WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) this week spoke with U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter about the Pentagon’s assessment of the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth as a potential site to relocate terrorists held at the detention centers at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (GITMO).
“I relayed my opposition to the relocation of GITMO detainees to Fort Leavenworth or to any other site on the mainland. Secretary Carter told me that Fort Leavenworth is neither the preferred nor the determined alternative for relocation. The Secretary indicated additional sites will be reviewed,” Roberts said.
“I reminded him of my previous actions in 2009 blocking a transfer of detainees to Ft. Leavenworth, and made clear that I plan to use all tools of the Senate to fight any relocation of terrorists to the mainland.”
Senator Roberts has fought the Obama Administration’s efforts to transfer Guantanamo detainees to the mainland, particularly to Ft. Leavenworth. He has advocated against closing the United States’ current detainment facilities due to the high security risks and economic costs. In 2009, he fought the administration, including legislative holds on nominees, and successfully prevented its plan to consider housing detainees at Ft. Leavenworth.
Senator Roberts has also cosponsored S. 165, The Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act that prohibits for two years the transfer to the United States of detainees designated medium- or high-risk. It would also ban transfers to Yemen, where dozens of the 116 remaining Guantanamo detainees are from.
A cold front will push through the region later today. This front will be the focus for Storm development, mainly late this afternoon and this evening.
Ahead of the front, winds will be on the breezy side and high temperatures today expected to reach the low to mid 90s. Cooler on Sunday with a high near 80.
Dry weather and warmer temperatures are forecast as we get into the first half of the upcoming work week.
Today: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. South wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming north 16 to 21 mph in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind 10 to 13 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. East northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 6 to 10 mph.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has lost the federal planning money it stripped from Planned Parenthood and another unaffiliated clinic since winning its legal fight to defund the organization.
The federal government reduced its Title X funding to the state by about the $370,000 annually in Title X money that two Planned Parenthood facilities in Wichita and Hays and an unaffiliated clinic in Dodge City had been receiving.
Medical providers say that means low-income patients are finding it harder to access birth control, cancer screenings and other reproductive health care services..
Patients in Ellis and Ford counties where clinics closed still have no Title X medical provider there to serve poor families.
Kansas also cut the amount of family planning funding that Sedgwick County Health Department had previously received.
DENVER (AP) — A group of Colorado nuns won’t have to comply with a federal ruling about birth control until they hear whether the U.S. Supreme Court will hear their case.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver issued an order Friday staying its July decision for Little Sisters of the Poor and four Oklahoma Christian colleges.
The nuns are challenging the religious exemption in the health-care law. They say that the exemption is inadequate because a third party will still end up providing birth control coverage in opposition to their religious beliefs.
Five other federal appeals courts — in Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Washington, DC — also have ruled against religious nonprofits challenging the exemption.
The Supreme Court won’t decide whether to hear the cases before the fall.
Forty-two. That’s how many Kansas counties have been declared disaster areas this year alone, due to severe weather events that swept through the state May 4 through June 21.
There is no question Kansas has its share of disasters, but not all come in the form of a major storm. For every disaster that makes the news, there are many more fires, floods, ice storms and other disasters that we don’t hear about. They can be just as devastating to an individual, a family, a business owner or a neighborhood– and recovering from them all is difficult.
K-State Research and Extension has developed a way for Kansans and others to prepare. Prepare Kansas is an online challenge, now in its second year, which focuses on simple activities to do every week during September. A goal is to make it as easy as possible for individuals, families and co-workers to complete each activity – and become better prepared.
This year, the activities focus on creating an emergency supply kit; assembling a “grab and go” kit for each family member (including pets); creating a communication plan; and practicing a fire drill. Each week will focus on different emergencies that can happen.
The program coincides with National Preparedness Month, designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In Ellis County, the program is co-sponsored by the Ellis County Extension Office and Ellis County Emergency Management Department.
