WRITER: Kim Callahan

Police say frequent public commenter arrested for trespassing at Topeka rally refused 'all requests' to leave permit-only area

A former Lawrence resident who was arrested Saturday on the Capitol steps in Topeka was trespassing in a permit-only area and refused to obey all police demands that he leave, according to information Friday from the Kansas Highway Patrol. On Monday, the Journal-World reached out to police about why Justin Spiehs was arrested at the "No Kings" rally, which drew thousands of people to Topeka — and millions to ...

'Jane Doe' plaintiffs suing LMH and KU Health over access to personal medical files must use their real names or have their case dismissed

The "Jane Doe" plaintiffs suing LMH Health claiming that their personal information, including nude medical photos, was improperly accessed by a physical therapist at the University of Kansas Health System must use their real names in the lawsuit or it will be dismissed, a federal judge recently ruled. As the Journal-World reported in April, two women using the pseudonyms Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 initiated a ...

Frequent public commenter arrested at 'No Kings' rally in Topeka, but officials largely mum on circumstances

As thousands of people peacefully protested at a "No Kings" rally in Topeka, a former Lawrence resident known for profanity-laced commenting at public meetings was arrested in front of the crowd on the Statehouse steps. Authorities have so far been mum on the circumstances surrounding the arrest, and charges have not appeared in the state's online court records. The man, Justin Paul Spiehs, 43, of Johnson ...

Judge again considers — and again denies — defendant's motion to suppress confession in Montessori child sex crimes case

A Douglas County judge on Wednesday again considered — and again denied — a defendant’s motion to have his confession to child sex crimes suppressed from ever being heard by a jury of his peers. Hatem Chahine, the attorney for 22-year-old defendant Mateo Clavel Wills, a former Raintree Montessori School employee accused of sexually abusing a 3- and 4-year-old more than three years ago, asked Judge Sally ...

Lawrence couple create original music for Shakespeare Festival; this year's show in the park is a 1950s take on 'Love's Labour's Lost'

Two Lawrence residents will be heard — but not seen — at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City’s version of Shakespeare in the Park. This year’s festival, which runs now through July 6 at Southmoreland Park, features William Shakespeare’s early comedy “Love’s Labour’s Lost.” Two Lawrence musicians, husband-and-wife team Marvin and Ann Hunt, wrote the music for the production, ...

Lawrence man to serve nearly 5 years in prison for sex crime against a child 17 years ago

A Douglas County judge on Wednesday sentenced a Lawrence man to nearly five years in prison for attempted rape of a child in a case that dates back nearly two decades. The defendant, Lance Lee Yoder, 55, was convicted on April 1 after pleading no contest as part of a deal with the state that dropped more serious charges. Yoder originally faced three counts of rape, but one count had been dismissed earlier ...