Kansas
Kansas man pleads guilty to helping steal Jackie Robinson statue
A man accused of helping steal and damage the bronze statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson in Wichita, Kansas, pleaded guilty to the charges against him on Thursday, according to Sedgwick County District Court.
Ricky Alderete, 45, from Wichita, admitted to helping steal the statue from Jackie Robinson Pavilion in McAdams Park in January of this year and placing it in a pickup truck.
Alderete was among the suspects who authorities say cut off the statue at the ankles, leaving behind only Robinson’s feet. At the time, officials estimated the damage to be around $75,000.
Surveillance video captured at least three individuals entering Jackie Robinson Pavilion around midnight on Jan. 25, removing and departing with the statue, authorities previously said.
The statue was discovered dismantled and burned in a trash can fire on Jan. 30 in Garvey Park, authorities said.
On Thursday, Alderete pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, aggravated criminal damage to property, interference with law enforcement, criminal damage to property, theft, making a false writing, and identity theft, according to a press release from prosecutors.
District Judge Tyler Roush told Alderete the maximum sentence is 229 months, or over 19 years, in prison and six months in jail. Judge Roush also said he could order Alderete to pay $41,500 to League 42.
The statue was crafted by artist John Parsons and donated to the community by League 42, a nonprofit named after Robinson’s number with the Brooklyn Dodgers that aims to introduce baseball to the youth of Wichita.
According to the Associated Press, League 42 paid about $50,000 for the sculpture, which was installed in 2021.
Alderete is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1.
Robinson is known for being the first baseball player to break the color barrier in the modern era of Major League Baseball. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro leagues and the minor league Montreal Royals before being signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
The signing signaled the end of segregated baseball and led to other Black players joining the major leagues. During his time with the Dodgers, Robinson won Rookie of the Year in 1947, was named National League MVP in 1949, was a six-time All-Star and won the World Series in 1955.
Kansas
How To Watch Kansas State-TCU, Lineups, Preview, Stats To Watch
Betting line: K-State (+3.5)
O/U: 141.5
Money Line: CIN -160, KSU +132
Game time: 4:00 pm, EST
Where: Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth, TX
TV: CBS (watch here)
VITALS: Kansas State is coming off their first victory after losing three in a row. Dug McDaniel had just his second start of the season, where he scored 17 on 53.8 percent shooting. Coleman Hawkins had his best performance as a Wildcat, logging 20 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals. They face a TCU squad looking for its first Big 12 victory after losing to Arizona Monday.
PROJECTED STARTERS
WILDCATS
G Brendan Hausen: 13.0 PTS, 2.3 REB, 1.3 AST
G Dug McDaniel: 10.3 PTS, 2.6 REB, 4.3 AST
F Max Jones: 8.7 PTS, 3.5 REB, 2.1 AST
F David N’Guessan: 13.6 PTS, 6.8 REB, 1.6 AST
F Coleman Hawkins: 10.1 PTS, 7.0 REB, 4.1 AST
HORNED FROGS
G Noah Reynolds: 10.6 PTS, 2.5 REB, 3.9 AST
G Vasean Allette: 10.7 PTS, 3.3 REB, 2.3 AST
F Trazarien White: 10.2 PTS, 3.3 REB, 1.7 STL
F David Punch: 6.1 PTS, 4.8 REB, 1.0 BLK
F Ernest Udeh Jr.: 9.2 PTS, 8.6 REB, 1.3 AST
QUOTABLE: “It makes us even more versatile,” Dug McDaniel said about Coleman Hawkins’ presence in starting lineup. “When you have a 6’10” guy who can put the ball on the floor and make decisions. Nine times out of 10, their fours and fives are guarding him, and it’s harder for those guys to guard in the perimeter. He’s very versatile, and I feel like if we keep using him the right way, he can go very far.”
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Kansas
Northeast Kansas school cancels Monday classes due to winter weather
JUNCTION CITY (KSNT) – A northeast Kansas school district announced it will be closed early next week due to winter weather.
Matthew Hoover with the Geary County Schools USD 475 said in a press release on Jan. 3 the district will be closed on Monday, Jan. 6. Athletic and after-school activities on Monday are canceled.
“We look forward to seeing our students and staff back in our schools on Tuesday, Jan. 7. USD 475 will continue to monitor the weather throughout the upcoming days and will notify parents of any school closings or changes.”
USD 475 press release excerpt
Hoover said classes are expected to resume on Tuesday, Jan. 7. However, school officials will continue to monitor the situation and keep parents informed as the weather changes.
Parents can keep up with urgent alerts from the district through its School Messenger text message service. People can access this by texting ‘Y’ or ‘Yes’ to 67587.
For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf
Kansas
Man and 2 children dead after fire, gunshots inside Kansas City home
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Police are investigating after officers found a man and two juveniles dead inside a Northland house.
Someone called Kansas City police and asked officers to check on the people living inside a house in a neighborhood northwest of Route 152 and US 169 around 9:45 p.m. Thursday.
Officers arrived at the house and smelled smoke. They also noticed a fire burning inside the house.
They called the Kansas City Fire Department and then entered the house to search for anyone inside. They made the decision to evacuate because of the threat of the fire.
ALSO READ: 3rd fatal shooting in just over 2 months reported near Kansas City grocery store
After firefighters extinguished the flames, police reentered the home. Inside they found a man and a girl dead from gunshot injuries.
They also found a boy suffering from gunshot injuries. Emergency crews rushed him to a hospital where he died from his injuries.
Detectives are working to determine what happened leading up to the shootings. They said they are not looking for a suspect, but have not provided any other details about what may have happened.
ALSO READ: $7.5K reward offered for information about fatal shooting of Missouri canines
The names of the people killed have not been publicly released.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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