SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking for help to identify suspects.

Just after 6p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting at a residence in the 1300 block of north Estelle in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival officers located a 15-year-old girl in the street with a gunshot wound in the back.  She was transported to an area hospital in serious condition.

Investigators determined there were five juvenile boys having a bb-gun war outside the residence.  Six other individuals were at a nearby residence.  It was reported that a silver car drove up the block and an unknown individual from the vehicle shot a gun multiple times and hit the girl. She is expected to make a full recovery, according to Davidson.

He also said the shooting was not random. Police believe it was gang related. One of the juveniles is a gang member and possibly an intended target, according to Davidson.

Police continue questioning individuals to determine what happened. Davidson did not release the girl’s name.

Anyone with information is asked call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 316.267.2111.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking for help to identify suspects.

Just after 6p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting at a residence in the 1300 block of north Estelle in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival officers located a 15-year-old girl with a gunshot wound in the back.  She was transported to an area hospital in serious condition.

Investigators determined another residence in the 1300 block of north Estelle was also found to have been struck by bullets and had damage to the front of the residence.

Police were questioning multiple individuals to determine what happened. Davidson did not release the girl’s name.

Anyone with information is asked call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 316.267.2111.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The president of Kansas State University has told Congress that the country is unprepared to deal with its food supply that he says is threatened by both terrorism and natural plant and animal diseases.

University President Richard Myers was invited to testify Wednesday by Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas. He says there’s an urgent need to protect the country’s food supply from “naturally occurring and intentionally developed and delivered biological threats.”

See text of Myers testimony here.   Watch it here.

Myers also said the university needs federal funding to continue research on four emerging animal diseases.

The university has been using its own biological isolation labs to research the diseases in anticipation of the opening of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

Roberts says Myers’ recommendations should be written in Congress’ next farm bill.

By JIM MCLEAN

A discrimination complaint filed earlier this year by a Tennessee woman who claims a former Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services official sexually harassed her is still pending before the Kansas Human Rights Commission.

The complaint filed by Jennifer Gill in February charges that Equi-Venture Farms, a day and residential service provider for Kansans with developmental disabilities, violated state law by firing her after she reported the alleged harassment to her supervisor.

“From September 2016 to December 2016, I was subject to sexual harassment in the form of sexual comments, text messages and video,” Gill states in the complaint.

Read the complaint filed with the Kansas Human Rights Commission.

In a recent report published by the Topeka Capital-Journal, Gill said Brandt Haehn, a former KDADS commissioner of disability services, sent her graphic videos and offered her a management position at the agency in exchange for sex.

In the complaint, she claims that Equi-Venture fired her in “retaliation” for complaining about Haehn, who oversaw the agency’s licensing of service providers.

When KDADS Secretary Tim Keck learned of the allegations, he immediately suspended Haehn pending the outcome of a formal investigation.

The newspaper account indicated that Gill stopped cooperating with the investigation when an agency attorney asked her if she had encouraged Haehn.

Haehn returned to work but left the agency several months later to accept a position with Amerigroup, one of the three private insurance companies that administer KanCare, the state’s $3 billion Medicaid program.

Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, who is preparing to take over when the U.S. Senate confirms Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s nomination to a State Department post, said there would be no tolerance of harassment in his administration but declined to say what, if any, policy changes he is considering.

“Believe me, this makes me very angry,” Colyer said. “We want a tone where everybody is respected and that harassment will not be tolerated.”

Ruth Glover, executive director of the human rights commission, said state law precludes her from commenting on Gill’s discrimination case other than to confirm it remains open.

If Gill, who moved to Tennessee in search of a job and a fresh start, cannot reach a settlement with Equi-Venture, the seven-member commission will decide the case.

Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks.

HARPER COUNTY — A pair of earthquakes shook portions of Kansas on Thursday. At 10:29a.m., a quake measuring a magnitude 2.9 was reported approximately 21 miles northeast of Anthony, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The second quake at 10:35 a.m. also measured 2.9 and was centered in the same general area approximately 20 miles northeast of Anthony.

These are the first quakes since a 2.5 quake in Harper County on November 13.

There are no reports of damage or injury from Thursday’s quakes.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bank robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.

On Wednesday afternoon officers responded to a robbery at the Fidelity Bank in the 1300 block of north Woodlawn, in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Three bank employees told police the suspect entered the bank and used a handgun to demand cash. He took an undisclosed amount of money and also used pepper spray on employees, according to Davidson.  The suspect fled the scene in a black Volkswagen CC.

No bank employees were injured, according to Davidson.

Police ask that if anyone knows the identity of the suspect to call Crime Stoppers at 316.267.2111 or 911.

RENO COUNTY— A Kansas man arrested a week ago on drug and other charges was scheduled for court Wednesday for the formal reading of charges but was a no-show.

Lucas Mobley 34, and his father Murray Mobley, 60, Hutchinson,  are both accused of pointing a gun at the officers. In both cases, they were ordered to drop the weapons after repeated warnings — both finally did.

On December 6, Police saw Lucas Mobley, 34, near a shed in the 2400 block of Broadacres in South Hutchinson. That led to a search of the shed and officers found a modified shotgun and other gun parts, as well as drugs, including 4.5 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale and drug paraphernalia.

Police arrested Murray Mobley for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer and felony interference. He made a first appearance on the charges against him Tuesday.

Police arrested Lucas Mobley for criminal use of a firearm, the shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches, possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, personal use drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by someone addicted to meth and an unlawful user of a controlled substance.

Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen issued a warrant for Mobley’s arrest with a $50,000 bond.