WASHINGTON, D.C. – After receiving a letter from the Director of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Heartland Network (VISN) 15 detailing several Missouri facilities where veterans waited for care for longer than 90 days, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) pressed all of the Missouri facilities in VISN-15 to disclose whether or not they’ve had “unauthorized” waiting lists that compromised care for area veterans.

Last week, officials from the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (KC VAMC) revealed to Blunt’s staff that it had an “unauthorized” list of 37 veterans seeking treatment in the cardiology clinic. After learning this news, Blunt followed up with the other VISN-15 facilities by sending letters to the Director of the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Mo.; the Acting Medical Center Director of the VA St. Louis Health Care System; and the Director of the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

“Our veterans deserve access to the best care available. I’ll continue to do everything I can to ensure these heroes receive just that,” said Blunt.

Last month, Blunt visited the John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. and the Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Mo. On May 12, 2014, Blunt and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (Mo.) sent a letter to the VA Secretary and the VA St. Louis Health Care System demanding answers regarding serious allegations of delays and inefficiencies at the John Cochran VA. Blunt’s office has not received a response regarding the John Cochran allegations to date.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Recent rains across Kansas are greening up the state’s parched pastures and helping spring-planted crops.

But the improved soil moisture conditions have come too late to help most of the state’s drought-stricken winter wheat crop as harvest nears.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 63 percent of the wheat in Kansas is in poor to very poor condition. Twenty-six percent of the crop is rate in fair condition, with 10 percent rated good and 1 percent rated excellent.

The agency says about 13 percent of the wheat crop has now matured.

Corn condition is rated as 8 percent poor to very poor, 45 percent fair, 42 percent good and 5 percent excellent.

Pastures have improved, but 38 percent are still rated as poor or very poor.

KANSAS CITY—A Monday afternoon rear end accident in Wyandotte County sent one man to the hospital.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1995 Chevy truck driven by Verne W. Burleson, Jr., 62, Kansas City was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of Minnesota Street and traveling below the posted speed limit.

A 2003 Ford Escort driven by Joshua T. Higgs, 23, Richmond, Mo., was also westbound on the interstate and struck the back end of the truck.

Burleson was transported to KU Medical Center.

The KHP report says Higgs was possibly injured but does not indicate where he was treated. The report says both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

INDEPENDENCE (AP) – A 49-year-old Independence woman faces first-degree murder charges in the shooting death of her husband.

The Jackson County prosecutor’s office said Saturday that Kirstin A. Stephens is also charged with armed criminal action in the death of her husband, 65-year-old Charles Stephens, whose body was found at their home March 7.

A probable cause statement says police were called to the home and found Charles Stephens dead of several gunshot wounds. Kirstin Stephens told authorities then that she had been away from the house most of the day.

The prosecutor’s office says DNA found on a shotgun in the home matched the victim’s wife’s DNA, and that video surveillance footage discredited Stephens’ explanation of her whereabouts when her husband died.

It was unclear if Stephens has a lawyer.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — Two teenagers have been charged in the death of a 25-year-old man whose body was found last week near a western Missouri cemetery, Cass County authorities said Monday.

Mathew E. Volland, 18, of Raymore, and Tyler J. Smallwood, 18, of Peculiar, were charged Monday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of Forrest Fuller, Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley said.

Both suspects were being held on $500,000 cash bond. Volland was in custody Monday at the Cass County jail. Smallwood was awaiting extradition from Dodge City, Kansas, where he’s being held. Online court records don’t list lawyers for either Volland or Smallwood.

Authorities said the victim was shot from a vehicle, according to the probable cause statement.

Investigators said they contacted a person who the victim called shortly before he was killed, and found that person “closely associates” with Volland, who drives a vehicle matching a witness’s description. Authorities also recovered the weapon from a site where a 16-year-old girl told them it was buried, according to the probable cause statement.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A building set to open at the end of this month will provide housing for up to 58 veterans in the Kansas City area, and it’s the first step in a much larger project.
Supporters say the St. Michael’s Veterans Center will eventually open three buildings that will include 180 affordable rental units on a 24-acre site in central Kansas City.
The complex also offers large and small gathering areas, out patient medical care, and rooms for physical fitness, computer and job training. And it’s located close to bus lines, shopping areas, churches and the Truman Sports Complex.
The Kansas City Star reports the project is a partnership between Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Yarco Co., which develops and manages special needs multifamily housing.

NEW YORK (AP) — The world’s oldest man, a retired chemist and parapsychologist, has died in New York City. Alexander Imich was 111.

His niece says Imich died Sunday at his home in Manhattan.

Karen Bogen of Providence, Rhode Island, says she had visited him a day earlier. She says his health declined about two weeks ago and he didn’t recognize her.

Imich was born in 1903 in a town in Poland that was then part of Russia. He and his wife fled after the Nazis invaded in 1939. They eventually moved to the United States in 1951. His wife died in 1986.

In news reports, Imich said his good genes and a general healthy lifestyle contributed to his longevity.

Guinness is investigating the claim that 111-year-old Sakari Momoi of Japan is now the world’s oldest man.

The world’s oldest person is a woman, 116-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan.

LEBANON (AP) – A 75-year-old southwest Missouri man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for possessing child pornography.

KYTV-TV reports Rene Harvey pleaded guilty to the crime last week just before his trial was scheduled to begin.

Police arrested Harvey in September 2012. Detectives say they found more than a hundred images of child pornography on Harvey’s personal computer.

Harvey has been jailed since his arrest because police believed he was a flight risk. Investigators say they found an airline ticket from Kansas City to the Philippines in his home.

SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Prosecutors have ruled that a southwest Missouri man was justified when he stabbed his brother to death during an argument.

Greene County prosecutors say 31-year-old Ryan Storey, of St. James, will not face charges in the April 2013 death of 29-year-old Curtis Storey, of Springfield.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that police documents indicate Ryan Storey was carrying his child and trying to leave his mother’s house when Curtis Storey attacked him. Ryan stabbed Curtis with a pocket knife.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Todd Myers wrote that witnesses said Curtis Storey’s blood alcohol level was 0.233, and he had a history of fighting with an injuring Ryan.

Witnesses told police the argument began because Ryan Storey was concerned about how his brother was treating their mother.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. business economists are expressing more optimism.

A survey by the National Association of Business Economists predicts that U.S. economic growth should accelerate in the second quarter and remain healthy for the rest of this year. But the economists say growth for the full year will likely come in lower than they previously estimated.

The forecast says job growth should remain steady and consumer spending will also likely pick up.

The survey also found that economists increasingly agree that the Federal Reserve will end its bond purchase program by the end of this year.

Economists expect the economy will jump to 3.5 percent in the second quarter and remain above 3 percent for the rest of the year. The pickup comes after harsh winter weather caused the nation’s gross domestic product to contract 1 percent in the first three months of the year.