HUTCHINSON— Law enforcement authorities in Hutchinson conducted search warrants at three locations on Friday as part of an investigation conducted with the cooperation of Kroger Corporation according to a media release.
The investigation revealed that Chetankumar Parvinkumar Patel otherwise known as Chris Patel, the owner of the Zip Trip at 200 E. Ave A in Hutchinson was purchasing what he believed to be stolen goods from a member of Kroger’s organized retail crime unit.
The stolen goods, some of which were for human consumption were then placed on the stores shelves for retail sale.
During the execution of the search warrants 162 grams of K-2, 14 grams of marijuana and some of the goods Patel purchased were recovered.
Patel was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of K-2 with intent to sell within 1000′ of a school, no drug tax stamp, four counts of felony theft / possession of stolen property and one count misdemeanor theft/ possession of stolen property.
Patel remains in the custody of the Reno County Sheriff with on an $11,000 bond.
Anyone that has information in regards to these crimes may call Crime stoppers of Reno County @ 1-800-222-TIPS or Detective Schoenhoff @ 620-694-2830.
MANHATTAN-On Friday, the Riley County Police Department arrested Quinn Michael Estabrook, age 19, of Hutchinson for three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy of a child under 14 and one charge of indecent liberties with a child, According to the RCPD Media Arrest Report.
Estabrook was apprehended shortly after 6 p.m. in Hutchinson on a custody probable cause arrest.
Estabrook’s bond was set at $500,000, and at this time he was still confined at the Riley County Jail. The Riley County Police Department did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding this arrest.
Check the Post for additional details as they become available.
Today will have a mix of drizzle and rain with embedded thunderstorms likely this morning, and into the afternoon hours. The greatest threats appears to be localized minor flooding and lightning. Some small hail may occur as well.
Showers with isolated thunderstorms are likely this afternoon and tonight. High temperatures today will be in the lower to mid 60s.
Temperatures will warm to the mid to upper 70s for Sunday and Monday with a chance of showers and thunderstorms each day.
We recieved .35 of an inch of rain in the last 24 hours at the Eagle Media Center.
Today: A chance of drizzle before 4pm, then a slight chance of rain after 5pm. Areas of fog after 1pm. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 64. North wind 13 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Temperature falling to near 52 by 10pm, then rising to around 62 during the remainder of the night. Southeast wind 10 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 7am. Cloudy, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a southeast wind 17 to 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to near 59 by 8pm, then rising to around 73 during the remainder of the night. South wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Memorial Day: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3pm. Partly sunny, with a temperature rising to near 76 by 8am, then falling to around 62 during the remainder of the day. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 13 to 20 mph.
Photo by Kevin Brown/Special to KHI News Service Josh Umbehr operates a direct primary care practice in Wichita where he sees patients who pay him a flat monthly fee.
Starting July 1, primary care physicians in Kansas may see patients who pay them a flat monthly fee without fearing that such agreements are subject to state insurance laws.
Josh Umbehr, a doctor who runs a Wichita practice that has gained notoriety for practicing under the no-insurance “direct primary care” model, pushed the Legislature to pass a bill that specifies such plans are not health insurance. Gov. Sam Brownback announced last week he had signed the bill.
Umbehr said via email that his practice, AtlasMD, and the few other direct primary care practices in the state had not faced insurance regulation in the past. But a West Virginia doctor operating under a similar model faced investigation by his state’s insurance department 10 years ago to determine whether he was selling insurance without a license. Since then, Umbehr said, some doctors have been nervous about trying direct primary care. So he and other advocates of the model are pushing for state laws to ensure they’re free of insurance regulation.
“Now Idaho has (also) signed similar legislation to add another nail in the coffin of this false concern,” said Umbehr, who unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor on the Libertarian Party ticket last year. “So it really helps the movement.”
The Kansas bill also defines what qualifies as a “medical retainer agreement” exempt from insurance law and what services those primary care agreements can contain: routine screenings, lab work, medical supplies and prescriptions.
It also requires physicians who operate under such agreements to inform patients in writing that the agreements are not insurance, do not satisfy the insurance requirements of the federal Affordable Care Act and do not cover the costs of any treatment not outlined in the monthly agreements.
The Kansas Insurance Department did not take a position on the bill. Bob Hanson, a spokesman for the department, said via email that the department compiled a fiscal note for the bill “which says that the medical retainer agreements for routine health care services, supplies, and drugs are outside the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Insurance.”
