TxTag Troubles
Customers who prepaid for funerals may be out thousands
Cars Held Hostage
Sluggish Travis County court delays justice for victims, defendants
High-risk suspects jumping bail in Travis County
Murder for Hire Exclusive
Shattered Dream Homes
Victim in decades-old sex abuse outraged with lenient sentence
KSN Investigates: Department for Children and Families
KSN Investigates: DCF Compilation
ICT Airport Tragedy: One Year Later
Drug Tax Stamp Revenue
KSN Investigates: EMS Response Times
Wichita Couple Alleges DCF Discriminates Against Same-Sex Couples
Sex Crimes & Plea Negotiations in Sedgwick County
Spirit Aerosystems Announces Engineering Scholarships
Who's In Our Schools?
Michael Kelley: The Fight Continues for Varsity Letter Policy
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TxTag Troubles
More than 2.2 million Texas toll accounts had a bill sent collections so far this year with the total amount of fees owed nearing $1 billion. -
Customers who prepaid for funerals may be out thousands
After decades in business in Central Texas, well-known Austin Peel and Son Funeral Home is under investigation by the Texas Department of Banking for illegally selling prepaid funeral benefit contracts. -
Cars Held Hostage
When Camilo Maciel was involved in a minor car crash in February 2016, he never expected it would put his financial future in jeopardy. But that’s exactly what Maciel says happened when he took his Ford Fusion to D-Town Body Shop’s north Austin location for repairs. -
Sluggish Travis County court delays justice for victims, defendants
Stuffed with Christmas leftovers, Ebony Sheppard walked from her brother’s east Austin apartment the night of Dec. 26, 2017. It was cold and drizzling, and she insisted on getting her car warmed up and pulled near the door for her mother and 4-year-old son. -
High-risk suspects jumping bail in Travis County
Nearly one year after murder suspect Kevin Michael Waguespack skipped town just days before his murder trial, friends of the victim and even the defendant say they want someone to be held accountable for his escape and make certain something like this never happens again -
Murder for Hire Exclusive
Shortly after the death of a man accused of hiring a Marine to kill his ex-girlfriend, that Marine veteran who cooperated with authorities and the woman he was supposed to harm met in person for the first time. -
Shattered Dream Homes
Numerous people have filed suit against Bella Vita Custom Homes stating they didn\'t complete the work even after money was paid -
Victim in decades-old sex abuse outraged with lenient sentence
After waiting more than 20 years for justice, a Georgetown man who was sexually assaulted as a child says he’s still waiting for resolve, after a disappointing sentence for the man convicted of the crime in Travis County. -
KSN Investigates: Department for Children and Families
WICHITA, Kansas — A KSN investigation into case response time at the Kansas Department for Children and Families, DCF, has revealed concerning information about the events that led up to the December 2014 death of 10-year-old Wellington boy, Caleb Blansett.
Our investigation revealed that the Department for Children and Families, DCF, missed an opportunity to discover serious trouble inside the Blansett home, even though they were alerted to problems just five days before Caleb’s mother, Lindsey Nicole Blansett, 33, admitted to a 911 dispatcher that she fatally stabbed her son on December 14. In 911 records released to KSN, she told dispatchers she thought intruders were in the home and wanted to save him from those intruders. Now charged with first-degree murder, the courts are trying to determine if Lindsey Blansett is mentally competent to stand trial...
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below. -
KSN Investigates: DCF Compilation
The following compilation is the result of more than six months of in-depth reporting and investigation into the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
The investigation began in December of 2014, when Lindsey Nicole Blansett was arrested and charged in the murder of her 10-year-old son, Caleb.
This entry includes countless follow-up stories into the case and DCF's interactions with the Blansett family, once it was revealed that the family had been on the department's radar for two years prior to Caleb's death.
Click the "View More" button below to view the KSN Investigation that sparked a legislative audit into the agency. (January 2016) -
ICT Airport Tragedy: One Year Later
WICHITA, Kansas — One year ago Friday, a twin-engine plane crashed into the FlightSafety International building at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport, killing four people. On the anniversary of the tragedy, KSN sat down with the widower of one of the victims.
A treasured birthday card speaks ‘well wishes’ a year later to Larry Menestrina whose wife, Nataliya, died when the plane crashed into the FlightSafety building. She was working inside a simulator at the time of the crash.
“In her handwriting she wrote, ‘Honey… I can’t imagine my world without you. Happy Birthday. Love, Sweetheart’,” said Menestrina. “She talked about her world without me, and now I live my world without her.”...
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below. -
Drug Tax Stamp Revenue
WICHITA, Kansas — Drug tax revenue obtained by Kansas law enforcement agencies is on the rise, most notably in Overland Park and Wichita. Although the Kansas statute has been in place since the late 1980s, the money had not amounted to much... until now.
Data provided through an Open Records Request with the Wichita Police Department reveals that in 2009, Wichita Police brought in $9,800 in revenue. In 2010, that number increased to over $67,000. Since 2010, the annual drug tax revenue has not fallen below $52,000.
