TOPEKA —The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved Governor Laura Kelly’s request for a SBA disaster declaration as a result of the severe storms and tornadoes that occurred May 28, 2019.

“I am pleased that Kansas has been granted this request by the Small Business Administration,” Kelly said in media release from her office.

“These loans will do much to help speed recovery for our citizens and the business communities that lost property due to these storms”

The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available to businesses and residents in Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Osage and Shawnee counties.

Beginning Tuesday, June 18, SBA representatives will be on hand at two Disaster Loan Outreach Centers to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Both centers will be open from June 18 through June 27. No appointment is necessary.

In Douglas County, the Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be located at Peaslee Technical Training Center – Classroom B, 2920 Haskell Ave., Lawrence. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In Leavenworth County, the Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be a Linwood Community Center – Commons Area, 105 E. Third St., Linwood. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Interest rates can be as low as 4 percent for businesses, 2.75 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 1.938 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications here.

Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.

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SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on sex charges.

Just before 9a.m. Monday, police concluded a joint human trafficking investigation in partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

As a result of the investigation, law enforcement officers arrested 35-year-old Evan H. Vollerthum of Naples, Florida on requested charges of aggravated human trafficking and attempted commercial sexual exploitation of a child.

Vollerthum was taken into custody in the 3100 Block of SW Topeka Blvd. and he is being held in the  Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to remove millions of people living in the country illegally on the eve of formally announcing his re-election bid.

Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in. Mexico, using their strong immigration laws, is doing a very good job of stopping people…….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019

In a pair of tweets Monday night, Trump said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would next week “begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.”

“They will be removed as fast as they come in,” he wrote.

An administration official said the effort would focus on the more than 1 million people who have been issued final deportation orders by federal judges but remain at large in the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to explain the president’s tweets.

It is unusual for law enforcement agencies to announce raids before they take place. Some in Trump’s administration believe that decisive shows of force — like mass arrests — can serve as effective deterrents, sending a message to those considering making the journey to the U.S. that it’s not worth coming.

Trump has threatened a series of increasingly drastic actions as he has tried to stem the flow of Central American migrants crossing the southern border, which has risen dramatically on his watch. He recently dropped a threat to slap tariffs on Mexico after the country agreed to dispatch its national guard and step-up coordination and enforcement efforts.

A senior Mexican official said Monday that, three weeks ago, about 4,200 migrants were arriving at the U.S. border daily. Now that number has dropped to about 2,600.

Immigration was a central theme of Trump’s 2016 campaign and he is expected to hammer it as he tries to fire up his base heading into the 2020 campaign.

Trump will formally launch his re-election bid Tuesday night at a rally in Orlando, Florida — a state that is crucial to his path back to the White House.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a chase and crash into a police vehicle.

Just after 2:30a.m. Saturday, police observed a Nissan Versa traveling southbound in the 2200 Block of South Hydraulic in Wichita with only three properly function tires, according to officer Paul Cruz.

One of the tires was on the rims and was shooting sparks which caught the attention an officer.

Police attempted a traffic stop. The driver identified as 36-year-old Veronica Matais, did stop briefly but then sped away. Officer pursued her to the 2200 Block of South Kansas where she drove the vehicle over the curb and through a privacy fence at a residence. She then put the car in reverse and backed the vehicle into the officer’s patrol car, according to Cruz.

After the collision, she drove through the backyard of a residence, jumped out of the vehicle and ran. Officers chased and arrested her.

According to online jail records, Matais remains jailed on a $50,000 bond on requested charges of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, flee and attempt to elude, driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, criminal damage to property and driving with a suspended license.

There were no injuries reported.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 15-year-old Kansas boy got a large knife to the face, and doctors say he’s extremely lucky.

Jimmy Russell said her son, Eli Gregg, was playing Thursday evening outside of their home in Redfield, about 90 miles south of Kansas City, when she heard him scream. She found him with a 10-inch knife jutting from just below his eye and called 911.

“It looked pretty grim, it was scary,” Russell said in a video released by the University of Kansas Health System, where he was treated.

The knife was embedded in his skull and extended to just under his brain. The blade’s tip, meanwhile, was pushing against his carotid artery, which supplies the brain with blood.

“It could not have had a pound more force on it and him survive that event,” said Dr. Koji Ebersole, who oversaw the extraction. “I don’t think he would have survived it.”

A team of surgeons put together an intricate plan to remove the blade Friday morning. They were prepared for possible bleeding into the brain, but the operation went without a hitch and the artery remained intact.

Within 24 hours of the surgery, Eli was able to talk and make light of the situation. He was due to be discharged on Monday.

“He says he is going to stay away from sharp objects,” Russell said. “That is very understandable.”

She said Eli is doing great and should make a full recovery.

“It is almost a miracle,” Russell said. “It is really, really amazing.”

The boy is fortunate he ended up in Ebersole’s hands, as it was Ebersole who removed a meat skewer from the skull of a 10-year-old Missouri boy last year in an accident that provided equally shocking X-rays. That boy was attacked by yellow jackets in a tree house in Harrisonville, about 35 miles south of Kansas City, and fell onto the skewer.

SEWARD COUNTY — A Kansas crop-duster was able to land a plane safely after an accident just before noon Monday in Seward County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 fixed wing single engine crop duster piloted by Craig L. Stratton, 61, Meade, was north bound near P Road and 4 Road crop-dusting a field.

The right wing of the aircraft struck a windmill tower. The Aircraft impacted the ground and slid to a stop facing south.

