OSAGE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating the case of a missing Kansas man as a homicide.

In May 2013, 43-year-old Jeffrey Myers of Ottawa, was reported to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, as a missing person, according to a media release.

  His family had last been in contact with him in August 2012.  The Sheriff’s Office has conducted hundreds of interviews and several searches, since the time of the report.  Throughout the duration of this investigation, Franklin County has worked with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Topeka Police Department and the Osage County Sheriff’s Office.  

In March 2021, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office recovered human remains, at a remote location in Osage County.  Lab testing has positively identified the remains as Jeffrey Myers.  

On Friday, the Osage County Sheriff Office they are now actively investigating this case as a homicide. 

 Anyone with information about this Homicide is asked to contact the Osage County Sheriff’s Office at 785-828-3121, Osage County Crimestoppers at 877-OSCRIME, or e-mail: tips@oscosheriff.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625943987501.png" alt="Myers had previous convictions for burglary, theft, robbery, obstruction and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He was released from prison in 2012" />
 <figcaption>Myers had previous convictions for burglary, theft, robbery, obstruction and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He was released from prison in 2012</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating the case of a missing Kansas man as a homicide.In May 2013, 43-year-old Jeffrey Myers of Ottawa, was reported to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, as a missing person, according to a media release. His family had last been in contact with him in August 2012. The Sheriff’s Office has conducted hundreds of interviews and several searches, since the time of the report. Throughout the duration of this investigation, Franklin County has worked with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Topeka Police Department and the Osage County Sheriff’s Office. In March 2021, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office recovered human remains, at a remote location in Osage County. Lab testing has positively identified the remains as Jeffrey Myers. On Friday, the Osage County Sheriff Office they are now actively investigating this case as a homicide. Anyone with information about this Homicide is asked to contact the Osage County Sheriff’s Office at 785-828-3121, Osage County Crimestoppers at 877-OSCRIME, or e-mail: tips@oscosheriff.org.

Sheriff: 8-year-old case of missing Kan. man now a homicide investigation

AMERICUS, Kan. (AP) — A civil rights group is threatening to sue a Kansas school district if it doesn’t train employees about LGBTQ rights in response to an eighth-grade student being suspended from riding a school bus after saying, “I’m a lesbian.” 

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas sent a letter This week to the 350-student North Lyon County school district about 60 miles southwest of Topeka. The ACLU is representing student Izzy Dieker. 

She was suspended from her bus for two days in January but the ACLU's legal director says the girl didn’t ride again for two weeks because she felt humiliated. The district superintendent didn't immediately comment.

AMERICUS, Kan. (AP) — A civil rights group is threatening to sue a Kansas school district if it doesn’t train employees about LGBTQ rights in response to an eighth-grade student being suspended from riding a school bus after saying, “I’m a lesbian.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas sent a letter This week to the 350-student North Lyon County school district about 60 miles southwest of Topeka. The ACLU is representing student Izzy Dieker. She was suspended from her bus for two days in January but the ACLU's legal director says the girl didn’t ride again for two weeks because she felt humiliated. The district superintendent didn't immediately comment.

ACLU seeks training in Kan. school district over 'lesbian' remark

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-07-02/while-kansas-keeps-hospital-data-under-lock-and-key-colorado-helps-employers-dig-into-cost-of-care">Kansas News Service</a>

Some employers in Colorado have figured out a simple fact that could save millions on medical bills.

Hospitals are the pricey place for outpatient care. Independent medical centers can prove far cheaper.

Over
 a two-year period, shifting even half of their employees’ needs for 10 
common procedures to those more affordable sites could save nearly <a href="https://www.civhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CBGH-TCPA-Case-Study-Final.pdf" target="_blank">$6 million</a>.

That’s $400 per colonoscopy, $900 per hernia repair, $3,500 per appendix laparoscopy.

Employers
 learned about the potential savings through Colorado’s database of 
insurance claims, a treasure trove that allows Coloradans to dig into 
health care prices in ways that Kansans can’t.

Kansas is one of about <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2020/dec/state-apcds-part-1-establish-make-functional?utm_source=alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Delivery%20System%20Reform" target="_blank">20 states</a> that, for regulatory or research purposes, collect prices that the health care industry has long <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-price-transparency-rule-covering-hospitals-upheld-11592945973" target="_blank">guarded</a> as trade secrets.

But Kansas, unlike Colorado, doesn’t share those numbers.

Employers want to see them so they can do some comparison shopping. Researchers covet them to better understand <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3033.html" target="_blank">industry trends</a>. Kansas officials say their hands are tied by state regulations.

Without
 knowing prices, employers argue, they can’t fight back against the 
mushrooming cost of care. Nationally, medical prices have risen far 
faster than <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/how-have-healthcare-prices-grown-in-the-u-s-over-time/#item-the-average-price-of-knee-replacement-has-increased-faster-than-general-inflation" target="_blank">economic inflation</a>.

The
 ballooning costs don’t just cut into employer profits, they take away 
from potential pay raises and retirement benefits. It costs taxpayers 
money.

“It’s a dysfunctional marketplace,” said Bob Smith, president of the <a href="https://cbghealth.org/the-colorado-purchasing-alliance/" target="_blank">Colorado Purchasing Alliance</a> of employers who banded together to buy medical care at better rates. “We have to have pricing (information). It’s essential.”

Smith’s group includes private companies but also public employers, like Denver, the state of Colorado and school districts.

It also checks hospital pricing against quality measures and has found that some pricey hospitals appear to deliver worse care than competitors that charge less.

Elsewhere
 in his state, another alliance has made its own discoveries through 
that same centralized warehouse of medical information.

Peak 
Health Alliance is a nonprofit effort to negotiate better prices than 
insurance companies get from hospitals in several Colorado counties.

It
 started with Summit County, asking actuaries to crunch numbers from 
Colorado’s database. The local hospital, it turned out, typically got 
five times what Medicare pays for outpatient care, and more than eight 
times what Medicare pays for emergency care.

“And we said, ‘Holy Toledo,’” Peak CEO Claire Brockbank said. “850% of Medicare is crazy.”

“When we sat down at the table with the hospital, and the hospital said, ‘We're really not expensive,’” Brockbank
 said, “We were like, ‘You really are. Like, seriously — 850%? 
Seriously?’ … They weren’t entirely used to people having data.”

The new prices ended up saving an estimated $2 million on premiums last year for about 4,500 insured people in the county.

Despite objections from the health care lobby, <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2020/dec/state-apcds-part-1-establish-make-functional?utm_source=alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Delivery%20System%20Reform" target="_blank">more and more states</a> have started collecting insurance claims into what are called “<a href="https://www.apcdcouncil.org/" target="_blank">all-payer claims databases</a>.”

They
 offer a tempting source of information for researchers studying 
everything from the price of filling your molar to picking up your 
cholesterol drug.

“It would be really nice to know what the prices
 are,” said Chris Garmon, an economist at the University of 
Missouri-Kansas City who previously worked on antitrust investigations 
at the Federal Trade Commission. “Not just overall, but for particular 
services.”

If Kansas allowed it, Garmon would happily tap into the
 state’s numbers to analyze not just hospital bills but physician fees, 
too.

The Kansas Insurance Department says it can only share aggregated figures, and that <a href="https://insurance.ks.gov/documents/department/regulations-adopted/article-1/40-1-45.pdf" target="_blank">state regulations</a> bar it from revealing specific prices.

“Compilations of data shall not contain patient-identifying information or trade secrets,” the regulations say.

