: CJOnline - Suspect in Wednesday night robbery arrested

The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. CDT
A Topeka man has been arrested in connection a robbery late Wednesday outside a convenience store at S.W. 17th and Topeka Boulevard.

Police department spokeswoman Kristi Pankratz said Anthony Emmett Howard, 52, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Jail this morning on a charge of aggravated robbery.

Pankraz said a 38-year-old woman was waiting to put fuel in her vehicle about 11:50 p.m. Wednesday when a man called her over to his car. When she got near the car, the man told her he had a gun and demanded money and jewelry.

The victim complied, and the man drove away. Police later located the vehicle in the 1300 block of S.W. Polk and, after executing a search warrant, officers found the suspect and took him into custody.
Reader Comments
Posted by: hawker1955 at Jul. 10, 2008 at 12:13:01 pm
Good Job TPD

Posted by: MegC23 at Jul. 10, 2008 at 12:26:18 pm
Good job TPD!! (Just waiting for all the hate-filled comments to roll in..)

Posted by: topeka78 at Jul. 10, 2008 at 12:33:40 pm
Hopefully, one more criminal going to jail. I hate criminals! Is that a hate filled comment?

Posted by: wjones at Jul. 10, 2008 at 1:21:33 pm
Well here goes the bad comment...I'll step up to the plate.
The "victim" was probably know by someone in high places.

Posted by: parkguy at Jul. 10, 2008 at 1:24:32 pm
What a cynical comment. By the detailed description the victim gave of the car, Year, Make, Model, it would appear she might have known the assailant. In fact, she said that she thought she did know him according to the electronic media. Score one for TPD.

Posted by: mlurp at Jul. 10, 2008 at 1:26:39 pm
Good job TPD... I just hope you got the guy with the items. Or he gave up the dealers. After all his vehicle could have been stolen and used for the crime.

Homeless man dead, another jailed after fight: CJOnline - Homeless man dead, another jailed after fight

The Associated Press
Published Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. CDT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A fight between two homeless men along a popular Kansas City trail left one of them dead and the other in custody.

Police say a woman who lives near Trolley Track Trail told officers that a man came to her home Wednesday night and asked her to call 911 because another man he had been fighting with wasn’t breathing.

Sgt. Tony Sanders said officers arrived at the fight scene to find the second man unconscious. An ambulance was called, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other man was taken into custody. Police don’t know what led to the argument or how the man was killed, but Sanders said there had been a report earlier of two men fighting with chains.

Area residents told police both men were homeless and had been living in the woods by the trail for quite some time.

Reader Comments
Posted by: MegC23 at Jul. 10, 2008 at 12:25:24 pm
Sad.

Posted by: mlurp at Jul. 10, 2008 at 1:37:44 pm
The lower one is on the ladder of life, the more they have anger. In a city with all we have why is there homelessness?

The reader comments say it all.

City manager may get raise: CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - City manager may get raise

Deputy Mayor Preisner will propose pay hike for Bonaparte
By Tim Hrenchir
The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, July 10, 2008
Deputy Mayor Jeff Preisner is preparing to propose the city council give city manager Norton Bonaparte his first pay raise since coming to Topeka.

Preisner said Wednesday he won't decide how much of an increase to seek until he looks at information gathered by city staff members regarding the pay of city managers in comparable municipalities.

Bonaparte started work in March 2006 under a contract that pays him $137,500 annually, plus a $500 a month vehicle allowance.

The council voted in June 2007 to award Bonaparte a one-time, 2.1 percent bonus, but Mayor Bill Bunten vetoed the move and the veto wasn't challenged.

City spokesman David Bevens said Wednesday that Bonaparte after undergoing his annual evaluation sent the council a memorandum in April noting that his employment agreement calls for it to annually consider increasing his pay and/or benefits depending upon performance evaluation results.

Bevens said that rather than requesting a specific amount, Bonaparte asked the council to conduct a study to see what city managers receive in salary and benefits in cities comparable to Topeka, then adjust his salary as the council feels is appropriate.

Preisner, who was out of town on business Wednesday, said council staff members have gathered that information, which he plans to review when he returns and provide to the council.

Preisner said it probably would be next month before the council considers any proposed pay raise.

Tim Hrenchir can be reached at (785) 295-1184 or tim.hrenchir@cjonline.com.

