ANTHONY, Kan -Three people from Oklahoma were injured in a Wednesday crash in Harper County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Ford F150 driven by Travis Steven Grimm, 23, Pond Creek, OK. was eastbound on Kansas 44 twelve miles east of Anthony when it drove off of the roadway. The driver overcorrected and the truck overturned.
Grimm was transported to Anthony Medical Center. Passengers in the truck James H. Cunningham, 47, and Casey Scott Mangrum, 26, Ponca City, OK. were transported to Wesley Medical Center.
The KHP reported they were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Women’s rights activists in Kansas are praising a romantic comedy about abortion.
Julie Burkhart, founder of Trust Women and the South Wind Women’s Center, says the groups asked that the movie “Obvious Child” be shown in Wichita so the community could see it. She says it is time Hollywood portrayed abortion in a more authentic way since it is a common experience.
The Guttmacher Institute says half of all U.S. pregnancies are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion.
“Obvious Child” ranked 20th in the latest weekly box office top-20 list compiled by Rentrak. The film has grossed $1.9 million since it was released five weeks ago. It is showing in 202 locations.
The movie will be shown July 11-13 at the Warren Theatre in Wichita.
DALLAS (AP) — President Barack Obama says Congress has the ability to act immediately to address the wave of unaccompanied minors coming over the border from Mexico into the U.S.
Obama spoke in Dallas after meeting Wednesday with Gov. Rick Perry and other officials about the unaccompanied minors entering the country by the thousands.
Obama says Perry raised four areas of concern and made suggestions. Obama says he doesn’t have a philosophical objection to anything Perry suggested. He says if Congress passes his emergency funding request, the government will have to resources to take some of the steps Perry recommended.
Obama says the problem is fixable if lawmakers are interested in solving it. He says if the preference is for politics, it won’t be solved.
Dr. Jeffrey Burns uses a PET scan to screen patients for an international drug trial.-photo by Stefani Fontana/KCUR
By Stefani Fontana, KCUR-FM
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It’s a form of dementia that afflicts as many as 5.2 million people in the United States. It has no cure.
And as the population ages, the number of people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to quadruple over the next 35 years, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
That means that by 2050, 1 in 85 people will be living with the disease.
Now doctors at the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center are hopeful a new drug called Solanezumab, made by Eli Lilly & Co., can delay or even prevent Alzheimer’s.
A report published in the New England Journal of Medicine early this year on the drug’s Phase 3 trial – when it’s given to large groups of people to test its effectiveness and safety – showed it was effective in slowing progression in mild cases of Alzheimer’s, although not in moderate or advanced cases.
“I’m massively hopeful,” said Michelle Niedens, director of education for the Kansas City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “The general Phase 3 trial proved to be insignificant … but the exciting part was they differentiated based on stage. So those individuals who were in the early part of the disease, early stage, seemed to benefit heavily.”
Delaying onset
Although current treatments can slow cognitive decline in patients already diagnosed with the disease, there are no drugs that can delay or prevent its onset.
“They don’t stop the disease, but they help the symptoms, meaning the memory loss and changes in memory,” said Dr. Jeffrey Burns, a neurologist and co-director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the medical center.
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s – problems with memory, thinking and behavior that affect the ability to perform daily tasks – get worse as the disease progresses.
The average time from mild to severe disease is six years, but the progression can vary widely.
Caregivers are familiar with the progression, and many are at risk of developing the disease themselves, because it often runs in families.
“My mother died 25 years ago with Alzheimer’s disease, and I was a caregiver,” said Joann Bell, who is undergoing screening to participate in the Solanezumab study.
Bell said she didn’t know about her mother’s disease until a neighbor mentioned some odd behavior.
“(The neighbor) wasn’t sure if she knew how to make breakfast,” Bell said. And after Bell’s son visited and found that his grandmother had forgotten to buy food, Bell realized her mother could no longer live on her own.
KU is recruiting patients between the ages of 65 and 85, when Alzheimer’s is usually diagnosed, to be part of its drug trial.
“It’s a clinical trial that’s basically the cutting-edge approach to preventing Alzheimer’s disease,” Burns said.
The study is being funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and Eli Lilly and involves more than 50 locations throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.
Clearing out amyloid
To participate, applicants will undergo cognitive screening to make sure they don’t have any early symptoms of Alzheimer’s, such as memory loss.
After that they’ll get a PET scan to see if they have “amyloid plaques” in their brain, a risk factor for the disease. Amyloid is a type of protein, and deposits in the brain have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
“We all have amyloid in our body,” Burns said. “It’s a normal part of us, but when it goes up in the brain, that’s not something you see with everyone. You see it in people with Alzheimer’s disease.”