<a href="https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2019/09/aha-comments-cms-outpatient-pps-asc-proposed-rule-cy-2020-9-27-19.pdf" target="_blank">Hospitals have argued</a> that disclosing prices would give insurers the upper arm in negotiations, to the detriment of patients.

Kansas
 isn’t the only state with restrictions on releasing data, according to 
the Commonwealth Fund. But some states use their troves to drive 
websites where patients can research the prices for care in their area.

<a href="https://nhhealthcost.nh.gov/" target="_blank">New Hampshire</a>’s
 decision to publish imaging prices led to an estimated $44 million in 
savings for patients and insurers over a five-year period, <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/McCarthy_State_APCDs_Part2_v2.pdf" target="_blank">the Commonwealth Fund wrote</a>.

Researchers
 have yet to figure out if the same would prove true more broadly. New 
Hampshire has added price estimates for scores more medical services to 
its website.

Meanwhile, about a dozen states with claims databases will contribute information this year to a major RAND Corp. analysis of <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-06-29/kansas-knows-what-hospitals-get-paid-but-says-it-cant-tell-a-group-that-compares-prices-nationally" target="_blank">hospital prices</a>.

Unlike Kansas, Colorado doesn’t consider the prices that RAND wants trade secrets.

“Definitely not,” said Ana English, CEO of the <a href="https://www.civhc.org/" target="_blank">Center for Improving Value in Health Care</a>, or CIVHC.

The independent, nonprofit group runs the Colorado all-payer claims database. (In Kansas, the state insurance and health departments run it.)

Employers, insurers and hospitals, for example, can all request numbers or <a href="https://www.civhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CBGH-TCPA-Case-Study-Final.pdf" target="_blank">analyses</a>
 from CIVHC. One community hospital learned which services locals 
traveled elsewhere to get. It added those services and increased 
revenue.

At times, CIVHC faces pushback from insurers or health 
care providers that argue against revealing prices or other information 
that they consider to be trade secrets.

But the group does its 
homework. To avoid releasing data that could inadvertently lead to 
anti-competitive behavior, CIVHC says it follows Federal Trade 
Commission guidelines, regularly consults an antitrust lawyer, and on 
occasion consults the state attorney general.

“Part of our main 
mantra has to be to make this information available — appropriately,” 
English said. That means resisting the impulse to play it safe by 
aggregating everything.

But she knows first-hand that the topic 
makes people squirm. She’s seen it in meetings with public officials 
from other states. When anyone mentions releasing claims data, they 
literally wring their hands.

“I call it the hand-wringing syndrome,” she said. “They get really, really nervous.”

Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625581813469.png" alt="David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-07-02/while-kansas-keeps-hospital-data-under-lock-and-key-colorado-helps-employers-dig-into-cost-of-care">Kansas News Service</a>Some employers in Colorado have figured out a simple fact that could save millions on medical bills.Hospitals are the pricey place for outpatient care. Independent medical centers can prove far cheaper.Over
 a two-year period, shifting even half of their employees’ needs for 10 
common procedures to those more affordable sites could save nearly <a href="https://www.civhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CBGH-TCPA-Case-Study-Final.pdf" target="_blank">$6 million</a>.That’s $400 per colonoscopy, $900 per hernia repair, $3,500 per appendix laparoscopy.Employers
 learned about the potential savings through Colorado’s database of 
insurance claims, a treasure trove that allows Coloradans to dig into 
health care prices in ways that Kansans can’t.Kansas is one of about <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2020/dec/state-apcds-part-1-establish-make-functional?utm_source=alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Delivery%20System%20Reform" target="_blank">20 states</a> that, for regulatory or research purposes, collect prices that the health care industry has long <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-price-transparency-rule-covering-hospitals-upheld-11592945973" target="_blank">guarded</a> as trade secrets.But Kansas, unlike Colorado, doesn’t share those numbers.Employers want to see them so they can do some comparison shopping. Researchers covet them to better understand <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3033.html" target="_blank">industry trends</a>. Kansas officials say their hands are tied by state regulations.Without
 knowing prices, employers argue, they can’t fight back against the 
mushrooming cost of care. Nationally, medical prices have risen far 
faster than <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/how-have-healthcare-prices-grown-in-the-u-s-over-time/#item-the-average-price-of-knee-replacement-has-increased-faster-than-general-inflation" target="_blank">economic inflation</a>.The
 ballooning costs don’t just cut into employer profits, they take away 
from potential pay raises and retirement benefits. It costs taxpayers 
money.“It’s a dysfunctional marketplace,” said Bob Smith, president of the <a href="https://cbghealth.org/the-colorado-purchasing-alliance/" target="_blank">Colorado Purchasing Alliance</a> of employers who banded together to buy medical care at better rates. “We have to have pricing (information). It’s essential.”<h2>Wrestling with hospitals</h2>Smith’s group includes private companies but also public employers, like Denver, the state of Colorado and school districts.It also checks hospital pricing against quality measures and has found that some pricey hospitals appear to deliver worse care than competitors that charge less.Elsewhere
 in his state, another alliance has made its own discoveries through 
that same centralized warehouse of medical information.Peak 
Health Alliance is a nonprofit effort to negotiate better prices than 
insurance companies get from hospitals in several Colorado counties.It
 started with Summit County, asking actuaries to crunch numbers from 
Colorado’s database. The local hospital, it turned out, typically got 
five times what Medicare pays for outpatient care, and more than eight 
times what Medicare pays for emergency care.“And we said, ‘Holy Toledo,’” Peak CEO Claire Brockbank said. “850% of Medicare is crazy.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601308401778.png" alt="This story is part of the series, Bills of Health. Do you have a medical bill from Kansas that you want to share with a reporter? Email celia@kcur.org." />
 <figcaption>This story is part of the series, Bills of Health. Do you have a medical bill from Kansas that you want to share with a reporter? Email celia@kcur.org.</figcaption>
 </figure>So Peak pushed for lower prices.“When we sat down at the table with the hospital, and the hospital said, ‘We're really not expensive,’” Brockbank
 said, “We were like, ‘You really are. Like, seriously — 850%? 
Seriously?’ … They weren’t entirely used to people having data.”The new prices ended up saving an estimated $2 million on premiums last year for about 4,500 insured people in the county.<h2>Comparison shopping</h2>Despite objections from the health care lobby, <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2020/dec/state-apcds-part-1-establish-make-functional?utm_source=alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Delivery%20System%20Reform" target="_blank">more and more states</a> have started collecting insurance claims into what are called “<a href="https://www.apcdcouncil.org/" target="_blank">all-payer claims databases</a>.”They
 offer a tempting source of information for researchers studying 
everything from the price of filling your molar to picking up your 
cholesterol drug.“It would be really nice to know what the prices
 are,” said Chris Garmon, an economist at the University of 
Missouri-Kansas City who previously worked on antitrust investigations 
at the Federal Trade Commission. “Not just overall, but for particular 
services.”If Kansas allowed it, Garmon would happily tap into the
 state’s numbers to analyze not just hospital bills but physician fees, 
too.The Kansas Insurance Department says it can only share aggregated figures, and that <a href="https://insurance.ks.gov/documents/department/regulations-adopted/article-1/40-1-45.pdf" target="_blank">state regulations</a> bar it from revealing specific prices.“Compilations of data shall not contain patient-identifying information or trade secrets,” the regulations say.<a href="https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2019/09/aha-comments-cms-outpatient-pps-asc-proposed-rule-cy-2020-9-27-19.pdf" target="_blank">Hospitals have argued</a> that disclosing prices would give insurers the upper arm in negotiations, to the detriment of patients.Kansas
 isn’t the only state with restrictions on releasing data, according to 
the Commonwealth Fund. But some states use their troves to drive 
websites where patients can research the prices for care in their area.<a href="https://nhhealthcost.nh.gov/" target="_blank">New Hampshire</a>’s
 decision to publish imaging prices led to an estimated $44 million in 
savings for patients and insurers over a five-year period, <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/McCarthy_State_APCDs_Part2_v2.pdf" target="_blank">the Commonwealth Fund wrote</a>.Researchers
 have yet to figure out if the same would prove true more broadly. New 
Hampshire has added price estimates for scores more medical services to 
its website.<h2>Independently operated</h2>Meanwhile, about a dozen states with claims databases will contribute information this year to a major RAND Corp. analysis of <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-06-29/kansas-knows-what-hospitals-get-paid-but-says-it-cant-tell-a-group-that-compares-prices-nationally" target="_blank">hospital prices</a>.That includes Colorado.Unlike Kansas, Colorado doesn’t consider the prices that RAND wants trade secrets.“Definitely not,” said Ana English, CEO of the <a href="https://www.civhc.org/" target="_blank">Center for Improving Value in Health Care</a>, or CIVHC.The independent, nonprofit group runs the Colorado all-payer claims database. (In Kansas, the state insurance and health departments run it.)Employers, insurers and hospitals, for example, can all request numbers or <a href="https://www.civhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CBGH-TCPA-Case-Study-Final.pdf" target="_blank">analyses</a>
 from CIVHC. One community hospital learned which services locals 
traveled elsewhere to get. It added those services and increased 
revenue.At times, CIVHC faces pushback from insurers or health 
care providers that argue against revealing prices or other information 
that they consider to be trade secrets.But the group does its 
homework. To avoid releasing data that could inadvertently lead to 
anti-competitive behavior, CIVHC says it follows Federal Trade 
Commission guidelines, regularly consults an antitrust lawyer, and on 
occasion consults the state attorney general.“Part of our main 
mantra has to be to make this information available — appropriately,” 
English said. That means resisting the impulse to play it safe by 
aggregating everything.But she knows first-hand that the topic 
makes people squirm. She’s seen it in meetings with public officials 
from other states. When anyone mentions releasing claims data, they 
literally wring their hands.“I call it the hand-wringing syndrome,” she said. “They get really, really nervous.”Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Kan. keeps hospital data secret; Colo. helps employers dig into cost

