Kansas City, MO — Women’s Foundation conducted an analysis on the state of women candidates for state and federal legislative races in Kansas following Tuesday’s primary election in Kansas. Women’s Foundation reviewed the unofficial election results from the Office of Kansas Secretary of State, looking at the primary election winners who will be on the ballot in November. Our findings include the following:
In November’s general election, of the Kansas federal and state candidates on the ballot combined, 31% of candidates are women.
To break these numbers down further, no women will be on the ballot for the office of U.S. Senate.
Two of seven candidates (29%) for U.S. Representative seats are women.*
Twenty-four (24) of the 78 candidates (31%) running for state senate seats this cycle are women; three of whom are incumbents.
Sixty-five (65) of the 202 candidates (32%) who will be on the ballot competing for a state representative seat are women.
Women’s Foundation promotes equity and opportunity for women of all ages, using research, philanthropy, and policy solutions to make meaningful change. In 2016, they released the Status of Women in Kansas research study, the findings of which included that women are vastly underrepresented in the Kansas legislature. In 2014, their Civic Engagement research highlighted the gender gap on boards and commissions and helped spur the Women’s Foundation Appointments Project to help remove barriers for women to serve.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration has gotten a preview of what working with a less conservative Legislature could be like.
It came Friday in the form of an oversight committee’s angry, bipartisan scolding over issues within the state’s Medicaid program.
The public dressing-down of Department of Health and Environment officials came only three days after the state’s primary election. Voters showed their unhappiness with Brownback by ousting at least 11 conservative Republican incumbents in the Legislature.
Members of the House-Senate oversight committee were upset about budget-balancing cuts in payments to pharmacies, doctors and hospitals providing services to Medicaid participants.
They also were frustrated with a backlog in Medicaid applications and angry that the state is still pursuing some changes opposed by many advocates and legislators.
George Frank Benisch, 83, died August 4th, 2016 at Trego-Lemke Memorial Hospital Long-Term Care. He was born September 25, 1932, in rural Trego County, to Frank and Nellie (Ptacek) Benisch. George married Ruth Loene Schoenthaler in 1957, and was a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and hospital maintenance supervisor.
George joined the United States Air Force in 1951 and served in the Korean Conflict, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam War in various capacities maintaining the aircraft of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), Tactical Air Command (TAC), and later the Strategic Air Command (SAC). After the Korean Conflict, George started his family and lived in Salina, KS (Schilling AFB), Casablanca, Morocco (Nousseur AFB), Clinton, OK (Clinton-Sherman AFB), and Rapid City, SD (Ellsworth AFB). Master Sergeant Benisch retired from the USAF and moved his family to his hometown of WaKeeney in 1971, where he worked in hospital maintenance until 2003 at Trego-Lemke Memorial Hospital.
Survivors include son, Gary and wife Sue of Wakeeney; daughter, Julie Miller and husband William of Plainfield, IL; son, Tim and wife Susan of Quinter, KS; son, Jim and wife Suzanne of Osborne, KS; 13 grandchildren include, Chris Benisch and wife Hannah of Olathe, KS; Jason Benisch and wife Mishaun of Inman, KS; Heather Hargitt and husband Brett of Quinter, KS; Ashley Schmidt and husband Nick of McPherson, KS; Tyler Stenzel of WaKeeney; Samantha Dunker and husband Eric of Naperville, IL; Victoria Miller of Plainfield, IL; Ross Benisch and wife Amy of McPherson, KS; Kirby Benisch of Colby, KS; Abby Benisch of Hays, KS; Dustin Benisch of Lee’s Summit, MO; Courtney Benisch of Lees Summit MO; Julia Worley of Osborne, KS; 8 great-grandchildren; and sister, Helen (Benisch) Flax of WaKeeney; brother, Joe Benisch and wife Mil of Davenport, IA. He was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Nellie (Ptacek) Benisch; his wife Ruth; Sisters Mildred and Millie; Brother Clarence and 3 infant children.