Reader Comments
+ 2 Rating Posted by: jenniferlee at Jul. 10, 2008 at 1:55:27 am
Hoooooooow much a year???? That is more than I make in almost 6 years!!! I want to be City Manager and I will take $100,000 a year and only $300 for vehicle allowance, monthly. Everyone please vote for Jenniferlee for City Manager.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: cjonlinesucks at Jul. 10, 2008 at 2:11:59 am
Wow...that's an awful lot of money for not doing a ***** thing for Topeka.

Go crooks! Woo!

-1 Rating Posted by: Formerarmy at Jul. 10, 2008 at 2:12:34 am
Wow.....he has assistants to do all his work, and HE gets the raise?

-1 Rating Posted by: brian2225 at Jul. 10, 2008 at 2:20:50 am
Hasn't he already had a raise?

Posted by: AConcernedCitizen at Jul. 10, 2008 at 5:00:43 am
I guess to understand this logic, I have to understand his purpose. I guess that paradox solves itself. Sorry, Norton. Not with my money.

Posted by: blakeredd at Jul. 10, 2008 at 6:31:35 am
Call your Council member and let them kow what you think.

City Councilmember Listing
City of Topeka
215 East 7th Street – Room 255
Topeka, Kansas 66603
(785) 368-3710
# Name Address Phone
1 Lana Kennedy 111 SW Greenwood H: 235-6616
(Spouse: Bob) Topeka, KS 66606
2 John Alcala 520 NE Lake H: 233-7110
Topeka, KS 66616
3 Sylvia E. Ortiz 837 SE Gilmore H: 357-0717
Topeka, KS 66607
4 Jack Woelfel 215 SE 7th St., Room 255 C: 215-3323
(Spouse: Mary) Topeka, KS 66605
5 Bill Haynes 1512 SW 30th St. C: 215-3103
Topeka, KS 66614
6 Deborah Swank 1508 SW 15th St. H: 233-1037
(Spouse: Joe) Topeka, KS 66604
7 Brett M. Blackburn 5645 SW 33rd H: 273-9867
(Spouse Suzy) Topeka, KS 66614
8 Jeff Preisner 5513 SW 18th St. H: 271-1959
Topeka, KS 66604
9 Richard Harmon 935 SW Grand Ct. H: 271-6962
Topeka, KS 66606

Posted by: dsteenbock at Jul. 10, 2008 at 7:42:59 am
If he made half what he currently makes, I'd say that would be a good salary for a city manager the size of Topeka. He doesn't need a raise. Most folks would kill to make his money.


+ 3 Rating Posted by: edwardiv at Jul. 10, 2008 at 7:48:47 am
Brian our spend happy council gave him a raise that was vetoed last year (mentioned in the article) so he hasn't had one.

I understand wanting to give the guy a raise. However I think that his job preformance has not merited one. We have a looming budget crisis and need 31 million to be spent on the streets. Norton has pushed spending on 4 million dollar software programs and new helicopters instead of taking care of the needs.

I'd be all for giving this guy a raise... If I could resonably expect to drive down 29th street at the speed limit without getting lifted out of my seat by every speed bum... er pavement buckel and pothole.

None of us would expect a raise if we didn't do our jobs this guy shouldn't either.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: listentoreason at Jul. 10, 2008 at 8:07:07 am
Does anyone doubt that Bunten will veto again?

+ 2 Rating Posted by: Leonidas527 at Jul. 10, 2008 at 8:12:45 am
Maybe after reviewing his contributions to the city, and researching the work and salaries of other city managers the city council will move to REDUCE his wages.

Posted by: kansasman at Jul. 10, 2008 at 8:52:56 am
he has done a crappy job. He doesn't need a raise.

Like jeniferlee, who beet me to the bunch, I am floored by the amount he is already paid. That figure is 6 times my annual salary, and I don't get a vehicle allowance. I have to pay for my car out of my salary. Well, fire this sucker, and hire me. I will gladly be city manager for $100,000/year (even $50,000) without bilking the city for the stupid $500/mth vehicle allowance, as I would pay for any vehicle expenses out of ((((shock)))) my salary, like the majority of us working class citizens.



+ 1 Rating Posted by: parkguy at Jul. 10, 2008 at 8:57:29 am
He runs a multi-million dollar business folks. Want the job? Get the degree and do the time learning the craft by working your way up. Throw in the factor that you'll be moving every few years (disrupting family life) and dealing with hostile councils and its great profession.

-27 Rating Posted by: rascalx at Jul. 10, 2008 at 8:59:18 am
Online Evaluation:
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Do you think the City Manager should get a raise?
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Use the + and - buttons on this comment to vote.

