Four suffer minor injuries in three-vehicle accident

Four people were taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital by ambulance Thursday afternoon after a three-car accident on Wakarusa Drive north of 15th Street.

All four were treated and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The accident occurred shortly after noon when a 1991 Nissan Sentra crossing Wakarusa from one driveway on the east side to another driveway on the west side struck a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero northbound on Wakarusa, police said.

The Sentra was driven by Jonathan G. Thurmond, 18, 718 Shelborn Place. The Alero was driven by Leigh A. Housman, 4900 Stoneback Drive.

The collision pushed the Alero into the path of a 1995 Toyota Camry that was southbound on Wakarusa, police said. The Toyota was driven by Jessica M. Martell, 24, 833 E. 1259 Road.

Martell and three passengers in her vehicle, Damion Martell, 23; Theodore Martell, 4; and Jeremicah Martell, 4; also from 833 E. 1259 Road, were taken to LMH.

Leawood doctor gets 6 years in prison for medical fraud

Kansas City, Kan. Â A federal judge Thursday ordered a Leawood doctor to spend six years in prison for health-care and mail fraud and perjury.

The Kansas Board of Healing Arts also revoked the medical license for Herbert A. Daniels, 55.

After a three-month trial in U.S. District Court, Daniels was convicted Dec. 3, 2001, on 33 counts of health-care fraud, seven counts of mail fraud and three counts of perjury.

He is not eligible for parole.

Daniels was an ear, nose and throat specialist associated with Kanza Multispecialty Group in Kansas City, Kan. He was convicted of performing unnecessary surgeries, billing for services not rendered and creating false documents.

H&R Block makes donation to KU youth program

The H&R Block Foundation has donated $86,700 to a youth program administered by the Kansas University School of Social Welfare.

The Community TREE (Teach Responsibility, Educate and Empower) program will encourage at-risk middle school students in the Rosedale Development District in Kansas City, Kan., to develop leadership skills and participate in community improvement projects.

Community TREE will be a new component to the Rosedale Community Building Project, a joint program between KU, the Rosedale Development Assn. and Kaw Valley Habitat for Humanity.