George loved spending time with his family and friends. He passed his love and passion of off-road vehicles to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to continue the traditions he started. George was known to spend hours working on four-wheelers and spending time with the family at the sand dunes near Waynoka, OK. George’s lively personality and ornery sense of humor in a conversation will forever be missed but cherished forever.
A visitation will held on Sunday, August 7th from 5-7 pm at Schmitt Funeral Home in WaKeeney, KS. A funeral service will be held Monday, August 8th at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in WaKeeney, KS at 10 am. Burial will be in the WaKeeney City Cemetery with military honors by the United States Air Force.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to “George Benisch Memorial Fund”. Contributions to the fund may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 North 12th, WaKeeney, KS 67672.
Condolences may be left for the family at www.schmittfuneral.com.
Victoria, Kansas – Francis Joseph Kuhn, age 88, died Friday, August 5, 2016, at the Willow House in Hays, Kansas.
He was born April 29, 1928, on the farm at Emmeram, Kansas to Joseph M. and Elizabeth (Hoffman) Kuhn. He married Mary Jane (Kisner) on August 22, 1950, in Pfeifer, Kansas.
He was a clerk for the U S Post Office in Topeka, Kansas and retired in 1994. He was a U S Army veteran and served from 1950 to 1952. He attended grade school in Emmeram and was a graduate of Victoria High School. He was a very skilled woodworker of black walnut furniture, a devoted husband, dad and enjoyed his friends for coffee at the Victoria Coop. He moved to Victoria in 2003 and was a member of the Basilica of St. Fidelis Church and Knights of Columbus.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Jane Kuhn, of the home; two daughters, Pam Dougan and husband, Johnnie, Prescott, Arkansas; Peggy Fitzpatrick, Victoria, KS; two grandchildren, Joey Dougan and Carrie Paslay, and husband (Timothy); one great grandson, Zachary Doty.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one son-in-law, John Fitzpatrick; eight brothers, Raymond, John, Leo, Eugene “Ike”, Joseph, Clarence, Conrad, and Anton Kuhn; eight sisters, Celestina “Dena” Riedel, Margaret Dinkel, Delphina Copp, Hilaria “Larry” Windholz, Mary Brungardt, Leona Roholder, Lillian Windholz and Martina Bieker.
Services are 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at The Basilica of St. Fidelis Victoria, Kansas. Burial in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Emmeram, Kansas with military honors by the Victoria V.F.W. Post
No. 1751.
A vigil service will be at 6:30 P.M. Monday followed by a Knights of Columbus Rosary at 7:00 P.M. Monday both at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary, 412 Main Street, Victoria, Kansas 67671.
Visitation is from 6:00 to 9:00 P.M. Monday and from 8:30 to 9:45 A.M. Tuesday at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary Victoria, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers family suggest memorial to American Heart Association. Condolences can be left by guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or via e-mail to [email protected].
HAYS, KS – Martha Jean (Sandidge) McCabe, age 83, Hays resident, died Monday, August 1, 2016 at her home.
She was born May 24, 1933 in Winona, Mississippi to Henry and Minnie Mae (Austin) Sandidge. She married Edmund Lee McCabe on July 31, 1953 in Wichita, Kansas.
She was a graduate from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor and Master Degree in Business Administration, serving on the faculty of the Business Department at Fort Hays State University as an instructor in the Business Department from 1974 through 1995. Martha grew up on a farm and attended school in Winona, Mississippi. She was a 1951 graduate of Winona High School. After retirement, she was an active member of the Hays Medical Center Volunteers Crafters, a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Unit at Good Samaritan Nursing Home and the First Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband Ed, of the home: two daughters, Martha Lee McCabe, Wichita, KS; Amy Stump and husband, Frank, Thornton, CO; daughter-in law, Teresa McCabe, Quitman, GA; one grandson, Matthew Dorzweiler, Hays, KS; two granddaughters, Sara Masura and husband, Jon, Durango, CO; Lisa Dorzweiler, Littleton, CO; four step-grandchildren, Nathan Dreiling and wife, Kasey, Hays, KS; Scott Stump and wife, Sarah, Macon, GA; Jim Stump, Portland, OR; and Jennifer Stump, Lakewood, WA; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Raymond Sandidge; her in-laws, Lester and Ella (Penn) McCabe, and her son, John Ed McCabe.
