LEAVENWORTH (AP) — A former Kansas sheriff’s deputy alleges in a lawsuit that she was forced out of her job after reporting that a fellow deputy had sexually assaulted her.

The suit, filed Monday in federal court, says the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office fostered a culture of sexual harassment throughout the plaintiff’s employment. The Kansas City Star reports it also says that after a two-month suspension, her abuser returned to work with no further disciplinary measures.

The sheriff’s office declined to comment on the suit because the office has not been officially served with the documents. The Star generally doesn’t name victims of sexual assault without their permission. Lauren Allen, the woman’s attorney, said it took her client “a lot of strength and courage for her to come forward but she looks forward to her day in court.”

According to the suit, the plaintiff and her alleged abuser became friends while working together. She alleges that he went to her house in January 2018 to discuss the nature of their relationship and she insisted that they were nothing more than friends. The suit says he then cornered her, forced her to kiss him and performed oral sex on her. The suit says the woman felt that her only option while being cornered was “to reciprocate.”

The next day, the suit says, the male deputy cornered the woman at work and attempted to kiss her again. After reporting what happened in March, a meeting that was held that led to a criminal investigation. The male deputy was placed on a different shift after returning from work after a two-month suspension. But the suit said the woman still saw him often, causing her anxiety and panic attacks.

She was told in May that prosecutors had declined to press charges and that he could not be fired due to “employment laws.”

The suit said that the sheriff agreed to transfer the woman, but the transfer was rescinded two weeks later and replaced with an offer of a civilian position with a pay cut. According to the suit, the woman rejected the offer and in July was “constructively discharged,” a term that refers to an employee resigning as a result of a hostile work environment.

Mollie Hill, general counsel for The Leavenworth County Sherriff’s office, said the deputy accused in the assault is still employed as a detention officer.

STERLING (AP) — A man on horseback has found a missing 87-year-old Kansas woman with Alzheimer’s.

KWCH-TV reports that 76-year-old Garry Battey was out riding when he found Vonita Renae Colle safe Tuesday about a quarter mile from her home in Sterling. Colle had been reported missing Monday, leading to a search. Battey says the Lord told him where to go.

Colle was taken to a hospital for evaluation, and a statewide Silver Alert for her was canceled.

By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A pending request from Missouri for federal disaster assistance to come to the aid of families and individuals who suffered loss from this year’s floods and other disasters has been approved by President Donald Trump.

The office of Gov. Mike Parson reports the president approved the state request for individual assistance to offset losses to residences and businesses in 20 counties. The assistance covers natural disasters – floods, tornadoes, and severe storms – that began April 29^th. Earlier, the president approved a disaster assistance package to offset recovery costs borne by local governments.

The federal Individual Assistance program will be made available to eligible residents in Andrew, Atchison, Boone, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Cole, Greene, Holt, Jackson, Jasper, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Miller, Osage, Pike, Platte, Pulaski, and St. Charles Counties. Residents in these counties can now register for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance with temporary housing, housing repairs, and the replacement of household items.

“This is important news for Missouri families and communities that have been hit so hard by the continuing flooding, tornadoes, and severe storms this year,” Gov. Parson said in a written statement released by his office. “While Missourians have been working hard to rebuild and pull together to support one another – as we always do – the President’s action means important federal assistance will be available to help Missouri families recover in these 20 counties. I urge them to register for FEMA assistance now. I appreciate President Trump making federal assistance available.”

Missouri made its request June 24^th. The state’s Preliminary Damage Assessments examined 1,650 primary homes, of which 953 had been destroyed or sustained major damage. The assessments also showed that 125 of 251 businesses that were examined had been destroyed or sustained major damage. The assessments were conducted jointly by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and local officials.

The governor’s office says Individuals and families who sustained damage or losses due to the flooding and severe storms from April 29 and after in one of the Missouri counties included in the Individual Assistance disaster declaration can register for disaster assistance by going to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA’s toll-free registration number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a TTY: 1-800-462-7585. The faster people register with FEMA, the faster they may be able to receive assistance.

FEMA disaster assistance to eligible individuals generally falls into these categories:

·        Housing Assistance may be available for up to 18 months for displaced homeowners or renters whose primary residences received major damage or were destroyed. Funding also can be provided for housing repairs and replacement of damaged items to make homes habitable.

·        Other Needs Assistance may be available for other disaster-related expenses, including essential household items, moving and storage, vehicles, medical and dental, child care, funeral and burial, and some clean-up items not covered by insurance and other assistance programs.

·        Low-Interest Disaster Loans are available after a disaster for homeowners and renters from the U.S. Small Business Administration to cover uninsured property losses. Loans may be available for repair or replacement of homes, automobiles, clothing, or other damaged personal property. Loans are also available to businesses for property loss and economic injury.

·        Other Disaster Assistance Programs include crisis counseling, disaster-related unemployment assistance, disaster case management, legal advice and assistance, including income tax, housing issues, consumer protection, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits.