Working step-by-step on each Prepare Kansas activity helps participants to be better prepared for emergencies, whether at home, at work, in the school classroom or daycare. It can also spark discussions among families or co-workers about preparedness in general and the best ways to handle future disasters. By the end of September, participants will be more prepared for any emergencies, which can make recovery easier.
This is the second year for Extension’s Prepare Kansas online challenge, which in its inaugural year last year involved over 400 participants from 63 Kansas counties and several other states. Participants said working on challenge activities sparked discussions and helped them become better prepared
Join me, and others across the state, as we take the 2 nd annual Prepare Kansas online challenge and get prepared for disaster. Enroll in the free program at https://blogs.k-state.edu/preparekansas/ by August 30th to participate. We all can feel more organized and a bit more at ease should our homes or workplaces encounter disaster.
Free home inventory books and disaster preparedness information will be available at the Ellis County Extension Office for all who enroll in Prepare Kansas. Those who complete at least 3 of the 4 weekly challenges will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
For more information, check out the Prepare Kansas blog from K-State Research and Extension at https://blogs.k-state.edu/preparekansas/ or call the Ellis County Extension Office at 785-628-9430. I’ll be glad to answer your questions or schedule a presentation for your group or club to share more about the Prepare Kansas challenge and getting prepared for disaster.
Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.
NEW YORK (AP) — A barrel of U.S. crude fell below $40 per barrel for the first time since the end of the global economic crisis.
Friday’s fall, to $39.86, was just the latest indicator of a vast shift in the energy landscape.
Oil prices have been falling solidly for eight consecutive weeks. That’s the longest streak since 1986.
Prices have fallen almost 60 percent since this time last year, and more than 34 percent in just the past three months.
The U.S. is churning out oil at an unprecedented pace, adding to the supply from energy powerhouses like Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations.
What may be pushing prices this low, and possibly lower, is a steady drumbeat of economic data out of China suggesting that the world’s second largest economy is slowing.
Celebration Community Church’s invites all families with kids up to fifth grade to the 15th annual KID-FEST from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, in the parking lot of Hays Academy of Hair Design, 1214 E. 27th.
KID-FEST is a free and fun-packed day of carnival games, inflatable amusements, prizes, pop, popcorn, cotton candy, a balloon animal making clown and give-aways. Hot dogs provided by Walmart, buns provided by Troy Thompson of Bimbo Bakeries and frozen custard provided by Freddy’s.
Celebration Community Church continues to partner with Hays Academy of Hair Design to offer free haircuts for kids entering kindergarten up to fifth grade. Appointments are suggested by calling (785) 625-5483, but walk-ins are also welcome.
Kid Fest is an outreach of Celebration Community Church’s Go Fish children’s ministry, which meets on Sunday mornings at 10 and 11:30 a.m. at the church, just north of Interstate 70 at exit 157. Go Fish Sunday morning programming features large group music and multimedia worship along with small group Bible teaching.
For more information, call (785) 625-5483 or visit www.celebratejesus.org.
JUNTION CITY – Two people were injured in an accident just after 11:30 a.m. on Friday in Geary County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy pickup driven by Kevin Grant England, 53, Silt CO., was eastbound Interstate 70 just west of the U.S. 77 Junction.
The driver rear-ended a 1998 AMGE Truck driven by , Wendy Marie 47, West Palm Beach, Florida.
Zahn and England were transported to Geary County Hospital.
England was not wearing a seat belt according to the KHP.
Cryptosporidiosis, or crypto, is a parasitic disease that causes symptoms similar to stomach flu. CREDIT NEPHRON / CREATIVE COMMONS
A disease caused by swimming pool parasites has been diagnosed in some Johnson County, Kansas residents and led to the temporary closure of a pool in Overland Park.
Cryptosporidiosus, or crypto, is spread by contact with waste, contaminated food or water,or infected people. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting.
“At this time, we have three confirmed cases and are tracking a few more possible cases in the community,” said Lougene Marsh, director of the Johnson County Department of Health and the Environment, in a press release.
