By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A 22-year-old St. Joseph man has been charged in connection with the shooting and wounding of a three-year-old girl this past weekend.

Riandten C. E. Brant also faces drug charges.

The Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office this afternoon charged Brant with a Class C felony of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, claiming that on June 22nd, Brant possessed methamphetamine at 1610 Beattie Street, the residence of the child, identified only as “A.B.” in the felony complaint.

Court papers disclose that police issued a search warrant at the residence and found Brant with 28.5 grams of methamphetamine in the basement of the residence.

Police first went to the residence on a shooting call.

St. Joseph Police says the three-year-old was shot late Saturday morning. She is listed in stable condition.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A clerk at a suburban Kansas City phone store will not be charged in the fatal shooting of a man identified as Deshawn Brim who police say was trying to rob the store.

The Johnson County District Attorney’s office announced Monday that the June 10 shooting at a Boost Mobile store in Overland Park was self-defense.

Police say Brim, of Raytown, Missouri, was armed with a handgun when he tried to rob the store.

The store clerk pulled out a handgun and shot Brim as he jumped over the counter toward the employee.

Prosecutors say the employee feared for his life and the life of a co-worker when he shot Brim.

SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attack by a dog on two children.

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. Attempts to locate the dog and owner have been unsuccessful at this time.

Topeka Police Detectives are currently seeking any information regarding the whereabouts of the dog or the owner.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at (785) 368-9400 or Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007. You can also make anonymous tips online at www.p3tips.com/128. All persons charged with a criminal offense are presumed innocent until proven

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue the search for a driver who fled a traffic stop  and dragged a Kansas deputy with the SUV.

On Sunday afternoon, a Sedgwick County Deputy was making a traffic stop on 45-year-old Melissa Jean Heinzman for a felony warrant. During the initial interaction with her, she took off dragging and running over the deputy, according to a social media report.

Authorities continue the search for Heinzman  who is described a 5-foot-3, 120 pounds with blonde hair and brown eyes. She  was last seen wearing a black tank top and blue pants.

Authorities found her 1999 Ford Explorer Monday.

Heinzman has felony warrants and is the suspect in an aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer case.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue the search for a driver who fled a traffic stop  and dragged a Kansas deputy with the SUV.

On Sunday afternoon, a Sedgwick County Deputy was making a traffic stop on 45-year-old Melissa Jean Heinzman for a felony warrant. During the initial interaction with her, she took off dragging and running over the deputy, according to a social media report.

Authorities continue the search for Heinzman  who is described a 5-foot-3, 120 pounds with blonde hair and brown eyes. She  was last seen wearing a black tank top and blue pants. Se was driving a 1999 Ford Explorer with Kansas tag 317GMM

Heinzman has felony warrants and is the suspect in an aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer case.

GEARY COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect following an alleged violent attack.

Just after 9a.m. Monday police responded to a report of a battery that occurred at 223 North Washington Street in Junction City, according to Captain Trish Giordano.

A 49-year-old man reported being battered with a pipe. He suffered injuries to his head, legs and torso and was treated at Geary Community Hospital.
On Monday afternoon, officers arrested Juan Pablo Flores, 40, Grandview Plaza on requested charges of Attempted Murder and Criminal Threat. Flores was being held without bond pending a first appearance in District Court, according to Giordano.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in federal prison for trafficking in methamphetamine, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Daniel C. Nicholson, 54, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted he bought pound quantities of methamphetamine outside Kansas and used a network of subordinates to store and distribute the drugs in Wichita.

Investigators found 27 pounds of methamphetamine when they served a search warrant at Nicholson’s home in the 11000 block of east Lewis in Wichita. They also found $31,952 in cash.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to four commercial robberies, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Savannah Cole, 21, Wichita, pleaded guilty to four counts of robbery. In her plea, he admitted committing the following robberies:

Dollar General Store, 915 S. Glendale in Wichita, Nov. 22, 2017. Cole admitted she and co-defendant Kenneth W. Cade, 29, Wichita, Kan., went into the store together to rob it. Cade pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money.  C-Store, 837 S. Oliver in Wichita, Feb. 7, 2018. Cole admitted she pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money. Cade stayed outside as a lookout. Arby’s, 4308 E. Harry in Wichita, Feb. 14, 2018. Cole and Cade went into the store to rob it. Cade pointed a firearm at an employee and demanded money. Circle K Store, 515 N. Seneca in Wichita, Feb. 14, 2018. Cole and Cade went into the store to rob it. Cole pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. Cade grabbed the cash.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 16. She faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge on Monday ruled that the state’s lone abortion clinic can continue performing abortions through Friday but kicked the clinic’s lawsuit out of court.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer extended a preliminary injunction he previously issued in order to give a Planned Parenthood affiliate in St. Louis time to take a licensing fight before an administrative panel.

Stelzer ruled the clinic has not yet exhausted its options outside of court to handle the dispute over its license to perform abortions. The state health department on Friday declined to renew the clinic’s abortion license.

The judge directed Planned Parenthood to take the issue up with the Administrative Hearing Commission, a panel that typically handles disputes between state agencies and businesses or individuals.

“We will continue this fight in the Administrative Hearing Commission, and we won’t stop until every person can access the care they need when and where they need it,” said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, an OB-GYN at Reproductive Health Services at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region.

She said in a statement that if the commission doesn’t act by Friday, “abortion access in the state of Missouri will be gone.”

Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s spokesman Steele Shippy said the judge’s ruling affirms the state’s contention that the licensing dispute should be heard by the commission.

“We look forward to trying the merits of this case in front of the AHC in our ongoing effort to ensure Planned Parenthood is following our state’s health laws which are necessary to protect women’s safety,” he said in a statement.

Cases before the commission can be appealed in court.