KSN reached out to KansasWatchdog reporter, Travis Perry, who described his interaction with Wichita Police Captain Doug Nolte, in regards to finding out a reason for the rise in tax revenue since 2009. Perry told KSN, after requesting the open records weeks ago, he has remained in contact with Capt. Nolte. KSN has obtained their email communication.
“I’m not sure what the exact difficulty is, but so far, Capt. Nolte has been unable to determine the exact cause of the revenue spike,” said Perry.
Capt. Nolte reportedly told Perry that WPD does not specifically track how it spends the tax revenue money...
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below. -
KSN Investigates: EMS Response Times
WICHITA, Kansas — A KSN investigation into operations at Sedgwick County EMS, particularly concerning ambulance response times and performance, has revealed concerning information about how the department operates with limited funding.
Our investigation detected numerous challenges with limited resources at Sedgwick County EMS. KSN News delved deeper into the situation, revealing that with more calls coming in, putting a greater demand on EMS, there is an alarming trend that could impact citizens the next time they call 911 in need of an ambulance.
The call volume at Sedgwick County EMS has increased at a rate of about three to four percent each year. Meaning, the number of emergency calls EMS responds to is on the rise.
Through our investigation, KSN News has learned that the trend of increasing calls has forced emergency officials to get creative with how they respond to emergencies in the county.
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below. -
Wichita Couple Alleges DCF Discriminates Against Same-Sex Couples
WICHITA, Kansas — The debate over same-sex couples as foster/adoptive parents in Kansas continues, as KSN News sat down with a Wichita couple speaking out about claims they were discriminated against by the Kansas Department for Children and Families because they are homosexual.
“We loved this child… We adored her. She was our daughter,” the couple said.
Lisa and Tesa Hines, a married same-sex couple, became foster-to-adopt parents for baby Izzy just five days after she was born in 2013.
“She just was a loved kid,” said Lisa Hines. “We just were hoping that she would be in our lives forever.”
Despite the fact that the Hineses say they had a bond with the baby, right before she turned 11 months old, in October 2014, DCF ruled against allowing the same-sex couple to adopt the baby and granted custody over to Jonathan and Allison Schumm.
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below. -
Sex Crimes & Plea Negotiations in Sedgwick County
WICHITA, Kansas — KSN launched a three-month long investigation into plea deals and sex crimes in Sedgwick County.
KSN sought out answers to the following questions:
1. How often are plea deals given out in sex crime cases?
2. Why are pleas distributed so often?
3. What do plea deals ultimately mean for victims of sex crimes and the community, altogether?
KSN News sat down with a young woman; the victim of a child sex crime. We also sat down with her mother, and with her permission, interviewed the two about their experience with the legal system as it relates to plea deals.
“I thought for so long that it was my fault that he hurt other girls, because he got let go [received probation],” explained the victim.
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below. -
Spirit Aerosystems Announces Engineering Scholarships
WICHITA, Kansas — Spirit AeroSystems, in conjunction with the Kansas Board of Regents, Wichita State University, The University of Kansas and Kansas State University announced Wednesday a new scholarship program worth $576,000.
“We have a vested interest, both here in the state of Kansas, and of course, as a global business to make sure that we have the best of the best working for us,” said Spirit AeroSystems President and CEO, Larry Lawson, during Wednesday’s press conference. “It’s a very competitive environment out there.”
The scholarship will be awarded to future engineers and business students and will include 18 four-year scholarships worth $32,000 each.
“We want to hire from our home state, and so, this is an opportunity to plant the seed,” continued Lawson. “It’s all part of an initiative to really find the best talent, develop the best talent, and then bring them on board.”...
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below. -
Who's In Our Schools?
WICHITA, Kansas — More than a decade has gone by since Kansas passed a law requiring public school districts to perform background checks on teachers. Although the law passed in 2002, in 2014, support staff do not legally have to undergo background checks. Support staff includes librarians, custodians, and secretaries.
KSN reached out to Wichita parents.
“I think that’s crazy,” said Haley Busch, a mother. “I think anybody that has contact with kids should have to have a background check.”
“They’re still in the same building. They still have the same interactions with the kids,” said Daniel Rogers, a Wichita father. “It all comes down to the safety of them and who’s around them.”...
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below. -
Michael Kelley: The Fight Continues for Varsity Letter Policy
WICHITA, Kansas — With only three USD 259 Board of Education meetings left in the remainder of the 2014-2015 school year, time is running out to create a district policy that would give special needs student athletes the chance to earn varsity letters.
It has been more than ten days since Wichita Public Schools board last met, with supporters of Michael Kelley backing special needs student athletes at East High School and district-wide, to have the chance to earn a varsity letter... the same varsity letter other students earn.
At that meeting, the district announced that the school board would not make any decisions about this policy until they hear from the Tri-County League...
To read the full story, click the "View More" button below.