WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A mathematician whose legal effort to audit voting machine results was rebuffed has surveyed primary voters outside a Wichita polling station to see if the official count falls within her survey’s calculated margin of error.
The Wichita Eagle reports that Wichita State University statistician Beth Clarkson set up the anonymous Citizens Exit Poll to validate the accuracy of voting machines used at a polling station in Tuesday’s primary elections.
Clarkson went to court to get access to the paper audit trails from voting machines in 2014 after she found what she called inexplicable discrepancies between results of large and small voting stations. A district court ruled Clarkson couldn’t have access to those paper trails.
Clarkson then decided to create her own paper trail with an exit poll.
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman says she welcomed the exit poll.
Missouri must pay more than $156,000 in attorneys’ fees after losing a court battle against Planned Parenthood over the revocation of its abortion license in Columbia, Missouri, a federal judge has ruled.
Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, says the court’s ruling is yet another confirmation that Missouri violated Planned Parenthood’s equal protection rights. CREDIT COURTESY PLANNED PARENTHOOD GREAT PLAINS
U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey on Monday awarded Planned Parenthood Great Plains (formerly Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri) all but $157.50 of the legal fees and expenses it sought after it prevailed in the case.
In May, Laughrey issued a permanent injunction blocking the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) from revoking Planned Parenthood’s license to perform abortions in its Columbia clinic.
Laughrey found that the department had submitted to political pressure when it sought to revoke the clinic’s license. She ruled that it violated the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause by treating the clinic differently than other ambulatory surgical centers.
Afterward, Planned Parenthood, as the prevailing party, asked her to award it $156,788 in legal fees and expenses. DHSS argued that the amount should be reduced because Planned Parenthood didn’t actually benefit from her order. It said the clinic didn’t have a physician with admitting privileges to provide abortions, as required by Missouri law, so her ruling made no difference.
Laughrey rejected that argument, saying that by prevailing in the case, Planned Parenthood was able to retain its legal status as an ambulatory surgical center.
She also rejected the department’s claims that the legal fees were excessive – although she did reduce them by $157.50, representing a half-hour’s work by one of Planned Parenthood’s attorneys.
Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, says Laughrey’s ruling is further “confirmation that Planned Parenthood’s equal protection rights were violated by the state of Missouri.”
The ruling, she says, shows “not only that the law will work to protect access to safe and legal abortion in Missouri, but that the law will also provide accountability.”
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster’s office, which defended DHSS in the case, declined to comment.
Despite Laughrey’s permanent injunction against the state, the Columbia clinic has not resumed providing abortion services.
Under pressure from Republican state lawmakers, the University of Missouri last September stripped hospital admitting privileges from the doctor providing abortion services at the Columbia clinic, Dr. Colleen McNicholas. The lawmakers questioned whether the university should have any ties to Planned Parenthood.
McNicholas has appealed the decision to the university, but it’s not clear her privileges will be restored.
McQuade says Planned Parenthood is considering “all legal avenues” to reintroduce abortion services in Columbia, but adds that is only one piece of the puzzle.
“We’re looking not only at immediate relief for the Columbia center but for the potential to roll back, more generally, admitting privileges and ambulatory surgical requirements in the state,” she says.
Dan Margolies, editor of the Heartland Health Monitor team, is based at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
Blake Bittel, Hays attorney, was appointed to fill the 23rd Judicial District vacancy created by the recent retirement of Judge Ed Bouker.
Office of the Governor
TOPEKA–Kansas Governor Sam Brownback today announced the appointments of Blake Bittel of Hays as a 23rd District Judge, Steven Santala of Satanta as a 26th District Magistrate Judge and Jeff Dewey of Wichita as an 18th District Judge. Each nominee was the winner of respective Republican primaries and are unopposed in the November general election.
“I am pleased to appoint Blake Bittel, Steven Santala, and Jeff Dewey to district court positions,” said Governor Brownback. “They each bring strong backgrounds and experience to the bench and will serve their fellow Kansans well.”
Bittel currently is engaged in the private practice of law with the Hays office of Kennedy Berkley Yarnevich & Williamson. He is a 1994 graduate of Fort Hays State University and of Oklahoma City University College of Law. He will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Edward Bouker. The 23rd District is comprised of Ellis, Gove, Rooks, and Trego Counties.