Memorial services will be at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, August 13, 2016, at First Baptist Church, 12th and Fort, Hays, KS. A private family inurnment held in Winona, Mississippi at a later date.
The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 P.M. Friday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, KS 67601 and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Saturday, at the First Baptist Church, Hays, KS.
Memorials may be designated to Angels Care Home Health or Hospice at Hays Medical Center.
Condolences can be left by guestbook art www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or sent via email to [email protected].
JACKSON COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Jackson County are investigating two suspects on drug charges.
On Thursday morning, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a report of an erratic driver on U.S. Hwy 75 south of Holton, according to a media release.
The deputy initiated a car stop on a vehicle driven by James Dana Kilgore, 30, Fresno, CA., for allegedly texting while driving.
Kilgore and Hannah Joy Nolan, 21, Rio Dell, CA., were arrested following the car stop after a search yielded a large quantity of illegal narcotics.
Kilgore was booked into the Jackson County Jail on the following charges: Possession of Xanax, Possession of Xanax with intent to distribute, Possession of Hydrocodone, Possession of Hydrocodone with intent to distribute, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana with intent to distribute, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Failure to pay Kansas Drug Tax Stamp, Driving while suspended, Using electronic device while driving and Improper driving on roadway.
Nolan was booked into the Jackson County Jail for the following: Possession of Xanax, Conspiracy to Commit Possession of Xanax with intent to distribute, Possession of Hydrocodone, Conspiracy to Commit Possession of Marijuana with intent to distribute, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Conspiracy to Possess Drug Paraphernalia and Failure to pay Kansas Drug Tax Stamp. Bond on both subjects was set at $25,000.00.
Mable Marie Crotinger, age 97, passed away Aug. 3, 2016 at Trego Manor, WaKeeney, Kansas. She was born on June 2, 1919 to Arthur and Mary Phillips Barricklow on the farm near Bazine, Kansas.
She attended Joint Grade School in rural Ness County and graduated from Bazine High School. She worked at the Style Shop in Ness City for many years.
She married Frank Crotinger on October 2, 1938 in Dodge City, Kansas. He preceded her in death on October 15, 1991. She was also preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Raymond and Clarence Barricklow and sisters, Berniece Holmes and Darlene Ruegsegger. She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral Service will be at the Ness City Cemetery on Aug. 8, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Friends may call at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City, on Sunday, Aug. 7 from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Memorial contributions to Trego Manor and Cedar Village.
Duck racers can adopt just one duck for $5, or incrementally adopt more ducks for more money, all the way up to an entire 25-duck colony for $100.
There will be two heats of 2,500 ducks per heat, launched into the HAP Lazy River. The top 500 ducks in each heat will compete in a Championship Race to determine the winning ducks for prizes.
Hays Duck Derby Grand Prize is this 2014 Ford Fiesta.
Prizes will be awarded to the first 14 ducks crossing the finish line of the Championship Race.
Grand Prize is a bright red 2014 Ford Fiesta donated by James Motor Company, Hays Chevrolet, Auto World, Car Zone, Lewis Automotive Group of Hays, Happy’s Auto, Mid Kansas Auto Auction and Lang Diesel.
A separate Duck Dash 4 Kids will be held for children younger than 13. Their brightly colored ducks are available for $2 and will compete for kid-friendly prizes.
More family fun includes free swimming in the zero entry pool starting at 5 p.m. and a hot dog feed starting at 5:30 p.m. for $3 per person. Quacktivities–kids games–include a hula hoop contest and duck waddle races.
Winners will be announced at the Duck Race Awards Ceremony following the Championship Race. Winners do not need to be present to win.
Photo by Andy Marso/KHI News Service Kyle Kessler, executive director of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, spoke Thursday at a meeting of the Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight. He and others said that some community mental health centers are having trouble getting paid for some Medicaid services they believe their clients need.
By MEGAN HART
The leaders of some Kansas community mental health centers say they are having trouble getting paid for some Medicaid services they believe their clients need.
