SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a residential robbery and have suspects in custody.

Just beforee 3a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 100 block of SW Western in Topeka in reference a residential robbery to an individual that had just occurred, according to. Police Lt. Kelvin Johnson. 

Officers met with the victim and were able to get possible identification of the three suspects who were involved. The suspect’s vehicle was later located parked behind a residence in the 1000 block of NW Jackson in Topeka.

As officers were dealing with the vehicle the three suspects came out of a residence and were taken into custody and brought to the Law Enforcement Center for interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews police arrested Derek Devlin, 37 of Topeka, on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Theft

Todd Devlin, 55, of Topeka, was arrested on on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and Theft. The third individual was arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant. Police did not release that suspect's name.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a residential robbery and have suspects in custody.Just beforee 3a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 100 block of SW Western in Topeka in reference a residential robbery to an individual that had just occurred, according to. Police Lt. Kelvin Johnson. Officers met with the victim and were able to get possible identification of the three suspects who were involved. The suspect’s vehicle was later located parked behind a residence in the 1000 block of NW Jackson in Topeka.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635627703537.png" alt="Derek Devlin photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Derek Devlin photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>As officers were dealing with the vehicle the three suspects came out of a residence and were taken into custody and brought to the Law Enforcement Center for interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews police arrested Derek Devlin, 37 of Topeka, on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and TheftTodd Devlin, 55, of Topeka, was arrested on on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and Theft. The third individual was arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant. Police did not release that suspect's name.

Police arrest 2 suspects for robbery at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday she has contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.

Psaki, 42, said she was last in contact with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, when she met him in the White House, where they were more than 6 feet apart and wearing masks. Biden, who is tested frequently, last tested negative on Saturday, according to the White House.

Psaki did not accompany Biden on his trip abroad to Rome this weekend for the Group of 20 summit and next Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday for a U.N. climate summit.

Psaki had planned to travel with the president but scrapped the trip just as he was set to depart for Europe after learning that members of her household had tested positive for COVID-19.

“Since then, I have quarantined and tested negative (via PCR) for COVID on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” Psaki said in a statement. “However, today, I tested positive for COVID.”

Psaki said she is only exhibiting mild symptoms.

“While I have not had close contact in person with the President or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday – and tested negative for four days after that last contact — I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency,” Psaki said.

White House staff and others traveling with the president have been undergoing daily tests for COVID-19 since before departing Washington and are all fully vaccinated. Many officials have also received booster shots, due to the close-quarters environment and frequent travel associated with their work.

Biden got his COVID-19 booster on Sept 27, shortly after federal regulators approved the third dose for many Americans.

Biden has been accompanied on the trip by principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Psaki said she would return to work in person at the conclusion of a 10-day quarantine and following a negative rapid test.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635717989853.png" alt="Press Secretary Jen Psaki.-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Press Secretary Jen Psaki.-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday she has contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.Psaki, 42, said she was last in contact with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, when she met him in the White House, where they were more than 6 feet apart and wearing masks. Biden, who is tested frequently, last tested negative on Saturday, according to the White House.Psaki did not accompany Biden on his trip abroad to Rome this weekend for the Group of 20 summit and next Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday for a U.N. climate summit.Psaki had planned to travel with the president but scrapped the trip just as he was set to depart for Europe after learning that members of her household had tested positive for COVID-19.“Since then, I have quarantined and tested negative (via PCR) for COVID on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” Psaki said in a statement. “However, today, I tested positive for COVID.”Psaki said she is only exhibiting mild symptoms.“While I have not had close contact in person with the President or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday – and tested negative for four days after that last contact — I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency,” Psaki said.White House staff and others traveling with the president have been undergoing daily tests for COVID-19 since before departing Washington and are all fully vaccinated. Many officials have also received booster shots, due to the close-quarters environment and frequent travel associated with their work.Biden got his COVID-19 booster on Sept 27, shortly after federal regulators approved the third dose for many Americans.Biden has been accompanied on the trip by principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Psaki said she would return to work in person at the conclusion of a 10-day quarantine and following a negative rapid test.

White House press secretary Psaki says she has COVID-19

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A first-year Kansas lawmaker, who was reprimanded by his colleagues for abusive conduct before taking office, has been arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. 

Democratic state Rep. Aaron Coleman of Kansas City was arrested Saturday evening and Johnson County Jail records show he remains in custody Sunday afternoon.

The 21-year-old's arrest comes eight months after he received a written warning from a legislative committee about conduct before taking office that included abusive behavior toward young woman and girls.

 House Democratic leader Tom Sawyer says Coleman's constituents and the State of Kansas would be better served if he were to resign and get the help he badly needs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635804497310.png" alt="Coleman-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Coleman-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A first-year Kansas lawmaker, who was reprimanded by his colleagues for abusive conduct before taking office, has been arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. Democratic state Rep. Aaron Coleman of Kansas City was arrested Saturday evening and Johnson County Jail records show he remains in custody Sunday afternoon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635710410061.png" alt="Image courtesy Johnson Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Johnson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The 21-year-old's arrest comes eight months after he received a written warning from a legislative committee about conduct before taking office that included abusive behavior toward young woman and girls.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">RELEASE: House Democratic Leader Responds to Representative’s Arrest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/p340E5QDAU">pic.twitter.com/p340E5QDAU</a>&mdash; Kansas House Democrats (@KSHouseDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSHouseDems/status/1454872735516086272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> House Democratic leader Tom Sawyer says Coleman's constituents and the State of Kansas would be better served if he were to resign and get the help he badly needs.

Kansas lawmaker arrested on domestic violence charge

SALINA —Schwan’s Company and construction crews used an unconventional way to install its climate control systems on the new expansion at its pizza plant in Salina. 

On Saturday and Sunday, they used helicopters to lift more than 50 heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) units onto the roof of the new facility, according to a media release from the company.

“Due to the size of both the building and the HVAC units, using helicopters was the safest and most efficient way to install the units,” said Salina’s Senior Director of Manufacturing Chris Wiseman, adding that on smaller projects, cranes would be used.

The HVAC units, some of which weigh more than 17,000 pounds, will be used for heating, cooling and humidity control of the facility.

The HVAC install is part of the 400,000-square-foot expansion to the existing pizza plant. Schwan’s Company, a leading food producer in the United States, announced the expansion project in August 2020. Construction on the facility began in September 2020 and will continue throughout 2022. Schwan’s expects to be making pizza in the new expansion by the end of next year.

The expansion, which is part of a major investment in Salina, will include automated state-of-the-art pizza-production lines, shipping and receiving docks, and office space. The company already employs approximately 1,000 people at its current 550,000-square-foot production facility and distribution center in Salina. Burns &amp; McDonnell — a 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture and construction company — is designing and building the expansion.

“We are creating a manufacturing facility that combines the very best equipment available with the most modern technology,” Wiseman said. “This expansion will be one of the most technologically advanced food manufacturing facilities in the world.”

To operate the highly automated facility with state-of-the-art production lines and equipment, Schwan’s is creating 225 full-time jobs for the Salina area. Many of these new jobs will be higher paying and require a high level of technical expertise.

Some of the roles will include electrical controls engineers and process engineers. Experts on production, packaging and bakery operations, as well as leadership positions are also needed. 

“A state-of-the-art facility with the newest equipment and most modern technology will require employees who can operate, maintain and ensure the reliability of the equipment they use each day,” Wiseman said.

“These positions are unlike any other we have at Schwan’s, and unlike most in the food manufacturing industry,” he added.

