The Hays Police Department is proud to announce two recent promotions within the department.
Chris Hancock has been promoted to the rank of Patrol Sergeant.
Sgt. Hancock began with the Hays Police Department in 2009. He has served as a Patrol Officer, Patrol Corporal, Bike Officer, Field Training Officer, and is the Assistant Team Leader for the Special Situation Response Team.
Phillip Gage has been promoted to the rank of Patrol Corporal.
Cpl. Gage started his law enforcement career with the Hays Police Department in 2010. He has served as a Patrol Officer and Field Training Officer.
Luthi Home Day Care, 18409 West 114th in Olathe- photo KMBC
TOPEKA –The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on Monday issued an Emergency Order of Suspension to a day care home at 18409 W 114th Street in Olathe, licensed under the name Kristine Luthi Home Day Care.
According to the order, in September 2015, a dog owned by the licensee bit a child in care. In January, the dog bit a parent of a child in care
The licensee agreed to keep the dog on a different level of the home and away from children.
On July 5, the dog bit a child in care on the face that required medical treatment.
The licensee may file a petition for reconsideration with the KDHE or a petition for judicial review within 30 days.
HUTCHINSON -A Kansas man was in court Monday for the reading of charges in a Jessica’s Law child sex case.
Sterling Tucker, 22, Hutchinson, is charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child, for alleged touching or fondling of a 9-year-old girl.
Because the child is under the age of 14, the possible sentence is life in prison with no chance of parole for 25-years, under Jessica’s Law.
The alleged crime occurred between Dec. 25, 2015 and Feb. 15, 2016 in the city of Hutchinson.
Tucker also faces a second charge of blackmail where he allegedly threatened to communicate accusations or statements about the sister of the victim that could subject her to ridicule, contempt or degradation.
The bond in the case is $35,000 and in court, Tucker asked for a reduction, but District Attorney Keith Schroeder argued against it telling the judge that considering the severity of the crime and the possible sentence, the bond is minimal.
Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen agreed and denied the reduction.
The case will now be put on a future waiver-status docket on August 25.
By RANDY GONZALES FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Potential future nurses were on the Fort Hays State University campus last Wednesday, July 13, for the Nightingale Experience. FHSU’s Department of Nursing hosted 33 high school students interested in learning more about a career in nursing.
“This is to get high school students aware of what nursing actually is and get them associated with Florence Nightingale, who she was and the work she did,” said Jana Zeller, associate professor of nursing.
The students first saw a film on Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. They then participated in a scavenger hunt during which they learned more about different aspects of nursing. The students went to a movie in the evening before staying overnight in one of FHSU’s residence halls. On Thursday, students toured Hays Medical Center and shadowed nurses there.
“The students really enjoy it,” said Natasha Werth, assistant professor of nursing. “Some of the students actually want to do it their junior and senior year because they had such a positive experience. I think they appreciate shadowing at the hospital and seeing what nurses do.”
FHSU started the Nightingale Experience in 2002. Part of the special event is a hands-on exercise using different instruments a nurse would use. During Wednesday’s scavenger hunt at Stroup Hall, for example, the students practiced using a stethoscope on an advanced simulation mannequin which can do everything from simulating breathing to having swollen ankles and more.
“I didn’t realize you could hear the breath as it inhaled and exhaled,” said Blake Harris, who will be a junior this fall at Holton High School.
Kaylee Line, a Lakin senior, is considering nursing because of her sister.
“My little sister has heart problems,” Line said. “I always kind of wanted to learn more about it and become a nurse for cardiologists.”
Logan sophomore Melissa Leiker is using the Nightingale Experience exactly as intended.
“I’d been kind of interested in nursing but I really didn’t know much about it,” Leiker said. “I decided this would be a good chance to learn more.”
The students also get a chance to see the FHSU campus while learning more about the nursing curriculum.
“It gets them on campus, to experience campus life,” Zeller said. “They get to experience Hays as a community, which is also nice.”
The Nightingale Experience also involves student facilitators.
“It gets them into the department, and we also involve students who are in the nursing program as part of the experience,” Werth said. “They get to talk with the students.”
Werth is also the NGAP (Nursing Guaranteed Acceptance Program) coordinator. High school seniors can apply for the program and receive a guaranteed seat in FHSU’s nursing program as long as they meet the grade point average and ACT requirements.
“I follow them all the way through and they don’t have to be on a waiting list,” Werth said. “We only accept 30 students every semester.”
