Jury selection to begin
EUREKA — Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in the trial of a 26-year-old man accused of gunning down the Greenwood County sheriff.
Scott Cheever is charged with capital murder in the January 2005 shooting death of Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels. Authorities say Samuels was killed at a rural home with a working methamphetamine lab as he tried to serve Cheever with an arrest warrant.
Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty if Cheever is convicted of capital murder. Cheever is also charged with four counts of attempted capital murder and one count each of manufacturing methamphetamine and criminal possession of a firearm.
Cheever’s lawyers have said Cheever will contend that he was so high on methamphetamine he couldn’t consider premeditation — a necessary element of capital murder.
Fire safety event
The Emporia Fire Department will hold a “Fire Prevention Extravaganza” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Anderson Building at the Lyon County Fairgrounds.
Free hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks will be provided. Demonstrations on fire prevention and safety will be given by the fire and police departments, Emporia dispatch, Lyon County Sheriff’s Department, Midwest Life Team, Kansas Fire Marshal and the Emporia High Spartan Educational Theatre.
This week is Fire Prevention Week and the theme is to “Practice Your Escape Plan.”