Schwan’s began hiring for these positions earlier this year and will continue to hire into 2022. Job details can be found at <a href="http://SchwansJobs.com">SchwansJobs.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635723633345.jpeg" alt="A helicopter lifts an HVAC unit onto the roof of the Schwan's expansion. Photos courtesy Schwan's" />
 <figcaption>A helicopter lifts an HVAC unit onto the roof of the Schwan's expansion. Photos courtesy Schwan's</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA —Schwan’s Company and construction crews used an unconventional way to install its climate control systems on the new expansion at its pizza plant in Salina. On Saturday and Sunday, they used helicopters to lift more than 50 heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) units onto the roof of the new facility, according to a media release from the company.“Due to the size of both the building and the HVAC units, using helicopters was the safest and most efficient way to install the units,” said Salina’s Senior Director of Manufacturing Chris Wiseman, adding that on smaller projects, cranes would be used.The HVAC units, some of which weigh more than 17,000 pounds, will be used for heating, cooling and humidity control of the facility.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635723588046.jpeg" alt="With more than 50 HVAC units needing to be placed, the helicopters were kept busy." />
 <figcaption>With more than 50 HVAC units needing to be placed, the helicopters were kept busy.</figcaption>
 </figure>The HVAC install is part of the 400,000-square-foot expansion to the existing pizza plant. Schwan’s Company, a leading food producer in the United States, announced the expansion project in August 2020. Construction on the facility began in September 2020 and will continue throughout 2022. Schwan’s expects to be making pizza in the new expansion by the end of next year.The expansion, which is part of a major investment in Salina, will include automated state-of-the-art pizza-production lines, shipping and receiving docks, and office space. The company already employs approximately 1,000 people at its current 550,000-square-foot production facility and distribution center in Salina. Burns &amp; McDonnell — a 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture and construction company — is designing and building the expansion.“We are creating a manufacturing facility that combines the very best equipment available with the most modern technology,” Wiseman said. “This expansion will be one of the most technologically advanced food manufacturing facilities in the world.”To operate the highly automated facility with state-of-the-art production lines and equipment, Schwan’s is creating 225 full-time jobs for the Salina area. Many of these new jobs will be higher paying and require a high level of technical expertise.Some of the roles will include electrical controls engineers and process engineers. Experts on production, packaging and bakery operations, as well as leadership positions are also needed. “A state-of-the-art facility with the newest equipment and most modern technology will require employees who can operate, maintain and ensure the reliability of the equipment they use each day,” Wiseman said.“These positions are unlike any other we have at Schwan’s, and unlike most in the food manufacturing industry,” he added.Schwan’s began hiring for these positions earlier this year and will continue to hire into 2022. Job details can be found at <a href="http://SchwansJobs.com">SchwansJobs.com</a>.

Schwan’s pizza plant in Kan. uses helicopters in HVAC unit installation

By MAX MCCOY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/31/a-mysterious-murder-site-has-a-new-owner-hes-looking-for-answers-about-the-bloody-benders/">Kansas Reflector</a>

CHERRYVALE — The chain of low hills known as the Bender Mounds 
extends in a diagonal seven miles northeast of here, islands of 
limestone and scrubby trees over level fields where this time of year 
soybeans have just been harvested. The lonely hills meander across what 
is now U.S. Highway 400, where travelers whoosh by in comfort at 65 mph.

But 150 years ago, the rugged Osage Trail ran between these mounds, 
somewhat north of the present highway. This section of the trail ran the
 47 miles from the Osage Mission at what is now St. Paul to 
Independence, Kansas, and food and lodging was hard to come by. Tired 
and hungry travelers would sometimes stop for a hot meal and a hard bed 
at the Bender Inn, a two-room frame cabin on the south side of the trail
 between the mounds.

Many of the travelers were never seen again, victims of a 
multiple-murdering frontier family that has gone down in history as the 
Bloody Benders. The Bender saga is a thoroughly American crime story, 
full of mystery and gore, and their story is as famous in its way as the
 gunfight at the O.K. Corral or the killing of Billy the Kid. But the 
enduring mystery behind the Benders is what happened to them. They 
vanished into history and became the stuff of nightmares — and books, 
television shows and movies.

“I bought it because I love history and would like to find out where 
(the killings) happened,” said Bob Miller, a Wells Fargo financial 
adviser from Independence, Kansas, who now owns the parcel where the 
Bender cabin is believed to have stood.

For 65 years, Miller said, the land was owned by a family who farmed 
it out and had little interest in its history. No search of the property
 for the location of the cabin or graves was formally conducted, at 
least not that anybody could remember. When the property came up for 
auction last year, through Indiana firm Schrader Real Estate and Auction
 Co., Miller knew he had to bid on it.

Miller won by purchasing a package of parcels that included the Bender site. He declined to disclose how much he paid.

“I really like history a lot,” he told me. “I’ve never had an acre of
 land before. Somewhere, somehow, some way, I’m going to get some kind 
of expert investigation going there. The whole thing is just so bizarre,
 and one of America’s first documented mass murders.”

Miller grew up on tales of the Benders and often visited the old 
historical museum in Cherryvale where a replica cabin stood and the town
 celebrated “Bender Days.” The story is the kind of gruesome stuff that 
has fascinated kids for generations, especially Kansas kids like me.

“Between 1870 and 1873 several travelers who disappeared between 
Independence and Osage Mission were traced to within a few miles of the 
Bender Mounds,” according to the WPA guide to Kansas published in 1939. 
“So many stories of mystery, murder, and the supernatural were 
associated with the area that cautious persons would go long distances 
to avoid it.”

By all accounts, the Benders were a strange lot. There were four of 
them, including an older couple named John Sr. and Kate, and a younger 
couple, also named John and Kate. They had come from St. Louis in 
1870-71 to join a small community of Spiritualists, part of a movement 
that flourished after the carnage of the Civil War and maintained it was
 possible to talk to the dead.

The older Benders were described as unpleasant and spoke mostly 
German. But the younger Benders were different. They may have been 
brother and sister, or perhaps common law husband and wife. John Jr. was
 strong and handsome. But it was young Kate that attracted the most 
attention, a red-haired 20-something who was a trance medium, advertised
 herself in local newspapers as “Prof. Katie Bender,” and who claimed 
supernatural powers to heal.

By May 1873, the mystery of the missing travelers would be solved.

A search party found the Bender cabin deserted and their livestock 
untended. In an orchard out back they found the remains of between eight
 and 11 bodies —it was difficult to determine exactly how many, but at 
least one was a child — and a trapdoor in the floor of the cabin that 
led to a bloody cellar, rank with blood and gore.

“Though stories of strange experiences at the inn had circulated 
throughout the community since its establishment, few had given them 
credence,” according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/bender-knife/10106">Kansas Historical Society</a>.
 “After the discovery, though, such tales seemed more plausible. 
Neighbors reported violent behavior, strange séances, and narrowly 
escaping with their lives.”

It was theorized that victims were forced to sit at a table with 
their backs against a stained canvas curtain and, while distracted by 
Kate — who gets most of the blame in traditional accounts — were 
dispatched by a hammer blow to the back of the head. After being shoved 
through the trap door into the bloody cellar, they may have been 
finished off with a knife across the throat. The motive was robbery, as 
travelers often carried large amounts of cash to buy land and cattle.

But nobody knows for sure what happened in the cabin. Those who did know ended up dead or disappeared.

When the Bender site went up for auction last year, it renewed my 
interest in the bloody family. Stories about the upcoming auction ran in
 news outlets around the world. Not having the means, or frankly the 
will, to own such a site, I submitted no bid. But after the sale, I did 
contact the auction company a couple of times, asking to be put in touch
 with the new owners. Unsurprisingly, the auction company did not 
respond to my requests.

But I lucked out last weekend when I visited the Cherryvale 
Historical Museum. The museum used to be downtown, but it’s now in what 
was once a private residence and is open 1-4 p.m. on Sundays. The 
replica Bender cabin that used to be at the old museum is long gone. 
Cherryvale doesn’t celebrate Bender Days anymore, either.

The museum still has three hammers taken from the Bender property 
shortly after the crimes were discovered, and I wanted to see them. They
 were there, in a cabinet behind bulletproof glass that has become hazy 
with the passage of the years. They were difficult to photograph, so I 
asked if the case could be opened.

But the kind woman who was tending the museum that day suggested I 
contact local historian Carol Staton, who knew more about the Benders 
than just about anybody in town. So I did, and had a pleasant 
conversation with Staton about a particularly unpleasant crime. Then I 
asked if she knew who had bought the land at auction.

Why yes, she said. It was a friend of hers in Independence. She gave me Bob Miller’s name.

Miller told me he hasn’t done anything with the land since buying it 
in February because he just hasn’t had the time. He would like to 
investigate the site, he said. It is undoubtedly the piece of land the 
cabin was on, but the actual location of the cabin and the orchard have 
been lost over the years. Because he has a keen interest in history and a
 respect for doing things right, Miller said he’d like to partner with a
 team of professional archaeologists, perhaps from a Kansas university, 
to do a ground-penetrating radar study and possibly undertake 
excavations.

There may be more to the Bender story than we know, he said. Finding 
the location of the cellar abattoir or the orchard cemetery may lead to 
discoveries that were not possible with 1870s technology. Some of the 
victims were never identified.

