TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A former Topeka executive has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for scheming to steal more than $2 million in Medicaid funds. The U.S. Attorney’s office for Kansas says in a release Monday that 44-year-old Jason Sellers of Lyndon also was ordered to pay $2.08 million in restitution. He pleaded guilty in October to one count of wire fraud for diverting Medicaid funds to his own use when he was chief financial officer of Kansas Health Solutions. Prosecutors said Sellers fraudulently billed Kansas Health Solutions for information technology services performed by a fake business. Some…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce says he expects the chamber’s Republican-dominated tax committee to endorse most of GOP Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax plan. But Assessment and Taxation Committee Chairman Les Donovan said Monday the situation remains “fluid.” The committee plans to begin debating Brownback’s proposals Tuesday. Brownback wants to follow up on last year’s aggressive income tax cuts by reducing individual tax rates further, but he also wants to stabilize the budget. He’s proposing to eliminate two popular income tax deductions for homeowners and cancel a decline in the state sales tax scheduled that’s scheduled to…
EL DORADO, Kan. (AP) Police in a southeast Kansas community are looking for a woman who’s been stealing from residents after gaining entrance to homes with a sob story. The El Dorado Times reports the woman is responsible for numerous thefts in the Butler County town. Authorities say the woman often goes to the homes of senior citizens and says she needs to use a telephone or bathroom. Once inside, she steals prescription medicines, cash and jewelry. The suspect is white, and 30 to 35 years old. Descriptions of her hair color and style vary, but lately it’s been blond…
EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) The damage is estimated at $10,000 after a deer wandered into an Emporia jewelry store and panicked before dying of fright. KVOE-AM reports the deer was one of several that were spotted in the city on Saturday. On Commercial Street, the doe activated an automatic door entry at Stanley Jewelry and calmly walked inside. Employees said the deer wandered toward the back of the store and become agitated at the sight of itself in a mirror. The deer destroyed an expensive china display, along with glassware and the mirror. The animal quickly collapsed and died of stress.…
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) A program begun in 2011 to persuade people to live in rural Kansas is having some success. The Rural Opportunity Zones program pays part of student loans and gives income tax breaks to people who move to a county with a declining population. The Hutchinson News reports since the program started, 628 people have applied to have up to $15,000 of their student loans repaid. Of those, 322 have been approved and 151 applications are pending. Gov. Sam Brownback says he’s pleased the program is working as planned. The program’s success is presenting the biggest challenge. Some…
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) Fire officials in a Kansas City suburb are monitoring a large fuel spill at a convenience store. The accident occurred at a Quik Trip store about 4:15 a.m. Monday when a fuel tanker driver was filling the station’s underground tanks. Fire officials say about 100 gallons of fuel spilled into the parking lot and into a nearby storm drain. The cause of the spill has not been announced. No injuries were reported. Firefighters and environmental workers checked the storm drains to ensure there was no danger of explosion. The area was reported to be safe about…
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) A Leavenworth woman will be tried for the second time in the death of her 4-year-old son. Monica F. Rivera, 31, will be tried April 15 for involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of her son, Gabriel. The boy died while being cared for by Rivera’s boyfriend, Jason L. Jones, in Leavenworth. Prosecutors allege Rivera endangered her son by leaving him in Jones’ care. The Leavenworth Times reports the Kansas Court of Appeal in December ordered in December that Rivera receive a second trial because errors were made in jury instruction during the first trial in 2010.…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) Authorities in Kansas City, Kan., say a 39-year-old man is suspected of starting a fire at an apartment that killed a woman and a young girl she was babysitting. KMBC-TV reports that police say the man said he set the fire early Saturday at the Legend Oaks Apartment after getting into a fight with a tenant. The fire killed Brandi Johnson, 34, and Amiyah McClenton, 2. Residents say other tenants escaped after some residents ran through the hallways pounding on doors to alert people to the fire. The American Red Cross helped 26 people who were…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Medicaid recipients can learn about changes in the health care coverage program at one of 16 meetings being held around the state this month. Kansas turned most of the administration of Medicaid over to three private health insurance companies in January. Gov. Sam Brownback has said the overhauled program, known as KanCare, will deliver better-coordinated services with less cost. The meetings with state officials are scheduled Feb. 18 in Dodge City, Manhattan, Winfield and Topeka; Feb. 19 in Garden City, Salina, Parsons and Kansas City, Kan.; Feb. 20 in Colby, Great Bend, Fort Scott and Olathe;…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Abortions rights groups are planning to rally in Topeka against proposals for more regulation of abortions in Kansas. The gathering was scheduled for Monday morning at a building near the Statehouse. College students from across Kansas were expected to take part, along with representatives of Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union. Among the concerns is a bill in the Kansas Legislature banning the use of state funds for some abortions. Opponents contend it would limit access to reproductive health services. Last month, at least 1,000 abortion opponents gathered at the Statehouse to mark the 40th…