Great Bend Post

GREAT BEND — A medical expense fund has been established for 4-year-old Cameron Grubb, Hoisington, who has been diagnosed with midaortic syndrome and renovascular hypertension, an extremely rare condition affecting children and young adults.

It is characterized by progressive narrowing of the abdominal aorta and its major branches. Affecting the child’s kidneys, this condition causes extreme hypertension and may require several procedures, including extensive surgery to be corrected.

Currently, Cameron and his parents, Mitch and Jackie Grubb, are traveling weekly to a neurologist and a nephrologist in Wichita because Cameron also has a cyst on his brain, which is secondary to the primary concern, the MAS and RVH. They also must make frequent trips to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Cameron has one sister, Brittani, 15, and two brothers, Ethan, 7, and Trenton, 6.

Contributions to the Cameron Grubb Medical Fund may be sent to or dropped off at any First Kansas Bank location in Claflin, Hoisington or Great Bend.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Regents has revised a policy allowing state universities to discipline or fire faculty and staff for improper use of social media.

The changes approved Wednesday include new statements that academic freedom and free-speech rights still will be protected.

The board retained language defining improper use of social media as messages that incite violence, disclose private student or health care information or are contrary to the best interests of the university.

The regents acted after months of criticism of the policy they adopted in December in response to a University of Kansas professor’s tweet denouncing the National Rifle Association. It permits each university’s top administrator to discipline, suspend or fire staff who used social media improperly.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Regents is taking up proposed revisions in a social media policy for faculty and staff at public universities.

The board adopted the policy in December in response to a University of Kansas professor’s tweets criticizing the National Rifle Association after a gunman killed 12 people at the Washington Navy yard.

The policy established disciplinary actions that university officials could take for improper use of social media. Critics said it would stifle academic freedom and chill the exchange of ideas on campuses.

On Wednesday, the regents are to review recommendations from their Governance Committee outlining acceptable social media activity. The proposed revisions would allow removal of employees for comments that are not otherwise protected by the First Amendment.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Commissioners in Riley County have agreed to pay an outstanding hospital bill for a driver who was badly injured while fleeing from police.

The Manhattan Mercury reports the commission decided to pay $6,300 sought in a lawsuit by Stormont-Vail Healthcare in Topeka, rather than risk a trial.

Marysville resident Jason Fisher suffered severe internal injuries in February 2011 when he rolled a pickup truck while being chased by police. Fisher spent two days at Stormont-Vail, which put the cost of his care at nearly $40,000. Riley County’s liability was reduced to the Medicaid rate.

County officials had questioned the county’s liability because Fisher was not in police custody when he was injured.

DENVER (AP) — Travelers passing through Denver International Airport are being warned about the danger of the MERS virus.

The airport says the signs were posted Wednesday at all of its screening areas at the direction of the Centers for Disease Control.

The signs list the symptoms of the virus and ask anyone who gets sick within 14 days of traveling to the Arabian peninsula to contact their doctor and tell the doctor where they have been.

MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, is a respiratory illness that begins with flu-like fever and cough but can lead to shortness of breath, pneumonia and death.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Animal welfare advocates say Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors are reluctant to give violations to pet breeders who don’t meet state standards, instead providing them with notes on things that need fixing.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports more than 200 KDA inspections of licensed breeders in fiscal year 2013 recorded no violations, including in cases were the inspector wrote notes indicating a violation had existed.

Of 13 “problem dealers” in the state identified by the Humane Society of the United States, the KDA last year didn’t inspect six, cited two and found no violations for the remaining five.

Michael Faurot, director of the KDA’s animal facilities inspections, says the agency tries to be consistent and noted conditions cited by investigators in some of the reports sounded like violations to him.

OLATHE — The Olathe Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing child/endangered runaway.

Emmaleigh A. Fleming was last seen on May 12 when she walked away from her school.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6950 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477. Click on the poster for more information.