Stratton was not injured.  The accident remains under investigation.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman’s death and after a standoff that lasted several hours have a suspect in custody.

Just after noon on Sunday, police received a report of an adult victim suffering from an unknown trauma at a residence in the area of 15th and Tyler in Topeka, according to a release from Gretchen Koenen with Topeka police. Upon arrival, officers located a woman identified as 69-year-old Kyong Carol Wood, 69, Topeka, dead at the scene.

Just after 5p.m., a standoff at the home ended peacefully. Police took David E. Wood, 45, Topeka into custody at the scene on requested charges of interference with law enforcement.

Police were continuing to process the crime scene Monday and are awaiting autopsy results to determine Wood’s cause of death.

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SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman’s death and after a standoff that lasted several hours have a suspect in custody.

Just after noon on Sunday, June 16, police received a report of an adult victim suffering from an unknown trauma at a residence in the area of 15th and Tyler in Topeka, according to a release from Gretchen Koenen with Topeka police. Upon arrival, officers located a woman dead at the scene.

Just after 5p.m., a standoff at the home ended peacefully. Police took an adult male person of interest into custody at the scene. Police have not identified the victim or the person of interest.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a possible hit and run accident and asking the public for help with information.

Just after 1a.m. Saturday, police responded to a call for EMS at the intersection of Harry and Martinson in Wichita, according to office Paul Cruz. At the scene, officers found a 36-year-old woman in the street with severe injuries.

She was transported to a local hospital for treatment and remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to Cruz.

Investigators have learned that a passerby discovered the woman in the road. It is likely she was struck by a vehicle. A blue Dodge Charger was described by a witness as leaving the scene, according to Cruz. However, it is unknown if the car was actually involved.

On Monday, Cruz said he did not know if detectives had been able to talk to the victim.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact police.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Two of five people from Kansas City remain hospitalized after their boat exploded on the Lake of the Ozarks.

The 25-foot Chris Craft boat exploded and caught on fire Saturday afternoon at the Millstone Marina & RV resort.

A preliminary report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the explosion apparently was caused by a build-up of gasoline vapors and a mechanical failure.

Ryan Baber, a family member, said the accident happened shortly after the boat was refueled.

A spokeswoman at University Hospital in Columbia says Baber’s sister, Cynthia Sterling, and her partner, Carl Harris, were both in fair condition Monday.

The couple’s 6-year daughter suffered burns. Barber said he and his father, Robert Baber, suffered minor burns and he has a sprained foot.

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LAKE OF THE OZARKS — Five people were injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Saturday at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Chris Craft had just been filled with fuel at the Millstone Marina dock.

The driver Robert C. Baber, 71, Kansas City, started the engine creating an explosion due to lack of ventilation and a mechanical failure. The explosion ejected passenger Patrick Baber, 39, Kansas City from the boat.

Life Flight transported passenger Carl Harris, 42, Kansas City, to University Hospital.

Camden County Ambulance transported Robert and Patrick Baber to Lake Regional Hospital.

Lake West Ambulance transported Kathryn G. Harris, 6, and Cynthina O. Sterling, 48, both of Kansas City to Lake Regional Hospital. The child was the only occupant wearing a life jacket, according to the MSHP.

DICKINSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a stolen pickup.

Just after 1p.m. Sunday, a 38-year-old Salina man reported his black 2010 Ford F150 stolen from the parking lot at Lowe’s, 3035 S. Ninth, at 1:05 p.m. Sunday, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester

Shortly before 2 p.m Sunday, Salina Police were contacted by the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office because the pickup had been located in Herington. Deputies found the vehicle with the doors open and the motor still running.

Deputies arrested Marty Rickey, 43, of Hollister, Mo., on requested charges of possession of stolen property and interference with a law enforcement officer.

RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.

Just after noon Saturday, police filed a report for aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary in the 300 block of N Park Street in Ogden, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 62-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man were the victims, according to the report.

Police arrested Frederick Swinson, 31, of Junction City, on requested charges of aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. Swinson remains in custody on a bond of $100,000.00.  He has a previous drug conviction in Riley County.

Police ask that anyone with information please contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Crime Stoppers of Wichita-Sedgwick County announced a campaign Friday to seek tips for unsolved Wichita bank robberies.

In partnership with the Wichita Police Department and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Crime Stoppers is offering cash rewards of up to $1,000 and the FBI is matching that reward for a total of up to $2,000 for tips leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the five unsolved bank robberies from 2018.

Capitol Federal: Date: February 13, 2018 Time: 9:47 a.m. Address: 4000 E. Harry St. Wichita, KS

Southwest National Bank: Date: December 21, 2018 Time: 11:46 a.m. Address: 3101 S. Seneca Wichita, KS

Bank of America:  February 21, 2018 Time: 11:50 a.m. Address: 2151 N. Hillside Wichita, KS

Intrust Bank: Date: March 2, 2018 Time: 2:36 p.m. Address: 3801 N. Rock Wichita, KS

Valley State Bank: Date: June 4, 2018 Time: 11:16 a.m. Address: 5310 S. Broadway St. Wichita, KS

In both the Capitol Federal and Southwest National Bank robberies the suspect was described as a black male, approximately 6ft. tall, wearing dark clothing and displayed a handgun. Bank of America:

In both the Bank of America and Intrust robberies the suspect was described as a black male, approximately 6ft. tall, wearing a grey jacket and threatening a weapon.

In the Valley State Bank robbery the suspect was described as a black male, approximately 6ft. tall, wearing dark clothing, a mask covering his face and displayed a weapon.