Photo by Commonwealth Fund A report from the Commonwealth Fund found that states where Medicaid eligibility was expanded had greater improvement in access to care than states without expansion, including Kansas and Missouri.
By BRYAN THOMPSON
A review of health system performance nationwide shows some improvement in Kansas — but not much.
The report, released Thursday by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, covers three dozen indicators of access, quality, cost and health outcomes.
Most of the data used for the report is from 2011 to 2014, which is the first year the Affordable Care Act provided subsidized health insurance through the online marketplace for citizens who were not insured through an employer.
The report concludes that the ACA is largely responsible for many of the health system improvements as more people gained insurance and were able to obtain and better afford needed health care.
“Largely because of the ACA’s coverage expansions, the percentage of working-age adults without health insurance fell in nearly all local areas — dropping by four percentage points or more in 189 local areas between 2012 and 2014,” the report said. “In addition, 155 local areas saw substantial reductions in 30-day readmission rates for Medicare beneficiaries, coinciding with the ACA’s penalties for hospitals that have high readmission rates.”
Like the rest of the country, Kansas saw more measures improving than declining — but most of the state’s measures showed little or no change.
Doug McCarthy, co-author of the report, said Kansas is doing better than average in providing patient-centered care in hospitals, preventing pressure sores in nursing home residents and limiting readmission to hospitals from nursing homes. He sees room for improvement in access to care.
McCarthy said the researchers found that states where Medicaid eligibility was expanded had greater improvement in access to care than states without expansion, including Kansas and Missouri.
“In fact, we looked at communities where there’s a large proportion of individuals who are living on a low income, and those areas in particular did much better — about twice as much improvement there — as similar kinds of communities with a large low-income population in states that didn’t expand Medicaid,” he said.
But improving access to care goes beyond making sure people have insurance, McCarthy said.
“You have, I think, 50,000 more individuals covered through the marketplace in Kansas,” he said. “There’s still a lot of opportunity for local areas to help those individuals get connected to a primary care medical home and ensure they know how to navigate the health system, especially if they have cultural or linguistic barriers.”
The Kansas suicide rate worsened, McCarthy said, and its obesity and infant mortality rates remain worse than the national average.
The Kansas City region, including parts of Kansas and Missouri, had no indicators where health system performance worsened. That region had improved insurance rates for both children and adults. It also improved on several health care quality indicators for people with Medicare.
Overall, the Kansas City region ranked 172nd out of the 306 “hospital referral regions” the report compared. The Topeka region, which includes most of northeast Kansas outside the Kansas City area, ranked 124th. Almost all of the rest of Kansas is included in the Wichita region, which was 184th overall.
The 2016 report is a follow-up to a similar report issued in 2012. Statistics on each of the indicators from both time periods were compared to determine whether performance had improved, worsened or stayed about the same.
Report highlights include:
The 2016 scorecard finds substantial differences among local health care systems, with those in Hawaii, the Upper Midwest, New England and the San Francisco area generally performing better than those in the South and West.
Overall, health care systems in communities with large low-income populations generally do not perform as well as those in wealthier communities. People in poor communities are more likely to go without needed medical care because of the cost, receive a high-risk prescription drug and die early from treatable causes.
“Many communities are showing signs of getting healthier, and that is encouraging,” said Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal. “It shows that with the right policies and actions we can make our health care system work for all of us.”
The report calls on the nation to invest more to address social determinants of health — including income, nutrition and environmental conditions — and improve access to mental and behavioral health services.
Bryan Thompson is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.
FINNEY COUNTY – Two people were injured in an accident just after 10a.m. on Monday in Finney County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1991 International truck driven by Rae Lynn Slavin, 39, Miami, TX., was northbound on U.S. 83 just south of U.S. 50.
The driver lost control and the truck went into a passenger side skid.
It rolled and entered the west ditch.
Slavin and a passenger Tony Keith Martin, 62, Sherman, TN., were transported to St. Catherine’s Hospital.
They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
RENO COUNTY -One person was injured in an accident just before 7:30 p.m. on Sunday in Reno County.
The Reno County Sheriff reported a UTV driven by Adam Popp, 31, Haven, was westbound in the 6600 Block of East Arlington Road, according to a social media report.
The vehicle ran off the road and hit a dirt culvert.
Eagle Med flew a passenger Anthany Blanton, 31, Haven to Wesley Medical Center with undetermined injuries, according to the Reno County Sheriff’s Department.
SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a suspect on sexual exploitation charges.
