By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-14/kansas-prison-workers-want-more-covid-19-protection-after-2-guards-and-3-inmates-die">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE, Kansas — In his 15 years as a corrections officer at
 a northeast Kansas prison, David Carter witnessed stabbings, worked 
through riots and broke up more fights than he can count. He was used to
 risky situations.

When the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-04-14/updated-regularly-what-kansans-need-to-know-about-the-covid-19-coronavirus" target="_blank">coronavirus pandemic</a>
 showed up, Carter and his coworkers at the Lansing Correctional 
Facility still touched other people and countless surfaces all day, 
every day: putting on and taking off handcuffs, opening doors and 
working multiple buildings in the same day or week.

Stress levels 
at one of the state’s largest and oldest prisons were rising. The staff 
needed to work longer hours because people had been laid off earlier in 
the year. Carter had been exposed to the virus outside of work, and 
twice self-isolated as a precaution, but a human resources employee told
 him he had to come to work the second time because he didn’t have 
symptoms.

“You can’t fit that many people under that roof and keep them distanced in any way, shape or form,” he said.

Carter
 could no longer justify the risk of bringing the virus home to his 
family, so he quit on April 28 in public fashion, posting his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlayinBass/posts/10157071205391464" target="_blank">resignation letter</a> on Facebook and talking to media outlets.

“We all saw the writing on the wall a couple of months ago,” Carter 
said. “Every senior staff looked at each other and said, ‘You know what?
 If this thing shows up in our prison, everybody’s got it. There’s no 
way around it.’”

Since March 31, 790 of about 10,000 inmates and 97 staffers have <a href="https://www.doc.ks.gov/kdoc-coronavirus-updates/kdoc-covid-19-status" target="_blank">tested positive for COVID-19</a>,
 which has been found in seven of the state’s facilities (of which there
 are nine adult prisons and one juvenile prison). At Lansing, 44% of 
prisoners tested positive, and three inmates and two corrections 
officers have died.

Knowing how quickly the virus can spread 
inside close quarters, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas 
tried and lost a lawsuit in which they wanted the state to release about
 55% of prisoners.

Under usual circumstances, prisons are 
dangerous and understaffed, which can lead officers to consider 
quitting. And during the pandemic, four current or former officers told 
the Kansas News Service, the state hasn’t done enough to protect them 
and acted too late to contain it.

The
 Kansas Department of Corrections issued updated guidelines in early 
April regarding the use of personal protective equipment and the 
screening of inmates and employees who enter any prison. It has tested 
all of the inmates at Lansing and begun testing inmates at the Wichita 
Work Release Facility, and announced that it would give <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/kansas-gives-inmates-cloth-masks-coronavirus-aclu-lawsuit-says-lives-risk" target="_blank">fabric masks</a> to all inmates and employees in early April.

“We
 will continue to review our practices and improve those whenever and 
wherever possible,” agency secretary Jeff Zmuda said this week. He 
announced the agency will also begin testing all of its staff.

The
 department has also started giving $200 per week to employees working 
in prisons with positive COVID-19 cases, although workers are only 
eligible if they don’t take any time off during each week.

Lansing
 is the state’s most affected facility. As of May 13, 750 out of 1,699 
people who are incarcerated there have tested positive for COVID-19. 
Most are asymptomatic. Three of those people have died. Among staffers 
at the prison in Leavenworth County, 88 have tested positive, and two <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-12/family-says-lansing-correctional-facility-worker-died-this-week-from-covid-19">died this week</a>.

The
 department said Thursday it would move all inmates from the Wichita 
facility to Lansing after finding 38 positive cases in Wichita, almost 
all of which are asymptomatic.

A corrections officer at Lansing, 
who spoke with the Kansas News Service on the condition of anonymity 
because of the risk of retaliation, brings in cleaning supplies and hand
 sanitizer to share with coworkers because the prison doesn’t provide 
enough.

Some coworkers, the corrections officer said, have had 
trouble finding child care because daycares won’t take the children of 
Lansing employees anymore.

“What are they going to do when 
everybody catches it … and nobody wants to come to work?” the officer 
said. “They have put us on the back burner for so long.”

In
 mid-April, the DOC announced it would be giving masks to all staff and 
inmates. But the officer said employees had to ask directly for masks, 
rather than receiving them as a group. The officer asked a nurse for 
one, but a nurse said she had been instructed not to provide masks to 
staff.

The officers also have been told they will face 
disciplinary action if they bring in outside masks, said the officer, 
who uses masks obtained from a local dentist rather than the ones 
distributed by the state.

“I feel a mask is a mask, and right now that’s basically all we have to protect us,” the officer said.

The Lansing officer also said that for two weeks at the end of April,
 no laundry was being done — not even the inmates’ masks — because 
prisoners were being moved to new buildings that didn’t have working 
laundry facilities. Currently, the officer said, laundry and food carts 
aren’t sanitized, even though they move between the two buildings where 
inmates are staying.

For weeks, criminal justice advocates in 
Kansas have raised questions and asked for solutions for the potentially
 unsafe conditions in state prisons during the pandemic. In March, some 
public defenders sent a letter to Gov. Laura Kelly asking her to release
 prisoners to reduce virus transmission — both in prisons and in the 
homes and communities where employees live.

“This is a public 
safety, a public health concern,” public defender Jennifer Roth, who 
signed the letter, told the Kansas News Service.

The state released six people on house arrest, but does not plan to release any more, Zmuda said.

At the same time, ACLU unsuccessfully <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-30/kansas-prisons-are-fighting-a-lawsuit-to-release-prisoners-to-reduce-covid-19-spread" target="_blank">sued to force the state</a>
 to release people who were convicted of minor crimes, had a short 
amount of time left on their sentences or were vulnerable due to age or 
illness.

"We are definitely disappointed for our clients who 
continue to face dangerous and declining conditions inside Lansing,” 
executive director Nadine Johnson said in an emailed statement. “KDOC's 
efforts clearly are not enough to protect the people they have a legal 
obligation to keep safe.”

There
 are only six known cases in the Topeka Correctional Facility, the 
state’s only women’s prison. But officers there still fear for their 
lives and safety — as well as their families’ well being, corrections 
officer Jon-Wesley O’Hara said.

“Most of us do not have any way to
 isolate from our families if it happens,” he said. “When it comes, 
we'll bring it home and we're going to have to figure out how to live 
with ourselves.”

O’Hara said it’s helped that new inmates are 
quarantined when they arrive at the Topeka prison. But many inmates 
don’t wear their masks, he said, and it’s impossible to keep people from
 congregating the yard during recreation periods.

In the day rooms, the phones for inmate use are clustered within a few feet of each other.

“If
 you want to have contact with people on the outside,” O’Hara said, 
“you’re going to have to deal with people that are not six feet away 
from you.There’s just no way around that.”