Brenda Mills, CEO of Family Service and Guidance Center, a Topeka-based community mental health center that serves children, spoke Thursday at a meeting of the Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight.
Mills told committee members that some of the three private insurance companies that run KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid program, had raised objections to the center’s psychosocial treatment practices. Psychosocial treatment uses games and activities that are part of daily living to help children learn to manage feelings like frustration and anger in appropriate ways.
The insurance companies, also known as managed care organizations or MCOs, have authority to look for outliers in prescribing patterns, which is appropriate, Mills said. But she said some MCOs flagged a problem when they saw an increase in psychosocial treatment during the summer — which reflects the fact that children aren’t in school and are available for more intensive therapy.
One MCO told the center to cut the amount of psychosocial therapy this summer to half of what it provided last summer, Mills said. She declined to specify the MCO and said the center didn’t comply because of concerns it wouldn’t be meeting children’s needs.
“Upfront, we were told, ‘Don’t provide as much psychosocial (therapy) this year,’” she said.
Mills said she and other center employees have tried to explain why they provided that level of service and sent the MCOs documentation of the sessions. She hasn’t received much communication on the subject, but she said she hopes the center won’t have to repay the reimbursements it has received.
“We’re always going to err on the side of the kids and to provide what’s needed, and not just 50 percent of what was provided last year,” she said.
Kyle Kessler, executive director of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, said during Thursday’s meeting that some other centers have had problems with reimbursements. In some cases, the MCOs decided not to pay for an entire hour of psychotherapy, he said.
Setting limits on reimbursements puts providers in the difficult position of not providing services that patients need or not getting paid for them, Kessler said. It also may run afoul of federal law forbidding greater restrictions on mental health care than on medical care, he said.
Marilyn Cook, executive director of ComCare in Wichita, said her center has been providing some services that it can’t bill for but help keep clients out of the state hospital. For example, ComCare can’t bill for times when a client in a crisis stabilization bed is asleep but requires safety monitoring — and sleep may be helpful to the person’s mental condition, she said.
The center also isn’t reimbursed for the time employees spend trying to provide different types of documentation each MCO wants, Cook said.
“It’s simply difficult to be accountable to three masters and, in the case of the state, maybe a fourth master,” she said.
Not all of the comments on KanCare were negative, however.
Mills said the MCOs have assisted with getting children treatment in another state when they needed a service not available in Kansas, and Cook said they had supported efforts to treat clients’ physical and mental health needs together.
Kessler also pointed to a proposal to start covering grief counseling as a promising sign.
“I would be remiss by not mentioning some of the promise we believe that still exists for KanCare,” he said.
Megan Hart is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team. You can reach her on Twitter @meganhartMC
UPDATE AT 5:39 P.M.
From Assistant Police Chief Brian Dawson: “The Hays Police Department has positively identified the female from our earlier media release. Thank you to all those that called in to help us get her identified.”
No other information was immediately available. Check Hays Post for more as details become available.
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HPD
The Hays Police Department is attempting to identify a female found walking on I-70 near Hays. The female claims that she does not remember her name, other personal information, or have any memory.
This female is known to have been in Hays at 8:00 p.m. yesterday. This morning, Friday, Aug. 5, at about 7:18 a.m., a Good Samaritan found the female walking on I-70 near the westbound 171 mile marker. The female had been exposed to the elements for some time.
The physical description of the female is:
White female about 25 years old; 5′ 4″ tall; 120 pounds.
She has reddish-brown curly hair pulled back. She was wearing a gray Virginia Tech hoodie, green shirt, black pants and black shoes. She has no scars, marks or tattoos. The female had no identification on her person. She reported having a green duffel bag that she set down at an unknown location.
If you have any information as to the identity of this person, please contact Detective Dave Bunger of the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1030.
MANHATTAN – Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating seven suspects on drug and other charges.
Officers with the Riley County Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit with the assistance of the Junction City, Geary County Drug Task Force made seven arrests following 5 search warrants in Manhattan which were executed on Wednesday.