Steven Daily, 69, Salina, is alleged to have sent one sexually explicit picture of a teen-age girl to another person via the internet on May 1, according to police captain Mike Sweeney.
The Kansas Department of Children and Families notified Salina Police of the incident on July 12.
Following an investigation police arrested Daily on a requested charge of sexual exploitation of a child.
Police did not reveal the recipient of the photograph.
Hoxie native John Schlageck writes for the Kansas Farm Bureau.
While many grocery buyers feel the pinch of price increases, there’s a way today’s smart, frugal shoppers can save money on the family food bill. Some may see a 10 -15 percent savings. On the average food bill, this could mean $600 – $1,000 a year.
Most shoppers, my wife is one of the best, have compiled a list of cost-cutting ideas. Here are some effective ways to save at the checkout counter.
First, smart shoppers should know what they are buying. Today’s modern supermarkets carry as many as 50,000 items. This number has tripled from the 15,000 items back in 1980.
Product information is essential in selecting the best buy. This requires reading, listening and studying. For example, the product label is a source of information on nutrition, menu use, quantity and quality of the food item.
Secondly, cost-conscious shoppers must buy when and where the price is right. There are many times to buy on special, buy store or generic brands or buy in quantity, if shoppers keep abreast of the price practices of our highly competitive supermarkets. Comparative shopping leads to savings because different stores usually specialize in different items.
Shopper loyalty cards may be another way to save on the family food bill.
Accurate record keeping has become an important part of a smart shopping routine. Money-saving ideas take time but result in time well spent. One-half hour of planning before each shopping trip can result in substantial savings.
Cost-conscious shoppers influence the entire food industry. If shoppers do not check prices, retailers may display items that sell by saturation advertising or gimmick packaging which increase food costs.
Retailers who respond to cost-conscious shoppers must look for the best buy from suppliers. Farmers who fill these orders must make the best use of their resources to meet the competition.
Smart shopping can bring satisfaction instead of frustration. Initially, this satisfaction results from actual savings in the family’s food budget. Secondly, the wise shopper realizes intelligent buying keeps our food industry the best in the world.
Securing the most for your food dollar is significant to every consumer. It is worth the effort.
John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.
The Hays USD 489 Board of Education will meet tonight Monday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the Toepfer Board Room, 323 W. 12th St. with an agenda that includes a discussion of a bond issue survey, board presidential appointments and a review of organizational charts with John Thissen.
Thissen assumed the superintendent role at the beginning of July. This meeting will be his second as superintendent.
Results from the staff bond issue questionnaire of 124 USD 489 staff members found the majority of respondents would support a bond over $80 million with the stipulation that a new school be constructed.
Only 25 percent responded they would only support a bond under $80 million, with a new building being constructed. Five percent said they would not support the bond at any amount.
The failed bond issue had two questions, totaling $94 million.
The survey also found 83 percent of respondents voted yes for the bond issue. Of the people voting no, an unfavorable economy, a tax increase, too much new construction in the plans, and the amount being too large were cited as reasons for the vote against.
As part of the board’s yearly re-organization, board presidential appointments are on Monday’s agenda. The board will consider appointments for the ESEA Title 1 Representative, Connections Policy Council, Technology Committee and the USD 489 Foundation for Educational Excellence.
The full meeting will be streamed live by USD 489 and can be viewed on Hays Post.
Former Fort Hays State point guard Craig Nicholson has signed a contract to play professionally in Romania. Nicholson announced the news through social media Sunday. He will join CS Cuza Sport Braila, a professional club in the city of Braila, Romania, late this summer and early fall.
Nicholson was a four-time All-MIAA selection and a one-time All-America selection at Fort Hays State. He was also the MIAA Freshman of the Year and named to the Division II Bulletin All-Freshman Team in 2013.
Desite injuries which shortened his junior and senior seasons, Nicholson finished second in school history with 628 career assists, the most in FHSU’s Division II history. He ranks second with 161 career steals and is the school’s all-time leader in made free throws (481). His .803 career shooting percentage at the free-throw line ranks sixth in school history.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman gave birth last month to twins — her third set of twins in just over two years.
WDAF-TV reports that 20-year-old Danesha Couch of Kansas City, Kansas, admits that she has her hands full. She delivered two boys 26 months ago. One of them died, but Danarius is a busy toddler. She also has twin 1-year-olds Delilah and Davina.
And last month, Dalanie and Darla were born. They just arrived home after three weeks in neonatal intensive care.
By James Bell