“If we could find some stuff,” Miller said, “some bones or maybe 
teeth, that would allow for DNA matching with living relatives.”

The Benders were discovered when the relative of a victim went searching in 1873.

Col. Alexander York, a state senator and Civil War veteran, wanted to
 find his missing brother, physician William York. Dr. York, who had 
disappeared on the Osage Trail.

Scouting the trail with a posse of 15 or so men, Col. York called 
upon the Bender Inn. The Benders said yes, the doctor had been there, 
but he had left unharmed. Kate suggested, the story goes, that for a 
price she could use her clairvoyant powers to help locate the missing 
man. The colonel left, but suspicion lingered.

The cabin was later found deserted. The discovery of the bodies, including that of Dr. York, followed.

A wagon and team belonging to the Benders was later located abandoned
 near Thayer, and a clerk at the depot there said four individuals 
matching the family’s description had bought tickets and boarded a train
 to Humboldt. That’s the last real clue we have as to the murderous 
family’s fate, even though the governor of Kansas at the time offered a 
$2,000 reward for their capture.

Over the years, tales have placed the Benders in Canada, in St. 
Louis, and even escaping — however improbably — in a hot air balloon. 
These stories have continued unabated, and as recently as 2013 amateur 
sleuths claimed to have solved the mystery of the Benders, including one
 theory that young John and Katie lived the rest of their lives in 
Colorado and <a target="_blank" href="https://truewestmagazine.com/article/history-mystery-solved-hiding-in-plain-sight/">are buried in plain sight</a> at Glenwood Springs.

The two theories that seem most likely are that the Benders 
successfully escaped to parts unknown, or that they were lynched by 
locals and buried in secret. The former is more probable, as it’s been 
my experience that people have a hard time keeping a secret — and a 
secret as big as the fate of the Benders couldn’t be kept by a group for
 15 minutes, much less a century and a half.

“It’s just a mystery that keeps perpetuating itself,” Staton, the local historian, said.

After the bodies were found in 1873, the cabin was ripped apart, 
board by board, until nothing was left. In time, all visible traces of 
the Bender place disappeared at the mound, just as the Benders 
themselves disappeared.

Staton said she has visited the site, or at least peered at it from 
the public road. An individual on the museum board, she said, has 
sometimes led private tours out to the Bender Mounds, and this persuaded
 the board to consider hosting day trips.

Miller said he has no plans to open the site to the public as yet, because he wants professionals to survey the location first.

On my trip to Cherryvale last weekend, I drove out to the Bender 
Mounds. I’m not going to reveal the precise location of the site, 
because like Miller I fear a loss of historical data beneath a crush of 
uninvited visitors. I can tell you that the roads around the site are 
poorly maintained, and that some are impassible in wet weather without a
 four-wheel drive vehicle. On one half-mile stretch of road, my Jeep was
 nearly up to its axles in mud.

A few miles away from the site, at the rest area where U.S. Highway 
400 meets U.S. Highway 169, is a state historical marker about the 
Benders. It doesn’t give the location of the site, just saying it is 
near.

The narrative on the marker indicates how attitudes toward the Benders have changed over the years, at least among historians.

The text on the marker, as originally provided by the state 
historical society, described Kate Bender as “a beautiful, voluptuous 
girl with tigerish grace” and “the leading spirit of the murderous 
family.” The description was typical of most narratives about the 
Benders and, in 1970, is what led Samuel Goldwyn Jr. to openly speculate
 whom he should cast as the beautiful and diabolical Kate in an intended
 major release. Jacqueline Bissett seemed a frontrunner.

While Goldwyn’s film was never made, there have been smaller films featuring the Benders. In 2016’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0s5lOHliQY">“Bender,”</a> Nicole Jellen played Kate. There have also been novels and graphic novels, most notably <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Geary">Rick Geary’s</a> “Saga of Bloody Benders.” There have been a mountain of nonfiction books, the latest of which is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622578/hells-half-acre-by-susan-jonusas/">“Hell’s Half Acre”</a> by Susan Jonusas, set for release in March 2022, which promises to tell us the “untold story.”

The current state historical marker has been edited to omit any 
mention of Kate as voluptuous or possessing grace, tigerish or 
otherwise. While Kate is an intriguing historical figure, there’s just 
no evidence to suggest she was the family mastermind. Murder is a dull 
and brutish business, no temptress required.

If there is an untold story to be told about the 1873 horror seven 
miles northeast of Cherryvale, chances are it won’t come from a movie or
 a book. But it just might emerge from the mud at the base of a mound on
 an otherwise featureless parcel of farmland recently purchased by a 
local kid who was fascinated by one of the bloodiest true stories in 
Kansas history.