The ideal candidate would have no signs of early Alzheimer’s disease but would have amyloid plaques.
Whether amyloid causes Alzheimer’s or is a byproduct of the disease is a hotly debated topic among scientists.
“A key point is if somebody has amyloid in their brain, not everybody develops Alzheimer’s,” Burns said “They’re at higher risk for the disease over the next five to 10 years, but not everybody will get Alzheimer’s. … So it’s a risk factor.”
Solanezumab, the drug under study, works by attaching itself to amyloid proteins and making them visible to the immune system. Once the immune system detects amyloid, the body’s natural immune defenses react as they would to bacteria or any other foreign body and clears the amyloid out of the body’s system.
Cause or effect?
The premise of the KU trial is that amyloid does cause Alzheimer’s, and if it’s cleared out of the system before it causes any damage, then the disease will be prevented.
“Will it definitively answer the question of whether amyloid causes Alzheimer’s? Probably not definitively, but it’s definitely a test of that hypothesis,” Burns said. “What’s the role of amyloid in Alzheimer’s? It’s not clear. … Is it the smoke or is it the fire? This study will really help us take a big step forward in understanding what is the role and relevance of amyloid.”
As Alzheimer’s disease progresses to “severe,” patients lose the ability to carry on conversation, perform daily tasks such as feed or bathe themselves and respond to their environment. Such patients require full-time care.
“It’s difficult for people to watch this devastating illness that takes your memory, your dignity,” Bell said.
The experience with her mother inspired Bell and her husband to go through screening for the three-year KU study.
“My husband and I feel this is a crisis,” Bell said. “To me, information is power. And I’m already exercising and eating right, and if I then would proceed – if I have the amyloid – I know it takes awhile for it to develop. And maybe I’ll be one of those to get the drug. Just to be part of the research is so exciting.”
For more information on the international trial, visit the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s trial website. To participate in the Kansas City trial, visit the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center website or call (913) 588-8055
On Tuesday evening, The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing to examine how the Department of Veterans Affairs handles whistleblower complaints. This hearing examined the systemic problems identified by whistleblowers and the VA’s failure to safeguard them from retribution. Below is a witness list and Congressman Tim Huelskamp’s (KS-01) line of questioning:
WITNESS LIST
Panel 1
Jose Mathews, M.D.
Former Chief of Psychiatry
St. Louis VA Health Care System
Christian Head, M.D.
Associate Director–Chief of Staff–Legal and Quality Assurance
Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System
Kathrine Mitchell, M.D.
Medical Director, Iraq and Afghanistan Post-Deployment Center
Phoenix VA Health Care System
Mr. Scott Davis
Program Specialist
VA National Health Eligibility Center
Panel 2
The Honorable Carolyn Lerner
Special Counsel
U.S. Office of Special Counsel
Accompanied by:
Mr. Eric Bachman
Deputy Special Counsel for Litigation and Legal Affairs
U.S. Office of Special Counsel
Dr. Dr. James Tuchschmidt
Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health
WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) have reached an agreement to again allow states through the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) and Firefighter Programs to continue to receive equipment managed through these programs. The EPA recently halted the transfer of surplus military equipment to states and local governments that is used for firefighting and law enforcement. Yesterday, the Kansas Congressional Delegation sent a letter to EPA and the U.S. Army TACOM requesting they re-implement the use of military vehicles for rural fire departments. After the agreement from the EPA and DLA, the Kansas Congressional Delegation released the following statement:
“We are pleased the administration acted in a timely manner and has decided to continue this successful program of equipment transfers. These vehicles are an important lifeline and safety tool for our rural communities. Local fire departments across Kansas and the nation will once again be able to utilize excess equipment to save lives and protect their communities.”
Please note the letter (below) from the KS Delegation to the EPA and U.S. Army TACOM:
July 8, 2014
The Honorable Gina McCarthy
Environmental Protection Agency
Office of the Administrator
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Major General Gwen Bingham
U.S. Army TACOM
AMSTA-CS-P
6501 E. 11 Mile Rd.
Warren, MI 48397-5000
Dear Administrator McCarthy and MG Bingham,
We are writing to you regarding an issue of great importance to Kansas and the safety of many of its small, rural communities. For more than 40 years, the Kansas Fire Service has transferred military vehicles to fire departments for use in their operations. These military vehicles, which are disposed of and transferred through the Defense Logistics Agency, are utilized by many Kansas Fire Departments. Currently, the Kansas Fire Service has 442 vehicles, originally valued at almost $23 million, in use by 81 Kansas counties. In Kansas many local fire departments are the first responders to any pipeline incident, and these vehicles provide them with the necessary capabilities to meet these obligations.