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Friends have <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/wsph3-support-for-the-russell-family">established a fundraiser </a>to assist the family of a pregnant Kansas woman who died after a 4-vehicle crash in Wichita that involved a driver fleeing police.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On GoFundme friends wrote: Tuesday July 7, we lost an amazing individual. Samantha Russell tragically passed away in a senseless traffic incident. She leaves behind her husband and her brand new baby boy, Mac. Samantha was an amazing individual who left an impact on everyone she met.

Just before 5 pm on Tuesday, police were dispatched to a disturbance with a gun at a hotel in the 7500 block of West Taft in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.&nbsp;

At the scene, a 35-year-old male victim reported that a man had robbed him at gunpoint. The victim was able to run away and reported seeing the suspect leaving the hotel with another male suspect.

The robbery suspect was identified as 34-year-old Jamie Chavez of Wichita, who was wanted in connection to a previous robbery. He was located near Maple and Ridge and taken into custody. The other suspect identified as<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=161387">&nbsp;Javan Jermaine Ervin, 37,</a>&nbsp;Wichita,&nbsp;&nbsp;began to flee in a 2002 Dodge Ram northbound on Ridge Road. Officers began pursuing him, but the pursuit was terminated due to the high speed and traffic conditions.

The pickup continued at a high rate of speed, failed to stop at the red traffic light at Central Avenue and collided with a westbound 2000 Chevy Silverado driven by Jordan Samuel Peltzer, 40, Henderson, Nevada.

The impact caused the driver side rear wheels and tires to detach from the vehicle which collided with a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by Connie L. Holt, 73, Wichita, that was stopped on the inside left turn lane from South bound Ridge Road to East bound Central Avenue.

The Dodge Ram then collided with 2019 Mazda CX3 driven by 22-year-old Samantha Lee Russell of Wichita which was stopped behind the Jeep. The Dodge Ram then rolled onto its top and came to a rest in the North bound lanes of Ridge Road.

EMS transported Russell to Wesley Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.&nbsp;She was 33 weeks pregnant. Doctors delivered the baby who was hospitalized in critical condition, according to Macy.

Ervin, Peltzer and Holt were not injured. Ervin attempted to run from the crash but police quickly took him into custody.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police also booked Jamie Chavez into the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery (one from a previous case) and felon in possession of a firearm. Chavez is on parole through the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625764005417.png" alt="Samantha Russell and her husband Brandon -photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Samantha Russell and her husband Brandon -photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Friends have <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/wsph3-support-for-the-russell-family">established a fundraiser </a>to assist the family of a pregnant Kansas woman who died after a 4-vehicle crash in Wichita that involved a driver fleeing police.&nbsp;&nbsp;On GoFundme friends wrote: Tuesday July 7, we lost an amazing individual. Samantha Russell tragically passed away in a senseless traffic incident. She leaves behind her husband and her brand new baby boy, Mac. Samantha was an amazing individual who left an impact on everyone she met.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625655160724.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the fatal 4-vehicle crash photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the fatal 4-vehicle crash photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 5 pm on Tuesday, police were dispatched to a disturbance with a gun at a hotel in the 7500 block of West Taft in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.&nbsp;At the scene, a 35-year-old male victim reported that a man had robbed him at gunpoint. The victim was able to run away and reported seeing the suspect leaving the hotel with another male suspect.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625688980232.png" alt="At the time of his arrest Tuesday, Jamie Chavez was on parole for a child sex crime, according to the Kansas Dpt. of Corrections.-&nbsp; photo Sedgwick Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>At the time of his arrest Tuesday, Jamie Chavez was on parole for a child sex crime, according to the Kansas Dpt. of Corrections.-&nbsp; photo Sedgwick Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>The robbery suspect was identified as 34-year-old Jamie Chavez of Wichita, who was wanted in connection to a previous robbery. He was located near Maple and Ridge and taken into custody. The other suspect identified as<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=161387">&nbsp;Javan Jermaine Ervin, 37,</a>&nbsp;Wichita,&nbsp;&nbsp;began to flee in a 2002 Dodge Ram northbound on Ridge Road. Officers began pursuing him, but the pursuit was terminated due to the high speed and traffic conditions.The pickup continued at a high rate of speed, failed to stop at the red traffic light at Central Avenue and collided with a westbound 2000 Chevy Silverado driven by Jordan Samuel Peltzer, 40, Henderson, Nevada.The impact caused the driver side rear wheels and tires to detach from the vehicle which collided with a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by Connie L. Holt, 73, Wichita, that was stopped on the inside left turn lane from South bound Ridge Road to East bound Central Avenue.The Dodge Ram then collided with 2019 Mazda CX3 driven by 22-year-old Samantha Lee Russell of Wichita which was stopped behind the Jeep. The Dodge Ram then rolled onto its top and came to a rest in the North bound lanes of Ridge Road.EMS transported Russell to Wesley Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.&nbsp;She was 33 weeks pregnant. Doctors delivered the baby who was hospitalized in critical condition, according to Macy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625654789637.png" alt="Javan Jermaine Ervin made his first court appearance Friday. He is charged in the death of&nbsp; 22-year-old Samantha Russell, according to the Sedgwick Co. District Attorney's offfice." />
 <figcaption>Javan Jermaine Ervin made his first court appearance Friday. He is charged in the death of&nbsp; 22-year-old Samantha Russell, according to the Sedgwick Co. District Attorney's offfice.</figcaption>
 </figure>Ervin, Peltzer and Holt were not injured. Ervin attempted to run from the crash but police quickly took him into custody.&nbsp;&nbsp;Police also booked Jamie Chavez into the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery (one from a previous case) and felon in possession of a firearm. Chavez is on parole through the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Friends help man, newborn after Kan. woman killed in crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — “A disservice to the country.” “Inaccurate disinformation.” “Literally killing people.”