More staff at the 
Topeka women’s prison are staying home due to illness, childcare issues 
or self-isolation, O’Hara said. And several members of the prison’s 
crisis-response team were temporarily transferred to Lansing.

The 
short-staffing has led to more officers working overtime in Topeka. Some
 of his coworkers have cancelled vacations because they don’t have 
enough paid time off to self-quarantine for two weeks following travel 
to high-risk areas.

Like Lansing, Topeka corrections officers 
often move between multiple buildings in the same shift, which increases
 the risk of transmission between units. That’s according to Cody Hill, 
another corrections officer at the Topeka facility.

The prison has
 required social distancing in the medication line, Hill said. But 
education programs still go on in crowded classrooms. While the building
 has decreased chow-hall occupancy during meal times, he said, people 
still sit fairly close to each other for breakfast and dinner.

Hill
 said inmates have been bringing trays back to their dorms for lunch, 
where they sleep close enough to touch. Starting Monday, inmates will 
bring all of their meals to their dorms, corrections spokesperson 
Rebecca Witte said in an email.

Hill hasn’t considered quitting, 
though. He thinks his work is important and doesn’t want to take the 
risk of being unemployed during a recession. But he feels the Department
 of Corrections has communicated poorly with staff.

“We don’t proactively plan for things,” Hill said, “and it really shows whenever we come to a crisis like this.”

Nomin
 Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas
 News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow
 her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589552648366.png" alt="The Topeka Correctional Facility has six coronavirus cases. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The Topeka Correctional Facility has six coronavirus cases. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-14/kansas-prison-workers-want-more-covid-19-protection-after-2-guards-and-3-inmates-die">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE, Kansas — In his 15 years as a corrections officer at
 a northeast Kansas prison, David Carter witnessed stabbings, worked 
through riots and broke up more fights than he can count. He was used to
 risky situations.When the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-04-14/updated-regularly-what-kansans-need-to-know-about-the-covid-19-coronavirus" target="_blank">coronavirus pandemic</a>
 showed up, Carter and his coworkers at the Lansing Correctional 
Facility still touched other people and countless surfaces all day, 
every day: putting on and taking off handcuffs, opening doors and 
working multiple buildings in the same day or week.Stress levels 
at one of the state’s largest and oldest prisons were rising. The staff 
needed to work longer hours because people had been laid off earlier in 
the year. Carter had been exposed to the virus outside of work, and 
twice self-isolated as a precaution, but a human resources employee told
 him he had to come to work the second time because he didn’t have 
symptoms.“You can’t fit that many people under that roof and keep them distanced in any way, shape or form,” he said.Carter
 could no longer justify the risk of bringing the virus home to his 
family, so he quit on April 28 in public fashion, posting his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlayinBass/posts/10157071205391464" target="_blank">resignation letter</a> on Facebook and talking to media outlets.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589552740460.png" alt="David Carter (left) quit his job at the Lansing Correctional Facility on April 28. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>David Carter (left) quit his job at the Lansing Correctional Facility on April 28. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“We all saw the writing on the wall a couple of months ago,” Carter 
said. “Every senior staff looked at each other and said, ‘You know what?
 If this thing shows up in our prison, everybody’s got it. There’s no 
way around it.’”Since March 31, 790 of about 10,000 inmates and 97 staffers have <a href="https://www.doc.ks.gov/kdoc-coronavirus-updates/kdoc-covid-19-status" target="_blank">tested positive for COVID-19</a>,
 which has been found in seven of the state’s facilities (of which there
 are nine adult prisons and one juvenile prison). At Lansing, 44% of 
prisoners tested positive, and three inmates and two corrections 
officers have died.Knowing how quickly the virus can spread 
inside close quarters, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas 
tried and lost a lawsuit in which they wanted the state to release about
 55% of prisoners.Under usual circumstances, prisons are 
dangerous and understaffed, which can lead officers to consider 
quitting. And during the pandemic, four current or former officers told 
the Kansas News Service, the state hasn’t done enough to protect them 
and acted too late to contain it.<h2>A community problem</h2>The
 Kansas Department of Corrections issued updated guidelines in early 
April regarding the use of personal protective equipment and the 
screening of inmates and employees who enter any prison. It has tested 
all of the inmates at Lansing and begun testing inmates at the Wichita 
Work Release Facility, and announced that it would give <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/kansas-gives-inmates-cloth-masks-coronavirus-aclu-lawsuit-says-lives-risk" target="_blank">fabric masks</a> to all inmates and employees in early April.“We
 will continue to review our practices and improve those whenever and 
wherever possible,” agency secretary Jeff Zmuda said this week. He 
announced the agency will also begin testing all of its staff.The
 department has also started giving $200 per week to employees working 
in prisons with positive COVID-19 cases, although workers are only 
eligible if they don’t take any time off during each week.Lansing
 is the state’s most affected facility. As of May 13, 750 out of 1,699 
people who are incarcerated there have tested positive for COVID-19. 
Most are asymptomatic. Three of those people have died. Among staffers 
at the prison in Leavenworth County, 88 have tested positive, and two <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-12/family-says-lansing-correctional-facility-worker-died-this-week-from-covid-19">died this week</a>.The
 department said Thursday it would move all inmates from the Wichita 
facility to Lansing after finding 38 positive cases in Wichita, almost 
all of which are asymptomatic.A corrections officer at Lansing, 
who spoke with the Kansas News Service on the condition of anonymity 
because of the risk of retaliation, brings in cleaning supplies and hand
 sanitizer to share with coworkers because the prison doesn’t provide 
enough.Some coworkers, the corrections officer said, have had 
trouble finding child care because daycares won’t take the children of 
Lansing employees anymore.“What are they going to do when 
everybody catches it … and nobody wants to come to work?” the officer 
said. “They have put us on the back burner for so long.”<h2>Conditions inside Lansing</h2>In
 mid-April, the DOC announced it would be giving masks to all staff and 
inmates. But the officer said employees had to ask directly for masks, 
rather than receiving them as a group. The officer asked a nurse for 
one, but a nurse said she had been instructed not to provide masks to 
staff.The officers also have been told they will face 
disciplinary action if they bring in outside masks, said the officer, 
who uses masks obtained from a local dentist rather than the ones 
distributed by the state.“I feel a mask is a mask, and right now that’s basically all we have to protect us,” the officer said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589552778361.png" alt="A mask issued to corrections officers by the Kansas Department of Corrections. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>A mask issued to corrections officers by the Kansas Department of Corrections. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The Lansing officer also said that for two weeks at the end of April,
 no laundry was being done — not even the inmates’ masks — because 
prisoners were being moved to new buildings that didn’t have working 
laundry facilities. Currently, the officer said, laundry and food carts 
aren’t sanitized, even though they move between the two buildings where 
inmates are staying.For weeks, criminal justice advocates in 
Kansas have raised questions and asked for solutions for the potentially
 unsafe conditions in state prisons during the pandemic. In March, some 
public defenders sent a letter to Gov. Laura Kelly asking her to release
 prisoners to reduce virus transmission — both in prisons and in the 
homes and communities where employees live.“This is a public 
safety, a public health concern,” public defender Jennifer Roth, who 
signed the letter, told the Kansas News Service.The state released six people on house arrest, but does not plan to release any more, Zmuda said.At the same time, ACLU unsuccessfully <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-30/kansas-prisons-are-fighting-a-lawsuit-to-release-prisoners-to-reduce-covid-19-spread" target="_blank">sued to force the state</a>
 to release people who were convicted of minor crimes, had a short 
amount of time left on their sentences or were vulnerable due to age or 
illness."We are definitely disappointed for our clients who 
continue to face dangerous and declining conditions inside Lansing,” 
executive director Nadine Johnson said in an emailed statement. “KDOC's 
efforts clearly are not enough to protect the people they have a legal 
obligation to keep safe.”<h2>Fewer cases, similar worries</h2>There
 are only six known cases in the Topeka Correctional Facility, the 
state’s only women’s prison. But officers there still fear for their 
lives and safety — as well as their families’ well being, corrections 
officer Jon-Wesley O’Hara said.“Most of us do not have any way to
 isolate from our families if it happens,” he said. “When it comes, 
we'll bring it home and we're going to have to figure out how to live 
with ourselves.”O’Hara said it’s helped that new inmates are 
quarantined when they arrive at the Topeka prison. But many inmates 
don’t wear their masks, he said, and it’s impossible to keep people from
 congregating the yard during recreation periods.In the day rooms, the phones for inmate use are clustered within a few feet of each other.“If
 you want to have contact with people on the outside,” O’Hara said, 
“you’re going to have to deal with people that are not six feet away 
from you.There’s just no way around that.”More staff at the 
Topeka women’s prison are staying home due to illness, childcare issues 
or self-isolation, O’Hara said. And several members of the prison’s 
crisis-response team were temporarily transferred to Lansing.The 
short-staffing has led to more officers working overtime in Topeka. Some
 of his coworkers have cancelled vacations because they don’t have 
enough paid time off to self-quarantine for two weeks following travel 
to high-risk areas.Like Lansing, Topeka corrections officers 
often move between multiple buildings in the same shift, which increases
 the risk of transmission between units. That’s according to Cody Hill, 
another corrections officer at the Topeka facility.The prison has
 required social distancing in the medication line, Hill said. But 
education programs still go on in crowded classrooms. While the building
 has decreased chow-hall occupancy during meal times, he said, people 
still sit fairly close to each other for breakfast and dinner.Hill
 said inmates have been bringing trays back to their dorms for lunch, 
where they sleep close enough to touch. Starting Monday, inmates will 
bring all of their meals to their dorms, corrections spokesperson 
Rebecca Witte said in an email.Hill hasn’t considered quitting, 
though. He thinks his work is important and doesn’t want to take the 
risk of being unemployed during a recession. But he feels the Department
 of Corrections has communicated poorly with staff.“We don’t proactively plan for things,” Hill said, “and it really shows whenever we come to a crisis like this.”Nomin
 Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas
 News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow
 her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.

