ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri commissioner on Friday ruled that the state’s only abortion clinic can continue providing the service at least until August as a fight over its license plays out, adding that there’s a “likelihood” that the clinic will succeed in the dispute.

Administrative Hearing Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi granted what’s called a “stay,” which will allow the St. Louis Planned Parenthood clinic to continue providing abortions past Friday.

The state health department last week refused to renew the clinic’s license, but a St. Louis judge issued a court order allowing the procedure to continue through Friday.

St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Michael Stelzer wrote in his ruling that the order would give Planned Parenthood time to take their case to the Administrative Hearing Commission, where Stelzer said the licensing fight must begin.

The Administrative Hearing Commission scheduled a hearing on whether the state was right to not renew the license Aug. 1 in St. Louis.

The state has said concerns about the clinic arose from inspections in March. Among the problems health department investigators have cited were three “failed abortions” requiring additional surgeries and another that led to life-threatening complications for the mother, The Associated Press previously reported , citing a now-sealed court filing.

The Department of Health and Senior Services wants to interview physicians involved in those abortions, including medical residents who no longer work there. Planned Parenthood has said it can’t force them to talk.

The interviews are a major sticking point in the fight over the clinic’s license, and attorneys for the health department wrote in legal filings to the commission that physicians’ refusal to talk “presents the final, critical obstacle.”

But Dandamudi wrote that the physicians’ stonewalling “in itself does not constitute a failure to comply with licensure requirements.”

“Because DHSS relies substantially on the lack of these interviews as grounds for denial, we find there is a likelihood that Petitioner will succeed in its claim,” Dandamudi wrote in his order granting a stay, referring to the clinic and its effort to stay open.

Planned Parenthood has said Missouri is using the licensing process as a weapon aimed at halting abortions.

The fate of the clinic has drawn national attention because Missouri would become the first state since 1974, the year after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, without a functioning abortion clinic if it loses its license. The battle also comes as abortion rights supporters raise concerns that conservative-led states, including Missouri, are attempting to end abortion through tough new laws and tighter regulation.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation on May 24 to ban abortions at or beyond eight weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for medical emergencies but not for rape or incest.

The number of abortions performed in Missouri has declined every year over the past decade, but uncertainty in Missouri is sending women to neighboring states, particularly Illinois and Kansas.

Missouri health department statistics show that abortions in Missouri reached a low of 2,910 last year. Of those, an estimated 1,210 occurred at eight weeks or less of pregnancy.

The Hope Clinic in Granite City, Illinois, 10 miles (16 kilometers) from St. Louis, has seen a big increase in Missouri clients since 2017, said Alison Dreith, the clinic’s deputy director. That year, Missouri adopted a more restrictive abortion law, including giving the attorney general power to prosecute violations.

Dreith said about 55 percent of patients at Hope Clinic are from Missouri, 40 percent from Illinois and 5 percent from elsewhere around the country. The clinic attracts clients from across the U.S. in part because Illinois allows the procedure for up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, longer than most states, she said.

The Granite City clinic saw about 3,000 total patients in 2017. Missouri’s more restrictive law played a big role in the number spiking to 3,800 in 2018, Dreith said.

This year, she expects well over 4,000 patients. So far in 2019, the number of Missourians at the Hope Clinic has spiked 30 percent due to concerns about the St. Louis clinic’s license and other anti-abortion efforts, Dreith said.

“Our patients are calling us with a lot of anxiety because they’re seeing the headlines that abortion is banned,” Dreith said.

Information from the state of Kansas shows that about 3,300 of the 7,000 abortions performed there last year involved Missouri residents, meaning that more Missourians get abortions in Kansas than in their home state. Kansas has an abortion clinic in Overland Park, a Kansas City suburb just 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the state line.

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By DEWEY TERRILL
Junction City Post

GEARY COUNTY — Former Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf has been placed on 12 months probation and ordered to pay restitution totaling $2,200 plus costs and fees. That was the controlling sentence handed down in Geary County District Court on Friday morning for Wolf, who in April. pleaded no contest and was found guilty of one felony count of Theft, and a misdemeanor charge of Misuse of Public Funds, according to a media release.