For months, the Biden White House refrained from criticizing Republican officials who played down the importance of coronavirus vaccinations or sought to make political hay of the federal government’s all-out effort to drive shots into arms. Not any longer.

With the COVID-19 vaccination rate plateauing across the country, the White House is returning fire at those they see as spreading harmful misinformation or fear about the shots.

When South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tried this week to block door-to-door efforts to drive up the vaccination rate in his state, White House press secretary Jen Psaki did not mince words in her reaction.

“The failure to provide accurate public health information, including the efficacy of vaccines and the accessibility of them to people across the country, including South Carolina, is literally killing people, so maybe they should consider that,” she said Friday.

While 67% of American adults have gotten at least one dose, officials are increasingly worried about vast geographic disparity in vaccination rates, and the emergence of what some experts warn could be two dramatically different realities for the country in the coming months: High vaccine uptake and lower caseloads in more Democratic-leaning parts of the country, and fresh hot spots and the development of dangerous variants in more GOP-leaning areas.

In the early months of the administration, the White House largely declined to criticize state and local officials’ handling of their vaccination programs, eager to maintain their buy-in and to prevent the politicization of the lifesaving campaign.

The recent change in tone comes after some GOP officials criticized President Joe Biden for calling for a door-to-door campaign to spread information about the safety and efficacy of vaccines in hopes it would encourage more people to get vaccinated.

“Now we need to go to community-by-community, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, and oftentimes, door-to-door — literally knocking on doors — to get help to the remaining people” who need to be vaccinated, Biden said Tuesday.

The grassroots component of the vaccination campaign has been in operation since April, when supplies of shots began outpacing demand. It was outlined and funded by Congress in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed in March and overwhelmingly is carried out by local officials and private sector workers and volunteers.

But some in the GOP saw a political opening, catering to the party’s small-government roots and libertarian wing.

“The Biden Administration wants to knock on your door to see if you’re vaccinated,” tweeted Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan. “What’s next? Knocking on your door to see if you own a gun?”

McMaster asked his state’s health department to bar state and local health groups from “the use of the Biden Administration’s ‘targeted’ ‘door to door’ tactics.”

“A South Carolinian’s decision to get vaccinated is a personal one for them to make and not the government’s,” McMaster wrote in a letter to the department. “Enticing, coercing, intimidating, mandating, or pressuring anyone to take the vaccine is a bad policy which will deteriorate the public’s trust and confidence in the State’s vaccination efforts.”

In Missouri, meanwhile, GOP Gov. Mike Parson tweeted: “I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri!”

Earlier in the week, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich sent a letter to Biden condemning the new strategy.

For the usually reserved Biden White House, which has long harbored private frustrations about some states’ laggard vaccination programs but refused to condemn them publicly for fear of playing up political divides in public health, it was a bridge too far.

“For those individuals, organizations that are feeding misinformation and trying to mischaracterize this type of trusted-messenger work, I believe you are doing a disservice to the country and to the doctors, the faith leaders, community leaders and others who are working to get people vaccinated, save lives and help end this pandemic,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday.

Months ago, the Biden White House refrained from responding when officials criticized its vaccine allocation strategy of sending more doses directly to pharmacies instead of through state health departments after the former strategy proved more effective. It largely kept quiet as it watched officials sow fears of vaccine “passports” and assiduously avoided engaging publicly with fringe lawmakers who promoted vaccine skepticism.

The new public expression of frustration comes amid lingering disbelief that tens of millions of Americans continue to refuse to get vaccinated, needlessly extending the pandemic and costing lives, as government health officials emphasize that nearly all serious cases and deaths are now preventable.

White House officials are quick to point out that their criticism is not related to the officials’ political affiliation but to their rhetoric. They credit effective communication and leadership on the vaccines by GOP officials including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. But they continue to be concerned that some GOP officials are seeking to boost their own fortunes by feeding into doubts about the vaccination.

Psaki on Thursday rebutted some allegations about the door-knocking program, noting that in most cases: “They are not members of the government. They are not federal government employees. They are volunteers. They are clergy. They are trusted voices in communities who are playing this role and door knocking.”

Acknowledging the rhetoric has been “a bit frustrating to us,” she also noted that there are indications the door-knocking has helped promote shots in areas lagging behind the rest of the country. “Alabama: The adult vaccination rate increased by 3.9%; 149,000 additional adults got their first dose in June,” she said, adding that Florida saw an increase of 4.4% and Georgia of 3.5%.

“This is important work that’s leading to more vaccinations,” said Zients, “and it’s done by people who care about the health of their family, friends and neighbors.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625745471990.png" alt="In Missouri, GOP Gov. Mike Parson tweeted: “I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri!”" />
 <figcaption>In Missouri, GOP Gov. Mike Parson tweeted: “I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri!”</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — “A disservice to the country.” “Inaccurate disinformation.” “Literally killing people.”For months, the Biden White House refrained from criticizing Republican officials who played down the importance of coronavirus vaccinations or sought to make political hay of the federal government’s all-out effort to drive shots into arms. Not any longer.With the COVID-19 vaccination rate plateauing across the country, the White House is returning fire at those they see as spreading harmful misinformation or fear about the shots.When South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tried this week to block door-to-door efforts to drive up the vaccination rate in his state, White House press secretary Jen Psaki did not mince words in her reaction.“The failure to provide accurate public health information, including the efficacy of vaccines and the accessibility of them to people across the country, including South Carolina, is literally killing people, so maybe they should consider that,” she said Friday.While 67% of American adults have gotten at least one dose, officials are increasingly worried about vast geographic disparity in vaccination rates, and the emergence of what some experts warn could be two dramatically different realities for the country in the coming months: High vaccine uptake and lower caseloads in more Democratic-leaning parts of the country, and fresh hot spots and the development of dangerous variants in more GOP-leaning areas.In the early months of the administration, the White House largely declined to criticize state and local officials’ handling of their vaccination programs, eager to maintain their buy-in and to prevent the politicization of the lifesaving campaign.The recent change in tone comes after some GOP officials criticized President Joe Biden for calling for a door-to-door campaign to spread information about the safety and efficacy of vaccines in hopes it would encourage more people to get vaccinated.“Now we need to go to community-by-community, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, and oftentimes, door-to-door — literally knocking on doors — to get help to the remaining people” who need to be vaccinated, Biden said Tuesday.The grassroots component of the vaccination campaign has been in operation since April, when supplies of shots began outpacing demand. It was outlined and funded by Congress in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed in March and overwhelmingly is carried out by local officials and private sector workers and volunteers.But some in the GOP saw a political opening, catering to the party’s small-government roots and libertarian wing.“The Biden Administration wants to knock on your door to see if you’re vaccinated,” tweeted Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan. “What’s next? Knocking on your door to see if you own a gun?”McMaster asked his state’s health department to bar state and local health groups from “the use of the Biden Administration’s ‘targeted’ ‘door to door’ tactics.”“A South Carolinian’s decision to get vaccinated is a personal one for them to make and not the government’s,” McMaster wrote in a letter to the department. “Enticing, coercing, intimidating, mandating, or pressuring anyone to take the vaccine is a bad policy which will deteriorate the public’s trust and confidence in the State’s vaccination efforts.”In Missouri, meanwhile, GOP Gov. Mike Parson tweeted: “I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri!”Earlier in the week, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich sent a letter to Biden condemning the new strategy.For the usually reserved Biden White House, which has long harbored private frustrations about some states’ laggard vaccination programs but refused to condemn them publicly for fear of playing up political divides in public health, it was a bridge too far.“For those individuals, organizations that are feeding misinformation and trying to mischaracterize this type of trusted-messenger work, I believe you are doing a disservice to the country and to the doctors, the faith leaders, community leaders and others who are working to get people vaccinated, save lives and help end this pandemic,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday.Months ago, the Biden White House refrained from responding when officials criticized its vaccine allocation strategy of sending more doses directly to pharmacies instead of through state health departments after the former strategy proved more effective. It largely kept quiet as it watched officials sow fears of vaccine “passports” and assiduously avoided engaging publicly with fringe lawmakers who promoted vaccine skepticism.The new public expression of frustration comes amid lingering disbelief that tens of millions of Americans continue to refuse to get vaccinated, needlessly extending the pandemic and costing lives, as government health officials emphasize that nearly all serious cases and deaths are now preventable.White House officials are quick to point out that their criticism is not related to the officials’ political affiliation but to their rhetoric. They credit effective communication and leadership on the vaccines by GOP officials including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. But they continue to be concerned that some GOP officials are seeking to boost their own fortunes by feeding into doubts about the vaccination.Psaki on Thursday rebutted some allegations about the door-knocking program, noting that in most cases: “They are not members of the government. They are not federal government employees. They are volunteers. They are clergy. They are trusted voices in communities who are playing this role and door knocking.”Acknowledging the rhetoric has been “a bit frustrating to us,” she also noted that there are indications the door-knocking has helped promote shots in areas lagging behind the rest of the country. “Alabama: The adult vaccination rate increased by 3.9%; 149,000 additional adults got their first dose in June,” she said, adding that Florida saw an increase of 4.4% and Georgia of 3.5%.“This is important work that’s leading to more vaccinations,” said Zients, “and it’s done by people who care about the health of their family, friends and neighbors.”