Kan. prison workers want more protection after deaths of guards, inmates

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man was charged Friday in connection with a fire that damaged a ceremonial tipi at Haskell Indian Nations University.

Ryan Adam Sekayouma Simpson, 32, of Lawrence, was charged with arson, a felony, and two counts of misdemeanor criminal trespassing.

The tipi, which was built to honor the 2020 graduating class at Haskell, was destroyed by fire early on May 9 at the school’s campus in Lawrence.

The Lawrence-Douglas County fire department said Monday the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were helping with the investigation. Simpson was arrested Thursday.

A fundraiser to replace the tipi, worth an estimated $2,500 to $3,000, raised more than $15,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589158211222.png" alt="TIpi fire photo courtesy Haskell Indian Leader" />
 <figcaption>TIpi fire photo courtesy Haskell Indian Leader</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man was charged Friday in connection with a fire that damaged a ceremonial tipi at Haskell Indian Nations University.Ryan Adam Sekayouma Simpson, 32, of Lawrence, was charged with arson, a felony, and two counts of misdemeanor criminal trespassing.The tipi, which was built to honor the 2020 graduating class at Haskell, was destroyed by fire early on May 9 at the school’s campus in Lawrence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589749909000.png" alt="Simpson photo Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>Simpson photo Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>The Lawrence-Douglas County fire department said Monday the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were helping with the investigation. Simpson was arrested Thursday.A fundraiser to replace the tipi, worth an estimated $2,500 to $3,000, raised more than $15,000.

Kan. man charged for burning tipi at Kansas Indian school

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado judge is expected to be sentenced to a jail term for pleading guilty to a second DUI charge within two years. 

&nbsp;62-year-old Debra Gunkel pleaded guilty to violating the terms of her probation from a 2018 DUI case in Prowers County. 

The conviction would have been erased from the Baca County judge’s record if she completed two years of probation, but Gunkel was arrested for driving while drunk in Kansas in August.

 Gunkel’s probation was revoked after the charge was filed. Jail time will be mandatory after her expected plea in June.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589318144664.png" alt="Gunkel photo Greeley Co." />
 <figcaption>Gunkel photo Greeley Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — A Colorado judge is expected to be sentenced to a jail term for pleading guilty to a second DUI charge within two years. &nbsp;62-year-old Debra Gunkel pleaded guilty to violating the terms of her probation from a 2018 DUI case in Prowers County. The conviction would have been erased from the Baca County judge’s record if she completed two years of probation, but Gunkel was arrested for driving while drunk in Kansas in August. Gunkel’s probation was revoked after the charge was filed. Jail time will be mandatory after her expected plea in June.

Judge arrested in Kan. for DUI expected to spend time in jail

JACKSON COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for allege drug distribution.

On Thursday, A sheriff’s deputy stopped a Ford F-250 pickup truck that was northbound on U.S. 75 south of Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The deputy located a quantity of a substance believed to be ecstasy and marijuana. 

The driver, Stephen Virgil Albright, 36, of Topeka was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute a hallucinogenic drug and no drug tax stamp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589634744740.png" alt="Albright-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Albright-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for allege drug distribution.On Thursday, A sheriff’s deputy stopped a Ford F-250 pickup truck that was northbound on U.S. 75 south of Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The deputy located a quantity of a substance believed to be ecstasy and marijuana. The driver, Stephen Virgil Albright, 36, of Topeka was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute a hallucinogenic drug and no drug tax stamp.

Deputy finds ecstasy, marijuana in Kan. man's pickup

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas City police officers face assault charges for allegedly slamming a transgender woman's face into a concrete sidewalk during an arrest that was captured on&nbsp;video.

A grand jury indicted Matthew Brummett, 37, and Charles Prichard, 47, on one misdemeanor charge each of fourth-degree assault related to the May 24, 2019, physical encounter, the Jackson County prosecutor's office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=926">announced&nbsp;</a>Friday.