Max McCoy is an award-winning author and journalist. A native Kansan, he started his career at the Pittsburg Morning Sun and was soon writing for national magazines. His investigative stories on unsolved murders, serial killers and hate groups earned him first-place awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors and other organizations.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635698519503.png" alt="The Benders operated a modest “inn” on the Osage Trail northeast of Cherryvale in the 1870s. They also murdered at least a dozen travelers. The Bender cabin was at a mound not unlike this one, which is a mile or so from the actual site, which has no visible trace of the mayhem which took place there. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Benders operated a modest “inn” on the Osage Trail northeast of Cherryvale in the 1870s. They also murdered at least a dozen travelers. The Bender cabin was at a mound not unlike this one, which is a mile or so from the actual site, which has no visible trace of the mayhem which took place there. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MAX MCCOY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/31/a-mysterious-murder-site-has-a-new-owner-hes-looking-for-answers-about-the-bloody-benders/">Kansas Reflector</a>CHERRYVALE — The chain of low hills known as the Bender Mounds 
extends in a diagonal seven miles northeast of here, islands of 
limestone and scrubby trees over level fields where this time of year 
soybeans have just been harvested. The lonely hills meander across what 
is now U.S. Highway 400, where travelers whoosh by in comfort at 65 mph.But 150 years ago, the rugged Osage Trail ran between these mounds, 
somewhat north of the present highway. This section of the trail ran the
 47 miles from the Osage Mission at what is now St. Paul to 
Independence, Kansas, and food and lodging was hard to come by. Tired 
and hungry travelers would sometimes stop for a hot meal and a hard bed 
at the Bender Inn, a two-room frame cabin on the south side of the trail
 between the mounds.Many of the travelers were never seen again, victims of a 
multiple-murdering frontier family that has gone down in history as the 
Bloody Benders. The Bender saga is a thoroughly American crime story, 
full of mystery and gore, and their story is as famous in its way as the
 gunfight at the O.K. Corral or the killing of Billy the Kid. But the 
enduring mystery behind the Benders is what happened to them. They 
vanished into history and became the stuff of nightmares — and books, 
television shows and movies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635698577441.png" alt="Bob Miller purchased the land where the Benders’ cabin was once located. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Bob Miller purchased the land where the Benders’ cabin was once located. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>“I bought it because I love history and would like to find out where 
(the killings) happened,” said Bob Miller, a Wells Fargo financial 
adviser from Independence, Kansas, who now owns the parcel where the 
Bender cabin is believed to have stood.For 65 years, Miller said, the land was owned by a family who farmed 
it out and had little interest in its history. No search of the property
 for the location of the cabin or graves was formally conducted, at 
least not that anybody could remember. When the property came up for 
auction last year, through Indiana firm Schrader Real Estate and Auction
 Co., Miller knew he had to bid on it.Miller won by purchasing a package of parcels that included the Bender site. He declined to disclose how much he paid.“I really like history a lot,” he told me. “I’ve never had an acre of
 land before. Somewhere, somehow, some way, I’m going to get some kind 
of expert investigation going there. The whole thing is just so bizarre,
 and one of America’s first documented mass murders.”Miller grew up on tales of the Benders and often visited the old 
historical museum in Cherryvale where a replica cabin stood and the town
 celebrated “Bender Days.” The story is the kind of gruesome stuff that 
has fascinated kids for generations, especially Kansas kids like me.“Between 1870 and 1873 several travelers who disappeared between 
Independence and Osage Mission were traced to within a few miles of the 
Bender Mounds,” according to the WPA guide to Kansas published in 1939. 
“So many stories of mystery, murder, and the supernatural were 
associated with the area that cautious persons would go long distances 
to avoid it.”By all accounts, the Benders were a strange lot. There were four of 
them, including an older couple named John Sr. and Kate, and a younger 
couple, also named John and Kate. They had come from St. Louis in 
1870-71 to join a small community of Spiritualists, part of a movement 
that flourished after the carnage of the Civil War and maintained it was
 possible to talk to the dead.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635698605893.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The older Benders were described as unpleasant and spoke mostly 
German. But the younger Benders were different. They may have been 
brother and sister, or perhaps common law husband and wife. John Jr. was
 strong and handsome. But it was young Kate that attracted the most 
attention, a red-haired 20-something who was a trance medium, advertised
 herself in local newspapers as “Prof. Katie Bender,” and who claimed 
supernatural powers to heal.By May 1873, the mystery of the missing travelers would be solved.A search party found the Bender cabin deserted and their livestock 
untended. In an orchard out back they found the remains of between eight
 and 11 bodies —it was difficult to determine exactly how many, but at 
least one was a child — and a trapdoor in the floor of the cabin that 
led to a bloody cellar, rank with blood and gore.“Though stories of strange experiences at the inn had circulated 
throughout the community since its establishment, few had given them 
credence,” according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/bender-knife/10106">Kansas Historical Society</a>.
 “After the discovery, though, such tales seemed more plausible. 
Neighbors reported violent behavior, strange séances, and narrowly 
escaping with their lives.”It was theorized that victims were forced to sit at a table with 
their backs against a stained canvas curtain and, while distracted by 
Kate — who gets most of the blame in traditional accounts — were 
dispatched by a hammer blow to the back of the head. After being shoved 
through the trap door into the bloody cellar, they may have been 
finished off with a knife across the throat. The motive was robbery, as 
travelers often carried large amounts of cash to buy land and cattle.But nobody knows for sure what happened in the cabin. Those who did know ended up dead or disappeared.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635698699304.png" alt=" The Bender Room, in the Cherryvale Historical Museum, offers an exhibit about the family and slayings. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The Bender Room, in the Cherryvale Historical Museum, offers an exhibit about the family and slayings. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>When the Bender site went up for auction last year, it renewed my 
interest in the bloody family. Stories about the upcoming auction ran in
 news outlets around the world. Not having the means, or frankly the 
will, to own such a site, I submitted no bid. But after the sale, I did 
contact the auction company a couple of times, asking to be put in touch
 with the new owners. Unsurprisingly, the auction company did not 
respond to my requests.But I lucked out last weekend when I visited the Cherryvale 
Historical Museum. The museum used to be downtown, but it’s now in what 
was once a private residence and is open 1-4 p.m. on Sundays. The 
replica Bender cabin that used to be at the old museum is long gone. 
Cherryvale doesn’t celebrate Bender Days anymore, either.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635698736331.png" alt="The Benders’ hammers are displayed at Cherryvale Historical Museum on Oct. 24. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Benders’ hammers are displayed at Cherryvale Historical Museum on Oct. 24. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The museum still has three hammers taken from the Bender property 
shortly after the crimes were discovered, and I wanted to see them. They
 were there, in a cabinet behind bulletproof glass that has become hazy 
with the passage of the years. They were difficult to photograph, so I 
asked if the case could be opened.No dice, I was told.But the kind woman who was tending the museum that day suggested I 
contact local historian Carol Staton, who knew more about the Benders 
than just about anybody in town. So I did, and had a pleasant 
conversation with Staton about a particularly unpleasant crime. Then I 
asked if she knew who had bought the land at auction.Why yes, she said. It was a friend of hers in Independence. She gave me Bob Miller’s name.Miller told me he hasn’t done anything with the land since buying it 
in February because he just hasn’t had the time. He would like to 
investigate the site, he said. It is undoubtedly the piece of land the 
cabin was on, but the actual location of the cabin and the orchard have 
been lost over the years. Because he has a keen interest in history and a
 respect for doing things right, Miller said he’d like to partner with a
 team of professional archaeologists, perhaps from a Kansas university, 
to do a ground-penetrating radar study and possibly undertake 
excavations.There may be more to the Bender story than we know, he said. Finding 
the location of the cellar abattoir or the orchard cemetery may lead to 
discoveries that were not possible with 1870s technology. Some of the 
victims were never identified.“If we could find some stuff,” Miller said, “some bones or maybe 
teeth, that would allow for DNA matching with living relatives.”The Benders were discovered when the relative of a victim went searching in 1873.Col. Alexander York, a state senator and Civil War veteran, wanted to
 find his missing brother, physician William York. Dr. York, who had 
disappeared on the Osage Trail.Scouting the trail with a posse of 15 or so men, Col. York called 
upon the Bender Inn. The Benders said yes, the doctor had been there, 
but he had left unharmed. Kate suggested, the story goes, that for a 
price she could use her clairvoyant powers to help locate the missing 
man. The colonel left, but suspicion lingered.The cabin was later found deserted. The discovery of the bodies, including that of Dr. York, followed.A wagon and team belonging to the Benders was later located abandoned
 near Thayer, and a clerk at the depot there said four individuals 
matching the family’s description had bought tickets and boarded a train
 to Humboldt. That’s the last real clue we have as to the murderous 
family’s fate, even though the governor of Kansas at the time offered a 
$2,000 reward for their capture.Over the years, tales have placed the Benders in Canada, in St. 
Louis, and even escaping — however improbably — in a hot air balloon. 
These stories have continued unabated, and as recently as 2013 amateur 
sleuths claimed to have solved the mystery of the Benders, including one
 theory that young John and Katie lived the rest of their lives in 
Colorado and <a target="_blank" href="https://truewestmagazine.com/article/history-mystery-solved-hiding-in-plain-sight/">are buried in plain sight</a> at Glenwood Springs.None of these are convincing to me.The two theories that seem most likely are that the Benders 
successfully escaped to parts unknown, or that they were lynched by 
locals and buried in secret. The former is more probable, as it’s been 
my experience that people have a hard time keeping a secret — and a 
secret as big as the fate of the Benders couldn’t be kept by a group for
 15 minutes, much less a century and a half.“It’s just a mystery that keeps perpetuating itself,” Staton, the local historian, said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635698783986.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>After the bodies were found in 1873, the cabin was ripped apart, 
board by board, until nothing was left. In time, all visible traces of 
the Bender place disappeared at the mound, just as the Benders 
themselves disappeared.Staton said she has visited the site, or at least peered at it from 
the public road. An individual on the museum board, she said, has 
sometimes led private tours out to the Bender Mounds, and this persuaded
 the board to consider hosting day trips.Miller said he has no plans to open the site to the public as yet, because he wants professionals to survey the location first.On my trip to Cherryvale last weekend, I drove out to the Bender 
Mounds. I’m not going to reveal the precise location of the site, 
because like Miller I fear a loss of historical data beneath a crush of 
uninvited visitors. I can tell you that the roads around the site are 
poorly maintained, and that some are impassible in wet weather without a
 four-wheel drive vehicle. On one half-mile stretch of road, my Jeep was
 nearly up to its axles in mud.A few miles away from the site, at the rest area where U.S. Highway 
400 meets U.S. Highway 169, is a state historical marker about the 
Benders. It doesn’t give the location of the site, just saying it is 
near.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635698835197.png" alt="The Bender historical marker sits at a rest area at the intersection of U.S. Highway 400 and U.S. Highway 169 near Cherryvale. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Bender historical marker sits at a rest area at the intersection of U.S. Highway 400 and U.S. Highway 169 near Cherryvale. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The narrative on the marker indicates how attitudes toward the Benders have changed over the years, at least among historians.The text on the marker, as originally provided by the state 
historical society, described Kate Bender as “a beautiful, voluptuous 
girl with tigerish grace” and “the leading spirit of the murderous 
family.” The description was typical of most narratives about the 
Benders and, in 1970, is what led Samuel Goldwyn Jr. to openly speculate
 whom he should cast as the beautiful and diabolical Kate in an intended
 major release. Jacqueline Bissett seemed a frontrunner.While Goldwyn’s film was never made, there have been smaller films featuring the Benders. In 2016’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0s5lOHliQY">“Bender,”</a> Nicole Jellen played Kate. There have also been novels and graphic novels, most notably <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Geary">Rick Geary’s</a> “Saga of Bloody Benders.” There have been a mountain of nonfiction books, the latest of which is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622578/hells-half-acre-by-susan-jonusas/">“Hell’s Half Acre”</a> by Susan Jonusas, set for release in March 2022, which promises to tell us the “untold story.”The current state historical marker has been edited to omit any 
mention of Kate as voluptuous or possessing grace, tigerish or 
otherwise. While Kate is an intriguing historical figure, there’s just 
no evidence to suggest she was the family mastermind. Murder is a dull 
and brutish business, no temptress required.If there is an untold story to be told about the 1873 horror seven 
miles northeast of Cherryvale, chances are it won’t come from a movie or
 a book. But it just might emerge from the mud at the base of a mound on
 an otherwise featureless parcel of farmland recently purchased by a 
local kid who was fascinated by one of the bloodiest true stories in 
Kansas history.Max McCoy is an award-winning author and journalist. A native Kansan, he started his career at the Pittsburg Morning Sun and was soon writing for national magazines. His investigative stories on unsolved murders, serial killers and hate groups earned him first-place awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors and other organizations.&nbsp;

New owner looking for answers about Kansas' Bloody Benders

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have a suspect in custody.

