Midwest Energy

Several businesses in and around Hays have been contacted by phone scammers in recent days, claiming to be Midwest Energy and threatening to cut off electric service within minutes unless money is wired to them.

“These scammers target businesses at their busiest times of the day, which puts pressure on business owners,” said Michael Sadeghi, Midwest Energy’s director of customer service. “These scammers have gotten more sophisticated recently, using spoofing technology to make caller ID show the call is coming from Midwest Energy, when of course it’s not.”

During the calls, the scammers demand payment by wire or with a prepaid cash card, or utilities will be shut off in as little as 45 minutes. The scammers instruct business owners to make a wire payment transfer online, or instruct them to purchase a prepaid Green Dot cash card, and then pass the card’s account information to them.

“Midwest Energy doesn’t do business this way,” Sadeghi said. “If you get a call from someone saying they’ll cut off your utilities, just hang up and call us directly at (800) 222-3121 to verify that person’s identity.”

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

A Hays woman is in the Ellis County jail after allegedly stabbing a man last week.

According to Hays Police Department Chief Don Scheibler, Sandra D. Thomas, 52, is facing a charge of aggravated battery after officers responded to a report of a stabbing victim at Hays Medical Center’s emergency room at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 28.

After questioning the victim, Scheibler said officers determined the victim was stabbed during a domestic disturbance earlier in the day in the 1500 block of Milner.

No other details are being released at this time.

 

 

ELLIS — An Ellis woman was injured in an accident just after 8 a.m. Tuesday in Ellis County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Dodge Nitro driven by Misty Dawn Schartz, 26, Ellis, was eastbound on Interstate 70, approximately 10 miles west of Hays and rear-ended a 2015 International semi-truck driven by Garreld E. Wright, 61, Oklahoma City, which was accelerating on the shoulder and pulling out onto the driving lane.

Schartz was transported to Hays Medical Center. Wright was not injured.

The KHP reported both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

Trooper Tod Hileman said Schartz told him that her seatbelt saved her life.

Hays Medical Center in a news release Tuesday announced four new cardiologists have joined the medical staff.

The new cardiologists at DeBakey Heart Institute include Drs. Andrew Carter, Steven Freeman, Anil Pandit and Rashmi Thapa.

Dr. Carter graduated from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in Chicago. He did a transition internship and residency in Medicine at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora Colorado. He completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, and in interventional cardiology at The John Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology.

Dr. Freeman completed medical school at the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, Des Moines, Iowa. His internship and residency was completed at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has a fellowship in cardiology from the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City and is board certified in cardiovascular diseases and internal medicine.
Both Carter and Freeman had been practicing as locums at HaysMed the past year before joining the medical staff full time in July.

Dr. Pandit graduated from the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal.  He completed his internship and a residency at Patan Hospital, Nepal and another residency in internal medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. His fellowship in cardiovascular diseases was completed at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona.  Dr. Pandit is board certified in internal medicine.

Dr. Thapa is a medical graduate of Tribhuvan University, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, in Memphis and fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at the University of Kansas medical Center in Kansas City. She is board certified in nuclear cardiology and is a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation. She is also board eligible in cardiovascular diseases.

FHSU University Relations

Arin Powers, Woodward, Okla., junior, released a statement today announcing she will transition from acting president to president of the Student Government Association at Fort Hays State University.

The statement reads:

“In spring 2014, the student body of Fort Hays State University re-elected Chris Roberts as president of the Student Government Association for this school year. As his running mate, I was elected vice president.

“Because of personal issues, Chris chose not to be sworn in as president and, by default, I became the acting president.

“It has been a difficult summer because of the uncertainties of what might lie ahead, but with the help of senators and staff, I have been able to move forward constructively with SGA business. I especially thank my chief of staff, Eris Wilson, for his valuable assistance. With the vice president position vacant, he has assumed some of those duties in addition to his regular duties as chief of staff.

“In a recent note to me, Chris stated that he had decided not to assume the duties of student body president for the coming year. The uncertainty about the leadership of SGA has been resolved. I am pleased to announce that I will be officially sworn in as president of the FHSU Student Government Association at the Sept. 11 meeting.

“Now, my fellow senators and I will move forward to address issues that are important to the success of the FHSU student body.

“As the next step, the Senate and I will fill the positions of vice president and public relations director. We are accepting applications for those positions. Application forms can be picked up in the SGA office on the lower level of the Memorial Union. The deadline to apply is Sept. 12.

“I thank my fellow students for their votes last spring, I thank senators and my staff for their support thus far, and I pledge to students, faculty, staff, alumni, members of the Kansas Board of Regents and supporters everywhere that SGA will work constructively and aggressively for the betterment of Fort Hays State University.”