KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 27-year-old Kansas City-area man was sentenced to 26 years in prison for shooting into a stranded car with four women who had just left a wedding.
Jackson photo Jackson Co.
The shooting in November 2016 killed one woman and severely injured the other three.
Deandre Jackson was sentenced Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in June to 10 crimes, including second-degree murder.
25-year-old MarYanna Pennington died. Her sister was paralyzed from the chest down, a third woman lost the use of an arm and the fourth suffered back and abdominal injuries.
The women’s car broke down near a Kansas City cemetery after they left a wedding. Investigators say the shooting occurred after Jackson’s girlfriend and Pennington were involved in an earlier altercation.
More than 30 shell casings were found at the scene.
TOPEKA ― State officials have told one of the key players in Kansas’ privatized Medicaid system that it stands in danger of getting fired for not living up to its contract.
Aetna Better Health has until Wednesday to tell state officials how it is addressing chronic complaints about delayed payments to hospitals and other problems.
A formal letter from the state to Aetna says failure to fix the problems so far means the company’s contract “is in jeopardy of being terminated for cause.”
The letter said that if Aetna didn’t solve the problems by Wednesday, the state “may seek any and all remedies available under the contract.”
Complaints about Aetna’s performance piled up for months and boiled over Monday at a quarterly meeting in Topeka of a committee that monitors the state’s privatized Medicaid system called KanCare.
Representatives for hospitals and doctors’ offices said Aetna doesn’t reimburse correctly, or sometimes at all. They said their billing workers feel stuck in a purgatory of paperwork, spreadsheets and phone calls, unable to reach the right people at Aetna to correct errors and pay out missing funds.
Aetna hasn’t even put together a complete and accessible directory of physicians and specialists that it covers, providers complained. The company’s contract began at the start of this year.
“Why has it taken you this long to get geared up?” said Sabetha Community Hospital CEO Lora Key. “To get a physician directory correct? To get us paid correctly?”
An Aetna representative apologized repeatedly, saying his company had fixed some problems and was nearing solutions on others.
“I understand your frustration,” Keith Wisdom said. “It’s fair to expect us to be further along at this point.”
Wisdom said medical experts help set Aetna’s reimbursement policies. That drew incredulity from those who count on the company for reimbursement.
“You’re telling me you have a medical director who oversees and approves all this? … It befuddles me,” said Wichita pediatrician Rebecca Reddy. “It’s silly. And that it takes that long to resolve is disrespectful.”
Reddy said doctors sometimes can’t get paid by Aetna even for common and necessary procedures, such as frenotomies on newborns. A frenotomy involves removing a tissue under the tongue when it hinders a baby from breastfeeding.
She said Aetna demands that providers first get approval from Aetna, but that can take weeks for a procedure that should happen swiftly. She questioned why doctors haven’t run into the same problems with Aetna’s commercial insurance — only its Medicaid arm called Aetna Better Health.
“Your name is ‘Aetna,’” Reddy said. “So I expect that you have processes in place. And then you act like this is a whole new puppy that has to be trained … when clearly you have other functioning systems around the nation.”
“My apologies for your frustration,” Wisdom replied. “There’s obviously thousands of (billing) codes.”
He said Aetna has reviewed concerns about its pre-approval requirements and will remove certain basic procedures from the list.
Kansas fully privatized its Medicaid system in 2013, dividing it among three private companies. The program mostly serves low-income children, but also parents, pregnant women, people with disabilities and seniors in long-term care.
Last year the administration of then-Gov. Jeff Colyer booted one of the three insurers, Amerigroup and tapped Aetna instead. Amerigroup sued the state unsuccessfully over the bidding process in an effort to keep its contract.
Aetna’s contract began at the start of this year. The other two Medicaid companies — Sunflower and UnitedHealthcare — faced complaints in the past similar to those now faced by Aetna.
On July 24, after months of complaints about Aetna, Kansas health officials sent a notice of non-compliance to the company.
In an emailed statement, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Tuesday that the non-compliance letter concerns “failure to meet contract performance standards.”
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment gave Aetna 10 business days to file a roadmap for fixing the situation.
“We must hold our contractors accountable,” the state agency said. “It is our hope to work collaboratively with Aetna to come into compliance.”
Aetna did not discuss the non-compliance letter at Monday’s meeting, and Wisdom declined to answer questions from a reporter after the meeting. The company hasn’t answered additional interview requests sent to the company on Tuesday.