The video, recorded by a passerby outside a beauty supply store, shows the officers kneeing the woman in the face, torso and ribs and forcing her arms over her head while handcuffed. The woman was black; the officers are white.

The woman has since died after being shot in October at a Kansas City home, and a man has been charged in her death. She went by various first names, including Brianna or Brionna, Bebe, and Briya. Her surname was Hill.

Prosecutors said police arrested Hill after she got into a dispute with someone at the beauty supply store. Both she and the store's owner called 911, and the owner asked officers to remove Hill. The officers said Hill was resisting arrest when they took her to the ground outside the store.

Hill was ticketed for trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Brummett and Prichard maintain that they used reasonable force, according to a statement from their attorneys.

“They vehemently dispute the basis of these charges and believe they will be ultimately exonerated in Court," the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/statement-from-officers-brummett-and-prichard/pdf_201736c4-9713-11ea-87af-1705c6bb53ff.html">statement</a>&nbsp;said.

Police Chief Rick Smith announced late Friday that both officers have been placed on “administrative assignment until the outcome of the proceeding."

A Kansas City Police Department investigation determined the officers did nothing wrong, according to the police union. The Jackson County prosecutor's office said it brought the case to a grand jury because police declined to provide prosecutors with a probable cause statement, which is normally submitted by a detective at the conclusion of an investigation.

An attorney who represents Hill’s family, David Smith, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Saturday that he believes the police chief mishandled the investigation and he called for the him to resign. David Smith and Rick Smith are not related.

“You don’t treat this woman like a piece of trash because you think she is a freak,” David Smith said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589657213001.png" alt="Image from cellphone video of the arrest taped by a bystander courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Image from cellphone video of the arrest taped by a bystander courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas City police officers face assault charges for allegedly slamming a transgender woman's face into a concrete sidewalk during an arrest that was captured on&nbsp;video.A grand jury indicted Matthew Brummett, 37, and Charles Prichard, 47, on one misdemeanor charge each of fourth-degree assault related to the May 24, 2019, physical encounter, the Jackson County prosecutor's office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=926">announced&nbsp;</a>Friday.The video, recorded by a passerby outside a beauty supply store, shows the officers kneeing the woman in the face, torso and ribs and forcing her arms over her head while handcuffed. The woman was black; the officers are white.The woman has since died after being shot in October at a Kansas City home, and a man has been charged in her death. She went by various first names, including Brianna or Brionna, Bebe, and Briya. Her surname was Hill.Prosecutors said police arrested Hill after she got into a dispute with someone at the beauty supply store. Both she and the store's owner called 911, and the owner asked officers to remove Hill. The officers said Hill was resisting arrest when they took her to the ground outside the store.Hill was ticketed for trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.Brummett and Prichard maintain that they used reasonable force, according to a statement from their attorneys.“They vehemently dispute the basis of these charges and believe they will be ultimately exonerated in Court," the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/statement-from-officers-brummett-and-prichard/pdf_201736c4-9713-11ea-87af-1705c6bb53ff.html">statement</a>&nbsp;said.Police Chief Rick Smith announced late Friday that both officers have been placed on “administrative assignment until the outcome of the proceeding."A Kansas City Police Department investigation determined the officers did nothing wrong, according to the police union. The Jackson County prosecutor's office said it brought the case to a grand jury because police declined to provide prosecutors with a probable cause statement, which is normally submitted by a detective at the conclusion of an investigation.An attorney who represents Hill’s family, David Smith, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Saturday that he believes the police chief mishandled the investigation and he called for the him to resign. David Smith and Rick Smith are not related.“You don’t treat this woman like a piece of trash because you think she is a freak,” David Smith said.

2 KC officers accused of assaulting transgender woman

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

Just after 4a.m. police&nbsp; responded to a check shots call in the 1900 block of North Burns in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; 

At the scene, a 38-year-old woman&nbsp; and a 33-year-old man told police&nbsp;&nbsp;they were driving to their home in the 1900 block of North Burns, saw three men in the area who began shooting at their vehicle, striking the 33-year-old.&nbsp; Their home was also found to be damaged from multiple gunshots, according to Davidson.

&nbsp;EMS transported man for treatment of the gunshot wound to his lower body.

Police do not believed to be a random incident and had not reported an arrest early Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589640821904.png" alt="Police on the scene of the Friday morning investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the Friday morning investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to a hospital.Just after 4a.m. police&nbsp; responded to a check shots call in the 1900 block of North Burns in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; At the scene, a 38-year-old woman&nbsp; and a 33-year-old man told police&nbsp;&nbsp;they were driving to their home in the 1900 block of North Burns, saw three men in the area who began shooting at their vehicle, striking the 33-year-old.&nbsp; Their home was also found to be damaged from multiple gunshots, according to Davidson.&nbsp;EMS transported man for treatment of the gunshot wound to his lower body.Police do not believed to be a random incident and had not reported an arrest early Saturday.

Police: Kan. man wounded after suspects shot at car, home

WASHINGTON (AP) — A 39-year-old former investment manager in Georgia was already facing federal charges that he robbed hundreds of retirees of their savings in a Ponzi scheme when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the rapid spread of COVID-19</a>&nbsp;presented an opportunity.

Christopher A. Parris started pitching himself as a broker of surgical masks amid the nationwide scramble for protective equipment in the first desperate weeks of the outbreak, federal authorities said. He was soon taking in millions of dollars.

Law enforcement officials say Parris is part of what they are calling a wave of fraud tied to the outbreak.

Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is leading a nationwide crackdown. It has opened over 370 cases and so far arrested 11 people, as part of “Operation Stolen Promise,” according to Matthew Albence, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“It’s incredibly rampant and it’s growing by the day,” Albence said. “We’re just scratching the surface of this criminal activity. ”

Parris was on pretrial release for the alleged Ponzi scheme when he was arrested last month in what authorities say was an attempt to secure an order for more than $750 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs for 125 million face masks and other equipment.

“He was trying to sell something he didn’t even have,” said Jere T. Miles, the special agent in charge of the New Orleans office of Homeland Security Investigations, which worked the case with the VA Office of Inspector General. “That’s just outright, blatant fraud.”

Parris has not yet entered a plea to fraud charges and his lawyers did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Nationwide, investigators have turned up more than false purveyors of PPE. They have uncovered an array of counterfeit or adulterated products, from COVID-19 tests kits and treatments to masks and cleaning products.

Steve Francis, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which is overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says authorities have tracked counterfeits flowing into the U.S. from 20 countries and for sale through thousands of websites.

“There are people popping up who have never been in the business of securing equipment on a large scale,” Francis said.

From his home outside Atlanta, he claimed to represent a company with 3M respiratory masks and other protective equipment for sale. At the time, there was a mad scramble for supplies that pitted state and local governments against each other.