This investigation was the culmination of 6 weeks of work.
Arrested on the offense of distribution of methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a school was Tyrone Goodridge, 34, Manhattan. He was given a bond of $77,000.00.
Police arrested Julious Goodridge, 55, of Manhattan in the 2000 block of Claflin on the offense of distribution of methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a school. He was given a bond of $80,000.00.
Larry Jones, 45, of Manhattan was arrested in the 3000 block of Sunnyside Drive and given a bond of $25,000.00. He was arrested on the offense of distribution of methamphetamine.
Ann Engert, 33, of Manhattan was arrested on the offense of possession of a controlled substance while in the 3000 block of Sunnyside. She was given a bond of $3,000.00.
Maldonado- photo Kan. Dept. of Corrections
David Maldonado Jr., 41, of Manhattan was given a bond of $35,000.00 after being arrested on the offense of distribution of methamphetamine.
Officers arrested Ramiro Escamilla, 33, of Manhattan while in the 1100 block of Ratone Street. Escamilla was arrested on the offense of distribution of methamphetamine and given a bond of $40,000.00.
Colton Magnuson, 25, St. George, Kansas was arrested on warrants for the offense of parole violation, probation violation for 2 warrants from Pottawatomie County and a Geary County warrant for failure to appear for a traffic related violation.
Kimberly Brazzle, 28, of St. George, Kansas was arrested on a warrant for the offense of probation violation which originated in Pottawatomie County.
SALINE COUNTY -Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a shooting in the parking lot of a south Salina retail store.
Just before 10p.m. on Thursday, a man in his 20’s was sitting in his vehicle in the parking lot at Lowe’s, 3035 South 9th, when another vehicle pulled up next to him and an argument began, according to Salina Police Captain Mike Sweeney.
When the man attempted to leave the lot, someone in the second vehicle pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at the vehicle and it left at least one bullet hole.
Sweeney said no was hurt in the incident and no other damage was found.
Phyllis Geraldine “Gerry” (Hill) Fink, 92, of Russell, Kansas, died on Tuesday, August 02, 2016, at the Russell Regional Hospital.
Gerry was born on December 9th, 1923, in Hominy, Oklahoma, the daughter of Hance and Katherine (Wheeler) Hill. Later her family moved to Russell, Kansas, where she graduated from Russell High School in the class of 1941. She was united in marriage to Marvin Fink on May 08, 1943, in Hays, Kansas. From this union Gerry and Marvin were blessed with 4 children Terry, Dennis, Patricia and Anna. The family made their home in Russell and Gerry worked as a homemaker taking care of her husband and children. She was a longtime member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Russell. She was also a member of the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240 Ladies Auxiliary, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Russell Elks Lodge.
She enjoyed playing golf, cards, bingo, wahoo, swimming, reading books, doing crossword puzzles and spending time with her family and grandkids.
Surviving family include her daughter Ann Ostmeyer (Todd) of Russell; five grandchildren Wendy Macoubrie (Jeff) of Olathe, Kansas, Keegan Dick (Trisha) of Russell, Brian Krotz (Amanda) of Park City, Kansas, Amber Whitmer (Tim) of Russell and April Webb (Rick) of Russell; 7 great granddaughters and 3 great grandsons and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Marvin; her parents; two sons Terry and Dennis; daughter Patricia and several brothers and sisters.
A celebration of Gerry’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Monday, August 08, 2016, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas, with Pastor Ezekiel Koech officiating. Burial will follow at the Russell City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 P.M. to 8 P.M. on Sunday, August 07, 2016, at the mortuary with family present to greet guests from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. Sunday afternoon. Memorials may be given to Trinity United Methodist Church and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.
By MINDY MAZUR
Women’s Foundation promotes equity and opportunity for women of all ages, using research, philanthropy, and policy solutions to make meaningful change. In 2016, they released the Status of Women in Kansas research study, the findings of which included that women are vastly underrepresented in the Kansas legislature. In 2014, their Civic Engagement research highlighted the gender gap on boards and commissions and helped spur the Women’s Foundation Appointments Project to help remove barriers for women to serve.