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

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

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

Missouri is among several conservative states, emboldened by new conservative justices on the Supreme Court, to pass new restrictions on abortions in the hope that the high court will eventually overturn Roe v. Wade.

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 for the past decade, reaching a low of 2,910 last year. Of those, an estimated 1,210 occurred at eight weeks or less of pregnancy, according to health department data.

More Missouri women are getting abortions in Kansas than in Missouri. Information from the state of Kansas shows that about 3,300 of the 7,000 abortions performed there last year involved Missouri residents.

Kansas has an abortion clinic in Overland Park, a Kansas City suburb just 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the state line.

The nearest clinic to St. Louis is in Granite City, Illinois, less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) away. Illinois does not track the home states of women seeking abortions so it’s unknown how many Missouri residents have been treated there.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that left one man dead and a second wounded.

Just after 6:30p.m. Saturday, police responded to a shooting in the area in the parking lot of East 17^th Street North in Wichita, according Captain Brent Allred. Upon arrival, officers located a 35-year-old Justin Green with a gunshot wound to his body. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

A short time later, a 25-year-old male arrived at an area hospital also with a gunshot wound to his body. He was treated and released from the hospital.

 Just before 6a.m. Monday, police responded to a residence in the 3800 Block of West Cornelson in reference to a 22-year-old man involved in the shooting, according to Allred. Officers found the man with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Allred.

The investigation revealed, a disturbance occurred between multiple individuals at a family gathering. Multiple shots were fired and multiple were involved, according to Allred. Three were struck by the gunfire.  “This was a case of family members shooting at family members,” according to Allred. “This was not a random incident.”   Police continue to look for several individuals that they know were in attendance.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that left one man dead and another wounded.

Just after 6:30p.m. Saturday, police responded to a shooting in the area of 17th and Poplar in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers located a 35-year-old male with a gunshot wound to his body. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

A short time later, a 25-year-old male arrived at an area hospital also with a gunshot wound to his body. He was treated and released from the hospital.

The investigation revealed, a disturbance occurred between multiple individuals and a suspect fired multiple shots that struck the two men

The investigation is ongoing. This was not a random incident.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will allow transgender residents to change their birth certificates so that the documents reflect their gender identities under a legal settlement ending a federal lawsuit.

LGBTQ-right advocates said Monday that Kansas now will have a policy on birth certificates in line with most other states’ policies.

It’s time for KS to move past its discriminatory anti-transgender policy. This decision acknowledges that transgender Kansans have the same rights as anyone else, including the right to easily obtain a birth certificate that reflects who they are. #ksleg https://t.co/VHe1AAZjHL

— Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) June 24, 2019

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree signed an order Friday to make the agreement binding on Kansas Department of Health and Environment officials. The department issues birth certificates.

Four transgender Kansas residents and the Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project sued last year over the health department’s policy of not allowing transgender residents to change the sex listed on their birth certificates after changing their names legally.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly applauded the agreement and called the old policy “outdated.” She took office in January.

By BRIAN GRIMMETT
Kansas News Service

MANHATTAN — The terms for handing off the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan have been settled — even as the billion-dollar-plus research site remains under construction.

In the agreement signed this week, the Department of Homeland Security remains responsible for completing construction of the state-of-the-art research facility. But it will hand over the job of running the place to the U.S. Department of Agriculture when construction wraps up. That’s expected at the end of 2020.

Now the USDA won’t be a tenant, it’ll be the landlord.

“The roles of the research people does not change,” DHS NBAF Coordinator Tim Barr said. “The security setting does not change. The relationships that exist with the FBI and other entities, that does not change at all.”

NBAF is intended to be a world-class animal disease research facility and will ultimately be the only location in the U.S. where scientists will study live foot-and-mouth disease in livestock.

Once finished, the building will house more than 500,000 square feet of laboratory space, including the nation’s first biosafety Level 4 large animal research laboratory.

The BSL-4 laboratory will allow researchers to study deadly zoonotic diseases — those that are highly contagious and can spread between humans and animals — that don’t have any known vaccinations or treatments.

NBAF will be replacing the aging Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York.

The USDA recently opened up an office in Manhattan to begin recruiting potential employees.

“A facility like this allows us to bring those people in, do the work that we need to do and be more prepared to stand-up operationally when we move into the NBAF facility,” said Ken Burton, USDA’s NBAF coordinator.

He said the agency would like to have 80% of the workforce needed for NBAF hired by the end of 2020.

The USDA expects to need as many as 400 employees once the facility is completely up and running at the end of 2022.

Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett or email grimmett (at) kmuw (dot) org.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after noon Sunday in Sedgwick County.

A 2009 Audi A-4 driven by Erika Geromal, 43, Wichita, was traveling on 34th Street North and turned southbound on Ridge Road in front of a northbound 2015 Jeep Wrangler driven by a 21-year-old woman, according to officer Charley Davidson.

The Jeep struck the Audi injuring Geromal and two 10-year-old passengers A citizen arrived and performed life-saving techniques on Geromal before she was transported to a local hospital and died. The girls were transported to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Davidson.

The accident remains under investigation and the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post

Each year at the Barton County Fair, there are 4-H exhibits and competitions and livestock shows. Barton County Fair Association President Charles Atkinson says the Fair Board is always looking for ways to grow and add new features.

Atkinson is looking to lock in a national livestock show next summer.

“It’s going to force us to set up our building early for the fair because the livestock show will use the same setup,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson was hopeful the national livestock show would bring in 400 people from all over the country.

“They selected us,” Atkinson added. “We’re always out there trying to solicit but they came after us. We’re going to have to put on a pretty good show.”

The 28^th annual Barton County Fair is July 10 to 14. Find more details including the schedule of events at bartoncountyfair.com.