SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting with conflicting information.

Just after 1 a.m. Thursday, police responded to an initial report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg to a male victim in the 1400 Block of SW Washburn in Topeka, according to Lt. Aaron Jones. Secondary information came in as officers were responding that this was not a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but it was a shooting with a white male suspect.

The victim is a white male in his 50s with an apparent shotgun wound to his lower abdomen, according to Jones. The injury is considered non-life-threatening. The gunshot wound victim is known to law
enforcement officers due to past encounters. At this point evidence and statements are
leading investigators to believe this is a self-inflicted gunshot wound; however they are keeping
an open mind when it comes to following any additional leads.

Jones did not release the victim’s name.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Raising the stakes in an ideologically charged standoff over women’s health, Planned Parenthood said Wednesday it will soon leave the federal family planning programunless a court puts a hold on Trump administration rules that bar clinics from referring patients for abortions.

The administration responded that it is ready to operate the Title X family planning program without the organization that has been the largest provider. About 4 million women are served nationwide under the program, which distributes $260 million in grants to clinics. It’s unclear how many patients would be affected.

Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Erica Sackin said that its affiliated clinics “will be formally out of the Title X program” by Monday, passing up federal funding, unless the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco halts the new rules. The appeals court is weighing a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood and others to overturn the rules; a panel of judges in effect had earlier allowed the administration to go ahead with enforcement.

Monday also is the deadline set by the federal Department of Health and Human Services for participants in the family planning program to submit plans on how they would comply with the rules, which are set to take effect Sept. 18.

In a notice to the court Wednesday, Planned Parenthood said it “will be forced to withdraw” by close of business on Monday unless the full court intervenes. Planned Parenthood says the administration’s new policy is “unethical and dangerous,” amounting to a “gag rule” on clinicians.

In response, HHS spokeswoman Mia Heck said Planned Parenthood represents fewer than 400 of 4,000 service sites around the country.

“To the extent that Planned Parenthood claims that it must make burdensome changes to comply with the final rule, it is actually choosing to place a higher priority on the ability to refer for abortion instead of continuing to receive federal funds to provide a broad range of acceptable and effective family planning methods,” Heck said in a statement.

The immediate impact for patients remained unclear. Planned Parenthood says it serves about 40% of patients, but it has also pledged to keep its doors open as it contests the administration’s policy change. Other program participants unaffiliated with Planned Parenthood have warned they’d leave the program as well.

It seemed likely that disruptions to the 50-year-old program would vary from state to state. Some states have said they would step in to take over from the federal government. In addition to birth control, clinics provide basic health services and cancer screenings for many low-income women.

Although federal family planning money cannot be used to pay for abortions, clinics had been able to refer women seeking abortions to another provider. In many cases, that would be a Planned Parenthood facility.

The administration’s family planning rule is part of a series of efforts to remake government policy on reproductive health to please conservatives who are a key part of President Donald Trump’s political base. Religious conservatives see the program as providing an indirect subsidy to Planned Parenthood, which runs family planning clinics and is also a major abortion provider.

Along with the ban on abortion referrals by clinics, the rule’s requirements include financial separation from facilities that provide abortion, designating abortion counseling as optional instead of standard practice and limiting which staff members can discuss abortion with patients. Clinics would have until next March to separate their office space and examination rooms from the physical facilities of providers that offer abortions.

HHS says it does not want to see a disruption of services, and officials are willing to accommodate clinics that are making a “good-faith” effort to comply.

Abortion is a legal medical procedure, but federal laws prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the woman.

Planned Parenthood and other opponents of the administration’s rule say it would interfere with a medical professional’s duty to provide complete information to their patients. Also seeking to overturn the rule are several states and professional groups, including the American Medical Association.

“For all intents and purposes, (the new policy) imposes a gag rule on what information physicians can provide to their patients,” the AMA said in a statement this year. “The patient-physician relationship relies on trust, open conversation and informed decision making and the government should not be telling physicians what they can and cannot say to their patients.”

Anti-abortion groups are essentially daring Planned Parenthood to exit.

“Women across America are going to find out for themselves that they don’t need Planned Parenthood after the nation’s largest abortion vendor pulls out of a program that they never should have been in at all,” said Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins in a statement.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect in connection with a shooting and related disturbance on Tuesday evening.

Just after 5:30p.m., police responded to a disturbance with shots fired at a home in the 500 Block of South Glen in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

At the scene, police observed a 1992 BMW that had crashed into the garage of a vacant home. The vehicle was unoccupied. A short time later, police responded to another reported shooting in connection with the earlier call. When police arrived near the intersection of Harry and McClain Street, they found a 22-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his head, according to Davidson. EMS transported him to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators determined19-year-old Arienna Harwood of Wichita, a 15-year-old girl, two children and the 22-year-old shooting victim arrived at the home on South Glen. A disturbance occurred between these individuals and two 18-year-old men and a 16-year-old at the residence, according to Davidson.

During the disturbance, 18-year-old John Murphy fired multiple shots at the BMW which wounded the victim. The vehicle left the residence and crashed into the garage of the abandoned home down the street. A family member of the victim picked up the occupants of the BMW.