White House calling out critics of door-to-door vaccine push

PAWNEE COUNTY —After ten days, law enforcement authorities continue to search for 42-year-old John Freeman Colt.&nbsp; In an email Thursday, Pawnee County Sheriff Scott King wrote, "We are are still working with other law enforcement agencies on this case."

Just after 7a.m. June 30, he walked out of the Sexual Predator Treatment Program at the Larned State Hospital, according to the Pawnee County Sheriff.&nbsp;

He was last seen at 11:10a.m. Wednesday walking north bound from Kwik Shop on Broadway.

Barton County Sheriff Bellendir explained how Colt made it&nbsp;that far.&nbsp; “He caught a ride into town and gave a story he had a broken-down vehicle,” Bellendir said. “He was dressed in dress clothes. He didn’t look like what you’d expect an inmate to be. He looked more like a social worker, and that’s probably how he managed to escape, which the state investigators for DOC (the Department of Corrections) are over there trying to figure all of that out&nbsp;right now.”&nbsp;

Bellendir said&nbsp;Colt had altered his appearance by cutting his hair and shaving off a beard.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Colt is described as a white male, medium skin tone, 5-foot-7 200 pounds, blue eyes, and&nbsp; short brown hair. 

 He also has a tattoo on his left arm of a heart with the letters BH. 

He was last seen wearing a gray long sleeve shirt, black pants ( possibly dress pants ) and a dark face mask.  Subject possibly has an ID badge "C JONES", and may have a cell phone. He should be considered dangerous.

If seen, or you know his whereabouts, please call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625150026523.png" alt="Colt photo Kansas Public Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Colt photo Kansas Public Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY —After ten days, law enforcement authorities continue to search for 42-year-old John Freeman Colt.&nbsp; In an email Thursday, Pawnee County Sheriff Scott King wrote, "We are are still working with other law enforcement agencies on this case."Just after 7a.m. June 30, he walked out of the Sexual Predator Treatment Program at the Larned State Hospital, according to the Pawnee County Sheriff.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1625086515798.png" alt="Colt has previous convictions for aggravated sexual battery, theft, forgery, aggravated burglary, interference with parental custody and criminal damage, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections photos Pawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Colt has previous convictions for aggravated sexual battery, theft, forgery, aggravated burglary, interference with parental custody and criminal damage, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections photos Pawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>He was last seen at 11:10a.m. Wednesday walking north bound from Kwik Shop on Broadway.Barton County Sheriff Bellendir explained how Colt made it&nbsp;that far.&nbsp; “He caught a ride into town and gave a story he had a broken-down vehicle,” Bellendir said. “He was dressed in dress clothes. He didn’t look like what you’d expect an inmate to be. He looked more like a social worker, and that’s probably how he managed to escape, which the state investigators for DOC (the Department of Corrections) are over there trying to figure all of that out&nbsp;right now.”&nbsp;Bellendir said&nbsp;Colt had altered his appearance by cutting his hair and shaving off a beard.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Colt is described as a white male, medium skin tone, 5-foot-7 200 pounds, blue eyes, and&nbsp; short brown hair. He also has a tattoo on his left arm of a heart with the letters BH. He was last seen wearing a gray long sleeve shirt, black pants ( possibly dress pants ) and a dark face mask. Subject possibly has an ID badge "C JONES", and may have a cell phone. He should be considered dangerous.If seen, or you know his whereabouts, please call 911.

Felon from Kan. sexual predator program missing for for ten days

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call that he must “take action” against cybercriminals acting in his country and that the U.S. reserves the right to “defend its people and its critical infrastructure” from future attacks. the White House said.

The warning to Putin on Friday was largely a repetition of the tough rhetoric Biden had used during their meeting in Geneva last month, when he warned that there would be consequences for continuing cyberattacks emanating from Russia. Since then, a new ransomware attack linked to the Russia-based REvil hacking group has caused widespread disruption, placing Biden under growing pressure to this time marry the warning with actions — though none were immediately announced.

“I made it very clear to him that the United States expects when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil even though it’s not sponsored by the state, we expect them to act if we give them enough information to act on who that is,” Biden said, speaking to reporters at an event on economic competitiveness. Asked whether there will be consequences, he said, “Yes.”

The call with Putin underscored the extent to which the ransomware threat from criminal hacker gangs has mushroomed into an urgent national security challenge for the White House, and it suggested a possible concession by the administration that earlier warnings to the Russian leader had failed to curb a criminal activity that has taken aim at businesses across the globe.

A White House statement announcing the hourlong call also highlighted a U.S.-Russian agreement that will allow humanitarian aid to flow into Syria. The dual prongs of the agenda show how even as Biden pledges to get tough on Russia over hacking, there’s an inherent desire to avoid aggravating tensions as the administration looks for Russia to cooperate, or at least not interfere, with U.S. actions in other areas, including Syria, the Afghanistan withdrawal and climate change.

In his call with Putin, besides reiterating the need for Russia to take action and that the U.S. stands ready to act in response, Biden also “emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware,” the White House said.

Biden told reporters that the U.S. and Russia have “set up a means of communication now on a regular basis to be able to communicate with one another when each of us thinks something is happening in another country that affects the home country. And so it went well. I’m optimistic.”

