Jury deliberating fatal crash case

Jurors will resume deliberations this morning in Douglas County District Court in the trial of a trucker charged with killing a Baker University football player in a rear-end collision.

The case of Yan R. McHenry, 47, Dallas, went to jury about 2 p.m. Wednesday, and jurors deliberated about three hours before going home for the evening. McHenry is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the April 13 death of 19-year-old Shawn M. Trager on U.S. Highway 56 east of Baldwin.

Prosecutors allege McHenry was impaired by cocaine. His attorney argues it was an unavoidable accident caused when the vehicle in which Trager was riding made an erratic move and stopped suddenly.

Police say McHenry admitted using cocaine the day before the wreck and tested positive for the drug.

But a toxicology expert called as a defense witness testified Wednesday that because of the way the body breaks down the drug, it was impossible to say whether McHenry was actually under the influence at the time of the wreck.

Schools

Governor to propose accountability measure

Topeka — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is planning to unveil a proposal aimed at ensuring administrative expenses in schools are held to a minimum.

Sebelius has scheduled a Friday meeting of a group of business leaders that she formed to advocate for education. She then has scheduled a news conference on “school accountability.” Her office gave no further details.

During the last legislative session, Sebelius proposed creating an audit team to review school district finances. The proposal didn’t go anywhere in the Legislature.

Sebelius has since expressed an interest in reviving something like that again for the 2005 session.

Johnson County

Courthouse threat prompts evacuations

Olathe — Several buildings were evacuated Wednesday morning in downtown Olathe after a threat was received at the Johnson County Courthouse, authorities said.

No details about the threat were released and the incident is under investigation, but no bomb or anything else of suspicious nature was found during law enforcement checks, said Kathy Kotnour, spokeswoman for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

Evacuations were conducted about 10:30 a.m. at the courthouse, the Johnson County Administration building, Olathe City Hall and some nearby businesses, Kotnour said. Employees were allowed to return at 1:30 p.m.

Election

Ballot jam eased with blow dryer

Labette County election officials found a low-tech solution to ballots jammed in an electronic scanner — a hair dryer.

Problems started when the county clerk’s office began counting 805 advance ballots just after 7 p.m. Tuesday. Election officials tried to fix the machine and called a technician from the scanner’s manufacturer, but a concerned observer put forth an idea.

Dee Brown, the sales manager at Flesh Co., a Parsons printer, suspected humidity may have swelled ballots sent by mail. She suggested a hair dryer.

“I work with paper all the time, and I knew it was probably moisture,” said Brown, who was observing the vote count.

After a hair dryer was located, workers tried it out. Ballots still didn’t feed perfectly into the scanner, but the situation improved.