At 5:30 a.m. Saturday, police were working a call in the 1700 block of SW Clay in Topeka when they saw a disturbance in the 1800 block of SW Clay, according to Police Lt. Kelvin Johnson.

As the officers were approaching the disturbance, they heard gun shots&nbsp; saw people running. Two individuals were detained and found to be the victims of an aggravated assault.

Information led them to a residence on that block where the suspect had run back into. Police surrounded the house and they called the suspect out where he was eventually taken into custody.

The suspect was identified as Jerome C. Vetaw, 42 of Topeka. Police arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Assault,&nbsp;&nbsp;Criminal Possession of a Firearm and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell, according to Johnson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635627435322.png" alt="Vetaw photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Vetaw photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have a suspect in custody.At 5:30 a.m. Saturday, police were working a call in the 1700 block of SW Clay in Topeka when they saw a disturbance in the 1800 block of SW Clay, according to Police Lt. Kelvin Johnson.As the officers were approaching the disturbance, they heard gun shots&nbsp; saw people running. Two individuals were detained and found to be the victims of an aggravated assault.Information led them to a residence on that block where the suspect had run back into. Police surrounded the house and they called the suspect out where he was eventually taken into custody.The suspect was identified as Jerome C. Vetaw, 42 of Topeka. Police arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Assault,&nbsp;&nbsp;Criminal Possession of a Firearm and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell, according to Johnson.

Police catch suspect in Kan. drug deal shooting

By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-10-28/picking-health-insurance-is-hard-experts-offer-these-5-tips">Kansas News Service</a>

Choosing the right health insurance plan each year is an anxiety filled, complicated and overwhelming process.

You
 get a couple of weeks or, if you’re lucky, a few months to go over 
multiple options either provided through your employer or on the federal
 marketplace. That means sorting through terms like deductible, co-insurance and HSA that even experts have a hard time comprehending.

So
 you might just go with what you had last year, even if it might mean 
you end up spending more money than necessary or leave yourself open to a
 huge financial risk in the event of an unforeseen emergency.

We can’t make the process any less complicated. But the Kansas News Service spoke with a few experts for tips.

The first, and most basic step, is to know when your open enrollment period begins.

Many private employer-based health insurance plans open enrollment around October.

For
 those who get their health insurance from the federal marketplace, the 
open enrollment period begins Nov. 1 and runs through January 15.

Julia Voss is a certified application counselor with <a href="http://centralplainshealthcarepartnership.org/index.php/project-access/" target="_blank">Project Access</a> in Sedgwick County. She said it’s important to begin looking at healthcare.gov plans as soon as you can.

“You
 may have some questions that you need to investigate and do some more 
research on, so the earlier you do that the sooner you’re going to be 
able to make a good decision about meeting your needs,” she said.

It’s
 also important to recognize that choosing a health insurance plan will 
take effort. It might help to think about making health insurance 
selections the same way as you think about doing your taxes every year.

“Except
 you can pay someone to do your taxes for you,” said Emily Vardell, an 
assistant professor at Emporia State University who studies health 
insurance literacy. “You really can’t pay someone to pick your health 
insurance.”

Sure, both are a chore, she said, but with a little effort or some outside help, you can end up saving yourself a lot of money.

Before knowing what coverage will be best moving forward, it’s good to know how you’re already using the coverage you have.

Do you go to the doctor often? Is there a specialist you need to see? How many prescriptions do you need filled?

Vardell
 said looking at your previous usage will give you a better 
understanding of how much you actually spend, which could influence 
whether you choose a plan with a higher deductible and lower monthly 
premium or vice-versa.

She said you can find the information at 
your online health insurance account, looking at the statements sent to 
you in the mail, or even just back at your calendar.

Next, ask yourself if there’s any medical procedures you can plan.

Do you have a chronic condition? Are you planning on having a baby? Or knee surgery?

If
 so, you might consider changing to a plan with a lower deductible or 
coinsurance, even if it means paying a higher monthly premium.

“That’s
 kind of the beauty and the pain of health insurance,” Vardell said. 
“You have to pick every year, but at least you can change it to fit your
 needs.”

Voss, the application counselor, said it’s also important to look at the details of plans, especially really low-cost coverage.

Some plans only
 allow you to see a doctor once every three months, she said, and if you
 have three or four doctors you see regularly that’s probably not going 
to be the best plan.

All of the experts we spoke with said don’t be afraid to use any and all resources available.

If
 you’re on an employer-sponsored plan, reach out to your human resources
 manager. At larger companies, they’ll often have events or webinars 
that will explain the options and give people the opportunity to ask 
questions. They’re worth your time. The wrong call on an insurance plan 
can mean a difference of tens of thousands of dollars.

If you’re selecting a plan through the federal marketplace, Healthcare.gov has a <a href="https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/#/" target="_blank">find-a-navigator tool</a>.
 This will allow you to find people in your area, like Voss, who are 
trained to help people through the application and selection process.

Many
 other local and state agencies and nonprofits can answer questions 
about Medicaid and Medicare eligibility and application processes.

There are also several online tools, including <a href="https://www.justplainclear.com/en" target="_blank">JustPlainClear.com</a> which allows you to look up the meaning of terms such as deductible, coinsurance and HMO.

Voss
 also suggested asking people in your trusted circle, including friends 
and family members, about how they make health insurance choices and 
whether they’ve liked a certain aspect of a plan or not.

Katherine
 Baicker is a health economist and the dean of the Harris School of 
Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She said whatever you end up
 deciding, just do something.

“Being insured is much better than being uninsured,” she said.

Even
 if you have a high deductible plan that leaves you paying out of pocket
 for most of your health care costs, it’s better than not having 
insurance at all. It could be your last defense against financial ruin.

For instance, Insurers
 will often negotiate discounts with providers. That means the price 
you’ll pay, even if you still haven’t met your deductible, would be less
 than the non-insured rate the provider charges.

For young, 
healthy people, she said that choice can be hard because spending any 
money on a health premium can seem like a waste.

“But It wasn’t 
wasted, you might have gotten sick.” Baicker said. “And you had that 
protection whether you ended up using it or not in the same way that I 
have homeowners insurance and every year that my house doesn’t burn 
down, that’s a good year.”

Ultimately, even a low-cost plan can 
protect against catastrophically high expenses that can come from an 
accident or a surprise diagnosis such as cancer.

In the end, the 
experts all said that the system is probably a lot more complicated than
 necessary, but until that changes, it’s worth it to try to understand 
how you can make it work best for you.

“It can be empowering to 
say I’m not going to let the insurance company take advantage of me,” 
Vardell said. “I’m going to make a decision that’s going to help my 
family save money.”

Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, 
energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News 
Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en" target="_blank">@briangrimmett</a> or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635445902970.png" alt="Health insurance plan information often provides an alphabet soup of terms and abbreviations. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Health insurance plan information often provides an alphabet soup of terms and abbreviations. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-10-28/picking-health-insurance-is-hard-experts-offer-these-5-tips">Kansas News Service</a>Choosing the right health insurance plan each year is an anxiety filled, complicated and overwhelming process.You
 get a couple of weeks or, if you’re lucky, a few months to go over 
multiple options either provided through your employer or on the federal
 marketplace. That means sorting through terms like deductible, co-insurance and HSA that even experts have a hard time comprehending.So
 you might just go with what you had last year, even if it might mean 
you end up spending more money than necessary or leave yourself open to a
 huge financial risk in the event of an unforeseen emergency.We can’t make the process any less complicated. But the Kansas News Service spoke with a few experts for tips.<h2>Prepare</h2>The first, and most basic step, is to know when your open enrollment period begins.Many private employer-based health insurance plans open enrollment around October.For
 those who get their health insurance from the federal marketplace, the 
open enrollment period begins Nov. 1 and runs through January 15.Julia Voss is a certified application counselor with <a href="http://centralplainshealthcarepartnership.org/index.php/project-access/" target="_blank">Project Access</a> in Sedgwick County. She said it’s important to begin looking at healthcare.gov plans as soon as you can.“You
 may have some questions that you need to investigate and do some more 
research on, so the earlier you do that the sooner you’re going to be 
able to make a good decision about meeting your needs,” she said.It’s
 also important to recognize that choosing a health insurance plan will 
take effort. It might help to think about making health insurance 
selections the same way as you think about doing your taxes every year.“Except
 you can pay someone to do your taxes for you,” said Emily Vardell, an 
assistant professor at Emporia State University who studies health 
insurance literacy. “You really can’t pay someone to pick your health 
insurance.”Sure, both are a chore, she said, but with a little effort or some outside help, you can end up saving yourself a lot of money.<h2>Reflect back</h2>Before knowing what coverage will be best moving forward, it’s good to know how you’re already using the coverage you have.Do you go to the doctor often? Is there a specialist you need to see? How many prescriptions do you need filled?Vardell
 said looking at your previous usage will give you a better 
understanding of how much you actually spend, which could influence 
whether you choose a plan with a higher deductible and lower monthly 
premium or vice-versa.She said you can find the information at 
your online health insurance account, looking at the statements sent to 
you in the mail, or even just back at your calendar.<h2>Plan ahead</h2>Next, ask yourself if there’s any medical procedures you can plan.Do you have a chronic condition? Are you planning on having a baby? Or knee surgery?If
 so, you might consider changing to a plan with a lower deductible or 
coinsurance, even if it means paying a higher monthly premium.“That’s
 kind of the beauty and the pain of health insurance,” Vardell said. 
“You have to pick every year, but at least you can change it to fit your
 needs.”Voss, the application counselor, said it’s also important to look at the details of plans, especially really low-cost coverage.Some plans only
 allow you to see a doctor once every three months, she said, and if you
 have three or four doctors you see regularly that’s probably not going 
to be the best plan.<h2>Get help</h2>All of the experts we spoke with said don’t be afraid to use any and all resources available.If
 you’re on an employer-sponsored plan, reach out to your human resources
 manager. At larger companies, they’ll often have events or webinars 
that will explain the options and give people the opportunity to ask 
questions. They’re worth your time. The wrong call on an insurance plan 
can mean a difference of tens of thousands of dollars.If you’re selecting a plan through the federal marketplace, Healthcare.gov has a <a href="https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/#/" target="_blank">find-a-navigator tool</a>.
 This will allow you to find people in your area, like Voss, who are 
trained to help people through the application and selection process.Many
 other local and state agencies and nonprofits can answer questions 
about Medicaid and Medicare eligibility and application processes.There are also several online tools, including <a href="https://www.justplainclear.com/en" target="_blank">JustPlainClear.com</a> which allows you to look up the meaning of terms such as deductible, coinsurance and HMO.Voss
 also suggested asking people in your trusted circle, including friends 
and family members, about how they make health insurance choices and 
whether they’ve liked a certain aspect of a plan or not.<h2>Anything is better than nothing</h2>Katherine
 Baicker is a health economist and the dean of the Harris School of 
Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She said whatever you end up
 deciding, just do something.“Being insured is much better than being uninsured,” she said.Even
 if you have a high deductible plan that leaves you paying out of pocket
 for most of your health care costs, it’s better than not having 
insurance at all. It could be your last defense against financial ruin.For instance, Insurers
 will often negotiate discounts with providers. That means the price 
you’ll pay, even if you still haven’t met your deductible, would be less
 than the non-insured rate the provider charges.For young, 
healthy people, she said that choice can be hard because spending any 
money on a health premium can seem like a waste.“But It wasn’t 
wasted, you might have gotten sick.” Baicker said. “And you had that 
protection whether you ended up using it or not in the same way that I 
have homeowners insurance and every year that my house doesn’t burn 
down, that’s a good year.”Ultimately, even a low-cost plan can 
protect against catastrophically high expenses that can come from an 
accident or a surprise diagnosis such as cancer.In the end, the 
experts all said that the system is probably a lot more complicated than
 necessary, but until that changes, it’s worth it to try to understand 
how you can make it work best for you.“It can be empowering to 
say I’m not going to let the insurance company take advantage of me,” 
Vardell said. “I’m going to make a decision that’s going to help my 
family save money.”Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, 
energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News 
Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en" target="_blank">@briangrimmett</a> or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org.

Picking health insurance is hard. Experts offer these 5 tips

JACKSON COUNTY —A 7-year-old boy died in an accident on a hay ride just after 7:30p.m. Saturday in a rural area of Jackson County, according to Sheriff Darryl Forte.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the boy was clinging to the trailer pulled by a John Deere tractor in the&nbsp; 1300 Block of Pratt Road just south of Poindexter Road. The boy fell and the trailer hit him.

Jackson County South ambulance transported the boy in critical condition to Lee's Summit Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.&nbsp; The MSHP has not released the child's name.

JACKSON COUNTY —A 7-year-old boy died in an accident on a hay ride just after 7:30p.m. Saturday in a rural area of Jackson County, according to Sheriff Darryl Forte.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the boy was clinging to the trailer pulled by a John Deere tractor in the&nbsp; 1300 Block of Pratt Road just south of Poindexter Road. The boy fell and the trailer hit him.Jackson County South ambulance transported the boy in critical condition to Lee's Summit Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.&nbsp; The MSHP has not released the child's name.

7-year-old dies after fall during hay ride near Kansas City

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Hundreds of people opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates rallied Saturday at the Kansas Statehouse, encouraged by Republicans who see President Joe Biden’s policies as a spur for higher turnout among conservative voters.

The rally kicked off ahead of a rare weekend legislative committee hearing on mandates that affect as many as 100 million Americans. The hearing gave dozens of mandate opponents a chance to vent their frustration and anger both with the Democratic president’s administration and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Many of the speakers during the committee’s hearing argued that lawmakers should call themselves into special session instead of waiting until 2022. Lawmakers can do that without Kelly if two-thirds of them sign a petition, but so far such an effort hasn’t gained much traction.

“If we allow this to continue, there will be no stopping further government overreach,” said Cody Foster, a utility line worker and volunteer firefighter in central Kansas.

Meanwhile, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers rejected testimony from Cornell Beard, the president of its Wichita district, who on Friday compared the mandates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-bf71306f4f6aafb8175e38838c624d32">to the Holocaust</a>&nbsp;that killed million of Jews during World War II. A committee member, Republican Rep. Brenda Landwehr, of Wichita, appeared to agree with the comparison.

The Machinists union issued a statement Saturday saying it “strongly condemns the offensive and inappropriate comparison” made by Beard.

The legislative panel’s name — the joint Committee on Government Overreach and the Impact of COVID-19 Mandates — signals that Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature already have concluded that the mandates violate people’s liberties. But many are not yet sure what power the state has to resist.

The committee is supposed to recommend steps for the Legislature to take. It opened hearings Friday, and almost everyone testifying so far has strongly opposed vaccine mandates, with some repeating misinformation about vaccine safety.

Saturday’s hearing came after state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican hoping to unseat Kelly next year, announced that he has brought Kansas into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-lawsuits-missouri-99fb3b040661c71ddde1ded37a2f5b87">a federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against Biden’s vaccine mandate for employees of government contractors.

The Biden administration is also requiring vaccinations for all federal workers and certain health care workers. Private employers with 100 or more workers will have to require them to be vaccinated or tested weekly.

“The war at hand is the well-being of our nation, the soul of our nation,” Republican state Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson anesthesiologist and pain-management doctor who’s promoted discredited COVID-19 conspiracy theories and dubious treatments, said at the start of Saturday’s hearing.

Republican activists and consultants across the country contend that opposition to vaccine mandates could create a movement akin to the tea party movement.

Participants in the Statehouse rally brought Gadsden flags — which say show a coiled snake and say, “Don’t tread on me.” Speakers urged attendees to vote for candidates who oppose vaccine and mask mandates in Tuesday’s local school board elections.

“If we do not consent, we cannot be governed,” state Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican, told the crowd.