-2 Rating Posted by: flybaby at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:08:27 am
Oh my goodness, you have got to be kidding. In a time where things are so tight with the city and he can't get Giles under control or FIRE him anyone who votes to give him a raise is a bigger idiot than Giles.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: HeartlandHank at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:17:49 am
parkguy is correct. When Topeka voters approved the City Manager/Council form of government, one of the first things done was to get a recruitment firm to find a suitable City Manager at a salary commensurate with the current salaries of other City Managers around the US. Mr. Bonaparte came to us from Plainfield, NJ...a City that had stagnated. Within 5 years, Mr. Bonaparte had turned it around and left it better than when he took office. Let him do his job, people!

He has enough problems dealing with the City Council AND running a city of 120,000+. You couldn't pay me enough to take his job.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: frederick at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:28:29 am
His salary is fair and comparable to other Mid-West cities. If he is discontent with his salary then he should exercise his option to leave so we can hire someone more regionally who WILL be content to work for Mid-West wages.

Because he is a govt employee, it is impossible for us to fire him simply on the basis of poor performance. Additionally, thanks to our new rotten form of government, our Mayor is powerless to hire or fire the City Supervisors.

However, If the Mayor continues to deny & veto his pay raises then the City Supervisor will be put in a position to want to leave. I'm a Federal Govt employee and Govt workers like myself have many union and legal protections. The only legitiment way to force us out of a job it to make us mal-content and miserable so we want to leave the agency on our own accord, this is usually done by economic means, either by freezing or capping the salary of the individual or by passing the individual over for promotion.

I suspect this is what the Mayor is doing, he is capping Mr. Bonapartes earining potential in the hopes he will seek greener pastures elsewhere.
Good plan Mr. Mayor!

-1 Rating Posted by: boog at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:30:42 am
I'm not absolutely against giving the guy a reasonable raise, but let's fund Fire Station 3 first before we start rewarding a guy for closing it down. Let's prioritize our needs, not our wishes

Posted by: busymama at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:32:44 am
How can anyone who gets paid more than twice the average Topekan get a raise with so many budget cuts looming ahead? Seriously, its ok for him to want to cut street maintenance, and make major cuts in the Police and Fire Departments but still expects a raise? I don't think that's good management at all. If the "trying times" means everyone else needs to tighten their belts, then Mr. Bonaparte I suggest you do the same!

+ 2 Rating Posted by: beckyschwant at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:39:48 am
I support 2 children with NO CHILD SUPPORT on less than $29k a year. That stuffed suit doesn't need a raise, he needs a reality check.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: nissanzx1 at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:45:32 am
How is he supposed to buy gas for his Jaguar?

Posted by: fedup at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:51:58 am
Give it time, he'll get a gas allowance too.

Posted by: fedup at Jul. 10, 2008 at 9:53:10 am
He might as well sign up for Vision and Healthwave while he's at it so everything's covered on our dime.

This is only a portion of the comments.... Only allowed 10,000 characters.

Census figures show slight rise in population: CJOnline - Census figures show slight rise in population

The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. CDT
Numbers released today by the U.S. Census Bureau estimate Topeka’s population grew by 455 people, which is about 0.37 percent, between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007.

The Census Bureau’s population estimate for Topeka rose from 122,187 to 122,642 during that time period, according to figures available on this link.

Mayor Bill Bunten said today he was pleased to see the population estimates rising. He said he was optimistic the city would see even more substantial growth if it repaired its infrastructure and made an even stronger effort to reduce crime.

Census figures indicate Topeka is 195th in population among United States incorporated places and continues to be the fourth most populous city in Kansas, behind Wichita, Overland Park and Kansas City, Kan.

Reader Comments
Posted by: BAB at Jul. 10, 2008 at 2:00:50 pm
What about the area around the City? I think a lot of people have moved just out of the limits and the populations numbers of the "The City" itself are misleading.

Just currious but if CJ can update the story in that regard that would be cool....

Posted by: kscwby59 at Jul. 10, 2008 at 2:06:59 pm
Shawnee county has probably really grown. What are those numbers? One can understand why everyone is moving outside the city limits!!

Posted by: mlurp at Jul. 10, 2008 at 2:10:33 pm
Good idea. I think that Shawnee Co. is about 160,000+ and I would like to know for sure.

Posted by: mlurp at Jul. 10, 2008 at 2:11:51 pm
I'm waiting for the housing market to become a seller market, so I can move out of the city..