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.
NORTON COUNTY – Residents of Norton County are being asked to reduce unnecessary electrical usage today, according to a social media post late Wednesday morning by Prairie Land Electrical Cooperative and Norton County Emergency Management.
From Prairie Land Electrical Cooperative:
“There was an outage last night affecting over 200 members in southwest Norton County.
The primary underground wiring faulted at about 9:50 p.m. on Tuesday. Service was temporarily re-routed to another circuit to restore power until the problem could be identified and corrected.
Today, extra crews are on site to replace the faulty underground wire and get the affected members back on their assigned circuit as soon as possible.
Since more members are sharing a circuit, we are asking those that are able, to reduce unnecessary usage for the rest of the day. Turn off fans when you leave the room. Unplug electronics you are not using. Set your thermostat a few degrees higher. Use your grill or crockpot instead of the oven. This will reduce your chances of a low voltage situation that may cause breakers to trip.
We’ll let you know as soon as everyone is back on the proper circuit.”
Howard L. Kerr, 91, passed away on August 5, 2019 at the Cedar Village Care Center in Ness City. He was born on December 13, 1927 on the farm in Ness County, Kansas the son of Paul and Frances (Fercking) Kerr.
Howard was a farmer stockman. He was a member of Sacred Heart Church where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus for over 70 years. He belonged to motorcycle clubs for 10 years, traveling around the states. He was always active in his children’s activities. He married Florence Gabel on April 29, 1947, in Ness City. She died on April 30, 2010.
Survivors include four sons, Gaylen (Debra) Kerr of Ness City, Franklin (Linda) Kerr of Topeka, David (Mary) Kerr of Ballwin, MO, Rick Kerr of Lawerence; a daughter, Leigh Ann Hendrickson of WaKeeney; 10 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, infant son, Howard, and brother, Wayne Kerr.
Rosary and Parish Vigil will be on Saturday, August 10, 10:30 A.M., with funeral service at 1:30 P.M., at Sacred Heart Church, Ness City. Burial in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Ness City. Friends may call at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City, from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. Friday, August 9, with the family present from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
Memorial contributions may be given to the Sacred Heart Cemetery or Hospice of the Prairie.
Words of sympathy and support may be left for the family at www.fitzgeraldfuneral.com.
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A Florida boy who called 911 to report he was hungry and wanted a pizza got a lesson in proper emergency call etiquette, but he also got a pie.
The Sanford Police Department said in a Facebook post that the hungry 5-year-old called 911 last Friday.
Three officers responded to the home in suburban Orlando for a well-being check. They met with the boy and his older sister, who told them they were fine and that her brother had used the phone without her knowledge.
The officers explained that the 911 system is only for emergencies. Then they went to Pizza Hut and brought a large pizza back to the house.
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida woman says lightning destroyed her septic tank and caused a toilet in her house to explode.
Marylou Ward tells television station WINK News that the sole toilet in her Port Charlotte home was shattered into hundreds of pieces on Sunday.
Ward says the explosion was the loudest sound she’s ever heard, and that she also smelled smoke. She says a plumber told her lightning hit the methane gas that was built up in the pipes from feces.
Ward says she’ll have to get the toilet and septic system repaired, but she’s thankful no one was injured.
James Everett “Jim” Blazer, II, 81, of Natoma, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, August 6, 2019, at his home.
Jim was born February 24, 1938, in Stafford, Kansas. He was one of ten children born to James E. and Goldie (Pound) Blazer. He grew up in St. John, Kansas and Basin, Wyoming. He graduated from Basin High School.
Jim was united in marriage to Ruby Daldeen Fortner on April 10, 1981, in St. John, Kansas. This union was blessed with four children; Tammy, Jacci, James III, and Kelly. They made their home in Great Bend, Kansas until 1999 when they moved to Natoma. Ruby preceded him in death on October 28, 2013.
Jim was an Engineering Technician for Kansas Department of Transportation. In his spare time he enjoyed hunting and fishing. He will missed by everyone who knew him.