Other speakers included former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a polarizing conservative and vocal ally of former President Donald Trump who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-biden-cabinet-immigration-government-and-politics-8cca8944f9921f1b55b032874c2e3726">running for Kansas attorney general</a>&nbsp;next year. A former law professor, Kobach said he would testify at the committee hearing as an expert on the U.S. Constitution.

“This is an organic grassroots uprising of the people,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635623502835.png" alt="Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach spoke to those gathered at the Capitol to push back against federal mandates-photo courtesy Kris Kobach" />
 <figcaption>Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach spoke to those gathered at the Capitol to push back against federal mandates-photo courtesy Kris Kobach</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Hundreds of people opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates rallied Saturday at the Kansas Statehouse, encouraged by Republicans who see President Joe Biden’s policies as a spur for higher turnout among conservative voters.The rally kicked off ahead of a rare weekend legislative committee hearing on mandates that affect as many as 100 million Americans. The hearing gave dozens of mandate opponents a chance to vent their frustration and anger both with the Democratic president’s administration and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.Many of the speakers during the committee’s hearing argued that lawmakers should call themselves into special session instead of waiting until 2022. Lawmakers can do that without Kelly if two-thirds of them sign a petition, but so far such an effort hasn’t gained much traction.“If we allow this to continue, there will be no stopping further government overreach,” said Cody Foster, a utility line worker and volunteer firefighter in central Kansas.Meanwhile, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers rejected testimony from Cornell Beard, the president of its Wichita district, who on Friday compared the mandates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-bf71306f4f6aafb8175e38838c624d32">to the Holocaust</a>&nbsp;that killed million of Jews during World War II. A committee member, Republican Rep. Brenda Landwehr, of Wichita, appeared to agree with the comparison.The Machinists union issued a statement Saturday saying it “strongly condemns the offensive and inappropriate comparison” made by Beard.The legislative panel’s name — the joint Committee on Government Overreach and the Impact of COVID-19 Mandates — signals that Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature already have concluded that the mandates violate people’s liberties. But many are not yet sure what power the state has to resist.The committee is supposed to recommend steps for the Legislature to take. It opened hearings Friday, and almost everyone testifying so far has strongly opposed vaccine mandates, with some repeating misinformation about vaccine safety.Saturday’s hearing came after state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican hoping to unseat Kelly next year, announced that he has brought Kansas into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-lawsuits-missouri-99fb3b040661c71ddde1ded37a2f5b87">a federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against Biden’s vaccine mandate for employees of government contractors.The Biden administration is also requiring vaccinations for all federal workers and certain health care workers. Private employers with 100 or more workers will have to require them to be vaccinated or tested weekly.“The war at hand is the well-being of our nation, the soul of our nation,” Republican state Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson anesthesiologist and pain-management doctor who’s promoted discredited COVID-19 conspiracy theories and dubious treatments, said at the start of Saturday’s hearing.Republican activists and consultants across the country contend that opposition to vaccine mandates could create a movement akin to the tea party movement.Participants in the Statehouse rally brought Gadsden flags — which say show a coiled snake and say, “Don’t tread on me.” Speakers urged attendees to vote for candidates who oppose vaccine and mask mandates in Tuesday’s local school board elections.“If we do not consent, we cannot be governed,” state Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican, told the crowd.Other speakers included former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a polarizing conservative and vocal ally of former President Donald Trump who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-biden-cabinet-immigration-government-and-politics-8cca8944f9921f1b55b032874c2e3726">running for Kansas attorney general</a>&nbsp;next year. A former law professor, Kobach said he would testify at the committee hearing as an expert on the U.S. Constitution.“This is an organic grassroots uprising of the people,” he said.

Kansas vaccine mandate foes rally at the Statehouse

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Another case that will help draw some lines regarding gun laws in the United States is due to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday.

"In two previous cases, the person who was expressing their right to have a handgun without a license kept it in their home," said KU Law professor Lou Mulligan. "The court in both cases ruled that an individual has an individual right to have a handgun in their home without a special license, again, in the home. What we're seeing in this New York case, New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen case, is we're seeing, does this individual right to have a handgun without a license, does that extend to carrying a handgun out in public?"

New York law requires anyone who wants a license to carry a concealed handgun outside of the home to show “proper cause” for the license. Courts in New York have defined “proper cause” to require applicants to show a special need to defend themselves. The petitioners argue that you keep arms inside the home, but you bear arms outside the home and both are in the Second Amendment.

The three most recent appointees, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett are thought to be likely to interpret the text in the context of the time when it was written, rather than any modern interpretation of the words.

"On the left or the right, they are going to take their authentically held approach to interpreting the Constitution and they're going to bring it to this question," Mulligan said. "I don't know enough about the individual justices second amendment jurisprudence to give you a prediction."

There are numerous friend of the court briefs that have been filed in the case on both sides. The question isn't even necessarily what the decision will be as much as it is clarifying what the standard of scrutiny will be going forward. The justices traditionally take several months to decide a case once oral arguments are held, so it will likely be well into 2022 before the result is known.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Another case that will help draw some lines regarding gun laws in the United States is due to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday."In two previous cases, the person who was expressing their right to have a handgun without a license kept it in their home," said KU Law professor Lou Mulligan. "The court in both cases ruled that an individual has an individual right to have a handgun in their home without a special license, again, in the home. What we're seeing in this New York case, New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen case, is we're seeing, does this individual right to have a handgun without a license, does that extend to carrying a handgun out in public?"New York law requires anyone who wants a license to carry a concealed handgun outside of the home to show “proper cause” for the license. Courts in New York have defined “proper cause” to require applicants to show a special need to defend themselves. The petitioners argue that you keep arms inside the home, but you bear arms outside the home and both are in the Second Amendment.The three most recent appointees, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett are thought to be likely to interpret the text in the context of the time when it was written, rather than any modern interpretation of the words."On the left or the right, they are going to take their authentically held approach to interpreting the Constitution and they're going to bring it to this question," Mulligan said. "I don't know enough about the individual justices second amendment jurisprudence to give you a prediction."There are numerous friend of the court briefs that have been filed in the case on both sides. The question isn't even necessarily what the decision will be as much as it is clarifying what the standard of scrutiny will be going forward. The justices traditionally take several months to decide a case once oral arguments are held, so it will likely be well into 2022 before the result is known.

2nd amendment question once again before SCOTUS

COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — A 53-year-old man who fatally burned his neighbor and injured two police officers has been sentenced to life in prison. 

Harvey Raymond Ortberg, of Baxter Springs, was sentenced Monday. He pleaded guilty in July to first-degree murder in the 2017 death of 65-year-old Sharon Horn. He also was sentenced to nine years and four months for injuring two officers. Prosecutors said Ortberg attacked Horn in her Baxter Springs home. 

When officers Jimmy Hamilton and Justin Butler arrived, Ortberg doused himself and the others with gasoline and set the fire. Hamilton suffered severe burns and was in a burn unit at a Springfield, Missouri, hospital for months before being released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635530957950.png" alt="Ortberg-photo Cherokee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ortberg-photo Cherokee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — A 53-year-old man who fatally burned his neighbor and injured two police officers has been sentenced to life in prison. Harvey Raymond Ortberg, of Baxter Springs, was sentenced Monday. He pleaded guilty in July to first-degree murder in the 2017 death of 65-year-old Sharon Horn. He also was sentenced to nine years and four months for injuring two officers. Prosecutors said Ortberg attacked Horn in her Baxter Springs home. When officers Jimmy Hamilton and Justin Butler arrived, Ortberg doused himself and the others with gasoline and set the fire. Hamilton suffered severe burns and was in a burn unit at a Springfield, Missouri, hospital for months before being released.

Life in prison: Man burned Kan. woman to death, injured officers

ELLSWORTH COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Saturday in Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Mazda 3 Grand Touring driven by Jose S. Medina, 26, Phoenix, Az., was fleeing law enforcement westbound in the 700 Block of Avenue N just east of 7th Road.

The driver lost control of the vehicle. It traveled into the ditch and rolled.

EMS transported passengers Destiny Lorraine Armstrong, 18, Glendale, Az. and&nbsp;Kennedy, Alaina Ann Kennedy, 31, Council Bluffs, IA., to the Ellsworth County Medical Center. Medina was not injured. Kennedy was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Authorities have not released details on what prompted the chase.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Saturday in Ellsworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Mazda 3 Grand Touring driven by Jose S. Medina, 26, Phoenix, Az., was fleeing law enforcement westbound in the 700 Block of Avenue N just east of 7th Road.The driver lost control of the vehicle. It traveled into the ditch and rolled.EMS transported passengers Destiny Lorraine Armstrong, 18, Glendale, Az. and&nbsp;Kennedy, Alaina Ann Kennedy, 31, Council Bluffs, IA., to the Ellsworth County Medical Center. Medina was not injured. Kennedy was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.Authorities have not released details on what prompted the chase.

