ELLIS COUNTY — A 34-year-old Hays man was arrested Wednesday north of Catharine after a nearly four-hour standoff.

According to the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, just before 4:30 p.m. law enforcement officials were called to the 2200 block of Feedlot Road for the report of an unlawful discharge of a firearm.

During the incident, the man reportedly discharged a weapon several times.

The man, who has not been identified, was apprehended just after 8 p.m.

The Kansas Highway Patrol, Hays Police Department, Ellis County EMS, Rural Fire and Hays Drone Service all assisted during the incident.

HUTCHINSON —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered Kansas sex offender for alleged robbery.

Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, police say Trae Taylor tried to take a woman’s purse  outside Dillons at 725 E. 4th Street in Hutchinson, according to police.

He grabbed her purse with so much force that it knocked her to ground. She held on and was dragged five to six feet. This caused some bruising. She managed to hold on and he finally gave up and ran away.

The incident was caught on store video, which police used to locate him just after 11a.m. Wednesday. He was jailed for attempted robbery with a bond of $10,000.

Taylor was on parole for a conviction of indecent liberties with a child in 2014.

He should make an initial court appearance Thursday morning.

 

FINNEY COUNTY— One person died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Wednesday in Finney County.

The Kansas. Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Ford F150 driven by Rafael Marino-Ortiz, 54, Schuler, NE., west bound on U.S. 50 six miles east of Garden City.

The pickup had tire damage. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It left the roadway to the north, rolled and a passenger was ejected

Adame-Leon, Guadalupe, 72, Schuyler, NE, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Marino-Ortiz, Rafael and passenger, Cristina Solache-Tellez, 45, Lexington, NE., were transported to the hospital in Garden City. The two passengers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

 

LEAVENWORTH – A Kansas woman has been found guilty of Medicaid fraud and committing a computer crime, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Ena Louise Mathis, 53, Leavenworth, pleaded guilty in Leavenworth County District Court to one felony count of Medicaid fraud and one felony count of committing a computer crime.

The case stemmed from an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division, which revealed Mathis submitted false claims to the Medicaid program to pay for in-home assistance for a Medicaid beneficiary during times when the beneficiary was in a hospital or a resident in a nursing facility.

In total, Mathis falsely billed the Medicaid program for $6,425 over an interactive computer system used by the Medicaid program. The crimes occurred between July 28, 2016, and January 31, 2017.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man is suing the city and a police officer after he was stopped while riding a bicycle and subsequently spent time in jail for a drug conviction that was later overturned.

Jon Heter, 55, Hutchinson, was stopped in November 2016 for not having a headlight on his bike. When Heter gave a false name to the officer and refused to give his birthday, officer Josh Long arrested him.

Long later discovered Heter had an outstanding warrant and also found methamphetamine in a container on the bike. Heter was convicted of drug charges and spent three months in prison before the conviction was overturned.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, Heter argues his constitutional rights were violated and the arrest was unlawful. Heter is seeking more than $75,000 in damages.

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The federal government has accused Sprint Corp. of failing to provide service to low-income subscribers after accepting millions of dollars in subsidies to do so.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said Tuesday he’s asked the agency’s enforcement bureau to investigate.

KCUR reports Sprint said it had used government funds to provide monthly subsidies for about 885,000 subscribers to the program, called Lifeline. Under the program, low-income consumers are given a $9.25 monthly subsidy toward phone and broadband service

FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield said it’s unclear how much money Sprint received for the program. But Sprint collected at least $8.2 million a month for some period of time.

Sprint said in a statement that it made an error in July 2017 while implementing changes to the Lifeline program that the FCC had approved. Sprint said it would reimburse federal and state governments for subsidy payments collected because of the error

WASHINGTON — It’s vaping week on capitol hill.  House Committee on Oversight and Reform heard from officials at the CDC Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman addressed the subcommittee in Washington. The hearing “Sounding the Alarm: The Public Health Threats of E-Cigarettes.” Kansas has had two confirmed deaths related to vaping. 

Watch his testimony and the full hearing .

Read Norman’s Testimony here:  

Chair DeGette, Ranking Member Guthrie, and distinguished subcommittee members thank you for the opportunity to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee today to discuss the need to the public health emergency regarding e-cigarettes, or as the industry has termed it, vaping.

We greatly appreciate your attention to this issue of critical importance to the health of the population. As the State Health Officer of Kansas, a US Army Lieutenant Colonel and the State Surgeon of Kansas, and as a recently-deployed 35th Infantry theater medical commander in the Middle East, I have personally witnessed the deleterious impact addiction to any substance, whether it be nicotine, alcohol or illicit substances has on the citizens of Kansas and the economic costs to our entire health care system. I am now witnessing an outbreak of lung diseases impacting our state and recently claim the life of one Kansan. Our youth were poised to be the generation that ended smoking.