In its own summary of the call, the Kremlin said “Putin noted that despite the Russian side’s readiness to jointly stop criminal activities in the information sphere, U.S. agencies haven’t made any requests during the past month.”

The Kremlin said the two leaders emphasized the need for cooperation on cybersecurity, which it said “must be permanent, professional and non-politicized and should be conducted via special communication channels ... and with respect to international law.”

The Kremlin statement also noted that Biden and Putin touched on the situation in Syria “with a special emphasis on humanitarian aspects“ and “gave a positive assessment of coordination of Russian and U.S. efforts on the issue, including in the U.N. Security Council.”

The White House declined to discuss the tone of Biden’s call, though press secretary Jen Psaki said it did focus significantly on the latest breach, which cybersecurity researchers have said infected victims in at least 17 countries, largely through firms that remotely manage IT infrastructure for multiple customers.

Though Biden had previously said the attack had caused “minimal damage,” and it did not appear to target vital infrastructure, the sheer global scale and the fact that it occurred so soon after the Geneva meeting put immediate pressure on the administration to have some sort of response.

Officials did not immediately announce any specific actions they were taking or would consider taking. There are few easy options to resolve the threat without risking a conflict that could spiral out of control beyond the cybersecurity realm.

The Biden administration took office on the heels of a massive cyberespionage campaign known as SolarWinds that U.S. officials have linked to Russian intelligence operatives. But ransomware attacks, perpetrated generally by criminal hacker gangs rather than state-sponsored hackers, appear to have eclipsed old-fashioned spying as a potent threat.

A May attack on a pipeline that supplies roughly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast caused the company to temporarily halt operations. Colonial Pipeline paid roughly $4.4 million in ransom, although U.S. authorities were able to claw back a large portion of that sum in a law enforcement operation last month.

Hackers also recently extorted an $11 million ransom payment from JBS SA, the world’s largest meat processor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623845475995.png" alt="Russian President Putin and President Biden before their meeting last month" />
 <figcaption>Russian President Putin and President Biden before their meeting last month</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call that he must “take action” against cybercriminals acting in his country and that the U.S. reserves the right to “defend its people and its critical infrastructure” from future attacks. the White House said.The warning to Putin on Friday was largely a repetition of the tough rhetoric Biden had used during their meeting in Geneva last month, when he warned that there would be consequences for continuing cyberattacks emanating from Russia. Since then, a new ransomware attack linked to the Russia-based REvil hacking group has caused widespread disruption, placing Biden under growing pressure to this time marry the warning with actions — though none were immediately announced.“I made it very clear to him that the United States expects when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil even though it’s not sponsored by the state, we expect them to act if we give them enough information to act on who that is,” Biden said, speaking to reporters at an event on economic competitiveness. Asked whether there will be consequences, he said, “Yes.”The call with Putin underscored the extent to which the ransomware threat from criminal hacker gangs has mushroomed into an urgent national security challenge for the White House, and it suggested a possible concession by the administration that earlier warnings to the Russian leader had failed to curb a criminal activity that has taken aim at businesses across the globe.A White House statement announcing the hourlong call also highlighted a U.S.-Russian agreement that will allow humanitarian aid to flow into Syria. The dual prongs of the agenda show how even as Biden pledges to get tough on Russia over hacking, there’s an inherent desire to avoid aggravating tensions as the administration looks for Russia to cooperate, or at least not interfere, with U.S. actions in other areas, including Syria, the Afghanistan withdrawal and climate change.In his call with Putin, besides reiterating the need for Russia to take action and that the U.S. stands ready to act in response, Biden also “emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware,” the White House said.Biden told reporters that the U.S. and Russia have “set up a means of communication now on a regular basis to be able to communicate with one another when each of us thinks something is happening in another country that affects the home country. And so it went well. I’m optimistic.”In its own summary of the call, the Kremlin said “Putin noted that despite the Russian side’s readiness to jointly stop criminal activities in the information sphere, U.S. agencies haven’t made any requests during the past month.”The Kremlin said the two leaders emphasized the need for cooperation on cybersecurity, which it said “must be permanent, professional and non-politicized and should be conducted via special communication channels ... and with respect to international law.”The Kremlin statement also noted that Biden and Putin touched on the situation in Syria “with a special emphasis on humanitarian aspects“ and “gave a positive assessment of coordination of Russian and U.S. efforts on the issue, including in the U.N. Security Council.”The White House declined to discuss the tone of Biden’s call, though press secretary Jen Psaki said it did focus significantly on the latest breach, which cybersecurity researchers have said infected victims in at least 17 countries, largely through firms that remotely manage IT infrastructure for multiple customers.Though Biden had previously said the attack had caused “minimal damage,” and it did not appear to target vital infrastructure, the sheer global scale and the fact that it occurred so soon after the Geneva meeting put immediate pressure on the administration to have some sort of response.Officials did not immediately announce any specific actions they were taking or would consider taking. There are few easy options to resolve the threat without risking a conflict that could spiral out of control beyond the cybersecurity realm.The Biden administration took office on the heels of a massive cyberespionage campaign known as SolarWinds that U.S. officials have linked to Russian intelligence operatives. But ransomware attacks, perpetrated generally by criminal hacker gangs rather than state-sponsored hackers, appear to have eclipsed old-fashioned spying as a potent threat.A May attack on a pipeline that supplies roughly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast caused the company to temporarily halt operations. Colonial Pipeline paid roughly $4.4 million in ransom, although U.S. authorities were able to claw back a large portion of that sum in a law enforcement operation last month.Hackers also recently extorted an $11 million ransom payment from JBS SA, the world’s largest meat processor.

Biden reminds Putin Russia must crack down on cybercriminals

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old Kansas woman is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a teenager. Shawnee County authorities charged Daisha Butler of Topeka on Thursday in the death of 17-year-old Nevaeh Martinez. 

She was shot July 3 outside a Topeka home, and died the next day after being taken off life support. Butler is being held on $1 million bond. 

The victim's mother, Tiana Cannon, told KSNT that her daughter didn't know Butler and was an innocent bystander in the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625450854895.png" alt="Butler photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Butler photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old Kansas woman is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a teenager. Shawnee County authorities charged Daisha Butler of Topeka on Thursday in the death of 17-year-old Nevaeh Martinez. She was shot July 3 outside a Topeka home, and died the next day after being taken off life support. Butler is being held on $1 million bond. The victim's mother, Tiana Cannon, told KSNT that her daughter didn't know Butler and was an innocent bystander in the shooting.

Kan. woman charged with murder in teenager's death

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects in connection with a report of shots fire near the Maize Airport,&nbsp; an unincorporated area of Sedgwick County.

Just before 9:30 a.m. Friday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting an active shooter at the Maize Airport located at 8001 W 45th Street North,&nbsp; according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.&nbsp;

The caller reported two suspects at the airport and another suspect leaving in a vehicle. The caller also provided a description of the vehicle including the registration plate number.

Deputies and officers from several agencies responded to the airport and located a 49-year-old man and&nbsp; 35-year-old Yancy Hermosillo near the area where the shooting allegedly occurred.

Both men were detained. During a search of the area for casualties, spent shell casings and firearms were observed, but no victims or evidence of injury was found. The vehicle reported to have left the scene was located in southeast Wichita occupied by a 27-year-old man.

After questioning, the 49 and 27-year-old were released. Hermosillo was <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=37220">arrested for an outstanding federal warrant </a>for drug and weapons violations.