Consumers who are unsatisfied with their direct primary care agreements have no recourse with the insurance department, but Umbehr said they can opt out of his monthly contracts at any time with 30 days notice.
Patients also can take complaints about physician professionalism to the Kansas Board of Healing Arts or, under the Consumer Protection Act, to the Attorney General’s Office. Disputes about the monthly agreements also can be settled in the court system.
Rep. John Edmonds
The Senate passed the direct primary care bill unanimously.
On the House side, three members voted “no,” including Rep. John Edmonds, a Republican from Great Bend. Edmonds said he did not believe the House had fully vetted some miscellaneous measures attached to the direct primary care bill. But he said even if those had not been attached, he likely would been a “no” vote, although he could see why doctors like Umbehr do not want their practices regulated like insurance.
“They’re really not an insurance agreement, so that’s why,” he said. “I think it’s probably there to make sure the insurance commissioner doesn’t get overly ambitious.”
Edmonds said he’s “dubious” about direct primary care plans in general, referring to them as “concierge medicine” and saying they have an “elitist” feel to them because not everyone can afford them. Edmonds said his wife runs a pediatric clinic where she sees all comers, regardless of their finances.
“About 40 percent of those are Medicaid patients,” Edmonds said. “We don’t do wallet biopsies before they come in. We treat everybody.”
Umbehr has said he and other newcomers to the direct primary care field have worked hard to shed the “concierge medicine” label, developing business models with monthly fees affordable to the average American.
A direct primary care plan, coupled with a high-deductible catastrophic care insurance plan for unplanned hospitalizations, can be a less expensive option for some than paying monthly premiums for comprehensive insurance plans, he said.
Edmonds said he remains unenthused about primary care by monthly subscription. “It may be the coming thing; I’m just not very comfortable with it,” Edmonds said. “I’m not what you would call avant-garde.”
Andy Marso is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
SALINA- One person was injured in an accident just after 7 p.m. on Friday in Saline County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer driven by Linda L. Vaughn, 57, McCook, NE., was westbound on Interstate 70 two miles east of the Interstate 135 Junction.
The vehicle veered to the right and struck a 2012 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by Jimmy D. Branham, 42, Salina, that was on the Interstate 70 westbound entrance ramp.
The Trailblazer continued off the roadway in to the north side ditch, struck a KDOT fence and overturned in to a pool of water in the ditch.
Vaughn was transported to Salina Regional Medical Center. Branham was not injured.
Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident according to the KHP.
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government’s highway safety agency says it will hold a public hearing in July to determine if Fiat Chrysler has met its legal obligations in 20 safety recalls.
Witnesses and the automaker will be able to present evidence at the July 2 hearing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
If the agency finds that Fiat Chrysler failed to fix safety defects, it could take action that includes ordering the company to buy back or replace vehicles.
Also, the agency ordered Fiat Chrysler to provide information on the pace of repairs of several recalls.
The agency has been feuding with the company over the recall of 1.56 million older Jeeps with gas tanks positioned behind the rear axles, making them susceptible to fires.
Fort Hays State University’s Mortar Board Senior Honor Society has announced the winners of the “Top Profs” awards for 2014-2015. Professors are selected based on their commitment and availability to the students.
“We give this award to the professors who go the extra mile for their students,” said Kayla Champlin, Concordia senior and Mortar Board member. “This is our way of recognizing them for all they do.”
This year’s “Top Profs”:
Dr. Lexey Bartlett, associate professor of English.
Dr. Jayne Brandel, associate professor in and chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Bradley Dawson, assistant professor of music and theatre.
Natasha DeWald, instructor of nursing.
Dr. Grady Dixon, associate professor in and chair of the Department of Geosciences.
Dr. Keith Dreiling, associate professor of mathematics and computer science.
Dr. Cheryl Duffy, professor of English.
Amanda Ergun, assistant director, English as Second Language Program.
Dr. Eric Gillock, professor of biological sciences.
Dr. Sharla Hutchison, professor of English.
Dr. Doreen Kamoga, assistant professor of nursing.
Dr. April Park, assistant professor of psychology.
Sarah Rhodes, instructor of teacher education.
Rebecca Sander, associate professor of nursing.
Angela Walters, associate professor of informatics.
