Kansas City, Mo.

Replacement named for retired police chief

A 25-year veteran of the Kansas City Police Department has been named the department’s new chief.

Jim Corwin, 48, a lifelong Kansas City resident, replaces Rick Easley, who left the department to head the Metropolitan Crime Commission.

Before being named chief, Corwin oversaw police computers and record-keeping, dispatchers, human resources and training efforts as head of the department’s Administration Bureau. He also has served as commander of the Patrol Bureau and ran the East Patrol Division as a major.

Colleagues said Corwin had political savvy and was respected by rank-and-file officers.

“He’s been in the Patrol Bureau, which is such an integral part of the department, but he’s also worked in administration,” said Deputy Chief Rachel Whipple, who has served as interim chief since Easley stepped down. “He has spent time in Jefferson City (lobbying for department issues) and is real familiar with the people at City Hall.”

Great Bend

Media adviser’s firing to be investigated

A national journalism group will investigate the dismissal last spring of a Barton County Community College journalism instructor.

The Society of Professional Journalists said Monday that a task force from the group would conduct an inquiry into whether Jennifer Schartz was unfairly dismissed by the college’s trustees.

Schartz, a nontenured, part-time instructor, was an adviser at the college newspaper. She and some of her students have said they thought trustees were upset with articles in the college newspaper, including stories about an internal investigation into academic misconduct involving coaches and athletes, and a letter to the editor from a former basketball player who criticized his coach.

College officials said Monday that because Schartz was trying to win back her job through a due process hearing and possible federal legal action, they would be restricted in how much they could cooperate with the probe.