Wolf submitted his resignation from the sheriff’s post in April following his convictions.

In District Court on Friday the court followed the recommendation of the attorneys and the plea agreement in the case, and sentenced Wolf to 12 months probation on each count. But they are to run concurrently, meaning 12 months is the controlling term.

Wolf stated in court, “I’m sorry. This is tough, this is real tough,” and he apologized. Wolf was remorseful, “I’m sorry this had to work out this way,” and also told the community that he was sorry.

According to the factual basis outlined in court in April, Wolf authorized an expense of $530.00 against a county credit card to purchase tires for a friend’s vehicle but initially claimed it was a payment to a confidential informat for drug information, which was false. Later he admitted to a KBI agent that the tires were purchase for a friend. Those funds were credited by the vendor back to the credit card and Wolf later paid the vendor.

In the second case Wolf used state asset forfeiture funds to purchase items ranging from weapons and ammunition to a scope. Wolf turned in a list on that, but it did not include six items including a scope. He will make the $2,200 restitution in that case.

As a result of his felony conviction Wolf cannot own, use or possess a firearm for five years.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 12:30 a.m. Friday in Sedgwick County

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Jose Elco Vasquez, 39, Wichita, was southbound on Interstate 35 in South Wichita. The pickup left the road, traveled through a fence, struck two trees and caught fire.

Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the Sedgwick County Forensics Center.

EMS transported Vanessa Vasquez, 9, Wichita, to Wesley Medical Center,

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

SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attack by a dog on two children and after three days have both the dog and have located the owners.

Just before 3:30p.m. Monday, Animal Control and officers and police were dispatched to Chesney Park in 1800 block of SW Buchanan in Topeka on reports of a dog bite, according to Lt. Jennifer Cross.

Witnesses called reporting that a tan colored dog bit a juvenile boy before being removed from the area by the owner.

While Animal Control was investigating, authorities learned that the same dog had bitten a second child.  The two boys were treated at a local hospital, according to Cross.

On Wednesday, police reported they found the dog and that is being quarantined at the city’s veterinarian office.  The canine was positively identified by several individuals as the same that bit the two children, according to Lt. Andrew Beightel.

On Thursday, police identified and located the dog’s owner (an adult female) and the adult male from social media pictures, according to Beightel. Officers have spoken with them.  The case has been forwarded to the city’s prosecutor’s office for charging consideration.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man was indicted Thursday on charges of robbing two cash loan stores, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Derick Renee Crawford, 29, Topeka, was charged with two counts of commercial robbery. The indictment alleges Crawford committed the following robberies including Advance America, 2232 Louisiana Street in Lawrence, on Feb. 21 and Advance America, 1947 Northwest Topeka Blvd. in Topeka, on March 29.

If convicted, Crawford faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Vaccination opponents in Kansas have mobilized against a plan from the state health department to require more immunizations children in school and day care.

Dozens of them packed a public hearing on a regulation drafted by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Standing room only as #Kansas citizens wait to listen and share their opinions on the proposed school #vaccine requirements. pic.twitter.com/o4qlf1xgk6

— Immunize Kansas Coalition (@ImmKSCoalition) June 27, 2019

The new rule would require children in school and day care to be vaccinated against meningitis and hepatitis A. The state already requires immunizations against polio, diphtheria, measles, German measles, whooping cough, mumps, chickenpox and hepatitis B. The change could take effect later this year, depending on how the department responds to comments.

The new rule would put Kansas in line with recommendations from the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, which guides vaccine use in the U.S. Kansas’ health department also pursued greater vaccination requirements amid outbreaks of measles, a disease easily prevented with a shot.

The new rule would preserve exemptions from vaccination mandates for medical or religious reasons, but many people in the hearing said the requirements give the government too much power. They also argued that vaccine skeptics are ignored and problems kept quiet.

“Vaccine science is tobacco science,” said Tasha Haas, a writing instructor at Kansas City Kansas Community College who spoke against the requirement.

Vaccine opponents said parents should decide whether their children are immunized and suggested that a recent Kansas Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights gives people an absolute right to make their own medical decisions.