Jim’s surviving family include two sons, Kelly Staples of Okeechobee, Florida, James Blazer, III (Lois) of Beloit, Kansas; two daughters, Tammy Hoffman of Cawker City, Kansas and Jacci Standlee (Rick) of Ellinwood, Kansas; three brothers, Roger Blazer of Natoma, Kansas, John Blazer (Charlene) of Oak Grove, Arkansas and Steve Blazer of Oak Grove, Arkansas; 2 sisters, Emily Jean Blazer of Natoma, Kansas and Ellen New (Al) of Jacksonville, Texas; five grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, wife Ruby, brother Robert Blazer and sisters Mary Taylor Nedra Sizemore & Pauline Baldwin.
Celebration of Jim’s Life will be held at 11:30 A.M., Saturday, August 10, 2019, at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell. Graveside services will follow at the Lakin Comanche Cemetery in Ellinwood, Kansas. Visitation will be held the morning of the service from 10:00 A.M. to service time at the mortuary. A memorial has been established with the American Alzheimer’s Association.
Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas, is in charge of these arrangements.
Josefa Chason was born in Krakow, Poland. She met and married Aubrey Chason, who was serving in the armed forces in Germany. After WWII, she emigrated to America and was proud to become an American Citizen. She donated generously to the Statue of Liberty refurbishing in honor of her citizenship.
Josefa lived and worked for many years in Topeka, KS. She loved to bake cakes, cookies, and candies in her spare time and treated family & friends. Josefa was a devout Catholic and took part in many activities at the Sacred Heart Church in Topeka.
Josefa passed quietly on August 5, 2019 at the Good Samaritan Society of Decatur County in Oberlin, Kansas. She is survived by her son, Audie Chason and his wife Ella of Captain Cook, HI; son, Ronald Chason and his wife Marcia of Overland Park, KS; her granddaughter, Jennifer Juenemann and her husband Gary and great grandchildren: Wade, Brent, Troy, Jeffrey, Andrew, Jenna and Josh Juenemann.
She was preceded in death by her great grandson Gabe Thomas Juenemann.
Graveside service will be held 12:00 pm Saturday, August 10, 2019 at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Topeka, KS. Condolences may be left at www.paulsfh.com
SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Wichita are responding to online reports they prevented a mass shooting at Town West Mall, 4600 West Kellogg in Wichita.
After receiving multiple emails, call and text messages about the story, Wichita Police spokesman Charley Davidson confirmed the information is false.
Wichita,
The WPD has been notified about an article on social media speaking about a “mass shooting attempt in Wichita thwarted by WPD.”
This information is FALSE. The information listed in this article is inaccurate. pic.twitter.com/HvFcX3SVcv
On their twitter page, the agency said “the information in an article speaking about a mass shooting attempt in Wichita thwarted by WPD is false and inaccurate.”
This oversize load is pictured Tuesday afternoon turning off U.S. 36 onto its proper KDOT-designated U.S. 183 route. Minutes before this photo was taken the oversize load operator had driven past that turn and attempted to turn onto 3rd Street in the downtown Phillipsburg business district, just as four other semi drivers have done in the past week. This vehicle was stopped before he could do so. With this vehicle far over-committed, the Phillips County Sheriff’s Department had to stop highway traffic in both directions, and the semi driver had to drive his almost-block long load two blocks in reverse so he could get back to his correct U.S. 183 turn.
By KIRBY ROSS Phillips County Review
PHILLIPSBURG — And we were doing so, so well!
Remember all the drama about the oversize wind turbine load fiascos that had been taking place in Phillips County? Well, to paraphrase Michael Corleone from the Godfather, “just when we think we’re out, they drag us back in again.”
First a quick recap — around a half decade ago wind turbine manufacturers ramped up production to meet market demand and a little extra, as major U.S. government subsidies were being doled out.
As those turbines were being built, they were being shipped down U.S. 183 and through Phillipsburg for stockpiling in central Kansas.
During the course of that transport, Phillipsburg turned into the Wild West as up to a dozen of the huge loads were being convoyed through town every day. And as they were coming through town, their pilot car drivers were steering directly into oncoming traffic, playing chicken to clear a path. They were also driving on sidewalks, running red lights, and taking rest stops in lanes of traffic. In addition, drivers were getting out of their vehicles and literally yanking street signs out of the ground to help them make tight turns.
Because of the resulting public uproar, a decision was made in Topeka to detour those oversize loads around Phillipsburg — and the only way to do that was to send them down K-383 through Long Island in rural northwest Phillips County and then on down through Almena in Norton County.
Out of sight, out of mind. Problem solved? Not on your life.
