EFFINGHAM- A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 4 a.m. on Monday in Atchison County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Nissan Maxima driven by David C. Robertson, 43, Atchison, was traveling north on U.S.159. five miles east of Effingham.
The vehicle left the roadway and rolled many times before coming to rest on its top.
Robertson was transported to Mosaic Life Care.
The KHP reported he was not wearing a seat belt.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is asking a judge to stop officials in Kansas from prohibiting same-sex weddings and denying benefits offered to opposite-sex married couples.
The ACLU filed the request for a preliminary injunction Monday in federal court, saying that its case is likely to succeed.
The U.S. Supreme Court last month blocked Kansas from enforcing its ban on same-sex marriages while the lawsuit proceeds in federal court. Same-sex couples in Kansas have since been marrying in some but not all of the state’s 105 counties.
But the ACLU’s motion notes that the state isn’t recognizing same-sex marriages for spousal health insurance benefits, state tax filing purposes and driver’s license name changes.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has vowed to uphold the state’s ban on same-sex nuptials.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The head of the Kansas Highway Patrol says he plans to retire, effective Jan. 5.
The state announced the retirement plans of Col. Ernest Garcia in a news release issued Monday.
Garcia was appointed to the job in 2011. Before that, he was a 40-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He also was the Sergeant at Arms for the U.S. Senate.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports retirement comes months after a patrol survey indicated low morale among troopers and broad dissatisfaction with the agency’s leaders.
DETROIT (AP) — At least 38 people have died and 51 have been injured in crashes involving General Motors cars with defective ignition switches.
Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired by GM to compensate victims, updated the totals Monday.
Feinberg says he has received 239 death claims and 2,023 injury claims since August.
The fund so far has deemed a total of 89 claims eligible for compensation.
GM knew about faulty ignition switches in Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars for more than a decade but didn’t recall them until February. The switches can slip out of the “on” position, which causes the cars to stall, knocks out power steering and turns off the air bags.
Feinberg will accept claims until Jan. 31.
JOSH LEDERMAN, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The country’s seven largest school districts are joining more than 50 others to start offering introductory computer science to all their students.
The commitments by the school districts in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston and elsewhere are being announced Monday at the White House. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will also meet with students at an “hour of code” computing event.
The College Board, which runs the Advanced Placement program for high school students, is introducing a new college-level course called AP Computer Science Principles. There’s already one AP course in basic computer science, but the White House says this course is multidisciplinary and focuses on real-world applications.
Charitable groups are also pledging $20 million to train more teachers in computer science by fall 2016.
By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
The Ellis County Commission will continue their discussions on a proposal by an Ellis County businessman to upgrade county roads himself with the county’s help.
At last week’s commission meeting, Joel Younger, owner of Flatlander Dirtworks, told the commission he would be willing to use his equipment and employees to help upgrade approximately one mile of Bison Road and a half-mile of 230th Avenue.
The commission asked County Counselor Bill Jeter and Public Works Director Mike Graf to research the proposal and come up with the recommendation.
The commission will also receive a report on the construction progress at the Emergency Services Building at 22nd and General Hays Road.
In other business, the commission will discuss a three-year contract with Nex-Tech to upgrade the county’s phone system and County Appraiser Lisa Ree will present the commission with a plan to contract an aerial photo for the county. The photo technology allows the appraisers to measure dimensions of buildings in the county.
Monday evening’s meeting is at 5 p.m. at the Ellis County Courthouse.
Downtown Hays Development Corporation
The Downtown Hays Development Corporation (DHDC) and the FrostFest planning committee thank everyone who participated and attended the 14th Annual FrostFest Illuminated Parade.
The parade, sponsored by DHDC and ITC, took place on Saturday, December 6 in Historic Downtown Hays.
This year’s parade theme was Snowman Shuffle and parade entries were judged on use of theme, lighting and creativity. This is the 5th year for the Nex-Tech Wireless People’s Choice award, which was voted on by parade goers via text message.
The 2014 FrostFest Parade winners are:
Nex-Tech Wireless People’s Choice:
1st Place – NCK-Tech
2nd Place – Z-Man’s Upholstery & Double Z’s ATV’s & Trailers
3rd Place – Hays Public Library
Animals:
1st Place – Kansas Western Horseman’s Association
2nd Place – Horse Training by Barnum
3rd Place – Plainville Saddle Club
Business:
1st Place – Nex-Tech, Inc.
2nd Place – Z-Man’s Upholstery & Double Z’s ATV’s & Trailers
3rd Place – Elements of Massage and Carrico Implement (tie)
Religious:
1st Place – Christian Motorcycle Association
2nd Place – St. Nicholas of Myra Knights of Columbus Council #10044
Schools:
1st Place – NCK-Tech
Other:
1st Place – Hays Public Library
2nd Place – S&W Supply – Toys for Tots
3rd Place – Donna Fleischacker – 1900’s Christmas Buggy
The theme for the 2015 parade is Whoville Holidays. It was submitted by Ashley Nease during the annual FrostFest Theme Contest held in the fall. Nease will serve as next year’s Grand Marshall.
By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Dr. Robert Moser, who last month resigned as secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, has a new job.
Earlier this week, Moser was named executive director for the Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative at the University of Kansas Hospital.
Bob Hallinan, a spokesperson for the hospital, confirmed the hiring late Thursday afternoon.