Santala was previously a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. He will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of District Magistrate Judge Tommy Webb. The 26th District is comprised of Grant, Haskell, Morton, Seward, Stanton, and Stevens Counties.
Dewey currently is engaged in the private practice of law with Dewey & Lund. He is a graduate of Wichita State University and Washburn University School of Law. He will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Douglas Roth. The 18th District is comprised of Sedgwick County.
The state’s 105 counties are organized into 31 Judicial Districts. The district courts serve as the trial courts for the state, overseeing all civil and criminal cases.
SHAWNEE COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. on Wednesday in Shawnee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 2005 Chrysler Pacifica driven by Lyman E Boursaw, Jr., 84, Topeka, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just west of Auburn Road.
Two KDOT trucks were stationed partially in the left lane.
The Chrysler attempted to merge back into the right lane and collided with the KDOT truck in the left lane.
Boursaw was transported to Stormont Vail.
The KDOT truck driver Toby Joe Martin, 21, Topeka, was not injured.
Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
WAKARUSA, Kan. (AP) — Investigators have cleared three Kansas sheriff’s deputies in connection with the 2015 death of a man who collapsed after the deputies shocked him with stun guns during a domestic dispute.
Osage County Attorney Brandon Jones released on Wednesday the findings of the probe by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Osage County Sheriff’s Office in the death of 47-year-old Kenneth Schick.
Authorities have said deputies who responded to a reported domestic dispute in October of last year used stun guns and pepper spray to gain control of Schick.
Schick later died at a Topeka hospital.
Wednesday’s report says the investigation of the confrontation found no credible evidence the deputies used unreasonable force on Schick.
The report also says Schick placed two deputies in potentially life-threatening situations.
NORTON — Through its partnering relationship with Rooks County Health Center (RCH), the Norton County Hospital proudly announces the launch of orthopedic services in Norton with the addition of Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Gregory Sarin, who has expanded his specialty orthopedic care to the Norton community.
Dr. Sarin completed his undergraduate study at Regis University in Denver, Colo., and then received his medical training at the University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, Mo. His internship was carried out at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., and his Residency was completed at the Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. He completed his Sports Medicine Fellowship at Kentucky Sports Medicine in Lexington, Ky., and also served as a team physician for Division I NCAA football and basketball teams.
In August of 2003, Dr. Sarin moved to Steamboat Springs, Colo., and began offering general orthopedic services to patients in the community. In 2012, his vision of opening his own practice became a reality when he founded Storm Mountain Orthopaedics. Board Certified with the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Sarin is dedicated to providing exceptional care for a broad range of sports-related injuries and other orthopedic conditions. In practice for over 20 years, he specializes in all aspects of knee injuries, as well as trauma, sports medicine, and total joint replacement.
Dr. Sarin is a physician for the United States Ski Team, and also serves as a member of the Routt County Search and Rescue. His memberships and associations include: the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine, the American Osteopathic Association, the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, and the Wilderness Medicine Society. Additionally, he is a Credentialing Committee member at Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Dr. Sarin is an avid runner, rock climber, and skier. He is also quite passionate about dogs, and fosters dogs through the Mountain Pet Rescue. His current foster dog is very much a part of the Storm Mountain office, and greets patients as they arrive.
In August of 2015, Rooks County Health Center launched its orthopedic clinic services with weekly consultations and procedures performed by Dr. Sarin, as well as Joel McReynolds, PA-C, of New West Sports Medicine in Kearney, Neb. Dr. Sarin’s surgical services allowed those in Rooks County, and the surrounding areas, to have procedures completed close to home, and the addition of his specialty clinic offerings came just as Rooks County Health Center awaited the installation of a permanent in-house MRI.
According to Rooks County Health Center Chief Executive Officer, Mike Sinclair, the focus was to bring in specialists and state-of-the-art technology in order to give patients quality, personalized care in a progressive, nurturing, and innovative environment.
Rooks County Health Center is now collaborating with Norton County Hospital to assist in the launch of Dr. Sarin’s specialty orthopedic services to the Norton community. Dr. Sarin will be available twice monthly to see patients for consultations. Major surgeries, such as total joint replacements, will be performed at Rooks County Health Center, and patients will then return to Norton to have follow-up care with their local primary care physician. For less complex procedures, such as scopes, carpal tunnel procedures, and trigger finger procedures, Norton County Hospital purchased new equipment so these surgeries can be performed at Norton, as well as Rooks County Health Center.