Those who suffered losses from natural disaster should continue to document the losses, including take photographs and keeping receipts for repairs. SEMA is working with FEMA to identify locations where FEMA will operate Disaster Recovery Centers to assist flooding survivors with answers to their questions and help with registering for assistance. The deadline for most Individual Assistance programs is 60 days after the disaster has been declared by the president.

This is the second disaster declaration for Missouri. On May 20, President Trump approved Gov. Parson’s request for a major disaster declaration to help local governments and nonprofit agencies in Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Holt, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Platte, Ray, and Ste. Genevieve counties. The FEMA Public Assistance disaster declaration will allow those counties to receive FEMA assistance for the repair and rebuilding of damaged roads, bridges, and other infrastructure and eligible emergency response costs due to flooding and severe storms that occurred from March 11 to April 16.

Damage assessments continue throughout the state after Missouri suffered through flooding and severe storms, including the May 22^nd tornado that ripped through Jefferson City. Tornadoes also did damage to Eldon and Carl Junction.

HUTCHINSON — An Enid, Oklahoma, company with ties to the area will go before the Hutchinson Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals for a public hearing on a proposed hazardous materials manufacturing and storage facility.

GEO Chemicals, LLC, wants to establish the facility in the lone building left over from the Consolidated Manufacturing property at 1600 N. Halstead. The company is also requesting a setback variance on the property. The public hearing is set for July 23.

But the proposed location may only be temporary. According to GEO Board Chair Jason West, future plans are to build a new facility in the Kansas Enterprise Industrial Park with a possible number of 50 to 100 employees. GEO Chemicals was once the owner of the Jacam Company in Sterling before selling it in 2013. West says this is an opportunity to expand the business footprint beyond central and western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle.

GEO Chemicals produces chemicals used in oil and gas production with expertise in drilling.

The company was founded by Dr. Gene Zaid, who was also behind Genzada Pharmaceuticals. That company is currently renovating the old Northgate Dillons for its new office complex.

The July 23 public hearing is set for 5:30 p.m. in the Hutchinson city offices.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Two Kansas City area chiropractors have paid $350,000 to settle allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare, U.S. Attorney Steven McAllister said in a news release Tuesday.

Brothers Ryan Schell and Tyler Schell, and their former clinic, Kansas City Health and Wellness Clinic, P.A., agreed to pay the United States to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act. The Schells’ clinic was located in Lenexa, Kansas.

In an action filed in federal court in Kansas, the United States alleged that the Schells claimed they provided treatments for peripheral neuropathy and charged Medicare for procedures that were not medically necessary, not actually provided, or not covered by the program. Peripheral neuropathy affects nerves in the hands and feet and includes symptoms such loss of sensation and/or a burning sensation.

The claimed procedures included nerve conduction tests, nerve block injections, ultrasound needle guidance and the purported use of vasopneumatic devices. The complaint filed by the United States alleged that claims for the nerve tests falsely stated that they were performed by doctors when they were not actually interpreted by any qualified health care professional; that the nerve block injections and needle guidance were not medically necessary; and that the Schells’ claims for the vasopneumatic devices were instead merely for the use of mechanical massage chairs.

Brian Holt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations (HHS OIG/OI), Kansas City Region, stated, “Our office will continue to focus our efforts on those providers receiving improper payments for services not covered by Medicare in order to ensure the integrity of HHS programs.”

According to the agreement, the Schells and their clinic deny any wrongdoing.

The federal district court case is United States v. Schell et al. No. 18-CV-02706. HHS OIG/OI and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas investigated. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Fleenor represented the government.

DURHAM (AP) — The owners of a tiny central Kansas cafe whose Mennonite-style cooking had a large following are looking for someone else to reopen the business after it suffered extensive damage in Fourth of July flash flooding.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the restaurant, called Main Street Cafe, was among one of many businesses and homes flooded in the Marion County town of Durham after a thunderstorm. Wendell Wedel says the cafe he had run with his wife, Linda, for 24 years was filled with about 32 inches of water.

Wedel, who’s 65, says he might keep his sausage-making business going, but he hopes that someone younger will step in and reopen the cafe.

Durham has around 110 residents.

Great Bend Post

GREAT BEND — On Monday at about 4:28 p.m. Barton County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of SW 70th Avenue and SW 10 Road. This location is approximately five miles west of the City of Great Bend.

Investigation at the scene indicates a 2006 Toyota Tacoma operated by Dustin Ferguson, age 30 of Great Bend, was northbound on SW 70th Avenue. A second vehicle, a 2015 Chevrolet Sierra operated by Vincent Deason, age 40 of Great Bend, was eastbound on SW 10th Road. The vehicles collided in the intersection and both came to rest on the northeast corner of the intersection.

It appears a cornfield located on the southwest side of the intersection might have obstructed both drivers’ views.

Dustin Ferguson, as well as a passenger in the other vehicle, Brian Barger, age 38 of Great Bend, both sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Ferguson was transported to KU Med Great Bend Campus by Great Bend Fire Department ambulance.