Near the intersection of Harry and Mclain, the individuals from the residence and those involved in the crash encountered each other a second time and another disturbance occurred, according to Davidson.

When police arrived, they detained several individuals and arrested Murphy on requested charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling and theft, according to Davidson.

They also arrested Harwood,19, on requested charges of aggravated child endangerment, battery and theft.

Davidson did not release the victim’s name. This was not a random incident and both groups were acquainted with each other.

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

TOPEKA ― Aetna remains in hot water with the state of Kansas, which recently threatened to cancel the company’s Medicaid contract.

In late July, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment gave Aetna Better Health 10 days to resolve a laundry list of long-running problems.

Aetna gets another shot at fixing what health care providers describe as chronic issues with payment, among other concerns.

Aetna provides health insurance to around 100,000 Kansans under KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid system. It’s one of three companies with contracts to do so, and replaced one of the previous insurers in January.

The state health department did not provide a copy of Aetna’s compliance plan, explaining it is not yet a public document in its current unfinalized state. But in a cover letter that Aetna filed with the state on Aug. 7, says the company says it has fixed several issues and that many of the other problems “are well on their way to compliance.”

State health officials plan to meet with Aetna leaders, who asked in their letter for an in-person conversation in the event that Kansas remains unsatisfied. As for setting a new deadline for Aetna, officials intend to meet with company leaders first.

Read the original story on complaints against Aetna, and on the state’s demands

Complaints against Aetna include that the company doesn’t reimburse correctly or on time. Providers say they sometimes don’t get paid because Aetna demands advance permission for certain basic procedures. They also complain that the company hasn’t put together a complete directory of physicians and specialists that it covers.

The state’s written complaint to Aetna in July said that doctors and others struggle to secure provider credentials from the insurer, and that discrepancies in Aetna’s records mean Kansas can’t judge the adequacy of the company’s provider network for Medicaid recipients.

Aetna didn’t grant requests last week and this week for interviews, but said in an email that it will work with Kansas to “enhance” its corrective plan and “add a greater level of detail.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @Celia_LJ or email her at celia (at) kcur (dot) org. 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are longer seeking the public’s help in locating 29-year-old Deputy Derik A. Chandler or his vehicle, according to Lt. Tim Myers. 

He was reported missing Monday after being identified as a suspect in a case jointly investigated by the Wellington Police Department and the Summer County Sheriff’s Office,

Chandler’s location has been determined to be outside of the United States of America, according to Myers.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are conducting a felony investigation and asking for the public’s help in locating 29-year-old Sedgwick County Deputy Derick A. Chandler.

He was reported missing Monday after being identified as a suspect in a case jointly investigated by the Wellington Police Department and the Summer County Sheriff’s Office, according to Lt. Tim Myers.

Chandler is listed as a missing person and is wanted for questioning in a felony investigation. We believe he may be a harm to himself or others, according to Myers.

Chandler was possible seen early Monday morning in Wichita driving a 2015 Dodge Charger, white in color with a black stripe. There is a 60-day temporary tag on the vehicle.

If anyone sees him, citizens should call 911 and report the location to their local law enforcement agency. Citizens should not take any action themselves, according to Myers.

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are continuing the investigation into the shooting death of a Great Bend man Tuesday night.

Just after 8:30p.m. sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a report of a disturbance and shots fired at 397 Grove Terrrace near the airport west of Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Kansas Highway Patrol checked the residence and discovered the body of a 34-year-old Charles G. Rousey of Great Bend at the rear of the building, according to Bellendir. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies were able to develop suspect information from witnesses and an “attempt to locate” was broadcast.

Members of the Great Bend Fire Department who were returning from an accident scene, had heard the broadcast and spotted the vehicle on South Main St. in Great Bend.  The fire department notified 911 dispatchers who in turn sent law enforcement to the area. Members of the Barton County Sheriff’s Office and the Great Bend Police Department stopped the vehicle on Railroad Avenue between Washington Street and Main Street. The suspect Nicholas A. Pethel, 23, of rural Great Bend  was taken into custody without incident. 

Deputies booked Pethel on a requested chargeof murder and he is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond, according to Bellendir.

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BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting in Great Bend.

Just after 8:30p.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a report of a disturbance and shots fired at 397 Grove Terrrace near the airport west of Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Kansas Highway Patrol checked the residence and discovered the body of a 34-year-old white male at the rear of the building. The victim had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.  The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies were able to develop suspect information from witnesses and an “attempt to locate” was broadcast.

Members of the Great Bend Fire Department who were returning from an accident scene, had heard the broadcast and spotted the vehicle on South Main St. in Great Bend.  The fire department notified 911 dispatchers who in turn sent law enforcement to the area. Members of the Barton County Sheriff’s Office and the Great Bend Police Department stopped the vehicle on Railroad Avenue between Washington Street and Main Street. The suspect Nicholas A. Pethel, 23, of rural Great Bend  was taken into custody without incident. 

Deputies booked Pethel on a requested chargeof murder and he is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond, according to Bellendir.

The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.  The Kansas Bureau of Investigation will be assisting with homicide investigation.