The Johnson County health department says the affected home owner’s association pool, has been temporarily closed, and the city of Shawnee is treating its pools to eliminate any potential danger.
Crypto symptoms usually develop two to 10 days after exposure and many last 1-2 weeks.
Health officials advise residents to wash their hands. Alcohol-based hand gels do not stop the spread of crypto. Crypto is also resistant to chlorine.
Parents are advised to make sure children take frequent swim breaks to avoid contaminating pools.
Alex Smith is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
Police presence will be increased on Hays streets this weekend as the Hays Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint Sunday morning in the 1000 block of Vine.
According to Sgt. Mitch Berens the purpose of the lane is to improve the safety of the community by identifying impaired drivers and removing them from the roadway.
Berens said officers will stop every vehicle traveling northbound on Vine between 12:30 and 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
“The purpose of the check lane is to enforce traffic laws with the focus on DUI impairment,” Berens said. “We’ll look for other traffic violations as well.”
He said transporting open containers and underage possession are a few of the violations officers usually see. But he added the check lanes also lead to the identification and arrest of people wanted in connection with other cases.
Berens said if there is no reason for the police to suspect a person is driving under the influence, they will only be stopped for a few seconds before being sent on their way.
The HPD is asking for the public’s cooperation during the event.
This event is being conducted in accordance with the Kansas Department of Transportation “I.D.D.P.” – Impaired Driving Deterrence Program.
HUTCHINSON — A Hutchinson Correctional Facility inmate charged with attempted murder of a corrections officers was bound over for trial Thursday morning after a preliminary hearing.
Corey Jeffery, 43, is accused of stabbing a corrections officer Tim Russell in September 2014.
Russell who was working in the C-2 cell house at the central unit received multiple stab wounds and was transported to the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center by EMS for treatment.
On Thursday, Russell testified that he had met with Jeffery prior to the incident. Jeffery was upset because of issues over his toilet.
About an hour later, Russell testified he was letting inmates out of their cell so they could visit the canteen when the attack occurred.
A weapon was reportedly recovered at the scene of the stabbing. It was a shank made out of metal.
A video of the incident didn’t positively identify Jeffery as the one who attacked the officer, but testimony showed the person in the video had the same physical characteristics as the defendant.
District Judge Joe McCarville found there was probable cause to send the case to trial.
PLAINVILLE – In October, Rooks County Health Center’s Director of Rehabilitative Services A.J. Thomas will work with Olympic and Paralympic athletes as a volunteer physical therapist for the United States Olympic Committee at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Thomas is among a pool of physical therapists from across the country that will be asked to support the Olympiads and medical staff for two week periods at Olympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs, Colo., Lake Placid, N.Y., or Chula Vista, Calif. As a volunteer, he’ll work with the USOC’s full time medical staff to provide collaborative, integrated and multidisciplinary health care services to athletes.
“I may volunteer up to twice a year or just every other year—it will depend if I can dedicate the time away from home and our hospital,” said Thomas. “I hope that my experiences with the Olympiads will allow for more diverse interventions and better care of our local athletes, even weekend warriors.”
In addition to the USOC nomination, Thomas is now a Board Certified Sports Specialist—one of only 10 in Kansas. This new certification allows Thomas to continue to work with local athletes as well as assist Aleesha Wilson, RCH Athletic Trainer, with game coverage. Thomas also is serving a term for the American Physical Therapy Association House of Delegates, which guides policies regarding the practice of physical therapy in the country.
Thomas hopes to make sure that rural and Critical Access Hospitals like RCH have a voice at the national level and to see RCH become a hub for sports and orthopedic care for any age patient. RCH hosts orthopedic surgeons to meet patient needs through outpatient clinics, and Thomas works with a well-rounded staff in the rehab department.
“We have an expertly trained staff that can give the time and compassion needed to rehabilitate patients. I truly believe it is our team at RCH and everyone involved in their care from admissions staff to medical staff that makes a patient’s health experience better,” said Thomas.