As outlined in court documents and interviews, his pitch reached a company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that was trying to help government agencies acquire PPE. In late March, it contacted the VA, which was dealing with a critical shortage of protective equipment.

The VA was suspicious of the price, about 15 times what it was paying amid the shortage, and alerted its inspector general, which brought in Homeland Security. That resulted in a sting that led to Parris.

“He had no means of producing any PPE,” Albence said. “It was just a scam.”

But it had some takers. Federal authorities say a Parris-controlled bank account received more than $7.4 million, with most appearing to come from unidentified entities trying to buy safety gear in March and April, according to court documents. He wired some of the money to accounts overseas, including more than $1.1 million to a Swiss company’s bank that authorities say may be a shell corporation.

The U.S. government seized more than $3.2 million from his accounts.

The Ponzi scheme was unrelated to the alleged attempt to defraud the VA but “is sufficiently similar to the conduct in this case that it is relevant to his plan, intent, and modus operandi,” according to a search warrant affidavit.

In the earlier case, Parris and his partners are accused of defrauding about 1,000 people out of at least $115 million from January 2012 to June 2018. They persuaded the victims to turn over their savings for what turned out to be nonexistent investments, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Another member of the partnership, Perry Santillo, pleaded guilty to fraud in November.

As part of the alleged scheme, Parris and the others bought the businesses of investment advisers who were retiring and leveraged the trust those advisers had built up over the years to pitch the bogus investments, with relatively modest returns, to their newly acquired clients.

Florida attorney Scott Silver, who represented some investors who sought to get their money back after the SEC shut down the operation, said there was little to recover because Parris and the others spent most of it.

He wasn’t surprised that Parris had been arrested in the COVID fraud case. “He’s already facing 20 years in prison,” he said. “What’s he worried about?”

Parris, who was charged in the case in January, grew up in Rochester, New York, and worked as an insurance agent, owned a dry cleaner and got involved in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully for city council and said he was vice president of a local African American Republican committee.

“So many people that know me, you know, trust me,” Parris said in a 2015 hearing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which later suspended his broker license.

One of Parris’ alleged victims in the Ponzi scheme, Jane Naylon, said she took guitar lessons from Parris’ father, a reverend at a local church and lost $150,000 in the fraud.

Naylon was dismayed when Parris was released on his own recognizance in the Ponzi scheme. When she learned he had been charged for PPE fraud, she said she was in shock, but also pleased.

“I’m ecstatic,” she said. “I hope he goes to jail for life.”

Parris is now jailed in Atlanta and is expected to be transferred to Washington to face charges in the VA case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585145128626.png" alt="Counterfeit COVID-19 test kits-photo courtesy&nbsp;U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement" />
 <figcaption>Counterfeit COVID-19 test kits-photo courtesy&nbsp;U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A 39-year-old former investment manager in Georgia was already facing federal charges that he robbed hundreds of retirees of their savings in a Ponzi scheme when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the rapid spread of COVID-19</a>&nbsp;presented an opportunity.Christopher A. Parris started pitching himself as a broker of surgical masks amid the nationwide scramble for protective equipment in the first desperate weeks of the outbreak, federal authorities said. He was soon taking in millions of dollars.Except there were no masks.Law enforcement officials say Parris is part of what they are calling a wave of fraud tied to the outbreak.Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is leading a nationwide crackdown. It has opened over 370 cases and so far arrested 11 people, as part of “Operation Stolen Promise,” according to Matthew Albence, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.“It’s incredibly rampant and it’s growing by the day,” Albence said. “We’re just scratching the surface of this criminal activity. ”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589472461621.png" alt="From a fake #COVID19 test kit photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Patrol" />
 <figcaption>From a fake #COVID19 test kit photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>Parris was on pretrial release for the alleged Ponzi scheme when he was arrested last month in what authorities say was an attempt to secure an order for more than $750 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs for 125 million face masks and other equipment.“He was trying to sell something he didn’t even have,” said Jere T. Miles, the special agent in charge of the New Orleans office of Homeland Security Investigations, which worked the case with the VA Office of Inspector General. “That’s just outright, blatant fraud.”Parris has not yet entered a plea to fraud charges and his lawyers did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.Nationwide, investigators have turned up more than false purveyors of PPE. They have uncovered an array of counterfeit or adulterated products, from COVID-19 tests kits and treatments to masks and cleaning products.Steve Francis, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which is overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says authorities have tracked counterfeits flowing into the U.S. from 20 countries and for sale through thousands of websites.“There are people popping up who have never been in the business of securing equipment on a large scale,” Francis said.Enter Parris.From his home outside Atlanta, he claimed to represent a company with 3M respiratory masks and other protective equipment for sale. At the time, there was a mad scramble for supplies that pitted state and local governments against each other.As outlined in court documents and interviews, his pitch reached a company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that was trying to help government agencies acquire PPE. In late March, it contacted the VA, which was dealing with a critical shortage of protective equipment.The VA was suspicious of the price, about 15 times what it was paying amid the shortage, and alerted its inspector general, which brought in Homeland Security. That resulted in a sting that led to Parris.“He had no means of producing any PPE,” Albence said. “It was just a scam.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589472644008.png" alt="Coronavirus test kits that were not FDA approved-photo U.S. courtesy Customs and Border patrol" />
 <figcaption>Coronavirus test kits that were not FDA approved-photo U.S. courtesy Customs and Border patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>But it had some takers. Federal authorities say a Parris-controlled bank account received more than $7.4 million, with most appearing to come from unidentified entities trying to buy safety gear in March and April, according to court documents. He wired some of the money to accounts overseas, including more than $1.1 million to a Swiss company’s bank that authorities say may be a shell corporation.The U.S. government seized more than $3.2 million from his accounts.The Ponzi scheme was unrelated to the alleged attempt to defraud the VA but “is sufficiently similar to the conduct in this case that it is relevant to his plan, intent, and modus operandi,” according to a search warrant affidavit.In the earlier case, Parris and his partners are accused of defrauding about 1,000 people out of at least $115 million from January 2012 to June 2018. They persuaded the victims to turn over their savings for what turned out to be nonexistent investments, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.Another member of the partnership, Perry Santillo, pleaded guilty to fraud in November.As part of the alleged scheme, Parris and the others bought the businesses of investment advisers who were retiring and leveraged the trust those advisers had built up over the years to pitch the bogus investments, with relatively modest returns, to their newly acquired clients.Florida attorney Scott Silver, who represented some investors who sought to get their money back after the SEC shut down the operation, said there was little to recover because Parris and the others spent most of it.He wasn’t surprised that Parris had been arrested in the COVID fraud case. “He’s already facing 20 years in prison,” he said. “What’s he worried about?”Parris, who was charged in the case in January, grew up in Rochester, New York, and worked as an insurance agent, owned a dry cleaner and got involved in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully for city council and said he was vice president of a local African American Republican committee.“So many people that know me, you know, trust me,” Parris said in a 2015 hearing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which later suspended his broker license.One of Parris’ alleged victims in the Ponzi scheme, Jane Naylon, said she took guitar lessons from Parris’ father, a reverend at a local church and lost $150,000 in the fraud.Naylon was dismayed when Parris was released on his own recognizance in the Ponzi scheme. When she learned he had been charged for PPE fraud, she said she was in shock, but also pleased.“I’m ecstatic,” she said. “I hope he goes to jail for life.”Parris is now jailed in Atlanta and is expected to be transferred to Washington to face charges in the VA case.___

Virus unleashes wave of fraud in US amid fear and scarcity

COWLEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged theft at several stores in Kansas and asking the public to help identify suspects.