All the plan did was shift the problem from a highly-visible area, to one of less visibility. In effect, it was a hide-the-problem solution.
Pilot car drivers were still going amok, driving into oncoming lanes of traffic and running cars off the road. And to top it off, K-383 is extremely narrow and has no shoulders at all. Oncoming traffic was not only being sideswiped by the wide loads, but the semis carrying the loads were slipping off the highway and tipping over into steep ditches.
Finally a school bus was clipped last spring, followed in close succession by incidents where a farm truck was hit and a wind turbine trailer faded over to the side of the road and ended up dumping its massive load into a ditch.
With all three events happening in a 48-hour period, two things happened — 1) a 30-mile stretch of highway had to be closed down twice in one week, and 2) Topeka woke up and got involved again.
So the new solution was that instead of hiding the problem of oversize loads by shuttling them through lower population areas, there was no choice but to run them back through Phillipsburg.
For the first few months, they started coming back through town all went well.
CLICK TO EXPAND: Downtown Phillipsburg. Google image
Until now.
We have all heard stories about knucklehead drivers blindly following GPS and ending up driving into lakes. But those stories always seemed like an urban myth — nobody would have that much lack of common sense that they would drive into a lake just because their GPS told them to take a turn and continue driving. Would they?
Based on recent events, maybe so.
Carry that thought process one step further. We can admit it — our mothers asked every single one of us at one time or another, “would you jump off a cliff just because everybody else was doing it?”
Well, it seems we have had a bizarre version of both those things going on in regard to the oversize loads passing through Phillipsburg this past week.
Either that, or the transporters are practicing as stunt drivers for Mad Max: Phillipsburg Thunderdome.
So here’s what’s been happening — wind turbine convoys are heading into town from the west, and are driving right past their well-marked U.S. 183 turn. Instead of giving proper instructions for travel up U.S. 183, the pilot cars’ GPS has been telling them to turn onto 3rd Street in the downtown Phillipsburg business district a block to the east of 183. Phillipsburg 3rd Street — quaint, historic, flower planter-lined and red brick-paved, with diagonal parking on both sides as well as parallel parking along its center.
With that parking configuration, whatever roadway that’s left for a lane of traffic is barely wide enough for an oversize pickup. Run a massively huge oversize wind turbine tower that is too wide for K-383 down that same street and…well, you get the picture. (Actually, you don’t have to just imagine it — -there’s a real picture).
One pilot car driver who made that fateful turn into oversize load hell with a full convoy puppydogging behind him reportedly tried to loop his entourage around the entire four corners of the Phillips County Courthouse Square in an effort to make his way back to sanity.
So chaos erupts, the cops show up, and people start trying to explain what in the holy heck they are doing with a load the size of a barn on a street originally built to accommodate a horse and buggy. And that explanation?
The GPS made me do it.
Another incident on Thursday afternoon. The driver was fined $300.
Have the drivers been questioning the little voice coming out of the GPS that is doing the same as telling them to drive into a lake? No? What about that little voice in the back of their heads that has to be screaming at them?
Four times last week pilot car drivers turned up quaint Phillipsburg 3rd Street when their GPS told them to.
And four times the huge over-size-over-weight-over-wide-over-length-wind-turbine-tower-loaded-semi truck did the equivalent of following that pilot car driver over the cliff by trailing behind him onto the narrow brick street.
These guys can barely make the legal turn onto U.S. 183 because the loads are so long and the turn is so tight. How they are making that even tighter highly-skilled but absolutely illegal turn onto 3rd Street is a bit of a mystery.
The Review contacted a pilot car driver we have consulted with previously, and sent them a picture of one of the incidents from last week.
That person’s response? Drivers gotta have a little common sense.
There actually might be a way to instill that common sense into them — through their wallets. Anyway, Phillips County Sheriff’s deputies are testing that theory.
Large load semi truck drivers taking the beautiful Downtown Phillipsburg scenic tour are now being cited for deviating from the route the Kansas Department of Transportation oversize load permit requires transporters to stick to. I would think impeding traffic, careless driving, and impersonating Burt Reynolds from Smokey and the Bandit tickets might also help do the trick. With citations in hand, maybe the drivers can take their GPS to court with them to have it testify and take the rap instead.
Absent that, at this rate some people are going to have to outfit their semis Mad Max 3rd Street-style just so they get their product through the P-burg business district.