But health department spokeswoman Kristi Pankratz said the remarks at Thursday’s hearing are only a small portion of the comments that the agency has received about the rule in the past 60 days.

A handful of health advocates and health care professionals at Thursday’s hearing emphasized the importance of vaccines.

Gretchen Homan, a Wichita pediatrician and chairwoman of the Immunize Kansas Coalition, said children need to be able to attend school without fear of becoming sick from infectious disease.

“There are things in this world that we cannot change,” Homan said. “But the things I can protect them from, like infectious disease, I will make that choice.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating murder and continue to search for a suspect who may be in Kansas.

Jory Worthen, 24, is wanted by the Camden Arkansas Police Department,  in connection with the murders of Alyssa Cannon and her 4-year-old son Bradon Ponder.

Worthen was last seen driving a 2007 white Honda Accord with Arkansas license plate number 921YBE.

Jory is believed to be in the Wichita area, according to Wichita Police.

If you see this vehicle or Jory, call 911 immediately.

MORRIS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the theft of farm equipment from a rural business and asking the public for help identifying suspects.

On June 23, several vehicles were stolen from the Oleen Brothers’ Headquarters, a registered cow-calf and quarterhorse business in rural Dwight, according to the Morris County Sheriff. The items stolen included a Brown 3500 Dodge Ram Truck pulling an Aluminum EBY Trailer with the company’s Brand Logo on it, two 900 series Polaris Rangers (one with orange highlights and one with olive green) both with 60 gal. pressure water tanks, and a Red Ford F250 feed truck with a feed box on the back. The suspects reportedly arrived from White City on Highway 4. The vehicle they were driving appears to be a light colored Chevy Avalanche with dark trim.

If you have seen or have any information regarding the vehicles or the people responsible for this theft, please call the Sheriff @ 620-767-6310 or Arden Oleen @ 785-466-1422.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a woman who was stopped in Wichita going more than 100 mph with a 2-year-old in her car has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Police said in a tweet that the traffic stop happened Wednesday on the heavily traveled Kellogg Drive in the western part of the city.

The 28-year-old identified Victoria Raymundo-Hathaway, remained jailed Thursday morning in the Sedgwick County Jail.

Police say she also is suspected of speeding, reckless driving and child endangerment.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A 25-year-old Kansas man pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing a woman who he left to die in woods in suburban Kansas City.

Korrey Raine White Rinke, of Ottawa, had been charged with capital murder and rape in the 2016 death of 46-year-old Julianna Pappas of Overland Park.

Under a plea deal announced Tuesday, Rinke pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. He faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years when he is sentenced Sept. 12.

In 2018 prosecutors planned to seek the death penalty against Rinke.

Court documents say Rinke told prosecutors he raped and beat Pappas after she refused to have sex with him. Her body was found about a week after she disappeared in August 2016.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a drive-by shooting that sent a man to the hospital.

Just after 9p.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of a shooting near Ross Parkway and Whitney Lane in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.  At the scene, police found a 53-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his upper body.  EMS transported the man to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators determined the victim was driving and shot by a suspect who was traveling in the opposite direction in a blue 4-door sedan, according to Davidson.  Gunshots also struck an unoccupied residence in the 4200 Block of East Whitney.

Police have not reported an arrest and did not release the victim’s name.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House voted Thursday to send President Donald Trump a bipartisan, Senate-drafted, $4.6 billion measure to care for migrant refugees detained at the southern border, capping a Washington skirmish in which die-hard liberals came out on the losing end in a battle with the White House, the GOP-held Senate and Democratic moderates.

The emergency legislation, required to ease overcrowded, often harsh conditions at U.S. holding facilities for migrants seeking asylum, mostly from Central American nations like Honduras and El Salvador, passed by a bipartisan 305-102 vote. Trump has indicated he’ll sign it into law.

First District congressman Roger Marshall said “Today, we forced the obstructionist Democrats to actually govern and do what’s right instead of bickering over petty politics,” Congressman Marshall said. “After demanding nearly 100 times from the House floor for the Speaker to take up the bipartisan Senate bill to provide critical resources to secure the border and address the humanitarian crisis, she relented and it passed. Today, the dam broke and we got it done. I’m on my way to the border now with a small group of other physicians in the House. Glad to bring news of this progress along with us.”