On April 30, an Arkansas City resident reported the theft of a wallet from her purse while shopping at Dillons, 425 N. Summit Street in Arkansas City, according to police.

A short time later, the victim’s credit card allegedly was used to make a large purchase of gift cards and clothing at Walmart, 2701 N. Summit Street.

Investigators were able to recover video surveillance footage. However, the images show three suspects wearing masks and hats in Dillons. Two of the three suspects also appear on surveillance footage from Walmart, with masks, which makes identifying the suspects difficult.

Police learned Tuesday that the Arkansas City suspects possibly were captured on video in two separate stores in Wichita, committing the same crimes during the prior weekend.

The video surveillance from a grocery store in Wichita shows the three suspects allegedly looking into shopping carts, identifying open purses and removing wallets. Credit cards stolen in this fashion were used later at another retail outlet to purchase gift cards.

The two male suspects look similar and police suspect they could be related. They appear to be in their 40s and may be between 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall, each weighing between 230 and 260 pounds.

The female suspect appears to be in her late 50s or 60s and is shorter, possibly 5-foot-2 to 5-foot-6, weighing 190 to 220 pounds. The suspects may be traveling in a newer gray or silver sport utility vehicle.

Anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of any of these suspects should immediately contact the Arkansas City Police Department at (620) 441-4444.

Those wishing to remain anonymous also may contact Cowley County Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.

Call (620) 442-7777 in Arkansas City or (620) 221-7777 in Winfield, or visit www.tipsubmit.com or accs.crimestoppersweb.com to make an anonymous report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589455932066.png" alt="Security camera image -Arkansas City Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image -Arkansas City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged theft at several stores in Kansas and asking the public to help identify suspects.On April 30, an Arkansas City resident reported the theft of a wallet from her purse while shopping at Dillons, 425 N. Summit Street in Arkansas City, according to police.A short time later, the victim’s credit card allegedly was used to make a large purchase of gift cards and clothing at Walmart, 2701 N. Summit Street.Investigators were able to recover video surveillance footage. However, the images show three suspects wearing masks and hats in Dillons. Two of the three suspects also appear on surveillance footage from Walmart, with masks, which makes identifying the suspects difficult.Police learned Tuesday that the Arkansas City suspects possibly were captured on video in two separate stores in Wichita, committing the same crimes during the prior weekend.The video surveillance from a grocery store in Wichita shows the three suspects allegedly looking into shopping carts, identifying open purses and removing wallets. Credit cards stolen in this fashion were used later at another retail outlet to purchase gift cards.The two male suspects look similar and police suspect they could be related. They appear to be in their 40s and may be between 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall, each weighing between 230 and 260 pounds.The female suspect appears to be in her late 50s or 60s and is shorter, possibly 5-foot-2 to 5-foot-6, weighing 190 to 220 pounds. The suspects may be traveling in a newer gray or silver sport utility vehicle.Anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of any of these suspects should immediately contact the Arkansas City Police Department at (620) 441-4444.Those wishing to remain anonymous also may contact Cowley County Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.Call (620) 442-7777 in Arkansas City or (620) 221-7777 in Winfield, or visit www.tipsubmit.com or accs.crimestoppersweb.com to make an anonymous report.-----

Police: Kan. theft suspects wearing masks difficult to identify

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A Missouri man who was planning to bomb a Kansas City-area hospital killed himself in March as FBI agents served a probable cause arrest warrant, the FBI said Friday.

An autopsy determined that FBI agents shot Timothy Wilson, 36, of Raymore, Missouri, in the upper and lower extremities on March 24 on a street in Belton, Missouri, but that his cause of death was a self-inflicted wound to the head, the agency said. The FBI didn’t say if Wilson shot himself before or after the agents shot him.

Investigators said Wilson was distressed by the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis and motivated by racial, religious and anti-government animus, according to court documents. The plot was reminiscent of the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City. Wilson first talked of plans for an attack in April or June, but FBI agents say he moved up that timeline as the coronavirus made its way to Missouri.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ad891a0e69f0e3d285c397a1626d1e0d">violent take-down</a>&nbsp;followed a long-running domestic terrorism investigation that began in 2019 with Wilson’s encrypted communications about bomb-building with Jarrett William Smith, a 24-year-old Army infantry soldier who faces prison for distributing bomb-making information through social media.

Wilson considered attacking the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, before settling on a plan to park a vehicle loaded with explosives and detonate it in the parking lot of Belton Regional Medical Center in Cass County, investigators state in court documents.

Just two days before his death, Wilson and an undercover FBI agent visited Belton Regional to inspect the hospital property and conduct a dry run of their plot, court records say.

The records show that for months, Wilson had discussed ideas for a terrorist attack, telling an undercover FBI agent that he was considering sites including a nuclear plant and Islamic centers in Missouri and the Walmart headquarters or a synagogue in Arkansas. He also discussed last year shooting up a predominantly black elementary school, the FBI said in the affidavits.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586964970283.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A Missouri man who was planning to bomb a Kansas City-area hospital killed himself in March as FBI agents served a probable cause arrest warrant, the FBI said Friday.An autopsy determined that FBI agents shot Timothy Wilson, 36, of Raymore, Missouri, in the upper and lower extremities on March 24 on a street in Belton, Missouri, but that his cause of death was a self-inflicted wound to the head, the agency said. The FBI didn’t say if Wilson shot himself before or after the agents shot him.Investigators said Wilson was distressed by the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis and motivated by racial, religious and anti-government animus, according to court documents. The plot was reminiscent of the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City. Wilson first talked of plans for an attack in April or June, but FBI agents say he moved up that timeline as the coronavirus made its way to Missouri.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ad891a0e69f0e3d285c397a1626d1e0d">violent take-down</a>&nbsp;followed a long-running domestic terrorism investigation that began in 2019 with Wilson’s encrypted communications about bomb-building with Jarrett William Smith, a 24-year-old Army infantry soldier who faces prison for distributing bomb-making information through social media.Wilson considered attacking the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, before settling on a plan to park a vehicle loaded with explosives and detonate it in the parking lot of Belton Regional Medical Center in Cass County, investigators state in court documents.Just two days before his death, Wilson and an undercover FBI agent visited Belton Regional to inspect the hospital property and conduct a dry run of their plot, court records say.The records show that for months, Wilson had discussed ideas for a terrorist attack, telling an undercover FBI agent that he was considering sites including a nuclear plant and Islamic centers in Missouri and the Walmart headquarters or a synagogue in Arkansas. He also discussed last year shooting up a predominantly black elementary school, the FBI said in the affidavits.