“I can confirm that it happened, but it just happened,” Hallinan said. “We’ll be putting out a news release on it shortly.”
In his new role, Moser will administer a three-year, $12.5 million federal grant for improving heart disease and stroke care in western Kansas, using telehealth technology, data exchanges, preventive screenings, case management and patient education.
According to KDHE’s latest “Annual Summary of Vital Statistics,” 1,306 Kansans died of cerebrovascular disease (stroke) in 2013; 5,331 died of heart disease.
Heart disease and stroke were the state’s second and fifth leading causes of death, respectively.
“The highest mortality rates were in rural communities,” Barbara MacArthur, vice president for cardiac services at the KU Hospital, said in an earlier prepared statement. “Many deaths and long term disabilities from heart disease and stroke can be prevented if the right standards of medical care are accessed immediately. Under this program, hospitals working together can provide a continuum of high quality care with much better outcomes.”
The collaborative’s members include the critical access hospitals in Cheyenne, Gove, Ness, Norton, Pawnee, Phillips, Russell, Sheridan, Thomas and Trego counties, and the regional safety net clinics in Hays and Great Bend.
Moser, 55, practiced family medicine for 22 years in Tribune, his hometown, before joining KDHE in January 2011. He left the agency Nov. 28.
Dave Ranney is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Topeka police department has ended its reserve program, which allowed trained volunteers to carry firearms and help stop crime with the same authority as official law enforcement officers.
The program began more than 60 years ago but had dwindled to only five people before it was officially ended Dec. 1.
Topeka officials say the program was eliminated because Kansas law doesn’t provide guidance for reserve officers and there was concern about liability issues.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports reserve officers didn’t need a law enforcement background but underwent all necessary police training and received equipment free of charge. They needed to complete 340 hours of classes and then attending monthly training and to volunteer 16 hours of assistance per month.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Union Rescue Mission in Wichita is evaluating a decision to end a policy of providing a bed and food for the homeless with no strings attached.
The mission decided to phase out that policy after realizing some men had used the mission for decades. Now, it is experimenting with programs designed to help the men move on, without shutting the doors on them.
Director Denny Bender says the mission hasn’t seen as much progress as he’d hoped. but it has been able to allocate 10 beds a night for a program that provides a place to stay for men who work but are still homeless.
The Wichita Eagle reports 21 men are in various stages of obtaining housing rather than just staying at the mission.
Great Bend Post
GREAT BEND – The first day of winter is not officially until December 21, but Curtis Wolf the Director of the Kansas Wetland Education Center says they are definitely into their winter season at Cheyenne Bottoms.
Many of the birds have already passed through the area and migrated south, but for a lot of birds, the Bottoms are as far south as they go and bald eagles are back in the area.
“We are definitely seeing bald eagles around,” said Wolf.
“I was just south of the education center last week and saw six bald eagles perched in a tree. Between now and January 5 we expect to see a lot more eagles.”
The bald eagles are not simply in Central Kansas for viewing pleasure, they are here on business.
“They watch the ducks and geese in the area and follow them,” explained Wolfe. “With all those bird around some will be sick and die and the eagle know they can get an easy meal. If the bodies of water at Cheyenne Bottoms freeze over and the geese decide to head south, the eagles will follow”, said Wolf.
From Toys in the Attic to toys under the Christmas tree! Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has released his first holiday record, a four-song EP titled, appropriately, Joe Perry’s Merry Christmas.
The collection features instrumental renditions of the yuletide standards “White Christmas” and “Silent Night,” as well as the rock legend’s versions of Chuck Berry’s “Run Run Rudolph” and Elvis Presley’s “Santa Claus Is Back in Town.”
“Run Run Rudolph” features some rhythm guitar work by Joe’s pal, actor Johnny Depp. The EP can be purchased on CD for $4.99 — shipping not included — at UnisonMusic.com, and digitally for $3.99 at iTunes.
“I have wanted to do a Christmas CD with Aerosmith for years, but it seems we never have the time to record one,” Perry says in a statement, adding that he finally was able to do the recording as a solo project after he finished his book tour promoting his recently published memoir Rocks.
“The timing was right — we were in L.A. with access to a studio with some really talented friends and it all fell together,” he explains.
Perry says he chose to record “Run Run Rudolph” and “Santa Claus Is Back in Town” because they’re “two of my favorite holiday songs.”
As for how he and his family celebrate Christmas, Joe says they usually have a brunch in front of the fireplace, then open up their stockings.
He adds, “We take our time opening gifts and do not rip through them, making the day last as long as possible. We usually eat appetizers Christmas Day because we normally have a big Christmas Eve dinner, although it varies from year to year. We usually end up watching Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story with our family later in the day.”
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio
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EDGERTON, Kan. (AP) — Two companies plan to bring a total of more than 200 new jobs to a distribution and warehouse park in southern Johnson County.
Flexsteel Industries of Dubuque, Iowa, a furniture manufacturer, plans to add 141 jobs at a new building in the Logistics Park Kansas City center near Edgerton.
And Kubota Tractor Corp. of Torrance, California plans to open a nearly 450,000-square-foot parts distribution center and employ about 75 workers by the end of its first year in operation.
The Kansas City Star reports the expansions were announced Friday.
The 1,500-acre Logistics Park is anchored by the BNSF Railway’s intermodal freight facility. Flexsteel and Kubota are the fourth and fifth major distribution businesses to open in the complex.