According to Norton County Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Stover, the Hospital is presently working on architectural documents for the addition of a state-of-the-art surgical suites. Once construction is ready to begin, Stover projects that the surgical suites will take about 18 months to complete. Following the completion of the surgical suites, all of Dr. Sarin’s surgical procedures may be performed in Norton, as well as continuing at Rooks County Health Center. “We appreciate that Rooks County Health Center is coordinating with us on major surgeries such as joint replacements until our renovations and new construction is complete so we can offer all these orthopedic surgeries in-house,” said Gina Frack, Chief Operations Officer at Norton County Hospital.
Prior to its launch of orthopedic services, Stover says that Norton County Hospital started to see a change in services. “We found that our orthopedic patients were traveling to other facilities for care, and we realized that we needed to do something to change the process,” he said. At the suggestion of Kellen Jacobs, Director of Rehabilitation at Norton County Hospital, Stover says that the Hospital began inquiring with patients regarding their follow-up care, and learned that many patients were coming straight home from out-of-town facilities and feeling that they weren’t receiving sufficient follow-up care. With the launch of services to be provided by Dr. Sarin, Stover says, “we think we can do a much better job with transitioning patients back into their homes while they receive care from a fantastic surgeon.”
Dr. Sarin’s first clinic was held at the Norton County Hospital on July 19. He is now accepting appointments for Thursday, August 18. To inquire about scheduling an appointment, please contact the Norton County Hospital at 785-877-3351, and ask for Kayla in the Health Information Management Department. Starting in September, Dr. Sarin plans to come to Norton on the first and third Tuesday of every month.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback CREDIT HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on the Kansas primary (all times local):
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s chief spokeswoman says the results of Kansas’ primary election show that the state is experiencing the same “anti-incumbency sentiment” at play elsewhere in the nation.
Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said in a statement Wednesday that the governor looks forward to working with strong Republican majorities after the November election.
Republican moderates had made the election a referendum on the state’s ongoing budget problems and battles over education funding.
At least 11 conservative GOP legislators lost primary races. They included Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce of Nickerson.
Retired Hutchinson Community College President Ed Berger defeated Bruce and made the state’s budget problems the focus of his successful campaign. He said Wednesday that concerns about the budget resonated with voters.
The Hays Public Library announced Wednesday that a new library director has been hired. James Agee will begin as director on Sept. 1.
According to a news release, multiple candidates were interviewed for the position. Both the Board of Directors and the administrative team were involved in the interviews to ensure the best possible fit for the library, the release said.
Agee, a Topeka native, fills the vacancy created when former director Eric Norris resigned his position in May.
Agee comes to Hays after a stint as librarian at American University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say several shots were fired into an unoccupied patrol car belonging to the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s department says the patrol car was parked in an off-duty deputy’s driveway in Kansas City, Kansas, when the shots were fired early Wednesday. The Kansas City Star reports that no one was hurt.
Someone who lives nearby called authorities to report hearing the sound of gunfire. The sheriff’s office says it appears about a half dozen shots were fired into the car.
SALINE COUNTY – First responders are investigating an accident just after 1p.m. on Wednesday in Saline County.
Drivers were extracted from a semi and a Cadillac Escalade, in the accident at the intersection of Crawford Street and Burma Road, according to Saline County Sheriff’s Deputy Ricky Heinrich.
Burma Road was temporarily closed to traffic from Crawford to K-140 Highway.
SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating two suspects on theft and drug charges.
Two people are in the Saline County Jail after using bogus credit cards at a Salina business and attempting to use one at another business early Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, police were called to Rod’s VIII, 2140 West Crawford for report of a man attempting to use several credit cards to make a purchase, according to Salina Police Captain Mike Sweeney.
Store clerks told police the man, later identified as Nicholas Rodish, 20, Denver, came into the store at about 1 a.m. and attempted to use several credit cards to purchase $2,000 worth of Kansas lottery tickets and $451.57 worth of cigarettes.
After several of the cards he attempted to use were declined, Rodish produced a card that was successful in making the purchase. He was also able to withdraw $500 from the card.
Rodish also cashed in $500 worth of winning lottery tickets from the purchase before leaving the store with a woman in a Dodge Dart and a U-Haul.
A short time later, police found Rodish and the woman Jodee Wallace, 48, Winnetka, CA., at the Baymont Inn, 1740 W. Crawford.