FBI: Man planning to bomb KC-area hospital killed himself

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT,&nbsp;Hays Post

What was supposed to be a benign budget meeting Thursday ended with the Ellis County Treasurer getting escorted from the commission chambers.

After previously presenting the commission with drafts, each individual department head planned to present their budget to the commission.&nbsp;

After a brief question, Commission Chair Butch Schlyer pressed County Treasurer Lisa Schlegel on adding a new employee. The commission had previously asked that any department heads who were looking to hire a new employee to discuss it with the commission first.

Schlegell did not. In March, she elected to fill a position that had been vacant in her department for several weeks.

Schlyer contended that position was open for six months. During the conversation, Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several times claiming it was four months.

“Earlier in the year, we did ask that department heads and elected officials discuss personnel issues with us,” Schlyer said. “You decided not too.”

“You never asked me about the position,” Schlegel replied.

"I didn’t know you was hiring,"&nbsp;Schlyer responded.

After Schlegel asked Schlyer, “Why are you asking now?” Schlyer said, “Because I don’t believe you needed the position and I’m going to ask the board to remove it.”

Schlegel then interrupted him and said, “You don’t know what my office does.”

“You have no bearing to make a statement that my office does not need that staff,” she said. “That’s an ignorant statement and is incorrect.”

Schlyer responded, “You’re being rude and disrepecful.”

To that Schlegel responded, “No you’re lying and you’re misrepresenting the facts. I’m standing up for myself. That’s not rude and disrespectful.”

Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several more times as he told the commission he wanted that position taken from the budget.

She then claimed he was threatened by a woman standing up to him.

Schlyer said in response, “I’m not threatened by any woman.”

Schlegel said, “We’ll sure you are. When you lie, misrepresent, call names yell and bully, that is disrespectful.”

Schlyer interrupted her and said, “you keep interrupting me so I’d appreciate it if you’d just shut up for a minute.”

Schlyer asked to board to remove the position for the treasurer’s budget.

To that, she said, “The position will not be removed.”

The position was budgeted in 2020, and Schlegel asked what had changed.

“I don’t believe you needed it because you went a long time without it,” Schlyer said. “You went through tax season without it.”

Schlyer added that she took her time to fill the position while other departments did not.

Schlegel said, “If you understood how the treasury functioned, you would understand that no treasurer is going to hire and train a new person in tax season.”

Schlegel went on to claim that Schlyer makes decisions on “non-fact (and) ignorance." While the moves she makes are based on “facts.”

She went on to claim that Schlyer has made “numerous, lies, mistruths and misrepresentations” about her since he was elected.

When pressed on what he has said, she did not provide any examples.

She then told the commission her expenditures for 2021 would be $515,000.

“That’s what its going to cost to operate the treasurer,” Schlegel said.

After Schlyer again told her that he doesn’t believe the treasurer’s office needs the extra position, she told him he does not know what he is talking about.

When Schlyer shifted the discussion to the treasurer’s advertising budget, she said she would not discuss it.

She then brought up her summer newsletter that she mailed out to residents of Ellis County. She said the money for those didn’t come from the advertising budget and said that two commissioners lied about it when they talked about it at a prior meeting.

“Which is completely ignorant,” Schlegel said, “and it breaches on stupid.”

Commissioner Dustin Roths, who addressed the newsletter at a prior meeting, asked where the funding for the newsletter came from. He was ignored.

At this time, Schlyer asked Sheriff Ed Harbin to the front of the chambers and had Schlegel escorted from the meeting.

“I’m tired of listening to this,” Schlyer said. “We’ll do her budget without her.”

When she asked why she was being escorted from the meeting, his answer was, “because you’re obnoxious.”

“You are disrespectful. And let the record state,” Schlegel said, “that you told me to shut up.”

She continued to yell as she was being escorted out of the meeting and said the number she gave them was going to be what it cost to run the treasury “whether you like it or not.”

Just outside the commission chambers, Schlegel can be heard yelling, “Butch, you’re lucky you had me escorted out because I have a lot of stuff here you don’t want the public to hear."

At that time, she was told that if she came back to the meeting she would be arrested for disorderly conduct.

The commission then proceeded to go through the 2021 budget request for the treasurer line by line.

According to numbers presented to the commission, from January 2019 through this year, the treasurer’s office only used 105 hours of overtime. That was minus one employee for the busy tax season.

“Right through her busy season tax season, she was an employee low, didn’t rehire and (then) rehired at the beginning of the year without requesting from us,” said Roths.

The commission agreed to not put that position in the 2021 budget, and Roths said this is the reason why they didn’t want to hire new employees if there wasn’t going to be a position available.

“It’s not fair to that employee,” Roths said. “What Ms. Schlegel did to that employee is not fair and who she decides to let go of next year is not fair.”

While going through more line items and made a list of questions for Sclegel to address at another time.

Some of the smaller items they trimmed were the amount of money set aside for tuition reimbursement, subsistence spending and ending a line item for employee incentives.

The commission also addressed a roughly $30,000 expenditure for bulletproof glass and chose to remove it from the budget.

Interim County Administrator Darin Myers said they aren’t really sure on the exact cost but wanted to make sure it was on the budget for approval.

Schlyer called the bulletproof glass “overkill.”

Roths said, “How bad do we have to be at customer service while people are paying their taxes to need bulletproof glass partisans between us and the person whose taking our money?”

Schlyer also called it an inconsistency to want bulletproof glass but remove security cameras in the office.

The commission discussed the current security camera setup within the treasurer’s office.

IT Director Mike Leiker told the commission that his department does have security cameras in the treasurer’s office with the recording equipment in the IT department. But Leiker said “recently” the treasurer had staff come and get the equipment.

He said while the cameras can be monitored in real-time, they currently cannot record. There are 20 cameras in the treasurer’s office, but only 18 are active because Schlegel had them disconnect two, according to Leiker.

Leiker estimated it would cost about $3,000 to get the system back to recording.

County Counselor Bill Jeter told the commission he has looked into this situation before and called it a “gray area.”

He said there isn’t any guidelines on placing camera’s in an elected official’s office, adding he couldn’t give the commission an opinion on what the outcome of the case would be.

Roths said, “Maybe it should be litigated. If Treasurer Schlegel would like to have a problem with us recording things in the treasury, that might be something we have to take up as litigation.”

“I believe we should be recording in the treasury,” Roths added, “for the safety of the treasury (and) for the safety of her employees.”

Jeter suggested the county look at installing cameras in the lobby in an effort to cover the front of the treasurer’s office.

Roths said he would be worried about fraud and mistakes in transactions.

