NEW YORK (AP) — Infections from three sexually spread diseases have hit another record high.

Chlamydia was the most common. More than 1.5 million cases were reported in the U.S. last year, up 6 percent from the year before.

Nearly 400,000 gonorrhea cases were reported, up 13 percent. And there were about 24,000 cases of the most contagious forms of syphilis, up 19 percent.

The three infections are treatable with antibiotics.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say part of the growth may be due to better testing and diagnosis, but much of it is a real increase. They’re not sure why.

The CDC released the new numbers Wednesday. See the full report here.

An estimated 20 million cases of sexually transmitted infections occur each year in the U.S.

FINNEY COUNTY- A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. on Wednesday in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by Felipe Reyes-Meza, 59, Lakin, was eastbound on Spruce in Garden City.

The driver failed to yield at the red light while making a left turn to go northbound on U.S. 83.

The Silverado collided with semi driven by Rafael Martinez, 56, Dodge City, that was southbound on U.S. 83.

Reyes-Meza was transported to St. Catherine’s Hospital. Martinez was not injured.

Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

LEAWOOD, Kan. (AP) — A Leawood businesswoman has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for tax evasion.

U.S. Justice Department officials announced Wednesday that 58-year-old Kathleen Stegman diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars from her company, Midwest Medical Aesthetics, for her personal use.

She was sentenced Tuesday to four years and three months in federal prison, fined $100,000 and ordered to pay $68,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

The Kansas City Star reports that at her trial earlier this year, prosecutors said Stegman gave IRS investigators false information and had an employee destroy company records.

They said Stegman used company money to buy condominiums in Las Vegas, real estate in North Carolina, a 54-foot yacht and $300,000 in gold coins.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Lawrence school district says a middle school teacher has been suspended with pay after allegedly making racist comments during class.

The district announced the suspension Wednesday but did not provide the name of the South Middle School teacher or the content of the alleged remarks.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the district said in a news release that it received a complaint against the teacher on Monday from the family of a South student.

South administrators investigated and then contacted the district’s human resources department, which conducted its own investigation.

The release says Superintendent Kyle Hayden suspended the employee, with pay, in accordance with Lawrence Board of Education Policy and to ensure a fair investigation.

 

TOPEKA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment here Wednesday charging three southwest Kansas men with conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants from Somalia live and worship, according to acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

The indictment was based on the same facts presented in an Oct. 14 criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Wichita alleging the men conducted surveillance to size up potential targets, stockpiled firearms, ammunition and explosive components, and prepared a manifesto to be published after the bombing.

Charged with one count of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction were:

Curtis Wayne Allen, 49, Liberal
Gavin Wayne Wright, 49, Liberal
Patrick Eugene Stein, 51, Wright

If convicted, the defendants face up to life in federal prison.

Investigating agencies included the FBI, the Liberal Police Department, the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Garden City Police Department, the Dodge City Police Department, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi and Trial Attorney David Cora of the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting.

MANHATTAN– Investigators on Tuesday afternoon concluded work at the scene Monday’s Founders Hill Apartment building fire at 1401 College Avenue Building G, in Manhattan.

Investigators determined improperly disposed of smoking materials were found in the area of origin and could not be ruled out as the cause, according to a media release.

The fire started on the second floor balcony in the southwest corner of the building.

It quickly spread up the building, pushed by strong southerly winds, by means of the balconies above and had reached the attic area prior to the fire department arrival.

The loss to the building is now estimated as $3.5 million dollars with an additional $500,000 loss to the contents.

There are 41 residents that continue to be displaced by the fire.

FORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — The new leader of Fort Riley has taken command.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin was named commanding general of Fort Riley and the 1st Infantry Division last month after the Army fired Maj. Gen. Wayne Grigsby. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Grigsby’s dismissal is ongoing.

A change of command ceremony was held Tuesday morning.

Martin is set to deploy to Iraq in the coming weeks along with about 500 troops. While deployed, the troops will work to support Operation Inherent Resolve by helping train Iraqi forces fight the Islamic State group.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Researchers have found that the bond debt in Kansas has more than tripled in size since the late 1990s.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that legislative researchers created a chart showing the debt levels stands at more than $5 billion in the 2017 fiscal year. From fiscal year 1997 to 2017, the total amount of bond debt increased by 336.4 percent, or $3.8 billion.

The bond debt has increased under both Republican and Democratic governors.

Bond debt for general government has rocketed upward by 4368 percent over the past 20 years. General government includes the Department of Administration, Commerce, Insurance and pension bonds.

The debt of the Kansas Board of Regents, which oversees the state universities, rose by 1062 percent. Only public safety saw a debt load decline.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Police say a man is in custody after he allegedly tried to choke a 4-month-old baby he didn’t know at a Kansas City-area Walmart.

Overland Park police say the man walked up to a woman who was in a checkout lane early Wednesday and began choking her baby. The woman screamed and the man stopped.

Police say people in the store helped the woman and held the man until officers arrived. The baby was not injured.

Investigators say the man possibly was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a suspect for a Wednesday morning shooting.

Just after 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a suspect fired shots into LoanMax, 600 S. Broadway in Salina, according to police Sgt. Mike Miller.

The suspect, identified as Michael Hoover, then left the area traveling north on Broadway.

He was taken into custody without further incident near the State Street-Old Highway 40 intersection, according to Miller.

Police found a handgun in Hoover’s vehicle, according to Miller.
There were no injuries in the shooting.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas regulators are threatening to halt the $12.2 billion sale of Topeka-based Westar Energy to Great Plains Energy if they don’t get details on cost savings and other information.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Kansas Corporation Commission took no action at a Tuesday meeting. But an order warned that if merger standards aren’t met, possible action could include a request for dismissal of the merger application.

Regulatory staff said in multiple filings in September and October that the utilities failed to meet the agency’s merger standards. A spokesman for the utilities says the order is being evaluated.

Staff raised concerns about what departments or functions would remain in the Topeka headquarters and how long the commitment to Topeka would last.

LINCOLN COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities and first responders were on the scene of a Wednesday morning rural house explosion and fire on 290th Road south of Beverly, according to Fire Chief Jon Ahlquist.

One person was injured according to Lincoln County Emergency Management.

An emergency medical team flew the injured person for treatment, according Ahlquist.

“The residence is gone,” he said.

The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office is assisting with the investigation.

Name of the victim was not released.

Beverly is approximately 36 miles northwest of Salina on K-18 Highway between Lincoln and Tescott.

Check Hays Post for more information as it becomes available.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A retired Kansas guidance counselor who underwent a quadruple amputation after a cellphone store shooting had to take questions from the man charged with attacking her.

The Wichita Eagle reports that 27-year-old James Michael Phillips is representing himself during his trial. He’s charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted capital murder and seven other felonies.

Prosecutors said Julie Dombo refused to go in the back of a Derby AT&T store during an August 2015 robbery attempt out of fear she would be tied up, raped and killed. After she was shot in the arm and chest, doctors were forced to amputate her limbs.

She testified that she thought she was going to “lie there on the floor and bleed to death.” The trial is expected to last about a week.