That legacy is now in jeopardy. Youth usage of e-cigarettes, along with outbreak of lung diseases that continue to be investigated, is alarming. As a physician, public servant, military serviceman, father and grandfather,

I owe it to the troops I work with, the staff I support and the Kansans I serve, to do what I can to win this battle for our youth. In Kansas, we currently have eight probable/confirmed vaping related cases with one of those being a death. Of the cases, four are male and four are female and range in age from 17-57 years old. All were hospitalized, five have been released from the hospital and two remain hospitalized. Regarding the types of vaping products used, three of the patients reported using only nicotine, two reported only THC, one reported using CBD, and two reported using both THC and nicotine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) e-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, most also contain flavorings and other chemicals, and some may contain marijuana or other substances. They are known by many different names and come in many shapes, sizes and device types. E-cigarettes can contain harmful or potentially harmful substances, including nicotine, heavy metals (e.g., lead), volatile organic compounds, and cancer-causing chemicals.

Additionally, some e-cigarette products are used to deliver illicit substances; may be acquired from unknown or unauthorized (i.e., “street”) sources; and may be modified for uses that could increase their potential for harm to the user.

Youth, young adults, pregnant women, as well as adults who do not currently use tobacco products should not use e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes containing nicotine have the potential to help some individual adult smokers reduce their use of and transition away from cigarettes.

However, e-cigarettes are not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a quit smoking aid, and the available science is inconclusive on whether e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking.1 E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.

Forty-four percent of Kansas high school youth who use e-cigarettes also currently use conventional cigarettes. Nationally, 96.1 percent of youth who initiated e-cigarette use between 2016 and 2017 did so with a flavored e-cigarette product. Preliminary findings from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) were reported. They found over one quarter of U.S. high school students report using an e-cigarette product in the past 30 days, an increase from 2018 when the rate of past 30-day use was 20.8 percent. Most teens who are vaping never smoked cigarettes.

Vaping is how they are initiating inhaling substances into their lungs. In Kansas, the top reasons why youth report using e-cigarettes include: a friend or family member uses, its availability in different flavors; and they perceive it as being less harmful than other forms of tobacco. We must work diligently to stop youth from acquiring and using e-cigarettes or vaping devices.

States are taking a leading role in implementing strong action to protect consumers from the harms of ecigarette product use. New York has also banned most flavored vaping products but will allow mint and menthol flavorings to remain on the shelves. California announced a crackdown on illegal and counterfeit vaping products and allocated funds into a public awareness campaign on vaping harms. Kansas is committed to combating the issue.

We are actively reviewing policy options to address this epidemic, which includes options to ban of flavored e-cigarette products through executive action or passing of legislation as the federal government moves ahead with its own regulatory plan. To increase education regarding e-cigarettes and what the tobacco industry has termed as “vaping,”

KDHE and the Kansas Department of Education partnered to develop a Vape-Free Schools kit. Schools are urged to adopt the kit and parents and caretakers are encouraged to have conversations with their children. I recognize this to be a public health emergency of considerable importance. As Chief Medical Officer of large health systems for over 25 years,

I have served as incident commander for H1N1 pandemic influenza, Ebola, the ongoing opioid epidemic, and now this. We are currently losing the battle against e-cigarettes and vaping, and we do not even understand the cause. We need a diligent and consistent approach to solving this, including thoughtful policy-making and regulatory changes, in the name of consumer protection and the public’s health. I am happy to participate in the effort.

 

NORTON COUNTY —The Preliminary autopsy results indicate Norton Correctional Facility Central Unit offender, Jeremy J. Palmer, died as a result of a cardiac event while working at a private industry worksite September 16.

According to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections, Co-workers performed CPR until arrival of Phillips County Emergency Medical Services. He was transported by ambulance to the Norton County Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Palmer was serving a 97-month sentence for previous convictions in Barton, Ford and Thomas counties. In 2013, he was found guilty in Thomas County of possession of heroin and methamphetamine, with intent to distribute. In Barton and Ford counties in 2016, he was found guilty of distribution of opiates, fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, and was charged with interference of law enforcement.

The Norton Correctional Facility houses low-medium and minimum-custody male offenders and has a population of 970.

MERRIAM, Kan. (AP) — A dog that spent more than 400 days at a suburban Kansas City animal shelter has found a home after a man moved into a kennel with the terrier mix and posted videos of the experience on Facebook.

Staff with the Great Plains SPCA shelter in Merriam, Kansas, cheered as the 3-year-old dog, named Queen, left the shelter with her new owner, Tony Puluso. He said that Queen is a “perfectly sweet dog.” He said he didn’t even know she was at the center of a viral campaign to find her a home.

The man behind the campaign was Scott Poore, of Mission Driven Goods, which creates fundraisers for shelters. He moved in with Queen on Sept. 18, bringing with him a laptop, desk and a small twin mattress.

 

 

 

 

 

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend shooting and ask the public for help to locate individuals who may have information.

During the early morning hours of September 21st deputies responded to a shooting in the parking lot at the Topeka Sports Cabaret, 4216 NE Seward Avenue in Topeka, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.

The victim, a man in his 20’s, was seriously injured and was transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating five individuals who may have information about this incident or may have information on the shooting, according to Stallbaumer.