“Those are the type of things I would expect, from my treasurer, to want to know.”

Roths said he would be in favor of zero-funding the treasurer’s capital outlay budget so the office doesn’t have the funds to do any construction on the office.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XKdPnYL6rJ0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT,&nbsp;Hays PostWhat was supposed to be a benign budget meeting Thursday ended with the Ellis County Treasurer getting escorted from the commission chambers.After previously presenting the commission with drafts, each individual department head planned to present their budget to the commission.&nbsp;After a brief question, Commission Chair Butch Schlyer pressed County Treasurer Lisa Schlegel on adding a new employee. The commission had previously asked that any department heads who were looking to hire a new employee to discuss it with the commission first.Schlegell did not. In March, she elected to fill a position that had been vacant in her department for several weeks.Schlyer contended that position was open for six months. During the conversation, Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several times claiming it was four months.“Earlier in the year, we did ask that department heads and elected officials discuss personnel issues with us,” Schlyer said. “You decided not too.”“You never asked me about the position,” Schlegel replied."I didn’t know you was hiring,"&nbsp;Schlyer responded.After Schlegel asked Schlyer, “Why are you asking now?” Schlyer said, “Because I don’t believe you needed the position and I’m going to ask the board to remove it.”Schlegel then interrupted him and said, “You don’t know what my office does.”“You have no bearing to make a statement that my office does not need that staff,” she said. “That’s an ignorant statement and is incorrect.”Schlyer responded, “You’re being rude and disrepecful.”To that Schlegel responded, “No you’re lying and you’re misrepresenting the facts. I’m standing up for myself. That’s not rude and disrespectful.”Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several more times as he told the commission he wanted that position taken from the budget.She then claimed he was threatened by a woman standing up to him.Schlyer said in response, “I’m not threatened by any woman.”Schlegel said, “We’ll sure you are. When you lie, misrepresent, call names yell and bully, that is disrespectful.”Schlyer interrupted her and said, “you keep interrupting me so I’d appreciate it if you’d just shut up for a minute.”Schlyer asked to board to remove the position for the treasurer’s budget.To that, she said, “The position will not be removed.”The position was budgeted in 2020, and Schlegel asked what had changed.“I don’t believe you needed it because you went a long time without it,” Schlyer said. “You went through tax season without it.”Schlyer added that she took her time to fill the position while other departments did not.Schlegel said, “If you understood how the treasury functioned, you would understand that no treasurer is going to hire and train a new person in tax season.”Schlegel went on to claim that Schlyer makes decisions on “non-fact (and) ignorance." While the moves she makes are based on “facts.”She went on to claim that Schlyer has made “numerous, lies, mistruths and misrepresentations” about her since he was elected.When pressed on what he has said, she did not provide any examples.She then told the commission her expenditures for 2021 would be $515,000.“That’s what its going to cost to operate the treasurer,” Schlegel said.After Schlyer again told her that he doesn’t believe the treasurer’s office needs the extra position, she told him he does not know what he is talking about.When Schlyer shifted the discussion to the treasurer’s advertising budget, she said she would not discuss it.She then brought up her summer newsletter that she mailed out to residents of Ellis County. She said the money for those didn’t come from the advertising budget and said that two commissioners lied about it when they talked about it at a prior meeting.“Which is completely ignorant,” Schlegel said, “and it breaches on stupid.”Commissioner Dustin Roths, who addressed the newsletter at a prior meeting, asked where the funding for the newsletter came from. He was ignored.At this time, Schlyer asked Sheriff Ed Harbin to the front of the chambers and had Schlegel escorted from the meeting.“I’m tired of listening to this,” Schlyer said. “We’ll do her budget without her.”When she asked why she was being escorted from the meeting, his answer was, “because you’re obnoxious.”“You are disrespectful. And let the record state,” Schlegel said, “that you told me to shut up.”She continued to yell as she was being escorted out of the meeting and said the number she gave them was going to be what it cost to run the treasury “whether you like it or not.”Just outside the commission chambers, Schlegel can be heard yelling, “Butch, you’re lucky you had me escorted out because I have a lot of stuff here you don’t want the public to hear."At that time, she was told that if she came back to the meeting she would be arrested for disorderly conduct.The commission then proceeded to go through the 2021 budget request for the treasurer line by line.According to numbers presented to the commission, from January 2019 through this year, the treasurer’s office only used 105 hours of overtime. That was minus one employee for the busy tax season.“Right through her busy season tax season, she was an employee low, didn’t rehire and (then) rehired at the beginning of the year without requesting from us,” said Roths.The commission agreed to not put that position in the 2021 budget, and Roths said this is the reason why they didn’t want to hire new employees if there wasn’t going to be a position available.“It’s not fair to that employee,” Roths said. “What Ms. Schlegel did to that employee is not fair and who she decides to let go of next year is not fair.”While going through more line items and made a list of questions for Sclegel to address at another time.Some of the smaller items they trimmed were the amount of money set aside for tuition reimbursement, subsistence spending and ending a line item for employee incentives.The commission also addressed a roughly $30,000 expenditure for bulletproof glass and chose to remove it from the budget.Interim County Administrator Darin Myers said they aren’t really sure on the exact cost but wanted to make sure it was on the budget for approval.Schlyer called the bulletproof glass “overkill.”Roths said, “How bad do we have to be at customer service while people are paying their taxes to need bulletproof glass partisans between us and the person whose taking our money?”Schlyer also called it an inconsistency to want bulletproof glass but remove security cameras in the office.The commission discussed the current security camera setup within the treasurer’s office.IT Director Mike Leiker told the commission that his department does have security cameras in the treasurer’s office with the recording equipment in the IT department. But Leiker said “recently” the treasurer had staff come and get the equipment.He said while the cameras can be monitored in real-time, they currently cannot record. There are 20 cameras in the treasurer’s office, but only 18 are active because Schlegel had them disconnect two, according to Leiker.Leiker estimated it would cost about $3,000 to get the system back to recording.County Counselor Bill Jeter told the commission he has looked into this situation before and called it a “gray area.”He said there isn’t any guidelines on placing camera’s in an elected official’s office, adding he couldn’t give the commission an opinion on what the outcome of the case would be.Roths said, “Maybe it should be litigated. If Treasurer Schlegel would like to have a problem with us recording things in the treasury, that might be something we have to take up as litigation.”“I believe we should be recording in the treasury,” Roths added, “for the safety of the treasury (and) for the safety of her employees.”Jeter suggested the county look at installing cameras in the lobby in an effort to cover the front of the treasurer’s office.Roths said he would be worried about fraud and mistakes in transactions.“Those are the type of things I would expect, from my treasurer, to want to know.”Roths said he would be in favor of zero-funding the treasurer’s capital outlay budget so the office doesn’t have the funds to do any construction on the office.The commission also walked through the EMS and Health Services Budgets, and budgets for the county attorney, appraiser, sheriff and IT.They will continue budget discussions Friday.