During the investigation detectives determined, the shots fired at the airport were not reckless or unauthorized and did not support the elements of a crime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625862985360.png" alt="During the investigation detectives determined, the shots fired at the airport were not reckless or unauthorized and did not support the elements of a crime.-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>During the investigation detectives determined, the shots fired at the airport were not reckless or unauthorized and did not support the elements of a crime.-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects in connection with a report of shots fire near the Maize Airport,&nbsp; an unincorporated area of Sedgwick County.Just before 9:30 a.m. Friday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting an active shooter at the Maize Airport located at 8001 W 45th Street North,&nbsp; according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.&nbsp;The caller reported two suspects at the airport and another suspect leaving in a vehicle. The caller also provided a description of the vehicle including the registration plate number.Deputies and officers from several agencies responded to the airport and located a 49-year-old man and&nbsp; 35-year-old Yancy Hermosillo near the area where the shooting allegedly occurred.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625863783830.png" alt="Hermosillo photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hermosillo photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Both men were detained. During a search of the area for casualties, spent shell casings and firearms were observed, but no victims or evidence of injury was found. The vehicle reported to have left the scene was located in southeast Wichita occupied by a 27-year-old man.After questioning, the 49 and 27-year-old were released. Hermosillo was <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=37220">arrested for an outstanding federal warrant </a>for drug and weapons violations.During the investigation detectives determined, the shots fired at the airport were not reckless or unauthorized and did not support the elements of a crime.

Kan. man arrested after report of active shooting at Kan. airport

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police said a body found Friday in Brush Creek is believed to be that of a man who jumped into the creek while fleeing from officers.

The man, later identified as 38-year-old Terrelle L. Murry of Kansas City fled on foot Thursday evening after officers responded to several calls about domestic violence involving a man with a gun, police spokesman Jacob Becchina said.

An officer who was chasing the man on foot saw him struggling in the water and jumped in to help but was unable to reach the man before he went underwater, Becchina said.

A rescue operation involving a boat, dive teams, a helicopter, police dogs and other emergency workers continued into Thursday night but was unsuccessful.

A body was found Friday morning in the creek, which runs through central Kansas City.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625856731626.png" alt="A rescue operation involving a boat, dive teams, a helicopter, police dogs and other emergency workers continued into Thursday night but was unsuccessful. photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>A rescue operation involving a boat, dive teams, a helicopter, police dogs and other emergency workers continued into Thursday night but was unsuccessful. photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police said a body found Friday in Brush Creek is believed to be that of a man who jumped into the creek while fleeing from officers.The man, later identified as 38-year-old Terrelle L. Murry of Kansas City fled on foot Thursday evening after officers responded to several calls about domestic violence involving a man with a gun, police spokesman Jacob Becchina said.An officer who was chasing the man on foot saw him struggling in the water and jumped in to help but was unable to reach the man before he went underwater, Becchina said.A rescue operation involving a boat, dive teams, a helicopter, police dogs and other emergency workers continued into Thursday night but was unsuccessful.A body was found Friday morning in the creek, which runs through central Kansas City.&nbsp;

Man who jumped into water fleeing KC police identified

JUNCTION CITY — First Brigade, 1st Infantry Division troops are preparing for a 
nine-month deployment to Europe. Geary USD 475 leaders were informed 
Thursday evening that some of the families of those Soldiers will depart
 the area during the deployment.

Col. William McKannay, Fort Riley
 Garrison Commander provided information during a school board meeting. 
"We have seen very high numbers of families choosing to leave while 
their Soldiers deploy this year. For some reason this year we're seeing a
 little bit higher numbers than we have in previous years."

McKannay
 added that officials on Post are trying to encourage all of the 
families to stay and that they're actually losing money. He referred to 
the lower cost of living here versus other places. But he added, "Many 
of them have valid reasons to go and we understand that."

USD 475 
could be impacted with lower enrollment for the upcoming school year due
 to decisions by those families to relocate elsewhere.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625847683659.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JUNCTION CITY — First Brigade, 1st Infantry Division troops are preparing for a 
nine-month deployment to Europe. Geary USD 475 leaders were informed 
Thursday evening that some of the families of those Soldiers will depart
 the area during the deployment.Col. William McKannay, Fort Riley
 Garrison Commander provided information during a school board meeting. 
"We have seen very high numbers of families choosing to leave while 
their Soldiers deploy this year. For some reason this year we're seeing a
 little bit higher numbers than we have in previous years."McKannay
 added that officials on Post are trying to encourage all of the 
families to stay and that they're actually losing money. He referred to 
the lower cost of living here versus other places. But he added, "Many 
of them have valid reasons to go and we understand that."USD 475 
could be impacted with lower enrollment for the upcoming school year due
 to decisions by those families to relocate elsewhere.

With soldiers deployed, military families leaving Junction City area

SUMNER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities have identified the two people died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Thursday in Sumner County as&nbsp;Sherry Bodkins and her passenger, Donald O’Neil both of Winfield, according to Undersheriff Mike Westmorland.

Investigators determined a Chevy Tahoe driven by Markus Washington, Fort Worth, Texas, was southbound on Oliver Road approaching U.S. 160 Highway.

&nbsp;Washington reported having mechanical problems and could not stop at the stop sig, according to Westmorland. 

The Tahoe struck an eastbound Jeep Renegade driven by Bodkins. A service dog in the Jeep also died at the scene, according to Westmorland. EMS transported Washington to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

SUMNER COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Thursday in Sumner County.

A vehicle ran a stop sign at U.S. 160 and Oliver and struck an eastbound vehicle, according to the Sumner County Sheriff's Department.

First responders pronounced two people and a service dog in that eastbound vehicle dead at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS transported the other driver&nbsp; to a hospital for treatment of&nbsp; non-life-threatening injuries.

&nbsp;The vehicle ran the stop sign due to possible mechanical issue, according to the sheriff's department. The sheriff's office has not released names of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625787696849.png" alt="The vehicle ran the stop sign due to possible mechanical issue, according to the sheriff's department. photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>The vehicle ran the stop sign due to possible mechanical issue, according to the sheriff's department. photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities have identified the two people died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Thursday in Sumner County as&nbsp;Sherry Bodkins and her passenger, Donald O’Neil both of Winfield, according to Undersheriff Mike Westmorland.Investigators determined a Chevy Tahoe driven by Markus Washington, Fort Worth, Texas, was southbound on Oliver Road approaching U.S. 160 Highway.&nbsp;Washington reported having mechanical problems and could not stop at the stop sig, according to Westmorland. The Tahoe struck an eastbound Jeep Renegade driven by Bodkins. A service dog in the Jeep also died at the scene, according to Westmorland. EMS transported Washington to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.Both vehicles were a total loss.-------------SUMNER COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Thursday in Sumner County.A vehicle ran a stop sign at U.S. 160 and Oliver and struck an eastbound vehicle, according to the Sumner County Sheriff's Department.First responders pronounced two people and a service dog in that eastbound vehicle dead at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS transported the other driver&nbsp; to a hospital for treatment of&nbsp; non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;The vehicle ran the stop sign due to possible mechanical issue, according to the sheriff's department. The sheriff's office has not released names of the victim.

Update: 2 people, service dog killed in Kansas crash

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 851 to a total of 320,437, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 9 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 5176.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 851 to a total of 320,437, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 9 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 5176.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625850646777.png" alt="Friday July 9, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday July 9, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A fire in a feedlot building west of Salina resulted in a $177,000 loss Wednesday evening.

