KANSAS CITY- A pickup truck driver was injured in an accident just before 2 p.m. on Saturday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy pickup pulling a trailer with three golf carts and driven by Gerald D. Smith, 44, Gallatin, Mo., was northbound on I-435 just north of Donahoo.

For an unknown reason the truck left the roadway to the left, came across all lanes of northbound traffic, left the roadway to the right, went down the embankment, struck a creek, and caught fire.

Smith was transported to KU Medical Center.

The KHP reported he was not wearing a seat belt.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – A 42-year-old Kansas City man was sentenced to life in prison plus 33 years for sexually abusing children.

The Kansas City Star reported Joseph M. Braughton was convicted in June on charges including child molestation and statutory sodomy. He was accused of molesting four boys over seven years.

Braughton was sentenced Friday.

Clay County Prosecutor Daniel White said Braughton won’t be eligible for parole for at least 27 years.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new Shawnee County District Judge has been assigned to the capital murder trial of man accused of killing two Topeka woman.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Chief Judge Evelyn Wilson has appointed Judge Richard D. Anderson for the trial of Phillip D. Cheatham Jr.

Shawnee County District Judge Mark Braun recused himself from the case after Cheatham filed a judicial complaint against him.

Cheatham originally was sentenced to death for the 2003 shooting deaths of Annette Roberson and Gloria Jones, who were shot to death in 2003 in a Topeka home.

A new trial was ordered for Cheatham when the Kansas Supreme Court, citing ineffective assistance of counsel, overturned his capital murder conviction and death penalty sentence for the women’s deaths.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today applauded the Senate passage of the “Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014,” a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to begin addressing the problems at the Veterans Administration and give America’s veterans better care. The House overwhelmingly approved the legislation this week, and it will now head to the White House for the president’s signature.

“This debate shouldn’t be about what’s best for the VA – it’s about what’s best for America’s veterans,” Blunt said. “This bill is a big step in the right direction because it gives our veterans more choice and better access to the quality of care they deserve.”

In recent months, Blunt has visited the John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis and the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Mo., and joined U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (Mo.) in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and the VA St. Louis Health Care System demanding answers for serious allegations of delays and inefficiencies at the John Cochran VA. Blunt also pressed all of the Missouri facilities in the VA Heartland Network (VISN 15) to disclose whether or not they’ve had “unauthorized” waiting lists that compromised care for area veterans.

As part of his continued efforts to improve access to quality behavioral health treatment for all Americans, including military, veterans and families, Blunt introduced the bipartisan “Caring For America’s Heroes Act” to bring mental health treatment in-line with the way physical injuries are treated under TRICARE. Blunt also led a bipartisan letter calling on the VA and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to explain their findings on an Institute of Medicine (IOM) study on mental health treatment for service members from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. Blunt serves as a member of both the defense appropriations and authorizing committees.

STOCKTON, Mo. (AP) — Authorities have identified the body of a man found near Stockton Lake.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 26-year-old Michael Scott Algiere of Springfield was found dead Sunday in the Crabtree Cove area of Stockton Lake. Two hikers found his body, which authorities believe had been there a couple days.

The FBI is investigating because Algiere’s body was found on federal land. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Cedar County sheriff’s office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Springfield police are also involved in the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the FBI in Springfield at 417-882-3303.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal officials are assessing the Nebraska Medical Center Biocontainment Unit’s ability to treat people infected with the Ebola virus that is sweeping West Africa.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that officials with the U.S. State Department inspected the Omaha unit on Friday.

The inspection came as officials prepared to fly two Americans infected with the deadly virus into the U.S. for treatment — the first time anyone infected with Ebola has been brought into the country. One patient arrived in Atlanta on Saturday.

Dr. Philip Smith, medical director of the unit, says there are no immediate plans to transfer Ebola patients to the Omaha hospital.

But the Omaha medical center’s 10-bed biocontainment unit is the largest quarantine and treatment facility in the country and could be used if other cases turn up in the U.S.

FORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — The father of one of two soldiers reported missing from Fort Riley has raised concerns about his son’s disappearance.

A flier from the Kansas Missing and Unsolved Facebook page says Pfc. Richard “Connor” Ferguson and Pvt. Bradley Kappel were last seen July 21. Military records show the men were serving in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team “Dagger.”

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports they’re considered to be AWOL by Fort Riley officials.

Chris Grey, spokesman for the USA Criminal Investigation Command office in Quantico, Virginia, says the Army believes the two men didn’t disappear under suspicious circumstances.

But Connor Ferguson’s father, Steve Ferguson, says it’s out of character for his son to go AWOL.

LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — A 27-year-old man charged with the shooting deaths of a man and his stepson in suburban Kansas City told police he killed them after they kidnapped him.

Alexander W. Brune of Lenexa has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the July 9 deaths of 47-year-old Brian Baskind and 79-year-old Clifford Preston. The men were found stabbed to death inside a Lenexa home.

Prosecutors say Brune, who’s jailed on $2 million bond, killed the men during a burglary and attempted robbery.

The Kansas City Star reports  that court documents released this week show Brune called police that night after being shot in the abdomen and told police the men kidnapped him, drove him to a house and that he stabbed both men while trying to escape.

​TOPEKA – In response to Friday’s information made public in Sedgwick County court, regarding the death of the 10-month-old baby, Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Phyllis Gilmore offers the following statement:

“Should the allegations prove to be true, I am appalled that a precious, helpless child suffered such an unthinkable death while her foster parent was allegedly using drugs. We expect parents to protect and care for their children. We expect even more of our foster parents. They have a duty to put the children in their care before themselves always and provide a loving, safe environment. This incident is a rare exception to the otherwise strong record of foster care safety in Kansas. Drug use is not tolerated among our foster parents.”

DCF continues its investigation into the tragedy. Foster homes sponsored by TFI are in the process of being inspected. Presently, no serious concerns have been discovered. We anticipate lifting the moratorium on placements with TFI soon, upon the completion of the inspections if no issues arise. TFI is licensed to sponsor 621 foster homes in Kansas. TFI was a former foster care contractor. Its contract with DCF was not renewed in 2013. It serves as a subcontractor of foster care services to St. Francis and KVC.

Since 2001, there have been two fatalities in foster care as a result of maltreatment. The last death by maltreatment in foster care was in 2006.