Sharon Wilson, instructor of English.
The Mortar Board Senior Honor Society is an organization of seniors who have grade point averages of 3.5 or higher and leadership skills. The organization currently has 22 members dedicated to serving the university through various projects and volunteer work.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Egg prices surged to a record on Friday, a month after bird flu was first detected in the chicken flock in Iowa, the nation’s leading egg producer.
Midwest large eggs reached $2.32 a dozen.
Rick Brown, a senior vice president for Urner Barry, a commodity market analyst says that’s a 95 percent increase in the month since bird flu first hit Iowa chickens. He says the previous record was $2.27 set on Dec 4.
Eggs used to make ice cream, mayonnaise and other processed foods set a record Friday of $2.13 a dozen, up 238 percent from the selling price of April 22 around the date Iowa’s first chicken farm tested positive.
More than 21 million of Iowa’s egg-laying hens have been killed.
WASHINGTON–Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Access to Community Care for Veterans Act (S.1463), legislation authored by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – that amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Choice Act) to give veterans access to community health care when the nearest VA medical facility within 40 miles driving distance from a veteran’s home is incapable of offering care the veteran needs. S.1463 now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote.
Sen. Moran’s legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).
“Today, the U.S. Senate put veterans first and voted to make certain veterans are not dismissed or forgotten just because of where they live,” Sen. Moran said. “The VA continues to use a narrow interpretation of the 40-mile rule, choosing to take into account only the distance of a VA medical facility from a veteran’s home and not whether the VA facility can actually provide the services the veteran needs. The legislation passed unanimously by the Senate today aims to help thousands of veterans who are currently being forced to choose between traveling hours to a VA medical facility, paying out of pocket, or going without care altogether.”
“I wholeheartedly endorse everything the Senator from Kansas said,” Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) said on the Senate Floor.
This effort to fix the 40-mile criteria in the Choice Act has previously been supported by endorsed by numerous organizations including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, Concerned Veterans of America and the National Guard Association of the United States. It is also supported by health care organizations including the National Rural Health Association, the National Association of Rural Mental Health, the National Council for Behavioral Health Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, and the National Association of County Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability Directors.
On Feb. 25, 2015, 42 senators joined together in calling on VA Secretary Bob McDonald to ease the burden of travel and access to care for millions of veterans who deserve such access through the Choice Act. The group of senators pointed to two concerns with the way the Choice Program was being implemented. First, the VA is not considering whether the VA facility available within 40 miles of where a veteran lives offers the care a veteran needs. Secondly, VA was calculating the 40-mile distance “as the crow flies” and not by driving distance.
Although the VA made the decision on March 24, 2015, to change the calculation used to determine 40-mile distance to driving distance through regulatory action, they have not taken action on the issue of a VA facility being incapable of offering the care sought by the veteran. Sen. Moran’s legislation provides a solution and would allow veterans to utilize their Choice Cards to access non-VA care if the VA facility within 40 miles driving distance to their home does not offer the medical service they need.
As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Sen. Moran has questioned VA Secretary Bob McDonald and other VA officials for months in hearings, personal meetings, phone calls and correspondence about the VA’s flawed interpretation of the 40-mile rule and what can be done to fix the problem.
May 21
Motor Vehicle Accident with Deer, 1800 block West 55th, 7:45 a.m.
Criminal Transport, Wakeeney, 7:25 a.m.
Criminal Transport, Dodge City, 7:54 a.m.
Criminal Transport, Hill City, 11:21 a.m.
Found or Lost Property, I70 Eastbound On Ramp, Ellis, 2:16 p.m.
Criminal Transport, Wakeeney, 4:10 p.m.
Cattle Out, 700 block Buckeye Road, 10:49 p.m.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a compromise on regulations that ride-hailing company Uber says will allow it to stay in the state.
Brownback signed the bill Friday in a ceremony on the Capitol grounds. The Legislature approved the measure Tuesday.
Uber announced earlier this month that it had ceased operations in Kansas after the Legislature overrode the governor’s veto on an earlier regulations package the company opposed.
Uber’s Kansas general manager, Kenny Tsai, said in a statement the company looks forward to contributing to state’s economy.
Under the new law, Uber and other ride-hailing companies are allowed to do their own private background checks on subcontracted drivers, but they also can be sued by the attorney general if drivers are found to have criminal backgrounds.