Deputies and Rural Fire District No. 3 personnel were dispatched at 6:58 p.m. Wednesday to the Rolling Hills Feedlot, 901 S. Hedville Road, for the report of a fire in a Morton Building, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

Workers at the feedlot attempted to remove as much equipment as possible, however, a large Caterpillar bucket loader model JCB 427, a Bobcat model 670, and some ATVs were destroyed, Soldan said. It is believed that build-up of hay and dust around the engine compartment of the bucket loader ignited and then the fire spread in the building. Total loss was estimated at $177,000, according to Soldan.

One worker who suffered smoke inhalation was checked by EMS personnel, but refused treatment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625845747899.jpeg" alt="It is believed that this bucket loader caught fire first. Photos Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>It is believed that this bucket loader caught fire first. Photos Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA fire in a feedlot building west of Salina resulted in a $177,000 loss Wednesday evening.Deputies and Rural Fire District No. 3 personnel were dispatched at 6:58 p.m. Wednesday to the Rolling Hills Feedlot, 901 S. Hedville Road, for the report of a fire in a Morton Building, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625845999341.jpeg" alt="Building damage was extensive." />
 <figcaption>Building damage was extensive.</figcaption>
 </figure>Workers at the feedlot attempted to remove as much equipment as possible, however, a large Caterpillar bucket loader model JCB 427, a Bobcat model 670, and some ATVs were destroyed, Soldan said. It is believed that build-up of hay and dust around the engine compartment of the bucket loader ignited and then the fire spread in the building. Total loss was estimated at $177,000, according to Soldan.One worker who suffered smoke inhalation was checked by EMS personnel, but refused treatment.

$177,000 damage after fire at Kansas feedlot

JUNCTION CITY —&nbsp;Junction City High School classes for the 2021-22 school year will 
begin Aug. 25, two weeks later than originally planned. Teachers will 
report to school on Aug. 12 instead of Aug. 4 and students will 
begin on the 25.

The new schedule for JCHS was announced and approved by the USD 475 Board of Education Thursday evening.

Dr.
 Reginald Eggleston, Superintendent of Schools, noted that the change in
 the schedule is due to the construction on the new school and the pace 
of that work. "We will add 15 minutes to the day in order to be sure 
that we cover all of the minutes that we need for seniors as well for 
all of the students at the high school."

The last day of the school year will be May 17.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625843977399.jpeg" alt="New Junction City High School" />
 <figcaption>New Junction City High School</figcaption>
 </figure>JC PostJUNCTION CITY —&nbsp;Junction City High School classes for the 2021-22 school year will 
begin Aug. 25, two weeks later than originally planned. Teachers will 
report to school on Aug. 12 instead of Aug. 4 and students will 
begin on the 25.The new schedule for JCHS was announced and approved by the USD 475 Board of Education Thursday evening.Dr.
 Reginald Eggleston, Superintendent of Schools, noted that the change in
 the schedule is due to the construction on the new school and the pace 
of that work. "We will add 15 minutes to the day in order to be sure 
that we cover all of the minutes that we need for seniors as well for 
all of the students at the high school."The last day of the school year will be May 17.

School construction will delay opening of Junction City school year

By SCOTT CARLSON <a href="https://northplattepost.com">North Platte Post</a>

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. —&nbsp;A former deputy sheriff in Dodge County, Neb., who was convicted of running a
 Ponzi scheme has been found dead on the day he was supposed to be 
sentenced.

Former deputy Craig Harbaugh was set to be sentenced in federal court in Omaha on Friday.

Authorities said Harbaugh was found dead in his home Friday morning. Foul play is not suspected and an autopsy has been ordered.

Harbaugh
 was convicted of defrauding a bank and several individuals out of 
nearly $11 million but provided false purchase orders and service 
contracts for his business which sold tactical gear for law enforcement.

Harbaugh was facing up to 20 years in prison and hefty fines.

Authorities say Harbaugh was employed by the sheriff's office while he ran the Ponzi scheme.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625843549068.png" alt="Harbaugh" />
 <figcaption>Harbaugh</figcaption>
 </figure>By SCOTT CARLSON <a href="https://northplattepost.com">North Platte Post</a>NORTH PLATTE, Neb. —&nbsp;A former deputy sheriff in Dodge County, Neb., who was convicted of running a
 Ponzi scheme has been found dead on the day he was supposed to be 
sentenced.Former deputy Craig Harbaugh was set to be sentenced in federal court in Omaha on Friday.Authorities said Harbaugh was found dead in his home Friday morning. Foul play is not suspected and an autopsy has been ordered.Harbaugh
 was convicted of defrauding a bank and several individuals out of 
nearly $11 million but provided false purchase orders and service 
contracts for his business which sold tactical gear for law enforcement.Harbaugh was facing up to 20 years in prison and hefty fines.Authorities say Harbaugh was employed by the sheriff's office while he ran the Ponzi scheme.

Former Neb. deputy found dead on day of federal sentencing

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a holiday weekend shooting and asking for help to locate suspects.

Just after midnight Sunday, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 phone call in reference to shots being fired into an occupied vehicle on Highway 24 near Bluebird Road, just west of Wamego, according to a media release.

Deputies arrived on scene and determined that several individuals were in a silver Dodge Ram pick-up truck when it was shot at by another vehicle. 

The occupants of the silver Dodge truck were not injured and the other vehicle was believed to have continued westbound on Highway 24.&nbsp;

investigation and detectives are asking for the public's help in locating the person or person(s) responsible for the shooting. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Captain Darrin Stewart at the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office at 785-457-3353.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a holiday weekend shooting and asking for help to locate suspects.Just after midnight Sunday, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 phone call in reference to shots being fired into an occupied vehicle on Highway 24 near Bluebird Road, just west of Wamego, according to a media release.Deputies arrived on scene and determined that several individuals were in a silver Dodge Ram pick-up truck when it was shot at by another vehicle. The occupants of the silver Dodge truck were not injured and the other vehicle was believed to have continued westbound on Highway 24.&nbsp;investigation and detectives are asking for the public's help in locating the person or person(s) responsible for the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact Captain Darrin Stewart at the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office at 785-457-3353.

Sheriff asks for help to ID suspects in Kan. highway shooting

ABILENE - A Colorado man died after being struck twice on Interstate 70 (I-70) late Thursday night in Dickinson County.

According to information from Dickinson County Sheriff Jerry Davis, deputies responded at 11:49 p.m. Thursday to I-70 near mile marker 267 just east of Solomon.

Just prior to the arrival of deputies, Timothy S. Dalton, 34, of Peyton, Colo., was struck by two vehicles that were traveling east on I-70, Davis noted. Although life saving measures were attempted, Dalton was pronounced dead at the scene. Dalton’s vehicle was located at the scene, parked off of the roadway.

During the initial investigation last night, the eastbound lanes of I-70 were closed and traffic was diverted.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostABILENE - A Colorado man died after being struck twice on Interstate 70 (I-70) late Thursday night in Dickinson County.According to information from Dickinson County Sheriff Jerry Davis, deputies responded at 11:49 p.m. Thursday to I-70 near mile marker 267 just east of Solomon.Just prior to the arrival of deputies, Timothy S. Dalton, 34, of Peyton, Colo., was struck by two vehicles that were traveling east on I-70, Davis noted. Although life saving measures were attempted, Dalton was pronounced dead at the scene. Dalton’s vehicle was located at the scene, parked off of the roadway.During the initial investigation last night, the eastbound lanes of I-70 were closed and traffic was diverted.Occupants of the first vehicle that struck Dalton were not injured.Melissa A. Wilson, 32, of Lenexa, and Amanda R. Coots, 34, of St. Joseph, Mo., were occupants of the second vehicle that struck Dalton and were transported to Abilene Memorial Hospital in stable condition, the sheriff reported.According to Davis, the incident remains under investigation.