KHP: 2 hospitalized after crash during police chase

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a Kansas City, Kansas man with one count of bank robbery and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, in September 2021, Davonte Chaney, 29, allegedly used a semi-automatic pistol to rob Truity Credit Union on West 31st Street in Lawrence, Kansas.&nbsp;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lawrence, Kansas Police Department investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635251246746.png" alt="Chaney-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Chaney-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a Kansas City, Kansas man with one count of bank robbery and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, in September 2021, Davonte Chaney, 29, allegedly used a semi-automatic pistol to rob Truity Credit Union on West 31st Street in Lawrence, Kansas.&nbsp;The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lawrence, Kansas Police Department investigated the case.

Indictment: Man used semi-automatic pistol during Kan. bank robbery

SHAWNEE COUNTY —A Kansas man is awaiting sentencing for the murder of his mother.

On Oct. 24, 46-year-old David E. Wood, Jr. of Topeka entered a guilty plea to second degree intentional murder for the 2019 beating death of&nbsp;69-year-old Kyong “Carol” Wood, of Topeka, according to the Shawnee County District Attorney's office.

&nbsp;On June 16, 2019, law enforcement was dispatched to 1501 SW Tyler at 11:59 AM. Officers briefly entered the residence due to the nature of the call and they immediately located Kyong Wood, already deceased, just inside the residence. 

Believing the suspect to still be in the residence, law enforcement backed out and set up a perimeter. After a nearly 5-hour standoff, law enforcement utilized tear gas and, at that time, David E. Wood, Jr. exited the residence and was taken into custody and charged with the murder.

Wood faces a minimum of 44-years in prison, according to a statement from the DA's office. Sentencing is set for Dec. 21.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635503373096.png" alt="Wood-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Wood-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —A Kansas man is awaiting sentencing for the murder of his mother.On Oct. 24, 46-year-old David E. Wood, Jr. of Topeka entered a guilty plea to second degree intentional murder for the 2019 beating death of&nbsp;69-year-old Kyong “Carol” Wood, of Topeka, according to the Shawnee County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;On June 16, 2019, law enforcement was dispatched to 1501 SW Tyler at 11:59 AM. Officers briefly entered the residence due to the nature of the call and they immediately located Kyong Wood, already deceased, just inside the residence. Believing the suspect to still be in the residence, law enforcement backed out and set up a perimeter. After a nearly 5-hour standoff, law enforcement utilized tear gas and, at that time, David E. Wood, Jr. exited the residence and was taken into custody and charged with the murder.Wood faces a minimum of 44-years in prison, according to a statement from the DA's office. Sentencing is set for Dec. 21.

Kansas man awaits sentencing for the murder of his mother

MOLINE, IL. (AP) —Farm equipment manufacturer Deere &amp; Co. reached a tentative labor agreement Saturday with the United Auto Workers union.

But a UAW strike that began Oct. 14 will continue -- and details of the proposed contract will not be released -- while workers study the terms of the agreement in advance of a vote.

The pact would cover more than 10,000 production and maintenance workers at 12 Deere sites in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas.

The strike began after UAW workers overwhelmingly rejected an initial proposed contract that would have delivered immediate 5% raises for some workers and 6% for others depending on their positions at Deere factories. The pact also called for 3% raises in 2023 and 2025.

After the first deal was rejected, UAW “negotiators focused on improving the areas of concern identified by our members,’’ said Chuck Browning, director of the union’s farm equipment department.

The U.S. economy’s unexpectedly strong rebound from last year’s brief but intense coronavirus recession has created labor shortages -- and handed workers more leverage to demand higher pay and better benefits.

The contract talks come as strong sales this year helped Moline, Illinois-based Deere report $4.7 billion net income for the first nine months of its fiscal year, which was more than double the $2 billion it reported a year ago.

The company is expecting to earn more than $5.7 billion this fiscal year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634596496067.png" alt="The strike began Oct. 14 after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV" />
 <figcaption>The strike began Oct. 14 after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV</figcaption>
 </figure>MOLINE, IL. (AP) —Farm equipment manufacturer Deere &amp; Co. reached a tentative labor agreement Saturday with the United Auto Workers union.But a UAW strike that began Oct. 14 will continue -- and details of the proposed contract will not be released -- while workers study the terms of the agreement in advance of a vote.The pact would cover more than 10,000 production and maintenance workers at 12 Deere sites in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas.The strike began after UAW workers overwhelmingly rejected an initial proposed contract that would have delivered immediate 5% raises for some workers and 6% for others depending on their positions at Deere factories. The pact also called for 3% raises in 2023 and 2025.After the first deal was rejected, UAW “negotiators focused on improving the areas of concern identified by our members,’’ said Chuck Browning, director of the union’s farm equipment department.The U.S. economy’s unexpectedly strong rebound from last year’s brief but intense coronavirus recession has created labor shortages -- and handed workers more leverage to demand higher pay and better benefits.The contract talks come as strong sales this year helped Moline, Illinois-based Deere report $4.7 billion net income for the first nine months of its fiscal year, which was more than double the $2 billion it reported a year ago.The company is expecting to earn more than $5.7 billion this fiscal year.

Deere, UAW reach tentative pact; strike continues for now

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;sheriff’s deputy caught on dashcam video running over a Black man who was fleeing shirtless across a field is now working at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility while under criminal investigation, according to the attorney for the injured man.

Lionel Womack, a former police detective from Kansas City, Kansas, alleges in an excessive force lawsuit filed last year that Kiowa County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Rodriguez intentionally drove over him during the Aug. 15, 2020, incident that was captured on dashcam video. Womack says he sustained serious injuries to his back, pelvis, and right thigh, knee and foot.

In a court filing responding to the lawsuit, Rodriguez denied he intentionally swerved his truck to run over Womack. The deputy said he learned later that Womack did not possess a weapon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608224627585.png" alt="Image from the dashcam video / courtesy Attorney Michael Kuckelman" />
 <figcaption>Image from the dashcam video / courtesy Attorney Michael Kuckelman</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROXANA HEGEMANBELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;sheriff’s deputy caught on dashcam video running over a Black man who was fleeing shirtless across a field is now working at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility while under criminal investigation, according to the attorney for the injured man.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608219106986.png" alt="Womack-from his brief time in Pratt Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Womack-from his brief time in Pratt Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>Lionel Womack, a former police detective from Kansas City, Kansas, alleges in an excessive force lawsuit filed last year that Kiowa County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Rodriguez intentionally drove over him during the Aug. 15, 2020, incident that was captured on dashcam video. Womack says he sustained serious injuries to his back, pelvis, and right thigh, knee and foot.In a court filing responding to the lawsuit, Rodriguez denied he intentionally swerved his truck to run over Womack. The deputy said he learned later that Womack did not possess a weapon.Rodriguez is under criminal investigation by federal and state authorities over the incident.Attorney Michael Kuckelman, who represents Womack, wrote in a letter Tuesday to Kansas Secretary of Corrections Jefferey Zmuda and Warden Dan Schnurr that he was “shocked” to learn in a deposition that they would employ Rodriguez, who works as a master sergeant at the facility.Kuckelman encouraged them to discuss the ongoing criminal investigations with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.William Townsley, who represents Rodriguez, told The Associated Press Wednesday that they will review the communications and would respond later. A spokesman for the state Department of Corrections said in an email that they are trying to determine the department's position on this and will follow up “at a more appropriate time.”Rodriguez testified in his deposition that he was asked by the Department of Corrections to work at the Hutchinson prison, despite the fact that he remains under criminal investigation and is on administrative suspension from the Kiowa County Sheriff's Office, according to Kuckelman's letter. He testified that the decision to allow him to work at the prison was made by the Zmuda and Schnurr.Kuckelman in his letter urged them to review the videos of Rodriguez running down Womack, and to consider whether it's appropriate to have him responsible for supervising prisoners and other prison guards."Master Sergeant Rodriguez has been employed by at least 15 different law enforcement agencies and multiple jails/prisons," Kuckelman wrote. “It is time to weed Master Sergeant out of all forms of law enforcement and cease covering or overlooking his misconduct as a law enforcement officer.”