These transfers have a long history of being mutually beneficial to the Department of Defense and to state and local fire departments. As such, we find recent reports that the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army’s TACOM Life Cycle Management Command have suspended the current contract very troubling as it will have significant impacts on our local communities. Not only will new requests not be honored, but currently used vehicles will be unable to be repaired. These vehicles are providing essential services, and are being utilized on an as-needed basis. Thus, the environmental impact of these vehicles is small, as they are not being utilized in day-to-day operations.
Our local communities depend on these vehicles for public safety. This immediate termination puts local fire district in a potentially dangerous situation during a volatile tornado and weather season in Kansas, and could hamper efforts to respond to fire disasters and protect the local communities. We strongly encourage previously approved practices by the EPA and Department of Defense in this regard to be re-implemented immediately. We appreciate your consideration and timely response to this request.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Jackson Browne and Loretta Lynn are getting lifetime achievement awards from The Americana Music Association. Brown will get the “Spirit” award for addressing a number of social policy issues during his career. Lynn’s award is for songwriting. The awards will be handed out at an event in Nashville in September.
4 p.m. UPDATE LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence police say they don’t suspect foul play in the death of a man whose body was found along Kansas 10 in Douglas County.
A commuter noticed the body about 6 a.m. Wednesday near an industrial area called Venture Park.
The man was later identified as 37-year-old Nathan Thurman. Police said Thurman had recently been staying at the nearby Lawrence Community Shelter, which serves the homeless and people at risk of losing their homes.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Westbound traffic on the heavily traveled highway was reduced to one lane Wednesday morning while detectives examined the scene.
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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine the cause of death of a man whose body was found along Kansas Highway 10 near Lawrence.
Lawrence police say the man’s body was found about 6 a.m. Wednesday by a man on his way to work. It was found near an industrial area called Venture Park.
Sgt. Trent McKinley says the man is in his 30s. He says no obvious signs of trauma were found on the body.
The Kansas Department of Transportation closed one lane of the highway after the body was found but it reopened about 10:45 a.m.
No other information was immediately available.
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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — One westbound lane of Kansas 10 near Lawrence is expected to be closed for several hours after a man’s body was found on the side of the highway.
Lawrence police say the man’s body was found Wednesday morning by a man on his way to work. It was found near an industrial area called Venture Park.
The Kansas Department of Transportation estimates the closed lane could reopen around noon Wednesday.
DETROIT (AP) — Harley-Davidson is recalling 66,421 Touring and CVO Touring motorcycles from the 2014 model year because their front wheels can lock up without warning.
Motorcycles with anti-lock brakes built between July 1, 2013, and May 7, 2014, are included in the recall.
Harley-Davidson Inc. says the front brake line can get pinched between the fuel tank and the frame. That could cause front brake fluid pressure to increase, increasing the risk that the front wheel could lock up while riding.
The company knows of five crashes and two minor injuries related to the defect, which it discovered last fall through warranty claims.
Harley-Davidson will notify owners later this month. Dealers will replace the brake lines for free and attach straps to hold them in place.
O’Loughlin Elementary School in Hays has been selected to participate in a large initiative to create 15 Walking School Bus programs in 15 elementary schools across Kansas.
The school has received a $2,000 Kansas Department of Transportation grant to support the project and will have an informational session later this month to explain the program and gather input from community stakeholders. The grant was announced by O’Loughlin Principal Nancy Harman and Terri Tramel, the school’s Walking School Bus coordinator.
MANHATTAN — Kansas Farm Bureau President Steve Baccus looks forward to hearing from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy tomorrow at the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City luncheon.
It’s disappointing, however, to hear our reservations about the agency’s “Waters of the United States” and “Interpretive Rule” proposals dismissed as “ludicrous” by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, especially when the public comment period is still open.
In a democratic society, citizens have the right – and the responsibility – to speak up when government decisions impact their way of life. In turn, a government that derives its power from the governed must be willing to listen to its citizens and truthfully answer questions.
Kansas Farm Bureau stands ready to participate in a constructive conversation about a proposal that will affect not only agriculture but also a multitude of small businesses and land use management across our state.
We hope Ms. McCarthy will listen to our rational and valid concerns during her visit to the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City.
ANTHONY, Kan -Three people from Oklahoma were injured in a Wednesday crash in Harper County.