Sweeney said Rodish was found inside the U-Haul and in possession of a methamphetamine pipe.
Wallace was inside the hotel, where she had paid cash for a room after first attempting to use a credit card that was declined.
During a search of the Dodge Dart, officers located and seized a credit card embossing machine used to make bogus credit cards, according to Sweeney.
Rodish was booked into jail on multiple requested charges of criminal use of a financial card, felony theft, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Wallace was booked on multiple requested charges of criminal use of a financial card, felony theft, and possession of stolen property.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A pit bull is quarantined after attacking a U.S. postal carrier at a south Wichita home and leaving him with 26 stitches.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the 53-year-old carrier was bitten Friday morning after the dog pushed through a fence weakened by wet soil.
Wichita police Lt. Joe Schroeder, who oversees the city’s animal control operations, says the pit bull had bitten someone in the neighborhood previously, but that person didn’t want to pursue charges.
He says the owner of the dog could face a charge, most likely a misdemeanor, for the bites. The dog will be quarantined for 10 days to determine whether it has rabies. If the pit bull is found to be highly dangerous, the owner could be forced to confine or muzzle the dog.
The name Glik’s may not be known to many in the area, but an expansion program into Kansas will bring the 14th oldest retailer in the nation to Big Creek Crossing, 2918 Vine, later this year.
The location will be the first in Kansas.
“Hays is an amazing small town that we just felt that there was a tremendous need for us to be there,” said Jeff Glik, owner and CEO.
But the allure of Hays was not the only factor that brought the first Kansas store to Hays. Big Creek Crossing’s parent company – DP Management – was a draw for the location.
“We have an affiliation with the owner of the mall. We are in four of his other centers. He asked us to stop by, and he had the perfect space for us,” Glik said.
Management at the shopping center was happy to include the newest store to the center, first announced Monday.
“We’re very excited to have them here in Hays. We’re very excited that we were chosen, specifically Big Creek Crossing was chosen, as their first premier location in Kansas,” said James Younger, Big Creek Crossing marketing director. “We think it’s going to be a great fit for our community.”
The new location in the shopping center is only the first of several stores that are expected to move into Big Creek Crossing soon, and exterior facility upgrade plans are being finalized now.
“There are two to three others ones that are in the process of getting the leases signed,” said Josh Vickery, DP Management development investment specialist. “The lease agents are working hard on that.”
In May, Big Creek Crossing announced at least two new stores would be entering the shopping center, but the addition of Glik’s was not one of those expected at that time. Those announcements are expected soon.
But, in the meantime, Vickery is excited to add Glik’s to Big Creek Crossing.
“We’re happy to have them. I think they’re going to be a great addition to the mall. They’re a great store,” he said. “I think it will be great. They cater to the younger generation and, with the college, they will really like that.”
About Glik’s
Glik’s is a family-owned boutique that began in 1897 that selects offerings specific to each location, meaning no two stores are the same.
Some of the more well-known clothing lines carried by the chain include The North Face, Under Armour, Silver Jean Co., Patagonia, Sperry and Converse, along with others.
“It will be similar to what we have, but once we open a store, we really tailor it to the community,” Glik said. “We will open with our best foot forward and fine-tune from there.”
And Big Creek Crossing said the store will fit perfectly with Hays shopping.
“Their clothing brands are a breath of fresh air, at a mid-range price point,” Younger said. “I think it will be a win-win.”
The Hays location will be the 65th in the chain – with plans to bring three more to Kansas within 18 months.
“We are looking at other sister stores throughout the state. One town that we are pretty excited about is eventually to move into Lawrence,” Glik said.
With the openings in Kansas, Glik’s will cover 10 states and has over 600 employees.
The store in Hays is expected to employee eight to 10 people, according to Glik, and will occupy the 4,000-square-foot location formerly occupied by Rue 21.
Al Ratkewicz, store design and construction manager with Glik’s, was at the site Tuesday.
“After Jeff has made a selection, I come out and do a survey and draw a design for the store,” he said. “Initially, we plan to stay very similar to this footprint that’s here now.”
Plans for the space include a rustic look, similar to other Glik locations, but tailored to the space in Big Creek Crossing.
An opening date is planned for Oct. 20, but shoppers can get a look at clothing and shoe lines offered by the chain by visiting their website or facebook.