Dozens of liberal Democrats opposed the bill, reluctantly brought to a vote by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., after her plan to further strengthen rules for treatment of migrant refugees ran into intractable opposition from Republicans and Vice President Mike Pence. Many moderate Democrats split with Pelosi as well, undercutting her efforts, which faded shortly after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he would swiftly reject them.

The legislation contains more than $1 billion to shelter and feed migrants detained by the border patrol and almost $3 billion to care for unaccompanied migrant children who are turned over the Department of Health and Human Services. It rejects an administration request for additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention beds, however, and contains provisions designed to prevent federal immigration agents from going after immigrants living in the country illegally who seek to care for unaccompanied children.

The funding is urgently needed to prevent the humanitarian emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border from worsening. The government has warned that money would run out in a matter of days.

The Senate bill passed Wednesday by a 84-8 vote, with Democrats there pleased with the deal they cut with Republicans controlling the chamber. The measure was initially only reluctantly accepted by the White House — which complained about elimination of the request for detention bed for immigrants facing removal from the U.S. — but GOP support grew after the measure presented an opportunity to outmaneuver Pelosi.

“We could have done so much better,” Pelosi said in a floor speech. Earlier, Pelosi pushed a plan to ping-pong the Senate-passed bill right back across the Capitol with provisions requiring more stringent care requirements for detained migrant families and other steps. But confronted with splintering unity in the Democratic rank and file and intractable opposition from McConnell, Pelosi changed course.

Vice President Mike Pence and Pelosi had an hour-long conversation on the legislation Thursday as the White House and Republicans kept pounding the message that the only way forward on the long-sought legislation is to pass the Senate bill.

The leaders of the House Progressive Caucus, which includes almost half of House Democrats, immediately issued a statement calling the Senate bill — which had the backing of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. — “entirely insufficient to protect vulnerable children in our care.”

“Standing up for human rights requires more than providing money,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

Thursday’s outcome was a victory for McConnell, who vowed that the GOP-held Senate would kill any “partisan” House changes that the Democratic-controlled House passed, and he appeared to hold a strong hand. All sides agreed that Congress wouldn’t leave for its Independence Day recess until the measure was passed in some form.

“The United States Senate is not going to pass a border funding bill that cuts the money for ICE and the Department of Defense. It’s not going to happen. We already have our compromise,” McConnell said. He called the Senate bill, “the only game in town.”

McConnell said the White House might support making some changes administratively — which have less than the force of law — to address some Democratic concerns.

In fact, Pence agreed that lawmakers would be notified within 24 hours when a child died in custody, said people familiar with his call with Pelosi. The vice president also agreed to the 90-day time limit for migrant children to be housed in influx facilities.

Meanwhile, pressure built on lawmakers whose constituents are upset by accounts of brutal conditions for detained children. And, with lawmakers eager to break for a 10-day July 4 recess, internal pressure built on Democrats to wrap it all up quickly.

“The Administration sent its request for emergency funding eight weeks ago, but there was no action,” said Sarah Sanders, outgoing White House press secretary. “We have already negotiated a broadly supported bipartisan funding bill. It is time for House Democrats to pass the Senate bill and stop delaying funding to deal with this very real humanitarian crisis.”

Lawmakers’ sense of urgency to provide humanitarian aid was amplified by recent reports of conditions in a windowless Border Patrol station in Clint, Texas, where more than 300 infants and children were being housed. Many were kept there for weeks and were caring for each other in conditions that included inadequate food, water and sanitation.

The Border Patrol reported apprehending nearly 133,000 people last month — including many Central American families — as monthly totals have begun topping 100,000 for the first time since 2007.

At her weekly news conference, Pelosi choked back tears when asked about an Associated Press photo of a migrant father and daughter killed crossing the Rio Grande River as she pushed for stronger protections in a border crisis funding bill.

Pelosi told reporters Thursday she’s a “lioness” when it comes to children. She called it a “shame that this should be the face of America around the world.”