Daughter-in-law ordered to jail in neglect case

A Lawrence woman will go to jail for neglecting her elderly father-in-law, who died in November 2002 with deep, infected bed sores.

“You had a responsibility to make sure his last years on earth were lived with dignity and without pain,” Douglas County District Judge Michael Malone told Berdella I. Harrell on Friday before sentencing her to a year in jail.

Harrell, 41, pleaded no contest in August to mistreatment of a dependent adult in the death of 84-year-old Henry Ford Harrell. Timothy Harrell is to stand trial early next year on a second-degree murder charge in his father’s death.

Berdella Harrell’s attorney had requested probation, but Malone said he hoped the stronger sentence would send a message. A social worker had testified that the couple rejected help when he offered to make arrangements for a nursing home.

State records 80th case of West Nile Virus

Two new cases of human West Nile Virus were confirmed Friday by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The latest brings the total number of human cases for the year to 80, with three deaths. KDHE also said private labs have reported another 545 unverified cases, with two deaths.

The latest cases involve a 55-year-old from Harvey County, and 40-year-old from Marshall County.

KDHE in its totals only counts serious cases, ones in which victims develop encephalitis, a swelling of the brain, or meningitis, a swelling of the lining around the brain and spinal cord.

Steel plant worker killed in accident

A worker died Friday at an Ottawa steel plant when he was pinned between a steel post and a 4,000-pound steel plate, authorities said.

Ottawa Police Chief Jeff Herrman said Chet M. Fredericks, 20, of Williamsburg, was killed in the accident about 8 a.m. at the Ottawa Havens Steel plant.

Fredericks was operating a remote-controlled crane to move steel plates from a storage yard to the steel-fabrication plant when one of the plates fell and pinned him against a steel post, Herrman said. Fredericks was working alone in the yard and was found by another employee.