Category: News

Warm, windy weather: Red flag warning for fire danger today

Red Flag Warning: Avoid outdoor burning this afternoon (National Weather Service graphic)

Wyandotte County will be under a red flag warning from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 13, according to the National Weather Service.

The red flag warning means there is extreme fire danger this afternoon for eastern Kansas and western Missouri, according to the weather service.

Today’s high will be 70 degrees, and sunny skies are forecast.

The higher temperatures and breezy winds will raise fire weather concerns through the afternoon, according to the weather service.

Low humidity, winds, dry conditions and temperatures present a danger of fire, where little sparks could carry a flame easily, the weather service said.

The weather service said all outdoor burning should be avoided.

Once the sun goes down, the fire danger threat should diminish significantly, the weather service said.

Johnson County tax preparer pleads guilty to filing false tax return

A tax preparer in Johnson County pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal tax fraud charges that cost a Kansas company more than $744,000,
U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. John M. Moore, 52, Lenexa, pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return and one count of wire fraud.
In his plea, he admitted a company he owns, Accent Payroll Services (APS), was hired to provide payroll processing services for Tytan International L.L.C. of Lenexa, Kan.
From 2008 to 2010, APS was responsible for paying the wages of Tytan’s employees, withholding employment taxes, filing Tytan’s employment tax returns on Internal Revenue Service form 941 and paying withheld employment taxes to the IRS.
Moore transferred more than $2 million in employment tax withholdings from Tytan’s bank account to his company’s bank account. However, he only paid the IRS approximately $1.3 million.
To keep Tytan from receiving notices from the IRS that taxes were not paid, Moore gave the IRS an address for Tytan at a post office box he controlled. Sentencing is set for May 29.

Former legislator charged with bank fraud

A federal grand jury has indicted a former Kansas legislator, Trent LeDoux, with bank fraud.
Some of the money went into his political account, the indictment alleges.
The U.S. attorney’s office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
LeDoux, 40, Holton, a Republican who represented Jackson County and part of Shawnee County in Kansas, was charged with three counts of bank fraud and two counts of money laundering.
The alleged crimes took place in 2011 and 2012 while LeDoux was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives.
The indictment alleges LeDoux received three loans — $106,600, $175,500 and $183,000 – from Farmers and Merchants Bank of Colby, Kan.
He allegedly told the bank he would use the funds to buy cattle, but the indictment alleges he transferred $15,000 on Dec. 31, 2011, and $12,000 on Aug. 1, 2012, to his campaign account.